bicyclemark

AudioCommuniqu? #7 – Soundseeing Vondelpark

Well… this one is no where as exciting as the market last week. Vondelpark is one of Amsterdam’s most popular parks. Quite cold and grey this weekend, and maybe I started a bit too early for this one. Next week, I promise to spice it up. As per my new usual.. a flickr photoshow (optional)starting with the photo: Soundseeing Vondelpark #1, goes along with this tour.

AudioCommuniqu? #7 Soundseeing Vondelpark (mp3)

64Kbps, 8mb, 17min

Featuring:

My Everchanging Intro.
ME riding my bike.
Music by Tree Wave

5 Star Hotel

I’ve shifted apartments here at the bicyclemark ranch. I now have a garden view, no more tourists looking in my window as I eat breakfast or play horn without pants on. Although I will miss the canal view, I’m quite content with the plum tree and the cat who interact with each other at my new windows.

Since I’ve just moved in (down the hall.. so it took me 4 hours to move to my new place) I figure why not celebrate by spending the night at a 5 star hotel in the heart of Amsterdam. Free of course, cause I know all the right people… I’m so looking forward to it.

While I go rough it in the lap of luxury, I’ve been watching Iraqi’s vote in make-shift booths with m16’s all around them. I keep forgetting who’s protecting who from who. Nothings says democracy like tanks in the streets and guns in your face. And man do my ears ring everytime they call it a historical day. Historical my ass… I remember when Saddam used to hold elections and you could only vote for him. This isn’t the same, but it isn’t that far off either. In both cases people will be treated as if they are threats to the government, arrested occasionally, and possibly tortured — since that’s an ok method to get your information.

The only news item I found nice was the story of Iraqi ex-pats who voted here in the netherlands. The images and stories were really… heartwarming and funny (dances and feasts surrounding the polling stations).

Today’s Sounds: Ani Difranco – The new one

AudioCommuniqu? #6 : Friday Night Special

On the eve of a soundseeing tour of world infamous Vondelpark, a little podcasting from the bicyclemark ranch. I’m getting comfy with using Adobe Audition, and I highly recommend it. I get preachy in this one about elections in Iraq and Portugal, plus I lay out a mission for all of you… if you choose to accept it.

AudioCommuniqu? #6

64Kbps, 16min, 7,5 MB

Featuring:

My custom intro now sampling the godfather of pod
K-Hill
A London Podwalk
Broken Social Scene
Farm Reports from College Station,Texas
One Cool Guy
Elections in Iraq & Portugal
David Byrne closer.

Trade Secret

Another school of fish graduated from the tank today. No longer will they float around asking me computer questions, they will swim away and travel the world helping people in refugee camps and other desperate places. The highlight of the ceremony, amongst other things, was the professor who looks like Louis Black! I kept daydreaming of him, in the middle of his speech, going “B-B-B-B-Basically we’re all fucked!” Ooh.. and that just causes a whole other daydream, what if Louis Black was a prof? Obviously he would teach politics… or anger management.

But I wanted to let you in a secret, and I place myself in great danger with the very secret society known as single expats. There was a long chat between an Israeli graduate and I, about her going home, and how strange it is to have to interact with all her friends who are there and have their jobs, and their house, and have gotten married. I quickly agreed, cause I often feel the same whenever I head to PT (portugal) or NJ (jersey). While it can be a joy to see the married the friends, it’s often a very odd meeting as well, since the choices they have made are so foreign to me.

Anyway, here comes the very shallow and evil secret. I had better whisper it, because they’re out there reading, and I don’t want to lose my good standing. We single expats, when we’re talking in private, just us, we talk about marrying and having a house, etc… like it’s the fucking plague! No.. I’m serious. We sit around sipping wine, listening to complex jazz tunes, and pondering the protestant reformation, and we poo-poo all “those” friends who chose the opposite from us. — What a bunch of bastards we are, eh? Oh sure… now they’re gonna come out against me, denying it. But I’m telling you… I’ve been to the meetings.. I’m one of them… and we do this.

Which leaves me wondering. A — What the hell right do we have to be such arrogant bitches? B — Are the married/house owning crew having tupperware parties and talking about us like we’re wackos? C — Am I gonna get beat-up in a dark allyway by a bunch of highly independent expats tonight?

Anyway. Please don’t hate me or us. Well.. do it in private if you can, behind our backs like we do it to you. And when we reneg on such criticisms and settle down… this was just a phase, such blog posts never happenned.

Time to go read what Morgan Spurlock says about being nominated for an Oscar, and then see the latest New Media Musings from JD.

Today’s Sounds: LAke Trout – I forget the album.. very acid jazz.

Lets Get Ady

It’s true, I’m the first to shout “PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS.” I hate how capitalism and commercials find there way into areas of life where they once didn’t exist. Like when perfectly good public electricity, water, or rail systems are sold off as if it will benefit the consumer. (which it rarely, if ever, does) As a pretend journalist, I especially hate seeing ads larger than the friggin article that I’m reading. I don’t go crazy, but I do get that much closer to going over the EDGE.

The same goes for my blog reading and podcast listening. One thing I love about the blogo-podo-sphere is that it’s young, and the colonizers haven’t come to civilize us with their free market religion. By us I mean.. most blogs. And so, because blogging is sometimes about bouncing discussions around, I wanted to continue a piece of the discussion that Tony’s decision to put ads on the busblog sparked.

So despite my hate for ads, as a person with a rapidly growing readership and the accompanying bandwith costs, I know how this great hobby can become quite the expense. I even got a second donation this week, and I must say I’m most thankful.. the person threw 15 dollars my way. That’s way more then I’d ever ask of anyone, but it definitely inspires me to work harder at blogging and podcasting, as well as eases my pain when I look into the virtual wallet.

Sometimes tho, donations aren’t enough it seems, and so many bloggers have gone the way of googleads (which don’t earn you shit I hear) or other ads. In some cases I don’t even notice… like on WinterofDiscontent’s (where I think I saw googleads), but in some cases, like Wonkette (no offence to that blog pioneer)the ads have pissed me off to the point where I simply don’t read that blog anymore. Where do I draw the line? Well I’m not sure… I think when there’s as much ad space as there is content, that’s when I start losing it.

Of course I still cheer when a blogger says no ads… EVER. Hell.. I’m saying it right now. NO ADS FOR ME. But shit.. you never know…

So in the end.. it’s a grey area… but I support the individual blogger’s right to do what they want with their own blog. Fucking ads might be a necessary evil for some, and bravo to we who manage to stay away from them; cause it keeps our shit pure. Double bravo with sugar ontop to those who leave tips to bloggers in order to help out and avoid the ad monster. Oh -I better go practice what I preach, and leave a tip somewhere myself.

And this post has nothing to do with the fact that I won a raffle on the busblog. I’m serious… stop thinking that. And go bring the beef.

Today’s Sounds: Old 97’s – Tracks that xtx Sent me

On My Island

Weblogging is often a great exercise for my crap memory, so here’s a lil story that must be told:

I must have been about 10 years old when my parents had a teachers’ conference in the Azores, those beautiful islands in the middle of the Atlantic, smack-dab between New York and Lisbon. Naturally being the young son, I tagged along. I had pretty much never been on an island before, not including Manhattan, and certainly not a archipelago of volcanic orgin.

My memories, on the one hand, have gotten pretty fuzzy about that trip. But I definitely remember swimming in hot springs, along with a bunch of other strangers. Later we watched them cook bacalhau (cod) in a volcanic vent… or whatever they’re called in english (furnas). Basically deep holes in the ground filled with boiling water as a result of geothermic something something. They’d cover the holes with lids after lowering the pot in on a rope. Too cool. As if that wasn’t enough, I was baffled by the black sand of the beaches… crazy.

What I remember best of all, was sitting through what would have been boring ass presentations. Everyone was jotting down notes, while I – the token child – sketched fishing boats and sea monsters. They were to be gifts for the twenty something year old teacher from San Jos?, who I had fallen in love with on day 1. She would happily review my drawings and read the clever notes I would write to her, then she’d pat me on the head and give me words of encouragement which made me feel like a million bucks.

That was my thing… draw.. meet girl 20 years older than me… have crush,, draw some more. Ahhh the good old days.

Oh and wouldn’t you know it.. now they’ve got fucking European Blog Awards, they won’t be satisfied til they’ve made the internet a carbon copy of the stupid-ass entertainment industry. Not linking it… cause that would just encourage the fools.

I will, on the other hand, point you to the Torontonienne in the toilet, and the US Federal Budget… flushed down the toilet.

Today’s Sounds: Goin Deep Podcast – inauguration Retardation