bicyclemark

This World, That World

Watch my talk “Not Soy Fast: The Silent March of the multinational GM Soy industry” Tuesday at 12h45pm CET, 6h45 EST. Streaming from one of these links.

Inside we are several thousand, over the past 3 days, shuffling about the Berliner Congress Center. Some for the first time, some for the third time, and many for the 25th time. The voices are loud and plentiful, people waving a laptop in one hand, planting them in front of neighbors to show them something they’re working on. A whole line of guys in one corner all have those Madonna headsets, though none of them has said a word in the last 30 minutes.? The flying object guys connect their flying objects to various sockets, an occasional test to see how the take off would look or the propellers are spinning. They don’t notice the Italian hacker walking around in his flowing robe with a bottle of grappa and a stack of plastic cups for anyone who wants to partake.? He comes over to the group of people I am withContinue reading “This World, That World”

My Inspiration Forever

When I was a child, he would come over to the US and take family vacations with us.

I would listen to his stories of so many adventures he had just returned from.

He spoke so many languages and had this encyclopedic knowledge of the world.

I think even then as a child, I looked at him and listened to him; I wanted to be like him.

As a teenager I would spend parts of my summer with him in Lisbon, thrilled at the chance to go to work with him.

He had this way of plucking books and artifacts off his shelves, to show me some evidence of some historical occurrence. In the middle of a conversation he would start searching some stack of books or in some drawer for something magical that illustrates a point.

As a young adult and a student, I lived in his place in Lisbon. Spending wonderful days and nights, surrounded by his books and his things. Thrilled to be carrying on the tradition, and comparing notes any chance we would get, about what was going on in the city we both loved.

It should come as no surprise that years later I would plant myself in Amsterdam, with him only three hours away in Brussels.? Again whenever I felt alone in my adventures, I took solace in the fact that I had him nearby, always ready with advice or a warm home (and a loving family) for me to visit.

He followed my every move on the internet, the audio, the video… it was all filed away in his computer. Knowing this gave me a sign that I was doing something special, that the person whom I’ve look up to all my life, understood and enjoyed my dedication and purpose.

There was never a time that I wasn’t learning from him, about the world around us, about how we got to where we are, and even now… about life.

It is inadequate to write only one post and only these few lines about someone I love so much and will always love.? But when it comes to him, someone who has so much to do with who I am and so much of the joy I’ve had in this life, it is impossible not to tell the stories and shout it from the mountaintops- for all the world to hear.

My dearest cousin, you will always be my inspiration and guide as I make my way through this world. But of course, I know you knew that…

(1952 - 2008)

Seen my Niece Lately?

Another day of wandering about the NYC tri state area.? I’ll be heading to WBAI on Wednesday night (in a few hours) to visit with the friends at Off the Hook (99.5 in NYC). So you can perhaps hear me on the live stream at 7pm EST. (or download it later).

In the meantime I leave you with a quick clip of my niece, who hasn’t appeared on this site since.. perhaps.. her birth over one year ago.? Enjoy!

Cuban Blogger Crackdown

Part of visiting the US and my homestate of New Jersey, means constant visting friends and quality family time, hence the reduced posting.

I did want to point out the issue of the Cuban bloggers and a recent crackdown on their work and collective activities.? I’ve noticed reports about this on Global Voices and then recently Marc Cooper wrote a piece on it for Mother Jones:

Havana-based writer Yoani Sanchez was recently named by Time magazine as one the 100 most influential people in the world, and she won the 2008 Ortega y Gasset award for digital journalism. But that didn’t stop Cuban authorities from directly threatening her with jail last week.

Reading the content on the Cuban blogs, highlighted on GV, you’ll see statements by government agents who confronted the bloggers with threats and warnings that they had overstepped their freedoms, being accused of being on the side of so-called counter-revolutionaries.

It is, to a limited extent, surprising that the Cuban government is going about things this way. Especially when they could have built some momentum towards being more open domestically and internationally, to free-speech, self-criticism, and new ways of communicating in general.? When Raul first took the reigns, little things the the availability of mobile phones and some change in travel restrictions may have been a sign of a new direction to come. Alas, when it comes to blogging and citizen reporters, they’ve taken a sharp turn in the wrong direction.

Still technology and the voices using technology, will find a way.

A Preacher Man

Normally religion doesn’t get much attention here on citizenreporter. Probably because I’m not a religious person.? Nevertheless my recommendation for you today is related to faith and preachers and yes.. evangelicals.. a group I really never pay attention to.

This evening I found myself on a train, coming home from Brussels, mind wandering… and sure enough I turn on This American Life.? This episode focuses on a preacher, an evangelical preacher who went from being a superstar to being a pariah among his own people.? But its not the rise and fall that caught my attention. It is the man’s voice, in the interviews and in church… his voice keeps me captivated.. its magic. It doesn’t make me suddenly religious.. but it does make me think about life and friends and love and how things change.? Plus its a story that just hangs there in my mind.? Therefore I recommend giving it a listen.

Threatening NYC Water

Some of you may recall a great guest I had on the podcast last year, Al Appleton, the man who saved the NYC water system.

I thought of Al today as I read about how NY state has loosened restrictions on drilling for gas in the NYC watershed are. Using a method called horizontal drilling under the Catskill Mountains, there are proposals to drill for gas. This despite the risk that drilling would bring of spilling toxic chemicals into New York City’s drinking supply. Interfering with the water system could also force the need for building a water treatment plant which would cost an astronomical amount. This despite the fact that over a decade ago, concerned citizens and watershed experts like Al Appleton eliminated the need for building such plants byContinue reading “Threatening NYC Water”