Category Archives: Text

Breaking News: Londons Burning

Apologies for the poor taste headline. I’ve been reading the BBC’s text-message testamonies and its very sad.

Blasts in London

Worried about everyone there. Just like I worry about all the victims of violence around the world.

In the meantime Im in the fishtank and the Dutch news is running some story about a Puma being kidnapped or some shit. The corporate media has a keen eye for useless crap to keep us dumb.

13h52 UPDATE: Blair and the BBC are already spreading speculation and stupidity about how its “probably terrorism” or.. “possibly linked to Al Qaeda”. The world has no use for professional investigations or court systems anymore, political leaders and media have cut out the middle man. They are the modern day judge-jury-and executioner. Get ready world, someones going to get invaded or bombed over this.

Warm in Here

Sometimes people discover things or make good points by accident. Like the guy who invented post-it notes (i think). This is almost how I feel about the w-bush criticism of the kyoto protocol. When he says it’s not good enough, though he’s reasons are those of a spoiled child, he circles around a point that I actually agree with. Thats right.. the sky is falling, I almost agree with the moron-in-chief.

Sign it bitchNow now, don’t worry, I can explain. I’ve conducted extensive lazy internet research in between reading the onion and great blogs like the known universe, and in my research I noted that Kyoto is full of loop holes for polluters to keep polluting by trading their “emissions credits” or whatever. I also noted that the targeted amount of pollution reduction is peanuts, almost-nothing, nada, niks, rien de rien. Nevermind how it will allow lots of terrible polluters considered non-industrialized to destroy their corner of the planet.

That being said, I want it signed. Im with the environmentalists outside the G8. hell, Im an activist myself. But like with so many things, I know we’re capable of much better. We HAVE TO come up with more and better agreements after the Kyoto thing finally goes through. When you think about it, Kyoto was drafted over 8 years ago… we should already be working on the next steps for cleaning up this terrible mess.

Now I realize I started this post by agreeing a lil’ with one of the most ignorant world leaders in history. What can I say, I’m an odd one.

In order to get the bad taste out of your mouth, go read BitchPhD visiting Chucky Cheese.

Fingerprint Frisbee Girl

Today was the Amsterdam City League finals. So you’ll have to tolerate more gratuitous frisbee-lingo as well as the occasional pining over a frisbee girl. But don’t worry, there’s a deeper message in this one for those who seek something more than the mundane goings on aux Pays-Bas.

If you’re curious, my team: Blue Steel, took the third place match by spanking the red guys. Allow me to pat myself on the back for two reasons: one – after only a couple of months playing, I scored a few, setup a few, and did some heart-breaking defensive plays. Dam I love this sport. and two – after the match there is always a game of some sort, and without going into detail, I am now the champion of the smack the butt game. Somewhere, my mom is beaming with pride.

But lets get to a more pressing issue. As Big Jim did the traditional heckling of the final match, frisbee girl was telling me about how she has never eaten a bagel, and has little desire to EVER visit the US, because she finds the practice of photographing and fingerprinting visitors – humiliating. Which to any rational human being – it is . But after awarding her the first ever bagel of her life, i starting thinking about what a loss the US is taking. Tourists, students, maybe even businesses, and worst of all – frisbee girl- choosing not to go there. Who don’t want to be treated like a criminal, so don’t bring their knowledge and contribution to the country. You can imagine the brain drain the US will face for years to come, much to the benefit of Canada- probably.

For homework tonight read the Radiohumper, carefully.

Fascism on the March

They hate public broadcasting. They hate it. They’ve hated it for decades. Wouldn’t you hate something that exposes you, as an incompetant world leader, for the fraud that you are? And you know that public broadcasting never got into the whole big graphics with american flags and exciting 3d animations in your newsreports bullshit.

So now they’re on the attack. They’ve had just about enough of this quality journalism crap! Say goodbye to BigBird and Frontline, they want to cut 25% of the PBS budget and thensome. And just to pour salt on the wound, they’re holding health and welfare programs hostage. Saying if you want to keep your health and social programs, they have to cut PBS, because -you know- SOMEBODY mismanaged the budget and spends billions on the colonization of the middle east.

Oh and as an extra kick in the head, several of the members of this congressional committee set to destroy public broadcasting are our supposed saviors: Democrats. If there’s one party I hate as much as I hate the republicans its those spineless dems.

Brighter news, the internets’ very own Lilia of Mathemagenic is speaking at the fishtank tomorrow! I’ve been asked to podcast it.. bicyclemark to the podcast rescue.

I miss Labor

You there reading this post – you work don’t you? I mean, maybe you’ve got a job and a boss and that sort of thing? I wonder if you’re in a union? I doubt it. Seems like no one is in a union these days. I am sort of a member/ex-member of the UnitedAutoWorkers Local 1981. That’s right, I’m in the National Writers Union, because freedom of speech on the factory floor is just as important as freedom of speech in publishing. Or something like that.

I’ve been thinking about this as a read about a group of unions in the US who’ve decided to make their own conglomerate, outside of that friggin elephant the AFL-CIO. I hate the AFL-CIO most of the time, they have leadership who have grown fat and complacent. They’re surely in bed with politicians and parties, instead of with their people – the workers. So for me, and workers in general, this is an interesting sign. I mean, when was the last time there was a real alternative to the AFL? 1950’s or around there?

Oh speaking of which, I just checked, and amazingly, my most admired Union from the olden days of REAL action, the IWW, still exists and has a shiney new website. 1905 to 2005.. thats a long time. I wonder if there’s going to be a resugrency? maybe I should renew my writers union membership now. Maybe they’ll give me a tshirt.

Nostalgicly

Have you been to many reunions in this life? Myself, I haven’t. Not high school, not college, none really. Until this one, the fishtank reunion, which I happen to be organizing. And let me tell you, having a reunion of international folk right here in Amsterdam is F U N. When I’m not freaking out about everyone enjoying themselves, that is.

It’s incredible. They come from such different places. I received a gift from one who arrived from Shanghai. I sat at a dinner table with a few who arrived from Iraq, Israel, LA and of course — PORTUGAL. I even received a cancelation email that read something like:

Dear BM, Im really disappointed to tell you, but things here in the west bank have taken a turn for the worse, and I won’t be able to attend the reunion. I have to be present at the negotiations between general so and so and general so and so. I was really looking forward to coming to the dam and seeing everyone, please give them my regards. — signed, important guy.

Yeah, I was sad to hear it, but then I thought — wow, we’ve got people all over the world doing important stuff. Feels cool to be related in any way to them.

Later this evening I found myself watching old friends wander into the bar and people rush over to hug them. I’ll be dammed if I didn’t almost see tears as well. Then I sat with the wonderful BlondeButBright for a few hours. Anyway, time to get a few hours sleep before the next events.