Zimbabwe Gets Me

Awhile back, my good friend BadHareDay in Lisbon, mentioned that he would like to see me talk more about what is going on in Zimbabwe and all the terrible things going on there over the past years. Although I’ve occasionally followed his wishes, and written about what’s going on there, the fact is I don’t often say the word Zimbabwe on the blog.

Which makes me wonder: why is that? I ask myself this as I sit down to write tonight, exhausted after two days of frisbee playing and nagging leg cramps. The only answers I can think of are possibilities; possible explanation for my choice not to make frequent references to the country and events unfolding there. You may not like all of them, but here they are:

To be completely honest, and obviously risking great condemnation now from readers, I actually thought the policy of redistributing land had a valid arguement behind it. (INITIALLY!) Obviously now I do not feel that way and the results have certainly been disastrous, sad, and a crime against humanity. But at that time, I looked at the situation in the country and on a very basic level I thought: why are all the big farms owned by white people? It struck me as odd and a sad fact. So I heard the idea of redistributing land and I thought — maybe this is what has to happen to finally stop the great income gap between black and white Zimbabweans.

Looking back, of course, we all know it didn’t take long for that idea to become a clearly destructive idea. As the country would lose its ability to feed itself, people would go hungry, and the government would continue on its path of iron fisted human rights violations and crack downs of all kinds. Perhaps this new reality was simply so sad and permanent feeling, that I had nothing new to add to what was already being said in the media.

So today I read somewhere on BBCnews that the government was taking steps to let white farmers acquire farms again. As the confiscated farms had been so mismanaged and unproductive since the evictions began. I think they called it an about-face of policy, presumably due to the lack of food and terrible shape the economy is in.

This has all been going on for years now, and I still struggle to understand Zimbabwe fully. I’ve read the history, watched events unfold, and even now I find it very confusing and moreover, frustrating. I guess a better place to read about all this is on “This is Zimbabwe” and not here. I somehow feel insufficiently informed or experienced to make sense of it all here on the blog.

Clearly a podcast topic for the near future.

bm123 Tony Pierce on Blogs, Mental Health, and more.

Ever since the dawn of the blog era, anytime someone commits a terrible crime and they are bloggers, there is always alot of attention given to that persons writing. Some say it should be taken down and destroyed along with the person. While others see a chance for we the people to read and understand for ourselves, through a previously unknown doorway into the mind.
My friend Tony Pierce of busblog, buzznet, and thoughtmechanics, joins me from Los Angeles to discuss the case of Kevin Underwood, blogger who murdered a little girl in Oklahoma, and what his blog might tell us about how this all came about, and maybe how spot the signs that someone needs help, before it is too late.

AudioCommunique #123 (mp3)

Some Links:
Article in the Norman Transcript about the arraignment
Audio from the World Health Report 2001
Music:
Coheed and Cambria – Always and Never
Death Cab for Cutie – Information Travels Faster
Dave Mathews Band – Out of My Hands
Terry Lee Hale – I remember
Bright Eyes – This is the first day of my life

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podcast made possible by you the listener and also Springheeljack.net

Back to Her Island

The women of my life don’t get nearly the amount of blog attention they deserve. This could be due to the fact that since the blog began, more than 4 years ago, I’ve never found myself with a girlfriend. Still there have been times where I mentioned or should have mentioned a special female in my life regardless of the fact that its not “romanticly” related.

So this evening when the phone lit up, I saw that it was the Fleur, and remembered that she’d be returning to her island at some point this weekend. You may recall me talking about island girl long ago, as she lives 6 months out of the year in the Azores (the Portuguese archipalego), and studies whales and dolphins.

Every year around this time, there’s usually an email or a sms or a phonecall saying “ciao bicyclemark, see you in the fall”. It’s like the passing of the seasons; springtime arrives and the Fleur must return to her island. It’s an anual occasion that always sounds exciting to me, as I’ve long hoped to go see more of the Azores and see first-hand the incredibly beautiful work she does there.

As I learned from her phonecall, the journey begins again in a few hours. We didn’t get to do an in-person goodbye, which is normal. But these past six months I’ve grown more attached than in the past. Maybe it’s because as you get older you become more choosey about who your friends are and who you’ll spend quality time with. Through our occasional swimming evenings and dinners, I guess that’s what I was doing.

Anyone who’s ever lived in Amsterdam knows that that’s how it is. People come and go, and they usually return – so no worries, don’t make too big a fuss with goodbyes. And so I decided that this year I would do better than that, the world could use some interesting podcasts about the ocean, whales & dolphins, and these very unique islands – come September, I’m gonna find a way to get myself to the Azores. Island girl, I’ll see you in a few months.

(and if you’re reading this right now the Fleur, smile, the internets are watching.)

==ps== for the podcast listeners, slightly delayed this weekend, to give you a chance to catch up and me a chance to play in a frisbee tournament.

Dams and Boats Weekend

This boating thing could really make one forget about all the problems in the world. I smell complacency everytime I lie back and stare at the cyclists riding by. Maybe it would help if I brought my powerbook and parked where I could catch some wifi and from there I could keep abreast to all the things happenning in different corners of the world. I was so busy learning how to manage the vessel today, I actually forgot to take photos or video – imagine that!

be040625But instead of going on and on about this very shallow reflection on canal cruising life, I think it would be better if I recommend you a blogger and an ongoing story that effects the lives of hundreds if not thousands: Dilip in Bombay is doing some excellent blog-journalism on dam building in India; specifically the Narmada Dam project. It’s an issue I have always come back to and has always stuck out in my mind. Mostly the influence of both a former professor of mine from India and the great Arundhati Roy, of course. I recommend his posts from this past week to get an idea and detailed arguements on the issue regarding the who, what, and why.

Meanwhile I’m off to sleep where I’ll likely dream about perfect boat parking spaces and ultimate frisbee tournaments. Apathy can’t be too far away.

Easter Egg Hunt Redux – A Vlog

Naturally I can not close the book on easter without putting out a vlog. This one features my family in Belgium; specifically my cousins, as they scour their yard for eggs and gifts. The little dialogue there is in mostly in French, some in Portuguese. If you listen close you’ll hear me in French for the first time ever in a vlog. But really you don’t need to speak any language to soak in the overal feeling. Oh, and the tune is from my fellow Portuguese Amsterdam resident Fernando Lameirinhas.

Watch the Video

And since professor Chris Weagel of Human-dog productions has been poking around this blog, it’s a good time to recommend his team of scientists’ hard work.