Citizen Reporter

Echoes of ’68

One weekend of being nearly disconnected from the world and man oh man did alot happen in the world in the last 72 hours. I want to start with the one that has me most alarmed as trusty Portuguese TV news has been showing tons of footage from it: the student strikes at the Sorbonne.

First of all fuck the French government, especially Sarkozy since his signature of iron fisted police aggression is all over this one. Prime minister Villepin has also proven to be a complete coward who consistantly fails to represent people who never elected him in the first place. (the man has never run for public office!)

Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself condemning leaders instead of explaining what has been going on, for those who weren’t informed. Basically France passed a new law that allows youth (under 26) to be hired for 2-year contracts during which companies will be completely free to fire them at any time without any explanation. Apparently the idea is to enourage companies to hire young people without fear of having to keep them. Students, naturally, do not like this idea, and as a response, have gone on strike. To which the government has responded with brute force in the form of scores of riot police busting skulls.

Now depending on where you live, you’re probably thinking – so what, lot’s of us young people get fired after 2 years, or even 1… that’s life. Indeed it is a reality I have seen in various countries. But for the government to actually pass a law sanctioning this practice – that’s basically spitting in the face of every student who’s working hard to get that degree and build a career. For that reason alone, I say build the barracades, close the Sorbonne and all the universities in France, DO NOT ALLOW BUSINESS AS USUAL.

Last time I checked the Sorbonne had been forcibly evacuated. I saw police beating up students, many of which were either running for their lives or trying to defend themselves by whatever means they could find (rocks, bottles, etc.) It reminds me of the stories some of my old professors at Willy P used to tell, from the student strikes in Paris, 1968. Those strikes began with the students and soon spread throughout the country… maybe that is what this government needs in order to remember who it works for.

Off I go to sing Les Mis songs in the shower.

bm111 Direct from the Iberian Penninsula

On the road in Portugal, currently tending to the family business – this is me in the car talking about whats going on in Portugal and Europe’s role in Iraq. All Portuguese-language music as well.

AudioCommunique #111 (mp3)

Musica:

Fernando Lameirinhas – Lusitano
Os Humanos – (Track 1 I cant remember)
Vinicius Cantuaria – Re-Entry

Public Internet My Arse

The public internet spot I’m sitting in claims to have wi-fi. What I’ve discovered is that it is one big tease…. 10 minutes of wi-fi and then it drops you… repeat over and over… madness. My podcast will have to be posted from the McDonalds parking lot.. strangely enough the only wi-fi hot spot in this city for the last 3 years. – This is truely old europe, the computers in this place are gigantic.

Here’s a photo.

Now go read the Beatroot, over in Poland.

The Pumphouse

Greetings and good evening from Lisbon, Portugal. Capital of this funny little country my family hails from. People park on the sidewalk, dogs poop everywhere, random construction projects are everywhere; this is Lisbon as I know and love it. Cept that cars on the sidewalk, thats just annoying. Oh wait.. lots of things are charming to some while annoying to others, nevermind.

what I wanted to tell you on this my first of five days in Portugal is about my friend Elsa and the pub she works at – the pumphouse. Anyone who’s ever come to visit me in Lisbon has certainly been to the pumphouse. It is THE bar for me in Lisbon. It is where Mr. Anteater.org.uk and I used to play chess on our days away from teaching the good people English. And it is ALWAYS my first stop when I get into town, just like today – I go there directly from the airport.

But I never go at night. This because I don’t go to the pumphouse just cause I like their ice tea and Liverpool loving owner. Não. I go to see someone who is basically one of my oldest “family” members in this city. I’ve been coming here for years, since I was 17, each summer I’d stay right here in this apartment and take classes at university. And every single one of those summers you could find me, a few times per week, sitting in the pumphouse talking to Elsa. I always walk in and give her kisses and sit next to her and ask about her son, and then we talk about Amsterdam, and then she talks of travelling and projects that she hasn’t got off the ground yet. She’s a beautiful woman, so usually I fade into the background as the usual guys walk in and start talking up a storm with her. I give her kisses and head up here to my nest… thats the tradition.

I was thinking about how its been 4 years since I lived and worked right here. And then I started thinking its been double that long that I’ve known Elsa. On my way out of the pub this afternoon, as we said goodbye, I paused and said to her “it’s always good to see you, you’ll my family in this city, you know that?” Busy with costumers and probably more important things on her mind, she smiled and said “I know.”

Oh and I think I saw George H Bush today being led away from the presidential innaugeration by motorcade. You just can’t slow down those ex-presidents, they’re everywhere!

En Route to Portugal Again

Tick toc, tick toc, clocks are my enemy and in a matter of hours – poof, I’m off to Lisbon to see my people, my grandparents, my motherland. It’s always an exciting feeling to step out of that airport, as you stare out past the taxi stand, you can see down to the former site of Expo ’98, and more importantly – the great Tagus river. Oh the flashbacks to my old life in Lisbon are starting as always! Internet access will be inconsistant, but I know all the wi-fi nooks and tricks, so I will find you dear readers. And there will, of course be podcasting.

Before I get back to packing things I won’t use, I want to refer to some important things:

Steph in Sweden

the Dubai special.

take the Brownie NOLA saga

bm110 GI Joan on the Military, Iraq, Disaster Recovery, and Powerlessness

Following the interview a few weeks ago with GI Jane, GI Joan contacted me to express how she saw things as a national guard soldier who joined prior to Sept. 11th. In this interview we talk about her view of the military, the invasion of Iraq, the government, her experience helping with hurricane recovery, and the power (or lack there of) that civilians have in the grand scheme of things.

AudioCommunique #110 (mp3)

Additional Links:

ANSWER coalition Demonstrations Worldwide March 18-20
Lisbon area listeners can meet me for a drink on Sunday night March 12th, 21h, at O’Guillen’s Pub in Cais do Sodré. (assuming its still opened on Sunday night, I forget.. best to just email me.)

Music:

Joan Baez – One Tin Soldier
Bjork – Army of Me
Bonus Audio After I say Goodbye – Proof of Negligence