Eat and Spread Gossip

Popped in at the office of my communication research ladies for gossip and a sandwich. Food and gossip go together, don’t they? I find myself searching for food when there isn’t any around, and inventing gossip when I don’t have any. I tallied one caprese sandwich, one bag of paprika chips, 2 steamy affairs, a fist fight, and a pair of illegitimate children to boot. Gotta keep my comm reseach ladies entertained, otherwise their research alone will lead them to MADNESS. — one step beyond.

Brace yourself, I’m about to nerd out on Fantasy Basketball. Why? Because my golden child, the chosen one, the Puerto Rican dream, IS BACK. Yes, Carlos Arroyo played some minutes for the Utah Jazz after being injured SINCE FOREVER. But I never gave up on him, I kept his hobbly ass on the bench, keeping the faith. And now it will pay off, my whole lineup is inspired and logging big points lately. Being the proud fantasy coach that I am, I’m making virtual cupcakes for each of them, and Carlos gets extra icing.

Speaking of Utah… what’s with that state? What are the mormon rules again: don’t touch technology on saturday, don’t advertize beer, send your young males to Europe in bad suits and lame name tags. Something like that?

Someone call the state of NJ and urge them to take it easy with the amount of visitors they send me in one week. To her credit, this one is going to expense-account me a dinner. Tibetan here I come!

Today’s Sounds: Off the Wall on WUSB Stoneybrook, from last night. www.2600.com

Hi Neighbor

The dutch waitress with the cleavage revealing shirt returned to our table with a single glass of a golden liquid none of us had ordered. She leaned over slowly to give anyone interested a show, and placed the glass securely in front of NoCoins. She said in her cute dutch accent: “Since it’s your last night in Amsterdam, this is sort-of typical dutch and compliments of the house.” The man, my friend since the early days of high school, gave her a huge smile and thanked her for her kindness. We ordered some snacks, and sat there doing a combination of reminiscing and deep reflection on human relationships. Viola, the last night in Amsterdam for two of my favorite people.

Part of what keeps me connected to folks like this, and people scattered around the world, is of course blogging. I think most of us know that we are a community here, made up of writers, readers, critics, fans, or simply browsers, who pop-in randomly. Part of the beauty and richness of such a community is that it is completely open to anyone who is interested. You may decide not to comment, but you’re still part of it, you’re a reader and you’re forming opinions in your head, regardless if you share them or not. This creates a unique bond, blog readers and writers, because we know each other without knowing each other, and regardless of if nothing here is true, or not. Beyond that, through posts and comments, arguments and discussions, agreements and disagreements, we form new opinions or re-enforce old ones, collectively – so-to-speak.

Why the hell am I dwelling on this point, you’re wondering? Perhaps because next week I shall meet with an important someone from the Amsterdam School of Cultural Analysis about my forever pending PhD plan. More likely, it’s because I was thinking about Mathemagenic’s paper/post on weblogs like buildings in a city, and communities emerging between the buildings, in the public spaces that aren’t clearly defined.

Keeping with that metaphor, and in the spirit of lameness, I’d like to think of myself sitting on the stoops of my blog, chatting with the neighborhood wiseman Brian, or with the girl-next-door the deconstructionist. And then there are the new neighbors on the block, like WinterofDiscontent or HelpyChalk, who might come over for a barbecue and chat about politics or parenthood. If it was a really good night, professor B and xTx might walk over from their blog-buildings and join us. Later we would all toast to Colin Powell for packing up his white vials of powder, and exiting stage left, along with his pathetic colleagues in Energy, Education, and Commerce. Come to think of it, there would be more bloggers than I can possibly list here hangin out on the front stoops. Still… I can see it now, my own shiny, happy, sim-blog-city.

Today’s Sounds: The Shins – Chutes too Narrow

Santa Arrives

Woke up this morning feeling just as hazy as last night, yet somehow I did everything I’m supposed to do on monday morning. Struggling through the morning, trying not to make eye contact with anyone because they’ll see the tired eyes. I’m pretty sure I dotted all my I’s and crossed all the T’s, but I’ll be damned if I remember half the conversations I had this morning at work. At some point as the employees wandered into the kitchen, all the ladies we’re standing their reading each other’s palms. Like an amused toddler I held out my palm as if to say “read mine.. read mine!” They barely seemed to notice me, and I thought “make your mat? kid, and get out of here before you say something stupid.” Note to self: Sunday nights should never be mistaken for Friday nights.

So with its mountains of opium, Afghanistan has now become the world’s leading narco state. Move over Colombia, there’s a new junky in town! I’ve been reading the Afghanistan Watch blog and I was looking at photos of the plant in this week’s Parool Magazine, man is that a pretty flower, no wonder they grow it – makes an otherwise grey landscape look dreamy. “The hills are alive, with the scent of opium!”

Went browsing Harper’s Magazine, Znet, and American Prospect, which I haven’t done in a while. At Harper’s I finally read the article on how to become an expat. (not that I don’t already know from experience) At Znet I was engrossed in Robert Fisk’s piece on Arafat and the interview with my professor and friend-for-life Steve Shalom about parapolitics. He used to urge me to write something for ZNET, and somehow my lazy ass never did, opting instead to stick to blogging only.

Ms Thingk handed me a lovely gift today, the Garden State Soundtrack, which I’m loving. This will have to hold me over until the movie finally arrives in the NL. Zach Braf, director/actor/blogger, recently announced on his garden state blog that its now available on DVD.

Today’s Sounds: Off the Hook – www.2600.com

Under the Influence

Can’t blog straight tonight. Tiring but pleasant weekend with the visiting Philladelphians. Tonight was coffeeshop night, and now we’re strewn about the room like dirty laundry, pondering the universe. I can hear them staring and giggling at the National Geographic channel, and I’ve been writing the same paragraph for the last 1/2 hour.

I have become a flickr user, and I do believe they’re a better photoblog than buzznet. (No offense buzz, you’ll always be my first) But considering the space limitations, I’ll be using them both for blog purposes.

Speaking of photoblogs, the Torontonienne’s is a fine one and always being updated. Where she and I have always debated the idea of her keeping a blog, she seems to have naturally fallen into the photoblogging habit.

Sunday’s are tough blog reading days… as are weekends in general since you all seem to be out and away from computers on weekends. (you’re so healthy)I have not yet thought up my weekend program to boost “ratings”, but some bloggers have started special editions: TheStateImIn has Drunk Saturday Nights, while Tony Pierce is doing Sex Saturdays, both of which I’m enjoying. I’m going to keep a look out for more of this series.

UPDATE ON PAUL RUBENS: After mentioning Peewee Yesterday, I just saw BEing Daddy’s mention that two new movies of his are coming out. That’s right, PAGING DOCTOR HERMAN< YOU HAVE A TELEPHONECALL AT THE FRONT DESK.

Today’s Sounds: Neutral Milk Hotel – Communist’s Daughter

Fear and Loathing in Antwerp

And then sometimes you find yourself in Antwerp, with good friends from Philly and the most wonderful ms. thingk, wandering the diamond district on the Sabbath, when all is closed. It’s a beautiful and under-rated city, even in the cold november rain. Complete with its infamous port where the spoils of the former Belgian Congo once arrived. My guests reminded me of the excesses of Belgian life; waffles, beer, french fries, and – ouch my teeth – chocolate. I usually don’t remember these things as I go about my seasonal family business in Brussels, but today I had some of each (cept no waffles). The other themes that dominated the visit were Paul Rubens the Belgian impressionist vs. Paul Rubens the big adventurist. I’d say that for today, PeeWee won… as nocoins repeatedly screamed about the secret word.

Ms. Thingk brought up a good discussion topic as I was dozing off, leaning in her direction, on the train home: Male vs. Female main characters. She asked me if I could name my favorite male actor and then mr favorite female. Of course I named Denzel, Dustin Hoffman, and Ralph Fines.. but then when it got to females I got choked up. I tried to do the usual Natalie Portman, which she rightfully pointed out – is typical. But otherwise, I struggled to name Carrie Anne-Moss and Dame Judie Densh. Ms. Thingk’s point was the fact that men stick out as main actors more than women. And how if you have a film, the best way to market it is to have a male in the lead role. While if you put only women in the lead roles, it gets dubbed a “chick-flick,” thus limiting the audience. I wondered about this… now I want to go around seeing how fast people can name their favorite actresses.. just to see if I’m the only involuntary-sexist-film-lover.

Other shocking news… ms. thingk will be leaving for DC in a month. Joining the capital crew… who knows, she might become the next wonkette or – gasp – washingtonienne.

Today’s Sounds: Decemberists – Castaways and Cutouts

BM VS Theworld

Today's post littered with photos from Y2K Europe

Like any human on an extremely small budget, centrally located on the continent of Europe, I do love to travel, and travel cheaply. Yet being the part-time king, I haven’t traveled much in the past years. So today as I browsed the travel section of the V&D I made a radical yet non-binding decision: I WILL TRAVEL MORE. Nevermind the money, nevermind the time schedule, forget all of that – Bicyclemark is steppin out!

Today I purchased a Routard guide to Sweden, thin little sucker for such a vast country. It will be my first stop, to see Stockholm and my great friend Marty McFly and his girlfriend comic-book girl. But that won’t be my only stop, over the next four years these are my top five destinations:

  • Sweden/Norway; ladies, snow, friends, need I say more?

  • Ireland; cause Mr. English awaits, and Brian is moving there.

  • Cuba; because I can and I don’t want to miss it.

  • Libya; My good friend from the embassy in Portugal is being transferred back and will be my personal tour guide

  • Brazil and Argentina; Both as a Portuguese-Birthrite and part of my motorcycle diaries tour of South America.

  • Russia;(moscow, st. pete’s, because I’m obsessed with Russian history and Yakov Smirnov– “In soviet Russia, country travels to visit tourists.”

Furthermore I don’t want to do all this shit alone, necessarily, so who’s coming along? Claim the trip now, seats are limited.

I can’t blog straight today, enjoying the presence of NoCoins and Tawdryjones here at the ranch. Today we took on junkies, tomorrow – Belgium. Next week, the world.

Oh, and I bloscar award nominate xtx for her post on that show lost and other posts from yesterday. She has quickly become one of my new favorites.

Today’s Sounds: Wes Montgomery – Fingerpickin’