State He’s In

The basic elements of a good breakfast in my world: Special K, Organic Soymilk, and banana. This morning I added one extremely unhealthy ingredient: the Vice Presidential debates. It sounds more like a “who loves to bomb and kill people more” competition. I can barely tell who the “liberal” is. To his credit Edwards sounds human, versus MechaGodzilla.

Last night I chatted with the Brian, the man behind The State I’m In, and man was it entertaining. Highlights are posted on his bloggy. Turns out he’s a huge MST3K fan and he’s good with his mutants. We both agree that the best name for the future baseball team should be: The DC Comics.(credit Ron and Fez callers for that one)

Before I make my official Peace Prize selection-prediction, I wanted to announce a new blog exercise: This ol’Park. A little background: Being as though I’m the part-time work king, I have Friday off. I use my free time to explore Amsterdam, and the internet (more often). Therefore every Friday until it gets too dam cold, I shall visit and review a different Amsterdam park, complete with photo. It shall begin Friday and I encourage questions in the comment section. oh and one more announcement, I shall be featuring a guestblog or an interview (depending on which she grants me) with THE Torontonienne as she’s back from the beer gardens tomorrow.

Now to thin the herd, the bicyclemark Peace Prize finalists are:

3. President Obesanjo of Nigeria, for appearing in most peace negotiation photos of any world leader last year.

2. President-Select Karzai of Afghanistan, for visiting many shithole towns and evading death, so far.

1. Bono, no the singer. Although Sonny might posthumously deserve something.

I hope they don’t go and just give it to an organization, that’s such a cop-out. Good luck to all finalists this Friday, and good luck trying to claim a prize from me, punks.

Someone made a video version of Tony Pierce’s How-to-Vote blogpost, dam the blogosphere is fun. And for all the historians out there, recording history as it happens: I’m looking like a strong write-in candidate in New Jersey. If I win, it will be a very Lenin-like return to the states for me, out of exile. Somebody find his old armored train and convert it to a plane for me.

Today’s Sound: Waking up to the Veep Debate on CSPAN.org

The Minds

As I was finishing up my work yesterday afternoon, a get a last minute invite to join two of the most prolific minds in Amsterdam, who I originally met in the classroom two years ago, to go to the Filmmuseum. (located in lovely Vondelpark of course) They had a very specific movie they wished to watch, “The Five Obstructions” by Lars von Trier. Now when I lived in the states I had never heard of the man, but everywhere in Europe he’s known. Personally my impression is that he’s an enormously anti-social Dane who makes films as the weirdest ways he can possibly think of. One day I think he’ll just film a crumpled tin can as it sits on the side of the street. But don’t get me wrong, he’s fantastic. I go to his movies in hopes of learning something… or solving a puzzle, and 5 Obstructions was a really fun situation.

The movie is a documentary-drama about a sort of once famous, now washed up, Dannish director: Jorgen Leth. Leth directed “The Perfect Human” back in the 60’s, and in this film von Trier wants him to re-create it while dealing with special “obstructions.” What follows is hilarious, uncomfortable, eye-opening, and confusing. From the streets of Bombay where people are dumbfounded at what he’s doing, to the fanciness of Brussels where everything seems perfect, the movie will leave anyone with a smile. Especially when it comes time for Leth to read the open letter written by von Trier to himself which starts: “Dear stupid Lars…” Of course, the highlight for me is when Lars tells Jorgen that he must do a cartoon, because they both hate cartoons – the cartoon they create is amazing.

Dear Denmark,

Thanks for all the weird-but-cool movies, and all the good looking people, but there’s something more important I need to tell you. The North Pole belongs to the world. Tell Science Minister Helge Sander to get his head out of his ass please.

Love, Bicyclemark

PS. We love the Legos.

Lilia gave me a shout on her blog for the review & comments I did for her paper on Weblogs for personal knowledge management. She had appealed on her blog for help from native-talky talkers, which of course I am. I must say it was really fun to help someone I only know via a blog which I’ve been reading for a few months now. For a long time, I’d been hoping/wondering if the academic blogging community would ever notice me, like that short, unpopular kid on the playground. As it turns out, they’re quite welcoming. Maybe I’ll be sitting at the cool-table at lunch from now on. The more important lesson is that if you have a blog and you need help with something, like getting an IPod for example, you’ve got a whole community of readers out there, who might be happy at the chance to help out. I know I always am.

Today’s Music: Fernando Lameirinhas – O Destino (He’s Portuguese and he lives in Amsterdam!)

Our Manor Farm

I was engrossed in BitchPhD’s extended post on parenting this morning. While I have no children (that I know of) I am very interested in the topics of childcare, parenting, and well you know – society. Growing up I can remember American friends… other children.. being frequently required to take all kinds of omoxocylines and some tetra-chloro-phoro watchamacallits. It seemed like the second anyone sneezed there was a parent dragging them off to the doctor. I know that is sometimes necessary, and only shows how caring the parents in my town were, but I really feel there’s a dark side to all that. The over-protective, excessively careful parenting styles, I think, have a long term effect on society’s children, not only when it comes to them growing up to love their claratins and their prozacs, but also in terms of life decisions, those that might require risks! Those risks could be professional, emotional, or anything!

But let me shift down to second gear for a second, and tell a secondary story my dear m?e tells about my childhood:

I was and still am a notorious car sleeper. I can stay up all night on normal dry land. But put me in a car, turn on the engine, and my body falls into slumber mode. Such was true even as a toddler. And so like any loving mother who wishes to see her child sleep happy and also get some of her long-list of tasks done, on occasion she might leave me sleeping in the car, parked in the driveway in plain sight of the front door. Well, on one such occasion, I must of been dreaming of my future career as a Taekwondo Instructor (technically I still am certified as one) and I hook-kicked the auto-transmission into reverse I guess, and slowly cruised to the end of the driveway, with the car’s tail sticking-out into the street. Not a busy neighborhood mind you, a picturesque tree lined one, those who would see the car would easily drive around it. My mom was naturally horrified at the time, but now adays we can sit back and joke about my first driving experience. (In your face 8 year olds that brag about holding the wheel!)

Thing is, increasingly in the United States, and perhaps Canada (im not sure) this type of thing is not only culturally frowned upon, it’s probably a jailable offence. If the wrong neighbor sees, I might have to kiss my family goodbye! Now I’m not singing the praises of libertarianism, or the good’ol days, nor am I denouncing important Child Care services, at least I don’t intend to. I’m just worrying out loud. I think we need to control our fears, stop trying to control every single detail of life, and moreover, our harsh judgments of one another – especially as parents. Guess that last sentence looks lame, I have no offspring to speak of.

Totally different note, watched Animal Farm last night. YES, the odd 1999 TV version with Patrick Stewart as a pig and Kaiser Soze’s associate, Kobayashi, as farmer Jones. I love this version.. there, I admitted it. I kept waiting for the Jean-Luc Piccard pig to suddenly say “Captains log.. startdate bingy-bongy.. we’ve taken the farm to warp speed, and I played in my own filth today.” After the first 10 minutes you get over the fact that animals mouths are moving like humans, and you get back to the essence of it. I know Orwell Wrote it as an example/critique of the Russian Revolution, but I can’t help but see some familiar themes in society today: laws changing in the middle of the night, people being pacified through entertainment (TV in Animal Farm), and blindly following the leader who says he is the only one who can keep them safe from terrorists. Orwell was a genius who still helps us understand the present-day world and its mistakes. I just wish the animals would hurry up and take over, before things get any worse. Oh, and why aren’t there any cats on animal farm?

Today’s Sounds: G. Love – Electric Mile

Night Owls

Often when you least expect it, one of those crazy Amsterdam nights sneaks up on you. They take many different forms and shapes, they can be brief, or go on until the break-a-break-a dawn. It can be a group of friends, or a crowd of strangers, or just you… there is no real formula, just as there is no real warning. They just sneak up on you, only to be realized when you fully wake the next day.

I thought last night would be a quiet evening at home, but instead the world reknown Anne somehow got me involved in a French flick with Pedro Abrunhosa, Absenthe, and remembering California. It turns out Absenthe was only legalized recently, so now we can all see purple dinosaurs on Saturday nights. Anne says there are no purple dinosaurs unless I go to intertoys, which I will.

So the peace prize will be awarded on Friday, and way back in 2002 I predicted Carter would get it. In 2003 I was under the influence of thesis, so I made no prediction. But this year I want to re-assert my authority in the blogosphere, on the net, and around the world as a Nobel-predicting-type-guy. My top five candidates are as follows along with my rationale:

  • Hamid Karzai – I know he’s a bastard and a puppet deep down, but I still think they’ll give him credit for not getting assassinated and dressing nice.

  • Bono – Yes. Bono. Again, I’m not a big fan. But the man can sing and has pushed influential people to ALMOST pay attention to the AIDS crisis in Africa.

  • Bill Clinton – Oh stop. I don’t want him to get it, but he gets credit for pushing for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

  • President Obesanjo of Nigeria – I can explain. I’ve noted that he has attended every negotiation of every military-coup in Africa, the past two years. S. Tom? e Principe, Central African Republic.. he was there. Despite killing his own people in the delta, he might get it.
  • My last one is tie… for their successful end of a horrid civil war, the government of Angola and UNITA. OR The BrazilianMINUSTAH Peace Keeping Force in Haiti. Both longshots.

    • My winner will be announced this week. The Bicyclemark prize: a pack of dried apple slices, which are always stocked in my cupboard.*

    *Winner must come to my place in order to claim prize. And then fight to the death, I love appleslices.

    Today’s Sounds: Ron and Fez comedy pyramid on WJFK Washington,DC

    My Guy

    Lately it’s around 3am that the Jogging King and I meet for our kitchen meetings. We’re like the white house staff, making sandwiches and discussing strategy in our pajamas. The king has been offered one kick-ass job in Oslo, Norway.. city of cross-country skiing to work, and not far from one Jill/txt. His majesty has always wanted to work there, and more importantly has been itching for a change in his life, like so many. Trouble is now that he’s getting what he wanted, he’s worried about making the wrong decision. During the discussion he referred to me and said “You knew you wanted to come live in the Netherlands, that’s why you came.” I had to stop the king right there, cause he was committing royal blasphemy: I did not intend to stay here when I first arrived.

    Rewind to October 2002, when the blog was just a tadpole, I was focused on my masters degree and not much more. I was not even learning Dutch yet, and I can tell you that at that time I thought I would get a masters and hop over to another country for a cool job. It was only during the course of my first year that I started to see my love for the ‘dam, and that I fit in like Castro at a military surplus store.

    I just wanted to clear that up… very little of my present life was planned. So Jogging King… I hope you stop thinking so much and embrace the Nordic madness. I’ll water your plants.

    You know who my European leader of the year is: Jos? Luis Gonzalez Zapatero. Maybe because my father’s side of the family were shoemakers, or because he beat the pants of Aznar, whatever the reason, I’m becoming a great admirer. This week he’s been pushing to recognize gay marriage, good man! Why do we always have to think of Spain as conservative or old-fashioned, have you been to Spain lately? – Those dogs are progressive with a medium sized P. Sure they might say they’re 80% catholic, but 50% or so say they don’t actually practice a dam thing, cept maybe football. But I digress, the Prime Minister is also increasing spending on social programs and R&D, in a time where everyone else is obsessed with cutting everything. Plus, he’s a feminist. So keep it up Se?or Zapatero, you’re a breath of fresh air on the old continent, no matter what the rabid Barcepundit says.

    And yes, there’s only one week until the announcement, so I’ll be running down my own list and predicting the next winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

    Today’s Sounds: Calexico – Feast of Wire

    Puppet Theatre

    Lets get this debate shit out of the way, because I thought I wouldn’t talk about it, but in the end, I’ve listened to hours of analysis of it in three languages today. I skipped out of party stop #2 last night, cutting the Thursday night tour off early to prepare for the presidential pageant which I hoped would begin at 1h00 (CET) my time. It did not. So I put on my night cap and drank a night cap.. and waited. Worse than waiting, I waited and watched CNN International like Pavlov’s dog waiting for a bell to ring. The bell rang at 3am… I didn’t hear it. Subconsciously in between whatever dream I was having about flying, midgets, sex… all at the same time, I do believe the debate crept into my ears. Thus I believe I am now dumber. Both rich white old men said nothing, and each pretended to be the friend of the “people.” Is that what citizens elect, a friend? At any rate, if I were to compliment either bum, I would say Kerry’s empty rhetoric was better than Bush’s whining rhetoric.

    But let me give you a deeper analysis:

    Most mumbling: Prince Bush

    Most statements beginning with “Well Jim”: Emperor Kerry

    Most name dropping: K-dog

    Most childish: B-boy

    Weirdest Statement: Johny K ‘s “The Pottery Barn Rule- You break it you bought it”

    Best Hair: JFK

    Best Statement about any place in the world other than Iraq, Afghanistan or Sudan: none. There ARE NO other countries with trouble.

    Most Shots of Water: GWB

    Most “You can’t do that” type statements: Bushy

    Most repetitive: Bushle about flip-floppin

    stupidest Statement: W teaching us what he thinks the ICC is.

    Overall winner: Jim Lehrer and PBS, this should help the next telethon.

    But again.. I must remind myself… nothing was said during that pageant.



    Some blog moments this passed week:



    – The Torontonienne has been picking my brain about blogging and identity, I suspect she’ll be blogging by mid-October, a lovely month to start as Tony Pierce can attest.

    – Kirstin Dunst’s twin chatted me up in the fishtank at work, she’s a livejournalist and was fascinated by my 116 feeds in bloglines.

    – Blueberry girl, who enjoys blogs and my love for the art, is off to work for the International Monetary Savings-n-loan in Paris.

    – Crazy Dr. M found my desire to get onto certain academic blogrolls. my wish to get in with the in-crowd, interesting.

    – The State I’m In has mastered RSS feed, and now he’ll start living in his office.

    – Despite my increase in visitors, I still only have 4 subscriptions to my feed on bloglines. Which means many out there are totally missing out on the RSS revolution!

    I would love to go to this conference in Galicia and discuss Iberian-American digital journalism. First I’ll have to look through the couch cushions for loose euros.

    ps- The upcoming American elections already don’t meet international standards. Just a friendly reminder.

    Today’s Sounds: My Hero Robert Fisk Talking on Democracy Now