Check Mate

Just as I was about to blog, I looked up from my laptop and there was a Chil?an friend with a very familiar object in front of him – a Mat? cup.

I smiled a familiar smile and before I could even ask, he was already offering to share his mat? with me. I’ve been a amateur mat? drinker for a few years, but this was an education and a half. I had no idea how social of a drink Mat? is. I did know that it has some health benefits and the manner in which it is farmed has been described as very eco-friendly. Wikipedia has tons of excellent facts on mat?, though it comes accross as rather skeptical. All in all it was a lovely hour or so of chatting about mat?, Chil?, Argentina, and anecdotal stories about government officials always drinking mat?. I’m left wondering if at this very moment I’m experiencing the hallucinogenic effects that are rumored to follow.

I was listening to Pacifica’s WBAI alot this week and I heard a reference to the following article written by a piano tuner, about his experiences traveling Iraq just to see things for himself. I think it’s an incredible article and it’s inspiring. Great editor’s note in the beginning:

Editor’s note: New Haven’s Daniel Smith, a piano tuner by trade, likes to vacation in world hot spots to see for himself, without mass-media blinders, how people are faring and what they’re thinking. He traveled to Iraq just as the U.S. nominally handed power over to the country’s own rulers. First stop: northern Iraq.

I hope to someday be able to do similar things – visiting places and experiencing for myself what is really going on there. In general, according to this article.. the situation in Iraq is in fact chaotic. Yet the chaos isn’t all bad, despite the enormous amounts of problems and potential for further trouble in the coming years, there seems to be an underlying good there. I wonder what Chris Missick would say about it. (you out there Chris?)

Update in the stuggle against all things Microsoft (when possible), I am officially announcing my abandoning of crappy Internet Explorer. At long last a new browser has come along that I love, beyond anything that Opera or Netscape ever did. Mozilla’s Firefox is excellent.. in every way.. I love it.. I’m using it now.. I’m giving it the Bicyclemark seal (*art *art… balance a beach ball on my nose) of approval. Strange thing about seals.. they never learn the beachball thing.. they’re just naturally good at it, aren’t they?

Mental note: Next post, bitch about Bill Clinton and what a good wrap he gets because Bush sucks so bad. Him and his bigass, boring, shallow book – I listened to him being interviewed by the Dutch public television channel, he said the same exact things Bush did. I refuse to praise the Clinton years just because the Bush years have been so crappy. Bottom line: I dislike both men,their politics, and their smirking, wrinkly faces.

Today’s Music: Deceberists – Castaways and Cutouts (thanks Bronwyn!)

Part of the System

There’s a Portuguese family living around the block from me. I know this because on many mornings I step outside and there’s a very Portuguese looking mother walking her toddler and saying things like “Anda filha… vamos ver o pai.” On one of these days I had my Portugal football jersey, she noticed this and smiled saying “bom dia!” I said “bom dia” back, and we chatted about the odd Dutch weather, as if we didn’t know how bizarre it could be. Recently, walking back from the Edah, I noticed a nametag on a door “Far?a da Silva” or something like that. I knew right away that was the house, that and the Portuguese embroidered curtains – gave it away. When I look out my kitchen window I can see their yard. I recognize it because it looks like all the yards I remember growing up in the Ironbound (newark). Its hard to put into words, but you just know when you’re looking at a Portuguese yard: The one fruit tree (peaches/apples/pears), the tiny vegetable garden with makeshift scarecrows made of empty bottles, the small grill for sardines… these are the key factors.

Moving past my random neighborhood reflection, a discussion was started in my last post-comments about blogging and as D-Rock put it

“From the outside looking in to the blog world it’s the realm of politico tech-geeks. I mean MS Word doesn’t even recognize blog as being a word. One of the great thing about the blog world is there are no controls on information and the really horrible thing about the blog world is that there are no controls on information. The creator of the blog is their own judge, jury and executioner with no checks on the accuracy of their information and with scores of new blogs being created everyday who the hell knows who to listen to.”

One of the first things I notice about D’s comments is the question of fact checking/information control. There’s this inherent idea that prior to blogs, media had an acceptable fact-checking system. I’d guess most media users agree or at least used to agree. Especially because the NYTimes has a little office called fact-checking, so they must be into it. By response from a blogger point of view is that fact-checking is in the eye of the beholder, as is accuracy and accountability. Over time, I believe you will see, and I’m already seeing, certain bloggers gain legitimacy just because they’ve been at it for a while and they are very transparent with their links/sources. I try, to some degree, to do this as well, I give you my insane opinion, and I’m sure to provide links to my sources so that you may all decide, for yourselves, what you think.

There’s a good example of how blogging is changing and being legitimized with the upcoming Democratic convention. I hate to be yet another blogger linking to Jay Rosen, but he definately breaks it down in his recent post about bloggers being accredited at the convention. I’m not going to talk about it too much cause its already being beaten to death in the blogosphere, but it is definately interesting that bloggers are being recognized as a legitimate force that cannot be ignored.

There was some other stuff I wanted to get into related to money and how much so-called “wars” cost. It is mind-bloggling how much is spent on the Iraq circus. FT had a good graphic on it yesterday, and of course on the net you can always find a simple yet effective site like this one.

Today’s Music:Terry Lee Hale – Tornado Alley

The Need to Bowl

I woke up this morning and I felt the need to bowl. A twitching in my wrist, that hopefully isn’t RSI, tells me I need to dawn the bowling shirt my brother gave me years ago, and head over to the alley. Despite being an average bowler, I do have a love for the insitution that is bowling.

TB3B reminded me of how much I like helping other people set up their own blogs. It does bring a great sense of joy, in a twisted sense, like bringing someone new into this fun and rewarding world. Blonde But Bright, for example, is a blog that I like to think I helped to make/inspire, and I think it’s going swimmingly. Great adjective… swimmingly. No idea what it actually means at first, but then… its got this positive feeling to it.

In my ideal world, everyone blogs and everyone reads blogs, thus creating an insane interweb of dialogue across the globe. And then misunderstandings will be worked out via blogs, and no country will attack another because we’ll all have blogger friends in every country. It’s a bit like what Robert McNamara talked about in “Fog of War.” He spoke about how during the Cuban Missile crisis, they were reluctant to launch an attack on the USSR because they had so many friends in/so much contact with- the Kremlin. In a way, I think its why some wars/attacks are so easily excused… the American public didn’t have much contact with Iraqis. (Im just generalizing here) Maybe this is the key to a situation like Korea, where so many families are in both North and South. There will never be another Korean war – or at least its less likely – because the two societies are so familiar with each other. Its much easier to bomb or attack or whatever, if we don’t have real contact with “those” people. Thats the theory I’m trying to create anyway.

Today’s Music: Ataris – (the newest one)

Done it Differently

Someday I will be crowned Free-Tour of Amsterdam King, and my reign will be brief but legendary. Scores of visitors come and go these days: friends, old-friends… friends of friends, girlfriends of friends.. bring me your tired, huddled masses, yearning to breathe weed. It has left me quite exhausted, probably because I find myself telling the same funny squatter story so many times in one week. Still – don’t get me wrong – I love visitors.

There’s a question going through my head over and over again right now, besides “should I pour myself another hot chocolate,” it concerns the anti-war movement before the invasion of Iraq. Brooke at Bitter Shack of Resentment is working on a book which focuses on the successes and failures of the movement. And what should be done differently if this should ever happen again. (which of course, it will) So as a very active pacifist, I’m asking myself this very question, expecting some fantastical answer.

On the one hand, I know what the movement did right. Mass mobilization…as I wrote about back then, millions world wide on the streets expressing their disapproval of this military invasion.

But what should have been done differently, because in the end it did not stop what happenned.

Maybe nothing could have been done, because those with all the power have the ultimate say in these matters. The only thing I could think of is to really place ourselves in the paths of the machines, like the heavily criticized human shields were supposed to. But maybe that would still be seen as impossible and insane. One thing that should be pointed out is that we have not yet seen the full effect of the mass mobilizations in 2003. I’m referring to the political reprisals, which have been seen in Spain, Poland, and parts of Latin America. Where people have used the vote to express their dissent, even if it is now a bit late. We have yet to see how this will unfold in Britain, United States, Australia etc. But the signs are there, for instance in Japan or the Netherlands, where seemingly the entire population disagrees with their governments participation in this invasion, and they won’t forget that when they next go to the polls.

I guess I still haven’t answered the question, but i still think its too soon.

F/911 has reached the UK. Decent article in the Guardian related to that. Just a little bit further and it will be here at last!

Here’s one of those do-not-miss internet thingies. The Dick Cheney “Go Fuck Yourself” famous quote tshirts! They’re sellin like hotcakes. Maybe I’ll find one in Brussels this weekend.

Today’s Music: Bela Fleck – Communication

VP Eye Candy

The following is a shortlist of things I’ve done in place of when I would usually be net surfing:

  • Watching hours of TV, especially TV5 Secials

  • Sewing new yellow curtains

  • Reading “The History of Gay New York” by this Chauncey guy.

  • Showing visitors L and D around, and visiting the sex museum which is well worth the 2.50 entry.

    • This is what my life has become, that and finding Wi-Fi randomly in this city.

    I’m sure some might want me to talk about the Edwards VP announcement. Honestly, the first thing I think when I see these two together is: “Damn.. these boys are white.” I can’t say exactly why that’s the first thought, but its immediately what I notice. They are so dam white it’s annoying. I’m well aware that the other party is and has always put forth two white dudes, but for some reason – Kerry and Edwards symbolize the desire to sell a ticket to white America… making them feel “comfortable” like these guys are pure as a newborn lamb. (cause lambs are pure, Im telling you.) James Ridgeway calls the ticket “Business as Usual” which I think is another good point.. same old formula.. nothing new for the US.

    So as part of my new increase in television exposure, last night on TV5 I was emgrossed in a special on the state of Israel. Pardon the pun.. but MY GOD. What a wierd place. Again, pardon me for being culturally disrespectful for a moment, but Israel is a strange-ass country. Things I learned:

    Civil marriages are not possible in Israel! Only Orthodox.

    Everyone is automatically in the military unless you decide to study religion for a living. (I forget what thats called).

    If you choose to study religion as your occupation, you are paid to do so by the government, apparently for your whole life.

    The Shinui party is the fastest growing party in Israel and they are tired of the old traditional close-minded thinking.(I think I like them)

    Orthodox types hate cameras and if you point one at them they seem to flee.

    In summary, Israel is a strange country with policies that I think are not only unique, but unsustainable. But hey, that’s just me. I would appreciate being corrected by one of my wonderful Israeli readers.

    Today’s Music: Midtown – Living Well…

    Hard to Blog

    Well the situation has worsened. Besides being uncertain about how to spell w-o-r-s-e-n-e-d I am, apparently, not allowed in my current poor-excuse for an apartment, to get a phoneline! Yes.. the hypocracy and stupidity of Amsterdam and Amsterdam landlords. The moron in charge of my apartment, who’s not supposed to know I live there (apparently), is hoping the city government won’t know her last tennant died. I not only suspect that she killed him, I suspect my landlady is a nutcase and she’s depriving me of my human right to have a phone and hence – internet. UNACCEPTABLE. I have prepared a strategy, but my liberation day won’t come until September. For now, its back to computer labs, where I have managed to find wi-fi.

    I have ten minutes to continue this blog, as far as Portugal goes, hats off to the Greeks.. they were just better. Portugal’s selfishness made me quite sad.. they are pampered individualists… I liked the Greek team’s German infuenced precision and collectivity.

    Sadly, my neighbor in the Hague – Slobodan, the future of his trial at the ICC is in jeopardy because of his health. Sad news. Especially since I think its cute how long he’s kept this trial going. Who knew he’d be such a good lawyer.

    Go learn about WIKI’s, Will is talking about them and they are super useful. Computer labs closing. Woa is me and me new netless life. I’m going to – gasp – read a book tonight.

    Today’s Music: Elvis Costello – When I was Cruel