Radio Silence

Blogging from now on will be at random times, as I am now without net at the new place I will be calling home as of late this afternoon. I was unable to rent a bakfiets, which would be the bikes with the huge front loading capacity. I made a few phonecalls, called in a few favors, and I found a good friend with a car to drive me and my boxes across town… mental note: do even more favors than normal for people.

Washington Post is sporting a special interactive feature on Bush, his campaign donors, and key positions in his administration.(reg. required) It is cute. I would also qualify it as a bit too little too late. Apparently it has taken them four years to decide to do some investigative journalism. Careful now WP, don’t get all journalistic on us!

There’s much to say about European Elections. As you may have heard, something like 48% turned out, which I’m proud to say, I’m with the 52% non voters! That’s right! I’m fairly intellegent, very informed, and I excercise my right not to vote! Why? Because none of these candidates represent me, and I don’t much care for this type of western democracy. Well, on a more logistical note, I’m not registered to vote in the Netherlands yet. Next time I might get involved, but this year was my year of protest thru non-voting. Here’s an audio report on the elections results, for those who prefer their ears to their eyes.

Today’s Music: Jorge Palma – Ao Vivo (Portuguese.. good.)

Hello Wifi

Part of Amsterdam life, especially extremely modest income Amsterdam life, means moving from apartment to apartment. This offers a chance to experience the various neighborhoods and different quality apartments. It also acts as a great way to not be a pack-rat. Everything must be thrown out. I once had the finest archive of the French – Courrier International EVER. But I had to move, so it went to recycling. I’ve learned to cram everything into digital format and copy on CD’s that fit in either slim-cases or envelopes. You must be impressed by now. I digress, tuesday I move from Oude Schans to 1ste Helmerstraat… back to the Oud West, where I was once the quickest draw. Whatever happens, I shall miss my current apartment a great deal.. the garden.. the canal view.. the busy-busy kitchen and my roomates. Alas – this is Amsterdam life, for now.

Thinking about what I brought up in my last post, the importance and possibilities of RSS, Doc Searls points out a very nerdy but worth-reading theorizing about email and rss. He breaks email into three sections: spam/marketing, commercial, and private. He puts them into layers and shows how marketing is supposed to be the outside layer, and it invades the other two layers using awful spam. Anyway you’re better off reading it than listening to me. The bigger point was that RSS offers something that fixes the spam problem, you request the specific updates from a clearly-identified source. Such as this blog 🙂 So he wonders, as I now do, if RSS might not be an answer to the horror that is spam in email.

I also recently spoke about the East Timor oil situation. But as the Independent (UK) recently reported on, there are still huge amounts of refugees that have been unable or unwilling to return to their country. Talk about a UN/international community unfinished mission. Now they will start a mission in Sudan and the DR-Congo mission appears to need re-enforcement. OH and let’s not forget Haiti which is getting some fresh peacekeepers ASAP. All this with some of the most modest funding imaginable, GULP.

OH.. more news on this as it develops, I’m going Wi-Fi as of this week. Combination ADSL trouble and wanting to catch the Wi-Fi fever. I’ll be sitting in front of rich people’s houses and hip cool caf?s using their wireless network. Yeeehaw. I just hope I don’t spill hot choco on my laptop.

Today’s Music: Blink 182 – Miss you (stuck on it for some reason)

Speak Finnish

Lots of dark clouds hangin over me these days, at yet at the same time, what I most pleasant day. After a slow-start thanks to a bizarro night when it all got wierd after I found myself singing Fado on the street with some Dutch flamenco-dancing students. We stood out there for hours going through every fado song I could do. They were big Christina Branco fans while I’m more of a Amalia and Mariza fan.

Moving on to other typical Amsterdam randomness, this morning I found myself the guest speaker for a group of visiting Finnish journalism (masters) students from the U of Helsinki. I led a discussion which began with my thesis results on Alternative Journalists in America, eventually leading to a discussion about weblogs as alternative press, which inspired me this morning to seek an nice Finnish weblog in english. It was such a pleasure to talk about blogging, especially with such a hip group. Impressive that, as far as I could tell, none fell asleep, and occasionally my crap jokes worked out. I highly recommended using bloglines to them, as I would to anyone reading this. I’m worried that beyond people knowing very little about blogs, RSS feeds are still a widely unfamiliar topic. Which is disappointing, because they’re my favorite part of my morning, after the special K, soymilk, and banana. (- the anatomy of my breakfast) Oh and thanks again to the student who lent me lunch money, what a lame impression to leave, give a intelligent discussion and then bum money for lunch.

Stepping out of my little world and into the bigger world, I’ve been struggling to follow this story about East Timor and Australia’s fight over who gets the oil. I guess, as always, its about oil. ETAN, who I used to march around NYC with, provide lots of news stories related. Surprise – the US is involved, and I wouldn’t put it past the bloodsuckers at Portuguese GALP to be involved. While I’m on the subject, here’s the only East Timor related blog I could find.

One last point, I’m now convinced that TPB is the king of NJ related blogging. I know he does much more than that, but for me, his latest adventure is just classic.

Today’s Music: Franz Ferdinand

Lighter Air

The worldwind tour has ended! Yesterday morning I arrived back in A’dam safe and sound. The flight over, usually a glum affair, turned out to be a really fun one thanks to a lovely person from Scotland. Somehow the white wine just kept flowing, there are no rules up there in the sky… they just keep giving to shut you up. Again I’d like to praise the KLM self-service check-in system. Not only did it take 5 minutes to check in, there are no lines because people seem to fear the freedom of it all. They much prefer to stand in long queues and get angry like the good old days. As always I had to practically go through security in my underwear – I STILL HATE AIRLINE SECURITY! I know I’m the minority, but I don’t believe the humiliation is worth the alleged “safety.”

Flying of course means, besides constant refreshments and boxed food, FREE NEWSPAPERS. As I thumbed through the International Herald Tribune a noticed this article about a Gallup-Europe poll which found that:

-Most Americans believe their country is doing more than the European Union to tackle the world’s problems.

-Only 20 percent of Americans correctly said that the 25 nation EU (over 450 million people) has a larger population then the US (290 mil).

– Democrats have a better view of the EU than republicans.

– Most Americans responded that they believed the US government was doing more in the world than the EU to fight poverty and protect the environment.

Although they are quite worthless, this poll caught my eye, especially since I know the EU spends more on foreign aid and environmental protection that the US. But hey, if you don’t receive a quality education, how will you learn that. (the internet?) For more linking pleasure you might want to read past surveys such as this one about the crap image of the US in the world.

Since I mentioned Scotland earlier, and I’m also interested in the proliferation of “Canadian Studies Programs” worldwide, Across the Pond points out that the University of Edinburgh offers such a program. Oooh… Canada.

Today’s Music: Bill Frisell – Intercontinentals

Acting President

NYC one day… DC for a few days.. and a quick stopover in Philly. I’m sometimes impressed with the amount of ground I cover in 12 days. Yet of course, there are tons of friends I still haven’t seen and won’t get to see. Regardless, I had a wonderous time in each of those places. The parties, especially the “RE-Defeat Bush” Singles party was mildly amusing as D-Rock and I seized the oppurtunity to bewilder the guys and especially gals with our timeless tales of world travel and espionage.

Speaking of espionage, the most unfortunate part of my DC trip turned out to be a visit to the International Spy Museum. What a piece of crap. I knew the risks, especially with an exhibit entitled: “The enemy within”, all about terrorism in the history of the US. Besides the easy subjects like the KKK, militias, and British colonial violence, the museum somehow placed labor strikes/movements, black panthers, peace-activists and communism on the list of “terrorists.” I was dumbfounded and generally pissed-off as I arrived at the photo of IWW organizer Joe Hill (personal hero of mine) under the headline “Terrorist or Victim.” The only terror I could see was a private owned museum churning out propaganda for ultra-conservatives. I did find the section on Michigan Militia interesting, especially the very amusing display of “A militia member’s environment” which consisted of a computer, three assault rifles, camoflage outfits, a copy of anarchist’s cookbook, a copy of the US Constitution on the wall, and an American flag. All the ingredients for a crazy militia member… which makes me wonder. I have a computer.. and some military shirts.. is my phone tapped?

While on the subject of crazy dangerous people, Reagan died. Well, his body at least. His mind was gone probably even before he become Senator of California. I have no thoughts other than.. a mild – “good riddance” to a ex-president who encouraged bloody coups and death squads throughout the world, and provided the arms and logistics for civil wars in various countries. He seemed to have little understanding of most things related to his job. The only thing he was right about was the need to end the cold war (because it was stupid!) but even that idea he claimed god had told him, so that doesn’t count as his own initiative. Anyway, glad thats over and done with.

Today’s Music: Specials – NIGHTCLUB!

Ridin that Train

There is perhaps no better way to see a country, then from the window of a train. On my Newark to DC Amtrak ride yesterday, I did my best to take in the scenery. I enjoy the cities most of all, especially when you first see the Philly skyline or the somewhat depressing Baltimore cityscape. I also noticed places like Wilmington, Delaware for the first time.. it looked interesting, especially this stadium. Of course I also passed some of the more evil places in the world, such as a Lockheed-Martin plant. I could feel the weapons of mass destruction in the air.

Have you seen the photo of W arriving in France? Tony Pierce hit the nail on the head. I should just carry this photo around for everytime an American asks me what Europeans really think of them and Bush. I could use the same photo whenever a European asks me how Americans feel. Wooosh – inside-out blows the umbrella.

There’s alot of talk about a film called Supersize Me. I have not yet seen it, but it’s about a guy who does nothing but eat McDonalds food everyday. You watch as not only his health deteriorates, but he actually notes the addictive qualities of the food. The moral of that story. among others, is you should never give your children (or yourself) McD’s food to eat, because they will want more… ADDICTION! There’s alot more to the film than this, but I leave the rest to you.

Also Fahrenheit 9/11 trailer website is overloaded. And I noticed another film coming out all about Baghdad in the last two years.

Today’s Music: Morrissey – Vaxhaul and I