When did it go Friday?

It’s probably best to stop talking about the visitation records that are being broken on this site. Two days ago yet another new record of 32 was set, mostly thanks to new visitors from Denmark! Welcome Denmark! I know I’ve got some great friends up there, maybe I’ve made some more.

I’ve put off writing about the Hubble Space Telescope for the last month, but it’s most certainly on my mind. I’ve heard it described as the single most important scientific instrument ever – and perhaps rightfully so. The hubble has allowed the people of earth to look far beyond this solar system, and discovered other galaxies, as well as answers regarding the orgins of our own galaxy. It has been doing so for fourteen years, and this past January an American NASA official decided not to conduct its scheduled maintenance, via a shuttle mission. This as a result of all the shuttle flight hysteria since the Discovery crash. Without the maintenance, the hubble won’t be fit to last more than a few more years…. effectively blinding us from the universe, and holding us back from making further discoveries. I find this to be insane. Therefore I support the movement to save the Hubble and carry out the maintenance.

I’ve found the time to really enjoy this spring weather here in Amsterdam. You can tell it’s spring not only by the weather, but by scenes such as this:



Which I’ve managed to ride around and photograph. This season also brings back the tradition of barbecues on roof-tops and in gardens, and long hours spent drinking something cold in the sun. It’s a bit of the lazy life for Amsterdamers when the sun decides to show up.

Today’s Music: Ani DiFranco – Up Up Up Up

Another Night of Horn

I’d like to say thank you to all you internauts out there, my blog set a new record for visitors yesterday… 26 in one day. Yes I know it’s a modest number, but I’m a modest guy, if you can ignore the narcissism of all this. My England visitors are increasing, and I suspect that my participation on livejournal has led a few people to wander over. If that’s your case, welcome!

I listen to alot of radio during the course of the day. Over breakfast and lunch, I’m tuned to the BBC Worldservice, in the late morning, if I can, I’m tuned to Dutch public radio. In the afternoon I tune into RFI – French Radio International, and I rarely miss Democracy Now, Off the Hook, and tons of other shows on WBAI-NYC. Late night I lose out on alot of sleep cause I’m still listening to my boys Ron and Fez in DC on WJFK. I even do what I can to contribute to the show with instant messages. Today it was the BBC that really had my attention, their program: Europe Today, did a special on Talinn, Estonia, and how the city (as well as the country) is changing with its entry into the European Union only one month away (May 1st!). In this segment they chose to focus on all the mobile phone companies that moved their factories there, reason: NO TAXES. Apprently they get huge tax breaks. Which reminds me of the type of strategy Portugal has to attract foreign investment. I’m an opponent of such deals. Those companies should contribute to the community.. not just come in cause its cheap… hire some people… fire some people.. and get out. I’d call this the dark side of joining the EU.

On a lighter note, I wish I was this guy:

It took him more then ten years to build his very own monorail system in his yard! How cool is that? Not very cool says you? OH I disagree… I’d ride in circles.. happily.

Today’s Music: Vinicious Cantuaria – Sol na Cara

Lots of Light Lately

As some may have noticed, I’ve been fiddling with minor details such as text-spacing, font-type, etc. I will continue to do so over the next.. well.. probably forever.. I like making improvements. In my travel section you’ll find a small collection of Paris photos which I hope will be enjoyable. I’ve given up on renaming my blog, the more I cruise the blogosphere.. the more clever titles I find, and the more annoying clever titles become. I’ll stick with my unclever title, which has served me well for more than three years.

This weekend was, symbolically, a graduation-celebration weekend. Lots of parties, although I think I only attended two. Still, it is a very uplifting thing to attend a graduation; the kind words exchanged, the meeting of the families, the praise, the hugs, the flowers, the skies-the-limit future plans… I recommend it to anyone. Just show up to a graduation, be it high school, university, or perhaps even kindergarden (though you might not be allowed to watch other people’s children). I suspect any of these will inspire, garunteed spirit picker-upper. That’s what it has been this weekend. Saying goodbye to the remaining few friends who graduated, making promises to keep in touch, meeting new students at the parties.

Ohhh the parties. Last night’s Greek Fest was another memorable one. Who else can cram a five-piece live band with DJ into their Center-of-Amsterdam apartment. I thought it quite funny to see the following written on the to-do list for the party: Tell neighbors about the party today HA! Classic. I can’t imagine their horror. But as of 7am this morning…. it was just barely dying down. Nonetheless, it was really nice to spend time with old friends, as well as making one or two crazy new ones. Even got to test a colleagues theory that you meet the most new people while waiting on the toilet line. It’s fairly true.

On one of the (3 or 4 over here!)public television stations today I noticed a program about the Dutch soldiers in Iraq. As much of an opponent I am of the war, I was very curious to see it. (i mean, whats done is done, they’re are there so…gotta deal with it) So this program, I thought it was super-interesting. It showed what the Dutch military is doing: training police, helping build infrastructure, and helping organize local government. I was particularly curious to hear the Dutch administrator explaining to people on the street how if they have a civic concern, they should speak to the city council or run for city counsel. Most of them were uninterested. The best response was one man complaining about water, he said “I went to the city council many times, they don’t listen to anyone.” This is a very telling statement, not only for Iraq… how often do we hear this same thing in “democractic” countries. In the end.. same problem… you might have some sort of democracy, but it doesn’t mean things work correctly. Anyway, a very compelling program.. especially for a sunday evening.

Today’s Music: Plastic Bertrand-Stop au Encore (Three Kings tune when they’re cruisin with the refugees)

Thin Red Life

“If I never meet you in this life, let me feel the lack.” It is especially hard to blog after having just watched The Thin Red Line. It is a movie that reads like a poem. A cruel yet magnificent poem. I think everytime I’ve watched this film, every line echos in my mind. “Who are you that I knew you? Walked with you?”

Looking up some reviews on the internet, I found the same generic synopsis

“A World War II tale which focuses on a squad of American troops battling against the Japanese during the hellish battle of Guadalcanal Island. Witt has gone AWOL and considers the contrast between the peace of the islanders and the chaos brought by war.”

How sad that such reviews miss so much. This is not a “war flick.” It’s a poem. A poem about madness, evil, and hatred…and asks whether or why these things lie so close to love and goodness.

As I watched this film, I remembered why I believe so strongly in peace. Why I don’t believe in war as a means to do anything. And what a tragedy wars have been and continue to be for the entire world. No matter if you think you won or lost, no one wins. Violence spawns violence…. and worse.. dispair, darkness, evil.

On the other hand… it reminded me of the beauty that lies beneath all this shit. I think this line “We were all a family once… what happenned that pulled us apart,” this line in particular reminds me of the world. Humans. We were all a family once. No politician or general will ever convince me otherwise.

To go out on a lighter note, new random picture of my melon on each visit. Oh, and I will be renaming the blog. I’m reflecting on some new titles. Let’s see what I come up with.

Today’s Music: Ben Harper – Diamonds on the inside

Risk… Yes We Do

Almost fully recovered from 4 days of Paris. The Thalys ride home was smooth and lovely, add to that the cutest little Spanish-Dutch children who mixed the language in such amazing ways: “Avolita, mira.. daar staat zo veel autos, mira tantos!” Something like that. I listened to the woman explain to another Spanish-Dutchman how she immigrated to the Netherlands years ago and her husband is Dutch. So great, hearing such stories. Here’s me later on in the Thalys journey



One thing that struck me, more than any other, is just how similar Paris is to New York. I’m not talking buildings or language.. I’m talking pace of life… those Parisians are in hyper-fast mode, not unlike New Yorkers. It is as diverse and cosmopolitan, and generally speaking.. it just has a NYC vibe for me. Obviously you might not find scenes such as this in NYC
then again… maybe you would.

Out of all the horrors in the world these days, my attention is particularly turned to Taiwan. As if the recent shooting of the president wasn’t violent enough, the bitter fights – literally- between politicians, is pathetic. What’s worse is this rediculous feud between China and Taiwan.. which threatens a moronic war-type climax. Talk about a cruel joke… two neighbors with common ancestors threatening to kill each other. Then again.. the same is applicable for most of the globe… so much violence between former and future friends.

Today’s Music: Dashboard Confessional: A Mark, A Brand….

Big Ben.. PArliament

We’re in the home stretch of my Parisien tour! After three full days of running round… Im feeling tired, but content. The city I haven’t seen in years now seems more approachable and familiar. The friends that I needed to see are gettin on swimmingly here in Paris.. it’s nothing short of a pleasure to see them. I should also add, there’s something quite inspiring.. to see your friends… young couples.. living their wishes and dreams together, here in Paris. Sure, I live in a city I love.. but to do that as a couple… that seems like a super-rewarding journey.. maybe one day I’ll live it.

Paris is so enormous…. this coming from a boy who grew up in the shadow of NYC. After almost two years of Amsterdam, I’ve become something less then a big-city kid… I look around and everything and maybe for a split second.. am I am in a bit of awe. Still… no problems. Thanks to my built-in sense of direction and care-free mis-use of maps and directions, I’ve found things I needed to find. Even managed to pick up some French military surplus pants… old soviet uniform items as well… these are things I’m into, what can I say? I taken many photos.. thanks to the wonders of digital.. I shall display them tomorrow evening. (one or two I mean)

I also managed to be here for the regional elections yesterday. Talk about a lesson in democracy… many parties.. many coalitions… and yes.. a good voter turn-out. The verdict… fairly mixed.. but overall.. the Socialist/Communist/Green coalition has made a comeback, and they look poised to take a majority of regions over the right/Extreme right. Sidenote: the extreme-right still had a strong showing… hooray for facist voters.

Back to Amsterdamage!

Today’s Music: Barbara (her songs are gettin lots of play in Paris)