Tag Archives: history

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…

    Stormy Interviews

    This week I somehow got involved in someone at the Amsterdam City Government’s research project on international people living here. Apparently I qualify.. even though so often in this city I’m a clandestine apartment renter. It was a long interview, mostly because I talk too dam much.. and the guy just sent me a transcript of it which I might post on here next time. Basically the questions concerned how I ended up here, what the city means to me, troubles I have, and things I wish would be different. My favorite part was when he hands me paper and asks me to draw a map of Amsterdam. He may have underestimated my keen mapping abilities.. because I needed way more than one sheet.. and he got tedious details I’m sure he didn’t want. He may have enjoyed my responses, especially about what I love about the city. Of course I answered the bikes. But more specifically I talked about certain bikes.. the kinds with a box in front and two little tottlers peeking out at you. Or a bike with a basket and a dog inside looking horrified.. these are things I love. Add that to the pile of other things Ive already said about the dam in other posts. Somehow, I think I made a good contribution to this city and maybe they’ll learn from my wisdom.

    The Voice published the annual “Queer Issue” this week. I’ve not yet gone completely through it, but the article on the Brief History of Christopher Street looks great. I’ve decided to have a greater knowledge of NYC and greenwich village, I will read “Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the making of the Male Gay World 1890-1940” by George Chauncey.

    Last night after attending a Broken Social Scene concert for Dutch public radio, (show is available online)I came home and caught a special on Ingrid Bettancourt the well-known Colombian politician, mainly from her daughter’s testimony. I can’t believe she’s still in captivity in Colombia. She was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002. It was a super-interesting documentary, I was capitivated by the old footage of Ingrid campaigning in Bogota. Apparently she is still alive because there have been video messages. As much as I dislike the Colombian government, I find the FARC is also quite ignorant and completely lost. There’s a movie somewhere called “The Kidnapping of Ingrid Bettancourt” but I couldn’t find it on the web.

    Today’s Music: Neutral Milk Hotel

    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!

    Pull the Wool

    Good blog news to follow my frustrated statements on the issue of the day:

    I now fear that people will grow weary of the Iraq Prisoner Abuse issue. I’m worried that the horrific scale of these crimes will cause people to look away in disbelief. This is sooooo not the time to look away. This goes way beyond a few bad soldiers misbehaving, Rumsfeld himself alluded to that, in all his stumbling and fumbling. There is an absolute DO NOT MISS article by Seymour Hersh in the latest New Yorker Magazine. In it, he takes inventory of the mountain of evidence that is emerging about crimes committed by the military, including:
    unreleased photographs showed American soldiers “severely beating an Iraqi prisoner nearly to death, having sex with a female Iraqi prisoner, and “acting inappropriately with a dead body.” The officials said there also was a videotape, apparently shot by U.S. personnel, showing Iraqi guards raping young boys.” (NBC quoting military officials)

    Bush and other officials have offered half-hearted apologies, saying “This is not America.” Yet if we look at it, two soldiers being charged, are prison guards in the US! These criminals have jobs back in the US, where they use the same sick practices and values. Furthermore, when you think back to recent American history, Abner Louima (assaulted with a plunger), Mental hospital guards sexually abusing patients, etc, etc.. are you sure this is not America? I know there are plenty of people out there who do their jobs well and respect others, that’s America. But we should never forget the dark and shameful traditions of disrespecting and humiliating those who are considered different or inferior… that too is America. (for more on this, listen to this radio program)

    Note: I’m pulling Salaam Pax’s blog “Where is Raed,” I used to love it, but like so many now-famous bloggers, he never posts, so off my blogroll he goes.

    Also:Great news for the blog: IT WORKS! My RSS feed works! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read closely. RSS (really simple syndication) is a format for websites that makes them easy to grab and read using RSS feed reading programs. I myself use Feedreader, which is free and opensource. Also, it’s a small program. Using it, I have an enormous world of news available to me, just by clicking on a subject like “Technology News,” “Mexico News,” or “New York City News”.. the list is endless. My blog is now available via this service, just cut and paste my RSS feed into any of these programs, and bam – all my posts will appear automatically in that program. (the icon appears just below my archives on my menu)If you want news from all over the internet/world, try RSS!

    Memorial and Liberation

    Rememberence Day and Liberation Day, back to back here in the Netherlands. I think I didnt pay enough attention to it last year, however this year I was very aware of it. I made sure to tune into the broadcast of the ceremonies and the two minutes of silence at 20h CET. I was also capitivated by Amsterdam’s cable channel AT5 which showed old film reels from the 1940’s. It is really mindboggling what went on here. What haunts me even more is that I see, in the reels, those same streets and houses i walk by everyday. What haunts me even more is that 60 years later, there are still occupations taking place, mass killing, hatred, intolerance…. seems like much of the world hasn’t learned much at all. History seems to repeat itself… like Marx said.. ( was it him?) first as a tragedy, second as a farce. I see alot of farces among our world leaders.

    A Canadian citizen has come forward in the scandal involving prisoner abuse by coalition soldiers. There are multiple photos involving multiple instances, something is definately going on. The pentagon said that soldiers were reprimanded for alleged abuses. If they’re being reprimanded, than I guess they aren’t alleged abuses are they? They’re quite real.

    I was reading a poem on a great blog from an EMT in London. It’s about his boots, which have seen so much, from day-to-day. I thought it fitting to read on this a day with so much rememberence and reflection involving hatred, violence, life, death, pain, love and the overall grey history of the world.

    Today’s Music: Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros – Streetcore

    Snow Soup

    I was very pleased to see new contributors/readers leaving comments in recent posts. Even if that meant I was proved quite wrong on some of my points, especially that students on the metro thing. Those Nadar and gay marriage questions have been discussion topics between me and friends for the past week. I love a good discussion. But I digress.

    My big dream.. actually not so big.. is to apply at the Music Conservatory here in Amsterdam. Stay with me here, most of you might know that I’m a very dedicated and able French Hornist. While Id like to be modest, I must say I’m good.. dam good. So why not make a new and unexpected career move and focus on music again. Otherwise it’s just me playing for my roomates and neighbors, oh.. and the occasional open mic/salsa club where I sit in and play. I’m not sure it qualifies as a dream because Its quite attainable in the near future. Still.. Im a social scholar, and I’ve only begun down that road.

    Here’s a topic I’m interested in, and I’m trying to get people to talk about here in the ‘dam. The new Mel Gibson film “Passion of Christ.” Let me first put some facts out there: I’m not religious. I don’t go around saying Im atheist because I find that label annoying.. I prefer non-theist as Edward Abbey once said. I just don’t have any need or involvement as far as myself and religion. On the same hand, I’m not against other people having a religion.. althought I do despise all the evil that has been done on this earth in the name of religion. That being said… I want to see this film and I think I’ll be pleased with it. Pretty much the same way I would love to see a movie about Mohammed or David or Confucious.. I’m interested in history and culture.. and yes even FICTION, so this movie interests me. On a very simple level, Im psyched that the film is in Aramaic and Latin.. I want to listen to how they depict the languages. On the down side churches are going nuts over this film…. and they’ll try to use it to recruit new “believers” which to me is manipulative. It’s art… film is art… unfortunately it’s also used as propaganda by some. Nonetheless, Passion of Christ interests me… and Richard Goldstein breaks it down quite nicely in this week’s Voice. OH and Roman uniforms are always good for a laugh.

    Today’s Music: Ceclia Cruz – Regalo del Alma (Salsa)