Tag Archives: portugal

AudioCommuniqu? #6 : Friday Night Special

On the eve of a soundseeing tour of world infamous Vondelpark, a little podcasting from the bicyclemark ranch. I’m getting comfy with using Adobe Audition, and I highly recommend it. I get preachy in this one about elections in Iraq and Portugal, plus I lay out a mission for all of you… if you choose to accept it.

AudioCommuniqu? #6



64Kbps, 16min, 7,5 MB

Featuring:

  • My custom intro now sampling the godfather of pod
  • K-Hill
  • A London Podwalk
  • Broken Social Scene
  • Farm Reports from College Station,Texas
  • One Cool Guy
  • Elections in Iraq & Portugal
  • David Byrne closer.

Trade Secret

Another school of fish graduated from the tank today. No longer will they float around asking me computer questions, they will swim away and travel the world helping people in refugee camps and other desperate places. The highlight of the ceremony, amongst other things, was the professor who looks like Louis Black! I kept daydreaming of him, in the middle of his speech, going “B-B-B-B-Basically we’re all fucked!” Ooh.. and that just causes a whole other daydream, what if Louis Black was a prof? Obviously he would teach politics… or anger management.

But I wanted to let you in a secret, and I place myself in great danger with the very secret society known as single expats. There was a long chat between an Israeli graduate and I, about her going home, and how strange it is to have to interact with all her friends who are there and have their jobs, and their house, and have gotten married. I quickly agreed, cause I often feel the same whenever I head to PT (portugal) or NJ (jersey). While it can be a joy to see the married the friends, it’s often a very odd meeting as well, since the choices they have made are so foreign to me.

Anyway, here comes the very shallow and evil secret. I had better whisper it, because they’re out there reading, and I don’t want to lose my good standing. We single expats, when we’re talking in private, just us, we talk about marrying and having a house, etc… like it’s the fucking plague! No.. I’m serious. We sit around sipping wine, listening to complex jazz tunes, and pondering the protestant reformation, and we poo-poo all “those” friends who chose the opposite from us. — What a bunch of bastards we are, eh? Oh sure… now they’re gonna come out against me, denying it. But I’m telling you… I’ve been to the meetings.. I’m one of them… and we do this.

Which leaves me wondering. A — What the hell right do we have to be such arrogant bitches? B — Are the married/house owning crew having tupperware parties and talking about us like we’re wackos? C — Am I gonna get beat-up in a dark allyway by a bunch of highly independent expats tonight?

Anyway. Please don’t hate me or us. Well.. do it in private if you can, behind our backs like we do it to you. And when we reneg on such criticisms and settle down… this was just a phase, such blog posts never happenned.

Time to go read what Morgan Spurlock says about being nominated for an Oscar, and then see the latest New Media Musings from JD.

Today’s Sounds: LAke Trout – I forget the album.. very acid jazz.

For the Censors

Before I could even start writing this thinger tonight, 54 came on Dutch public television. You know.. the one with Mike Meyers. I had never seen it. I thought it was going to be that boogie nights movie and I figured I should watch so I can finally understand what the big deal was about the wang scene. That’s right… its late night and bicyclemark was looking for wang. Quote that doggy.

So in fact it was from the point of view of some bartender from studio 54… and I felt what made the movie was Mike Meyers. Dam he rocked. I think all the Austin Powers movies messed him up, kinda like when the Clash discovered synthesizers. And while I despise and cannot afford nocturnal club culture, I thought it was a sweet story. Especially Ron Jeremy’s cameo. Oh and I find myself rooting for the Jersey characters… even that Neve.

I bet mentioning a porn star or even the word wang gets me banned on certain corporate/organizational firewalls. Both Brain of J and my bro BigdaddyJ have mentioned the troubles of work firewalls and how blogs like the busblog or xtx are considered too smutty. Talk about fascism and censorship… you should rise up and rebel! Can you imagine this in the hayday of organized labor? The headline would read “Workers at GM and Ford plants stage sit-in over smut on the net.” And the cops would probably come and crush some skulls… but by god.. there would be access to naughty stuff and new computers to boot. (or boot up)

And if that doesn’t inspire you, they mapped the world again. This time better. Australasia looks nice. Plus if you’re playing risk, it’s a good place to start.. cause you just building up and.. well..

You know who made my evening? Asia Kennan the supa-cool Deconstructionist. She gave me good tunes and taught me how to be down with Portland ways. Now I know the lingo when I head that way; and I’ll be prepared with my own nag champa and phish cd’s when I swing by Eugene. She also gave me a new idea:personal podcasts… hmmm.

Today’s Sounds: Lali Puna – Tridecoder (lovin it… but they don’t know it in Portugal)

Family Ties

So it’s sunday… and that’s podcasting day on the communiqu?, as you well know. But before I get to that, I just got one of the coolest emails related to this here blog.

You’ve heard of people blogging just to get it all out. Or the one’s who do it to be part of a community. Lots of us make friends through blogging, kickass friends. It certainly helps to keep old friends in touch as well. Then you’ve got those who actually get sweet lovin’ thanks to their blog, even meet their life partner. Hell some even raise money to buy ipods! But what I had never thought about, nor read about, was that a blog might help LONG LOST FAMILY FIND FAMILY.

A member of the bicyclemark family (who’s likely to be reading this right now – hello) happened to be browsing google to see what the latest results were for his family name. Though he was born in Jersey and was also Portuguese from the same town, he knew there were a few families with the same last name that may not be related. But he noticed the communiqu? and so he emailed me to find out — are we related?

Through the wonders of email, we swapped stories and family details. Turns out… he had somehow seen a Season’s Greetings photo featuring a baby that resembled the photos of A-Ren in my blog. He began to spit out fuzzy details about a cousin with my father’s first name, only those details were a mix of things about my uncle and my father. Indeed my uncle did work for the Portuguese Airline and yes, we had a Portuguese radio show on the AM dial til I was 12 years old. So now it’s become clear — he is most definitely my cousin. HOW COOL! Blogs reunite families! We’ll now swap photos and I’ll send my maezinha and paizinho the cool news. Together we’ll fill in the blanks about my family’s genealogy. Can’t wait to here about the bicyclemarkians who migrated from Portugal to Jersey and then… to Cali? Not bad blogosphere… NOT BAD.

Today’s Sounds: Eddie Izzard – Definate Article

New but not happy

For some inexplicable reason, I’ve spent the last 4 new years eves in the most random of spots, and often feeling completely alien and out of place. At times it was laughable and other times it was depressing. Last night falls somewhere in between.

When I moved my life in 2001, to Portugal, New Years was spent with my darling cousin N on the beaches of S?o Martinho. You could hear the countdown echoed through the night air, and we were each armed with a bottle of champaign to shake and pop. We also ate raisins… as per the Portuguese tradition, one for each wish (or something like that.. I always forget) Then they did some nightswimming (which deserves a quiet night).

Little did I know then, that one year later, I would be somewhere -lost- in Flatbush, Brooklyn.. having just visited a Dutch gal I had a crush on who was also in NYC for new years, I was on my way to see Mr. David the Worldchanger. I could hear the echoes from Manhattan, as it must have been midnight… but all I could think was — this is symbolic.. I don’t know where I am in life, or at the start of the new year.

Last year was yet another unplanned adventure, as leah8 and I abandoned the portuguese community center and headed to a punk-new year party in New Brunswick, NJ. Oddly enough a few people recognized me from the band days, stopping me and saying “Yo… you were in OCG man.. that was awesome!” To which I just said, thanks, and went on sipping my pbl.

Which brings us to last night. Once again abandoning the community center after having played with the grandparents for a few hours and eating the fair share. The party was at Cathy Van Gogh’s caf?.. supposedly only for friends. Turns out these “friends” were my least favorite people from highschool… mafia types who got extremely fat in the last few years. Found myself wishing I was back in Amsterdam, and promising that next year I’d spend this shit with people I actually like.

Fortunately I escaped in Styles’s VW, and we sped down the highway, dodging drunk drivers, to do something very NEW JERSEY… we hit up a diner for some eats. I ordered all the stuff I love and can’t really get in the ‘dam. A bagel and a chocolate milkshake. Man… I felt like I was Kevin Arnold and we were in the wonder years. Styles misses me… he doesn’t have to say it… he conveys it in his tone. I miss my old roommate too… we’ve got a bond that runs deep… no matter how far away I live or how much time passes.

And so, while the new year starts dark in Argentina and throughout Southeast Asia… to name a few… there’s always a bit of hope. For starters, looks like all is settled in Kiev. Its not much.. but at least its not violence.

Plus… I’m lovin Kalipornia.

Happy New Year friends.

Today’s Sounds: Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Live from the middle east

Pile of Stuff

Like myself, I hope you all got something you wanted this festivus.

I was pretty much satisfied meeting my 7 month old nephew, A-Ren, for the first time since his birth. Those big blue eyes make all my troubles melt away. I just lean towards him and make sounds, he responds with his own blend of clicking and chanting. Then his little paws reach out for me, until he quickly turns and buries his head into my sis’s shoulder like a human ostrich baby.

But just when you think you don’t need anything else… someone gets you a palette of maple syrup from one of these insane wholesale supermarkets. I hope they’ve got room on that Air Portugal flying tylenol… I needs me my syrup. And my books by Mo Rocca, John Stewart, and a collection of other radical revolutionaries. Not to mention my new CD’s; The Stars, Talib Kweli, and the Slackers. Yeehaww.. time to update my wishful list.

If you’re looking for last minute day-after-festivus gifts, I recommend a one-two-three punch. First, get How To Blog. Then add a pinch of Jamie’s artwork. And round it off with Grouphug.us ‘s book of confessions. If you don’t read grouphug, go look. As Mr. Winter of Discontent will tell you, it’s fantastic! (happy festivus Michael)

Oh and sometimes I can predict the future before it happens. YES its true. Just like that. I hate to say it, but regardless of tomorrow’s election, the average Ukrainian is fucked. Especially if you work in a mine. Or if you simply don’t work at all. It is good to be part of a cause, and to demonstrate or live in a tent city in the center of the city. It is awesome do hold up the finger and the ruling party and the corrupt bastards. It is even awesomer to look election officials in the eye and say this is bullshit! But friends… you’re in the Ukraine… where the world demands that you stay in a state of cold, bitterness, and declining economics. Hooray for freemarkets… hold you hands out and maybe it will trickle down from the east or west. Let’s all do the election boogie.

Today’s Sounds: The Stars – Nightsongs