Tag Archives: UK

Partisan Hackery

I’ve been meaning to talk about the CIA documents on China which have been released, what the Dalai Lama said, and the evolving situation in Sudan. But I keep getting stuck on American elections stories. Perhaps it’s the Financial Times that included a one page collection of articles about all the flaws and irregularities of the voting system in the US. Or perhaps it’s the Dutch public television news program NOVA, that in the last weeks broadcasting from NYC, have had two of my favorites, Sy Hersh and Lewis Black, talking about the election. That Dutch host does a nice job, by the way. I still get impressed with the way he hosts the show in Dutch but conducts long interviews in English, and as far as I remember, it’s not even subtitled. I mean, I could do the same, but I like how he does it.

So today I take you to Colorado. I state I’ve never been to, and I really don’t know what I think of it. The only moment where I ever thought cool + Colorado was when Hunter S. ran for mayor of Aspen and barricaded himself, armed to the teeth in his cabin, on election night. OK maybe he wasn’t barricaded, but everyone seemed to be packin heat and expecting to be assaulted by crazy conservatives or the national guard.

I digress, Colorado. There’s a proposition on the table that I quite like. Prop. 36 Which reads like this:


    An initiated amendment to Article VII of the Colorado Constitution adding a new section requiring the proportional selection of presidential electors.

    ?Eliminates current system in which the presidential candidate receiving the most votes gets all of the state’s electoral votes.

    ?Apportions Colorado’s electoral votes based on the percentage of votes for each presidential candidate.

    ?Adds procedures and timelines to the state constitution for certifying election results and recounts, including the November 2004 presidential election.

I like this because it stops the winner-take-all stupidity. If half your state wants Ralph Nader, then 50% of your electoral votes go to him, instead of the usual everyone to one candidate, nevermind the huge percentage he didn’t vote for his ass. (cause its always a HE unfortunately)

During my house warming visit with Blonde But Bright yesterday, I noticed an article she had purposely left out for me in Time magazine. Those sons o’bitches at that centrist rag have been reading my blog! Instead of giving me credit for it, they went ahead and published a story which asks “Shouldn’t the whole world be able to vote in US elections.” Sound familiar? I mean, I believe in sharing, but you should give a brother some credit. I can’t for the life of me find the link, since their archive sucks so bad. Update later.

Today’s Sounds: Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks (thanks BBC Worldservice)

Blogstars

As I mentioned last week, sometimes bloggers go silent or missing. Often times they are amongst my favorites. This morning I found myself reading about the disastrous situation in Iraq and scrolling through my bloglines, I wondered how Chris Missick is doing. Since announcing he’d be moving to a new camp, A Line in the Sand has been silent for some weeks now, nothing but those comments from people who are constantly talking about “praying for him.” What an odd link, I often think, between being a soldier and praying alot. Would some supreme being really support the idea of its creations destroying each other? Doubtful. But that’s not my point, the point is, I miss his writing and I do worry about him.

Then there are the other reasons people also disappear – health. Sure enough, I mention his great post yesterday, and now TPB, Esq. is going on the DL (disabled list) to have some exploratory surgery on his back. He doesn’t trust doctors. I wouldn’t trust anyone who says they’re going to use a knife to explore parts of my body. TPB was one of the first blogs I ever really got into. I remember the post that converted me, he went to some blog convention and wrote about it with a gonzo-journalist style that reminded me of Hunter S. – Ho-Hum. Anyway, there goes another blogger than I’m worried about and will be missed until he makes a triumphant return.

It must seem odd, for some, to hear (or believe) that while I ride my bike through rainy Amsterdam streets, I actually think of or worry about other bloggers – who I’ve never met in person. But I guess it’s not for everyone to understand, unless you’ve lived it – like so many of us in the sphere.

Putting the finishing touches on my course outline for a Weblogging related course I’m pitching to the U of Amsterdam, and I added Salam Pax’s book/blog to the reading list. I had almost forgotten he had made his blog posts into a book entitled: “Salam Pax: The Clandestine Diary of an Ordinary Iraqi.” The amazon review calls him the Anne Frank of this century. At first my reaction is — slow down there buddy. But then again, maybe it is something like that. Still, Where is Raed? is one of those blogs which I wish didn’t have to die. I’m almost bitter at Salam, because he did his thing, got famous and then went on to do other things with his life. (bigger and better perhaps) The Torontonienne says maybe that’s how it works, at some point you don’t blog anymore, you start doing other things related to your experience; teaching, writing, crusading. Perhaps she is right, only time will tell.

Today’s Sounds: Jon Stewart on Crossfire (Its fun to replay)

“The Petrolienne” ?

Althought the name bicyclemark gave me, the Torontonienne, is not a misnomer (I lived in Toronto for the past 7 years, and it is a home to me), my real roots stem from a town called Petrolia. And as bicyclemark heard this morning, this tiny (one stop light) town was the first town in North American to discover oil (hence the lovely name). The interesting thing is, that it wasnt until I was old enough to have traveled to several other areas, and reflect upon my hometown, that I realized I grew up in a THEME TOWN! (of sorts).

Some of the oil-theme features include:

street lights shaped like oil derricks; the following street names: Oil Street, Tank Street, Eureka Street (where they first struck the black gold, Eureka!!); a town mascot named Derrick the Oil Derrick (oh the cheese); one of 4 restaurants is named the Oil Rig; the bar the Pump House; oil-related tourism of course … and I m sure there are more.

Perhaps the touted Disneyfication/ Cultural Commodification phenomena that is talked about so much right now in urban studies is somehow related. Was the formal branding of Oil Town an economic-development strategy by the town of Petrolia? Apparently many communities are seeking economic revitalization through the development of theme towns. Coca cola town, Food Town, Bavarian town (in the USA, and allegedly an economic success), UFO/Alien theme, Wild West town. Yes, the oil history of Petrolia is authentic (which sets it appart from many self-created theme towns), but there was definitely a plan to market the theme. I mean, who decided to creat oil derrick lamp posts?



Keeping in bicyclemark tradition, heres a lil bit of Amsterdam. There is a Ferris Wheel is Dam Square. I like Ferris Wheels, they re fun, nostalgic, and you get a view of the city. But definitely not worth the 8 Euros someone told me one ride costs (hearsay, I didn t actually stand in line to find out the cost). What is the value of a Ferris Wheel ride? When does the experience outweigh the cost? I think I would pay 4 Euros.

Today’s Sounds: the magnetic fields – (i’m addicted)


Labour of Love

PLEASE NOTE DEAR READERS: As of this morning, Dec. 1st (9 days to my birthday) my blog is stuck in a timewarp, while some technical behind the scenes maintenance is done somewhere in California where my site’s brains are kept. Pardon the crap.. should be fixed today I hope.

Many of the bloggers who I helped get started in the last 6 months have become quite delinquent with posting. Maybe it’s a stage that my blog generation is going through, where being too busy or uninspired, keeps them from writing. I wish that weren’t so, blogging should be a bit like the mail, nor rain, sleet or rabid dogs should keep you away. Still, it’s exciting when the prodigal bloggers do return.

BBB and me explaining shit to the newbies.Yesterday I finally caught up with Blonde but Bright, back from her Baltic holidays. Our catch-up session went on for hours probably, as we caused a bike accident or two when we decided to pull off the bike highway and continue our discussion. Later she would throw up a nice post reminding the masses that much of these American elections are an illusion. Se?or Sneer does similar, in his post reminding you about the other candidates who aren’t allowed in the debates or in the spotlight.

Being as there is a general strike in the Netherlands tomorrow, and the good people of Atlantic City are out on the picket line, I felt this was a good time to go over the labor scene in several hot spots around the globe.


    – First lets start with Holland, I guess its a transport/general strike tomorrow, in protest of the governments massive cuts. Yet taking a walk around Uni you wouldn’t know it. No one here strikes, they don’t have unions, and they barely hang on to their jobs. I guess this is what they call the “flexible labor market.”

    – Nigeria, where much of your beloved oil comes from. Petrol workers strike. They say its about price control, or something. But if you think about it these employees make companies rich while they live in poverty, go figure.

    – Atlantic City, New Jersey Hotel and Restaurant Employees are in their second week of striking. They want real contracts, but the casinos aren’t interested. If you must feed your gambling problem don’t cross the picket line, wave and honk, bring some coffee, and then you can head over to Trump and gamble because he negotiated to avoid the strike. Plus he’s almost bankrupt.

    – Canada, civil servants are out on strike.

Now that I look at it, the list is far too long. But it still makes me think what strange times we live in. Strikes happen yet they don’t matter. Lives are at stake, yet it’s completely normal and probably appears at the bottom of page 10. And for those of us without unions, we just fend for ourselves and hope during the next restructuring we might still keep our tiny jobs in exchange for our another pint of blood and an applepie. Obviously I romanticize the days of big unions and direct action, say the 1930’s. I’m sure it wasn’t paradise by any means, I just wish I could have hung out with Joe Hill, ridin’ the rails*, hittin’ the skids*.

Let me once again take the time to condemn the upcoming US elections. I will continue to do so with every bit of evidence that comes forward that the process is dangerously flawed and has not been fixed since the last fiasco. It seems the system and its voters just continue to operate like its business-as-usual, excited to vote in a few weeks, nevermind the fact that states like Florida are corrupt and unfit to hold free & fair elections.

Today’s Sounds: Lost in Translation Soundtrack – Bill Murray singing More than Words

Nerd Meetup

I’ve appointed a personal independent counsel to observe hairline security. I suspect there is serious receding going on, but I’m reluctant to declare the onset of balding. Jimmy Carter and his team will be helicoptering in later to assess the situation.

For the first time ever, I met an online friend/a blogger I read – in person. Lilia Efimova aka Mathemagenic, rolled into Amsterdam from Pisa yesterday evening, and we immersed ourselves in Tibetan joy. They had the best tea of all time that I swear had dinosaur eggs in it. Rawr.

While sometimes you might meet an online friend in person and somehow you might not get on well, hardly the case with Lilia. Not only did we talk about bloggers and blogs that fascinate us, but we also let our nerdlyness hang out she shared the joy of her tablet pc with me. Tablet pc… that thing was sweet as sweet can be. I once thought they were some silly microsoft idea, the spruce-moose of computers, but NEE. This little puppy was sweet, portable, and downright sexy(if machines “do it” for you). I was initially worried that she would not want to talk about blogs because so much of her worktime is spent doing so, but no sir e, she was happy to shoot the shit about her adventures with Scandinavian bloggers in Sussex and her work related to knowledge management (km).

Overall, the dinner and blogwalk gave me a renewed sense of what I’m doing, why I do it, and that I’m not a complete freak. Well.. a partial one, but certainly not alone. Nevertheless, I know that I definitely want to pursue post grad studies in this realm, not to mention teach the people – spread the word.

Part of the conversation yesterday involved relationships between bloggers and readers, especially between individuals that are traditionally isolated from each other. As I read through Morgan Spurlock‘s blog this morning, I recognized that very situation. His documentary, Supersize Me, continues to float around the world, and has started appearing in schools across the US. But that’s not what gets me, what gets me is that Morgan is the director, not to mention the star, yet he blogs for all to read about how things are going with the film and his own daily life. He also includes his adventures, hopes, worries, trials and tribulations. Not everyone might see his blog the way I do, but you have to admit, its a far cry from a time where documentaries or any film is made and we as an audience have zero interaction with the director and understand nothing of who he/she is, besides the DVD extras which also changed film watching quite a bit. Anyway this idea of directors or authors or journalists blogging presents an interesting new arena connecting people, to some extent, who in the past would never have been connected. What do I sound like I’m preaching? In that case, pass the collection plate around.

And lest I forget= Happy Anniversary Soweto, place that gave us Mandela, Tutu, and countless others who fought and suffered for a better future. I might go out and buy Cry Freedom just to get more into the occasion.

Today’s Sounds: Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days

Weep Kryptonians

Kal-El, son of Jor-El has died. This is not the first time either. But don’t worry, because the internet and wikipedia will ensure that Krypton and its sons are forever remembered.

Derrida on the other hand, only now am I trying to understand him more. And I do appreciate what I understand of his philosophy in terms of language and word use. The words I type have more than just the meaning I think they have, they are multilayered with a historical and cultural connections. I think people forget that when they’re so busy being angry about so called political-correctness. As I’ve always said, it shouldn’t be called p.c., it should just be called thinking and considering the layered meaning of your words, before you speak. Actually I’m a Derrida idiot, but this is what he always reminds me of…. where’s my philosophical love in the Berkshires to help me out? …Amsterdam has never been the same without her.

Toronto’s number one chef in exile cooked dinner for some old and new Amsterdam personalities last night. Never has this city seen such a creative and loving chef, the man suffers for his art. Lucky us that he decided to come set up shop in the Pijp for a spell. Naturally I thought to bring the Torontonienne along, I mean.. who could resist introducing Canadians in Amsterdam to each other. I tried my best to listen-in on their interactions, observing Canuks in the wild. She will be guestblogging this weekend, by the way. (I hope) Yes, I shall be in Brussels spending quality family time. But I digress, over dinner we discussed the uniqueness of New Zealand, Australian Accents, and Canadian accents, which I am unable to reproduce via a blog. FOR Now.

Oh and – spy report – – spy report – spoke to my insider at the EU, this Croatia thing is a definite go it seems. I thought it was only an idea, but no no, they’re definitely going ahead with plans for Croatia to join the EU in something like ’07 or ’15.

I’ve never been there, but I have many Croatian friends here in Amsterdam, like the laid-back and fun-lovin cook at Foodism. (Oude Leilestraat Plug Plug) From his stories and what I read in the news, I’ll be very glad to have Croatia join the fun. I was thinking about it the other day, technically now, I could travel to Hungary and I am effectively a pseudo-citizen, in that I am a European Citizen. Going to Hungary could be like, me as an American going to.. New Orleans or something. Ok not the same… but I had you going for a second there.

Today’s Sounds: RFI Musique – I think its Baba Maal right now