Tag Archives: US

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.

Lets Get Ady

It’s true, I’m the first to shout “PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS.” I hate how capitalism and commercials find there way into areas of life where they once didn’t exist. Like when perfectly good public electricity, water, or rail systems are sold off as if it will benefit the consumer. (which it rarely, if ever, does) As a pretend journalist, I especially hate seeing ads larger than the friggin article that I’m reading. I don’t go crazy, but I do get that much closer to going over the EDGE.

The same goes for my blog reading and podcast listening. One thing I love about the blogo-podo-sphere is that it’s young, and the colonizers haven’t come to civilize us with their free market religion. By us I mean.. most blogs. And so, because blogging is sometimes about bouncing discussions around, I wanted to continue a piece of the discussion that Tony’s decision to put ads on the busblog sparked.

So despite my hate for ads, as a person with a rapidly growing readership and the accompanying bandwith costs, I know how this great hobby can become quite the expense. I even got a second donation this week, and I must say I’m most thankful.. the person threw 15 dollars my way. That’s way more then I’d ever ask of anyone, but it definitely inspires me to work harder at blogging and podcasting, as well as eases my pain when I look into the virtual wallet.

Sometimes tho, donations aren’t enough it seems, and so many bloggers have gone the way of googleads (which don’t earn you shit I hear) or other ads. In some cases I don’t even notice… like on WinterofDiscontent’s (where I think I saw googleads), but in some cases, like Wonkette (no offence to that blog pioneer)the ads have pissed me off to the point where I simply don’t read that blog anymore. Where do I draw the line? Well I’m not sure… I think when there’s as much ad space as there is content, that’s when I start losing it.

Of course I still cheer when a blogger says no ads… EVER. Hell.. I’m saying it right now. NO ADS FOR ME. But shit.. you never know…

So in the end.. it’s a grey area… but I support the individual blogger’s right to do what they want with their own blog. Fucking ads might be a necessary evil for some, and bravo to we who manage to stay away from them; cause it keeps our shit pure. Double bravo with sugar ontop to those who leave tips to bloggers in order to help out and avoid the ad monster. Oh -I better go practice what I preach, and leave a tip somewhere myself.

And this post has nothing to do with the fact that I won a raffle on the busblog. I’m serious… stop thinking that. And go bring the beef.

Today’s Sounds: Old 97’s – Tracks that xtx Sent me

On My Island

Weblogging is often a great exercise for my crap memory, so here’s a lil story that must be told:

I must have been about 10 years old when my parents had a teachers’ conference in the Azores, those beautiful islands in the middle of the Atlantic, smack-dab between New York and Lisbon. Naturally being the young son, I tagged along. I had pretty much never been on an island before, not including Manhattan, and certainly not a archipelago of volcanic orgin.

My memories, on the one hand, have gotten pretty fuzzy about that trip. But I definitely remember swimming in hot springs, along with a bunch of other strangers. Later we watched them cook bacalhau (cod) in a volcanic vent… or whatever they’re called in english (furnas). Basically deep holes in the ground filled with boiling water as a result of geothermic something something. They’d cover the holes with lids after lowering the pot in on a rope. Too cool. As if that wasn’t enough, I was baffled by the black sand of the beaches… crazy.

What I remember best of all, was sitting through what would have been boring ass presentations. Everyone was jotting down notes, while I – the token child – sketched fishing boats and sea monsters. They were to be gifts for the twenty something year old teacher from San Jos?, who I had fallen in love with on day 1. She would happily review my drawings and read the clever notes I would write to her, then she’d pat me on the head and give me words of encouragement which made me feel like a million bucks.

That was my thing… draw.. meet girl 20 years older than me… have crush,, draw some more. Ahhh the good old days.

Oh and wouldn’t you know it.. now they’ve got fucking European Blog Awards, they won’t be satisfied til they’ve made the internet a carbon copy of the stupid-ass entertainment industry. Not linking it… cause that would just encourage the fools.

I will, on the other hand, point you to the Torontonienne in the toilet, and the US Federal Budget… flushed down the toilet.

Today’s Sounds: Goin Deep Podcast – inauguration Retardation

AudioComm#5 w/the Inappropriate one

This one was some heavy editing but some fun times. Got a little condenser mic so me and B could just sit around and chat, he sounds good, I sound like I’m in a can. Maybe I was in can.. I don’t remember. Hope y’all enjoy, next podcast will be more multimedia soundseeing at the weekend, either a Boatride or a Vondelpark.. stay tuned.

AudioCommuniqu? #5



20min+, 64Kbps, 9,700+ mb

With Special Guest InappropriateBrian, and Featuring:

  • My new intro
  • Adam Curry Thanks
  • The Walking Date
  • “Have Cock Will Travel”
  • Me First and the Gimme Gimme’
  • Chili Peppers
  • Toots&The Maytals
  • Nina Gordon
  • Radio Clash
  • Goldfinger

Famooose

Man oh man… yesterday was insane. It was as if the entire world woke up, went to work, got bored at work, and found my podcast. First I got a cd from xtx in the mail. Enclosed in the envelope was a Sigfried & Roy hologram, met de vite tigers.

And then – BAM.. the communiqu? got more hits than Michael Jackson yesterday.. set a new personal record. Got a great response from Adam Curry, the godfather of pod, to my site-seeing tour, and as I write this I’m listening to his today podcast and sure enough — IM ON IT! What an ego booster.. I got emails from real life friends I didn’t know were listenin, folks that had never come to the blog before, and best of all, lots of Dutch people who liked my tour. It’s very much validating to hear natives enjoy the reflections of a little ol’ immigrant like myself.

But fear not fair reader… this post isn’t only about me and my shallowness. MAIS NON! I brought a news item that blows my mind and it going to be the talk of the preverbial town in the coming years. THE BUILDING OF A TUNNEL BETWEEN SPAIN AND MOROCCO.

Yes that’s right! Under the sea for you and me. And let me just say.. I’m 100% in favor of it. I think. My policy, in general, is that I hate borders. I’m in favor of having policies that allow people to freely travel between countries. When i have my own country, OPEN BORDERS. And if that makes you nervous, despite your xenophobic tendencies, I’ll look into making you a special play-pen. Cause I wouldn’t want you all upset.

Anyhoot, I’ll be surprised if this ever happens, despite the plan. Too many years of racism and profiteering from illegal immigration via waterways. Then again, I guess we’ll just see more of the same, only via train and car.

If you want to see a great Video-blog or Video-Cast of Amsterdam, check out the Mindcaster’s creation. Tell me he doesn’t hit at least 5 people while riding the streets with his camera in hand. I guess I myself hit 3 people per day and it doesn’t really effect me. -Suckers.

PS – Tomorrow’s podcast features a special guest cinefile who wants to talk movies. — yuck. )

Today’s Sounds: Me First and the Gimme Gimme’s – Take a Break

Oh the bright future

I get brilliant ideas in the shower.. if only I had a pen and paper that would work in those conditions. Yesterday’s podcast generated so much great feedback, even folks who don’t normally read the blog came to hear it. (speakin of which.. if you haven’t heard it, just scroll down) I’m hoping that one of the next shows will be a BOAT-CAST or a CANAL-Cast, as Big Jim has been emailing me, and proposed we round up some cocktails, bundle up, and go out on his boat. So you can imagine what will happen if I just bring my Madonna Mic along, it’ll be like hangin out with operators who are always standing by.

Many of you have now heard me talkin about podcasts, but I worry that you don’t know the tools that are out there for you. See, some of you come to my blog whenever you get the chance and try to keep up with my verbal-abortion marathon. But in fact, if you would just register with bloglines and plug in (where it says add feed) my feed address: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BicyclemarksCommunique , you would then get all my new posts as they come out, and never have to remember to come visit me. Even the new podcasts would show up there. If you love reading news from the BBC or Village Voice, or your favorite livejournal… all of those can be plugged in there as well. It’s called Really Simple Syndication for a reason… and I find myself getting frustrated with people who spend so much time on the internet yet have a sudden mental block when I say the words RSS.

My mom was on the phone with me for our daily Saturday chat… and she starts laughing it up. She says “At work.. I tell people about podcasts and weblogs and they look at me like they have no idea what these words are or why I know these things. You keep me on the cutting edge of technology son.” Right on momma, represent all the moms out there who don’t freak at the first sign of something new.

OH, and don’t miss DC’s hottest new intern and the uncensored photos.

Today’s Sounds: Seu Jorge – Songs off the Life Aquatic Soundtrack (thanks marty mcfly)