vlog_europe – Citizen Reporter

Lake Como Is Down There

Well Well.

Unexpected turn of events, I took an offer to stay over here high above Lake Como, or some Lake that might be Como. I think this town is called Lecco.

I’d like to enter into a “how fast can you learn italian” marathon, I bet it would take me 2 weeks, nonstop studying, and Id be fluent. Than my french and spanish would be ruined, and my Portuguese would be jealous. My english would just hang out with my Dutch, they need not know whats going on. In the meantime.. I do so love the language cause it is so famliar.. yet different.

The discussion on yesterdays post is still going and I like it alot. We don’t have to have the answers, we can just compare stories, experiences, facts.. if anything I get lots of help forming my own opinion… and in the end.. its a personal blog, so hahaha I win! I mean.. yay knowledge.

The vloggers are mostly at the node101 apartment in Milano. I’m here with a few other cats that are staying at the great Deirdré’s house, which overlooks alot of things from way up here on this mountain. On the floor to my right.. there’s a vlogger named Andreas… further over from him.. a vlogger named Anders. Danish I believe. Good men they are, me thinks.

My one wish… vlogger ladies. More of them. Crazy creative and perhaps single ones. That’s my wish.

Time for cliché italian words since I’m a dumb tourist: buona notte amici.

bm165 High Demands of the Western World

This being a family weekend in Brussels, I sat down to better explain what it is that is so troubling about the way we measure success in elections. With help from Monty Python, Ralph Nader, and a comment left by Tim Pritlove and others.

Mentioned:

Democracy Now from Wednesday Nov. 8th, 2006
Chaos Radio
Mikeypod reporting on grassroots activism
Yeast Radio, of course.
The Gay Expat, audio and videos
And on and on

come to Vlog Europe next weekend in Milano

BM Will Travel to VlogEuropa

I tend to poo-poo conferences. Let’s be real; no matter what the topic and how noble the mission, the world is full of conferences with bullshit topics where obscene amounts of money are spent in order to talk about a problem for which we will have to hold another conference to continue the discussion- repeat process for a few years, run out of money or interest and move on to another catchy titled conference.

Anyone who’s annoyed with what I just wrote is probably a frequent participant in such conferences.

Despite that, and contradicting my normal outlook on conferences, I’m going to a very modest and enjoyable conference in a few weeks: (hahaha) VlogEurope. If you were at the first one than you know how low budget (or non-budget) it was and how the priority was figuring out how to get this wonderful forum – videoblogs- into the hands of people who don’t want to learn to be nerds, but have a story that lacks representation in this world of media.

One year on, obviously alot has happened and more people are doing vlogs and watching them, but it is still far from where we hope for it to be. Plus, in making our videos and maintaining our sites, we don’t often get to sit together in person and experience the energy and feed off the inspiration. So this year, when we meet up in Milano for a weekend, we will have that rare occasion for all of this and more.

If you can make it to Italy, or you’re just curious to know more: read up and consider joining. Or don’t… either way Ill be reporting from Italy, Slovenia, and more, come November 17th.