Podcasting since 2004; Conversations, conflicts, adventures and monologues from around the world.
The things I’ve seen today.. in one 24 hour period. Can’t quite form the words yet. Use this for now.
Just arrived. Circled the town via automobile. Checked into chez lil’Robin who is just a fantastic person. She’s probably reading this too.. so I’ll withhold all other compliments.
Lots of meetings set up for tomorrow with some interesting projects. NOLA bloggers have not been the most responsive bunch, but I still hope to get some of the great personal publishers of this town to sit town and tell me what has happened and how.
For now this is just a hello to let y’all know, the crusading podcasting journalist has arrived and its amazing to see a city you’ve read, heard, and seen so much about.
Oh and there is a pressing issue that demands some immediate attention and I think EU sanctions.. and that is the Polish government’s rabid homophobia and their desire to erase any references to LGBT issues or history in their education system. Any mention of gay is apparently to be banned as well. (?)
As a very concerned citizen of the EU I think the government should have sanctions put on it and perhaps they should be brought before the EU court of justice for discrimination and violating the fundamental human rights they agree to respect by being part of the EU.
But ok, right now its hard to focus on that.. cause I’m in the Big EASY!
“Why don’t you write about your personal life”, Ms Thingk asked, “you know people love hearing about that stuff.” We sat there, two of the few people at a very cozy Williamsburg bar enjoying happy hour last night.
Amazing to consider how we know our friends and where we meet up in this era where distance no longer means very much. In her case, we met back in 2004/2005, in Amsterdam where she was studying at the U of Amsterdam where by that point, I was working. After that she moved to DC to work with a very important organization, and for the past 2 years… she’s become a Brooklynite. Even the people standing outside the corner shop seem to know her by name “Hey Ms Thingk!” they waved. Im sure they too would be sad to hear that she has indeed quit blogging.
Yesterday was in fact, full of highlights, including dinner with some very famoose Livejournalists and former PAris residents. But before any of that, it was my day to speak in front of my good friend, Prof. Brian Dunphy’s class at Brooklyn College, not to mention to spend a day walking in his shoes… which was fun.
I spoke about the history of personal publishing, not so much who did what, but what things have unfolded as they have. The conditions and ingredients that made it possible; because of course.. the fact that so many people consult blogs, podcasts, and vlogs in such mass numbers is not just a fluke miracle… it is because several key developments led us here. And those developments may not always be obvious to everyone.. so hopefully the class found it useful to hear me yap yap yap.
It has been a long time since I spoke before a lecture hall of New Yorkers… not sure if I ever have. And I tell you it matters because you can never assume you know what a new yorker knows.. they are keen observers, they are diverse, they are experienced beyond their years, and just when you think you’ve got something to show them.. they’ve probably got alot to show you. At the end of the presentation lots of students came to hand stuff to Brian and talk about class things. Just when I thought no one would dare come say hi.. several nice students turned to me and quietly thanked me and wished me best of luck. One girl specifically said perhaps the most simple and inspiring thing you can say to me “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Thanks so much Brooklyn College, it was an honor to be a guest in your classroom.
Tappy-Tap-Tap, the sounds of icey snow fill the air of ye old family home. I arrived here in the state of New Jersey several hours ago, around the same time as one of the year’s meanest ice storms I guess. Which somehow made the usually irritating and useless airport security checks and customs questions less annoying.
When I finally get the sleep I need and wake up focused and adjusted, I’ll write some about developments and corruption in the world of banana farming, vitamin supplements and lots of other fun stuff… part of sitting on a plane for 8 hours means reading many newspapers in more detail than maybe one usually does.
For now I’ll just mention a new blogging platform that makes blogging quite easy. No I mean.. even easier… which sounds redundant cause it is easier. Regardless, Tumblr is free and one of the easiest blogging tools I’ve seen since blogger. Not sure where the comments are, but everything else looks good and easy. Maybe it will be useful for those out there who wanted a blog but still felt like it wasn’t super simple enough yet.
Podcast guests and topics are illusive this week, so far. At a dinner party this evening from across the room I hear “BM… this guy is from New Orleans!”
I jump up and have a seat next to him. A musician through and through who studied in New Orleans, as it turns out. After talking to him about my project and the issues I want to focus on, I was honored to hear him say “Well I’m glad you’re going. Its important that you go and do this.” He also spoke about how much it hurts him, reading and watching what is happening to his city from over here.
Anyway I leave you today and urge you to read This is Zimbabwe where another horror is still going on.. the ongoing horror that the whole world tries not to look at. (hell even me, somehow I don’t blog enough about the injustice there)