bm113 Reproductive Rights, After South Dakota

South Dakota found its way into the news earlier this month with its ban on abortion. So what other states might follow? What are the ongoing battles within the question of reproductive rights, and what issues will emerge now that power has been consolidated within the supreme court? Amanda Marcotte, direct from Austin, Texas, blogs at pandagon.net and joins me to discuss these issues and more.

AudioCommunique #113 (mp3)

Music:

Stars – The Very Thing
Sweet Honey & the Rock – Your Children
Antony and the Johnsons – Man is the baby

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Personal Media to Increase Understanding

Last night at the “little” Dutch Vlogger Meetup, I rehashed a topic that I began talking about during the bloggers in Amsterdam roundtable a few weeks ago. The topic involves a personal belief of mine that producing personal media: blogs, podcasts, vlogs, photoblogs; and sharing them with people around the world, increases incultural exchange and therefore decreases the likelihood of using violence to resolve international disputes.

Did I lose you? It’s pretty basic, and some people might label it as naïve or wrong, but I simply believe that by reading blogs, for example, from people in Iran, we are getting to know Iranians on a very personal level. By knowing them and reading their thoughts and work, this helps defeat any propaganda that might be pushed by a government or a media that wants to sell you the idea that, say – Iranians are dangerous and tyrants and the answer is to bomb the shit out of the country. Readers, listeners, and viewers of Iranian pesonal media would immediately dispell such fairy tales, and insist that whatever methods are used to resolve a disagreement, violence is not an option – EVER.

When I brought this up, asking if the bloggers believed in this possibility, I think it was Ezra or Amanda, who saw it as unlikely, stating that for every Iranian blogger that might blog about peacefully resolving a conflict, the a warmongering Iranian blogger in the US or wherever, would emerge to support the opposite.

Amongst others last night, Gabe was an especially outspoken supporter of this idea, that if more people watched vlogs and were consumers of personal media across borders, the less propaganda that promotes violence, mistrust, and hatred would ne believed.

I think the biggest disappointment factor in all this is that we are still a long way from this being a reality. You reading this post are still a small fragment of the world’s population, as is the case for all personal media – most people still don’t understand or use it. Despite the fact that we may have the key to more peace in the world, we’re not even close to being able to save any lives.

For more on Iran in particular, I like to read Juan Cole. And of course, the granddaddy of the Iranian blogosphere – Hoder.

bmtv2 A Visit to Avó and Avô’s House

Since my driving vlog received such wonderful feedback. I used a few leftover clips to create this one, all about my grandparents and the town where they live.

Watch the Video

Some Burmese-American Hypocracy

Not that anyone should ever look to Secretary of State Rice or any of her colleagues for statements that mean anything or consistancy in general – but I noticed she was talking about Burma today.

Yeah, you know, Burma… oh I know.. you still remember the good old days of Myanmar, you’re so old school. Oh and you probably still have fond memories of Rangoon as the capital… well that’s just about over. And if you think extra hard, you might recall companies like Unocal, Halliburton, and Chevron; American oil companies (they’re not alone, plenty of European too), doing lot’s of business with the military Junta over the last 20 years.

But I guess that was before the United States government received a message from god that said they should spread freedom everywhere and stop being friends with their old friends who are possibly genocidal murderous dictators, and generally not nice people.

Thing sure are a’changin, cause today I read Condoleezza’s speech where she says:

“So long as the proud people of this great nation remain oppressed, there can be no business as usual in Southeast Asia”

No business as usual? Well Well. What about the usual business and all your friends who profit? Are you going to suddenly turn your back on them? Impressive!

Sorry, suddenly I started talking directly to Condi instead of just, about her. Here’s an interesting related PBS-NOW report as well as an old Nation article that might point out some hope. I mean, besides our champion of global justice secretary of state.

bm112 A Serbian in Lisbon

Only a few days after the death of Milosevic, I walked in to my favorite pizzeria in Lisbon to enjoy a meal and visit with a Serbian friend. While I was there he could hardly contain the rush of thoughts and emotion about what had happenned. These are his thoughts and the story of that evening, based on what I remember.

AudioCommunique #112 (mp3)

Music:

Lots of Random Fado
José Afonso – Coro dos Caídos
Ala dos Namorados – Loucos de Lisboa
Elvis Costello – The Judgement
Waldemar Bastos – A Minha Terra

*at the start of the program I make a error when I call it “my favorite pizzeria in Amsterdam” obviously I meant Lisbon.

Landed Back in Siberia

I felt dumb walking around with a coat under my arm on the way to the airport in Lisbon this afternoon as it was a summer-like 22 degrees C. Then I got off the plane and zoomed out of the airport here in the Netherlands and felt dumb for not having more layers.


So it goes. PT journey is over. Lots more video, audio, and written text thoughts to come; especially about how wonderful my family and friends and Portugal are, but not tonight.. the clock says 335 am.