Distance in Your Mind

There are places where one can travel to in this world where you feel distant and an outsider.  Makes sense of course, you are an outsider.  But here in Prishtina, time and time again, people who I’ve never met before make me feel like I am their neighbor and they’ve been expecting to see me.  Perhaps it is the large number of foreigners who are here working as part of the development and security world. Or maybe it is simply that Kosovars are all over the world and sometimes, they return home for good.  Whatever the reason, you’ll rarely meet someone who  gets wide eyed if you mention New York or Paris, these cities are part of their vocabulary and in some cases, a familiar part of their lives.

It all makes for a strange and alluring atmosphere; wander into a café and one friend will introduce you to another. Before you know it, a conversation that transcends borders and the conventional small-talk erupts.  They will want to meet up again, as often is possible, they will make time for you, don’t worry. No topic seems off the table. Even those probably tired and repetitive visitor questions about the country and its significant list of problems. Its no problem here, we can talk about it, we can even talk about problems in a far away land, no country or context is too distant.

Surely it is an old song. I came to Kosovo and made some fantastic friends that I shall seek to see again and surely never forget . I’ve said that of so many countries I doubt anyone takes it seriously. But this is no polite travel note, this is a seasoned veteran traveller telling it like it is in his experience. The world may often forget about Kosovo these days, but here in Prishtina, Kosovo is very much a part of the great big world.

Learning without Schools
Photo by Bre Pettis, http://brepettis.com

It is often assumed that in order to be successful and realize your dreams you must go to university. Year after year people of all ages apply to institutions of higher education and go to great lengths to afford the high costs that come with such schools.  Increasingly people are realizing that the costs to attend such schools far outweigh the benefits.  Beyond that, with the dawn of interest networks online and the availability of information and instruction, there is a real opportunity to learn what you want to learn, without going back to school.

Kio Stark is a grad school dropout who loves to learn.  As an author and inquisitive mind, her writing and research has brought her to the topic of informal learning. How does it work? what do different informal learners do to meet their goal and stay focused? These questions and more are part of a new book she has proposed to be published next year: “Don’t Go Back to School – A Handbook for Learning Anything.”

To make it even more interesting, Kio has put the proposal for the book up on kickstarter as a project which people can choose to support financially with the promise of being credited, receiving a copy of the book, and more. What is a refreshing new approach to education is matched by an innovative new approach to funding your work.

How did this project begin? What experiences has Kio had that led to her interest in learning outside of schools? These topics and more are explored in our podcast together. Give it a listen.

Support and Read more about Kio’s Project “Don’t Go Back to School” which has generated a fantastic outpouring of backers.

Her novel “Follow Me Down” available now.

The Man Who Spoke for Funny

PatriceOver the last ten years this website and my work has often revolved around those with a compelling story, the under reported actors who seek to somehow change or impact the world.  Those individuals are often writers, activists, journalists, NGO workers in forgotten corners of the world, and sometimes public figures. One group of people that is hardly ever mentioned here yet has a tremendous role in our society, are comedians.  They perhaps never get mentioned as I myself do not often meet them in person, but rather I admire them from a far.  But I recognize their influence nonetheless, and take great meaning from the way they look at and explain the world.  A world where it is increasingly hard to be a comedian as subjects and language get labelled as unacceptable, taboo, and even flat-out banned.

One comedian who stood up and refused to compromise with those who sought to tell him what not to talk about or use in his comedy, was the great Patrice O’Neal.  The man who once explained that he “spoke for funny”, and believed strongly in the right to try and be funny. In his hilarious and sometimes bizarre wisdom he spoke truths that deserve to be remembered long after his tragic death. “Funny jokes and unfunny jokes come from the same place. You should be able to attempt to be funny.”

Much of the world has never heard of Patrice O’Neal. To them he was never famous so he shouldn’t be compared to any of the greatest minds in the history of comedy.   As Patrice himself often said over the past year “I’ve got my phone on, but fame still hasn’t called.”  Like so many amazing artists of this era, the mainstream market place didn’t want anything to do with him.  Just as many young and lesser known content creators (including citizen journalists!) are often told to compromise their values and thoughts in order to make money and become known, Patrice was often given similar advice. Advice he famously shit all over as he would attend meetings with entertainment executives and proceed to make fun of their previous programming choices, instead of kissing ass to try and gain their favor. Not that he didn’t want to be known, he simply wanted to be known on his own terms.

Compare journalism and art today and you might find yourself being written off as insignificant, wrong and reckless.  Compare comedy and journalism and you’ll surely hear similar or worse.  But in the hilarious, creative, contreversial, bizarre, disgusting and beautiful mind of Patrice O’Neal, I have long found inspiration and reassurance.  Though it is extremely sad that he has died, with the exception of his shitty diet, the way he lived should only inspire joy.

Tackling the Big Issues in Kosovo

Unrecognized by many countries, unable to secure their borders, a struggling economy in a world already in crisis- the laundry list of problems that Kosovo faces can easily be called daunting.  But in the face of so much adversity there are some exciting things happening and one source of excitement in Prishtina is the new media project called Kosovo 2.0.

I visited  some of the talented people at K2.0 a few weeks ago during a brief visit this month.  As a first time visitor, I had many questions about almost everything, from politics, to history, from education to entertainment.  It may be a small place but it left a big impression on me.

In this podcast I sit down with the editor-in-chief of Kosovo 2.0, Besa Luci, a clear thinking journalistic mind who gave me the impression that no question was out bounds.  I was also joined by deputy editor, journalist,  and global wanderer Nate Tabak.  Together as my two guests, they tackled all my sometimes elementary questions that many people around the world are also wondering – What is it like to be alternative press in such a troubled land, what is happening in Kosovo today and how does this special media outlet help make a better future?

After listening please to go and read and experience Kosovo 2.0.

Black Friday – A Day of Resistance

Contrary to what the media tells us, Black Friday is not about shopping. The real Black Friday was about resistance, as on May 13, 1960 students in San Francisco stood up to the powerful House SubCommittee on UnAmerican activities which blacklisted and attempted to destroy the lives of countless creative and critical voices in the United States. The police turned the fire hoses on them and the crowd struggled to hold their ground. In the courtroom they sang and they chanted “We Shall Not be Moved!” That is the real story of Black Friday!

Remembering a Defiant Old Woman

Image courtesy of Garnet Publishing UK

Hanna Braun. In early 2006 this name was recommended to me by an enthusiastic listener who said something to the effect of “you should really interview her.” I did some reading and learned a bit about who Hanna Braun was, an stubborn old lady who had grown up in Berlin during the rise of Hitler, then moved to Palestine when it was under British control, and then lived the creation of the state of Israel.  However the real story of Hanna Braun is one of resistance and speaking out – as she witnessed injustice run rampant in this newly created state.  Beyond injustice, Hanna explains what few people are old enough to recall – this was not the original plan, the dream of a secular inclusive state was co-opted and would never be realized.

I had the great privilege to speak with Hanna for 2 fantastic hours for this podcast all those years ago (including during the most recent Israeli military incursion into Lebanon).  We spoke about her life and the lessons learned from all that she lived through. We spoke about the beautiful moments and of course – her life’s work – exposing the injustices and the suffering in Palestine that deserve the world’s attention.  Hanna was dedicated not only to speaking about it, but taking action herself; organizing projects and participating in demonstrations, conferences, meetings and more.  She was an inspiring figure who taught me more about history than any school book in high school ever did.

Hanna died just over a week ago at the age of 84. I hadn’t spoken to her in a few years, but I have thought of her often whenever someone asks about my most favorite interview.  I was very much looking forward to having her back on the program and hear more from her all these years later.  Instead her voice as well as her words will have to suffice. Her memoir, “Weeds Don’t Perish – Memoirs of a Defiant Old Woman Author” was published just 2 months ago.  I intend to read it, pass it on to my loved ones, continue to pass on the message, and carry on speaking out, just as Hanna did.