Sunday, September 30, 2007

Marathon interview Albert Helman

Ik heb iets met interviews met mensen die een meervoudige nationale affiniteit hebben. Het is het antwoord op de vraag van Ronald van den Boogaard, waarom ik naar Simek en naar de marathon interviews luister. Hij vroeg met erover een gaststukje te schrijven op zijn blog. Albert Helman noem ik daar zijdelings.

De 85 jarige Helman wordt in 1989 door Djoeke Veninga geinterviewd. Hij heeft zo te merken meer dan een dubbele affiniteit. Zijn leven heeft hem behalve langs Suriname en Nederland gevoerd door Spanje, Tobago en Italie, om maar eens wat te noemen. Voeg daarbij zijn hoge leeftijd en ik meen daaruit te begrijpen de afstand die hij neemt tot alle wortels die hij heeft. Als hij nog ergens wat emotie laat voelen dan is het met betrekking tot zijn Indiaanse etniciteit. Nog altijd voelt hij zijn indiaanse grootmoeder snuffelen in zijn nek.

Als het over de Indianen gaat en de culturele clash tussen de natuurmens en de westerse, dan trilt het gesprek het meest. En Helman slaagt erin de kracht van zijn Indianen uit te vergroten zonder in een op Rousseau gelijkende romantiek te vervallen. Verder is hij veel afstandelijker. En de interviewster heeft misschien teveel eerbied, of maakt te weinig een persoonlijke connectie met hem, om het nadrukkelijk te prikkelen. Daardoor heeft het gesprek ook een paar momenten dat het zich wat moedeloos voortsleept, totdat Helman zelf weer wakker wordt en het vuurtje opstookt. Ik heb genoten, maar hield het toch na twee en een half van de vier uur voor gezien.

Socrates -- In Our Time is back

BBC's Radio Four program In Our Time has returned after a long summer break and opened the new season with a discussion about Socrates. We learn that Cicero said about him that he brought philosophy from the heavens to the earth.

Socrates is pictured to us as the first critical thinker. The first to fight esoteric, mythic, grand scale philosophy and bring it to the practical questions of the good life. Which, according to him, must equal the virtuous life. What strikes me is how we see in Socrates already the critical, the rational and the inquisitive mind that will mark Western thinking and science. I am also struck by the individualism. Knowledge is a personal thing, not dependent upon tradition or institution, which points forward to protestants such as Calvin.

What fun that In Our Time is back. What good initiative the BBC releases it as a podcast. One of the most worthwhile podcasts. But the eager listener must be alert. One week after publication, with the new edition coming out, the previous is removed from the feeds. It can be heard through the archive, but not downloaded. As all shows must be regarded as valuable at face value, my advice is to download and keep for the right moment for listening. Not to wait and turn dependent on time on line.

Byzantine podcast

Just when I thought the long history podcast about the Byzantine Empire had come to an end, there is going to be more. Lars Brownworth's 12 Byzantine Rulers has reached the last of the 12, Constantine XI. Constantine was the last emperor of Byzantium. He was the one to suffer the ultimate fall of Constantinople by the hands of the Ottomans in 1453. This marks the end of the 1200 year history of the (Eastern) Roman empire.

The podcast about Constantine XI, was to mark the end of years long running series carefully meting out Byzantine history. To my great and happy surprise though, Lars ended this expectedly and long awaited final edition with announcing that there is yet another issue to come. One about what Byzantine culture had meant and how it lived on from 1453 onwards.

From the point of view of history and historiography, this can only be right, but also from the point of view of history podcasting, this is especially laudable. Brownworth's series is one of the first history podcasts to have been around (if not the very first) and one of such high quality that it has set the standards for history podcasts to abide by. We can only hope, that whenever this particular series is to finish, Lars Brownworth will find a subject to dedicate his next series to.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

A consumer from the cradle on - SRR #112

We all know it. Marketing begins to focus at the younger in order to shape us into consumerism. When you have a hard time figuring out how commercials can address babies less than a year old, listen to Shrinkrapradio #112 The Commercialization of Childhood, in order to get an explanation. Just take it that this is so, and effective at that. Psychology, in no small measure allows for the efficacy of marketing. Dr. Allen D. Kanner stands up to point there is a limit to that. At least leave the children alone, is his message.

He directs his arrows also at globalization and there I would like to point out, the removal of market barriers can be in many ways truly beneficial for people, welfare and for democracy, but he certainly has a point: the main profiteers of the rapid commercialization of the world is big business and it will subject the whole of the world's children to consumerism. Not much in the podcast promises any kind of solution or even some solace, but Dr. Dave's interview with Allen Kanner, certainly gets the picture painted bright and clear.

Maybe marketing has an intrinsic fault. The major value lies with pushing the product. The interests of the consumer to whom the product is pushed is only subjected to the major goal. Marketing allows for pushing the consumer to what is rationally not in his own interest. The shield for business is the old adagium caveat emptor, the buyer should be aware. The consumer should be minding his own interests and it is implicitly supposed he is well capable of that. Kids obviously are not. None of us probably are, considering marketeers have whole body of psychological technology at their disposal. Kanner is right to call for ethical restrains.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Having a hard time with the Bioethics podcast

The center for bio-ethics and human dignity claims to be "Exploring the nexus of biomedicine, biotechnology, and our common humanity." It begins to state as its purpose to "equip thought leaders to engage the issues of bioethics using the tools of rigorous research, conceptual analysis, charitable critique, leading-edge publication, and effective teaching." As someone who has a concern about the ethical and social implications of the ever advancing bio-technology, I was happy to find this organization and begin to listen to their podcast.

Many of the other educational podcasts I know that address issues of bio-technology, tend to be rather technical and research oriented in their approach and mostly address the methods and techniques of technology and scientific research The ethical concerns are much more side-lined. As a consequence I very much wanted to find a podcast that approached the subject from the ethical side. The Bioethics podcast, is such a podcast.


Sofar, however, I severely put off by what podcasts I have heard in the way they stress their Christian nature. The concerns in bioethics are presented in the light of a belief in God and Christian principles. As someone who is secular and for many practical purposes, if not Jewish, certainly no Christian, I feel shut off from the subject. I am going to persist and check the content that is delivered by the CBHD. I do want to find out more about the ethical issues with advancing bio-technology and healthy reserves in the name of human dignity are necessary to keep in mind while advancing. I take those principles to be universal and would expect from the CBHD to assume the same. Even if the organization and its members find their origin and inspiration in Christianity, the universality of their enterprise should beg them to restrain to link their findings exclusively to faith in Christianity. They do not seem to actually believe for being a true ethic one needs to be Christian, but it would suit them not to create an atmosphere where that is the practical consequence of their rhetoric.

Marathon interview met Lea Dasberg

Er is een boek van Lea Dasberg, dat ik niet gelezen heb, maar dat me aanspreekt alleen al om de titel: Grootbrengen door kleinhouden. Daar wordt het Nederlands maternalisme zo goed gevangen dat ik me door haar meteen begrepen voel. En dan hebben we ook nog iets gemeen: Nederland achter ons gelaten hebben en onze eindbestemming in Israel gevonden. Genoeg om op voorhand al te genieten van het marathoninterview uit 1989.

Interviewster Harmke Pijpers laat Dasberg lang vertellen over haar kindertijd. Daarna, langs een heel natuurlijke overgang komt ze te spreken over haar pedagogische principes. Daar zitten prachtige gedachtengangen tussen. Zoals bijvoorbeeld: het is te riskant om een toekomst te bouwen op de zelfontplooing. In haar optiek moeten kinderen gestimuleerd worden. Desnoods ook moeten ze hard aangepakt worden - Dasberg gelooft niet in zielig doen. Mensen moeten maar leren dat sommige tegenslagen er in het leven bijhoren. Pech hoeft niet weg, voor haar. Geen recht op een pechvrij bestaan.

Dat had ze zelf ook niet. En zo legt ze zich neer bij de afstand die haar invaliditeit noodzakelijkerwijs tot mannen schept. Maar ze geeft ook aan geboft te hebben, met datgene wat elk kind nodig heeft, maar niet altijd krijgt: ouders die je lief vinden. Die je mooi vinden en die hun verwachtingen en hoop over je koesteren. De mens moet met het basisgevoel opgroeien dat het kostbaar is. Waarna het ook nog over Israel gaat. Voor mij is dat niet minder fascinerend, maar ik kan me voorstellen dat dat gedeelte, juist doordat het zo gedateerd is, de gemiddelde luisteraar wat minder raakt. Het Israel van 1989 is niet meer het Israel van 2007, al kan je versteld staan over hoeveel er nog wel hetzelfde gebleven is.

UC podcast: Multiculturalism in the Netherlands

When I left the Netherlands in 1998, I knew its multiculturalism was no idyllic sharing of one country for all of its inhabitants, but for the majority it was nevertheless a pretty sturdy ideology. One can certainly say that since the murders of Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh, the Netherlands society has lost whatever naiveté it had and in the process much of its faith in multiculturalism. The question is, whether multiculturalism as such has gone lost for the Netherlands.

The University Channel podcast invited researcher Paul Sniderman to talk about the book he wrote with Louk Hagendoorn: When Ways of Life Collide: Multiculturalism and Its Discontents in the Netherlands. Much of his speech is spent on explanations and justifications for the quantifiable research, but sooner rather than later exactly this question is addressed. It so turns out, that what happened to the Netherlands, can be seen as the result of the somewhat naive stand in multiculturalism. Sniderman doesn't think however the multiculturalism is wrong, it is rather sensitive and vulnerable, but essential to liberal democracy.

He also doesn't think multiculturalism is lost on the Netherlands or on the Dutch. He shows the complexity of having colliding cultures living together. But he also shows the Dutch largely stick to their tolerance with other cultures, albeit with altered emphasis. Emphasis that shifted from the differences in culture, to the integration of different cultures into one society.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Stem cell

A few days ago, I already announced the University Channel podcast, was going to pay attention to the stem cell issue again. Stem Cell Research: Science, Ethics, and Prospects, a panel discussion with Dr. Gregory Eastwood, interim president of Case Western Reserve University. Insoo Hyun, Assistant Professor of Bioethics, Case Western University. Horst von Recum, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, offered, in my humble opinion, slightly less than the lecture by Douglas Melton. It did not present too much new information and was maybe hampered by the order in which I heard both podcasts.

What they have in common is that, in my experience, they take more of the technical perspective. That should not surprise for a podcast coming from a university and it filled a very large gap in my factual knowledge, so that the political ethical discussion could be elevated. But as of this point, I feel a great need to hear a pure ethical discussion and have some conservative standpoint be the starting point.

I hope UC podcast will offer that, if not they, then maybe some other podcast. A search on 'stem cell' in the iTunes directory gave hardly anything but science results, nothing tagged philosophical, religious or such. A search on Google, got me a Christian bio-ethics podcast. Maybe I'll get round trying that one.

Cartoon: Gary Markstein

cartoon network on audio

I was put on the trail of the Sonic Society podcast by the Writing Show on audio plays. The audio clippings featured on that show, give a good indication on what the Sonic Society offers in its podcast. I have listened to the first episode of the new show and can report a presentation in style with the audio drama offered.

The drama is called Deck Gibson and the Stardust Dancers and is a science-fiction comedy show. As far as science fiction comedies go, my standards are set by BBC's Red Dwarf. If Deck Gibson should be compared with anything Red Dwarf it is the adventures of Ace Rimmer. Deck Gibson is a 'what a guy' kind of guy, with less tongue in cheek.

What it boils down to, is that the Sonic Society is like listening to a cartoon and technically that is pulled of very professionally. Being spoilt by the anarchy, self-mock and chaos of Red Dwarf, this podcast strikes me a slightly childish, but I shall listen to a couple more to see if I can develop a taste. The technical quality of the work certainly warrants it.

Book design

I have developed a taste for writing in the Arial font. In the past I used to like Times and around me I can see Tahoma and a couple of others that I find readable, but less befitting my own stuff. In short, I have given font some consideration, but I never imagined the consideration could be much of a point in profession, especially today. I mean, once upon a time, before word processing, fonts were a craft maybe.

The writing show features an interview with a book designer called Stephen Tiano. He explains to Paula B of the Writing show how important designing books is and spends hardly any time on covers (what I expected), but rather on choosing the right font. I liked it.

Lay out is important.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Marriage maintained - Wise Counsel

In an era when nearly half of marriages end in divorce, the call for marriage counseling and advice is a necessity. The Wise Counsel podcast pays attention by interviewing the authors of books like Eight lessons for a happier marriage and Getting together and staying together, William and Carleen Glasser. The interviewer Dr. Dave goes over all the practical advice and profound general truths that the Glasser couple present in the former title. Much of this boils down to the worn out: you've got to work on your relationship and it is all a matter of give and take. But it sure won't hurt to rephrase and remind once more.

Dr. Dave turns out very involved, having read the book closely and also applying to his own experiences. The listener must be warned though that the sound quality of this podcast is rather bad, much static/rustle. I wonder Dr. Dave couldn't mix this away, he has done much better sound before. For the truly interested, this should be no real trouble. You can hear all of the interview well enough. Besides, helping your marriage is not entertainment.

The only question that I am left with: we have had this advice, basically, ever since we can remember, also when divorce ratings were much less than today. So what are we doing wrong? Are we so bad at listening, learning, internalizing? Or could the advice miss out on something? I really do not know. Eventually a successful marriage is a kind of magic.

UC podcast tries to laugh (humour)

A rather unexpected and compelling title occurred in the feed of the University Channel podcast: Only Joking - how humour makes us human. Usually the lectures in this podcast are, if entertaining, still very serious and pretty heavy. Not this time. While our sense of humor is being explained as a defining human trait, lots and lots of jokes are made. Sometimes they are funny just for being seriously recited with scientific claim to pun and then turn out to have little to offer at all. Especially the alleged jokes from Macbeth and other classics. It reminded me of over-enthusiastic reverends trying to show off with a joke from the Bible. Face it, the Bible is not funny, not intended to be funny, it is only funny when poked fun at, especially because it is not funny. That's what I think, or did I miss the joke?

The Writing Show - Audio Plays

The Writing show comes with a refreshing suggestion: try your hand at writing audio plays. An excellent idea. Audio plays are easier to produce and offer an template for a lot of dialog. Dialog usually forms the backbone of my narratives. What is more, I used to like audio drama. Such good memories I have about Draußen vor der Tür by the impressive Wolfgang Borchert.

As usual, the writing show knows how to inspire me. Much of what is discussed delivers a lot of good practical advice. I hope the sound clips also help. In any case, this podcast has induced me, checking out on the Sonic Society. However, I must admit, the clips were not exactly to my taste.

Plenty of material to work with though. And a sound excuse to read Borchert again. Not just Draußen vor der Tür, there are more plays. And there is the short and pungent An diesem Dienstag, which mesmerized me already in 1982.

OVT - Meindert Fennema, Plasterk en M.K.

Via de website van OVT kan je de verschillende onderdelen van het programma in afzonderlijke streams beluisteren. Als dat toch al kan, waarom wordt de podcast van OVT zonder enige vorm van post-produktie in de feed gezet? Waarom niet die tien minuten over Mein Kampf in een aparte file, of anders afdoende gemarkeerd met een bookmark? En zonder die overbodige minuten met flarden van commercials en nieuwsbulletins? Het leidt ertoe dat ik OVT meestal niet ophaal, laat staan beluister. Jammer van zo'n goed programma.

Deze keer heb ik dus wel geluisterd. Na alle ophef in Nederland, eerst met Geert Wilders' hete luchtballon om de Koran te verbieden en vervolgens - als tegenreactie, kennelijk - minister Plasterk die Mein Kampf maar weer wil toestaan. En daar dan vervolgens half en half op terug moet komen. Over dat laatste gaat OVT en we gaan meteen naar de oorsprong: politicoloog Meindert Fennema, die al in de Volkskrant schreef dat MK eigenlijk wel weer moet worden toegelaten in Nederland.

Waarom eigenlijk? Omwille van de vrijheid van meningsuiting, natuurlijk, maar hoe zit het met de beperking daarop? MK is verboden als haatzaaiend (woord?) boek. Daarom wil Wilders de Koran ook verbieden; omdat het haatzaaiend zou zijn. Een ander argument dat over tafel gaat is het verband tussen het boek en de moord op talloze mensen. In die gedachte zou je de Bijbel ook kunnen verbieden. Ten slotte wordt de specifieke, emotionele en symbolische lading van MK haast zijdelings aangestipt. Daar gaat het mijns inziens juist om de kern van de rechtvaardiging voor het geldende verbod, maar dan zijn de tien minuten voorbij en haast OVT zich naar het volgend onderwerp.

The historic meaning of 1910

Technically, this is not about a podcast. As I pointed out below, there is a new section in iTunes, called iTunes U, which contains audio material from universities, and as such they can be downloaded and subscribed to, just like podcasts, iTunes simply does not list them as podcasts. As opposed to Berkeley, that uses both iTunes U and podcasting, Stanford, is only into iTunes U. And so, what I would call their history podcast, it cannot be acquired through any regular feed, other than iTunes U and also, will not show up in your player as podcast, but rather similar to all other audio material.

That aside, this Stanford history podcast, is a kind of radio program in which one or more professors discuss a certain subject in history. The show I have listened to was about the year 1910. By means of art and cultural typifications, 1910 is shown to carry all the marks and indicators of what disasters that are about to come. The Great War and all that was triggered by the Great Wat in turn, the second World War and the Cold War.

The two professors Harrison (they are brothers) go about this fantastic subject in a bit of a tentative way. There do not seem to be much order and programming. There is even an interruption, that has nothing to do with the program altogether, rendering it a bit amateurish. A pity, because it diminishes the depth of the subject and the quality of the speakers.

Why is iTunes U in music and not in podcasts?

There is a new section in the iTunes directory, that is called iTunes U. It is a section where universities (so far only American Universities are present) can publish their audio material. We can safely assume - and a couple of samples I have taken indicate exactly at that - most if not all of this material is educational material, whether they are lectures, interviews, talk radio, panels and so on. From my perspective, this section qualifies as educational podcasts and the content is exactly up my alley.

Not only does it walk and talk like educational podcasts, the fact that the material is free and can be subscribed to, also gives it the attributes of podcasts. That is where we hit a snag. iTunes does not treat this material as podcasts. Upon download, it is placed in the music library, inconspicuously between all the rest of the material. There is no 'podcast' or similar label and neither is it copied into the podcast section. The only separation is a folder with playlists. (I took some stuff from Stanford, so I have a Stanford folder now)

I do not like this taxonomy at all. iTunes should treat all podcasts as podcasts. It would be great if actually all talk material would be separated from the music, podcast or otherwise. Next, it would do, to have this talk section be customizable, so that the user can devise a taxonomy of his own. This woukld also improve the podcast section, which, at the latest version, still has a flat hierarchy, listing all of my podcasts, one after the other, without allowing me to group them in any which way. With the amount of podcasts I keep at hand, this has become near unmanageable.

EDIT: Have Stanford or iTunes officials been reading my blog? Stanford and other universities on iTunes U offer a button to subscribe thus making their audio true podcasts. The content turns up in the familiar podcast section. Such an improvement.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Rudi Kross -- Marathon interview

Rudi Kross fulmineert tegen de popmuziek; Rudi Kross analyseert hoe de chaos van Suriname, leidde to moralisme, wat weer leidde tot een suri-fascisme. Van dat fascisme beticht hij de dictatuur van Bouterse, waar hij toch zelf een zekere periode adjudant van is geweest. "Als een burgemeester in de oorlog?" "Ja, als je dat zo wilt noemen." En passant wordt de tour van '89 aan Fignon toegeschreven (achteraf weten wij wel beter) en heet Suriname 'dat ding'. Dat ding dat de Nederlandse koloniaal gebruikt heeft tot hij het niet meer nodig had en toen anderhalve eeuw te laat onrijp de onafhankelijkheid ingeschopt.

Het marathoninterview dat John Jansen van Galen met Rudi Kross heeft in 1989 is een emotionele wervelwind. En een orgie van het bloemrijke taalgebruik, de secure dictie en het onverschrokken zoeken naar de juiste woorden van Kross. De haat-liefde verhouding met Suriname, met Nederland, met Links, met Bouterse, maar zonder te schmieren. Kross zegt het over de Surinaamse cultuur, en daarmee over zichzelf, waarin het zo anders is dan de Nederlandse: het laat de emotie bestaan. (Ik paraphraseer op mijn onbeholpen -Nederlandse?- manier) Het geeft de ruimte voor iets van esoterie, het vreemde, het mysterie, het unieke. Nederlands is het daarentegen - zo stelt hij nadrukkelijk - om alles te vergewonen. "Oh, je bedoelt eigenlijk te zeggen dat .." Te banaliseren?

Zo niet bij de Surinamers, niet bij Rudi Kross, niet in dit avontuurlijke marathoninterview. Waarin zomin het bagatel als de grote zaken banaal worden. Niets wordt vereenvoudigd. De complicaties worden niet uit de weg gegaan. En Kross blijft proberen uit te leggen, te duiden. Het mysterie blijft bestaan, maar de emotie komt over en trilt nog na, diep in mijn botten, ook hier ver buiten Nederland en bijna 20 jaar na dato.

Bunk on the couch (SRR #111)

Shrinkrapradio's issue #111 is a great podcast as usual. If I am critical of the episode it is because of the subject at hand. Dr. Justin Frank is interviewed about his book called 'Bush on the couch', in which he has made a psycho-analysis of the current president of the US based on whatever sources he had available, short of having had George W. himself on the couch. If the latter had been the case, the study would have been better, but as a doctor, Frank couldn't have published it. With detached distance he could, the question is whether he should have. Allow me to make a couple of reservations.

In 1964 a survey on presidential candidate Barry Goldwater had him declared unfit to become a president on psychological grounds. Afterwards the APA ethical committee defined the 'Goldwater Rule' stating that it is unethical for psychiatrists and psychologists to state an opinion about a person who has not been examined. How different is Frank's book about Bush from the survey about Goldwater? Frank defends himself by pointing out he has done 2 years of research and the Goldwater survey had asked professionals to make a claim on more superficial basis. However, also after 2 years of research, Frank can still not claim he has truly examined George W.

Yet he makes heavy statements summarizing it as: Bush hates his father and he identifies the American people with his father and will do everything to hurt them. I mean, if at all this can be true, it must be subconscious, and sufficiently hidden from his direct circle of adjuncts, otherwise he cannot pull this off. This brings me to the critique of Karl Popper on Freud and psycho-analysis in general: What could possibly falsify these claims about the president's personality?

What I am getting at is that no matter how thorough and conscientious such a study is conducted, it cannot be sufficiently founded. Frank points out that psycho-analytic studies have been made of Moses and Hitler (bien etonnés de se trouver ensemble), but that is for lack of having the opportunity to do otherwise and moreover as part of heuristic historical analysis. He also relates to us that the CIA and other such agents use the services of psychiatrists and psychologists for analyzing important subjects. So why can't Frank study Bush? Well he can study all he wants, but apart from using an authority argument (if the CIA can do it, I can), the kind of study essentially remains heuristic and can never make hard claims. Especially not the kind Frank has made.

It is therefore my opinion the whole study can be debunked a prima facie and the book is basically superfluous. If Bush needs to be criticized it should be for his policies, decisions and statements and that should be enough. Dr. Lawrence Friedman, dean of the Los Angeles Institute of Psychoanalysis, responded to the Goldwater survey in a way that seems to me completely applicable to Frank's study: "I shall do everything I can to help defeat Mr. Goldwater, but I shall point to his ideas, his statements, his political orientation, and his associations, not to his psychology. There is enough political evidence to defeat him with. I would like to see [presented] that information and not waste your facilities on an approach which is neither right nor effective."

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Ronald van den Boogaard geeft plug

Wat een stukje radio van twintig jaar geleden, vermag. Ongetwijfeld stonden de archieven van de VPRO al jaren op het internet te verstoffen, maar ik had de marathoninterviews niet zo gemakkelijk ontdekt als er geen podcast van was gemaakt. Trouwens, de VPRO heeft weer een hele batch erbij gezet. Nu kunnen we luisteren naar het archief tot en met 1989. Ik ben meteen maar begonnen met Rudi Kross, en na het eerste uur lekker geinspireerd voor het vervolg. En zo zijn er nog meer: Albert Helman, Lea Dasberg, Hans van Mierlo en meer en meer. Waar haal je de tijd vandaan?

Maar goed, eerst waren daar de interviews van afgelopen zomer (met o.a. Conny Palmen, Lieve Joris, Eugene Sutorius) en vandaar kwamen de oude uit 1986, met onder andere een juweel van een interview met Jan Wolkers. De complimenten die ik hier achterliet voor Ronald van den Boogaard, hebben hun weg gevonden naar zijn -- Van den Boogaards , niet Wolkers' -- blog en daar word ik nu geciteerd. Goed voor hem, goed voor mij. Hartelijk dank, Ronald.

Lees het overig geblog van Ronald, want daar zit allerlei moois tussen. Wat overigens ook wel aardig te vermelden is, is dat Ronald blogt op een site gebouwd met Joomla, net als mijn PBeM website.

UC podcast: US and new Middle East

The University Channel podcast remains an outstanding source of information on many a subject. I can't follow up on everything and usually even on the subjects I do want to follow up on, I have a terrible backlog. So it came to pass only now I had the time listening to a lecture by Gideon Rose on the US and the Middle East, as he held it on April 30th.

If I may paraphrase Rose, he says the situation for the US and the Middle East is bad, it is going to get worse on the short term, but then it is going to bottom out and allow to turn for the better again. Iran may obtain a nuclear weapon, but it is not going to totally upset the region. The US will back out and civil war will prevail in Iraq and throughout the region fundamentalists will gain more power. If however, the countries in the Middle East do not want to turn into stagnating backwaters such as Syria, they must link in with globalization and reform.

All of this is explained in a clear expose. As an audio experience nothing is left to be desired, but as usual with UC podcast, all is available in video as well.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Introducing the unknown - a Writing Show sampler

I know from my own experience how tough it is to start a story in a fantasy setting; totally unknown to the public, exclusively known to me - to the extent I have developed it, that is to say. Before you know it, you are showering your readers with bulky fact packages and that is not as elegant as it should be.

Paula Berinstein has dedicated the September 9th issue of the Writing Show to this problem and she takes tow classic examples to help us out. Who are better than Lewis Carrol and J.R.R. Tolkien to show us the way? Indeed, who are. I think the examples are very helpful

There is a funny thing that happens though. It so turns out both Carrol and Tolkien 'sin' in the way of telling in stead of showing. Paula, apologizes and hastily moves on with the description and analysis. But how bad is this after all? Don't we see here when telling is in order, before showing? When the narrator is working on his relationship with the reader rather than delivering the story? Isn't that a legitimate layer in fiction as well?

Sunday, September 16, 2007

TWN transitions (92)

The Word Nerds should not be recounted, the podcast should be experienced. The latest edition, about transitions features Dave and Barbara Shepherd, discussing all variations, apparitions and expressions of change. This show even brings a junior Shepherd. Dave and Barbara's son Ben performs with his band Wetbrain on the show. What transition that means for the Shepherds.

It signifies what transition the Shepherds as a family go through. The kids have left the house. The basement has turned into a full time Word Nerd studio. Still, the show will not increase to more than one issue per 3 weeks. I keep on hoping.

An image search for Wetbrain in pictures gave me the added pic. I hope this is THE band as intended. Which one is Ben?

Saturday, September 15, 2007

David Lukoff at Shrinkrapradio (110)

David Lukoff should return to Shrink Rap radio, for he and Dr. Dave and are not done talking yet. This issue of SRR, #110, focuses mostly on David's success at getting a new diagnostic category -- Religious or Spiritual Problem -- accepted into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. He describes how he, in collaboration with others, achieved the recognition for the diagnostic category.

What is very impressive, is that Lukoff has suffered a severe psychotic episode himself. He has been able to recover and even made the experience contribute to his consequent work in psychiatry and psychology. When he relates about this episode, especially the starting point of it, I think we see, much what every listener could identify with. Maybe each one of us, allows oneself to slide into a crisis to some degree. Not necessarily to the degree Dr. Lukoff has done, which included substance abuse, homelessness and psychosis. Nevertheless, such crises, seem, in the end, to be beneficial, when incorporated properly into 'healthy' life.

Much about this, is left unsaid. And in the end both Lukoff and Van Nuys agree, they should meat again. I can only say: do not wait too long.

Friday, September 14, 2007

OVT - Boeken die de wereld veranderden

Het programma OVT wordt wekelijks op podcast uitgebracht, maar toch meestal door mij terzijde geschoven. Toen ik nog een radio luisteraar was, was OVT een van mijn meest geliefde programma's. Ik geloof niet dat het programma aan kwaliteit heeft ingeboet, maar de podcast luisteraar is verwend geraakt met opties die voro de radio luisteraar principieel onbereikbaar waren. Met mijn iPod kan ik luisteren wanneer ik wil, kan ik het programma onderbreken en ik kan vooruit of achteruit spoelen. Deze mogelijkheden hebben me nog kritischer gemaakt dan ik al was. En daardoor is OVT meestal niet het lusiteren waard.

Deze zomer was er echter een rubriek waar ik voor opbleef. 'Boeken die de wereld veranderden' en in die serie bracht de maand augustus, drie titels die ik zuinig bewaard heb. Ook na eenmaal luisteren, kom ik er nog op terug. Zowel de besproken boeken zelf als de besprekingen geven daartoe aanleiding. Het gaat om de afleveringen over:
  • 1984, George Orwell
  • De tweede Sexe, Simone de Beauvoir
  • Ik, Jan Cremer, Jan Cremer

Gelukkig blijf ik OVT en de VPRO altijd in de gaten houden en ik adviseer alle Nederlandse podders hetzelfde te blijven doen. En de VPRO zelf zou een extra investering in het pod-publiek kunnen steken. Kortere episodes, of episodes met bookmarks, zouden het geheel navigeerbaar maken en dus toegankelijker.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

UC podcast: Stem Cell (Biology and Politics)

Last June the University Channel podcast invited Douglas Melton to lecture on stem cells. There is so much political disturbance going on around stem cell research, we need to know what exactly we are talking about.


Dr. Melton does a tremendous job explaining what stem cells are and what the research is used for to the layman such as myself. And I used to be a certified dunce in biology. I find it too much of a challenge to repeat here anything of what he has said, but I strongly advice everybody to listen to this podcast, or view the video (various streaming options). In the end it helps to know more about the technical aspects of the science in order to get a clearer view on the moral debate and avoid the digressions of the political debate.

A couple of days ago yet another UC podcast was published on this subject: Stem Cell Research: Science, Ethics, and Prospects, a panel discussion with Dr. Gregory Eastwood, interim president of Case Western Reserve University. Insoo Hyun, Assistant Professor of Bioethics, Case Western University. Horst von Recum, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University. So there is more to come...

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Robert Kranenborg bij Martin Simek

Simek 's nachts is natuurlijk geen kookrubriek. Maar als Robert Kranenborg op bezoek komt, komen er onvermijdelijk vragen over koken, ingredienten en aanverwante zaken aan de orde. Ik had Martin wel willen souffleren, maar nogmaals, het is geen kookrubriek. Het ging meer om de grote lijn.

Ik zit nog wel te piekeren, waar het dan wel over ging. Natuurlijk ging het over koken en het ging ook over het reizen en eten voor het beroep. Over michelin sterren. Over kinderen. En Martin vertelde zijn eigen ervaring met betrekking tot de slacht van een varken. Het was een uitzending zoals we deze rubriek goed kennen.

Klink ik wat minder enthousiast? Ik heb het gevoel dat ik een beetje overvoerd ben met Simek, dat, of hij is zijn edge kwijt. In mijn oren kabbelen de interviews een beetje teveel de laatste maanden. Maar dat kan ook aan mij liggen.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Dan Carlin's hard times

The latest edition (#15) of Dan Carlin's Hardcore History was originally set up to discuss the depressio0n of the 30's and its effects on people. As it worked out, Dan holds a more general monologue pondering human nature and its complex relationship with hard times. We strive for the good times, but it is the hard times that makes us better people, and consequently more apt in reaching the good times; so I take Dan's basic tenet. It makes me think of G. B. Vico's idea that civilization goes through cycles. Together we get the idea that hard times bring about stronger people, building the good times, in which people slide into decay, beckoning in the hard times again.


Let's be fair to Dan, he ponders the idea. He seems to be mildly convinced but does not fully comply and declare that this is his theory. And I personally wondered about the measures to which hard times can become so tough that they traumatize and effectively degrade people. That idea is hardly touched upon

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Marathon interview Jan Wolkers

Vroeger duurde het marathoninterview 5 uur. Deze zomer was het 'slechts' 3 uur. Het is de vraag of dat zo'n achteruitgang is. Ik heb behoorlijk genoten van de interviews deze zomer en ik kan ze vergelijken met een aantal oude, doordat de VPRO ze eveneens als podcast on line is gaan zetten. Zodoende kwam ik Freek de Jonge tegen, waar ik eerder over schreef. Ondanks een lichte teleurstelling begon ik vol goede moed aan de anderen. In de interviews met Kees Fens en Johnny van Doorn is men kennelijk op voorhand al moe van de lange zit en is lamlendigheid troef in het eerste uur, zodat ik het vervolg maar meteen heb opgegeven.

Ik begon al bijna te denken dat 5 uur, in alle gevallen teveel van het goede is, maar toen begon ik aan het interview dat Ronald van den Boogaard in 1986 had met Jan Wolkers. Dat begint niet alleen goed, dat wordt ook steeds beter. Zo onvoorstelbaar goed zelfs, dat Cor Galis bij de aankondiging van een volgend uur de heren vraagt of het niet wat minder kan. Waarom zo'n oproep, dat snap ik niet helemaal, maar het is, hoe krom ook, wel een sterke indicatie hoe dit sprankelende radio is, die je aan je oordopjes gekluisterd houdt.

Wat mij geweldig bekoort in het interview is het onverstoorbare zelfbewustzijn van Wolkers. Hij stelt dat hij zich niet voorbereid heeft en zo komt het ook over. En zo gedraagt hij zich impromptu en zo vers van de lever is hij geweldig authentiek en authentiek geweldig. Voeg daarbij dat de interviewer zich uitstekend ingelezen heeft en Wolkers waardeert, zonder te vervallen in ademloze bewondering en de twee heren gaan geanimeerd op pad en laten elkaar niet meer los. Op zeker moment laten ook de radiopauzes (nieuws op het hele uur een een kleine storing) de heren niet meer van hun a propos brengen. Je zit er als stille deelnemer aan het intieme gesprek bij. Wat een delicaat genoegen.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Cyber rules (Wise Counsel)

Cyberspace is changing our world. The internet is completely intertwined with the rest of life and for the generation growing up right now, it has always been that way. Just as in physical space we exist as individuals and as a community, we do so in cyber space. On a side note, I would like to state that cyber space will offer us additional ways to express and develop ourselves, rather than to give a second life and act out with another identity. That last option in cyber space has its interesting prospects, and may be useful in a sense, but I fail to see how it must develop into the major essence. And so we live in a broad and varied world that is partly electronic and by virtue of electronics, we act globally.

Such revolution in the human condition begs for the discovery and construction of new rules. Psychologist Joanie Gillispie has written a book about the cyber rules. She has already been interviewed by Dr. Dave on Shrinkrapradio, as I recounted before, and now Wise Counsel has produced another interview between them. I wonder whether the Wise Counsel interview actually took place before the one on Shrinkrapradio, but in any case the issue on SRR has been released prior to this one.

What I like especially about Gillispie's expose is the optimism. It is not just about the cyber rules, that need to be discovered and developed, but also a statement, in modern talk that cyber space rules. Cyber space has become dominant and is not going away. Her insights offer an initial guide into how cyber space can be explored and consequently enrich our lives. A truly valuable podcast for all internet users great and small.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Steven Levenkron on Wise Counsel

I am never sure whether alleged statistics about sexual abuse of children are really trustworthy. Not because I think they are too high, or even too low; I think the truth might go either way. It is just that I fail to see how we could ever uncover all of that knowledge. Regardless of the accurate figures, I think there can be no doubt, sexual abuse is a serious social problem. And a social problem with horrendous implications on the individual level. I have been confided in by not very few people about the abuse they have had to suffer at an early age. And not just women victims, I must add.

Global authority, author and therapist on the subject is New York doctor Steven Levenkron. He is interviewed on the podcast of Wise Counsel, by the talented podcaster and fellow psychologist David van Nuys. The talk is as compelling and qualitative as we can expect from Dr. Dave. Even if the talk is exclusively of female victims; I can easily extrapolate to the male ones I know of.

Interestingly, a large proportion of Levenkron's patients do not come into his office as sexual abuse victims per se. The larger proportion comes in on account of having to deal with self-mutilation. 'Cutting', he calls it and he has written an important book on the subject. (see picture above) Another section are anorexic or compulsive, but for many of them, the sexual abuse root of the problem, sadly, is unearthed sooner rather than later. On a side note: a male victim I know, suffers not only from self-mutilation and compulsive behavior, but also from anorexia.

Hence, and this has also lead to the interview, Levenkron has written a book about the understanding and treatment of women's sexual abuse. The book is called 'Stolen Tomorrows' which I find a very appropriate title. I shall read the book and find out what applies to men that are victimized by sexual. I expect it will be nearly everything, except for a crushingly sad additional fact: sexually abused men, have a tendency of turning in to sexual abusers themselves. As to the statistics this implies that today's statistics, whatever the exact figures, will account partly for tomorrow's. Hence, in every case of abuse not only tomorrow is stolen, the day after tomorrow may have gone missing as well.

In memoriam: Perry DeAngelis

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast has had a defining feature that, in my humble opinion, greatly contributed to its success. It was the appearance of the always speaking his mind Perry DeAngelis on the panel. Unfortunately, at the age of 44, Perry has passed away. Not only the podcast will have a hard time adjusting to the new reality, so do the fans and skeptics out there.

What made Perry a true skeptic, was maybe less his loud mouth, if not foul mouth, rejection of anything than the demonstrable truth and abrasively sweeping aside the alternatives. What made him, in my eyes a true skeptic, was that he did not fear to be critical of his fellow skeptics any less. He could scold his fellows on air for dealing with the inappropriate subject, if he thought so. In addition, he didn't allow himself to be dragged into main stream scientifically accepted thinking if he was not convinced himself. An example of this was his stand on global warming. In spite of what is acceptable these days, also in skeptical circles, he did not take on the view that human induced emissions of carbon dioxide significantly attribute to global warming. (A skeptical link added in his honor)

He also had a stubborn pride as a skeptic not just in the face of his fellow panellist or main stream science, also facing the law. As he expressed on the subject of the Sickesz case in the Netherlands. I liked his stand a lot even if it were legally unattainable. When his health deteriorated, this is what kept him going and allowed him to publicly stand for. Perry is gone, but we can always go back and listen to SGU podcasts 1 to 110 in order to hear his voice. May his voice be heard.

Oh, and by the way: Maria Sickesz is een kwakzalver.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

43 podcasts reviewed

UPDATE: we now have 249 podcasts reviewed. (link)

In alphabetical order all podcasts I reviewed, showing post dates (last linked) and labels (linked):
  1. 12 Byzantine Rulers, 21-08-07, history podcast
  2. Bike Radar, 16-07-07, tour
  3. Biota Podcast, 24-06-07, science
  4. Bommel Hoorspel, 01-07-07, NL radio
  5. British History 101, 01-06-07, history podcast
  6. CFR Podcast, 03-08-07
  7. Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, 22-07-2007 15-06-2007 12-05-2007, history podcast
  8. David Kalivas' World History, 24-05-2007 17-05-2007, history podcast
  9. From our own Correspondent, 24-07-07, BBC
  10. Haring Podcast, 31-05-07, NL radio
  11. History 167B, 03-Sep-07, Berkeley history podcast
  12. History 4A, 03-Sep-07, Berkeley history podcast
  13. History 5, 03-09-2007 30-07-2007 02-07-2007 27-05-2007 18-05-2007 15-05-2007, Berkeley history podcast
  14. History according to Bob, 25-06-2007 23-06-2007 06-06-2007 17-05-2007, history podcast
  15. History Network, 22-07-07, history podcast
  16. In Our Time, 30-07-2007 15-07-2007 29-06-2007 27-06-2007 20-06-2007 16-06-2007 08-06-2007 02-06-2007 29-05-2007 21-05-2007 14-05-2007, In Our Time BBC (science) history podcast
  17. Interview Vrijdag, 12-07-2007 04-07-2007 14-06-2007 12-06-2007, NL radio
  18. ITV, 16-07-07, tour
  19. Jung Podcast, 27-06-07, psychology
  20. KMTT, 02-07-2007 21-05-2007, יהדות
  21. Marathon Interview, 22-08-2007 05-08-2007 02-08-2007 31-07-2007 16-07-2007 14-07-2007, NL radio
  22. Matt's Today In History, 26-07-07, history podcast
  23. Military History Podcast, 27-06-07, history podcast
  24. National Archives Podcast, 29-05-07, history podcast
  25. Only in America, 24-05-07, history podcast יהדות
  26. OVT, 28-06-07, history podcast NL radio
  27. Oy Mendele!, 30-06-07, יהדות
  28. Physics for future Presidents (Descriptive Physics), 09-07-2007 12-06-2007 07-06-2007 25-05-2007, Berkeley science
  29. Philosophy 103, 28-06-07
  30. Prosperity show, 01-08-07
  31. Rav Dovid's, 02-07-07, יהדות
  32. rpgmp3, 21-06-07
  33. the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, 05-08-2007 30-07-2007 25-07-2007 16-07-2007 09-07-2007 01-07-2007 19-06-2007 27-05-2007 15-05-2007, SGU science
  34. Šimek 's Nachts, 20-08-2007 19-08-2007 27-07-2007 18-07-2007 10-07-2007 04-07-2007 26-06-2007 20-06-2007 19-06-2007 12-06-2007 03-06-2007 27-05-2007 16-05-2007, simek NL radio
  35. Shrink Rap Radio, 04-09-2007 04-08-2007 30-07-2007 25-07-2007 19-07-2007 16-07-2007 11-07-2007 06-07-2007 24-06-2007 20-06-2007 18-06-2007 13-06-2007 10-06-2007 05-06-2007 30-05-2007 29-05-2007 17-05-2007 13-05-2007, shrinkrapradio psychology
  36. TdF London, 27-06-07, tour
  37. The Word Nerds, 29-08-2007 05-08-2007 22-07-2007 25-06-2007, TWN language
  38. University Channel Podcast, 04-09-2007 07-08-2007 17-07-2007 01-07-2007 25-06-2007
  39. Volkskrant Podcasts, 25-07-07
  40. Wise Counsel, 03-08-2007 23-07-2007 16-07-2007 03-07-2007 21-06-2007 13-06-2007 17-05-2007, Wise Counsel psychology
  41. the Writing Show, 06-08-2007 04-08-2007 31-07-2007 31-07-2007 25-07-2007 05-07-2007 22-06-2007 17-06-2007, Writing Show language
  42. Wynyfryd's meditation room, 24-07-07
  43. zencast, 02-07-2007 17-06-2007
If you know of interesting podcasts that you think should be reviewed, pleas let me know through the comments page.
Thanks in advance,
Anne

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

China and the West - UC Podcast

I have so little knowledge and so little time to check things out. Just like anybody else I tend to take things for granted if media present it in some plausible fashion. The UC podcast about China and the West presents the facts thus:
China’s phenomenal economic growth is paralleled in scale and speed only by the rise of the United States between the Civil War and the First World War in 1914. Since 1978 the economy has grown ninefold, and is set to become the second largest within a decade. From inauspicious beginnings, China has become a $2 trillion economy because the Communist Party has channeled huge savings into investment, and encouraged millions of workers into its booming cities, the biggest migration in history.

So, in simple terms, is China going to take over the West as the major power (economic, political, cultural)? We tend to believe so. The podcast features Will Hutton as a speaker and he points out some huge weaknesses of China and its economy. In short, China has serious economic problems to tackle but hardly the means to do so. More fundamentally an efficacious social fabric, institutions, lack, to take this on. So, not only is China hardly capable of taking over, in spite of the presented figures, it needs proper address and it seems the West is urgently needing to get this straight.

Not only ignorant me, also policy makers seem to fall prey to the apparent rise of China and fail to see its problems and weaknesses.

War's effect on the soul - Shrinkrapradio #109

A veteran lives next door to me. He roams the street like a living corpse. He is heavily sedated, so the neighbors tell, otherwise his battle traumas will throw him in a frenzy. Unshaved and dressed in rags, he aimlessly wanders between the synagogue and his parents' house which is in the same apartment building where we live. His state is the result of the first Lebanon war which raged in the early eighties. For him it has been twenty years of living in a haze like this.

The latest guest on Shrinkrapradio, has written a book on how war affects the soul. His name is Edward Tick. The interview Dr. Dave conducts with him is representative, once more, of the best this podcast has to offer. And so we learn how war wounds us, not just the soldiers who fought the war, also everybody who is touched by war, who took it into his conscience that he lives through a time of war. And we begin adapting our lives to it. Even when the war is over, our souls tend to go on living in a state of war.

In other words, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But Dr. Tick doesn't regard this as a behavioral disorder, but rather an identity disorder. A wound to the soul - uncanny term for psychology. He also points out that the frequent occurrence of war and the awareness we carry through the generations of war being around, has caused us to seek it out. We must live war. However, we must not keep carrying it with us. We must be allowed to leave it behind. PTSD is the soul that has remained in the state of war. Just like my neighbor. Dr. Tick indicates to techniques and approaches that could take him out.

Monday, September 3, 2007

The best History courses on podcast

The academic year has started and we podcast listeners can hook up to the courses as far as they are being put on line. Market leader in this world of lectures on podcast is the incomparable University of California Berkeley. Naturally also my favorite subject, history, has taken off. This year is better than others. We have a total of three course available.

First there is the classic History 5. European Civilization from the Renaissance to the Present, this fall presented once again by Thomas Laqueur. I have followed these lectures already a couple of times. So I will be browsing them in search for bloggable items.

In the second we meet last season's lecturer of History 5: Margaret Anderson. She is delivering a course labeled History 167B. Here she will teach all there is to know about the rise and fall of the second reich. Yes, the second. Not the first and not the third. I have already run one lecture (more about that below) and can disclose with my, yet, limited knowledge, that the first is the Holy Roman Empire, and consequently the second is the German Empire as it became established by the Prussians. I expect we will be talking about Frederick the Great and Bismarck among others. And the fall will be either with Wilhelm the Second or the Weimar Republik.

The first lecture has low audio. In general the Berkeley lectures tend to be on the low side. I want to point out again that with free and easy to use utilities you can crank up the volume. The lecture was on ~70dB and on 90 it was much better to listen to on the iPod. Even 90 is a bit low; next I'll try 100. For this cranking up I use MP3Gain.

A third history course hasn't started yet. It is History 4A, allegedly about the history of the Ancient Mediterranean World. As one who lives in the modern Mediterranean world, I do not want to miss it. Well, I wouldn't want to miss it, even if I lived somewhere else. History is my thing.