My recommendation for you on this friday is a very inspiring podcast conversation that came out on Radio Open Source recently. Chris’s guest was Slavoj Zizek, a fantastically crazy human who mixes history with philisophy with 80’s...
Eye on Amtrak
When I was a kid in New Jersey there were always abandoned railroad tracks somewhere. You could be playing baseball or soccer and the ball would roll away from the field and toward some tree line or old factory and there would inevitably be tracks that...
bm281 Thomas Milo on Arabic Script, War in Lebanon, and More
On the surface it is an interview about Tom’s work with Arabic Script. But really, it is about world culture and the effects of the war in Lebanon. I spent a good part of a saturday at his home in Amsterdam where we recorded this program with the...
Labor Shortage Dutch Style
On line at the grocery store, I read the big sign in the window: Seeking new colleagues to join our team. Around the block at the café there’s a small paper in the window that reads: seeking wait staff. The restaurant next door is full to the...
bm280 On the Ground in Haiti
3 storms have left the poorest nation in the western hemisphere in an even greater humanitarian crisis. Several years after his first appearance on this podcast, Tarak joins me from Haiti to explain the situation on the ground there, what needs to be...
Texas gets Smaller
Interesting piece from McClatchy newspapers included on the Guardian online today, all about the dramatic change to the Texas coastline that will follow this latest hurricane.
Texas is of course famous for being huge, but also for having a highly...
bmtv90 Zimbabwe: Progress or Collaboration?
After many weeks without a vlog entry, this one was recorded today as I floated through the Oud West. Its short and addresses the recent changes in Zimbabwe where opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has now joined in the government of Robert Mugabe as...
bm279 Demolishing New Orleans, Post Gustav
It is no secret that the post Katrina rebuilding effort has been mismanaged, but now the city of New Orleans is taking that to a new level, post Gustav. My guest on this podcast is Karen Gadbois, who writes the blog squanderedheritage.com, focusing on...
The Super Rich vs The Super Poor in the US
Normally I prefer to NOT talk about the US elections. I’m not very impressed or excited by the actions and promises of either candidate of the 2 parties that share control of the country. Sure Obama says things I like better than the things that...
Calculating Sept. 11th
As much as I hate what a giant cliché this date has become, there are still a few memories and pieces of culture I don’t mind revisiting. Moreover I hope this day would be a reminder to put things in perspective, in my case to never forget how...
bm278 Radioactive Waste and Germany`s Nuclear Future
Germany plans to phase out nuclear energy by 2021. But there’s some question if the government will really do it. Now the news has gotten out that radioactive waste has been leaking in the storage area that was supposed to be secure for many years...
Nuclear Waste Leaking
Whenever I’m travelling long distance, either by train or occasionally by car, if a nuclear reactor appears on the horizon, I find myself staring at it. One of the thoughts going through my head, an issue that still has no real long term answer:...
bm277 Law & Order, China Style
Fresh from China and out of jail, BaghdadBrian tells of his adventure having been detained by the Chinese Police and held for a week in jail. He explains how he handled interrogation, and what he describes as very strange and ineffective tactics to...
Some Nations Plan
While my specialty is critical thinking, especially when it comes to global issues; sometimes nations do things that I both agree with and am impressed by.
The Netherlands is working on something I believe is very logical and necessary — planning...
Still Mismanaged to a Criminal Level
I want arrest warrants issued for all US government officials, local and national, who have missed continuous chances to really initiate a true sustainable plan for the gulf coast in rebuilding and properly preparing the coast line for the storms that...
bm276 Mauritania, Greenpeace, and Bottom Trawling
Following my guest a few weeks ago, Pauline Bax, who discussed her visit to Mauritania and her research into the issue of selling fishing rights to EU companies, several experts from around the world were quite upset. Their frustration was related to...
People Outside, My People
Just wanted to dedicate a few minutes to saluting the trouble makers outside the democrat party convention in Colorado.
While inside it is all smiling faces, boring pre-written speaches, and picture perfect pageantry, outside the convention- people are...
Update - BaghdadBrian Released!
I received news from Eowyn earlier today that BaghdadBrian has been freed and is en route to Los Angeles. 7 other US citizens were also released. Unfortunately 2 other international detainees who I believe were being held with Brian are still being...
bm275 Baghdad Brian Arrested in China
Fellow independent video blogger and friend Baghdad Brian, along with 5 other individuals, was arrested Thursday in Beijing. They are accused of being part of an overseas pro-tibet activist group. Brian was there to report about the demonstrations...
Mauritania and Greenpeace, Round 2
An unexpected series of emails came my way today from several concerned citizens around the world, as well as Greenpeace Netherlands.
The topic of these emails was a reaction to my podcast with Pauline last week, regarding some of her work in West Africa...
