Vox chats with his brother in Japan via Skype. They talk Japanese food, culture, and karaoke.


MP3 File

One man at least two dogs! Vox goes walkies with Dexter!

Back from Podcastconuk
Impressions & thoughts from the day
Conversations in the corner

Conflicts with the blog/podosphere
Popularity and acceptance
'Me' casting
The dynamics of power (latent & secret power)
Digital surfaces

China (Examples of State power)
Collagen prisoners
Official Secrets
Bread & Circus culture
Imperial Power

Wolves in sheep's clothing
Martial Law
2nd Amendment
Cults of control

My distractions;
Zelda
WWE Wrestling (Blunder-head Culture)
Sociological
Music/Art

Personal thoughts & statement
Final comment
Accreditation & notices
Music - Elysis - Beyond the borders
 

Technorati:
PodcastconUK
podcastcon

My Odeo Channel (odeo/424241c1274eddae)

I arrived back from London very tired, and my head has not yet had time to settle. My thoughts are still not in anything like a  sensible state, and to be honest, neither is the rest of me! The last 10 hours I spent in the capitol were pretty awful, though this had nothing to do with the conference, or any one at it. Merely some unpleasant stuff that happened to me at the hotel where I was staying.

Without going into any detail, there were a series of highly charged moments, that culminated in an extremely frazzled mid-day version of me, being made to feel like a common criminal!  It resolved itself, with a series of apologies from the hotel duty manager, and the promise of a thorough investigation into certain 'employee irregularities'. But these were a long time coming, and by the time they arrived, I was already sitting in Kings Cross checking my transport options out of the city! I was planning to do more in Londinium, but the attitude I bumped into last night and early today, made me re-evaluate those plans, and precipitated an earlier exit from the city than I had anticipated.

Fortunately, I met a really cool old couple from Newcastle on the train back. They'd been married 25 years, and had been in London visiting their son and his girlfriend. We chatted in depth for a few good miles, and their kindness and humor did much to restore my flagging spirits. The old girl was in a wheelchair, and had been that way all her life. She met her husband when she was interned in a hospital/care-home and he  had worked there as a gardener. Apparently it caused a bit of a stir when they decided to get married! But love is love, and you can't legislate it away. They were good ''salt of the earth" folk though, and meeting them cheered me up considerably.

The conference itself was pretty damn cool, and once I've had time to rearrange the mental furniture, I'll be putting together a podcast.  I scored a few good interviews, and had an exciting and informative day. There was a lot of energy in the room, and from what I saw the future for independent UK media is a pretty bright one. What I will say now, is that it was brilliant to see the UK scene stepping up to the plate in such a forthright mannner, and there was a really eclectic and eccentric (!) mix of folks there.

I really enjoyed the live show from Richard Vobes, and was very impressed with the presentations from Mark Hunter of the excellent Tartan Podcast, and Milverton Wallace. In general all the speakers contributed interesting ideas, and Neil Dixon did a good job of keeping everything moving along with a few doses of carefully applied good humor.

I'll have quite a bit more to say about all of this, but for now you can check out the folllowing links for photos and information;

Photos: Flickr blog
Britcaster: Forum





podcastconuk

I've been in London since around mid-day, ahead of  podcastconuk tommorow. To be truthful, it hasn't been the most massively productive of days for me. I've been awake for somewhere in the region of 40 hours straight, and have entered a glassy eyed, almost psychedelic state, that resembles a warm fuzzy haze! Either way, my brain and body activity has slowed to a slow crawl!

To be honest, London has surprised me by how little it appears to have been radically altered  by the events of 7/7. This may be a superficial assesment, it's difficult to say on so short a visit. Cities are resilient creatures at the best and worst of times, and a beast of a city like London, perhaps has a tougher hide than most. So far, the place seems largely to be carrying on as normal. Perhaps as the weeks have passed, the events have simply been pushed to the outer edges of the peoples awareness. Not forgotten exactly, simply not given the same level of concious attention. Londoner's have seen off similar attacks before, and no doubt will do so again. When all is said and done, this is one tough cookie of a town!

I'm holed up in a moderately appointed hotel, just off Piccadily Circus, and have enjoyed the background hum of metropolitan activity. There's a wild and untamed Friday night energy emanating all around me, and everyone is wearing their best going somewhere fast expression.

 I took a little wander over to the hotel hosting tommorow's conference earlier, and was very surprised by the upmarket feel of the gaff. We've certainly come a long way from a little meet-up in a pub somewhere proposed by podcastpaul earlier in the year. The conference has mushroomed from a bunch of Brits chatting on a forum back in April/May, to an event with an unmistakeably international feel. A remarkable achievement to be sure, and one that all involved in organising, deserve a whole heap of credit for.

I'm not entirely sure what to expect tommorow, though the conference will undoubtedly have a special energy, because of the Britcaster connection. I don't know yet, quite how I'm going to approach it from a blogging/casting viewpoint, I guess I'll leave it loose for now, and see where the (virtual) winds and the energies of the event take me.

I really need sleep, but I plan to take a leisurely soundseeing stroll first. Then I'll meander back to the hotel, have a shower, and crash out with the tv for company in anticipation of an early start tommorow.Whatever the day brings, one things is for sure, they'll be at least 150 other people to actively share it with. So, roll on podcastconuk, lets meet and greet, talk podcasting, and all things related, and generally create a whole heap of energy. Lets see what a room full of people with a common passion can come up with. In fact, lets get on with it!

 

podcastconuk

With special guest Mrs Vox!

Mr & Mrs Vox spend a few early AM moments together before Mr Vox departs for London and podcastconuk!

NB: For some reason the iRiver only recorded on one channel, so there is some additional white noise!

Vox puts out a little unedited freeform prose. With an anti-tyranny perspective of course! :)

Music : Elysis

Vox unveils a horror story, speculates on his nocturnal lifestyle, and wonders about his e-mail in-box!


MP3 File

Dissident Vox is back with another podcast! This time he takes a close look at the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and peers into the billion dollar budget that supports it.

Intro
Not a light entertainment podcast!
Hurricane Katrina
Fema
Public anger over slow response to the tragedy
Mr Aaron Brussard's remarkable statement on NBC's "Meet the Press"
Fema blocked and stymied aid effort
Bush Blocked Hurricane funding

History of disaster legislation
Origin of Fema: Timeline
Mount Weather (Fema unclassifed site)
Secret underground base and city!
Parallel government complete with it's own President
Data storage on US citizens
Senate Subcommittee Investigation (1975)
Where do the Fema billions go?

Fema Timeline (continued)
Rex 84 and US detention camps
Suspension of Constitutional government
Presidential Executive Orders

Musical Relief
music.podshow.com
Artist : Now is Now - Website
Song: Sail Away
Album: Transitions

Main points recap
Some breaking news
Did Fema deepen the crisis?
Pitiful incompetence or willful neglect?
Foreign aid tied up in red tape
Treasonous behavior

Notices and accreditation
Elysis - archive.org
Final remarks
Close

Mp3

32 Mins approx.

Vox has a natter with the people of Manchester!


MP3 File

This piece of reporting by Jeanne Meserve and her crew from CNN, says more about the events in New Orleans and the surrounding areas, than a thousand words, or a hundred talking heads.

Vox wonders aloud at a catastrophic week for the people of New Orleans and the southern states, and heads off for a few hours sleep.


MP3 File

As the scale of the disaster in New Orleans reaches biblical proportions, it is difficult to know what to say. We live in times where scenes of massive devastation and incomprehensible loss, are becoming commonplace. Yet, that does not make them any easier to comprehend.

A major United States city has been literally blown and washed away. Along with it, the lives and hopes of its inhabitants. Thousands of people are dead, and many more are homeless, traumatized, and desperate. The entire civic infrastructure has been crushed, in a single catastrophic event. The streets are filled with water, and the water is filled with decaying bodies, toxic pollutants, and feces. In all, it is a scene that more closely resembles a war zone, than the thriving metropolis that stood there a few short days ago. A state of Martial Law appears to be in place, and America is reeling, from its biggest disaster since the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, that killed over 6000 people.

"We are here like pure animals, we don't have help" said the 68 year old Rev. Isaac Clark. Amidst scenes of a desperate crowd reciting the 23rd psalm, it is not difficult to agree with him, or to understand, why the people of this region feel that hope has abandoned them.

Already, serious questions are being asked about the role and conduct of the United States government. America is once again, a nation in the grip of a crisis, and the consequences, will be felt for many years to come.

For those of us watching from the sidelines, there is little that can be done. Except to remember those struggling in desperate conditions in our prayers, and to contribute to those organizations involved in the relief effort. Sadly, it has been demonstrated by past events, that some of those organizations have behaved in an untrustworthy manner with public donations. Therefore, we should exercise discretion in the manner and means of our giving. But give we must, because to do nothing, in the face of such obvious suffering, would only reveal us as callous and disinterested spectators, at the scene of yet another terrible tragedy.

The Britcasters are back with another community podcast. This time they take a trip back into the past, and then fast forward into the future. Get a taste of the diversity of British podcasting!

1. PodcastPaul
2. A Brit Abroad
3. Dissident Vox
4. DarkCompass
5. The Rock Show
6. Slam Idle
7. Tripcast Radio