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 intimidate him into confessing something.  Listen to this program and hear Brian also bring forth a comparison of the behavior of police at demonstrations in China as compared to the United States.  

Recommended links: Students for a free tibet and of course, Alive in Baghdad.

Music:

Pharoahe Monch - Welcome to the Terrordome
The Clash - Innoculated City

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 during the olympics as an independent journalist.
Chinese authorities say they must serve a 10 day jail sentence, according to the American embassy the conditions they are living in are better than average (perhaps because they're foreigners). Since the start of the olympic games at least 400 people have disappeared as part of the continued repression of pro tibet and other human rights demonstrations. These disappeared include many journalists who are their without the supervision of Chinese government handlers.
The following podcast features an interview with Brian's wife, Eowyn, who explains what she knows about Brian's situation, the group, and people who have risked their freedom and well-being in protest of the Chinese government and their disregard for basic human rights. More information can be found here. Please listen to the program and do pass on the link, otherwise all we have is the image of the mainstream press... the picture perfect images of the olympic games and China on television.

Music:
Phil Ochs - I'm Going to Say it Now
Utah Phillips - Ain't it Grand

Before the Portuguese came to the Ironbound, before the uprisings of 1967, and before the manufacturing industry moved south, my father made a life for himself in Newark.  In another of a series of podcasts that focus on my family, and the history they have lived through, this program focuses on the Ironbound through the eyes of a longtime educator and civic leader - my dad.

He explains:

• Living situations in the Ironbound of 1960
• The many cultures in the factory
• Social clubs and sport clubs
• Federal Pacific
• Seton Hall University
• Night School and the student strike
• The big corporations of Newark
• The airport before it was THE airport
• The Radio Program; The Voice of Portugal
• Portuguese Construction Workers
  
• The uprisings of 67
• The Italian Militia
• Bringing Portuguese music to the community

Music:

• Deolinda - Ai Rapaz
• Chico Buarque - Tanto Mar
  
• Vozes da Rádio - Os Índios Da Meia-Praia
  

One of my all time favorite guests on the program, Ivory Coast based journalist Pauline Bax, came to visit me in Amsterdam last week. We sat down to talk about her work on the topics of people who work in the spam business in Ivory Coast and the fishing industry in Mauritania.

Highly recommended, as always, her blog from West Africa

We discuss:

• Types of news in demand in west africa
• What is the profile of a spam maker
• How do they make any money
• How do they rationalize what they do
• How did Pauline manage to get them to talk to her
• Mauritania, the circumstances of her visit
• Fishing rights, who has them
• Environmentalism versus Generating Income
• Quality of Life in Mauritania
• The European Union and Fishing Regulation
• and much much more...

Music:

• Waldemar Bastos - Kuribota
• Eyuphuro - Othiawene
• Henri DiKongué - Bulu Bo Windi Tenge
  

Vermont Organic Soy is in high demand as more and more people in that part of the United States demand a range of soy products that are organic and grown locally. My guest is Andrew Meyer of Vermontsoy.com and he explains how they approach the world of soy farming.  He gets into the beauty of staying small, the importance of local, and how/why soy can and should be grown with minimal impact on the environment. That, and much more is discussed in this episode.

Music:

• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Emily Jean Stock
• Mercedes Sosa - Pampas del Sur
  

In the great tradition of stream-of-consciousness podcasters, I'm breaking out of the usual format for this edition. Instead I'm in the kitchen, making a snack, and discussing the issues for the coming months, as well as a quick summary of how my talk went at the Hope conference, and some other notes for you the listeners. So perhaps not my usual thought provoking way, but I wanted to record some thoughts and explain what is going on (and why there haven't been podcasts in a few weeks!) Topics Discussed -- * Soy * West Africa * Lebanon * Guests * Talking to Corporations (the trouble with) * HOPE * Gay Pride Amsterdam * and more. Music: * Conor Oberst - Milk Thistle * Johnny Cash - Mercy Seat

The cityfarmer project in Vancouver began as a small group of people concerned with energy costs and reducing waste. 30 years later, those concerns have been amplified throughout the world, and cityfarmer is still there in the trenches. My guest, Michael Levenston, executive direction of cityfarmer, has been there since the beginning; in this interview we talk about how it developed.

Besides the link above, further info and resources are available on cityfarmer.org

We Discuss:

• Starting it in 1978
• The concerns at that time
• Early source of funding
• Profile of who is involved
• The backyard
• Reducing waste
• Energy
• Global urban farming
• Being on the front page
  
• and more

Music:

• Aqueduct - The Suggestion Box
• Eddie Vedder - Long Nights
  

While many officials might be congratulating themselves for having handled the spread of HIV-AIDS in Thailand, an under reported resurgence is taking place.  My guest for this podcast, part of my series on Thailand and Cambodia, is Mai of Teen Path Thailand.  Together we talk about the situation for teenagers when it comes to sex education, AIDS awareness, and the pitfalls in how Thai society communicates with young people. Mai also explains the different avenues Path takes in order to reach teenagers around the country, using methods and tools that most relate to their lives.

Path's Website (international)

Teen Path Thailand's Website (in Thai)

Music:

    * Erykah Badu - The Cell
    * Panic at the Disco - Nothern Downpour