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.

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.

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.

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

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.