Podcast monologue on Africa

The UC podcast gave an issue about Africa which has also been podcasted in the CFR series. Princeton N. Lyman, adjunct senior fellow for Africa policy studies, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) holds a talk about Africa. His monologue takes us beyond the crisis in the Sudan and civil war in the Congo. It touches upon democratization and economic development.

Princeton scratches the surface and is probably telling nothing more than an average reader of BBC news's Africa section would already know. It is just that many people, including myself, never read much in that section - if at all. So, it is a 15 minutes well spent. Lest this quarter of an hour not go lost, one should continue to follow, or read more.

Princeton recommend the book he co-authored and that supplied also the long and unwieldy title of the podcast: Beyond Humanitarianism: What You Need to Know About Africa and Why it Matters.

The daily Whiplash (1)

Today, Thursday, things are brightening up a bit. Until the day before yesterday I suffered tremendous pains. Yesterday pains were much less, but I felt groggy like a drunk. Today even that has improved. There is still a little pain, also after taking pain killers, but not the kind that drives one up the wall.

The feeling is only mildly miserable and mildly unstable. What remains an insufferable element of the party is the maze of bureaucracy. I have seen around eight doctors by now and am about to see at least three more and each one of them has his own quirks. In any case none of them has any time for me and the surrounding secretaries just as much as them act as if I am a nuisance, a disturbance and generally stand in their way onto infinitely more important, if not pleasurable activities, so what the hell am I doing here. Similarly works the insurance. The only pleasant exceptions were the Police and most of all the garage that repaired the car.

So far so good, I'll keep you posted.

Updated Audiobook podcasts from Openculture

Openculture left us a quick note to let you know that they “re-orged” the Audiobook Podcast Collection. The list, which had become a bit unwieldy, is now broken down by genre: Literature/Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. And, within these categories, the texts are organized by the author’s name. Finally listed are also the Audiobook podcast sites.

De Gaay Fortman

Het eerste marathon interview ooit, was in 1986 met W. F. de Gaay Fortman. Toen de VPRO de archieven opende en begon met de jaargang 1986 als podcast te publiceren, ontbrak het interview met de oude Gaay in de feed. Ik mailde dit aan de VPRO en enige tijd later kreeg ik het antwoord:

Geachte meneer De Vries,

Het had wat voeten in de aarde, maar het interview met De Gaay is weer aan de karousel toegevoegd. Als het goed is, komt ie binnenkort op uw iTunes binnen. Leuk dat u van de interviews geniet en ook dat u er zoveel aandacht aan besteedt op uw website.

Met vriendelijke groeten,

Anne-Will Fisser

Bij deze dan ook aandacht voor het interview met W. F. de Gaay Fortman. Het valt meteen op dat de interviewer John Jansen van Galen de eminentie tutoyeert, terwijl De Gaay er juist een punt van maakt dat men tegenwoordig (let wel, het is 1986) te informeel is. Hij heeft het over de voornamencultuur en zet zich er nadrukkelijk tegen af. Hij slaagt erin om dat op een respectabele manier te doen. Er spreekt geen overdadige hang naar vormelijkheid uit, maar een behoefte aan zakelijkheid. En het scheiden van zakelijk en prive.

Hoe zit het dan met Jansen van Galen? In het tweede uur wordt uitgelegd dat de twee heren elkaar al geruime tijd kennen en dat De Gaay het 'tutoyement' gevraagd heeft. Kortom, de oude Gaay, hoewel hem het conservatisme niet ontzegd kan worden, laat zich ook van zijn vooruitstrevende kant zien. Het resultaat is van een waardigheid die mij wel kan bekoren.

SRR 115: Existential-Humanistic Psychology

In the latest edition of Shrinkrapradio, Dr. Dave interviews Dr. Myrtle Heery. (Show #115). The introduction is such:

Myrtle Heery, Ph.D., M.F.T. is Associate Professor of Psychology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California, and Adjunct Faculty at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, California,. She has taught at both universities for eight years, mentoring masters and doctoral students of psychology, as well as organizing, sustaining, and leading groups. In addition, she is Director of the International Institute of Humanistic Studies through which she offers two-year training program nationally and internationally for helping professionals. This training leads to certification of in-depth communication in both individual and group settings. She gives day-long introductory trainings across the U.S. including Arizona, California, and Texas. She is in private practice in Petaluma, California leading consultation groups for therapists and seeing individuals, couples, and families, and leading annual retreats for mothers. Myrtle also volunteers for Petaluma hospice bereavement, helping individuals and leading groups. She has published papers and chapters in psychology journals and books on bereavement, existential-humanistic, and transpersonal psychotherapy and psychology. In addition, she was a contributing editor and published in the Yoga Journal and studied and taught extensively with James F. T. Bugental, Ph.D., first president of the Association of Humanistic Psychology.

Together with this professional introduction, Dr. Dave enters the interview also with a sound clip, from the interview, as an eavesdrop of what is yet to come. In that excerpt Myrtle says something about her near-death experience and what she thinks of the afterlife. This indicates the kind of intimacy and depth the interview will bring. She will also freely give details of an occurrence in which she heard voices. And all of this with educated analysis from existential, humanistic and transpersonal psychology.

Dr. Dave makes a very deep personal connection with her. This is when SRR is at its best. The two speakers enter into genuine conversation, more free of manipulation, boundaries and reserves than a regular interview. You do not even have to like psychology or appreciate David's and Myrtle' outlook on life. To listen in on their talk is a privilege. A true podcast treat. If you have some appreciation of an alternative outlook on life, this is truly inspiring.

Anne Frid de Vries

Ever since Friday the 12th, I am very occupied with recovering from being rear-ended. Frankly, more suffering than recovering. Lots of back pain, stiffness and constant headache and agony in the neck. I can't sit or stand of lie down for any more than a couple of minutes and then a whole myriad of inconvenient twitches make me move. I have done a round of pain killers and sort of figured out which one works best for me.

So that is where we are at and let's hope from here the fun will subside. What I wanted to share with you all, is what is all about the title of this blog: Anne is a man. I have been going through the mills of health care, insurance and police bureaucracy and invariably the question comes up: who is this Anne, whose form you are bringing with you? Well, that's me! Anne is a man?! Well, yes.

At the x-ray department of the Rabin Medical Center the head operator just wouldn't take my word for it. No, can't be. Anne is a woman and you are not going to be x-rayed. It took her computer assistant, after some time of bickering, to finally enter my ID into the computer system and enlarge the gender box: Anne is a man!