I recently heard the when Oprah was a television news reader she modeled herself on Barbara Walters only to one day loose the persona while news reading, became her true self and the rest is history. This is the first thing that I noticed when I started watching this video but there are a lot more good ideas in this little gem that I found over at Please Feed The Animals. Enjoy

                        

In many countries as the corporations slowly get hold of the governments to do their bidding and we end up with political duopolies where both parties are a subtle shade variation of their political agendas I think old Tommy may have a timely reminder for us.

Here in Australia after having a Liberal Government making moves into introducing an Internet Filter we now have a Labor Government doing similar despite making moves of moving away from such a ludicrous idea prior to their election.

To my disappointment the Rudd Government has turned out to be just another cat.

Wait for the coalitions

                        

Welcome To Episode 47 of Your Story.

Cliff Hawkins story is of someone who in helping his own family with food allergies discovers that he has found a mechanism to help the greater community with some of the most damaging and deadly autoimmune diseases and cancers. Only then to be financially destroyed by the greed of a large corporation when he attempted to move his discoveries to the rest of society.

My local, wonderful sour dough bakery, Sol Bread recently started using an additive within some of their range that allow people with gluten intolerance to eat their bread. I immediately wondered how is this possible and what has been created that allows the bread to function during the baking process to still be as good as normal but doesn’t have the negative effects on people with these issues.

As many of us know wheat, dairy, soy and peanut/legume allergies cripple millions of people around the world with ill health effects from irritation to full blown life threatening Anaphylactic Shock and long term health issues.

I tracked down Cliff Hawkins of Biohawk to share with us exactly what he has developed, but I had no idea how deep this rabbit hole was to go.

Cliff explains that most food allergies come from the part of the protein within the food that is designed by nature to protect it from damage so that the plant can continue to utilise it for it’s needs. This protection mechanism unfortunately for some people is the cause of food intolerance.

As with 30% of the Australian population Cliff’s family, with it’s Irish heritage has a gene that reacts to these proteins in harmful ways, creating many dangerous health issues for his children and grand children. He set out 40 years ago to find a food and the relevant enzymes that would achieve the amazing task of neutralising these proteins. Using sound scientific processes gained as a medical research scientist he searched food sources dipping into knowledge known for centuries to discover within the ginger plant, specific enzymes that had the ability to cut out these dangerous proteins rending them harmless and making available all of the protein for digestion. Cliff explained to me that, within the individuals genome there are genes that when turned on, causing an immune response to these specific proteins.

Simply through the use of a natural, whole food in this unique way, Cliff has developed a product that makes the protein easily digested, with better nutritional value, tastier and without any health issues. I have no idea how Cliff has managed to pull this off but he has not synthesised anything or stripped out just the reactive components insofar as creating a substance that could be defined as a medicine but uses the whole ginger food. He has some limited, simple processing which I have no idea of but the essence of his work is that his product is nothing but ginger, so falls into the safety of the Pharmacopoeia as an accepted, approved additive to any food or medicine.

NB. According to the University of Maryland website, ginger has been used as a medicine in Asian, Indian and Arabic herbal traditions since ancient times. In China, ginger has been used to aid digestion and treat stomach upsets, diarrhoea and nausea for more than 2000 years. Ginger is also used by natural health practitioners to treat arthritis, colic, headaches, fever, swelling, heart conditions, the common cold and nausea associated with motion sickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy.

He claims that the more serious health conditions of auto immune diseases have a basis in food allergies caused by creating a hyperimmune system that attacks various parts of the body including diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Autism, Schizophrenia, ADHD, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and many others. These Autoimmune Diseases are due to the immune system sending proteins to make the B cells that make antibodies to attack the the dangerous pathogens disproportional to the threat, meaning the immune system is overreacting. These excess proteins then go on to react with the body, creating the auto immune disease. Cliffs product has the same effect on these proteins by cutting the excess proteins out, reducing them to normal levels, then allowing the body to return to normal.

That same strategy used by plants to protect their energy stores from being broken down are also used by viruses, bacterium and cancers to protect against the immune response of our bodies. These serious pathogens and cancers have a high proportion of these dangerous proteins on their surface which Cliff’s product has the effect of trimming off allowing the body to react and destroy the cells. The Ginger product simply removes their protection, so our immune system can do it’s job and destroy them and the danger.

Though there is ample evidence to show the benefits of Cliffs ginger products they are sold as Aid to Digestion only and the benefits will be dependant on individual circumstances and the conditions being treated.

To understand better how this works from Biohawk here is an explanitary PDF.

Although this is hard science it also has an element of a craft, with a passion in caring for the greater community and realising that nature, in it’s whole has many of the answers for what we need.

Not only are these human health but also animal husbandry issues and like us, many farmed animals are grain fed and have many of these same health problems.  Cliff has discovered that the same health effects can be gained with animal health particularly with race horses, cattle and poultry. With animal health there are direct financial benefits to the owner of the stock justifying the use of the Animal Health range.

Having received his initial training at the prestigious John Curtin School of Medical Research, Cliff  is the former Professor of Chemistry, Dean of Science and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at University of Queensland  (Biological Sciences). This is his Linedkin Profile.

Cliff’s products are available online and through agents and pharmacies. His main products are DigestEasy sold as a solution and Relief both sold as an aid to digestion and Bake Aid.

His website is biohawk.com.au
email is info@biohawk.com.au

Additional Content

I recorded much more detail with Cliff than I was unable to include in this episode. If you would like to go deeper into this story listen to Cliff’s Full Audio Recording.

In this episode we also chat with Ant and Natalie about how they dealt with discovering that their 16 year old son Christopher had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and how they used a treatment including Cliff’s product to return him to health. If you like to, listen to the Full Story of Christopher.

To download right click on the links above and click on “Save Link As…”

To help you understand a little better Christopher’s condition, these are the PET scans mentioned that had been done at the time of our discussion.

In my discussion with Ant & Natalie, they mentioned that they would be happy to assist anyone with additional information by being first contacting me. If you would like to contact them, in the first instance send me an email to chat@YourStoryPodcast.com and I’ll happily pass on your contact  to them so they can contact you in return.

Twelve Common Medicinal Herbs

Mayo Clinic – Ginger

Ginger – Overview

University of Maryland – Ginger

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.

If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET
Night Style
“Imagine” (mp3)
from “Pour L’Instant Fantastique 2″
(Stranamente Music)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Alex Theory
“Oasis” (mp3)
from “Saturn Returns”
(White Swan Records)

Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

                        

Just to see what it’s like I’ve added a photo also.

                        

As some of you may know I’ve recently been working for a short time on the latest in the The Chronicles of Narnia at the Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast. This next, Episode Three, is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and as it was for the previous two episodes this one is being Executive Produced by Doug Gresham.

As I mention in the introduction, I meet Doug very briefly while I was working on the film but didn’t have a chance to engage with him while working there. However my supervisor mentioned a few of the things that Doug had mentioned to him and I immediately thought, this sounds like an interesting fellow who wouldn’t mind a chat if he has the time.

Doug is the step son of C.S.Lewis and is now responsible for the continuation and is the head of the C.S. Lewis Company. From that wellhead these films have sprung. After a lifetime of wanting to have them produced he is now, for want of a better title the Executive Producer but as he says, he’s the one to blame. We chat about some aspects of the challenges and the joys of film-making and if you listen to Doug you can hear his passion for film-making and particularly the production of these The Chronicle of Narnia.

Quite a bit is published about Doug and his heritage with C.S. Lewis, including his autobiography Lenten Lands of his childhood with his mother Joy Davidman and Lewis which was made into the television film in ‘85 Shadowlands and remade as a feature film in ‘93. Doug also mentions writing a biography of Lewis Jacks Life: The Life Story of C.S. Lewis published in 2005.

Doug however is not just all about C.S. Lewis and the The Chronicles Narnia, he is also a committed Non-Denominational Christian with strong opinions on his practical views of Christianity that led him to live by his faith, running and caring for people from around the world in Ireland as a psychotherapist, but also to living an independent lifestyle as a Dairy Farmer in Tasmania and an ABC Radio announcer in Perth.

Now living in Malta, Doug has a world view and strong opinions on where our Western Society has gone wrong, even suggesting what, in his view, what we need to do to fix these issues.

Strong, forthright and thought through opinion is what I discovered in meeting Doug Gresham and a personality that is not easily forgotten.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble or writing a review on iTunes

Sorry about the miss spelling of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as I spelt it Trader :/

Music is from iodaPROMONET

The Homemade Jamz Blues Band
“Penny Waiting On Change” (mp3)
from “Pay Me No Mind”
(Northern Blues)

Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
More On This Album

                        

Mmmmm well.

As we know Argentina has a long history within the beef industry being one of the largest exporters in the world. The main reason for such an extensive industry is due to the Pampas, a huge treeless area of South America, much of which is in Argentina cover in rich grasslands perfect for grazing and fattening beef cattle.

I learnt most of what I know about the Argentine beef industry from the show episode that I did with Mike where he explained the difference in the methodologies of raising cattle between Argentina and the US. He wrote an interesting article on how the industry is changing in Argentina and the compromises that he is being forced to make. Suffice to say, what I learnt and tasted of the beef in Argentina is that it is different to what I’m familiar with, particularly in flavour.

I’m not a substantial meat eater, I’m not vegetarian but I eat a primarily vegetarian diet and add meat protein from time to time. My favourite these days is kangaroo for the health and environmental reasons but I do eat beef occasionally. Going to Buenos Aires I ate beef more than I had in many long years which was a bit of a shock on my system but as they say “when in Rome…”

I observed some interesting differences with the way beef is used in the Argentine culture. The retail of it is everywhere. It’s possible to walk into a small corner store and out the back someone is breaking down a side of beef placing chunks of it in the refrigerated display cabinets. At the markets huge quantities of it are just hanging in different stages of butchering as you walk past, next to the cheese and vegetables. It’s everywhere, raw and real, rather than in plastic wrapped Styrofoam trays, just like the old days.

When I say chunks that’s what I mean. It’s as if they don’t seem to have the elegant butchering style that I’m familiar with. It’s more like a cow has been forced through a course tree chipper and the chunks that come out are what you get. Random pieces of meat, fat and bone all to be thrown on the Asodo and cooked over the smoking coals adding more flavour.

I found the taste quite strong for my palate which could be for the dietary reasons I mentioned above but also as Mike mentioned the cattle in Argentina are grass feed, older and free ranged(exercised) so the meat is stronger both in flavour and in texture. I enjoyed the beef that I had while there but I must admit that after four weeks I was getting a bit over it and searching out alternatives. It was good to return home to a lower meat consumption but a great opportunity to embrace the culinary culture of Argentina.

Yes the Argentines love their beef, they have a lot of it, it’s a distintive style and it’s prime quality. I hope that they don’t go the way of the feed lots and maintain this resource in the style that is theirs alone. As for me, by time I return hopefully in two years I’ll be over the quantity I’ve recently been through and I’ll be ready to tuck in again.

                        

Like everything in this world of online media production I’m continuing to learn and yet again there are many things that I would do differently, especially while I was in Buenos Aires recording. However this is a good overview of what we got up to.

Enjoy

Please leave a comment either here or on Viddler. I’m interested in your feed back

                        

Chrissy or as she is known on twitter @fddlgrl and I  talk of Love at first sight and migration from Seattle to Australia. What lead her to rebel from her upbringing in Southern Utah as a Mormon, eventually to lead her to her move to Seattle and the counter Mormon culture there. Here is a view from both inside and outside Mormonism. Not forgetting  the good in the upbringing and what she has brought with her from that.

Chrissy seems to have landed on her feet in her new life in Australia as a Teacher in the Suzuki Method and performer of Violin, diving into developing a small and already thriving network of students, group classes and orchestral performances. We also briefly discuss what she has noticed in the differences between the Australian and US cultures.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

Insert iodaPROMONET info here

Again as I mentioned, sorry about the audio quality

Mormons – Southpark Style from Sanshyuum on Vimeo.

                        

Frank Almeida migrated from Chicago USA to Buenos Aires with his wife in 1999, where after a couple of business ventures left the corporate world and in time established a gourmet cookie manufacturing company Sugar and Spice.

Sugar and Spice is the first and only serious Gourmet cookie manufacturer in Argentina using the best of ingredients to make the biscuits that our mother would make at home. That’s the philosophy that is still carried out in his model manufacturing facility.

Frank showed me around and although a large quantity of product is produced there were people hand cutting chocolate, sifting ingredients and hand filling packaging, just like you would do at home. It’s just the quanties and machinery are larger but it’s basically an overgrown home kitchen.

He currently supplies nationally, including to major corporations and is credited with starting the trend towards gourmet cookies within Argentina.

Frank arrived before the financial crisis in 2001 and had to deal with the shutdown of the banking system followed by the slow recovery and improvement of the economy. It’s fascinating to think just how we would get on if the banks refused to allow us to access our money or it was suddenly devalued, this is what frank had to deal with. Frank shares what is good about the Argentine culture and how having a low standard of living and high quality of life means that he is happy to stay, to grow his business and family in Buenos Aires.

Frank gave me a huge bag of goodies which I relished on the flight back home a few days later. Thanks

His website is sugarandspice.com.ar
Email is pedidos@sugarandspice.com.ar

Frank is another person introduced to me by Fred from Silver Star Transport in Buenos Aires that I mentioned on the last episode

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

Green Tea
“Cruise Control” (mp3)
from “Places & Spaces”
(PLUG Label)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

                        

Since then I’ve been on a mailing list, receiving irregular updates as to how the development of the OTTO was going, only to be constantly left wondering if it would ever finally be available. The little bit of information I’ve been able to glean by reading between the lines is that there must have been some design and manufacturing issues which delayed the release of the production model. This doesn’t surprise me as this is one of the harder design challengers out there to manufacture and a credit to the originator of the concept as developed in the Atomic Stove Top Cappuccino Maker.

I’ve had an Atomic for a few years now that I was fortunate enough to pick up second hand in an Op Shop. Even so I still paid $350 for it and I know that the value of Atomics can get pretty silly at times due to the lack of availability, that was up until recently.

When I saw the OTTO I thought that this was simply a copy probably brought about by the lack of availability of Atomics but the OTTO is significantly different in several features. Significant enough to win an Australian International Design Award and is currently a finalist in the International Design Excellence Awards.

Poking around and comparing the manufacturing approach shows that significant design changes would have had to have been incorporated by design firm Tiller Design. Whereas the Atomic is sand cast aluminium coming in at 1.8 kilograms the OTTO is 4 kilograms of pressure die cast stainless steel. Tiller Design have faithfully reproduced the style and elegance of the original Atomic so much so that many people who know no better, I’m sure will think that the OTTO is an Atomic. It’s only in seeing the differences that you can see that a timeless design has been upgraded.

• Removing the water filler plug from the base with the group handle is an inspired idea and enables filling while still warm easy. A major issue with the aluminium atomics was the filler plug seizing if it wasn’t used for a prolonged period requiring many a good Atomic being damaged in order to get it going again. With the use of stainless steel on the OTTO that will never be an issue.
• Two coffee baskets for coarse and fine grind coffee. Now there is an option of grind size.
• Adjustable steam wand enables easier entry into a milk jug.
• Silicon mat prevents over heating and boiling off the coffee in the jug.
• Large solid handles for manoeuvring while hot and it gets very hot. I think hotter than the Atomic.
• The machining, finishing, carry case and extras like jug, tamper, glasses and DVD/manual are all top quality in every respect and again reading between the lines I’m sure some perfectionistic personality of the individuals involved is evident and probably due to some of the productions delays. It is truly a piece of Industrial Design Art and one of the reasons for me investing in an OTTO.

The OTTO like the Atomic are not the standard stove top coffee makers as they build up significant pressure to espress through the coffee. It’s been quoted that the OTTO generates about 3 bar of pressure compared to a commercial 9 to 12 bar so it isn’t the same as a commercial machine but it’s an improvement on the normal stove tops and significantly more than the cheap home espressos at a bit over 1 bar.

I’ve made this short video of the unpacking and the first coffee that I made on the OTTO to give you a feel for what it’s like. Does the OTTO make a better coffee than the Atomic? At this point I don’t know. It makes a great coffee all the same but I don’t know if it’s better than the Atomic. It doesn’t really matter which is better as this is about great design as well as great coffee and the coffee from these machines, with some practice to learn the idiosyncrasies of them, offers the chance for someone to feel like they are creating something rather than just pressing a button. The pleasure of creation has returned. I hope to make another video at some stage when I get the feel of the OTTO and do a direct comparison side by side with the Atomic but that’s for later.

On an aside, on the instructional DVD Craig takes One for the team by removing the group handle while the OTTO is hot showing what happens if it’s attempted. It’s worth watching just to see the trepidation on Craig’s face and surprising that he didn’t get scalded in the process. It gets the message over perfectly.

If you purchase an OTTO due to this review please let the good folks at OTTO know, this has been reviewed without any involvement with OTTO other than the purchase.

                        

This is something I’ve been wondering for some time as I’ve been doing Your Story. What are the dynamics of a great story or conversation? What are the things that we sometimes do well and we sometimes could change to improve conversations? Are these things simply good luck, part of our nature and environment or are they skills we can learn?

It hasn’t been just since I’ve been doing Your Story that I’ve had the complement paid to me. It’s happen on and off all my life.  We’re wrapping up the conversation and the person I’ve been chatting with mentions that they had a wonderful time and really enjoyed it. I can sense that they genuinely mean it, as though as we part it feels like something special was shared.

But what?

It was three years ago when I was reflecting on my life and wondering what I should do with my newly discovered  inspiration of doing a podcast that one of the things I considered is the number of times this scenario has occurred in my life and that it’s one of those things that I find profoundly rewarding. Maybe I have a little natural ability or maybe I’m simple curious about others and that helps them feel engaged but it doesn’t always work, sometimes it falls flat so there are things that I know that I can improve.

I’ve been wondering for some time what is it that people get from a great conversation and what is missing from a poor one? What are the elements that make a conversation simply polite and courteous verses one that connects two people in some deeper way?

I have a few ideas, some of the things that I use are…

• Genuine interest in them and the subject
• Specific questions that require an explanation rather than a simple answer
• Summarise the points that are made
• Happy to be contradicted. I’m interested in their opinion.
• Remain engaged and listening.
• Contribute my opinions and thoughts but remain more interested in them.

My underlying approach is I know about my life, beliefs and attitudes, what are yours? Please educate me about something new and change me for the better through your knowledge.

1. What are the aspects of a great conversation?
2. Where have you seen it done well and poorly?
3. What do you do best and where should you improve?

                        

Deby has been in Buenos Aries as a visitor and now permanently since 2000. Originally coming to Buenos Aires to surround herself in the world of tango, she sold up everything in California in 2004, relocated to Buenos Aires and is now looking forward to becoming an Argentine citizen.

While falling in love with lifestyle here she has had the experiences of someone learning to understanding a new culture in order to become part of it. Now she is fully immersed into the life as a local and defends it vehemently.

Deby explains how it is for a local, how when you don’t earn in another international currency and the multiplier effects of exchange rates how difficult it is to live here. She gives us a small overview of the world and industry of tango also taking us on a discovery of the cultural differences in the way men and women interact compared with her home country of the US.

Several days after this recording we meet again at a milonga where we spent a few lovely hours together with friends. I look forward to returning to Buenos Aires again one day and this time with more time and experience on the dance floor I look forward to having a real tango with her.

Her website is tangospam.typepad.com
email is info@lavidacondeby.com

I mentioned in this episode about the great transport and travel advice that I received from Fred at SilverStarCar.com. If you’re ever in Buenos Aires and would like to travel in comfort from the airport or around the city, consider giving Fred a call and see if the service he offers suits your needs. In case you wondered I’m receiving no kickback from Fred for this, he’s getting this plug simply because he offered me great service and it deserves to be mentioned.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

Katona Twins
“Milonga en re” (mp3)
from “Le Grand Tango”
(Channel Classics Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Juan Carlos Abitabile
“El Choclo” (mp3)
from “Tangos En Piano Bar”
(Suramusic S.R.L)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

                        

Today we talk with Eric, a local Argentine, born and breed in Buenos Aires, about his journey and frustrations of feeling that he was independent in his thoughts on how to live a good life and how by chance he came across Dr Ron Paul during the 2007 US Republican Presidential Campaign. Discovering that his ideals and beliefs resonate with others and that there are opportunities to share these opinions. Motivated by what Dr Paul was doing Eric established a Spanish Version of the Ron Paul web site to help facilitate his message and to help expand the concepts that he lives by. Eric and I discuss how he came to develop these ideals, the importance of thinking for ones self and his motivation for the site.

We also chat briefly about life in Argentina, the potential that has been missed in this once great country and the current personality of the culture, just one day before Independence Day on 9th July.

Eric has asked to remain anonymous and to allow his work to speak for itself.

His website is RonPaulSpanish.com
email is RonPaulSpanish@gmail.com

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

Carlos Bertonatti
“The Little Things” (mp3)
from “Times Are Good”
(The Rosemine Group)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

                        

Argentine Libertarians

While sitting in the airport waiting to head back to my home in Australia I thought that it was time to share my thoughts on my time in Buenos Aires, it’s time for a wrap up on my visit. So I pulled out my Zoom H4 here they are, additional to the last Your Story Addendum where I sat down with my friends to give you an overview.

I also mention that I spent some time the night before with some Libertarians who mentioned  some interesting political points.  I would have loved to have recorded some of these conversations but alas it’s not possible on this trip and hopefully by staying in touch with them through some of their online systems, when I return I will have the opportunity to share some political stories and history of this once and maybe future great country.

                        

Ian, Heather, Alex & Bernard

Welcome To Episode 22 of Your Story Addendum.

Here is something a bit different for you.

I decided to sit down and have a brief discussion with a few of my friends of our appreciation of Buenos Aires, now that we have been here a few weeks and it’s time for a few of us to start heading home.

What is Buenos Aires, and how do we appreciate it from an outside view, without the cultural understanding of the people who live here. We chat casually about the character of the people, the shopping, the food and how it would be for someone similar to us visiting here.

We recorded this on the roof of the house that we are staying in and in amongst the conversation there is the din of the city in the back ground, the sound that is impossible to avoid and a constant curse to find somewhere quiet.

Shops, Shops, Shops.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

                        

Yanqui Mike, as he is known here in Buenos Aires now lives a life of duality as a migrant from the US to Argentina. From a corporate career in transport logistics in the US, living in the Mid West and Chicago, Mike has learnt and now continues his wife’s family heritage as a rancher in Argentina.

Over a few beers (and many more later) we chatted about what brought him here and what keeps him living a country life on the Campo and a cosmopolitan, cafe life in the heart of Buenos Aires. His love for the people and culture and why he is happy to stay in Argentina and not to return to the United States of America.

Contrasting his love for Argentina, Mike is heavily involved in the US ex-pat community having started Democrats Abroad in Argentina and takes great pride in being involved, in his small way towards the election of Barack Obama, involving the US citizens here, with the aptly named Drinking Liberally.

Late Addition 13/01/2010 I’ve just found in my iTunes a file that I recorded with Mike on my iPhone after I turned my recorder off and thought that as it’s such wonderful content I’d put it up as a bonus Easter Egg. It’s only 2 minutes but worth listening to. Mikes Additional Content.

His website is yanquimike.blogspot.com

email is letters@yanquimike.com.ar

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.

If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from Diego Arolfo

from the Album Haciatuencuentro

diegoarolfo@yahoo.com.ar

                        

We were checking out the numerous market stalls and engaging with the roving cafes and restaurant hawkers who constantly encourage us to come inside for a coffee, meal or whiskey. Anytime we stop to watch the street side tango displays in front of the businesses designed to slow our movement, they were on to us.

Then ferreting our way down a quiet lane to see what we may find, where few people lingered we heard the sound of the traditional tango music played on a Bandoneon by a single busker in the window of a store.

We all agreed that it made us feel like dancing so Bernard and Heather put down their goods, embraced each other and on impulse danced street tango. Nothing flash, without the show and pizzazz that was all around us in the main street, but in the style of two people connected in the moment, carried off with the music.

I whipped out my phone and grabbed this video of them. A moment that the three of us will cherish, along with the 20 something crowd that stopped to see the true essence of tango. Spontaneous, carefree and uniquely Buenos Aires.

                        

Carlos Gardel is the Tango hero of Argentina, with his beautiful baritone voice and matinee idol good looks he rose to fame in the 1920’s before dying in an aircraft accident in 1935. He was the Elvis of the tango scene and like Elvis even though he is dead the legend continues to live and grow, maybe even more than when he was alive.

Due to the idol status of Carlos Gardel there are images of him everywhere with themes and memes that permeate so much of the tango and Argentine culture. Including in the cultural theming is the show we went to, and what a show it was.

The venue is a brilliant purpose building with a huge stage and dinner seating on three levels for 500. The quality from the entrance to exit of everything from decor to meals to show were perfect in every respect. The staff were stunningly efficient at insuring our wine and water never stopped with a quality restaurant meal that would shame most high end establishments.

During the meal a film showing the history of Tango and Gardels roll in it was screened before the live performance that transitioned from the older traditional tango towards the modern styles now being developed. The quality of the performances took our breath away which has to be seen to be realised but I did manage to find this clip to give you a bit of an idea of the standard.

                        

After 90 minutes of learning this sequence I have only the rudiments of the sequence but with some practice I look forward to reinforcing it and eventually developing the skills to feel comfortable with it.

This little video is what we recorded as a take away to remind us of the sequence to add to the knowledge that they gave us. It’s actually quite difficult to remember the sequence and it’s a huge help to have this resource.

The grace and ease in which they move is a far cry from where mortals like I live but being in their company give others the chance to learn from the masters of this dance form. Check out their site from the link above.

I thought I’d share it with you here.

                        

I’m still getting things orginised and hopefully soon I’ll have more content out for you.

                        

Although only 21, Grace has had a lifetime of experiences as a sex worker in the few short years since she started at only 17 years of age.

As a prostitute she has worked both in brothels and independent as an escort. Now out of the sex industry and for someone of such a young age she already has and shares a fascinating and mature insight into her motivations of how the industry is for a working girl.

What is amazing and wonderful in this story is how genuinely proud Grace is of her work, who she has touched and the good that she has participated in with the people she has meet through being involved in the sex industry. Both with the clients and the other girls she worked with.

She has from the very beginning come into the industry as a professional wanting to be there for the work and lifestyle and not as is the cliche of being a damaged individual who resorts to compromising herself. In fact, the exact opposite. She came to the Industry from a place of surety and confidence and maintained that during her time there.

She explains that the strong and negative societal prejudice against sex workers is unfair and that a great deal of good comes from the Sex Industry for the community. The Sex Industry is one of the places where a form of help and healing for many people in society is available that is unfortunately, at present, unavailable for other systems to ameliorate.

If you wish to contact Grace email me and I’ll pass it on.

Thank-you Grace for coming on the show and telling Your Story, you have given us  insights into an industry that many are unaware of.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from Mevio

Music is Hot by Arron

                        

Outrageous, vivacious and exuberant(along with some off mic cussing) is what you get when you meet Patty Beecham. It’s a name I haven’t heard for years but there it is in my twitter stream. Fancy that, you can meet celebrities on twitter, well you can decide where on the A to Z celebrity line she sits.

As someone who recognised her name I had to go and check out her site and see what she’s been up to all these years. That’s where I listened to her radio cross as she climbed the Story Bridge(long before the safety harnesses of bridge climb) and where I discovered her Funeral Photography and Living Wakes.

Being the daughter of an Anglican Priest, Patty respectfully captures the farewell moments of a persons funeral, that in time when the grieving relatives are ready can be viewed remembering the day they said goodbye with slide shows and DVD’s.

I remembered Patty from her days with Peter Dick on breakfast at 612 4QR, ABC Local Radio nearly 20 years ago. She was the roving reporter who was sent on the “interesting” assignments to give the breakfast show some entertainment, sometimes at the cost of poor Patty being the brunt of the adventures. To get a bit of a feel for the mayhem that ensured check out this archive of the breakfast show.

Her website is HERE
Her email is pbeecham@bigpond.net.au

To get a bit of a feel for the mayhem that ensured check out this archive of the breakfast show.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

Os Mutantes
“A Minha Menina” (mp3)
from “Mutantes Live – Barbican Theater, London 2006″
(Luaka Bop)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

                        

A few months back I received a donation from the very wonderful and generous Adam Daniel  Mezei who you may remember for Episode 25 of Your Story. I  recorded that episode while I was in Prague last year, where Adam had generously invited me to visit, then proceeded to look after me for 3 days showing me the sites of the Golden City as only a local can.

At the time of his donation I was considering purchasing two mono lapel microphones from Giant Squid Audio Labs. That donation went a long way towards the lapel mics and power supplies. I have since purchased an additional stereo lapel mic, also from Giant Squid.

I want to put in a plug for Giant Squid Audio Labs as a small but remarkable operation that builds beautiful microphones at a price that is well below what you would expect to pay for the quality. I initially found out about them listening to Mark Jensen’s, New Media Gear podcast where he raved about them. Mark is the man when it comes to having this knowledge rather than me and his recommendation was correct.

I’ve also received another donation from someone who wishes to remain anonymous who appreciates what I’m doing and sent me enough to purchase a shotgun mic for my video camera. I was discussing with him how I was thinking of getting one and then a couple of days later there was an email saying that a donation was in my PayPal account.

I just want to say thanks to both of you for your assistance. I’ve heard many podcasters say and I agree, that it sometimes feels lonely producing episodes and we get little feed back (it’s all about percentages) but when things like this happen it heartens and encourages me more than any one can appreciate.

Thank you Adam and ???? for you financal help and thank you to everyone out there for the feed back, downloading and sharing the episodes.

Note: Yesterday a total of 10,000 downloads of the podcasts have been served. Everday back episodes are downloaded and new people come along. Welcome and thanks to everyone, particually the folk I chat with.

                        

Your Story.

Bernard King intrigued me when I first meet him 6 months ago. I’m sure you know the type of person. They are the quiet individuals who remain discreet, don’t say a lot but have a particular grace and efficiency with movement, words and thoughts that convinces you that there is more to them than is at first obvious.

Bernard is one of these people, quietly spoken but the waters run deep, but how deep?

That’s the reason for asking him onto Your Story and as it proved he shares with us a life of becoming the Junior World Ballroom Dance Champion at 15 and 16 years of age. Dance was eventually left behind but not before moving into professional stage and cabaret.

He tells of the life of Reilly in his youth as a qualified hairdresser living for years in Spain and Italy mixing with the European Royalty and the Glitterati  of the ’60’s. Amongst those he brushing shoulders with were  Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy. But not all is as wonderful as it may at first seem and there is a price to be paid both for the famous and also for him moving amongst them.

In the mix of a full life Bernard happened to be held hostage not once but twice, first by The Kray Twins in his teenage years and later by The Red Brigade in Italy.

Tragically later in life Bernard describes how difficult it was to lose his wife and soulmate to the slow slide of Alzheimer’s Disease. How difficult it was to care for her and how the person he loved turned into something that was not her but the illness. Despite this Bernard has a lightness about his life with positiveness for the moment. Enjoying the day as it is.

Soon he and I along with a group from our tango class will be going on a 3 week trip to Buenos Aires. I look forward to what else he my tell me.

Note: Bernard recently came third in the state qualifying round of the Australian Tango Championships. Seems you just can’t keep him back.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET
Seis Luces
“Un Amor Sin Igual” (mp3)
from “Tango Bizarro/ Bizarre Tango”
(Suramusic S.R.L)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
More On This Album

bernard1 bernard2 bernard3 bernard4 bernard5

                        

Tjupurru plays a distinctive modern version of the traditional Didjeridu(Didjeribone) blended with the sounds of the FaceBass, distorted and looped through electronics and punched out in a style that would make any party or stadium rock. The sound is unique, organic and ever evolving with every performance different to all others due to the improvisation constantly evolving the sounds as they develop.

Tjupurru’s relationship as an audio engineer with Charlie McMahon of Gondwanaland fame led him to use both the Didjerbone and FaceBass, (both invented by Charlie) and now his involvement with the development, production and marketing of the Didjeribone around the world  promoting it through his performances. Including a performance on KCRW Radio in Santa Monica in April of 2008.

The Didjeribone is a unique instrument developed from an ancient instrument using the best of modern manufacturing and available around the world. If your interested in purchasing one, contact  Didjeribone it’s only $160 delivered anywhere. (I’m saving up to buy mine.)

His website is tjupurru.com
email is jordan@topshelf.com.au

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Join the Your Story Facebook group.

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Tjupurru

Stompin’ Ground

                        

Today we talk with Chris Booth artist and maker of things.

Chris is now starting to have real success in the art scene in Australia after years of being a struggling artist. We discuss the artist life, how difficult it is to make a success in the art world and the compromises that are made to get to that success. Chris mentions how Metro Gallery in Melbourne have given him a leg up, supporting him with a regular retainer income so he can concentrate on making the art rather than having to compromise his passion to find the income for his basic human needs.

Chris has developed a new and different type of painting art-form utilising his making skills to build multiple layers of board sitting proud of the backing to create a real depth of field causing the image to lift from the canvas. This blending with his pop/anime style using clean precise lines create these elegant images that he is becoming known for.

To have a look at some of his work go to Metro Gallery, and another Metro page and Art Net.

His website is still coming…
email is chrisbooth002@yahoo.com.au

As mentioned on the show the Lapel Microphones used on this episode are from Giant Squid Audio.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

DJ Bitman
“Tropilove” (mp3)
from “Latin Bitman”
(Nacional Records)

Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

                        

As today is Anzac Day I thought I’d do a recording of the dawn service to share with you a little of the atmosphere of the morning. If your an Australian and you’ve never been to a Dawn Service give yourself the experience, at least once, if your from elsewhere here is a little of what it’s like.

The Eternal Flame

I’ve been attending the Anzac Day Dawn service in county towns and city squares for fifteen or twenty years and I’m always moved by the spirit of the occasion however I don’t understand why I feel the need to attend and why it always brings a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. I seem to have a deep intimacy with the spirit of World War One and find that attending the Dawn Service quite cathartic. It’s just one of those things that I feel compelled to do.

Brisbane Dawn Service

At 4:28 am the city is still asleep and although there are many thousands of people in the small Anzac square I find the quiet of the service extraordinary so much so that you can still hear a cough across the square.

I mentioned that the ABC has build an amazing site for Anzac Day which shows the events that happened on 25 April 1915.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble  or writing a review on iTunes

                        

Today we talk with a married couple, Lucy and Willy who for the last half dozen years have been in the Swinging scene of recreational sex where they sexually share each other on occasions with other couples.

Wikipedia describes swinging as “non-monogamous sexual activity, treated much like any other social activity, that can be experienced as a couple.”

In this episode of Your Story Lucy and Willy describe how they discovered, discussed and the decisions to move into what’s referred to as “The Lifestyle”. With frankness they explain how they considered all possible bizarre situations, many of which eventually evolved and laid down ground rules for them to deal with too much intimacy and explain that contrary to the way it’s promoted, as harmless unemotional sexual fun, there is the danger that emotions do become involved and create the messy dynamics that are part of all human relationships despite the fact that rules are in place and all agree that it just for Fun.

Lucy and Willy say that’s it’s a great lifestyle but with dangers that need to be considered if your entering The Lifestyle and that open, loving and honest communication with your partner is first and foremost and even with that there are potential pitfalls to watch out for. From their experience if your considering this lifestyle take care and Do no harm seems to me to be the message.

Interesting websites sexisfunradioshow.blogspot.com,  couples.net.au, swingercast.com.

email is is via me.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.

If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

Joe Sibol

“Hot Sexy Girls (California Remix)” (mp3)

from “The Great Music”

(My Sonic Temple)

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at eMusic

Buy at Napster

Stream from Rhapsody

Buy at Amazon MP3

More On This Album

Joe Sibol

“Hot Sexy Girls (Instrumental)” (mp3)

from “The Great Music”

(My Sonic Temple)

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Buy at eMusic

Buy at Napster

Stream from Rhapsody

Buy at Amazon MP3

More On This Album

                        

Connecting in “Real Life” isn’t the only way to have a relationship, ever had a long heart felt telephone conversation or a pen pal?

More than that though is with twitter as the most recent new development in human interaction, once connections are made online that friendship can be taken offline. When you do get to meet each other for real you already know some aspects of each other and have an instant ice breaker. You already know each other and there are instant discussion points from what’s been happening online.

The thing is the people that you meet aren’t just the Nigel No-Friends but the full cross section of the community that you would find in any social group.

Slowly these online relationships are developing into real life social, personal, business and professional relationships. Yet again it’s the market square relationship that is moving elsewhere.

                        

…I am very happy to be able to hear the story’s, people, etc. That you expose. Community is one of the very most important things to build, and uphold. Sharing idea’s, and info in a dialogue, exchange scenario is, I think, helping to create closer communities worldwide that add to our human mosaic in the most positive way possible.

He included this stunning image that he took.  I’m was in awe of how beautiful it looks (especially as we don’t do snow here) and wanted to share it with you.

Kelowna

In a second email he mentions…

…Kelowna has a few small mountains that exist right in the middle of the city, and urban sprawl has us building as high as possible. They’re small mountains, about 8 or 9 hundred metres or so.

Thanks Drew

                        

Rachel Beaney is a young women working for VibeWire, initially as an intern now full time. Today she explains what VibeWire is about.

VibeWire is an organisation set up to facilitate young creative entrepreneurs to enable them to develop, network and promote themselves. It has resources to help young people explore all manner of creative industries and help co-ordinate with others, connecting the resources with mentoring opportunities to build individual or collaborative projects.

Additional to helping individual artists VibeWire has been running the Reelife Film Festival for six years, with over 23 screenings in six cities featuring over 80 films giving young film makers the opportunity to express their own film making skills and opportunities to collaborate with other skilled artists.

The website is vibewire.org
Rachels email is rachel.beaney@vibewire.org

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

Levan Vs Ekala
“Happiness” (mp3)
from “Happiness”
(System Recordings)

Buy at Napster
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

                        

Rita is one of these indomitable mature women who you know will go on forever and has a friendly chatty nature. I asked if I could buy the Atomic in the window but unfortunately she told me that it was for display purposes only as they were waiting on stock. However she was expecting an order probably before Christmas and she could put me on the waiting list.

My Atomic

WoooHooo, I thought I’ve always wanted an Atomic and if all goes well I should have one in a few months.

Well I didn’t hear from them that year or the next or the several few years after that. Often when I was in Sydney working on a film I would drop in and see Rita and ask when the shipment was due and she assured me that if all goes well they should arrive in the next six or maybe twelve months…

Over the years I have seen them occasionally in second hand shops in Sydney but no one in Melbourne seems to know of them and only occasionally would I meet someone in Brisbane who understood what they were. Eventually I got the word that the high quality Lifeline store in Brisbane had one in stock. That was a target for me.

I walked in and there it was in all it’s polished glory. In as new condition as a secound hand Atomic could be. The price $350 was reasonable for Brisbane. In Sydney it would have been more like $500 – $700. Well I wanted one, so this was the one and here it is now these 3 years making me my daily coffees. It’s taken a while to get to know how to use it but I now make brilliant coffees with my Atomic.

Then out of the blue I get this call today from Ray at Bon Trading saying that they now have stock in and would I still be interested in getting an Atomic. Seven years after putting my name on that slip of paper, thinking that I had been long forgotten I get the call.

Bon Trading now has Atomic Coffee Makers in stock.

So if you’ve ever wanted the original 1947 designed Atomic they are now available. I’m okay I have mine but if you want to contact them say hello to Rita and mention that you read this.

Bon Trading www.bontradingco.com.au

sales@bontradingco.com.au

12-14 Oxford Street

Woollahra 2025

02 93312007

                        

I first gave blood back when I was only 19. I didn’t initially do it out of generosity but because I was able to do it during work time and they gave us a free lunch of as much as we could eat. As a 19 year old with a ravenous appetite I made sure I filled up.

After a short while of doing a couple of donations I realised that I was actually doing something good for the community so I’ve continued now for 30 years. I wouldn’t say I’m a regular, my lifestyle doesn’t enable me to make that sort of commitment but when I have the time I often pop into the local blood service where I might be living and give.

Whole blood can only be donated every 3 months to enable time for the body to regenerate so if I had been regular I could have only made a maximum of 120 donations to date. As it is I’ve just clocked up 45 donations so you can see how irregular I am. But hey it’s 45 donations and every bit helps.

All these years I’ve been donating whole blood but my last visit 6 weeks ago I gave plasma for the first time and today I donated plasma and platelets for the first time.

The procedure takes quite a bit longer, for me about an hour hooked up to the machine whereas for whole blood I can normally fill a bag in under 10 minutes. However plasma and platelets can be donated every 3 weeks and are very highly valued as it requires more of a commitment and the platelets have a shelf life of only 5 days.

Here is a little video of me being jabbed and hooked up to the machine to give you a bit of an idea. Thanks Shelly

If you want to do something for the community that costs you nothing but your time consider donating. There are blood services all over the place, it’s a pleasant way to chill for a while and they give you something to drink and eat. Maybe you’ll even get an ice cream like I received today.

Go on you’ll feel good for doing it.

                        

Today we talk with Gavin Heaton who as Servant of Chaos is one of the better respected Internet 2.0, Social Networking and Public Relations experts in Australia.

Gavin Heaton

When getting involved in this world of Social Networking it’s important to have the runs on the boards which Gavin has with 10+ years of working with many organisations in Australia, however it’s more important to have the passion for the subject to go with the knowledge and Gavin shows us the knowledge and enthusiasm he has for Social Networking both online and offline.

Online he’s active on all the Social Networking platforms and offline he’s the one who invited me to meet a group of the Sydney online community at the Friday morning Single Origin coffee morning in Surry Hills.

On a personal note it was wonderful to meet many people that I knew from online in the flesh and to meet new people who I now follow online. There is something wonderful with putting a face to the personality that is gained online and it’s good to get away from the computer and connect with folk for real.

Gavin spends time sharing the essence of the way social media works and how we all can interact in this new world no matter if we are an individual, company or government. He explains the Social Network behaviours and then the social judgements that develop because of the interconnection that you have with other people in your field of influence.

Importantly he explains why participation is necessary to make the connections that lead to these relationships and how making yourself real in the social world of the web creates the information that are your footprints on the internet.

During this episode Gavin mentions being inspired by The Cluetrain Manifesto and using it to create a presentation inspired by the images taken by his children. Here is that presentation.

His website is servantofchaos.com
email is servant@servantofchaos.com

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

Raygun
“Velosophy” (mp3)
from “The Best of Vol. 1 LP Part 2″
(Night Drive Music)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

                        

I can’t help but wonder if a Physologist did a study of this what they may come up with. The mind boggles at all sorts of things that this behaviour could mean.

                        

I’ve mentioned these same points in a previous post so I won’t go into them here but if you want to read in detail my thought on it feel free to go back to the post and get back to me if you want to have a rave.

Just one brief point. Polyamory is about allowing people to have the freedom to choose the life they want and that being the case, the life some people want is to not be free therefore if you care for someone the ultimate gift is to give them that freedom. And yes that was intended to be contradictory. Life is like that often.

                        

Today we talk with Andrew Leavold who has an alternative video store with nearly 20,000 tapes and DVD’s supplying all the odd, eccentric and obscure videos that have ever existed in all the genres imaginable.

Trash Video is the video version of the dusty old High Street Bookstore full of the old weird curios of the odd and eccentric that only the most passionate of owners can organise and know each of the individual items in the store. The vast majority of which aren’t available through the standard video stores.

The advantage Andrew feels  he has over the internet downloads is due to the fact that most of what is available in Trash Video isn’t available on the internet and so he feels that he is insulated in ways that the major video stores are not.

Andrew takes us through the journey of his childhood in Oman watching bootleg videos and creating fake satanic rituals as a six year old to the development of an alternative view on film from other children. He then moves us to Australia where his now restricted access to videos caused him to start collecting the substance of his interests for himself that eventually evolves into Trash Video.

Trash Video is now an important part of the support for Andrews’ other passion into discovering more about the Filipino film industry particularly in the worlds shortest leading man “Weng Weng”.

Weng Weng was a black belt in Karate who was discovered and played in Filipino James Bond spoof films. The bizarre thing with Weng Weng is that he is 2′9″ (84cm)tall and for a time was incredibly popular in the Philippines including within the Marcos family. Andrews’ story of searching for Weng Weng is not only a story of a flash in the pan novelty actor but also a story of his own obsession for the discovery of this person and the amazing coincidences and famous people that he has meet because of this journey.

Now Andrew has funding for the completion of the documentary film that has been started and can look forward to returning to the Philippines to tie all the story line together for release for all of us to see. Hopefully sometime in 2010.

This is a story of someone having a dream with no comprehension of how to do it and being able to manage to pull it off.

His personal blog is andrewleavold.blogspot.com
The Trash Video website is www.trashvideo.com.au
email is trash@trashvideo.com.au

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software Get the feed here.

Support Your Story by giving it a Digg or Stumble from the links under the heading for this episode or writing a review on iTunes

Music is from iodaPROMONET

John Lissauer
“Opening Credits” (mp3)
from “Apartment 1303 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
(Red Parlor Entertainment Group)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Puretracks
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Rhapsody
More On This Album

Ultre
“Favourite Mammal” (mp3)
from “The Nest And The Skull”
(Audiobulb Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

                        

I d like to thank Brenden for the chance to have a rave about the things that I care about and to experence it from the other side

                        

Hello all. I’m in Sydney catching up with friends, making new friends and recording a few podcast episodes so I thought, as I like to do, give you a quick opinion of my thoughts of Sydney and a few of the things that I’m up to.

This is short and sweet little episode and just dropping in basically to say Hello.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.
If you use another Podcast software