On the eve of travel

It's Sunday evening and I feel dreadful, really awful. I've had flu pretty badly over the last few days and lost stacks of weight as I've eaten nothing. I've got the shivers all over but sweating nonsense complete with horrendous headaches and aches all over.

I'm hoping things let up a bit, as I have a three hour drive to Gatwick (probably more because of the rush hour traffic), an 11 hour flight to Joannesburg, and a four / five hour drive into Swaziland. Oh - I'm also in the office tomorrow too... that after having one a good few hours today at home.

Let's hope next week brings a real peaceful, informative and challenging time eh? I'm sure that being a bit busy with work and having a touc of flu would be an easy exchange for some of the folks I'm likely to meet.

Swaziland is such a tiny place - about as big as South Wales with just over 1,200 000 inhabitants. The culture is waaaaay diferent and I'm desperate to see this.

Everything checked, double and triple checked - as always happens, I've just lost a filling (typical!) and my camera broke - I ordered a new one and it hasn't arrived yet - talk about cutting things to the wire!

I'm seriously hoping for an internet connection so I can at least blog - I will be recording too, promise you!

;-)

Speak to you next when I'm there!

podlawyer6

In this episode of Podlawyer, I interview Tim Gorman of Gorman Hamilton, Chairman of MASS; Motor Accident Solicitors Society and partner with specialist Personal Injury Solicitors - Gorman Hamilton.

The MP3 link can be found here

Just another Manic ...Tuesday

I'm back in the land of the living now, and don't I know it? Struth, I am so busy. Work can be a blessing sometimes, other times it can be a real curse.

Yesterday I went to Stonehenge. I've never been there before and really wanted to see it. I went in the driving foul rain and was awestruck by how beautiful it really was.

Astonishing really, to look at something that was erected 5,000 years ago. I began to wonder what the folk of the time looked like, how they lived, the purpose of the stone circle and such like.

No one really knows the purpose of the circle, it was most probably ancient worship - the sun sets through the various 'doorways' at regular monthly intervals, these stones, some weighing in at 40 tons were moved from nearby Marlbrough and set with precision at the time.

Now, heavily guarded, I learnt that the local blacksmith a hundred years ago rented out hammers for tourists of the time to chip away remnants as keepsakes!

I first saw sight of the stone circle coming from the A303 - it just hits you there - huge, impressive, slap bang on the side of the hill. The sheer size and beauty of the monument is breathtaking.

As well meaning as English Heritage is, I was disgruntled to pay to see the sight - after all, this is MY heritage. I hate this 'monetize' concept that seems so prevalent in this day and age.

Ok, £5.50 ( $10 ) isn't that much - but, this is history, my history. I pay staggering amounts of tax, seemingly for very little back.

For goodness sake, what upkeep is necessary for a stone circle over 5000 years of age?! I accept some money needs spending on security and such like, but, why gouge folk and deprive some who canot afford the visit, the opportunity to wonder at this magnificent piece of history?

What staggered and really surprised me was the site of other stone circles just a few miles further on in Avebury - again, so beautiful, and mysterious. I simply drove back home and almost crashed the car seeing something I wasn't even aware of at the side of the road. Here's a taster:



What a fantastic heritage we do have here in the UK. Sometimes, it's real food for thought to stop, pause and investigate the beauty around England and the UK and to look at the bigger picture than the pressure of work, finances, kids, etc.

If ever you're anywhere near Wiltshire, do take the opportunity to look for yourself.

podcast no.85 - complete with shownotes!

click this link for podcast 85

Show notes; Podcast #85
www.podcastpaul.com00:00 Podcast intro
00:06 ‘Babylon’ intro
00:19 ‘Wet Myself’ intro
00:30: Hello from Southampton – MASS conference
01:31: Distances from home different to those in the US
02:25 Music Hot Rod Cadets – Sunday
05:11 Paul – talky bits – no blinking internet access at a 5 star hotel!
07:09 Slam Idol promo with Stephen Fry yes, Stephen Fry!! Blimey. www.slamidol.tripod.com

08:05 Paul falling off chair
08:25 My kids are hooked on Rich Vobes webcam and chatroom – 9 GMT most days www.vobes.com
09:12 Where’s the blinking Hollow Horse competition results?
09:50 Music – Love One Another; Hollow Horse
12:52 What a corking band!
13:10 Podsafe music, commercial music – and old music..including a few seconds of Status Quo… Hawkind and Queen are great
14:21 I am not in love with Hollow Horse!
14:36 Punam Verma – make sure you play her music via the Podsafe Music Network
14:57 Jim Hastell’s article – via the BBC
17:35 Are we in a lazy culture? Thoughts from a visit in the US
19:45 Music Punam Verma – ‘One Day’
22:38 Barry White sweeper
22:56 PCP Sweeper c/o Skinny white boy
23:00 vote for Punam at PMN
23:35 Banned Freak show name
24:16 Newham Council fake police force
24:55 Australian Static
25:45 Romanian farmer damages his manhood
26:22 Email sweeper
26:38 Visit the blogpage www.podcastpaul.com
27:18 Swaziland Promo
28:21 Excited! Please play the promo if you’re a promo
29:38 We have things comfortable fortunately
30:00 Thoughts on the trip – excitement and trepidation
31:07 Send an email - sweeper
31:52 Dynamo’s rendition of Panic

oh dear

Sorry chaps/ chapettes

The chap who hosts my podcasts has suddenly choked the bandwith without any warning at all.

My apologies to this of you who are trying to download my shows.

All will be ok soon, I promise, not much I can do at the min as I am sat in an internet cafe in Basingstoke!

Speak to you all soon, promise!

away from home

Hi there - I am away from home at the minute - I've been at a Lawyer's conference in Southampton.

Can you believe it? The guy who handles my hosting has sudenly, and without any warning just pulled the plug on hosting - this is after paying in full for a year's supply. Looks like I'll be having a chat to him. Shame really - it was a very good deal and the service wasn't bad either.

If you've had trouble with downloading the show, please let me know immediately either by mail or on this comment here - I'm ever so sorry for any inconvenience.

Cheers,

Paul

A picture of me..

Swaziland promo

If you're a podcaster, please play my promo - you can get it here.

If you're a listener, please listen!

Cheers

Paul

podcast84 podcast paul... more ace music, chat and banter to fix your shed roof too

The show can be found at this link - podcast 84 mp3

Blimey what did I talk about here?

Well Lynn Parsons for a start... lovely lady, great show.

Music

Dislocated - Ellie Myles - thanks to Darren martin for forwarding

frommagnatunes

Sweet Dissonance - Anup Patel
Only You - Lizzi
Nine Lives - The West Exit
Between Two Floors - Fluid

announcement from Rob Costlow

A picture of my boys.

Here's a picture of my boys taken about a year ago, yes I know there are some dodgy people around - however, I'm ever the optimist and know there are lots of great folks too ;-)

Kids...

Pictures taken on your phone are usually rubbish - I've deleted all of mine as they are such poor quality. Sue took a picture of Harry on his first day at school, the quality, as you can see is excellent - so is my little boy x

The great John Peel remembered by .....erm...who?

What a hero. I didn't even know it as a kid - I'd listen to John Peel with a real quizzical expression. I knew i liked him, but not why.

I mentioned before in my podcast that John would play a gospel country quintet back to back with a thrash metal punk band and some African music thrown in.... erm...cough.. sounds a little bit like what I'm experimenting with now.. I don't ever imagine I have anything like Mr Peel's great wit, presentation and dead pan humour, but I do know I really appreciate him now it's too late.

Radio 1 are devoting their schedule to him from 7pm through to 1am... but (and here's the real reason Peel was so special ) I don't know anyone at all from the schedule do you?

Live at Radio 1 HQ
7-9pm - Colin & Edith
9-11pm - Jo Whiley & Steve Lamacq
11-1am - Rob da Bank & Annie Mac

Some of the British podcasters are putting on shows - I know I'll be listening to Rowley at DarkCompass.Com who I think I christened a while back the 'John peel of Podcasting for his eclectic style of music in particular... I still think he's a cross between David Brent of the office and John Peel - I have a lot of time for Rowley as he's been a good mate to me, giving lots of technical help right at the outset in late 2004 right up to date.

I've been listening to Rowley for nearly a year now... those blinking train announcements!

Anyway, back on track now, and to John Peel day and radio 1. I'm sorry, but if someone told me their name was "Rob da Bank" I'd shake my head, roll my eyes and switch over. Maybe I'm too grown up now? Where are the big personalities in the schedules of yesterday that really drew a crowd? Tommy Vance, Bob Harris, Simon Mayo are names that forever stick in my my mind. True, some of them are still around - some not.

Horses for courses I guess, Peel was such a big personality, everyone in the UK knew him, he's definitely missed. I can't say I'll miss any of the above as I've never heard of them - is that the state of Radio 1 these days or have I just moved on?

Maybe it's the sign of the times that I know the podcasters far better than the big Radio 1 personalities.

Floods... and ipods.....and other news.

What on earth is going on with the weather? I live in landlocked Birmingham, Central England and have just suffered the most horrific traffic ever... ever..!

I set out from my house to travel 8 miles - in an hour and a half I'd travelled just 4 miles. An inch of rain fell in an hour and flash floods gridlocked the city centre causing Britain's second city's road network to grind to a halt.

What a ridiculous state of affairs. Apparently the drainage system here is so poor that the roads can't cope - and don't I know it!!

On a brighter note, apple today announced that it was launching the ipod video flipping heck!



The news has provoked an incredible response to the number of geeky people I talk to - the most common response so far being "oh no, not another thing I have to buy..."

I have to confess, I am anything but a geek - in fact, I'm useless at anything that requires more than a modicum of tech knowledge. I can use a dvd player, I know how to tune the tele... blimey, I even know how to post a blog [ here, I have to confess, I don't even know how to set up a blog...] .. anything else and I'm useless!

I have to confess, I LOVE this format for a webpage - I wasn't to keen on the homogenous style, but it's much easier to navigate, far less cluttered and more interactive. Please feel very free to comment, I'd be delighted to hear more from you all - though I have to say, the feedback has been great of late.

On a completely different note, I'm off to Swaziland in late October for a week and a bit. I'll be visiting an AIDS orphanage that is funded by a group of churches - the church I attend being one. This isn't a patronising visit, it's a real trip to look at this project properly because I believe in it. I seriously want to raise some funds for it because it makes a huge difference to the number of children that can be housed. It really is as serious as life and death - or life or death. I'm part of a group of trustees that manages a curch budget for the charitable trust of the church. I'm proud to say that much is given to projects like this - but whatever is given, it's never enough.

I hope that the trip will be something that will be life changing. We take our lives here in the West for granted. I'm tired of the same old, same old and want to see more, feel more. This will be a huge adventure and I'm expecting the unexpected.

It's one thing to feel compassion when you see disaster at a distance on the tv. I wonder whether this will be a pandora's box? Why do I feel so drawn to these people? I am so excited, yet so aware of the devastation. 48% of the population are infected. How on earth can a population survive when half live under the terrible shadow of HIV?

A little bit late but, nevertheless...

A lovely piece, early October in nothing less than the Financial Times!

Blimey... seems folks are taking this podcasting thing just a little seriously then...

podlawyer5

Podlawyer podcast for 10th October can be found by clicking the link above or simply by clicking this link

Today I talk about crazy warnings - and professional negligence.

Please feel free to comment and/or ask advice.

Podcast 83 - chat to Kenny from Hollow Horse

In this show I chat to the fabulous Kenny Little from Hollow Horse

Songs (all by Hollow horse)

Wait
Right beside you
Beggars Town

Podcast83 MP3

Help with stories

Hi there, I'm looking for weird news stories, mp3 feedback, and any tech stuff of interest for non- geeks like myself so I can understand 'em.

Can you help? Mail me please, if you can - paul ( at } podcastpaul {dot] c o m


Cheers!

Paul

Podcast 82 - World music from some ace artists I've met

Music from the delicious Punam Verma - every bit as good in the flesh, promise you!

Additional music from Le Cod Afrique and Two Man Ting



Podcast 82 - MP3

PodLawyer 4

Podlawyer is up again - and going live on BBC National Radio 5 again I'm pleased to report!

Very short, weighing in at just about 6 minutes or so!

PodLawyer4 MP3

Podcast 81

All music from Magnatunes





Artists:

Tom Paul
Very large Array
Falling you
Sibelian
William Brooks
The Kokoon
Hollow Horse

Listen out for the fantastic Hollow Horse Competition - best of luck!

Podcast 81 MP3

My Odeo Channel

Just claiming my Odeo channel - let's hope it works eh?!

It's very easy to use Odeo, just click the link below.

My Odeo Channel

Podcast 80

Music from Magnatunes.com

Beth Quist
Mandrke root

Chat from yours truly!

Podcast 80 MP3