podcastpaul.com

podcastpaul 196..finally! show 7.1.11

2011-01-08T02:05:00.002+01:00

It's finally, finally here.... no, really, I promise! Podcast 196. phew... here's the MP3 link you can donload right here.

Hope you enjoy it!

Hello!

2011-01-02T23:38:00.002+01:00

I think it is high time I dusted off the blog and podcasting equipment and got my backside into gear with another podcast!

I have the music to hand - I just need a bit of time.

Keep your eyes peeled...

podcastpaul podcast no.195 11 July 2010

2010-07-11T02:23:00.003+02:00

Podcastpaul - podcast no 195 is here - Download the MP3 at this link Sorry it's taken so long.

Great to be back on the mic again - as per normal the usual banter and indie tunes.

Music from Matthew Ebel, Echoes De Luxe and Omar Alexander / Soulare.

e: paul@podcastpaul.com

Does anyone have an iPhone4 ? Can they review it? Is it any good?
Tell me about your favourite iPhone Apps!

Great chatting to you!

twitter @paulnicholls and @nichollsbrimble

all music courtesy of musicalley.com from Mevio.

podcast194 - here at last!

2010-03-28T23:01:00.002+02:00

Download the podcast from here directly. podcast 194 in mp3 format.

My apologies for keeping you all waiting so long!

Lots of chat and music - all bundled up in a small mp3 package.

mail: paul@podcastpaul.com

Great to speak to you all again

Welsh translation is not as easy as it looks...

2010-01-03T18:47:00.002+01:00

I'm sorry, who said Welsh Translation was easy then?

Fairytale of New York - A translation

2009-12-30T23:53:00.002+01:00

This is a wonderful song, but I couldn't understand a lot of the lyrics. Now,thanks to my mate; Adam, I can.... bless him.

Fairytale of New York....with lyrics, courtesy of Mr Adam Burgoyne.

Here's the link:
Enjoy!

I absolutely love this!

2009-12-20T00:01:00.003+01:00

This made me chuckle with laughter -I'm afraid if you're not in the UK, you may go 'eh?'

'Lucy goes to Iceland' deserves to go viral - the fact it was filmed in the Iceland about a mile and a half up the road is purely co-incidental.

I absolutely love this!

Birthday Massages

2009-12-16T18:29:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was not much cause for a celebration, but nevertheless it was my birthday.
I remember a time when I would count the months, weeks, days and eventually hours to midnight when it seemed perfectly legitimate to tear open the wrapping from my birthday presents.

The night before my birthday, Harry stayed awake until I had returned from visiting my mum and dad. He was anxious to give me my birthday present, and even though it was just after 10 PM and not the legally correct time of midnight I was happy to open his present he had perched on the end of the bed for me. I am now the proud owner of a grey trilby-like hat.

Sue was equally eager to me to tear open the large box that had arrived a little while earlier and no doubt had been expertly hidden away somewhere. I am now the proud owner of a shiatsu massaging unit. Have you ever tried one? The unit has a sturdy office-type seat back and a padded seat that fits neatly onto an office chair. A hand controlled unit operates the unit, which I have to say is ingenious. A rolling series of mechanised balls within the back of the seat unit pummels your back from the base of your spine to the top of your shoulders, or, any portion of your back you wish. The mechanized unit does not touch your spine in anyway but cleverly works your back each side of your spine with added heat if you select it.

If you have a large curries or Comet store nearby they usually have them on display -you have to try them, they're absolutely great !

Read all about it.....

2009-12-08T23:38:00.001+01:00

Today's news headlines make for a thoroughly depressing read. Scores of people have been killed in Baghdad following a series of car bombings where at least 127 people killed and 448 wounded, some critically. Climate change continues to provide the gloomy forecast of impending disaster and ongoing revelations at Haringey show how "baby Peter" continued to suffer horrific abuse when all manner of agencies should have stepped in. Drs at a clinic failed to spot that 17-month-old Peter was in horrific pain with a broken back just two days before he was killed.

Yet peppered amongst the doom and gloom are stories of domestic chaos at Tiger Woods home, the Queen meeting with "Lady Gaga" and a bizarre tale of discrimination by a far right wing Christian hotelier abusing a Muslim woman over her dress.

In truth I find that the banal is almost as depressing as the dreadful banner headline lead stories. Both make me wince.

I do not consider myself to have an addictive personality. I don't drink and I don't smoke, I don't use drugs and I do consider myself to be a right thinking, relatively levelheaded chap. However, I do find myself checking the news headlines two or three times a day and feeling far more fed up after reading current affairs. The manner in which news is delivered troubles me. Katie Price aka Jordan, reality TV "stars" and bizarre stories, usually with a sexual connotation jostle for position with the life changing banner headlines.

Sue has a tendency to watch morning television as she prepares for work. The magazine style program; GMTV is delivered in bite sized almost machine-gun delivered salvos. 25 seconds of a story devoted to the family of a soldier killed in Afghanistan leads into a two minute story about an overweight celebrity pet followed by a bizarre quiz asking the capital of France and the chance to win £10,000 by text at two pounds a time when the answers are (A) Bolton, (B) New York, or (C) Paris. The Segway from the tragic to the trite is about as jarring as a fat woman at a disco in her 50's on the pull.

What is happening to our news content, and why do the providers think we need the peurile, pithy delivery? Why is there such an appetite for the banal? Who honestly is bothered about Kerry Katona's weight, or Britney Spears boozing? Is it me, or does the Emperor really have no clothes?

podcast193 - podcastpaul.com

2009-11-29T00:27:00.002+01:00

Download the MP3 of the show direct from here

Loads of music on the show today, mostly inspired by my ambulance driving mate up north; Gaynor!

Man flu and the West end feature along some great artists; courtesy of the podsafe music network

...hey I've been podcasting for 5 years on 30th December 2009, can you believe it?!

faith musing.

2009-11-21T23:32:00.000+01:00

I don't tend to talk very much about my faith on my blog, that is certainly not something that I omit from choice, my head is usually so full of stuff, the thing that is foremost in my mind usually tends to spill out.

Talking to a work colleague who is also a Christian earlier today brought into sharp focus the fact that life, as precious as it is, is really so transitory. We really are here for just a moment in the scheme of things, and if were lucky we may leave a mark or memory that is of some positive benefit. I expect that most of us we will have our "three score years and ten" plus or minus some years and probably vanish into the ether leaving a memory only with our friends and family that will fade like the momentary mark made by breath on a mirror.

I certainly do not wish to sound maudlin, but if you simply believe we're here by chance, stay for such a short while and then simply decay, what would the purpose of all that be? That’s not only a let –down, it’s just seems so pointless.

I can already hear the opposition view now "…There is nothing else, you make the very best of what you have and that's it, religion is simply a crutch to rest a hope upon".

I’m happy and established enough in my faith to knock that old chestnut back. I feel that I have hope that is actually worth living. Without it, I would look towards the end of the game that I’m now over haklf way through and just see hopelessness.

To live the life of a ‘real’ Christian, not just some nominal title given because of birthright or baptism, is to know real hope and to look forward, rather than put the inevitable to the back of one's mind. I am so very mindful of the fact that I am one of 6 billion and not likely to make too much of an impression to the world at large. I am, however, becoming ever more conscious of the fact that I can make a difference to the few people around me who I interact with.

Even if you're not a believer, the Christian code and ethnic is one we should all try to live to. Resentment, anger, bitterness are good to no one. Charity, love and hope are so much more fulfilling qualities. If we are here for such a short period of time in the scheme of things, why not try to make your stay a happy one?

... and if you really think that life is not worth living, or wonder what the point of everything is, why not try an Alpha course at your local church? Walking into a church with your brains, retaining them and asking some sensible questions to make up your own mind is far better than some impassioned radical shouting Bible Scriptures at you. If it's not for you, fair enough, at least you've tried. If you’ve not tried it, you’ve no real basis to reason why it’s not for you.

Best of luck!

Paul

the continuing saga of DragonDictate

2009-11-15T21:16:00.001+01:00

I am continuing to use my software speech recognition program; DragonDictate and I am absolutely delighted with it.

The software is remarkably accurate, so accurate in fact that it picks up on the nuances of your speech and works at the grammar of what you're trying to say.

I find it incredible that I can simply speak and create this entire blog post without using my fingers. I do tend to cheat and insert type when I've forgotten to insert a word or two, with use however I am finding that that is becoming less.

I know of one of the person who has purchased the DragonDictate software since my blog post was created and he is as blown away with the applications as me. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has gone to investigate the purchase of the software, or, even made a purchase since reading my blog.

Equally, I am interested to hear from anyone who uses the software. Please e-mail me at Paul@podcastPaul.com

Paul

PS this entire post was created with the software!

how to update your blog without any typing using DragonDictate Naturally Speaking 10

2009-11-09T23:28:00.003+01:00

I purchased the DragonDictate speech recognition software at the weekend.

The programme was quite pricey at £90, but I had seen it in action and was very impressed with it. I had the opportunity to sit with a district judge who was using the program in between court sittings. The judge was producing his own orders using the speech recognition programme, the accuracy was incredible and the results instantaneous. Usually a solicitor will wait for anything up to 6 weeks a time for an order. The district judge was handing them out within minutes of pronouncing judgement. I could see the real benefit of the application and decide to purchase it at the first opportunity.

The packaging tells me that the software is 99% accurate - I think it is probably more accurate than that and I'm astonished at how good it is. I am making this post with the application and so far the accuracy is running at 100%.

What is a bit of a bind is the fact that the software will only run on one computer at a time, I suppose that's fair enough, but I would like to run the package on a number of computers that I own. You can purchase a license, I imagine that that would be quite pricey though.

Installation would have been very simple, in fact, it was, but my little Advent net book did not want to play ball. The net book had been shipped with a faulty audio driver (Realtek), I replaced the audio driver and everything thereafter seemed to work as sweet as a nut.

I would urge anybody interested in the speech recognition application for Windows to purchase DragonDictate Naturally Speaking 10. If you do a fair amount of typing, I imagine that this programme will save a massive amount of time and be an invaluable resource. I am surprised that the application does not appear to have reached a wider audience, maybe the pricetag still makes the average punter blanche? To be fair, I would not have purchased the application if I had not seen it in operation.

I would be interested to hear and anybody else who uses a speech recognition programme to canvass their views. Please feel free to use the comments box below.

podcastpaul podcast no.192

2009-10-25T01:34:00.003+02:00

Download the MP3 from here directly - or find me on Itunes by clicking here

Loads of chat and stacks of music from

Graham English
Hookslide
Derek Silver
Slashed Seat Affair
Tara Chinn
Omar Alexander & Soulare

I talk about the BNP onQuestion Time, great adverts, the X Factor and give a few shout outs to.

All music from the podsafe music network, save for SSA and Tara Chinn.

podcast 191 being bored, ARK, blokes hate shopping...

2009-10-04T18:46:00.003+02:00

Download Podcast no 191 here (MP3) file, or find me on Itunes.

I'm joined by Sue (and Harry and the dog) and talk about:

What makes you bored?
ARK
DEC appeal
I hate shopping.... and taking stuff back.....

And here's the other one.....

2009-09-23T22:14:00.000+02:00

I'm singing tenor by the way!

2009-09-23T22:07:00.002+02:00

This was a dress rehearsal for a mate's wedding back in 2001 - I'm thje small one in blue,and I'm 6'2".

John (the good looking young bloke) wanted to surprise his wife with a barbers shop quartet - so here you're looking at me, John and his two brothers; Adam and John.

I've another one somewhere- I'll post it later

Life

2009-09-13T01:29:00.002+02:00

....is ....interesting at the moment.

I've conciously not blogged anything following someone telling me to watch what I'm saying as people are reading this. Well, of course they are! This is what this is designed for, and quite honestly, life is too short to care what people think.

It's been a funny old time with Mike flying the nest and going off to Theological College. People who aren't 'churched' have very different reactions to knowing what Mike is doing -they're nearly all positive though, and Sue and I are very proud of him.

With Mike gone, the dynamic of the house changes - very odd, but again, all largely positive - life goes on.

I'm concious of my not doing a podcast - one is imminent, I promise!

....and I would like to say more than I do, but, I am concious at present of who reads this. I will have loads more to say, that's a promise.

Paul

podcast190

2009-07-22T00:27:00.006+02:00

Download the MP3 of the show here

It's finally here! Podcast 190.

Musical Maestro; Paul Rose ( check out his link here ) joins me to talk about his fantastic new album; Note to Self. Definitely not a show to be missed.

Please mail me: paul@podcastpaul.com or Paul Rose at paul@paulrose.co.uk

Would love to hear your comments!

photo from earlier

2009-05-22T21:00:00.004+02:00

This is a photo from inside No.5 Chambers, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham. It's a beautiful building that houses a number of specialist Barristers.

The Courtyard is as pretty as it looks and is crammed with the midlands legal community at the no.5 Christmas party.

Quick post

2009-05-22T09:15:00.002+02:00

Just a quick post before I start the working day. I'm travelling into Birmingham for a morning conference at a local chambers, off to a client's house in East Birmingham and then into the office.

Birmingham has some pretty poor press, yet it's a great place to live and has a superb reputation for leisure - there are loads of great restaurants, bars, theatres, clubs, music venues and the like.

I'm still a big fan of Birmingham and love the place. I miss working in the centre, but it's good to travel in only once in a while as you don't take the place for granted.

I'll see if I can grab some quick photos into Birmingham and post them this evening.

Right... off to work!

Oops..

2009-05-21T22:02:00.002+02:00

I am so sorry I've not updated the blog recently, I've been using it more as a storage space for the podcast which is daft, I know.

I've fallen in and out of love with social media and in more recent times diverted my energies there. I'll try not to do that, but will keep the journal here a bit more up to date.

I'm away next week in Cornwall and really hope that the weather holds up. Everyone at work seems to be jetting off to Cuba, Mainland Spain and all parts of the globe. I'm quite content to explore the UK in my caravan, as old as that makes me sound.... I caught Martin Clunes present on islands in the UK on terrestrial TV a few days ago and would love to follow suit - we're ever so lucky here in the UK to have such beautiful parts to travel to within no more than a few hours.

OK, as I say, sorry to have a space that's appeared no more than a vacuum - I really must make sure that I do update more regularly. It does make me wonder if blogs have generally suffered at the hands of social media?

Answers on a postcard...?

Imagine....

2009-05-09T08:46:00.002+02:00

Apparently Liverpool Cathedral's bells will peal John Lennon's 'Imagine' this week.

The BBC article found at this link mentions that spokesmen from the Cathedral do not necessarily agree with the sentiments of the tune, which Lennon says was meant to be an 'anti-religion' anthem.

As lovely as the tune is, I've always smiled to myself when listening to the lyrics. 'Imagine no possessions....' opines Lennon... worth a reputed $150,000,000.00 pre 1980.

Yes John, I'm sure you had to imagine and concentrate pretty hard dressed in your trademark fur coat, with your many multi-million dollar houses and possessions.....

podcast189

2009-05-06T00:06:00.001+02:00

Download the MP3 here!

Whoops! I forgot to post the recording of the live stream... Music and chat from Dean Whitbread, Kosso and Phil Coyne.

Huzzah!

podcastpaul no188 - the one with Tim, Linda and Parky

2009-04-14T11:06:00.001+02:00

Download the MP3 here

A veritable feast of chat and music... all wrapped up in a lovely MP3 for your aural delight..

podcast no 187

2009-04-05T18:49:00.002+02:00

Download MP3 here

Hello and welcome to the Sunday show of Podcastpaul - no 187

Live chat with Darren Michael from Slashed Seat Affair and Rowley from Darkcompass.com

Enjoy!

podcast186 podcastpaul.com

2009-03-28T00:32:00.003+01:00

Download MP3 podcast186 here.

Live chat and music from Paul - and guests Jason Boyle, Aaron Cooper and Lance Anderson.

Enjoy!

live and streamed podcast tonight...

2009-03-27T20:33:00.002+01:00

Hi - please feel free to join me on Friday 27th March 2009 at this link here.

You can interact on the chat room, I'd love to see you for around an hour or so. Live chat and great music.

See you there!

Space - the final frontier?

2009-03-23T14:40:00.003+01:00

In space, apparently no one can hear you scream. I find that when I have space, I don't want to.

I'm doing a very unusual thing right now as I type: taking a break at lunch time. Doing something apart from work. As much as I enjoy my work, I find it becomes less enjoyable - and productive if I don't break the day up with a lunch break. When I have a break, I stay much more focused.

I naturally seem to gather clutter. I hoard files around me. Don't get me wrong, I know where everything is. At home, I'm surrounded by my Macbook, phone, Blackberry, iPod Touch, Camera, and virtually every conceivable wire and cable known to man - I've also a collection, usually of two or three cups and glasses. Why do I do that?

The whole concept of space - staying away from clutter is something I'm trying to action. My life is also full of clutter. This time last year I was studying part time in the evenings, trustee of a church leadership, Chair of Governors, trying to write a novel, musician, dad of four, husband.... the list just goes on and on. Clutter.

Over the last month or so, I've been waking at around 2 or 3 am with my mind buzzing about....everything, with the resultant effect that I can't get back to sleep for hours, drop off around 4.30am and then wake absolutely frazzled in time to drive 30 miles into work - usually around rush hour.

So the cull begins. It strikes me that whatever I do, my family comes first. I spend far too much time (ironically) on the internet - and every other space of time is crammed with...stuff.

I spoke to Sue about clearing ...physical stuff from our home. Again, we seem to hold on to...stuff... and when you analyze why you keep hold of lots of things, there's no other reason than not just throwing it away.

At the weekend I'm ordering a skip. I'm going to take great delight in culling 'stuff' t get some empty space. I'm sadly giving up some of my extra curricular activities too. It's a case of having to.

If I don't get space in all areas of life, just about everyone may hear me scream...

;-)

podcast185 - the recording of the live show...

2009-03-22T02:09:00.002+01:00

Download the MP3 right here....

Podcast 185 - the recordig of the live show is right here. Jonathan Ross / Jay Leno eat your heart out...!

Stacks of chat, music and interactivity in a bumper edition of the show recorded late Saturday / early Sunday 21/22 March 2009.

Live chat from Phil Campbell back from SXSW, Dean Whitbread who talks about Rise and Shine and a mate of his who is a bit famous, and Steve Lacey in Seattle who now works for Google but can't tell us why!

Hope you enjoy the show!

Podcastall - live and interactive

2009-03-21T00:35:00.003+01:00

From 11pm - 11.30pm GMT tomorrow I'll be starting another live and interactive podcastall show

The URL is likely to be at THIS LINK HERE - I look forward to seeing you there!

If you would like to add me on Skype - I'm 'podcastpaul'

See you tomorrow!

How I produce a live and interactive podcast.

2009-03-16T00:16:00.005+01:00

Not the greatest headline I know...

Apologies for the tech nature of this post. I've produced a couple of podcasts that have been recorded with a virtual audience in real time and with the ability to hold a live streamed video, chat room and hold audio conversations with folks, whilst simultaneously recording the show. The net result is that five separate people have asked me how I did it.

I'm sure there are loads of different ways you can record a live broadcast, I am just able to tell you how I did mine.

I've a macbook and an Alesis Multimix USB mixer. You don't need a mac - but you probably do need the USB interactivity of the mixer that essentially becomes an external soundcard and audio device.

The ease of the Alesis is wonderful. You simply plug the mixer in, and you have the ability to record anything you hear.

I use GarageBand as my recording tool, but the open source programme Auduacity (or cubase) may be just as workable.

I set the GarageBand preferences to the USB codec and then know when the record button is selected, that I have the ability to produce an audio record of everything that happens - including Skype.

All of my audio tracks are selected to open in Quicktime. I opena separate mini player for each track, simpy stacking the audio tracks in a cascade so I'm aware of the next track to play - I do this for soundbeds, jingles and songs I'm playing. The volume button on the mini QuickPlayer is handy as I can adjust the track to my voice.

I use a Behringer mic for the main audio - and an additional Sennheiser mic for any other audio.

Ustream.Tv is my interactive client that allows me to stream over the web. Best of all is the fact that it's free.

The screen can become very cluttered, so I use the mac 'spaces' app which means I can cut between Skype, and other apps with ease.

The Chat room is bundled with the ustream free broadcast tool.

It's a great adrenalin rush to produce the show 'live' and the dynamics are great... but be careful not to have to many networked machines sucking on the wifi pipe as things can crash ith alarming regularity.

Anyway, best of luck to anyone starting out along the interactive route. Drop me a line if you need any further info.

podcast184 live and in MP3 to download

2009-03-15T02:20:00.002+01:00

Download the MP3 here - podcast184 15th March 2009.

You join me as I recorded this live with a group of folks on Ustream!

I'll note the music in early course, but in the meantime thanks to Bob Cartwright, Laurel Meadows and Ed Ross for joiing me live on Skype.

Phew!

Podcast all.....

2009-03-13T23:13:00.003+01:00

If you listened to the last podcast, you will note that it was recorded with a live streamed audience, courtesy of Ustream.

I will be recording another show on Saturday around 11.30pm GMT. Check the site tomorrow for the link, and please feel free to join in.

I'm not sure of the format of the show yet, but can't wait to record - and see you there!

so - Saturday, 14th March 11.30pm GMT - podcastall....

podcast183

2009-03-08T22:00:00.005+01:00

Download the MP3 from here

Yes - another podcast created to tickle your lug 'oles.

This is the recording of a ustream broadcast I did with some willing victims, er... volunteers I rustled up from a quick shout out, so thanks to Darren, Laurel, Paul, Peter, Rowley, Geoff, Linda and everyone else I've forgotten to mention.

Some ace music from

Rinaldi sings
Gramercy Arms
Bensem
3 Blind mice
Jeremy Carr
Hollow Horse

We also talk about Ghosts and stuff!!

There's also a Juke Pod Jury moment when we play a completely random track - from the Hollyfields ....and I mistakenly cut them off in my time. Bizarre as their track is called 'Bad Timing..."

!

Enjoy!

Soulful mix tape.

2009-02-28T15:54:00.003+01:00

Have you ever seen Spotify? It's completely free and absolutely superb. I *think* it might be only UK accessible at the moment, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, try this link - it will definitely work in the UK. You will need to download 'spotify' but it's completely free. The link for my soulful selection including Tower of Power, Mary J Blige, Jamiroquai, Dusty Springfield and loads of others is at this link here

If you can access it, have a listen and let me know what you think!

Happy listening!

Count your blessings.

2009-02-28T14:06:00.003+01:00

I think I've mentioned this before. When I take stock and sit and think things through, I feel privileged and, although it's an old fashioned word with religious overtones, 'blessed'.

My family is becoming more important to me as I tread the path towards the finish line. If I'm lucky, I'm about half way round the course now, or, perhaps, more realistically, four sevenths complete should the 'three score years and ten' be an accurate prediction. Even if I were to be taken from the track before the average finishing time, I can honestly say that I am still very happy.

As much as I can complain about the level of increasing crime, look at the high levels of family breakdown and see the impact of the global credit crisis, I could do far worse than live in the western world in comparative comfort to many others around the world.

Newspapers and TV headlines are full of doom and gloom, but I live in a place where I can say pretty much what I want without fear of harm, hold the religious beliefs I do with a level of (albeit eroding) protection and still have opportunities available to me if I work hard enough, despite the class system that is still in operation here today.

Often I do feel I should stand up and shout about something I feel passionate enough to believe in, but, when I sit still and the shouting is over, I am at a place where I should really count my blessings, and I'm pleased I am.

When you lose something you once had, it's very easy to only then realise how much you took things for granted. I'm glad to think that today, I was about to sit still enough to consider the things I have, and realise how fortunate I really am.

Before now, I've had a few people snigger cynically at the stuff I've posted on here - we both know who you are, and I can't be bothered to post things cryptically so as not to feel I can't say things without being spied on. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less, snigger away, I'll just smile, roll my eyes and disregard you. If you don't experience the (possibly temporary) warmth I feel at the moment, I pity you. I also wonder why you keep revisiting my site? If you're posting a link or emailing snide comments around (and if you are, be careful I'm not including on the email link - check carefully), think why you're doing that. If you don't value or understand the experiences I've blogged, I feel desperately sorry that you have such a shallow life. I hope I'm wrong.

Life is for living. I don't want to miss experiences under my nose now, only to have memories of 'if only' when it's too late. There's real merit in the phrase 'sieze the day'.

An Epiphany

2009-02-23T21:25:00.003+01:00

I just had an epiphany. At least, I think I did.

I'm forever beating myself up about 'wasting' time when I get back from work. As I type this, Sue is watching 'Lark Rise to Candleford' and I'm mucking about, just catching up with things on the web and checking the BBC web site. Wasting time - something I always feel guilty about.

I was in the office before 7.30 this morning, and didn't leave until 6.30 this evening. As much as I love work, I don't want to think about it when I get home, and it's great to do something else, and, quite honestly just unwind and 'waste time'. I've fixed the dishwasher, helped Chris try and configure his PS3 and a new gadget and just chatted to an old school mate. Heaven.

I think that sometimes it's great to waste time, in fact, sometimes it's crucial. It's dead easy to cram every available item into every conceivable amount of spare time, but it just isn't healthy.

I think I may just waste some more time, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it.

Warwick Castle footage

2009-02-22T17:33:00.002+01:00

m4v footage here

I took some footage at Warwick Castle - see it by clicking the above link.

Pictures from the Law Society and Library earlier today

2009-01-26T23:49:00.004+01:00

In London....

2009-01-26T14:43:00.002+01:00

How Bizarre... I am in the Law Society library in Chancery Lane, London. I just had to get online and publish something from the online suite of computers!

Photo's etc later!

Social Media replacing old RSS feeds and Syndicated habits?

2009-01-24T11:10:00.003+01:00

I'm just updating the blog and noticed that I tend to disregard it lately, most likely because I spend time on other social media.

I wonder if blogs have been hard hit by sites like Facebook, Twitter and the countless other sites? It's a question that must have been asked countless times.

I have to say that my blog and podcast following has been patchy, to say the least. I don't think I've necessarily had a change in direction, it's either a personal shift in habit, or, more likely a culture shift?

Speaking to an old online mate; Jeroen the other day I was heartened to hear that he doesn't bother with RSS feeds any more, rather he consumes at the PC. I have to say that I do exactly the same, but tend to be pretty random with the sites I visit.

I haven't bothered listening to many podcasts recently (apart from one or two old faithfuls) and wonder if mine and Jeroen's experience is something that we're all doing now?

If I tend to visit a site, it's because someone else talks about it, or links to it from a site.

What about you? Have your habits changed recently?

podcast182 Interactive comments on the Gaza Strip & The Credit Crunch

2009-01-17T02:44:00.002+01:00

Direct MP3 download of the show here

Today's show is great - because of the interactive comments of others, thanks so much for your contributions.

We look at the Gaza strip & The Credit Crunch

Music, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network features:

Joe Carey
Sore
Greenroom
LA Big Daddys
Judith Owen

Please mail your comments to podcastpaul@blogspot.com or comment in the field below.

Thanks for listening!

.

Oops...

2009-01-15T00:16:00.001+01:00

Podcastpaul.com is down at the moment, but leave it with me, I should have it fixed tomorrow.

ponderings

2009-01-11T22:23:00.004+01:00

I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. I like to think I'm pretty transparent.

I contemplated deleting this blog, or making it private, but that seems pretty pointless. I've kept my jottings online for 4 years, and I don't want to delete all the hard work I've put in.

It has been four years or so now since I've kept a blog, and I don't tend to hold things back with what I say on here. I perhaps need to be a little more sensible though. If you don't like the blog, then please feel free to stop reading it. I keep it mostly for myself anyway.

The blog also of course also doubles as a place to keep the podcast which I love doing.

After some consideration, I'm not altering a thing apart from the fact that I think I will probably keep a bit more on the blog and continue to keep the podcasts coming. I'm hopeless at keeping a proper diary, and I like the fact that this is a good place to come back to stuff I've put up some time ago (i.e Swaziland). The blog stays then.

It may be a turgid read, as I keep the jottings mostly for myself, so, as I say, please feel free to move on if you don't like it. Alternatively, pull up a chair, and join in. The comments fields are kept on, and if you want to say anything, please feel free. You can also mail me at paul@podcastpaul.com. All the comments made are my own, and they're all done in my own time. I'm not pushing anyone, or touting anything.

I wanted to keep a diary of notes and thoughts on how I'm dealing with diabetes. You need to understand me to understand why I'm doing this. I'm just not that bothered about making my thoughts public, it's siply a by-product of my diary. I would hate people to think that I'm showing off though, not that there is anything to show off! It just seems to me to be too much trouble to keep an anonymous blog, and there doesn't seem to be any real point in doing that.

Tomorrow I've got to go the diabetes clinic to see a dietitian. I'm really looking forward to this as I just don't seem to be feeling any better really of late, I'm certainly far better than I was, but I seem to have reached a plateau. I'm finding that I get very tired very quickly. I'm not sleeping that great, and some foods send me spacey within 15 - 20 minutes of eating them.

I never thought that taking tablets four times a day was so much of a pain. I'm constantly forgetting them. I've got to get used to that.

I'm noticing that I'm not sweating anywhere near as much as I did, and I'm also not drinking anywhere near as much fluids as I needed prior to being diagnosed, so the medication is doing something.

The head rushes I'm getting are bizarre. The easiest way to explain the feeling is when you stand too quickly after sitting. There's a weird spacial feeling I get too, when I'm not eating correctly, or whenever I get too warm.

The one thing I want to get back is my energy. I hate the feeling of being drained. It seems ok when I'm occupied (i.e work) but when I'm sitting relaxing, I could simply sleep for hours.

Let's wait and see what's said tomorrow then. I'm hoping I get some answers so I can get back to full strength and getting back to normal again.

2009-01-04T02:38:00.002+01:00

All that training....

2009-01-02T17:15:00.002+01:00

A sincerely happy New Year

2008-12-31T18:13:00.004+01:00

As this year closes, and another waits in the wings for the curtain call, I never really like looking back. I'm a pretty much forward thinking bloke.

2008 has been and gone, it quite literally is history. I don't like pondering over things, jut looking ahead to what's around the corner.

The inevitable resolutions come along - lose weight, be a little more tolerant, work harder, spend more time with the kids. The list goes on.

The thing that has been on my mind more than anything else though is to be less critical. The one thing I tend to do is to make a snap judgment of people. I feel I should be far less judgmental. No one likes a cynic and I would hate to think that I'm like that.

The good book says 'Judge not, lest ye be judged' and I like that mindset. As I look at people, hopefully, they'll look at me in the same way. To be honest, as cynic as some people are, there are plenty that aren't.

Being a Christian isn't like a golf club membership, it's a way of life, and one that I would dearly love to live better than I do. I don't think I'm doing too badly, but it's always a good idea to improve.

So, I will try not to make snap judgments and really try hard to look through another's eyes before making comment. At least, that's the plan.

We're all the same, no matter what size, gender, perceived class or outlook we have on any aspect. If you don't believe in God, don't worry, He still believes in you!

Have a great, prosperous and very peaceful New Year, whenever and wherever you are.

Paul.

podcast181 podcastpaul.com 4 years and counting....

2008-12-31T02:27:00.003+01:00

Download MP3 direct from here.

Hello! I've been podcasting for four years from yesterday. Blimey!

Great music as ever, hopefully the chat is as inspiring...

Dynamo's Rhythm Aces - click this link for their site
The Lichfield Chamber choir (live recording on Christmas eve)
Simon Apple click here for SA's site.
Hollow Horse - cracking Ken Little & Co Click for Hollow Horse at this link here
Roxy Perry - this woman is awesome. Click here for Roxy's site.

Thanks to everyone for listening to me - shout outs to some folks, apologies to those I missed - including Jason and Ed!

God bless, have a phenomenal New Year.

mail to paul@podcastpaul.com

podcast180 podcastpaul It's Christmas!

2008-12-21T02:02:00.004+01:00

Download MP3 direct from here podcast 180.

Fantastic music from:

Benet McLean
Paul Rose and Dave Rudbarg
Dynamo's Rhythm Aces
FMG
Roxy Perry

Thanks to my lovely listeners: Clinton Gaille (Wellington, NZ) and Laurel Meadows (Boise, USA)

Please send any feedback to paul@podcastpaul.com

Happy Christmas and God Bless!

...and, I've been recording podcasts for 4 years on 30th December 2008 !

Jack's samba band

2008-12-06T20:35:00.004+01:00

Here's Jack leading the school Samba band last week in Birmingham City Centre.

Christian's Film Studies assignment

2008-11-27T23:49:00.003+01:00

OK, let's face it, 'Film Studies' is a doss - my son; Christian, 16 is studying this at A/S level because he has to do one year of additional study to his A Levels; Law, English and History.

Here's his effort. He's obviously put a lot of time and effort into this (*cough)

He's the blonde tall good looking one by the way... follows his dad

New Facebook Group for Podcastpaul

2008-11-09T22:39:00.001+01:00

Hello folks - there's a new Facebook Group for Podcastpaul.com at this link here.

Please feel free to click on the link and join.

P

podcast no 179 8th November 2008

2008-11-08T02:19:00.005+01:00

Download the MP3 of podcastpaul no 179 here

Hello and welcome!

Tonight, some exceptional music from:

Dynamo's Rhythm Aces
Ola Onabule
Paul Rose

Ola Onabule, courtesy of PM ( www.music.podshow.com )

It's ridiculously late at the time I am writing this, so apologies for the short notes!

Hold on to your hats

2008-11-07T19:12:00.001+01:00

There's a podcast coming kids. Seriously. No, I really mean it.

Keep your eyes peeled...

;-)

podcast no. 178 It's been too long..

2008-10-12T02:33:00.002+02:00

Download podcast 178 directly from here (MP3)

Podcast n0 178 is here!

Music from:

Paul Rose
Roxy Perry

Glad to be back! See you soon!

A very, very proud moment

2008-10-10T21:18:00.003+02:00

Here's a picture of me playing drums with Jack at a youth night at the church ( I was a very late stand in!)

Jack was absolutely superb. He's shaping up to be an outstanding guitarist.

flood

2008-10-01T14:58:00.000+02:00

Concerns heighten over new flood fears in Tewksbury...

Ambulance

2008-10-01T14:10:00.001+02:00

Evidence of child sign writing sweat shops in Birmingham...

Blindfold

2008-09-30T09:21:00.002+02:00

The air was tense and mounting fears charged... they should have gone to Specsavers

2008-09-28T00:14:00.003+02:00

Brown rubbed his hands with Glee as he plugged Milliband in...

Dubbya

2008-09-26T23:36:00.001+02:00

George's headphones slip as he shows off his large medallion.

2008-09-25T22:43:00.003+02:00

Experts find proof of Limbo dancing originating in Ancient Greece.

Great Costumes..

2008-09-25T07:41:00.001+02:00

Two eager participants; Kevin & Roy were at the front of the queue for this year's Dungeons & Dragons Expo.

Colin from Sydney

2008-09-24T09:24:00.003+02:00

Colin, one of my Aussie listeners sent me this cracking pic from Sydney. Cheers Col, there's a podcast in the mix shortly old mate.

I must get me one of these!

2008-09-23T14:56:00.002+02:00

brilliant!

A day in London's financial sector

2008-09-17T21:59:00.002+02:00

Just a couple of pictures from my Camera Phone. I was in the heart of the financial sector today.

Lloyds is such a monstrosity it's beautiful.

The Gherkin is just beautiful, an incredible piece of architecture (isn't it Jason?). I had a fabulous lunch at it's base today.

A day at the ludlow food festival in pictures.

2008-09-13T19:26:00.008+02:00

I loved watching the traditionally made cider in the castle grounds.

In the background you can see the generator feeding the apple mulcher. The mulch is then placed on cheesecloth and drained. The juice is collected and left to ferment.

The mulch is put into cheese cloth bags and pressed by the hand wound press

The whole process is shown here, the loading, mulching and pressing.

Inside the castle grounds.

The entrance to Ludlow Castle for the food festival. The castle was built in the 11th century - amazing how it's still functional a thousand years later.

BBC following the contents of a cargo box

2008-09-12T09:08:00.003+02:00

It sounds terribly dull doesn't it? I find it fascinating.

The BBC have bolted a GPS transmitter to a cargo box that they're tracking. You can see it at this link here

The container will be tracked and filmed over the course of the next year to look at globalization and international trade. I find it strangely compelling to look every day at what the container is holding and where it is.

At the time of this post I can see that the container is in Abbotsinch Retail Park off Renfrew Rd in Paisley, Scotland with a consignment of whisky, having started the journey from Southampton, Southern England a few days ago.

I've bookmarked the page and will be interested to see events unfold over the next year.

Paul.

update: this link here

Legends in their own lunchtimes.

2008-09-10T18:41:00.005+02:00

I must be really odd. I think I can see through things and call out the Emperor wearing no clothes to the masses. Either that, or I'm just odd.

I like the internet, though the technology of it bores me. I cannot think of anything more boring than learning machine code, HTML, CSS or whatever it's called. I'm happy to drag and drop. It took me ages to work out how to do this, and even then I'm not that great at it.

So, operating systems - they operate, to me they're just functional. I don't think they're sexy and I don't really care how they work. I'm not interested in Leopard, Cheetah, Vista or whatever, I just want it to work sleekly.

I like the gadgets, not the guts. I can appreciate a very pretty girl, but I'm not terribly interested in looking at her kidneys, or wondering how good her spleen is. Get my drift?

Then there's the "I'm a geek" label. I'm not, and I don't get it. Why do you want to be the school swot in a pair of national health glasses?

I just like using the internet and the gadgets. I'm not bothered about the size, shape or workings of the processor. Quite honestly I couldn't give a monkey's.

But the thing that I really don't understand? Apart from the worship of Steve Jobs and everything Apple, which I liken to cultish, weird behaviour, I don't understand why there are 'names' on the internet and why people go gaga over them. The slavish following of people that occupy a miniscule sliver of interest on the net seem to have gained something of a pop status. Eh? Why?

I've never listened to 'TWIT', Leo Laporte, followed Richard or Robert Scoble or whatever his name is, I'm not interested in Dave Winer, 'The Gilmore Gang', John Dvorak or anyone who has fame attached to their name, in fact, I generally go out of my way not to listen to or indeed to read them. The stuff I have listened to or have read has been tripe mostly. I was quite interested in Adam Curry because of podcasting ..... but the fame thing irritates and befuddles me. I find that sycophantic following just makes my bum go funny and annoys me.

Legends in their own lunchtimes... just remember that a lunchtime is an hour long, if you're lucky. That should be the life span of the odd druid worship to them if you really must, and no more.

call for help please

2008-09-07T18:02:00.004+02:00

Just a couple of quick calls for help please:

1. Could folks please send a quick mp3 - " hi this is ...... and you're listening to podcastpaul dot com"

2. Do people want me to turn off the auto playing mp3 player when they land on the site?

Ta!

Portly Princess of Pop Postulates - plonker.

2008-09-06T14:24:00.006+02:00

English newspapers have always intrigued and really rather disappointed me. I can read a headline in the tabloids, shake my head and wonder if those reading it really are taken in by the print. The spreadsheets don't get off lightly either. Do people think that the people writing the columns are wise sagely beings who speak for the nation? Wake up and smell the tea bags people.

Today I took Harry to the cinema and stopped off at McDonalds for a quick breakfast. The Daily mail was around and a piece of 'commentary' caught my eye. The story was about Lily Allen, she had been co presenting an award with the loathsome Elton John. I felt bile rise in my stomach as I read on.

Allen had bitten back at the princess when he made a quip about her drinking. Allen angrily replied that she still had her life to live and had 40 years ahead of her. Good comment I thought.

The hissy fitting wig wearing knob end, real name Reginald Dwight then made a retort that was so very clever: " I could still snort you under the table"

Oh how I laughed, how I held my sides at the thought of fat Reg using cocaine. What a great advert for all and sundry. Never mind the massively spiralling drug driven crime on our streets, or the kids driven to the street by the vile grip of class A drugs - everyone stand up and salute the near pensionable age balding bloater - because he can snort Lily Allen under the table. Stop the press, ignore the plight of those in Haiti, because piggy Reg does drugs - hilarious. Or not. The man is a class A turd.

I find Reg Dwight's (I'm not using his silly stage name) attitude and lifestyle sickening to the pit of my stomach.

Sir Reginald Dwight - anagram 'danger whilst rigid' - is no doubt a musical genius, but he's also a detestable moron who is idiotic enough to make such a stupid quip. This from the 'man' who spends hundreds of thousands of pounds on flowers each year - the very thought of that waste of money sickens me. Don't misquote me or think I'm alluding to his homosexual lifestyle - I'm not, it's him, just him. I cannot abide him.

...and the commentary from the paper? They were having a go at Lily Allen for saying she felt depressed. Not a word about fat Reg. Incredible.

Whenever I heard Fat Reg's music before, I cringed. Now I'm going to make an effort to run and switch it off if I can.

I'd love to see Reg stripped of his knighthood. I'd like him to be Jade Goodied. Make him lose his money and while his life away in Tower Hamlets.

Candle in the wind? More like a fat princess covered in charlie... I cannot bear the man. I hope the nation follows suit.

Language plus two

2008-09-03T00:16:00.004+02:00

I'm doing everything I can not to think about enrolling at Uni for yet another course.

I want to do a couple of things though; I want to play lead guitar and I want to speak Spanish. Ok, I want to do three things - I have a mad desire to sit the Radio Amateurs course and buy an HF radio so I can use morse and SSB to speak around the world.

I'm odd. I must be. I made a transmitter in a bean tin at the age of ten, and had a bedroom that resembled a mad professor's lab at the age of 12. I had a 60 lb, thirteen valve lancaster bomber WWII transceiver that didn't work. I took the thing apart, cleaned it up and made it work. I sat and worked out the theory of long wire radio antennas and mad the thing explode into life. I learnt morse at the age of 12 and can still belt the alphabet out in less than two minutes. Mental.

Guitar is something I muck around with. I envy lead guitarists who are good and I'd love to play, but I really do envy those with a second language.

I've no desire at all to learn French. I was taught by a bloke that smelt like the back of Victoria Wine (the shop, not a person) and constantly hung over. Apparently the teacher had learnt French while digging holes as a labourer there. I'm surprised I don't know how to ask for a shovel or to apologise for inadvertently showing my bum crack.

The only phrase that I learnt at school - and I'm not kidding here, is to ask for a large mint ice cream. Don't ask me to spell it, but I can, I'm sure, speak like a native Parisian if ever a grande glace a la menthe took your fancy. I studied the language for two years at school, and that's the only phrase I know. Pitiful.

I do think that we Brits are desperately lazy when coming to languages. My friend Juan, a Chilean, came over here fleeing from Pinochet in the 70's. Juan has four young kids 3- 9 and speaks to them only in Spanish. His wife; Simone is so Brummy, she makes me sound like Prince Charles.

The kids all speak Spanish, and Isabella is, I'm sure, fluent in Spanish. That's incredible to me. I need to learn. I would love to be able to converse in a different language. How incredible would that be?

So, maybe I should play Spanish guitar over the radio waves and kill three birds with one stone eh?

new iPod / iPhone application

2008-08-31T23:20:00.000+02:00

I have come across a free new application for my iPod called '' 'shapes'. Essentially you have a soft keyboard on screen, but rather than tap the letters out one by one, you drag your finger across the keys and the programme predicts your word. It's very good but heavy on the US dictionary which is irritating if you're from the UK.

I am putting my money where my mouth is in writing the entire post by the programme, Ironically though the programme is free!

If you have the iPhone or iPod touch, try it, I think it is excellent.

Sarah Palin Comments

2008-08-30T10:25:00.002+02:00

Here we go again, the next round of American politics. Stand by and wait for months and months of political analysis of why McCain has brought in Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Floating around the web I came across some sites and blogs including one that read "As A woman I'm offended". Perlease.

The site link is here

my comments on the site reads as follows:

I think it's great!

Here in Central England, we're bombarded with American politics on our news bulletins.

Quite frankly I'm sick to death of hearing about the American Primaries, so it's nice to see some eye candy, and she seems to be a nice ordinary mum to boot, about time someone ordinary got in rather than some wrinkled crone spouting platitudes and gathering stories for a multi-million pound autobiography after the next scandal.

We had Thatcher here, and we have the Queen, God bless her (stands to attention and sings the national anthem). I wouldn't get on the phone to Liz and tell her that we're patronising her, because of her gender.I'd be impaled by the steel implements of a dozen Beefeaters and have more than half of the population demanding to string me up.

I've licked the back of stamps for 40 years with the Queens head on, and it's not done me any bad at all. We're not afraid here of putting women in power, why are you?

I have to say that I do find your political system rather odd though. Here in the UK, we announce we're having an election, we put up with some dreary nonsense for around two to three weeks, we vote, and get it over and done with. There's little or no razmataz, we vote and move on. No kids tumbling, no brass bands. Politics here is a little like taking refuse to the council tip, though less enjoyable. If people whooped and hollered at a council by-election, they would be committed, or be clubbed to death, or, even worse, be stared at in a very menacing way and ignored by everyone at Asda.

We've had politics for a thousand years, it's become functional and a necessary evil - a little like using the loo.

England's voting system is very much like my buying a pair of shoes. I get the job done because I'm bored of shopping. I go to a shoe shop, ask for a pair of size 11 shoes, I try them on, buy them and go home. Job done. I've had to endure shopping for 9 minutes, nasty business that it is.

American politics reminds me a bit of my wife shopping for shoes. She goes to the shoe shop, picks up a pair of shoes, looks at baby clothes (my kids are teenagers), wanders over to look at Boots, wanders around a perfume shop, goes back to look at the first pair of shoes, tries to find them cheaper at 6 other shoe shops, wanders around a chemists, looks at wigs (honestly, I'm not kidding), goes to a toy store, back to the chemists, goes home, goes back to the shoe shop, comes home with the shoes, a dozen photo frames from Poundland, Christmas cards (in August) and dozens of other bags then takes them back the next week. Get my gist?

Wheel her on I say!

Credit crunches change for the better

2008-08-29T20:40:00.002+02:00

It's very easy to feel down about the rising prices, lower net income, mounting petrol prices and goodness knows what else.

I noticed just a few days ago that most of the traffic on my morning commute stays in the slow lane at a steady 55mph, the boy racers seem less too.

As I sat in the left hand lane trying to get the best fuel economy I could along with most of Britain's other traffic, I realised that there was a noticeable decrease in the 4 x 4's and bigger cars. Most of the cars are suddenly smaller. Peugeot 206's, Fiats and Ka's were in abundance. People are starting to think smarter and adapt as money becomes ever tighter, and petrol / diesel prices even more insane. Not only are people now driving cars that have a better MPG, they're driving at the most fuel efficient too. Having a bigger / posher car just isn't an issue any more, it's about being as sensible as you can with the rocketing cost of motoring in Britain today.

I'm chopping my 1.8i MGF for a little Corsa sxi 1.3i Turbo diesel next week. It's mad not too. I couldn't give a monkey's anymore about looking cool - I want the 70mpg and save, I reckon £100 p/month on fuel, and, get this, pay £35 tax this year, and nothing next year! That's a bit different to the £180 p/a I'm paying now. The group insurance is 3, no doubt another big saving on the premium too. The Kia Sedona 2.9tdi I have will suffer the same fate when I can find a decent enough fuel efficient car to replace it - but it needs to pull a caravan. A Toyota Corolla / Mondeo? Any suggestions?

I'd love to think I could get so efficient I could get a turbine for the house and some solar panels. I'm not at all green, it really goes over my head, I just like the idea of gadgets and saving money. I can bet that others are thinking the same way too. In fact, I know that most of the circle of friends and acquaintances I have are thinking the same way.

Society had definitely taken luxuries for granted while the poorest have sadly become poorer. I actually like the thought of everyone having to be more careful as it seems to provoke a bit more thought. Stretching the thought a bit further, the most contented people I met were in Swaziland. Here we think that having only one TV or an outdated DVD player is something to moan about. In Swaziland, some of the kids don't own a pair of shoes. Lots of the mud houses don't have glass in the windows, yet the folks are the most warm, genuine people you could meet. Britain was a much happier society immediately post war with rationing and without too much of the trappings of today.

I'm ever the optimist and would love to think that we are perhaps a little less selfish and just a bit more thoughtful than the halcyon days of a few years back. Perhaps the credit crunch has some small positive side to it?

Back from holiday.

2008-08-17T19:26:00.002+02:00

It's been a bizarre three weeks.

I was away in Spain for a week, back for three days, then a three day course, then a week here in the worst ever weather possible down in Somerset. It rained, rained, rained, shone sun for an hour and then rained torrentially again before thundering down in a cyclone and then more foul weather.

Is it any wonder why Brits go abroad?

podcastpaul - podcast177

2008-08-04T23:55:00.002+02:00

Download MP3 direct from this link

Podcast No 177

Music from:

Dave Stewart - yes, that Dave Stewart!
The Cool Waters Band
- both courtesy of Podshow (www.music.podshow.com)

and...

The Orange Lights. The track courtesy from The Orange Lights / Blackbird.

I love indie music - and talk about the fact that I wish John Peel was still alive!

;-)

How to handle a nuisance caller.

2008-08-03T17:42:00.004+02:00

Download the MP3 here

This is a special edition of the show. Please note that the language in this show is explicit. Not me - please read on.

As some of you will know, I was away on holiday last week. Sue and I had been receiving nuisance phone calls. Someone had called, it seems either indiscriminately, or alternatively a wrong number.

Anyway, when the caller was told, quite politely that he'd got the wrong number, he rang again and again and again. I spoke to him and told him in no uncertain terms that if he called again I would take some action.

While away, my lads; Mike 19 and Chris 16, stayed at home. Chris was here on his own or with his mates most of the time.... and this idiot phoned again, and again, and again. He phoned at all times of the day and night, calling at 3 in the morning, again and again,

The caller; Chris, from Plymouth (the idiot had forgotten on one occasion to hide his phone number) called Chris threatening him. His language is vile, and he gets very racial, so be warned. Nuisance callers are bullies, and like most bullies try to exert a fear over people. Take away the fear and you're left with a sad idiot.

You have to know Christian to appreciate the audio. Fair play to him. he turned the tables on the nuisance caller and phoned him back, again and again and again, and didn't stop until the nuisance caller relented and apologised. Christian didn't want the caller to think he was in any way intimidated, so spoke back to him, treating him like a total knob. Just listen... and you'll get the drift.

The police are involved, and it's highly likely that the caller will just get a smack across the knuckles... so the best way to deal with this is to show you how Christian handled him. Admirably.

Well done Christian.

..and if you're looking for a plasterer in Plymouth - make sure his name's not Chris and he sounds like this...

Podcastpaul clothing... blimey.

2008-08-03T02:12:00.005+02:00

I've actually gone and set up a quick cafe press shop with the original podcastpaul design. I want a ringer / golf and tee short for myself, but if anyone else is interested, please check it out: http://www.cafepress.com/podcastpaul

I'll look around to see if theres anywhere offering better value / same / better quality.

I want to design a 'Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Wherever and Wherever You Are ' or even a 'Babylooooooooon' logo... I'll have to fit in some free time to do it...

podcast176 from Salou, North Spain.

2008-08-01T21:39:00.005+02:00

Download the MP3 here

Yay! Back from Spain...

I recorded the show directly in Spain, some great music from Paul Rose, Black Lab and 3 blind mice.

I had a lovely holiday but I'm glad to be home!

Result!

2008-07-21T13:21:00.003+02:00

I passed with a commendation in my post grad course!

Four years of horrendous night time study / university over and done with..... There is a God!

Vermin. Pure filth.

2008-07-17T00:24:00.006+02:00

I hate the surrounding area where I live. In fact I'm beginning to hate Birmingham.

Tonight Jack (14) came home, scared witless. A group of a dozen thugs aged 16 - 18 told him and his 13 year old mates to get out of 'their' park or they'd be 'banged'. They then began throwing stones and bricks at Jack and his friends, young kids - including some girls. Jack was terrified.

Just a few months ago some other thugs had set about Jack - one had hit him around the head with a baseball bat after another had punched him in his head (from behind). Jack is a lovely quiet kid who wouldn't say boo to a goose. He's at that vtal stage where he's learning the lessons of life and making the transition from a boy to a man. He doesn't need this.

A year or so ago, Chris and his friends were set on by some druggy tossers in their 20's, punched to the floor and kicked. One of the lads, Jake; 15, a small thin lad was kicked unconscious, these 'men' continued kicking him in to his face and teeth then stealing the phone he had for his birthday.

On Jack's return, I just wasn't having it and decided to sort this out. I just saw red and knew instinctively that I had to do something. This is not the first time vile filth have bullied my son and I wasn't simply going to cower away while tossers like the one pictured above bully their way through life thinking they're untouchable.

Fortunately, on the way to the park I bumped into the copper in the picture - a former marine. He was on a bike. I told him I was going to sort the lads out and wisely he told me to cool off in case I clouted one of them. I'm glad he did to be honest because tempers flared and the crowd of lads turned really nasty.

After a few minutes I could see that there were around 10 lads crowding around the policeman. I went to his aid and I'm glad I did. The imbecile in the picture reeked of cannabis and a fight nearly broke out while the copper attempted to search him and the idiot refused to let him. If you're thinking at this stage why do I have a picture, it's because I took it on my phone, advising the thugs that I was keeping a record. It was a bizarre situation, and luckily on of the lads was trying to stop his mates kicking off while the thick idiot you see pictured turn really nasty. If you're liberally minded enough to think I might need this knob-ends permission for his picture on my blog - sue me. I want everyone to see him, and I would be delighted if you would link to this post, pass it on - email it or do whatever you would like with it. I'd love the picture to go viral so this idiot could be shunned. Sue me, I'll sue you back you bullying vile filth, and I'll act for the copper you assaulted if he would like me to, pro bono (that's free of charge in Latin in case the kid pictured can actually read).

As he began to resist arrest, assault the officer and commit public order offences, the attitude of this young lad staggered me. He was rude, insolent, violent, aggressive and had a foul mouth. Every trade mark of a bully. He was soon put down though and made himself look an absolute and utter knob.

His mates started to join in, until I gave them a running commentary about the offences they were committing while all the time thinking I was going to have to defend myself and this officer. Luckily they listened or things could have turned sour. I seriously thought I was going to have to physically defend this officer and in the process take a kicking, but in all honesty I didn't care. I'm sick of bullies and I will always take a stand against them. But honestly, what is the world coming to, the downright arrogance of these kids, particularly while under arrest was just breathtakingly arrogant.

Despite calling for back up, no one came. The worst thing? Grown men were standing 10 feet away with their kids pretending nothing was happening. They simply closed their eyes to the disgraceful violent thuggery that was being played out. I found that utterly depressing and when I asked them why they weren't helping, they simply turned their faces. Cowards. Society in general just seems to cower in the corner while thugs think they have carte blanche to do whatever they please.

I absolutely cannot stand by with bullying. I hate bullies - no I absolutely despise bullying from the pit of my soul. How anyone can adopt the attitude that you can't intervene because it's dangerous has to be the biggest cowardly cop out. To stand by and ignore what went on is slightly less shameful than an 18 year old and his mates threatening a 13 year old girl and her mates. These animals don't deserve anything less than chokey for an extended period without privileges.

You read stories of folks who've been injured or even killed when standing up to criminals. What should you do then? Crawl under a rock? I'd rather suffer injury than not stand up for my kids. As you read this, I seriously hope you would do the same. To think society in general might act like the cowardly dads at that park in pretending nothing was happening mortifies me.

What should I have done? Patted Jack on his head and told him to stay away? Of course I have told him to stay away, but I wanted him to know he has a dad who cares enough about him to stick up for him. I would do the same again, and again, and again.

The officer, who was a really decent bloke, and did everything in his power to diffuse the situation, receiving a barage of vile language and insults, told me after everything had died down that he was apparently emigrating to Oz in 6 weeks, and desperate to get away from here. Can you blame him?

podcast175

2008-07-13T23:26:00.003+02:00

Download the show direct from this link

Another corking show ram-packed with ace music!

David Spak - Shotgun
The States - The Architect
Oka Onubale - Who are you
Marilyn Scott - Do you know the way to San Jose
Rebecca Haviland - I found you
Hollow Horse - I think I made you up inside my head

All music from PMN - the podsafe music network save Hollow Horse which was sourced direct from HH - cheers Ken. I still sing along!

feel free to drop me a mail podcastpaul@gmail.com

podcast no 174 The Orange Lights and Lighten Up

2008-07-06T02:22:00.003+02:00

Get the Mp3 of the show direct from here

podcast no 174 - NOT 175 as I announce - idiot!

Another great show for you

Music from The Orange Lights - an awesome band - website here

and Lighten up, produced by Marcus Masih

I also talk about Phreadz and feature Kosso and Fiz

please feel free to mail me at paul@podcastpaul.com

This is excellent!

2008-07-05T01:45:00.005+02:00

This is bril!

click this link

Happy fourth July to all my American mates

2008-07-04T21:09:00.003+02:00

I have some exceptionally dear American mates, and today it's lovely to see a nation be proud of its heritage.

I wish I could see the same national pride in my fellow countrymen.

How can you not let 4th July pass by without listening to this exceptional version by one of my heroes:

RSS simplicity on the mac and gmail.

2008-07-04T09:44:00.003+02:00

I'm a few months into using my macbook now and thought I'd pen a line as to how I was getting on with it.

It's not rocket science, and, as the strapline goes: 'it just works'.

It does work, and works really well. The email functionality is something I really like. I love the ability to keep your RSS feeds and mail in one place. I'm sure you can do the same on Windows, but this just seems perfect for me because it really is so simple.

When I see a site I like, I immediately subscribe to it by copying the RSS feed and pasting it into the 'file' 'add RSS feeds' tabs. It's dead easy and I love it.

The only bugbear for me is next having to sign into gmail and manually reading the 'unread' mail (currently around 160) over thelast few days / week. Does anyone know if there's a function on gmail to simply say that you can mark all mail as unread?

The mac is great but falls down for me on word procesing. The 'pages' tool is pretty thin and I find that the formatting goes to pot when you export to Word. I'm disappointed in that function.

The ability to manipulate film through imovie is exceptional and I love GarageBand too. Browsing is near identical as I use firefox - I've not made my mind up about Safari.

Apart from that - I've been neglecting the blog recently, which of course is unforgivable! I still use Twitter a lot and love updating that. If you don't use it, try it out. If you do use it, feel free to follow me at www.twitter.com/paulnicholls

I'm working from home today and have set myself a ridiculous mound of work to do. Thank goodness it's Friday. I'm so looking forward to the weekend - and to watching Dr Who with a very excited Harry on my lap!

Watch out for a podcast. I've some exceptional music to play.

YAY!

2008-07-03T20:42:00.003+02:00

Sue is unbelievable. I have no idea how she gets the bargains she does.

She's just booked a full board holiday in Salou, Spain with a full spa for four of us for £1,500. Blimey.

I think Sue should open a company, she has a real nose for a bargain, she's precisely the same with online shopping, restaurants and loads of other stuff too.

I'll actually see some sun in three weeks?! How ace is that?!

The macbook is coming with me! Now, let's just hope they have wifi and we're sorted.

I'm so tired and desperate for a holiday...

Advocacy v Paperwork

2008-07-01T22:53:00.002+02:00

Practicing law is a great thing, in fact, you could say it's a vocation, or at least you could have said that.

Working within the parameters of law to further your client's interests can be a very satisfying pursuit, particularly if the stakes are high and the subject matter is interesting.

I love the people contact, meeting them face to face, working through the problem, looking at the angles. I particularly enjoy advocacy.

Today I dealt with an unusual matter where the stakes were high, it involved the cross examination of witnesses and really keeping on my toes.

The sad fact of life is that advocacy doesn't figure to highly in my job. I'm generally sat at my desk, dictating letters, dozens and dozens of them. It's a massive paper chase and the little advocacy there is is usually spoilt by the Case management Conference or Application being held by telephone.

It's a sad fact that today's lawyer's don't get to traipse up to the local county court to bump into all and sundry and have to sit nervously across the desk from the 'learned' District Judge.

Law sadly seems to be more about administration than justice these days.

So, how do I get my fill of advocacy? Yet more exams to convert to the Bar? Hmmmppph.

Getting older

2008-06-26T21:31:00.005+02:00

I went to the opticians a week ago for a check up. I hadn't been in ages.

The optician spent over an hour with me and said to me 'I'm sorry to tell you this, you've got blood vessels growing behind your eye'

I just shrugged my shoulders. So what? I've got loads of blood vessels.

Apparently I'd been wearing contact lenses for too long - 23 years from morning to night without a break. My eyes were sore, drying out and I needed to rest them.

The optician mentioned to me that my eyes had beens starved of oxygen with long term contact lens wear and if I carried on I could lose my sight.

Blimey.

I've got to be honest, I hated glasses years ago as I was so vain when I was a kid. Now, I'm 40 and just happy not to feel completely whacked out a the end of an evening. My eyes are incredibly valuable to me, and I don't want to lose them.

Glasses it is then! With very occasional contact lens wear.... very occasional

....actually they're really nice RayBan ones and I quite like 'em.

Lost in translation?

2008-06-21T18:40:00.001+02:00

This is my Adam Buxton inspired reworking of "A Gaelic blessing"

;-)

When does no mean no?

2008-06-20T14:37:00.003+02:00

...I suppose you could ask most females that question and they'd answer with aplomb.

I expect I know the answer to the question - "why does the male dominated populus of EU ministers not know the answer then?"

I place on record my distrust and general concern over most things EU. I go so far as to say I am a complete Euro-sceptic.

When you take the right of a referendum away from a country that's undemocratic and wrong, not just cynical of all things Euro.

When you have a country vote 'No' to the Lisbon Treaty - Ireland being the latest, you don't then question their integrity, talk about booting them out because you don't like what they say or simply look for a back door to ignore a democratically settled answer. Equally, I cannot understand the gall of our English Parliament ignoring the rights of its people to even have a referendum. At least Ireland took a vote - Brown simply signed the papers without a second thought. How's that representing a people? Knowing there's massive disquiet about the treaty, and simply swanning off without a bye or leave to sign the document quick before anyone notices? The worrying thing is, we all noticed.

When I represent a client at court and have a guilty verdict or Judgment against my client, I don't stand to my feet and say "Best of three your honour?" or decide to settle the dispute following Judgment by a game of paper, stone, scissors or noughts and crosses.

I studied EU law and was incredibly concerned about the things I learnt, from the legal perspective. European law demands - yes, demands sovereignty. National law has it's place - and it's below the whim of Europe.

Don't bother doing a Google search or looking at some half - wit's interpretation on Wikipedia. I'm not trying to be rude, but most of the garbage I hear people talk about that is Europe related is just that; garbage. Europe isn't about straight bananas and dusty books, it's insidious and now essentially entirely undemocratic....... and we're allowing this nonsense to happen. Talk about Europe in sceptical terms, and the right on gang snootily try to make you feel as though you're insulting the disabled.

Study it, or work in it for a year or point to a recognised scholarly article and then talk to me. So many people have such little interest or knowledge and it aggravates me. The things that millions fought for are being written off in the stroke of a pen. Why are we not screaming from the roof tops about this?!

I'm fiercely English first (before you shout, ask a Welsh or Scotsman that question), British second and do not consider myself in any way European. What do I have in common with a Latvian, Bulgarian or Polish person? The answer is simple - the same that an American has in common with someone from Venezuala, Peru or Chile. What? They're both from the same continent...

Why can't we all be proud of our heritage and fiercely protect our national pride? I do not want to be subsumed into a soup.

I'm sick to death of the fact that our Government is slowly but surely eroding our rights without taking a blind bit of notice of what the national voice says. Even if we say no, we can see that carries little or no truck. I don't want to live in a Totalatarian state. 1984 was 24 years ago.

In brief, the UK allows the EU to have sovereignty for the time being. We operate a dualist approach where we channel EU law into our system. If we don't want it, we walk away. Germany have the same approach. I think I've blogged this before... some academics suggest we're entrenched. I say we let the people decide once and for all with hopefully a much improved Government as quickly as possible.

I'm waiting for someone with a strong enough voice to kick Europe and it's bullying ways into touch. If not, sorry, I'm off.

The Orange Lights

2008-06-11T22:13:00.003+02:00

I saw a fabulous band play at the Barfly some months ago. There were very few folks that stayed around and Chris wanted to get off after his support. I think there were around seven of us left. I could see from the equipment on stage that the band that was to play obviously knew what they were up to.

I heard the Orange Lights play, and I was mesmorised by them.

The Orange Lights are one of those bands that just deserve better, like Hollow Horse. They're an amazingly tight, stupendously good set of lads who just make brilliant music.

You can see the band at KCRW - an LA radio station at this link here.

I really wish these lads well. I hope they break into the big time, they deserve it. The Keys player was with the Lighthouse family. I hope they make it even better and bigger. I Love 'em.

I've mailed them to ask permission to play them, but nothing at the moment, shame that.... if a network of a few dozen podcasters played with between 2,000 - 20,000 audience per week that's a heck of a lot more listeners than 5 or 6 at the grimy stage of the Barfly in the back of Birmingham.

I wish guys who played in great bads understood more about podcasting. We're not all in it for the money...

Loving Phreadz

2008-06-08T22:09:00.001+02:00

Loving this!

Send me your comments and files in the drop box to the left

2008-06-06T08:39:00.002+02:00

I love producing the podcast and keeping the blog and can't believe I'll be into my fourth year in December.

To everyone who has listened, contributed, taken part or even argued with me - thank you so much for taking the time.

You'll notice that I've added a link to the side of the page where you can drop files to me directly. Please feel ever so free to drop me your pic, comments, mp3's.

I can't believe I haven't put a mail link on the blog - until now! Keep your comments, files and everything else coming - I'd love to feature them in the show.

...and thanks again.

podcast173 podcastpaul.com

2008-06-04T22:22:00.002+02:00

Download the MP3 direct from here

Oops! Something went wrong with the feed / upload.

The show is right here, at the link at the top of the text.

Sorry about that!

;-)

podcast 173, PodcastPaul.com

2008-06-04T21:25:00.003+02:00

Download the show direct from here

Well praise the Lord and pass the party hats.... It's that special time again.

A fireside chat from yours truly with some corking music from the following artists:

The Working Title - Under the Ground.
Ethan Stone - Too Late
Robin Stine - Shy Boy
Jim's Big Ego - Stress
Ari Shine - Try a little harder

All music from the podsafe music network save for The Working Title who were lovely enough to send the track to me directly, thanks Jake!

I'm overwhelmed at the number of downloads of the show that are peaking at 10,000 per week /40,000 a month - thanks so much for listening and keeping it all worthwhile kids!

;-)

please send an email - paul@podcastpaul.com

musings

2008-06-04T09:20:00.002+02:00

I've woken up really tired today. I'm working from home and this afternoon will start the cumbersome, tiresome and tiring revision for exams next week. I've just three left; 10th, 13th and 19th June.

Yesterday lunchtime I went to the gym and swam. I haven't done that in an age. I really enjoyed it, but felt bushed around 8pm.

I think I'm going to try really hard to get to bed earlier, get up earlier and see if I can get to the gym before work. Even as I type, I know that this is a fated plan.. how do you keep motivated? It strikes me that I've kept up 4 gruelling years of uni - thre hour lectures twice weekly at the scabby campus in North Birmingham after a full days work. So how hard, in comparison is getting up a litle earlier and doing something I actually enjoy?

I can't work it out. Any answers? Does anyone who reads this actually have a gym regime? Are you able to keep the exercise up?

Listeners to the show...

2008-06-01T15:51:00.002+02:00

I knew I had some American fans, but didn't realise they were in such high places...