I didn’t feel like talking on this one so instead, I harkened back to the days when I expressed myself with a good ol’ fashioned mix tape. The whole thing is podsafe except for one song. See if you can guess which one it is.

Yesterday evening my right eye started bothering me, so I took out my contacts (which I normally wear for a couple weeks without removing) to give my eyes a rest. My eye actually started bothering me more when I took the lenses out, but not too bad so I didn’t think too much about it.

I woke up several times during the night with my eye really hurting and watering like crazy, it was insane, but I kept thinking it would probably be better by morning.

When I woke up at 6AM, the eye was still giving me problems, I could barely keep it opened and it was watering like crazy. I called in to work and planned on going to the eye doctor a couple blocks down 6th Avenue from my apartment. As the day has progressed, the eye has gotten much better, though it is still sensitive to light and really red. I decided not to go to the doctor.

Chances are good that this is not any big deal, but it is sad to me that people have to make this decision. “Do I want to eat this week, or do I want to go to the Doctor?” I have to make this decision right now, and it sucks even though I know that chances are good that this won’t be my financial situation forever. Some people have this dilemma all of their lives, while others have easy access to health care. I wonder how many people die from what could be minor health problems because they don’t have the money to check things out when problems first arise.

I know I am stating the obvious here, but do we ever think of it that simply?

“Some people have this dilemma all of their lives, while others have easy access to health care.”

This is Jamie Moffett’s film about the 7-alarm fire in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. The fire destroyed nine houses, caused over 100 people to be evacuated and left 400 families without power. One of the houses destroyed was a part of The Simple Way community who’s founder, Shane Claiborne, was on the show a few episodes back. Seeing the hope of the people in the neighborhood certainly puts things in perspective for me about the things in my life I feel hopeless about.

If you would like to help, stop by The Simple Way’s Website where there are links to various funds that have been set up to help all of the families affected by the fire.

Technorati Tags: The Simple Way, Shane Claiborne, Jaime Moffett, Potter Street Records, Philadelphia, Kensington

Subscribe in iTunes

RSS Feed

Subscribe in Podcast Ready

If you are looking for the interview with Joichi Ito from Creative Commons that I promised for today, I am afraid it is on hold due to a mistake in the recording of the conversation. Rather than launch a sub par show, I decided to redo the interview. Thankfully, Joi was gracious enough to agree to reschedule.

In the meantime, how ’bout a little MikeyPod homework? The documentary Good Copy, Bad Copy is what inspired me to invite Joi to be on the show in the first place. It’s only about an hour long, and provides a great backdrop for a conversation about Creative Commons. You can download it (legally) from the site linked above. Here’s the trailer:

Click To Play

Technorati Tags: creative commons, joi ito, mikeypod, podcasting

Joey and I pay a visit to Katz’s Delicatessen. Hilarity ensues.

Interesting point: this podcast could forever document the last time I ever ate meat.

Please forgive the background noise.

Technorati Tags: New York City, Joey Piscopo, Katz’s Deli, Podcasting, Mikeypod, Podcast Ready

Subscribe in iTunes

RSS Feed

Subscribe in Podcast Ready

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles will hear Troy’s case on Monday July 16th at 9:00am. They are the last entity that can spare his life. We can still affect their decision by sending a letter to the Board that will be read before the hearing begins. Now, you can send this letter on line.

Fill out the required information and send your support in for Troy.

This is our last push. To date, over 5,000 letters and postcards have been sent in on Troy’s behalf. Let’s make our voice heard even louder.

Please take this action on behalf of Troy and do your part to save this innocent man.

At last! the long awaited second half of my Greenpoint, Brooklyn tour with the Miss. Heather! This part of the tour includes the notorious “Rat King” House.

Here is the house before Rat King was “removed.”

And after:

Check out Miss Heather’s Flickr for more (and larger) pics.

Technorati Tags: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Miss Heather, Podcasting, sound-seeing, NYC, newyorkshitty, rats

Subscribe in iTunes

RSS Feed

Subscribe in Podcast Ready

Mike Hipp, the vegan sweetheart of queercasting joins me to talk about my decision to go vegan.

when men and women
straight and gay
whites and non-whites
begin to unite
when humans can treat non-human species with fairness and dignity
then, only then is there unity (of oppression)
-Consolidated, Unity of Oppression

Podcast Soup
Soy Candles By Phebes
Compassionate Cooks

Music:
Unity of Oppression - Consolidated
Don’t Kill The Animals - Lene Lovich and Nina Hagen
Assault and Battery - Howard Jones

Technorati Tags: vegan, vegetarian, animal rights, equality, podcasting, mikeypod, mike hipp, podcast soup, non-violence

Subscribe in iTunes

RSS Feed

Subscribe in Podcast Ready

Author and co-founder of The Simple Way Shane Claiborne joins me today on the podcast. Shane’s faith has carried him from leper colonies in Calcutta to Iraqi war zones. He lives his life in a way that shows us all that there is a different kind of Christianity brewing: one that practices what it preaches.

I wish the conversation Shane and I had could be shared between all people who are traditionally presumed to be “enemies.” I find it so important to continue this conversation and I sincerely hope that it spreads.

Music:
We Are All Lepers Here - Psalters
Amal - Psalters

Shane’s Books:
The Irresistable Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical)
Iraq Journal 2003

Technorati Tags: Shane Claiborne, Psalters, Jesus, Christianity, Homosexuality, Activism, The Simple Way, Podcasting

Subscribe in iTunes

RSS Feed

Subscribe in Podcast Ready

This is part one of my sound-seeing tour with Greenpoint’s Dog Shit Queen, Miss. Heather. newyorkshitty.com was the first blog I fell in love with when I moved to NYC, so I am so happy that she agreed to take me on this sound-seeing tour! it probably goes without saying, but just in case… this show is not work safe!

“This is the most disgusting pile of bum shit I have ever seen”

Photo courtesy of Miss Heather

I originally planned on editing all of this down to one show, but you guys always seem to love the longer sound-seeing tours, and I really couldn’t bear to cut any of this out. Part two will be up on Monday. Tomorrow I will talk with Mike Hipp about my decision to go vegan and then on Friday, if all goes well, I will be talking with Shane Claiborne from The Simple Way. (yay!) What a busy week! i guess that will make the Shane Claiborne show my 100th episode!

Links:
podcastready (register there with promo code “mikeypod” for a chance to win a video iPod!)
newyorkshitty.com
Sybarite on 4AD
Bed Stuy Blog

Technorati Tags: greenpoint, brooklyn, nyc, podcasting, sound-seeing, podcasting, podcast ready

Subscribe in iTunes

RSS Feed

Subscribe in Podcast Ready