Twenty-four links to podcasts from this digest issue are found in two formats here and here.
Living Arsenic NOT 67 mins – Biologist Rosie Redfield shares her work that shows a bacterium cannot grow on arsenic instead of phosphorus as has been previously claimed by NASA. Rosie’s blog started the refutation process. A German paper in English is noted as a resource for understanding how read such papers as those that proposed the arsenic breakthrough. The paper is only eleven pages long. Right click “TWiM #32” and select “Save Files As…” to download.
Eye Disease in China 14 mins – Increasing number of myopia cases, blindness, causes and prevention are discussed in “Listen to The Lancet: 04 May” Right click on “04may.mp3,” and select “Save File As…” to download.
Chinese Reforms and Economy Part I, 79 mins and Part II, 88 mins – (may have to use IE or Google Chrome; Firebox has trouble loading the download page…) The rapid pace of economic development in China over the last 30 years has begun to expose a new set of economic and social challenges. To deal with these challenges, China’s leaders will need to employ a new set of policy tools that may be very different from what has been successful in the past. In addition, China’s leaders must adapt to the growing influence of a broad array of non-state actors. The first panel with four members examines the reforms China should adopt to avoid the middle-income trap and the growing role of civil society in encouraging economic reforms. The second panel with five members focuses on significant structural adjustments to address key issues such rising labor costs, low household consumption, rapid urbanization, inefficient domestic investment, and international competition.
Commercial Radio Events 74 mins – Two radio pros discuss what they saw at the National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas to include interviews with vendors concerning streaming radio, high-definition definition radios, and transmitters. Most of the material applies to broadcast people who are authorized to use commercial airwaves, but note that some older wireless mikes are now illegal due to changes in frequency allocation. One vendor was Comrex which produces a 2-way A/V duplex device that looks like a bunch of Star Trek equipment. Look at the six minute video at their web site to see the small size and versatility. Right click ”Audio” and select “Save File As…” to download the audio file.
Dutch Squatters 26 mins – Squatters or krakers, as they’re known, have been a well established feature of Dutch life for decades. They occupied the peculiar Dutch space known as the ‘semi-legal’. A squatter just had to prove that a building had been empty for a year, then move in and call the police to make their claim official. However, in October 2010, a new anti-squat law came into being that aims to get squatters out of Dutch cities once and for all. The squatters feel they’re fighting for more than just their homes. They believe squatting is a lifestyle choice and a philosophy. They’re not about to let it go that easily. Right click on the tiny down-arrow at the right end of the online listening bar and select “Save File As…” to download.
Group Think 52 mins – If two is company and three a crowd, what’s the ideal number to write a play or invent a new operating system? Some say you need groups to be creative. Others disagree: breakthroughs come only in solitude. Hear both sides, and find out why you always have company even when alone: meet the “parliament of selves” that drive your brain’s decision-making. Five experts provide their insights. Find “Group Think” on the site, right-click “Media files BiPiSci12-04-30.mp3” and select “Save File As…” to download.
Chinese Money Control 51 mins – The first segment in this Marketplace digest concerns how money is controlled in China. Chinese cannot buy foreign stock so they funnel surplus cash into art. Cash must be paid for everything which leads to suitcase loads being taken into a car dealer. Right click “Download audio” and select “Save File As…” to download the file.
Export U.S. Liquified Natural Gas? 97 mins -Assessing the Case for U.S. Exports of Liquefied Natural Gas. The boom in domestic natural gas production raised the prospect of exporting it. Proponents argue it would provide valuable foreign exchange income, a strategic asset for U.S. foreign policy, and a source of economic growth and job creation. Some opponents contend exporting U.S. gas would increase domestic natural gas prices, resulting in higher prices and reduced domestic competitiveness. The Energy Security Initiative at Brookings (ESI) conducted a year-long study into the feasibility and implications of potential U.S. LNG exports and released a 47 page report, the basis for this discussion with three of the report’s expert task force. Right click “Download” and select “Save File As…” to get the audio file.
Women in Conflicts 72 mins – Four panelists discuss how in conflict situations from Georgia to Colombia and Sri Lanka women play critical roles during and after conflict, as combatants, survivors, heads of household, community leaders and peace builders. The United Nations and Switzerland, amongst others, have recognized the importance of the role of women in these contexts by passing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and implementing it in the framework of the Swiss Action Plan “Women, Peace and Security.” However, in many instances women’s diverse concerns and contributions still remain marginalized.
Turkey 88 mins – On May 2, the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings (CUSE) hosted a discussion with former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. In his remarks, Brzezinski offered perspectives from his new book, Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power (Basic Books, 2012), on how the United States and Europe can better engage with Turkey. Participants in Turkey and at Brookings were able to ask him questions.
Food Venders 14 mins – In New York City, roughly 3,000 food trucks compete for the business of hungry office workers. Being in the right spot means the difference between fortune and ruin. Six of the many rules to finding that perfect parking space are presented. Go to the page, find “#366: How to Make It in the Food Truck Business,” then right click on “npr_ 151564413.mp3” and select “Save Link As…”
Six Principles of High Achievement 40 mins – Dr. Moira Gunn chats with author and psychologist, Rom Brafman about his new book, “Succeeding When You’re Supposed to Fail” and the six principles of high achievement.
Community Wireless 18 mins – Sascha Meinrath has been described as a “community Internet pioneer” and an “entrepreneurial visionary” and is a well-known expert on community wireless networks and municipal broadband. In an effort to increase the number of consumers who readily use the Internet, Meinrath suggests a system of bandwidth that is provided by advertisers and application sources. The talk is rather vague but his organization is futuristic. His website, Commotion, is described as an open source “device-as-infrastructure” communication platform that integrates users’ existing cell phones, Wi-Fi enabled computers, and other wireless-capable devices to create community and metro-scale, peer-to-peer communications networks.
Biodegradable Metals 21 mins – Four specialists in biomechanics and biomaterials from the U.S., Canada and Germany discusses their research in biodegradable metals and potential clinical applications. Reference is made to several acronyms such as the ERC or IRG or IRC that are not explained. For example, the ERC could be the European Research Council. One historical note of interest is the use of magnesium thread from an early flash bulb to suture the ends of blood vessels. Right click “RegenMedToday_108Apr2012.mp3” and select “Save File As…” to download the file.
Honduras Murders 23 mins – Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world. Linda Pressly profiles the People’s Funeral Service – a unique organization offering succor in a sea of violence. Find “DocArchive: A Death in Honduras,” right-click on “docarchive_20120503-0100a.mp3” and select “Save File As…” to download.
Small Acts – Big Impacts 57 mins – This special lecture offers insights from two leaders creating impact through entrepreneurship. Founder Elizabeth Samara-Rubio explains how her company, StorWatts, aims to provide distributed energy storage to millions around the world, while YouNoodle entrepreneur Rebeca Hwang tells stories of her early field experiences which formed her passion for social entrepreneurship. This link has details on the speakers, if the podcast leaves you confused in that admirable goals are presented, but no actual products.
Carl Jung Part 1 and 2, 54 mins each – Bound in red-leather, a hand-written and vividly illustrated manuscript by Carl Jung documents what he called his “confrontation with the unconscious,” beginning around World War I. It was, he claimed, the source of all his later thinking in psychology. But the extent of his dreams, fantasies, arguments, and encounters were revealed only when the astonishing Red Book was published in 2009. Yet he never published it during his lifetime – he died at the age of 85 in 1961. Find “Red Book, Part 1 … Part 2,” right click “Download…” and select “Save File As…” to download each part.
Ham Radio Activities 62 mins – Three older ham operators host a discussion about amateur radio activities which includes a group of kids talking to the International Space Station for ten minutes, and the Contest University at the Dayton Hamvention which, an educational hamfest with thirteen professors, 250 students and a 350 page text-book. Events called special event stations are discussed with an example of one in Springfield, Illinois where more than 400 Boy Scouts walked 25 miles from New Salem, IL to Springfield to reproduce Lincoln’s routine walk to get law books for his studies. Interviews with four guests are included. Mobile.KY5U.net is mentioned as an unusual web site, but not noted is the need to view it on a mobile phone rather than a PC. Find the download audio and right-click the “audio” and select “Save File As…” to download the file.
Cloud Storage II 94 mins – Security Now provides more cloud storage options. Skydrive free storage is bumped up to 25 GB. Synform will store up to 200 GB “shared” storage where you get as much as you give. SME Storage is an aggregator of free fragments for PC and mobile. Unrelated intro comments cover the first eighteen minutes, then a few minutes about cloud storage which dies off after a few minutes and resumes at the 32 minute mark with Cloudfogger, followed by BoxCrypter which uses Amazon’s S3 storage you pay for, and then ARQ as a Mac font end. TrueCrypt is pointed out for use with any cloud system. Find “Security Now 351: Back to the Cloud,” right click on “Media files sn0351.mp3” and select “Save File As…” to download. P.S. Gibson in a later SN episode praised Duplicati, another manager.
Future of Banking 44 mins – Bill Harris former CEO of PayPal and Intuit, and now the CEO of personalcapital.com for iPhone is interviewed about the future of banking, current banking operation, trends and prospects, such as moneyless banking.
E-book Evolution 11 mins – J.M. Carnright, artist and futuristic novelist, talks about his new e-book, Aria Hahn. But as he explains, it is an e-book with a difference that could change the way we read. It is only for iPhone users and must be purchased through the App Store, but neither it nor a price could be found there. The book includes 648 pages and over 40 minutes of cinema/music and special effects.
The 88 feeds used to prepare this weekly blog are gathered using Feedreader3 and are available as a opm file at Google Docs. Free Commander is used to compare old and new downloads to remove duplicates. MP3SpeedChanger is used to change playback speed of multiple files as a batch.
Thanks for visiting.
Media Mining Digest 