Getting Better Acquainted

In GBA 91 we get better acquainted with Christmas (again). It's the 2012 Christmas Special: A festive curiosity once again full of intimacy, doubt, shared history, music & cheer.

This year though it's much more NSFW.

It's a longform true story of the trip I took to Amsterdam with my mum in 2005.

It features a man in a Gorilla suit wearing a strap on, my mum teaching me how to look at art, a sex worker telling me I'm not a good writer, a moment of closure in my relationship with both Christmas and my mother, a classic weed freak out, beautiful churches and lobster for Christmas dinner.

DISCLAIMER:This contains reference to actions which are not legal in this country but are legal in Holland and it should go without saying that I have never and would never do anything that is illegal in this county.

The audio was originally told via skype to Kevin Allison (http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-90-kevin-allison) from Risk! (http://risk-show.com/)

It's has been edited and scored by me, using music from many music projects that I've done over the years, and a few samples.

The episode ends with a Christmas song I wrote a few years back called "Time to be Nice" Here it is in video form: http://youtu.be/UiPXNO7WJAQ

This is my other Christmas song in video form: Ghosts of... http://youtu.be/XqCKfOwA9vE

This is a true story I told at Spark London that focuses on an incident that is touched on as back story in this episode: http://www.mixcloud.com/sparklondon/two-cathedrals-david-pickering/

Last year's episode focused on how I learned to love (albeit a highly neurotic and ambiguous love) the season despite its past crimes against my childhood. Here it is: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-christmas-special

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!

(There will be no GBA next week. It will return on the 2nd of January 2013.)

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 90 we get better acquainted with Kevin Allison. We link up between London and New York via Skype and talk storytelling, comedy, BDSM, what to do when expecting a hurricane, where sexuality and religion meet, The State, polyamory, being recognised in the street, how making his podcast Risk! has transformed his life and more!

http://risk-show.com/

https://twitter.com/RISKshow

Kevin Plugs:

The Story Studio: http://thestorystudio.org/

https://twitter.com/StoryStudioNYC

Follow him on twitter:

https://twitter.com/TheKevinAllison

3 non Kevin related Risk stories I really, really, really recommend:

http://risk-show.com/podcast/in-my-own-skin/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/mani-sheriar/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/danny-lobell/

Mentioned:

Kevin's Kink Camp Saga:

http://risk-show.com/podcast/kevin-goes-to-kink-camp-part-1/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/kevin-goes-to-kink-camp-2/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/beyond-kink-camp-part-1/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/beyond-kink-camp-part-2/

His recent story:

http://risk-show.com/podcast/the-god-problem/

Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan, Ph.D. AND Cacilda Jethá, M.D. (apologies for only remembering one authors name!):

Tangentially Speaking: http://feralaudio.com/show/tangentially-speaking-with-dr-christopher-ryan/

Christopher Ryan and Dan Savage:

http://www.thestranger.com/SavageLovePodcast/archives/2010/07/06/savage-love-episode-194

http://www.thestranger.com/SavageLovePodcast/archives/2010/10/27/savage-love-episode-210

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today at http://www.stitcher.com or in the app stores.

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 90 we get better acquainted with Kevin Allison. We link up between London and New York via Skype and talk storytelling, comedy, BDSM, what to do when expecting a hurricane, where sexuality and religion meet, The State, polyamory, being recognised in the street, how making his podcast Risk! has transformed his life and more!

http://risk-show.com/

https://twitter.com/RISKshow

Kevin Plugs:

The Story Studio: http://thestorystudio.org/

https://twitter.com/StoryStudioNYC

Follow him on twitter:

https://twitter.com/TheKevinAllison

3 non Kevin related Risk stories I really, really, really recommend:

http://risk-show.com/podcast/in-my-own-skin/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/mani-sheriar/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/danny-lobell/

Mentioned:

Kevin's Kink Camp Saga:

http://risk-show.com/podcast/kevin-goes-to-kink-camp-part-1/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/kevin-goes-to-kink-camp-2/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/beyond-kink-camp-part-1/

http://risk-show.com/podcast/beyond-kink-camp-part-2/

His recent story:

http://risk-show.com/podcast/the-god-problem/

Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan, Ph.D. AND Cacilda Jethá, M.D. (apologies for only remembering one authors name!):

Tangentially Speaking: http://feralaudio.com/show/tangentially-speaking-with-dr-christopher-ryan/

Christopher Ryan and Dan Savage:

http://www.thestranger.com/SavageLovePodcast/archives/2010/07/06/savage-love-episode-194

http://www.thestranger.com/SavageLovePodcast/archives/2010/10/27/savage-love-episode-210

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today at http://www.stitcher.com or in the app stores.

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 89 we get better acquainted with Laraby. She talks about how storytelling and class have shaped her life, of her journey from poverty in the Lower East Side of New York to relative comfort in South London.

This journey has taken her from an unstable home in the ghetto, Children’s Homes, running away at 14 to find a new life, the music industry, an Ivy League University, writing, immigration, working with young offenders, completing the citizenship test and so much more!

Laraby Plugs:

Penny Arcade: BITCH! DYKE! FAGHAG! WHORE! at The Albany 15-23rd December 2012: http://www.thealbany.org.uk/event_detail/893/Theatre/Penny-Arcade-B!D!F!W!

Laraby's Spark Story (told on the night we met): http://www.mixcloud.com/sparklondon/tit-trauma-laraby/

Mentioned:

Spark London: http://www.sparklondon.com/

The Moth: http://themoth.org/

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today at http://www.stitcher.com or in the app stores.

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 89 we get better acquainted with Laraby. She talks about how storytelling and class have shaped her life, of her journey from poverty in the Lower East Side of New York to relative comfort in South London.

This journey has taken her from an unstable home in the ghetto, Children’s Homes, running away at 14 to find a new life, the music industry, an Ivy League University, writing, immigration, working with young offenders, completing the citizenship test and so much more!

Laraby Plugs:

Penny Arcade: BITCH! DYKE! FAGHAG! WHORE! at The Albany 15-23rd December 2012: http://www.thealbany.org.uk/event_detail/893/Theatre/Penny-Arcade-B!D!F!W!

Laraby's Spark Story (told on the night we met): http://www.mixcloud.com/sparklondon/tit-trauma-laraby/

Mentioned:

Spark London: http://www.sparklondon.com/

The Moth: http://themoth.org/

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today at http://www.stitcher.com or in the app stores.

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 88 we get better acquainted with Alex. He talks about his childhood in Bahrain and Jordan, friendship, philosophy, being a "stay at home dad" & lots more!

We knew each other at university but were estranged for quite some years. We reconnect with each other and check in with where each other have got to, and address some of our similarities and differences, finally racing against time to get in our conversation before the microphone runs out of space!

He is the second Alex to have appeared on the show.

Alex Plugs:

An Intimate History of Humanity by Theodore Zeldin: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intimate-History-Humanity-Theodore-Zeldin/dp/0749396237

Errata: An Examined Life by George Steiner: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Errata-examined-life-George-Steiner/dp/0753804697

An Unbearable Lightness of Being: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unbearable-Lightness-Being-Milan-Kundera/dp/0571135390

Mentioned:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today at http://www.stitcher.com or in the app stores.

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 88 we get better acquainted with Alex. He talks about his childhood in Bahrain and Jordan, friendship, philosophy, being a "stay at home dad" & lots more!

We knew each other at university but were estranged for quite some years. We reconnect with each other and check in with where each other have got to, and address some of our similarities and differences, finally racing against time to get in our conversation before the microphone runs out of space!

He is the second Alex to have appeared on the show.

Alex Plugs:

An Intimate History of Humanity by Theodore Zeldin: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intimate-History-Humanity-Theodore-Zeldin/dp/0749396237

Errata: An Examined Life by George Steiner: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Errata-examined-life-George-Steiner/dp/0753804697

An Unbearable Lightness of Being: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unbearable-Lightness-Being-Milan-Kundera/dp/0571135390

Mentioned:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today at http://www.stitcher.com or in the app stores.

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 88 we get better acquainted with Alex. He talks about his childhood in Bahrain and Jordan, friendship, philosophy, being a "stay at home dad" & lots more!

We knew each other at university but were estranged for quite some years. We reconnect with each other and check in with where each other have got to, and address some of our similarities and differences, finally racing against time to get in our conversation before the microphone runs out of space!

He is the second Alex to have appeared on the show.

Alex Plugs:

An Intimate History of Humanity by Theodore Zeldin: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intimate-History-Humanity-Theodore-Zeldin/dp/0749396237

Errata: An Examined Life by George Steiner: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Errata-examined-life-George-Steiner/dp/0753804697

An Unbearable Lightness of Being: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unbearable-Lightness-Being-Milan-Kundera/dp/0571135390

Mentioned:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today at http://www.stitcher.com or in the app stores.

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

This is the Questions and Answers conversation that I had with the audience at the talk I did for In the Dark at the Invisible Picture Palace on "In Conversation" podcasting.

You can hear that talk here: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-87-in-conversation

Original Blurb:

Independent podcaster Dave Pickering presents a discussion of the “in conversation” podcast genre, focusing on what makes these conversations different from interviews that take place in mainstream media. He’ll play highlights from some of the best examples of these podcasts and include some extracts from his own conversation based show, Getting Better Acquainted.

Dave’s work was nominated for the Sony Best Internet Programme Award in 2009 and the Best Online Creator Award in the 2012 Radio Production Awards. GBA was recently featured on Helen and Olly’s Required Listening on Radio 5 Live.

Dave has a day job and works in many other mediums but is a passionate audio creator who wants to involve you in the conversation.

This presentation will be recorded and eventually posted as an episode of the GBA podcast.

The Invisible Picture Palace: http://invisiblepicturepalace.com/

SHOW NOTES:

GBA Episodes referred to:

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-radcliffe-episodes

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-86-reuben

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-extra-after-dinner-dreams

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-17-cardiff

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-38-karl-james

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-dad-episodes/

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-jen-episodes/

Other references:

Karl James: http://vimeo.com/20141340 / The Story: http://thestory.org.uk/ The Dialogue Project: http://www.thedialogueproject.com/

Alan Hall: http://www.fallingtree.co.uk/production_team/alan_hall

Karl James In Conversation with Tourettes Hero: http://soundcloud.com/thedialogueproject/happy-birthday

Mac Maron and Louis CK in conversation:

WTF with Marc Maron Episode 111/112: http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-111-louis-ck-part-1

http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-112-louis-c-k-part-2

The Mental Illness Happy Hour: http://mentalpod.com/

WTF with Marc Maron: http://www.wtfpod.com/

You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes: http://www.nerdist.com/podcast/you-made-it-weird/

Short Cuts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mk3f8

Wiretap: http://www.pri.org/wiretap.html

David Weinberg: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19546096

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/random-tape/id491990698

Melvin Bragg / Dennis Potter: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/video/2007/sep/11/dennis.potter NOTE: Incorrectly remembered by me as being in a back garden!!!

Radiolab: http://www.radiolab.org/series/podcasts/

Strangers KCRW: http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/sg

On Being: http://www.onbeing.org/

Rosanne Cash: http://www.onbeing.org/program/rosanne-cash-time-traveler/1048

Radiolab Yellow Rain Issue:

http://www.radiolab.org/2012/sep/24/

http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archive/2012/10/science-racism-radiolabs-treatment-hmong-experience

http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blogland/2012/sep/26/yellow-rain/

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/archive/2012/09/why_the_radiolab_interview_wen.shtml

This American Life – Mike Daisey: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/blog/2012/03/retracting-mr-daisey-and-the-apple-factory

In the Dark Radio: http://www.inthedarkradio.org/

Jessie Levene: http://jessielevene.com/

Falling Tree: http://www.fallingtree.co.uk/

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today

This is the Questions and Answers conversation that I had with the audience at the talk I did for In the Dark at the Invisible Picture Palace on "In Conversation" podcasting.

You can hear that talk here: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-87-in-conversation

Original Blurb:

Independent podcaster Dave Pickering presents a discussion of the “in conversation” podcast genre, focusing on what makes these conversations different from interviews that take place in mainstream media. He’ll play highlights from some of the best examples of these podcasts and include some extracts from his own conversation based show, Getting Better Acquainted.

Dave’s work was nominated for the Sony Best Internet Programme Award in 2009 and the Best Online Creator Award in the 2012 Radio Production Awards. GBA was recently featured on Helen and Olly’s Required Listening on Radio 5 Live.

Dave has a day job and works in many other mediums but is a passionate audio creator who wants to involve you in the conversation.

This presentation will be recorded and eventually posted as an episode of the GBA podcast.

The Invisible Picture Palace: http://invisiblepicturepalace.com/

SHOW NOTES:

GBA Episodes referred to:

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-radcliffe-episodes

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-86-reuben

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-extra-after-dinner-dreams

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-17-cardiff

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-38-karl-james

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-dad-episodes/

http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-jen-episodes/

Other references:

Karl James: http://vimeo.com/20141340 / The Story: http://thestory.org.uk/ The Dialogue Project: http://www.thedialogueproject.com/

Alan Hall: http://www.fallingtree.co.uk/production_team/alan_hall

Karl James In Conversation with Tourettes Hero: http://soundcloud.com/thedialogueproject/happy-birthday

Mac Maron and Louis CK in conversation:

WTF with Marc Maron Episode 111/112: http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-111-louis-ck-part-1

http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-112-louis-c-k-part-2

The Mental Illness Happy Hour: http://mentalpod.com/

WTF with Marc Maron: http://www.wtfpod.com/

You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes: http://www.nerdist.com/podcast/you-made-it-weird/

Short Cuts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mk3f8

Wiretap: http://www.pri.org/wiretap.html

David Weinberg: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19546096

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/random-tape/id491990698

Melvin Bragg / Dennis Potter: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/video/2007/sep/11/dennis.potter NOTE: Incorrectly remembered by me as being in a back garden!!!

Radiolab: http://www.radiolab.org/series/podcasts/

Strangers KCRW: http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/sg

On Being: http://www.onbeing.org/

Rosanne Cash: http://www.onbeing.org/program/rosanne-cash-time-traveler/1048

Radiolab Yellow Rain Issue:

http://www.radiolab.org/2012/sep/24/

http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archive/2012/10/science-racism-radiolabs-treatment-hmong-experience

http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blogland/2012/sep/26/yellow-rain/

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/archive/2012/09/why_the_radiolab_interview_wen.shtml

This American Life – Mike Daisey: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/blog/2012/03/retracting-mr-daisey-and-the-apple-factory

In the Dark Radio: http://www.inthedarkradio.org/

Jessie Levene: http://jessielevene.com/

Falling Tree: http://www.fallingtree.co.uk/

You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond.

On-demand and on the go!

Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free today at http://www.stitcher.com or in the app stores.

Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review?

Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!