A Storied Life

#76 - Kobo vs Kindle

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:03:31 -0400

his Podcast is comprised of comments from a discussion thread amongst my long time Computer person Beer Matinée group EMCC. The debate was between the Kindle and a Kobo e-readers.

#75 - Why I Don't Buy African Violet Show Plants

sonia@soniabrock.com — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 14:22:08 -0400

All it's efforts have been thwarted until that special Countdown-to-Show clock begins ticking and they are finally allowed to bloom. They will never be this perfect again.

#74 - Insulin and Me

sonia@soniabrock.com — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:08:43 -0400

How I came to terms with Diabetes II

#73 - The Crash

sonia@soniabrock.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:22:07 -0500

Not the Stock Market but my Hard Drive
Plus some bits and pieces on Paint Shop Pro, Incredimail and Photoshop

#72 - On Depression

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:33:41 -0500

A trip backwards in time to describe depression and those I've know who have had it.

#71 - On Linking

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 1 Nov 2008 16:37:01 -0400

When I started surfing the web in the 1980s the Internet and Linking were very new.

#69 - Familiar Sayings

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:38:29 -0400

CORRECTION: this item now has the correct sound file.
"Do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb?" was a familiar saying back in my hometown of Chatham, Ontario. The joke answer was "Not if it's in cans!" Here are some familiar sayings from my own and other families.

#70 - Random Acts

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 11:45:10 -0400

I have witnessed random acts of psychological violence from time to time.

#68 - Voices

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:19:35 -0400

On the power of the human voice in radio and in war gaming.

#67 - Photoshop and Me

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:42:41 -0400

Photoshop and Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) While learning the intricacies of Photoshop I apply the knowledge attained to a new hobby - Artist Trading Cards

#66 - Computing and The Wicnic

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:40:10 -0400

When computers were new at the office and, also, the Wicnic (Wiccan Picnic)

#65 - Seashells

sonia@soniabrock.com — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 16:25:39 -0500

About Seashells, Weaving, Painting, Pottery and most of all about Hobby fever.

#01 - Chatham Days

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 8 Dec 2007 10:15:19 -0500

My teenage years in Chatham, Ontario

#17 - Chatham Stories

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 8 Dec 2007 09:52:34 -0500

Reminiscences of early days in Chatham, Ontario

#04 - Introduction

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 8 Dec 2007 09:18:42 -0500

I introduce myself.

#64 - Crossing the Line

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 15:54:00 -0500

A moral decision led to my facing a screaming mob of Strikers.

#63 - My Virtual Life

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:56:34 -0400

I live online, in a sense, and many of my friends are people I have met online, either through the earlier Bulletin Board Systems or in various Forums, here there and everywhere.

#62 - Harassment

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 3 Jun 2007 13:05:41 -0400

A tangled tale of sexual harassment, management fumbling the ball and an attempted deed of daring do.

#61 - Angel Dust

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 13 May 2007 11:23:11 -0400

A short, anecdotal podcast about a love triangle involving a psychiatrist, his wife, their pet ape and the poison, Thallium.

#60 - The Chitlin Circuit

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 12:06:55 -0400

The Urban Entertainment Circuit aka the Chitlin Circuit played in theaters catering to primarily black audiences across the United States.
I include some memories from a night at the Apollo Theater in New York City.

#59 - Stuff

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Mon, 2 Apr 2007 13:01:13 -0400

A lifetime of collecting has left me with too much stuff.

#58 - Les Deux Megots

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:54:33 -0400

A very special place in a very special time. A New York city Lower East Side coffeehouse in the 1960's. I was there.

Here's a special Link to more on Les Deux Megots
http://www.chefjuke.com/mom/drop1a.html

#57 - On Gambling

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:48:03 -0400

Where I learn about the evils of gambling at an early age.

#56 - On Aging

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 08:46:11 -0400

On achieving the age of 70 I do a reality check.

#55 - A Winter's Tale

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:04:23 -0400

Stories from my life involving winter and ice storms and cold.

#54 - Thieves and Rogues

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 14:36:38 -0400

Thieves and rogues I have know including the story of the saddest small thief

#53 - Burlesque

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 09:02:51 -0400

I had never been to Burlesque and I wanted to see what it was like. We went downtown to this hall that was like an old movie palace. There was even a pit orchestra, absolutely essential for emphasizing bumps and grinds and for the drumrolls etc need by the comedians for their punchlines.

Keywords: burlesque, skirt dance, vaudeville

#51 - Danny Marks Interview

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 14:11:52 -0400

#51 - Danny Marks Interview
I have guested for several years on Danny Marks BLUZ FM on www.jazz.fm Here's an interview with Danny which included 3 song tracks.

#50 - Knitting

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:37:26 -0400

Adventures in yarn. Knit I must and I find it is a very sociable pursuit.,Transcript

#49 - Fortune Telling

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 16:02:10 -0400

My adventures learning to tell fortunes. Beware what you say it may come true, as in the self-fulfilling prophecy.

#48 - My Aunt Gertie

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 16:02:05 -0400

My Aunt Gertie was a stickler for perfection. She had standards and let you know it.

#47 - Tara, the cat, and Knitting

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 15:12:46 -0400

I have a cat-sized hole in my life that knitting, in part, helps to fill.

#46 - All That Jazz

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:23:38 -0400

Jazz in New York City in the 60's

#45 - My Parents Visit Me in New York City

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:15:01 -0400

It's a long trip from the corn and tobacco fields of Chatham, Ontario, Canada to the Lower East Side of New York City.

We attempt to bridge the culture gap with mixed success.

#44 - Radical Songs from the 60's

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 08:02:34 -0400

Spanish Civil War Songs, Union Songs and a Country and Western version of the International.

#43 - Fads and Foods from the 50s

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 17:21:07 -0400

Winkles, Smelt, Finnan Haddie, Wrestling, and Living Better through Chemistry

#42 - Selling Online

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 6 Jun 2006 10:45:22 -0400

For a year I was an active seller on eBay and, for books, on abebooks. Here's a tale of how I fared and how it isn't easy.

Keywords: selling online, ebay, abebooks

#41 - The Work of the Weavers

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 20 May 2006 11:48:31 -0400

Extreme panic as sewing machine malfunctions. On sewing and purses and the need to do so. Sewing from patterns and from my own designs is puzzle solving for me. Each completed project is a puzzle unraveled so to speak. I enjoy this.

#40 - Turn Your Radio On

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 4 May 2006 08:12:57 -0400

How I adopted a radio program
- Danny Marks' Bluz Fm on
www.jazz.fm 91.1 on Toronto's FM dial
8:00 pm to Midnight on Saturdays

#39 - Mutual Aid

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:12:52 -0400

People and books which changed my life -Ghandi, George Washington Carver and Peter Kropotkin.

#38 - Vampires

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 4 Apr 2006 06:40:29 -0400

Vampires I have known in film, fiction and fact. An overview on dimensions of need.

#37 - Guild Wars

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Mon, 3 Apr 2006 22:06:24 -0400

My online addiction to a massive multi-player war game. An entertaining look at a new way of socializing and a game complexity that rivals chess to some degree.

#36 - Audience

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 11:46:34 -0400

Music at its best is defined by a special synergy between audience and performer.
This is a look back at some special audiences I have known.
Web address update added.

#35 - Nothin' But The Blues

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 16:41:50 -0400

The Blues have been background music for my life. Kept me going when times were tough. This podcast is a short tribute to the Blues

#34 - Precious Memories

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:43:24 -0400

How to Get Your Granny or your Senior Citizen Mum to Podcast Her Memories

#33 - Preaching to the Choir

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 09:38:03 -0400

When you join a church you get instant community, a village. I joined both a local Anglican church and their choir where I, a female, got to sing with the baritones because I had a low voice and couldn't sing parts.

#32 - River Road

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:06:28 -0400

River Road
Towards the end of WWII we lived on River Road in Chatham, Ontario. This is the story of how I saved my sister from a ferocious sow who was defending her piglets. Here also is the sad tale of Rooster Booster and more....

# 31 - War Games

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 16:18:43 -0400

I am a war gamer on and off the Net. This is a look back on this area of fun and games

#30 - Day of the Brain Dead Mall

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 25 Dec 2005 15:03:58 -0400

A mild rant on the working life of the marginally intelligent.

#29 - Christmas Memories

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:17:20 -0400

Lincoln Logs and Pickup Sticks and a private audience with Santa Claus in the snow.

#28 - Listening In - Some Thoughts on World Radio

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 15:55:42 -0400

To say I'm a radio fan is an understatement. I listen in all kinds of ways. Sometimes I lose track of how many ways I listen.
I have a fairly extensive website and on it are some pages of interest to the listener.
My listen live links where you can choose a radio station to listen to is at
http://www.quartette.com/sunny/listen-live.htm

I have a page for world radio at
http://www.quartette.com/sunny/world-radio.htm

#27 - New York City, Junkies and Narrow Escapes

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 01:31:17 -0400

New York City's Lower East Side in the '60s was kind of rough and this Podcast reflects that.

#26 - NYC and Bitsy the cat's cartoon-like escape

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 1 Dec 2005 15:22:59 -0400

In New York City my cat narrowly escapes a hot bath. Introduced, suitably enough given the current headlines, by a blues number involving tenements and bedbugs.

#25 - The Russia Trade

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 15:23:43 -0400

Running a website for the Canada Russia Business Forum

MP3s on new server

Will the Circle Be Unbroken (song)

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 11:02:03 -0400

Will the Circle Be Unbroken" is a longtime favorite of mine.

#24 - Ghosts

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:55:44 -0400

How I came to haunt myself and other ghost stories.

MP3s on new server

#23 - My Radical Days

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 15:06:49 -0400

My Anarchist days in New York City and later, in Toronto

MP3s on new server

#22 - My Father, William Fricker

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Mon, 7 Nov 2005 15:26:56 -0400

A family secret and stories of WWI and WWII. Leap Castle in Ireland and a smelly ghost!
Leap Castle has a weird reputation for frightening hauntings.
An evil-smelling creature, half human and half beast, exuding
an abominable stench, is said to roam its lower regions.

#21 - Traditional Jazz, Vince Hickey and the Blues

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 15:27:40 -0400

Getting started in traditional music.

MP3s on new server

#20 - African Violets, Tough Love

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 14:03:55 -0400

This Podcast is about growing African Violets. You have been warned.

MP3s on new server

#19 - Martial Arts, eh

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 8 Oct 2005 13:57:06 -0400

I signed up at a Tae Kwon Do gym.

Now started a more rigorous physical regimen unfamiliar to my office sedentary body.
It was like paying to join the Marines.

#18 - Ma Gov

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 4 Oct 2005 14:53:39 -0400

Some tales out of school about working for the Canadian Federal Government

MP3s on new server

#16 - 1960's Reunion of Victoria Spivey & Lonnie Johnson at Gerdes Folk City

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:35:14 -0400

The 60's folk boom and a magical reunion of two great blues artists at Gerdes in New York City

#15 - CB Radio Days

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 11:52:29 -0400

Early adventures in radio. Dungeons and Dragons over the CB Radio.

MP3s on new server

#14 - Port Dover, Ontario in the 1920s - Part 3

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 14:28:49 -0400

My mother's step grandfather, Frank Faulkner and other Port Dover relatives.

#13 - Port Dover in the 1920's - with some perilous escapes.

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 14:47:29 -0400

Family Life in the 1920's in Port Dover and St. Thomas, Ontario - with some perilous escapes.

#12 - My Mother's Grandmother - Mary Faulkner

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 12:52:53 -0400

A trip back in time to 1915 or thereabouts from my mother, Phyllis Fricker's memoirs.

#11 - How I Almost Became a Folk Singer in the 1960s

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 14:55:44 -0400

I discovered that folk music consisted primarily of three chords and, guess what? I knew three chords on the ukelele!

#10 - Magick

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 16:10:11 -0400

Magick happens to you. When you focus you embody the center of your focus, which changes your world view and that ends up changing your world.

#52 - Diabetes, eh?

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 14:13:15 -0400

Diabetes seeks out the weaker parts of your body and produces symptoms there The doctor said it looked like I had full fledged Diabetes II.

Well, darn! r

#09 - Cloth Dolls

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 11 Sep 2005 12:47:34 -0400

When I was smaller my mother used to read me the Raggedy Ann stories and the most fascinating part for me was, when the people were away, the dolls would stop pretending to be not alive and 'come to life

#08 - How I Got Into Podcasting

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 10:04:01 -0400

I got an Mp3 Player and had to put something in it. I already listened a lot to Internet radio shows, especially talk shows.

#07 - My Prison Pen Pal

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Thu, 8 Sep 2005 12:31:47 -0400

On death row in Raiford, Florida I spotted a man called Tod, an artist who read science fiction.

#06 - My Early Days with Computers

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Sun, 4 Sep 2005 10:41:21 -0400

How early adoption of computer technology changed my life, for the better, I should add.

#04 - Atikameg

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Fri, 2 Sep 2005 08:49:49 -0400

I went to live on a Cree Indian Reservation 200 miles north of Edmonton, Alberta.

#03 - I Will Always Be A Member of the Bloody Pirates Club

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 07:23:20 -0400

My father always wanted a boy. This was common knowledge in the family. I was the first born and the first disappointment. As soon as I was old enough to understand the problem I determined to remedy the matter by becoming a very thorough tomboy.

#02 - New York City - Dobro Guitar

sonia@soniabrock.com (Sonia Brock) — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 21:55:45 -0400

How I learned to play guitar using a high-action dobro guitar

MP3s on new server