Shows
Blind Guys Chat#129: Mind your P's and Q's!Hello and welcome to BCG129. Jan is off soaking up the rays with his family so Mo and Óran are home alone with Clodagh babysitting them. Mo is about to go on his own holidays, he is off to Berlin all on his own! Will he be ok? Will he be able to find the hotel all by himself? Do the German women need to lock their doors? And what is a museum island? None of these questions will be answered in this show! However, Mo is going to meet up with some of the local Berliners and run a...2025-07-3137 minBlind Guys Chat#128: EyjafjallajökullDon't worry folks, Unlike the Icelandic volcano 'Eyjafjallajökull', we have not erupted, but we are quite hot and sweaty in the BGC office. Jan is just back from Washington DC where Abraham Lincon and his mates were sweltering in 35-degree heat (95 degrees in old money). Jan was a bit peeved, as his ‘Look and Tell’ feature on his Meta Ray Ban glasses is still not working. Oh dear! However, perhaps he might purchase a pair of the new Oakley smart glasses, or as Jan calls them, the new UGLY glasses! (Oakley will not be pleased at being called that...2025-07-1739 minBlind Guys Chat#127: Slimy but hard!The Blind Guys get berated by Clodagh this week as they appear to be just messing around and having a chat. Is it because of the good weather? Maybe.
Tesla’s autonomous (driverless) cars in Austin Texas appear to have thrown caution to the wind and are driving around breaking the speed limits, but hard breaking when they see the cops! Could it be those little rascals The Minions are being naughty perhaps? Clodagh and Óran had a great laugh last weekend when in County Cork, where a local tried to convince them that a 50-kilowatt charging sta...2025-07-0342 minBlind Guys Chat#126: A changing of the guardBlind Guys Chat would like to formally announce and warmly welcome Mohammed Laachir as our new permanent co-host. Mohammed brings a wealth of experience and gravity to this role - he is a former Martian Astronaut and a previous winner of the 2022 IDF swimsuit competition. Sjef and Larry (the BGC guide dogs) are pleased that there is now a responsible adult in the house.
In other news, we are talking to Kevin Kelly and Chantelle Smith from the Wayfinding Centre in Dublin. This is a fantastic facility for public transport training, orientation, and learning to fly Airbus 319...2025-06-1941 minBlind Guys Chat#124: Nymphs wafting around a stageRead transcriptJan is on hiatus this week, so it’s a welcome return to Mr Stuart Lawler, a man who puts the “Hot” into Tango. It’s 30 years since Stuart was on the Irish Eurovision Song Contest jury and boy are we happy they never asked him back. Secret Garden were the winners for Norway that year with a song that can only be described as: mostly violin! But what happened this year in Basel, Switzerland? Did Celine Dion turn up singing a medley of her hit? Did the Swedish businessmen get hot and sweaty in the saun...2025-05-2245 minBlind Guys Chat#121: We're having a sauna!Read transcriptHello our spring flowers and welcome to BGC ep 121. We have a great show for you: Óran and Jan are talking about the new smart kid on the block when it comes to smart glasses: Echo Vision. Have you heard of these? Do you have a pair? Well, if you do let us know if you like them and are finding them of benefit in your daily life - email us at blindguyschat@gmail.com.
Our guest this week is Kevin Sherwin. Yes, it's a welcome back to the Eurovision song contest guru who is ju...2025-04-1052 minBlind Guys Chat#120 Crash test DummiesHello, our favourite animated friends, and welcome to the show. This week, Óran and Clodagh are just back from Dingle, County Kerry, where they and Larry attended the Animation Dingle Festival. Óran was thrilled because he got to touch the actual models used for the latest Wallace and Gromit movie 'Vengeance Most Fowl'. The film was made in stop-motion animation, which means amongst other things that it took a super-long time to produce.
It's a welcome return for Stuart Lawler to the podcast. Stuart flew his private jet over to Anaheim in California to attend CSUN Assistive Te...2025-03-2741 minBlind Guys Chat#111: Hey Bert!!Hello, our lovely election canvassers and welcome to Episode 111. Did you manage to survive Storm Bert last weekend? And did you know the storm was named by our weather colleagues in The Netherlands? Lucky it wasn't called Storm 'Sjef' - Woof!!
Mohammed Laachir is back with us again and it appears he has been on a kind of holiday since he was last on the show. Yes, he is just back from pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca, and managed to survive in 34 degree Celsius heat (92 point something Fahrenheit) by availing of a very clever piece of clothing.
...2024-11-2840 minBlind Guys Chat#110: Painter going to workHello our wobbly hospital trolleys, and welcome to Episode 110 of BGC. It's a welcome back to Óran, fresh from his travels to the nearby hospital, all of 5 minutes away. Yes, it seems Óran is maintaining his hobby of having near death experiences every few years, much to Clodagh’s distress. But anyway, all is good now and he is back steering the HMS BGC directly into a cliff!
Poor Jan is in bed and on the tablets again as he can't believe the US presidential election result, but then again neither can Clodagh, Óran, or most of the w...2024-11-1439 minBlind Guys Chat#105: It's all about the coding!
Hello our favourite tech geniuses! We start with some good news. Yes, Mali, the Bernese Mountain dog who was missing for 2 weeks, has been rescued from a 61-metre-high cliff edge on an island off the coast of Donegal. She ran off during a storm but now she has been reunited with her humans and went home for a big dinner and a snooze - yaaaay!!
Óran has had enough of the terrible Irish summer and has decided to move to The Netherlands where it always seems to be warm. Clodagh has her patient face on. Meanwhile, we've go...2024-09-0548 minBlind Guys Chat#104: The reluctant guide dog
Hello our Bermuda hurricanes and welcome to a blowy episode. We begin this episode reminiscing of cars long gone. Do you remember the Renault 4 or the Citroen BX or even the older Citroen DS? Yes, they might have been rust buckets and as unreliable as summer in Ireland but, at least they were quirky and fun to drive.
Speaking of quirky and unreliable things, have you watched ‘Clarkson's Farm’ on Amazon Prime? Give it a go. It has brought farmers to tears, not to mention the sheep!!
Óran has a question for Jan and o...2024-08-2239 minBlind Guys Chat#099: Royal CongressHello little bumblebees and welcome to episode 99. This week we welcome back guest host Brian Dalton. Brian joined the Blind Guys on a school trip to the Dublin Royal Convention Centre last Saturday. Yes, we've hit the big time - BGC were invited to speak at the Retina International World Congress 2024 about assistive technology and how it helps us in our daily lives. What a thrill it must have been for those 6 million attendees to see us in real life, eh?! Ah no, seriously, we had a wonderful time at this excellent event, and it was an honour to...2024-06-1345 minBlind Guys Chat#098: Worse than a wet sheep
Hello our little flu germs and welcome to the show. This week Jan and Óran have been left doing the show unsupervised with no responsible adult to keep them in check so prepare for any kind of conversations.
We get the chat going with football/soccer. It appears that Jan's local team have not been doing so well in the last few games, losing 2-1 and 7-1 in their last 2 games. To celebrate this, some of the fans decided to offer the players their scarves and hats in an attempt to keep them warm out o...2024-05-3043 minBlind Guys Chat#096: The Princess BrideHello our little teardrops and welcome to episode 96. It's Eurovision Song Contest time again so do watch out for the odd Eurovision song title in the show notes and also during the show. Óran is asking listeners to email in with the total number of Eurovision song titles that are mentioned during the show and in the show notes and podcast chapters. You’d never know – there might be a prize – so get emailing! And yes, we have "All Kinds of Everything" on this show - so let your "Love Shine a Light" on our 3 presenters for this week, Clodagh...2024-05-0253 minBlind Guys Chat#094: Beware of flying turkeys!Read transcriptHello our little spring butterflies and welcome to episode 94 of BGC. Our guest host on this show is our good friend Nora Nagle, who joins us all the way from Boston, Massachusetts. Nora's retired guide dog, Larry, is also making an appearance every now and again with woofs and pleas for treats.
Nora has just returned from a world tour of Miami beach where her husband was able to give her a very detailed review of the local wildlife and their different coloured thongs. Jan and Óran may need a minute or two h...2024-04-0456 minBlind Guys Chat#093: A pain in me hoop!
Hello our bouncy little spring lambs and welcome to episode 93 of BGC. Unfortunately, Óran is not feeling too well this week as he has a pain in his hoop! Yes, he has had an altercation with a grocery collection and in particular with the bags the goods are packed in. Do you sympathise with him? Listen to his story and email us: blindguyschat@gmail.com.
Clodagh has ordered a cup of coffee and a cake from the local café and is awaiting its arrival via a drone. Jan and Óran are somewhat sceptical and decided traditional transport i.e...2024-03-2151 minBlind Guys Chat#092: Nothing about us without us.Hello our little snow ploughs! Welcome to this episode of BGC. This week, we are joined by our guest host, Brian Dalton. Brian has had a very interesting life, as you will find out right from the start.
Jan and Óran finally discover the answer to a burning question: if blind from birth, do you see in your dreams? Brian and one other have the answer. Have you ever experienced Non-24? Well, Brian has, and he's got some very strange tales to tell when he eventually falls asleep. Not on the show of course!!
Jan h...2024-03-071h 07Blind Guys Chat#90: The preferred fingerHello our refreshing Braille cells, and welcome to another episode of BGC: the show everyone is talking about. Our guest host this week is Marc Wijnhoven, who lives in the Netherlands not too far from our Jan. Marc is chomping at the bit to get going and of course his favourite topic, just like Jan and Óran, is the weather. Marc has a lot of strings to his bow - he is a fluent Norwegian speaker which might be handy as he tries to decipher what Jan and Óran talk about.
Marc has recently bought a Google Chromebook and he...2024-02-0953 minBlind Guys Chat#089: On Her Majesty’s Slippery SurfaceHello our little windswept listeners and welcome to episode 89. This is an exciting show for Jan, Óran and Clodagh as we welcome our first guest host to the podcast. Let's say hello to Gordon Anthony, aka Blind Gordon who joins us all the way from Livingston in Scotland. Gordon, a former Miss World (who knew!) is literally taking this one lying down. Wait until Mrs Blind Gordon finds out!
Have you ever used Aira? (Yes, that’s the correct spelling – we double-checked!) Aira is a visual interpreting service for people who are blind or have low vision. Well Gordon has us...2024-01-2559 minBlind Guys Chat#086: The Dame returnsHello our little blown away leaves and welcome to episode 86 of the show. Are you sorted for Christmas? Well, in case you’re not, we've got the perfect festive gift for you. Why not join us for the Blind Guys Chat Christmas Quiz which we are broadcasting live on December 21st at 8pm Irish time? That's 3pm in the EST, 10pm in South Africa and 11am in the North Pole!
If you want to be part of a quiz team and answer some easy but fun questions, then let us know by no later than end of da...2023-12-151h 00Blind Guys Chat#085: Sight Village Special Part 2Hello our little frozen icicles, and welcome to Part 2 of Sight Village South East. This week we have more interviews with product manufacturers and developers from the recent Sight Village event which took place in London a few weeks ago.
We are talking to:
Bruno Vollmer from biped.ai who tells us about his great product that straps over your shoulders and helps detect obstacles in the area so you can avoid collisions. The harness uses autonomous driving technology to detect obstacles in the wearer's path. You can read more about the product here: https://www.biped.a...2023-11-301h 00Blind Guys Chat#082: The Blind Guys do big game
Hello, our favourite little squirrels, and welcome to Episode 82 of Blind Guys Chat. We begin this week with tales from Nairobi. Our own travelling wilbury, Jan, has just returned from South Africa where he was introduced to every person living on the continent - because he's so famous don't ya know! Yes, Jan has been in the region for the last week selling his wares and wearables, and is very impressed with how much knowledge blind and low vision people in Nairobi have about assistive technology, especially compared to 15 years ago. But it wasn't all work and...2023-10-1946 minBlind Guys Chat#081: Sky is the limitHello our little autumn leaves and welcome to the show. Have you been watching or listening to the Rugby World Cup matches? Óran is delighted that Ireland managed to win victory over South Africa, aka The Springboks (sorry Gary Hough like cough). Óran is also hoping that the Scots cry like little girls once Ireland trash them this coming Saturday (sorry Blind Gordon).
…Anyway on with the show:
U2 are back on the scene folks! And instead of losing their money on the slots in Las Vegas like normal people they apparently found a huge foot...2023-10-051h 08Blind Guys Chat#080: Time for a bathHello our little ducklings and welcome. First things first: Some of you did not believe that Stuart did in fact climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Well... we have proof! For those of you who have not seen this picture of Stuart standing at the top click on this link and you will have your proof. (Before you scold us – there is alt text, don’t worry!)
Now, on with the show. Yes, it is number 80 which in numerology terms is a symbol of abundance and prosperity. “If you have been working hard towards your goals, the universe is letting you know that yo...2023-09-2156 minBlind Guys Chat#079: Snuggle buddiesHello our little sweltering lemmings and welcome to this episode of the podcast. We begin this week’s show with very special birthday wishes to Rosalie Bloem; Jan’s wonderful princess daughter, which is swiftly followed by a hook up with Sherpa Radi, one of the 2 very patient Sherpas who helped Stuart to summit Mount Kilimanjaro recently. Radi gives us a blow-by-blow account of his journey and explains the extreme difficulties in not only carrying Mr “big-bottomed” Lawler, but also his beer. Jan and Óran were not afraid to ask the hard questions, which included:
How do you open a bo...2023-09-071h 03Blind Guys Chat#078: Please don’t distract me, I’m a working dog!Hello our little butterflies and thank you for tuning into this week’s show. At long last we are a family again as Stuart managed to bribe his sherpas to come back up the mountain and rescue him from the flagpole. They then drop kicked him all the way over to the BGC studio just in time to record this episode with us.
As usual the guys are talking about the weather and in particular storm ‘Betty’ which roared through Ireland over the weekend. Have you any weather stories? Let us know by emailing blindguyschat@gmail.com.
Stuart has purchase...2023-08-2455 minBlind Guys Chat#077: The Longest ClimbHello our little hatchlings and welcome to a shiny new episode of Blind Guys Chat. We begin our show this week with some almost-but-not-really upsetting news: It appears that Stuart’s adventure to Mount Kilimanjaro has hit a little bump in the road; apparently his sherpas have had enough of lugging his beer supply up the mountain, so instead of raising the Blind Guys Chat flag at the summit, they decided to mount Stuart on the flagpole, possibly by his very attractive thermal underjocks. But don’t despair - Jan, Óran, and Clodagh are considering the possibility of creating a cro...2023-08-1050 minBlind Guys ChatEP 075: Vote Number 1 for Sjef
Hello dear listeners. Well, with the fall of the Dutch government being a direct result of Jan and Sjef's influence, we begin the show looking for an account of the events that have led the people of the Netherlands into another election. We bring you the full facts and the reasons that brought about this historic event.(Spoiler alert. We don't really!!)
Stuart has news about Sight Village which is happening in Birmingham shortly and he an Jan did a webinar recently for Sight and Sound on the evolution of the screen reader JAWS but they didn’t g...2023-07-131h 03Blind Guys Chat#074: North by NorthwestHello you little rascals, are you hot enough? Have you been enjoying the good weather? Well Jan is roasting in his attic studio with 31 degrees of boiling heat and the producer won’t let him leave the fan on during recording, so he’s melting.
Speaking of boiling, do you have one of those boiling water taps or a One cup kettle? Check it out here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breville-HotCup-Dispenser-Variable-Dispense/dp/B078L3WJWM. Well, Óran thinks the kettle is great but Stuart is not too sure if the water will be hot enough for his needs… he has a...2023-06-291h 16Blind Guys Chat#072: Yap Yap Yap!It’s time for another fun-filled 60 minutes with the blind guys, and this week we welcome back part-time co-host and part-time sunbather - Stuart Lawler. Yes Stuart is gracing us with his presence so he can tell Óran and Jan all about his latest holiday - smiling pile of poo emoji.
This week in a change to our normal programming i.e Óran moaning about something, we instead have Jan standing on his soapbox giving out about trying to pay a restaurant bill using a touch screen credit card machine. Have you ever been forced to give your...2023-06-011h 14Blind Guys Chat#067: A Royal invitationHello our dear subjects! Before we start the show proper, we have a little treat. The wonderful Veronika Hyks is recording a series of descriptions leading up to the royal coronation of King Charles III called ‘Countdown to the Coronation’, and she has very kindly given us permission to share the first one with you. So please sit back and enjoy. And do let us know what you think!
Stuart and Óran are delighted that, at long last, the warm weather has come to Ireland, and they can now take off their thermals. Not so for poor Jan, who with h...2023-04-2057 minBlind Guys Chat#064: London, Baby -we are not amused!!Welcome back Stuart. Yes, Clodagh has washed, ironed, and pressed Stuarts favourite off the shoulder number so he can wear it for this week’s show. After a bout of pneumonia remedied by beer and crisps, he is back with tons of information for you, dear listeners.
Óran, Clodagh, and Larry have returned from a recent trip to London (that’s in the UK you know), and while they did have a lovely time, Óran has some stories to share about the London underground and also being refused from some establishments. He is thinking about writing a strongly worded letter t...2023-03-0956 minBlind Guys Chat#061 Mister Juicy BitsHey folks, it's time for another rip roaring episode of BGC and this week the holiday maker Mr Juicy bits (aka Stuart) is gracing us with his presence. Yes, fresh from waxing his juicy bits in the Maldives, he returns to the show and is already moaning about how messy Clodagh made his marble and gold lined desk.
We kick off the show with a request from Óran asking if Blind Gordon knows how to populate twitter addresses when using Spring. Then we talk about our second favourite topic, holidays. Have you ever used Traveleyes or Seeability f...2023-01-2658 minBlind Guys Chat#058 Are you Tootin’ or Tweetin’?Hello our little hibernating bunny rabbits! We hope this week’s show finds you warm and cosy. Well, this week Stuart (wearing his man-pants) is back with us after his travels to northern Germany, and yes he has indeed been suffering from a hangover due to his consumption of shots. He claims some mornings he cannot lift his head, however, we think he is just lazy.
Once we get Stuart in an upright position it’s time to kick off with the show. Jan and Óran are, to put it mildly, disappointed with the FIFA chairman and his recent comment...2022-12-0155 minBlind Guys Chat#055: Return to sender, address unknown.Quack Quack Quack listeners (hello, in duck language) and welcome to another episode of the best podcast in the world. It’s a funny auld show this week as we experienced some technical difficulties - more about this later. We begin this week with Stuart having just come back from yet another holiday, is this his sixth of the year? He has been living it up in Lanzarote. Well at least living it up to his knees in the sea! But we are glad to have him back in the BGC office, …. Well, someone needs to make the tea.
Jan i...2022-10-2054 minBlind Guys Chat#054 We’re all flamping around!
Hello our little petit filous. We hope you are well and are looking forward to this week’s show. It’s a bit of a strange one again because for the second time in as many shows Jan decides to walk away from recording without a whisper to anyone and Stuart and Óran are left home alone to host the show for a while. However, things do get back on track when Jan returns and we get down to important topics such as: the weather, Santa’s latest invoice, IOS 16 (again!), and our increasing energy bills. Óran is wonde...2022-10-051h 05Blind Guys Chat#048: Jan is so kissableHello you gorgeous Blind Guys Chat fans! welcome to another eye watering edition of the show. We start this week with a gripe from Óran. Well - who else?! Just before recording he was out spending money on a new yacht, and when presented with the card machine found he could not enter the pin number because it had a touchscreen. Have you ever experienced this issue? How are these device designers allowed to get away with not making a payment system accessible? We discuss.
We keep the whinge-fest going with another issue - poor Stuart has b...2022-07-131h 07Blind Guys Chat#047: Liverpool 1, Everton nilHello dear listeners. The Blind Guys are flying out of the Blind Guys Chat nest again this week and we are all off to the UK. Jan and Stuart will be selling their wares at Sight village in Birmingham, while Clodagh and Óran are off to the home of The Beatles. What better place to learn about the history of the Fab Four but also go to a gig in the form of ‘The Eagles’. Yay!
Speaking of gigs, did you tune in to Glastonbury? Stuart and Óran are chatting about Paul McCartney and Billie Eilish who were p...2022-06-291h 02Blind Guys Chat#042: Let’s get physicalA belated happy easter to all our listeners. We hope you had a lovely easter break. We begin on the topic of travel: Jan is off to Madrid later this month for work purposes so we ask ourselves the question, should travel for work or leisure be a thing of the past? What is your view? Also, share your thoughts on the current state of easter egg chocolate - do you think the quality has diminished in the last few years? Jan is just back from his easter egg hunt, and Sjef (his guide dog) has been a bit...2022-04-2059 min
INAUDIBLE RADIO#5 - 'STUDIO BLUES', Inaudible radio 2022This episode is in an actual STUDIO. Oran tells an anecdote. Harry forgets about his item. Oran does Regular item panickdotes. It’s a wonderful life.2022-04-1559 minBlind Guys Chat#038 Linking in with LinkedINOn our last podcast, Óran and Stuart were having a moan about how inaccessible LinkedIN is, well… their opinion might be about to change as we have Aaron Linson who joins us from Kentucky with plenty of tips and tricks you can use with LinkedIN. Aaron is a recruiter, and hosts his own podcast ‘AbilityCast’ which you can find here: https://anchor.fm/abilitycast. Not only that, but he is also a fantastic musician.
Óran has news on how to spend 2 hours of your life. He recently logged an AirPod issue with Apple. During the 2 hour conversation, he managed to get th...2022-02-231h 19Blind Guys Chat#037 Ten four good buddy!It’s a packed Blind Guys Chat this week as the guys are talking everything from glaciers to tech.
We begin with a sad story, spoiler alert, it’s not really too sad. Jan, has had to cancel his winter skiing trip in Germany because the Germans won’t let him into the country until he has had 3 vaccinations. But there is good news for Jan’s guide dog Geoff, as he is getting to spend time with his bitch next door while the wooden floors are installed at home.
Stuart and Óran are mystified as to why...2022-02-091h 02Blind Guys Chat#036: The Copenhagen KillerAs we begin to head out of winter the Blind Guys Chat office is on fire. This episode could almost be called a ‘Rant Special’. After eventually receiving his Apple Airpods, Stuart was raging because not only were the earbuds too big for his little tiny ears, but the left one was not charging correctly. What was Stuart to do? Spoiler alert, he returned them. But that’s not the end of the story.
Meanwhile, Óran has received his new iPhone 11. What does he think of ‘Face ID’? Can he survive without a home button? And what is Rose Gold?
Kier...2022-01-261h 03Blind Guys Chat#035: A Prisoner of HopeIt’s our first show of 2022 and the Blind Guys are raring to go. Stuart’s facelift (to his apartment) is done and dusted, and Jan’s kids are happy kicking football against their walls until the concrete is fully dried out.
You know how we can't shut up about the weather? Well, this week the Blind Guys are talking to Professor John Sweeney about all things climate. Prof. Sweeney is an expert in the field of climatology and is here to dispel the myth that the Dolphins are responsible for climate change, although Óran is not convinc...2022-01-1200 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran27 - Drops In The Dark - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran27 - Drops In The Dark - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran(Recorded on 11/26/2021, 7:30AM in Sulphur-Carlyss, Louisiana)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 27—Drops In The Dark—I invite you to walk with me as I on the value of venturing into our hidden interior spaces, the uncomfortable (and maybe dark) places that are easy to i...2021-11-2930 minBlind Guys Chat#031: Metabolics, Mayhem & Melting Ice CapsIt’s another fun filled episode of Blind Guys Chat and this week the Guys are once again talking to their favourite member of the band ‘The Metabolics’. Yes, it’s Professor Luke O’Neill.
The Prof tells us about the current state of COVID19 in Ireland and the research going on around the world. He also speaks to us about watching telly after his vaccination, and his good time band, The Metabolics.
The Guys give us their views on the COP26 summit and their enjoyment of the mild weather in November. Stuart is trying to convince Jan & Óran that Facetim...2021-11-1759 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran26 - Silver Spoons - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran26 - Silver Spoons - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran(Recorded on 11/10/2021, 7:30AM in Sulphur-Carlyss, Louisiana)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 26—Silver Spoons—I invite you to walk with me as I discuss the disturbing and growing rise of violent rhetoric embraced by celebrities, politicians, leaders, and ministers. On the cusp of Veterans Day, I ponder...2021-11-1038 minBlind Guys Chat#030: Cynics, Soundscape & a scolding for the Blind Guys
It’s our 30th podcast and the Blind Guys are scared of the halloweenies, but Stuart is ok cos his maid is answering the door. We’re talking IOS 15 - Stuart thinks it has some cool new features, but Jan & Óran, well… Óran really is somewhat cynical about some of the features.
Jan gives us a COVID-19 update and he is still whinging about living below sea level. Get over it man!!
Jade McCormack is back to help Stuart find his way to the train station in North County Dublin using Soundscape and Google Maps.
Clodagh is here with “...2021-11-0357 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran25 - What Is Ours To Carry - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran25 - What Is Ours To Carry - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran(Recorded on 10/23/2021, 7AM in Sulphur-Carlyss, Louisiana)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 25—What Is Ours To Carry—I invite you to walk with me as I discuss how to carry on with some good and helpful work, especially during difficult periods of time when...2021-10-2542 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran24 - Watching The Last Sunset - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran24 - Watching The Last Sunset - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 24—Watching The Last Sunset—I invite you to walk with me on this holy & solemn morning during this season of grief as I reflect on the Momento Mori (a remembrance that we too must die) that started one year ago, on t...2021-10-1443 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran23 - Paper Beats Rock - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran23 - Paper Beats Rock - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 23—Paper Beats Rock—I invite you to walk with me as I reflect on how best to reconcile the real suffering in the world with the thrust of commercialized spirituality and the decades-long, hopeful vision expressed by the New Age movement. I hol...2021-10-1147 minBlind Guys Chat#028: Come fly with us.From Warsaw to Cairo, Birmingham to Porto, this week’s show has you covered if you are thinking about taking a flight. Yes, the Blind Guys have all been abroad since our last podcast. And we are here to tell you about our experiences, good and bad.
Óran says he is dripping in his own sweat since the last podcast. It seems Clodagh has been increasing his workload at home. Booo!!
Jan & Óran talk to Louis Martens from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cairo, Egypt. Louis is the first Secretary of Econ...2021-10-0600 minBlind Guys Chat#027: Woman's HourDon’t worry, the BBC haven’t taken over this podcast and this is not the official Woman’s Hour show, but we do have a Woman’s Hour of our own on this episode, or at least half an hour or so. Anyway, welcome to another show where the guys are in something of a reflective mood, because, believe it or not, it is our first anniversary. Of course the question is, who bought the flowers?
If BBC’s Woman’s Hour are looking for a stand-in presenter, they really need look no further than our very own Clo...2021-09-2256 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran22 - Use What You Have - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran22 - Use What You Have - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 22—Use What You Have—I invite you to walk with me as I reflect on finding community, insight, and wisdom in the ordinary, often overlooked, and easily disregarded spaces of daily life. I share examples from my own personal practice of fi...2021-09-1340 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran21 - A Need For Nonviolence - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran21 - A Need For Nonviolence - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 21—A Need for Nonviolence—I invite you to walk with me as I reflect on the writings of Thomas Merton in an attempt to discern where the seeds of violence come from in our world today, and as a motivation to c...2021-09-0849 minBlind Guys Chat#026: It's raining men & womenHello blind guys chatters! We start the show with a request for sighted partners who would like to take part in an interview this coming Thursday September 9. Clodagh is going to have a light-hearted chat about the trials and tribulations and funny experiences sighted partners have when living with someone with sight loss. Do you know someone who would like to take part? Email blindguyschat@gmail.com!
The guys are talking about the weather again. This time it’s about the names for the upcoming storm season. Will there be a Jan, Stuart or Óran or even a H...2021-09-0800 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran20 - A Season Of Grief - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran20 - A Season Of Grief - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 20—A Season Of Grief—I invite you to walk with me as I reflect on living life in a season of grief and loss, something that many of us are too familiar with. I share my personal reflections on prayer and...2021-09-0252 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran19 - I Want To Believe - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran19 - I Want To Believe - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -In Episode 19—I Want To Believe—I invite you to walk with me as I reflect on how checking my intentions and motivations gave rise to my recent pause in the Dawn Deacon ministry. It's easy to look at the world and see w...2021-08-1837 minBlind Guys Chat#024: Hassle in the castleEpisode Notes
The day has finally arrived! The Blind Guys get to meet the new Director of Human Resources, Hector; and there are some new promotions and developments coming down the road. Will Stuart be happy? Let's wait and see...
The lads chat about the weather as usual, and Óran tells us that his guide dog Larry has been unwell lately.
Jan is about to head off on his holidays, but before he goes a WhatsApp for desktop demo is in order.
We have an interview with Dr Judy Dixon, who i...2021-08-111h 00Blind Guys Chat#023: A Royal Surprise!Welcome to another fun-lovin' episode of BGC. We begin the show with some disruption as the builders are in to construct our new Director of HR's office complete with jacuzzi. Guess who is not happy about this...?
We have an interview with Mohammed Laachir who tells us about his life and how he got started working at Vispero. We have a big surprise for Stuart, as we bring on a guest he has a little bit of a crush on. Needless to say, he’s a bit shell shocked. Who could it be…? It's only the lovely Vero...2021-07-281h 00Blind Guys Chat#022: Yes MinisterOn this week's show the Blind Guys get political as we are delighted to be joined by Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth: Roderic O'Gorman. We talk about how life has changed for him since the Irish general election at the beginning of 2020. We chat about improving the lives of people living with disabilities, and after our chat we learn about a very important vote that took place in the Dáil (our Irish Parliament) during our chat with Minister O'Gorman.
Jan is worried about his house being flooded due to global warming, but Stuart and Óra...2021-07-141h 00Blind Guys Chat#020: Anyone for Tennis?The Blind Guys are feeling energetic this week as they are talking to Clare and Alex Whelan about blind tennis. What's it all about? How do you play the game? And, is Óran really that competitive?
Yes, of course he is!
Stuart chats to the guys about the World Wide Developers Conference but Óran can find nothing to get excited about. However, he is delighted that everyone on the team has now been vaccinated.
We've got emails from the U.S., the only blind Gordon from Scotland, and India, and we even talk ab...2021-06-1656 minBlind Guys Chat#018: Irlande Douze Points
This week's show is kind of a Eurovision special, but don't worry we still have the fun, especially with Stuart and his love for a certain Eurovision dance song.
We are talking with Audrey Tormey who was Óran's Braille teacher. The lads question how many contractions Óran can remember. Stuart gives us a montage of previous Eurovision songs while Óran has an issue with trying to submit a new podcast to Apple Podcasts. Stuart is also talking to us about Virgin Media 360 TV, and Dave Nason writes in to correct a mistake Óran made on the last show...2021-05-191h 08Blind Guys Chat#017: The Dark SquaresFrom one night in Bangkok to blind tennis, this week’s podcast has it all. We speak to Che Martin whose podcast The Dark Squares is all about chess. Che also talks to us about his accessible card gaming site - Blind Adrenaline. After the BuyMie saga, Jan and Óran thought Stuart’s frustrations were done & dusted. But no - Stuart now has a gripe with Netflix! …will the sagas ever end?
Jan gives us an update on his new energy producing solar panels, and Óran & Stuart wonder if the BlindGuys could go into the energy supply business...2021-05-0547 minBlind Guys Chat#016: Show me the EchoHello lovely listener, and welcome to 67 minutes of fun, as the Blind Guys, Clodagh and their lovely guests are back to entertain you!
On the last show, you'll remember that we had a great chat with Dave Nason from Sky. At the time, Jan and Stuart set Óran a little bit of homework, so has he done it? We get straight down to business and find out!
The Blind Guys like to check in and talk about the weather - sure why not, doesn't everyone! Anyway, we're feeling Spring in the air and Jan has o...2021-04-211h 07
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran18 - Poor Wishes - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran18 - Poor Wishes - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 18—Poor Wishes—I invite you into a personal reflection on what it means to wish happiness and wellness for all beings.
Many years ago, I overheard someone close to me say, "Oran wants everyone to be poor." They did not know that I hea...2021-04-0823 minBlind Guys Chat#015: The Sky's the Limit!Hello and welcome back to another episode of your favourite podcast, with three blind guys chatting about crochet... Oh, sorry, that's the other show we produce!
Welcome to Blind Guys Chat. We're ready to bring you episode 15 of our fortnightly show, but it appears that all is not well with the Blind Guys. Stuart seems stressed and anxious and, as we'll hear, he hasn't been eating or sleeping. He ended up going to confession to talk about what's on his mind.
We received an email on our last show to ask if the guys could...2021-04-071h 02
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran17 - Divine Twinship - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran17 - Divine Twinship - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 17—Divine Twinship—I invite you to stand with me in the glorious morning sun, an Easter vigil, as I reflect on days past and days ahead.
In this reflection, I put my finger on the pulse of my own personal archeology, excavating old w...2021-04-0623 minBlind Guys Chat#014: Who's the Mole?Welcome to episode 14 of the Blind Guys Chat podcast. Sit back and enjoy just under 54 minutes of fun, as the Blind Guys, along with Clodagh, Clare and this week's guest Roisín Lenehan keep you entertained.
On our last show we talked about the California State University (CSUN) Assistive Technology Conference, which, for the first time in its history, went virtual this year. The Blind guys, and Jan in particular, through his daily Clubhouse room, did a bit of virtual attendance. So how did it go? Did the guys find it worked well? And, if you attended, l...2021-03-2453 minBlind Guys Chat#013: It's all about the money!Welcome back, lovely listeners, to 57 minutes of madness, that is episode 13 of the Blind Guys Chat podcast.
The boys are in flying form and we're delighted you can join us for another show.
If you remember on the last episode, Clodagh introduced the Blind Guys to Clubhouse, an audio-only social network. Well, the blind guys tried it out for themselves. So how did it go? And, would you like to join a Blind Guys Chat room on Clubhouse? If so, get in touch with us and keep an eye on our Twitter feed for more info.
2021-03-0956 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran16 - Burning Tree - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran16 - Burning Tree - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 16—Burning Tree—I invite you to walk with me this morning in this second of a two part reflection on making the ordinary spaces we inhabit holy.
While I did not intend to revisit the subject of sacred-ordinary spaces, I woke to learn...2021-03-0826 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran15 - Even the Weeds - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran15 - Even the Weeds - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 15—Even the Weeds—I invite you to walk with me through the Grove, a local walking park—which has become a bit of a personal sanctuary—situated admist the clatter of local traffic, in this first of a two part reflection on makin...2021-03-0823 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran14 - Golden Yolk - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran14 - Golden Yolk - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 14—Golden Yolk—I invite you to walk with me as I consider my personal thoughts on the value of sharing what we learn on our own waking way.
If you're at all like me, and if you've had even the smallest revelatory exper...2021-02-2534 minBlind Guys Chat#012: The Professor, and ClubhouseWelcome to episode 12! Last time we mentioned that the Blind Guys were recording in their thermal underwear, but this time they’re in shorts and t-shirts and Jan is reporting a 25°C increase in temperature in the Netherlands. Oh, and if you wondered about the strange voice opening the show, Óran is auditioning for a new identity. We think we like it better than his own one!
We’re getting used to what is becoming the BuyMie saga and Stuart has yet a further update on the long road to accessibility for this home shopping app.
In t...2021-02-231h 06
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran13 - Shivering & Shedding- The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran13 - Shivering & Shedding- The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 13—Shivering & Shedding—I invite you to walk with me as I share some personal reflections on contrition, forgiveness, and my varying ability—or inability—to allow people to change.
It is clear to me that forgiveness is an important part of my spiritual life, and...2021-02-2231 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran12 - Faceless in the Fog - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran12 - Faceless in the Fog - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 12—Faceless in the Fog—I invite you walk with me as I share my personal perspective and experiences with visions and dreams.
Talking openly about dreams and visions can be taboo, or draw ire and skepticism, depending on the circle. It ha...2021-02-1247 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran11 - My Binding Book - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran11 - My Binding Book - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 11—My Binding Book—I invite you into a simple spiritual practice—my book of names—that has been of great value to me on the Waking Way.
I have come to call this my binding book, as the original intent was to bind m...2021-02-0523 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran10 - Finishing Nails - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran10 - Finishing Nails - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 10—Finishing Nails—I invite you on a morning walk with me as I reflect on violence and force.
I consider the hidden roots of violence, the value of practicing nonviolence in thought, word, and deed, as well as the variety of subtle force...2021-01-2732 minBlind Guys Chat#010: Jenny from the blockWelcome lovely listener, to episode 10 of the Blind Guys Chat podcast!
We're in double digits, so you'd expect the podcast, and more particularly the podcast hosts to be growing up, but fear not, the guys are just the same as ever!
We've had some interesting feedback to our vaccine question from episode 9, and many people agree that Blind Guys should be bumped up the queue. The Guys have also been preparing their own self-vaccination routines, and Jan in particular has been practicing with an orange! Stuart is offering vaccinations at €7.50 per shot, and you even ge...2021-01-2757 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran9 - Drops of Dew - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran9 - Drops of Dew - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 9—Drops of Dew—I invite you on a morning walk with me as I reflect on how dark communication had become over the past four years and the hope I have for a change in overall tone and quality of information shar...2021-01-2121 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran8 - A Tender Ember - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran8 - A Tender Ember - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 8—A Tender Ember—I invite you to a sacred ordinary space that hold deep, personal meaning for me. I've never invited anyone to join me before.
I talk about the loss of my father, reflecting on the value of memorials to our a...2021-01-1826 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran7 - Mourning Snails - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran7 - Mourning Snails - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 7—Mourning Snails—I invite you to walk with me as I reflect on the tiny creatures—the morning snails—attempting to make their way across the path in morning sun, and what wisdom can be gleaned from considering their futile journey.
This is an exe...2021-01-1520 minBlind Guys Chat#009: Blind Guys vaccination!Happy new year from the Blind Guys and welcome to episode 9 of our podcast!
Clare Whelan and her Braille Bite have been the most talked about item of the show so far, garnering quite a bit of fan mail along the way. Clare couldn't be with us for our Christmas special so she's joined the guys for the start of the show, and we hear some of Clare's plans for the next couple of Braille Bite segments.
We've all been looking with much hope and excitement to the year ahead, especially when we hear about...2021-01-1253 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran6 - Lightning to the Heart - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran6 - Lightning to the Heart - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 6—Lightning to the Heart—I invite you to walk with me as I mourn the loss of my new friend, John Wackman, a recent guest on my Find the Good News podcast, founder of the Repair Café movement, and co-author of th...2021-01-1033 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran5 - Paper Flowers - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran5 - Paper Flowers - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 5—Paper Flowers—I invite you to walk with me on this cold Louisiana morning as I discuss the faith designations, tribalism, the nature of this ministry, and the dual nature of trauma responses.
-Brother Oran
...2021-01-0841 min
The Dawn Deacon with Brother Oran4 - Morning Mist - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran4 - Morning Mist - The Dawn Deacon Podcast with Brother Oran
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In Episode 4—Morning Mist—I invite you to walk with me under the clear blue sky as I find meaning in the dense morning mist that recently rested around my homeland.
In the thick, illuminated fog, the cracked, broken, and disheveled nature of things can b...2021-01-0523 min