The 30 Day Challenge Club is an attempt by myself and a few friends to do some of the things that we often talk about doing but never get done.  The idea is threefold but open to change.  The basic concept is that every 30 Days we;

1. Do the same thing every day (run, learn a language, eat only clean food).
2. Share an experience with other members of the Club (urban exploration, midnight swimming, rock climbing).
3. Take a risk (get a tattoo, fix a broken relationship, leave home without our phones!).

The general idea is that we do something for the mind, body, and spirit each 30 days.  It’s kind of a bucket list but a fuck-it list more be a more accurate description. Some months we will all do the same things, other months members will prescribe challenges for other group members.

At the end of each month we will record a short(ish) podcast outlining our experiences.  This is the first of these podcasts, hope you enjoy.

Dave

In this episode I was joined by the charming, intelligent, and fiercely honest Louise O' Neill. Louise is an author and feminist who is currently best known for her prizewinning book 'Only Ever Yours' which is a terrifying examination of the pressure on girls to conform to society's expectations of beauty.

The interview is a whopper at almost 1 1/2 hrs and we covered a load of topics, including:

1. What made Louise finish 'Only Ever Yours' having failed at several previous writing attempts.
2. Louise's 10 year battle with anorexia and bulimia.
3. Modern feminism

Louise says in the interview that she expresses herself better in writing than in person but she was a brilliantly warm and engaging conversationalist.  Louise won't hear this interview (she never reads or listens to her interviews) but you'll be glad that you did.

Episode notes, links, and further details can be found at www.inspirelandpodcast.com.

Thanks for listening and tell your friends,

Dave

In this episode we talk to Andrew Keen.  Keen started life as an internet entrepreneur  but is best known for his books that critique the impact the internet has on our culture, politics, and society.

Keen has written 3 books on the subject of the internet;

1. The Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet Is Killing Our Culture
2. Digital Vertigo: How Today's Online Social Revolution Is Dividing, Diminishing, And Disorienting Us
3. The Internet Is Not The Answer

Many of the criticisms that are currently directed at the internet were first voiced by Keen and given that he is very much an internet insider, working out of Silicon Valley, his warnings must be heeded.

Keen is a vehement critic of what he calls 'Digital Narcissism' and in particular the 'Selfie Culture' which accompanies the hypervisibilty promoted by sites such as facebook.  He also rails against the impact this connectiveness has on essential parts of the human experience that are rapidly becoming neglected, things like privacy and solitude.

Keen is a contrarian, encouraging us to check the depth of the water before we jump off the cliff.  What's most encouraging about his work is the fact that his manifesto isn't just a list of what's wrong with our attitutes towards the net and our use of it.  He also offers direction for how best to use this technology to improve society in the future.

Keen believes that the digital revolution we are experiencing is every bit as monumental as the industrial revolution in the impact it is having on how we operate in the world.  He argues that the internet has grown up now and that it's time it started behaving more responsibly.

Enjoy the episode, more details as well as links to Keen's website etc. can be found by visiting www.inspirelandpodcast.com.

Dave