Two and a Mic - The Social Podcast

Anna is a power to behold on a basketball court. When she first joined the team a few weeks ago, she had never really played much basketball, just a bit of streetball here and there, she had had no structured basketball training and was essentially, as she called herself, a newbie. The huge steps she took in the first few weeks were amazing. Good footwork, a presence in the zone and aware of other people on the court. So when I found out that Anna had recently recovered from cancer I was amazed. Anna is in her mid-20s. She is strong, energetic, positive and determined. She always carries a smile and generously shares it with everyone.Anna joins me to talk about this episode in her life, and I thank her kindly for taking the time to do so. Stay well Anna and play ball of course.This is TwoandaMic! Rise up and be curious…There are on occasion software phantoms at play that try to throw us off track but we persevered. I hope you will do so too.Here is a link to Anna's Instagram account which charts her journey through fighting cancer: InstagramThis podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafeThe only AI content in this episode is in the transcript. Every word, audio editing mistake and miscellaneous error is mine.

This is a book that at its heart focuses on the relationship between political systems, gender equality and female liberty in a number of different ways and situations. The book is written by Professor Kristen R. Ghodsee who specialises in Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.It is in many ways eye-opening and in others it simply lays out the truth for all to see, injustice is rife and gender inequality is one of the main reasons for the continuation of that injustice.Let us recognise these truths and push for a direction change. Gender equality is the key to solving many of humanity’s problems. The question remains, do we really want to solve them or is politics simply a show that pretends it wants to get things done? Thank you Greg for your time and analysis.This is TwoandaMic.Rise up and be curious!PS. I deliberately left in the chaos at the beginning just so you know we are not always as organised as we may seem.Episode Art of the original book cover was taken from: https://www.safespacebookstore.com/why-women-have-better-sex-under-socialism-ghodsee/This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafeThe only AI content in this episode is in the transcript. Every word, audio editing mistake and miscellaneous error is mine.

Political persuasion is sometimes the result of chance. A single event, an opinion of someone we care for and think we respect, a man wearing a suit on TV looking all successful and powerful, can change a pathway of thought at a stroke.And with a system geared towards monopolising those strokes, can we be truly surprised at how democracy withdrew in the corner likened a frightened child hoping its evil parents would ignore her? In this poem, I write ‘peacekeepers’ for two reasons. Firstly, because I don’t want people to see police and consider them enemies of the people. Society needs a police force that protects the peace, that defends the innocent and which fights CRIME. What we do NOT need is a politicised force of thugs who feel they can beat innocent citizens and protestors because power is being challenged. Secondly because a functioning democracy should require peacekeepers rather than armed police running around behaving like cowboys. Police should not be involved in peaceful protests. Peaceful protests are a part of a functioning democracy and performing our democratic rights doesn’t need to be policed. We don’t need police at polling stations either.We need to remember where power lies. It isn’t in a baton, and it isn’t in an officer’s pistol. It is in our determination to protect our universal human rights and to see them protected for others too. As Michael Connolly wrote, “we all count or nobody counts.”This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafeEpisode art is taken from Microsoft Stock Images.The only AI content in this episode is in the transcript. Every word, audio editing mistake and miscellaneous error is mine.

On the sad day of remembrance of the Greek Genocide, I read an excerpt from a radio address made by Dr Lovejoy in 1923. Dr Lovejoy was an American physician and witnessed the events at Smyrna in September 1922 at first hand.Over a hundred years have passed since these horrific days, a number of genocides have taken place since then as well. Some continue to occur today. The term “neutrality” to which Dr Lovejoy refers here has different terms today. Those who were neutral then are complicit today.My condolences to the Greek people on this day of remembrance.NOTE: I have omitted some sentences from the final paragraph in which Dr Lovejoy profusely complimented Mustafa Kemal as a great general. I could not in all conscience repeat those lines. Nobody can be called great who brought so much pain and misery to so many people. Without knowing the background to those words I can only imagine they were spoken for very good reasons and none of those reasons were born of any admiration Dr Lovejoy had for the killer Mustafa Kemal. This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe

Dr Boshart is a doctor educated in what she describes as modern western medicine and in the traditional ways of the First Nations. Her dedication to her patients in unique. She takes her duty of care very seriously and the Hippocratic Oath is not simply a formality but a code by which she lives and breathes. In this episode Dr Boshart talks about some of the challenges she has faced, the structural efforts in place that make her more than suspicious as to the reasons behind them and she is very clear, the system is killing indigenous people to this very day.Thank you Dr Boshart for you time and your dedication.This is TwoandaMicRise up and be curiousThis podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafePS. I have only used AI to create the transcript. Everything else is done by humans. I proudly claim all technical errors for my self.

Helga joins me from Milan to talk about her extensive experiences as a Talent Acquisitions Head in creating culture and structures where none exists, or merging them where they collide in a business context. So much easier to say than to do. Yet when adding gender equality into the mix and the age-old misogyny and patriarchal pushbacks often let slide as micro-aggressions, how women navigate these slippery landscapes is no easy feat. Does the EU’s new approach to pay transparency and fairness signify a major shift to come?This episode is so packed full of content I can feel the weight of the laptop digging into my muscle.Thank you Helga for your time and insight, it is always a pleasure.This is TwoandaMic!I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafeOnly the transcript has been produced by AI. All other screw-ups I have proudly achieved myself.

The world around us is being changed by human enterprise and direct human influence, yet our activities often ignore significant collateral damage. Much of that damage is unacceptable yet only NGOs line up every day to address the rights of those communities to try to bring comfort and assistance where they can. Not all of the work being done is as effective as the NGOs would like it to be nor does it address the needs the recipients of the projects highlight themselves.In an attempt to better understand the gap between need and delivery, recipient and NGO, Saroj, Yiuriu and Silke created a questionnaire for both groups to try to understand how to bridge the divide. This episode brings together a panel of NGO employees to talk about their experiences and to discuss the responses of phase 1 of the questionnaire.We very much hope that more and more people will respond to the questionnaire so that we can have a phase 2 analysis which is even more complete and with which we can directly approach relevant NGOs and related actors with a realistic hope of filling the gap.My thanks to Jessica, Maikel and Manuela and of course Saroj for taking the time to speak with me.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafeNB: Only the transcript was created by AI. All other efforts in creating this podcast were done the traditional way.

Sherlock Holmes is a character we all know, much like James Bond, or Miss Marple. We all know how the detective behaves; how observant and intelligent he is and how quirkily he goes about his task. Yet Young Sherlock puts a lot of emphasis on the ‘Young’ bit as this is a character we are not so familiar with after all.Thank you to Uncle Hair for joining me and for suggesting Young Sherlock in the first place. This is TwoandaMic – rise up and be curious!I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousNote: Only the transcript has been created by AI. Everything else is boringly human, especially the mistakes.Series Art: IImage taken from Wikipedia's page about the show Young Sherlock (Young Sherlock (British TV series) - Wikipedia).

Talking with specialists in their fields of expertise about topics which touch on everyday life is one of the fundamental priorities for the channel. Alongside the need for entertainment, knowledge, open-mindedness and creating a safe space for diverse voices, being aware of why our realities are shaped in the ways they are, allows us to exert greater control on our decision-making. Knowledge and understanding allows us to make better choices.The issue of urban mobility is one I have wanted to address for some time. This is the first discussion on the topic with Valeria and I hope there will be many more.My thanks to Valeria for her time and insight. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousNB: Only the transcript has been created by AI. All topics, conversation and editing have been done by human functions and all errors are my own. The episode art is taken from Microsoft stock images and it unfortunately didn't provide me with an artist's name.

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on this day April 4th in 1928. Her life was trying from the very start. She had to fight for everything, and she lost a number of those fights along the way, and still she rose. She was an inspiration for so many people, for the beauty of who she was and how she envisioned life. She was an activist and an artist, a talented poet and essayist, actor and singer. Her talents were rare and many.She lives on as a beacon of wisdom, understanding and courage and her determination to make the world as better place should encourage us all to take up her call and raise our voices in support of hers.You live on Maya Angelou and you will always rise…I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousEpisode art is taken from this link from The Poetry Foundation: Maya Angelou | The Poetry Foundation

Why do we continue to allow watered down versions of political leadership to rule over us, even when we can see their faults?We have allowed certain ideas to hold sway in our minds when in truth they should always be questioned. We regard ourselves as not being so important to society, that we are simple folk and that we should not be entitled brats. That’s good. However when we see ourselves as a collective, we stretch that same value across us all. We see not a single brat, but a sea of brats, and a sea that must be somehow tamed. Yet when considered as a collective, we are not brats, we are the people. That isn’t a socialist concept, it is the truth. The idea in democracy that the people vote, that the people have power, and that the people decide, is not a socialist concept, it is a decent and sensible concept. Yet we fail to understand the full extent of the power such an idea holds, not just during election times, but always, at all times, without end. We don’t need elections to voice our distrust of corrupt governments and ministers. We can voice that disgust always.Corruption is not a devil we know. Corruption is the devil we have tolerated for too long. Patriotism is not a vehicle that corruption can ride with impunity either. A patriot would never enrich himself through corrupt means because to do so is a blatant act of treachery. And we need to wake up to that reality.We are better educated than a sea of brats have ever been in the past and it is about time we applied that education to improving society as a whole. This is TwoandaMic.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

This story about war by Mark Twain says as much between the lines as it does on them. There are messages upon messages and there are questions, probing questions, that are asked of the reader or listener. This is a story about war. It is a story about youth and how the young one day come across that horrible event and try to make something of it that only the young could. It tells us of how youth can be taken away so harshly and unkindly. It is a story about youth, written for adults, as a warning to us all about leaders who would force our kids to die for their greed.This is TwoandaMic, rise up and stay safe.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousCover art is from the following link: A Private History of a Campaign that Failed by Mark Twain | Goodreads

March 8th is International Women’s Day. March is Women’s History Month.In a patriarchal world, where rules are established by men, where institutions and practices are dictated by men, where morality and behaviour are judged by men, it is notable just how poor a state the world finds itself it.Injustice, murder, inequality, poverty, abuse, rape and criminality of every kind is seemingly endless. It is time for a shift.In this episode I read out a letter written by Suffragette Constance Lytton to the Rt Honourable Reginald McKenna at the Home Office about the injustice on the basis of class and privilege a co-Suffragette has had to endure. The letter was written while Constance Lytton was in Holloway Prison.The courage of the Suffragettes is sadly lacking in political circles today. If only people such as Lady Constance were around to defend her principles as well as the rights of others in such a forthright and courageous fashion.My respect to the Suffragettes and what they achieved.This is TwoandaMic.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousEpisode Art is taken from the following link: Lady Constance Lytton: Her final years

A social democrat will never defend a brutal regime that kills its own people and threatens innocents. So for those who do not hear enough criticism here of the Iranian regime, please listen to other episodes that focus purely on Iran. This episode is about the hypocrisy of politicians, from countries claiming to be democratic, waging war against a brutal regime in an attempt to make the world forget about their own crimes. In the USA the Trump regime has to answer questions about the Epstein horrors and the members of Israel’s government that have been called before the international court for the crime of genocide have to answer for that. They are in no place to lead a charge in the defence of democracy when they stand accused of such horrific crimes themselves.There are international institutions which the USA and Israel have deliberately discredited and weakened that are responsible for dealing with regimes like Iran, but that’s not enough for some. As to how the democracy-loving European leaders can stand so unequivocally with this farce is an embarrassment these politicians will never be able to live down. Every day they defend these criminals they tarnish themselves more.Democracy is a precious child and it needs to be taught well at home before it is allowed to go out and play with the other children.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Information comes at us from every angle and we are bombarded by it. Just this morning the bombs were flying again and war has come to Iran. In recent weeks we have seen and heard the fake pleas to the people of Iran from you know who and they care so much about the people of Iran that they have decided to bomb them. There will be information coming out of Iran from the regime there talking about the true enemy of the people. This from a regime that started the year shooting innocent protestors and civilians. Information comes at us from every angle. Information that is often manipulated, false, politicised and meant to trick us. So when we see people voting for far right parties like Reform, like the AfD, like Marine le Pen’s party, then we think immediately that the far right has grown. That suddenly the fascists are back. That only be voting for the traditional parties will we keep the fascists at bay. But that is a falsehood. The only way to keep the fascist parties at bay is to give the electorate political parties that represent the needs of the people and not the policies of foreign interests, billionaires, multinational corporations and warmongers.The electorate is responsible for more than just voting. We have to be vocal, and we have to demand better. We cannot be told what is what by deceitful politicians and simply take them at their word. We know better. We are better educated. We have access to more information. We can see what is happening. We have witnessed the collapse of an international order that was already unfair only to be replaced by nations trying to create even more inequality. We cannot allow this shitshow to continue in the way the politicians of this terrible generation of politicians would have us accept.Democracy gives us peaceful means to bring about change. We must use them and do so with intelligence and compassion.This is TwoandaMic!I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious #Enjoy

We are now watching as governments around the world, especially in democratic countries, attempt to rewrite history at a greater rate of change than at any known point in history. We are watching evidence redacted to save the elites and governing classes. We are watching them invade nations just to get the news to put something else on the front pages. We are seeing blatant lies told in the futile hope of convincing people who have seen video footage that another plausible narrative may exist.None of it does. In the future the world may read those narratives and consider them to be true, but if these falsehoods are to become official record, then the better part of humanity will have lost, and I don’t want to experience a second of the corrupted world child sexual abusers and their protectors will have created.This is TwoandaMic!I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousEpisode artwork taken from: Whoever Controls The Past Controls The Future - Captions Tempo

Since the times of the Shah, the religious revolution in Iran has been talking about oppression, the corruption of the west, and the hope for the Iranian people in following the leadership of the revolutionaries. Since 1979 the current government has been everything but revolutionary. The government in Iran has been regression in action. It finds excuses for its own ineffectiveness, and it kills people who try to exercise their human rights to expression and thought.Parastu joins me to talk about Iran and to give her thoughts on why Iran is experiencing this latest wave of oppression and to share her hopes for the future.Thank you Parastu as always.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousEpisode art taken from the following link: Tehran (Teheran), Iran - Travel Guide - Exotic Travel Destination

The Epstein case is all of the worst characteristics of humanity rolled into a single horrific and long-running episode. We are nowhere near understanding the full depth of it. There is no guarantee we ever will. Already nations gearing up for investigations into the fall-out of the Epstein Files are talking about “national security” and the consequences with “international relations”. Forgive me for saying it but screw that. If your national security comes at the cost of open defilement of every claim, however false, you may have had to a moral code, then you pull those walls down. If another nation is upset because this investigation further muddies their reputation, then good, that’s what they deserve.THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR ANY KIND OF COVER UP!I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousCover art taken from: Cat Chit Chat: Well over 2 million Epstein files remain hidden (Jan 2026)

We have by now seen the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. We have seen the way communities have been torn apart. We have seen how 'law enforcement' in the USA has so often been a blanket term to explain away systemic racism and prejudice. The ICE has now brought all of those facts out into the open and people are waking up to what African-American communities have known for centuries – a badge does not mean justice and if definitely doesn’t award fair treatment under the law. People watching from around the world need to ensure that nothing like ICE ever comes to our communities. Not the mask wearing thugs, the badges with impunity nor the politicians who lie to defend these atrocities.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousCovert Art taken from the following URL: NYC Anti-ICE Protest Leads to 15+ Arrests as Thousands Take to Streets

Talking of assassinations is the necessity of sustainable politics. It is a form of politics that democratic election cycles thought they had dealt with by the emergence of the party system. Unfortunately, the party system has become a colosseum of dirty tricks and blood sport.Leaders around the world do not get assassinated on a whim. These are not coincidences. Groups of mercenaries do not suddenly converge upon a target. Targets are not picked at random. We talk of conspiracies as though presidents, academics or weapons inspectors only ever get assassinated in the movies.This short monologue gives a very brief outline to some of the links on a chain that I suspect goes much deeper than I will ever manage to understand. Yet the chain is there. The evidence is in the deceased column. It is also in the cover-ups. It is in the direction the consequences have taken. It is in the world we see ablaze today.We no longer have sustainable politics. In fact we have a very active form of destructive politics, and we need to find a peaceful pathway back towards sustainability.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousCover Art taken from zartonkmedia.com

The title 7 Days of Mayhem clearly refers to the first 7 days of 2026 but it also is a tribute to a movie entitled '7 Days in May' and one I would recommend people watch, even though it is in black and white and was made so long ago. The problems we are facing today we have faced many times over and the result is always the same: Millions dead, cities burned to the ground, centres of culture and learning lost, history rewritten or deleted, civilisations destroyed, the planet harmed, a future our children could have had to grow and thrive in replaced by the need rebuild and start again.It shouldn’t be that way. We cannot let our societies fall apart because we let a few people convince us that hate, discrimination, prejudice and superiority are values by which we measure importance and relevance. They are not and never have been. They only ever lead to death and destruction. There is no such thing as racial superiority. There is only superiority in ideals and even then, the superior ideals are those that embrace humanity in its entirety.Let us not knock down walls but stop building them altogether. Let’s stop separating communities but have them unite. Let’s stop judging others and instead make sure that we ourselves are the best we can be. Let’s stop hating and instead embrace love and understanding.I will never accept a world divided by human ignorance when the voices of the intelligent and wise are constantly silenced by the shouts of angry people holding guns.We are better when we allow ourselves to be and when we don’t follow the guidance of greed.This is TwoandaMicRise up and be curious https://open.substack.com/pub/twoandamic/p/fk-happy-new-year?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=4zmbt8I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Vahe is a young man with a passion for people, history and stories. His work with Sudanahye (Sudanese Armenian) pursues real stories, true stories, untold, quaint family stories that brought together tell a tale of a country, a region, tragically torn apart today by the corrupt influences of both internal and external forces. The war and genocide in Sudan are not directly topics we discuss today as Vahe admits, his historical account to date has reached the 1950s.However, when we met in Berlin, the genocide and political situation in Sudan was not ignored, it was a theme that was revisited and considered and referenced and which we should never forget. The people of Sudan deserve so much more than the world currently cares to give.How the Armenian community came to exist in Sudan, how it grew, why and in what ways, are all topics we cover and I thank Vahe for his efforts, his time and his openness.This is TwoandaMic, Rise Up and Be Curious!You can follow Vahe on Instagram at: InstagramOr you can visit the site: sudanahyeI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Aldous Huxley was a philosopher, a visionary and a writer of such immensity that his reputation remains powerful and influential. A pacifist, a thoughtful and thought-provoking writer, he urged his readers to step back from the world and see it for what it was becoming. In Brave New World the lines “The more stitches, the more riches” and “Ending is better than mending” suggested an understanding of capitalism that the neo-liberals themselves didn’t truly grasp until the 1980s.In this poem, The Defeat of Youth, Huxley speaks of the transitional power of love and how it affects us, how it fills us, and steals away innocence. It is a poem of great depth and intensity and I am sorry that I cannot do its beauty justice.The photo for the episode art is taken from the link below.This is TwoandaMic, enjoy!I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousEpisode art source: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw07514/Aldous-Huxley

TV Shows have become a medium for enjoying storytelling that combines the thrill of the audiovisual experience with the longevity of a book. Is it for this reason that we have become so enamoured with them?Is this why moviemakers and cinema chains are afraid for their industry?Yet TV shows, to be enjoyed at home, on the sofa and with friends or family, present us with a completely different experience. In this episode I have the immense pleasure of talking with Amber from Atlas Elsewhere and The Road to Tar Valon, an expert of TV shows and storytelling and whose unique analysis can be enjoyed on YouTube and other platforms (links are in the podcast notes) about our favourite shows of the last 12 months. Have a listen and let us know what you think.Thank you Amber for taking the time to talk with me and for your insightful perspectives.This is TwoandaMic, enjoy!You can enjoy Amber’s expert content on all topics relating to books, TV shows and of course The Wheel of Time by clicking on the links below:(8) Atlas Elsewhere - YouTube(8) Road to Tar Valon - YouTubeRoad to Tar Valon | Instagram, TikTok | LinktreeI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousEpisode cover art was plucked from the following site: Veja como escolher a melhor plataforma de streaming para assinar

This is a review of Ken Follett’s The Armour of Light. It is the latest in his Kingsbridge series and is set in the times of the Napoleonic Wars, the industrial revolution, mass poverty and times of significant social and religious change. I cannot overstate the relevance of the many topics introduced in this one tale.As such Greg’s choice to review this story was an inspired one and I am grateful to Greg for his humour and insight. His knowledge of Kingsbridge supersedes mine by far and it is important to be aware of the history, even of a fictitious town like Kingsbridge.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

While this spat between Lago and Washington appears to be about Boko Haram and their religious conflict, to only see this viewpoint is to accept the word of a liar, even a presidential one, at his word.In this episode Ademola talks about many of the issues that plague Nigerian politics and he is very clear on why he thinks the problems in Nigeria go much deeper than Boko Haram and are more problematic for Nigerians than for Trump.Thank you Ademola for you time and your insight.PeaceI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousCover art is a screenshot taken from the project entitled: The Emerging Alkebulan.

In a just world gender equality would no longer be a demand but a reality. People will point towards progress being made yet misogyny and violent abuse against women continues. How can we in good conscience claim to live in a democracy when half of the population has a genuine reason to be fearful of so many potential male abusers, aggressors, rapists or murderers?If our politicians wanted to change things they would have done. If our politicians had wanted to wipe out violence against women, it would no longer exist. If our politicians wanted to create an equal world, we would be living in one. If our politicians believed that women had equal rights, they would not be trying to remove legal protections for women’s rights to choose what happens with their bodies.Women are not fighting for women’s rights and equalities alone. Society has that responsibility collectively. It is time we stepped up the pressure.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCuriousCover art taken from the following website: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2025

Ademola contacted me some months ago to say that he might be visiting Berlin for a conference as a guest of the German foreign ministry. A few weeks ago Ademola and a group of African activists from different African nations came to Berlin and then Hamburg to meet with politicians, civil servants, lecturers and journalists. Their purpose was to discuss the legacy of German colonialism and in particular the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885.In this episode that we recorded on November 15th, the anniversary of the start of the Berlin Conference some 141 years ago, we talk about this recent trip, the discussions and experiences and about the importance of addressing the continued false narratives. Many people in Europe and elsewhere remain ignorant to this day of the immense lasting administrative and political consequences of colonialism. Many African nations are still not free of the grip of imperialism. Where the American States were United and the countries of mainland Europe formed a Union, no such arrangement has been permitted for the continent of Africa. The idea of Pan-Africanism is over a hundred years old and it is about time it became a reality.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Making ______ Better Again, wherever that may be, has always been an extremely discomforting concept. Whether it is spoken in English, German, Italian or any other language, the idea that some unknown point in history is for some reason the enviable destination of modern society is worrisome. Never are these points in history defined. There is only ever a general reference to some point before today. The crazy thing about that uncertain point in the past is that we all experience the nostalgia of the past. The days when life was easier. The days when we were younger and cared less. The days from when even if we’d had difficult lives, time has managed to get our minds to block out the bad stuff anyway. So we mew for days that probably weren’t great anyway because however bad they were, they must have been better than the bad of today.Yet when those days were bad, politicians were making these same promises and look where we are.Look where we are.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

What drives us to celebrate insignificances when pain is banging on the windows crying out for a helping hand? Why do we believe that some have the right to the glitz and at the same time care not that so many will never know any of the freedoms we take for granted?This reflective, critical, and frustrated monologue expresses what has taken me some time to put together. It places at the centre the Nobel Peace Prize but it is not that institution that really matters at all. It is the society which we have allowed to grow so dispassionate, so cruel and uncaring that thinks only for its own comforts that causes me to question who we really are.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Oscar Wilde remains one of the greatest writers in the modern era. A genius with the pen he was born in Dublin, Ireland on October 16 1854 an died on November 30th 1900 in Paris, France. He took his artistic talents from his mother Jane Francesca Elgee, a poet and a journalist.He published his fairy tales for his two sons in 1888. His only novel, the Picture of Dorian Grey was published in 1891 to a very negative response owing mostly to the depiction of homoeroticism. The dialogue in this book is some of the best dialogue I have ever had the pleasure of reading. His truest talent lay in the writing of his plays, Lady Windermere’s Fan in 1892, A Woman of No Importance in 1893, An Ideal Husband in 1895 and the Importance of Being Earnest, also in 1895.Losing a case he had brought for libel against the Marquis of Queensbury for having accused him of homosexuality, he was arrested and tried for gross indecency and was sentenced to 2 years of hard labour. He wrote De Profundis while in prison.When released in 1897 he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol for his concerns about prison conditions. He spent the rest of his life wandering around Europe, penniless, staying with friends. He died in a cheap hotel in Paris of cerebral meningitis.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

This is a treasure of a story because it speaks to the hearts of many who would today happily be forgotten about by the authorities. Not through criminality or to avoid financial duties, but just because people are so fed up of all the oversight, control and continuous badgering. If only a few more streets could get mislaid like this, how might their value increase as a result? Not that they could ever be officially sold, but still, romantic ideals don’t always need to be grounded in reality.Patrick William Simpson Waddington was an English actor. He was born in York in 1901 and died in York in 1987. Born into the arts as the grandson of a piano manufacturer who also managed the theatre Royal York, Patrick began his career singing before moving on to the stage, often in upper class roles and then film and TV.In 1951 he became the General Secretary of the Actors Charitable Trust.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

I had my eye on Dept Q for quite some time before taking that plunge into the delights of Edinburgh’s latest crime series (that I am aware of at least). The opening scene sets a tone which continues throughout, not in the violence necessarily but in the mood and characterisation. Aggressive humour meant to overpower and influence, awkward laughter, disconcerted expressions, and a traumatic event that underpins much of what is to come.Based on a book series by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen, the show is created by Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani and it came out on May 29th this year on Netflix.In this review with the TV show and acting expert ‘Unc’ we discuss our thoughts and impressions. There may be one or two controversial points raised, but they are batted away with aplomb, at least I hope they were. Feel free to get in touch with points of disagreement, especially in the case where something completely ridiculous has been stated and requires correction.Thanks Unc for being yourself so majestically...This is TwoandaMic. Enjoy!I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Rarely does a book make such a splash 90 years after it was first published. Yet this is the case of Sally Carson’s masterpiece Crooked Cross. Reissued after it was rediscovered by Persephone Books this is a story of love, hate, tragedy and politics. It is told as subtly as such destruction can be recounted. It is a shame the world grew so ignorant of the book but I am hopeful schools will pick it up and students around the world will learn of the folly of such hateful politics. As we can see from Gaza, our leaders haven’t learned a thing.My thanks again to Greg.This is TwoandaMic!The Nineteen-Thirties Novel That’s Become a Surprise Hit in the U.K. | The New YorkerForgotten literary masterpiece about rise of fascism, Crooked Cross, published by Persephone Books - Midas (The source for the photograph used as the cover for this episode).I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Lynchings are a thing of the past – how I wish that statement were fact-based. Considering the nature of politics and the degradation of social justice in the USA I cannot say with any confidence that it is. Terms such as “No foul play” suddenly take on a different meaning. When a loved one is dead and the family cannot understand how such a tragedy unfolded without the participation of ‘unexplained third parties’ then “foul play” can never be truly ruled out. How does a happy and ambitious young man suddenly decide to end his life at the end of a rope, hanging from a tree. A young black man. In Mississippi. A cry for…what? We grieve with the Reed family and hope the true events that took place will come to light and Trey’s soul can find peace.We also touch on how Trump has decided to make ‘AntiFa’ a terrorist group. There is no such organisation. Being Anti-Fascist is actually a tag every single Democracy and freedom loving party or organisation must have. There is no concept of Democracy that can remain effective in a fascist state. The two are as mutually exclusive as you can get in politics. Unless of course the democracy that is on offer is not real. Whether the USA is a Democracy or a Republic doesn’t matter in this case because a Republic is still a “land of the free”. Not if it’s a fascist state it’s not though. Keep singing that anthem with pride Maga!Thanks, Esheru, as always for your time.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

What does it mean to have a school in your locality? Why do people move to areas in cities that provide basic services like healthcare, education, employment, transportation, alimentation and entertainment?When these services are taken away, society dies, communities die.When Ravenswood High School was closed down in the 1970s, so many dreams went with it. Though it is hard to tell why decisions are taken or whether anything sinister even occurred at all, questions must be asked to avoid similar failures in the future. In the name of doing something good, why take such risks as may threaten the existence of a school?That is the story of Ravenswood High School. That is its tragedy.Thank you, Walter, for taking the time to talk with me. A shout out to everyone who attended Ravenswood High School in East Palo Alto.This is TwoandaMic.Ravenswood High School, East Palo AltoI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

This entire hearing was performative politics with a heavy dose on the “performance”. There was no substance to it. Nobody truly gave a damn. They were playing to the cameras and pretending the entire time. People appeared, said what they said, made out they were angry, crossed a faded line or two, and moved on to their next appointment. Even the head of the committee left early as he had another appointment. Farage trundled off to lunch.Hypocrisy doesn’t carry enough of a punch for it to cover everything that went on here. That is the state of politics almost everywhere. The saddest thing is that it is performed mostly by people who need votes to be elected. Democracy has made great actors of our representatives but has entirely failed in achieving representation of what matters to us.What follows is a monologue of my thoughts on that committee meeting and some of the people there.One final note: NIGEL FARAGE IS NOT PRIME MINISTER MATERIAL AND NEVER WILL BE!This is TwoandaMic!I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

The only guarantees in life are death and taxes so the saying goes. We should add to that injustice as well for it has accompanied human civilisation since the dawn of our time.We see it today, in our technological, advanced and moral societies, where our supposed level of understanding has risen above that of the barbaric. When we see what is happening in the world I am convinced that all we have done is to find ways of being more technologically barbaric than ethically advanced.This poem is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force in August 1914 and I dedicate my recitation to the fallen of Palestine whose own search for freedom and justice goes on while the world sells weapons to the aggressor.This is TwoandaMicThe photo has been taken from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG x2966; Laurence Binyon - Portrait - National Portrait Gallery)I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Severance as a TV show on Apple TV+ probably introduces itself. There is a link below to the original season’s trailer and I’d highly recommend you take that in as well if you are yet to watch the show. If you have already seen Severance, I’d love to hear from you about what you liked most or what you found troublesome in one way or another.This is my first episode with my uncle on this simple and straightforward approach to TV shows where we argue back and forth, sometimes at the same time rather chaotically, a bit like Porta Porta if you’re Italian, and we give our opinions on some of the shows of the day. We may flip backwards in time and we may jump into an as yet incomplete show, however our aim is to inform as much as it is to entertain and we will always give our sincere thoughts on the show.So thanks unc for picking up the challenge of TV shows with me.This is TwoandaMic, rise up and be curious.https://youtu.be/Aa5pS6xFi44I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

A year on from the Farage Riots and what have we learned? The basic truth is that rioting does nothing. It doesn’t exhibit patriotism. It doesn’t convince people that a movement based on hate will do anything other than eventually dissipate. It has shown that a vast number of the people on the streets talking about safety to women and children had themselves been either accused of or in many cases even found guilty of violent conduct and/or sexual assault.So the people who Farage and fellows have been appealing to contain thugs, criminals and in the very least hypocrites. Reform is the very epitome of hypocrisy so that stands to reason.In this episode with Esheru we talk about some of the reasons behind the continued support for hate-fuelled policies in Britain and why it is that despite being caught out slacking away from doing work, voting contrary to how they present themselves publicly, and not really giving much of a toss about their constituents, people still feel Reform have anything other than chaos to contribute.Thank you Esheru for your insights as usual.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

There has been a lot already written and said about Palantir but I wanted to get a few of my own thoughts in order on the subject. Below I have links to mainstream and independent reports on Palantir and its dangers as a company and its software Gotham in particular.We cannot allow our passive acceptance of governance to continue in the way that it has done. Humanity has almost completely run out of compassion. That genocides can now occur live on television and people still feel they need to defend it in some way is so horrific I cannot understand. Our species needs to step up because as it stands, we are fighting a losing game on multiple fronts.This is TwoandaMic, rise up and be curious…Here are some interesting links:I Worked At Palantir: The Tech Company Reshaping RealityAlex Karp - The Techno-Nationalist Behind PalantirPalantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale on DOGE findings: It's really important to see some arrests here🔥 The Man Behind the Antichrist? How Peter Thiel Quietly Became the Most Dangerous Man in AmericaI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

On July 25th Jubilee released a show called Surrounded with Mehdi Hasan confronting 20 far right voices in the USA.You can see that episode on YouTube here: 1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives (ft. Mehdi Hasan)In this podcast Esheru joins me to give his thoughts on the Surrounded show and also to talk about some of the wider themes that underly the reasons behind the spread of right wing extremism, anger and hate in the USA and in Europe.Thank you Esheru for your time.This is Twoandamic, rise up and be curious.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Roald Dahl wrote some of the most amazing children’s stories I’ve even read. My personal favourite of his is The Fantastic Mr Fox, but other classics such as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and The Twits, not forgetting George’s Marvellous Medicine were all must-reads when I was growing up.If I had a hundred wishes I wouldn’t know where to start, but somewhere near the top would be that every child had a headteacher like mine, who took time to read to them once a week, no matter how long it took to finish the story. Every child on this planet should have someone who read to them, a funny story, with a funny voice, so that they could remember those moments as warmly as I do…Here is a link to the series Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected. It’s well worth a watch.Tales of the Unexpected (1979 - 88) Complete Series : Anglia Television : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Here is my narration of Checkov's short story called A Slander. How does the story’s protagonist interpret a joke, how much importance does he give it and how does he perceive the character that tells it? What webs the human mind spins when all is needed is calm, a sense of humour and little less pride.For any feedback, please come and find me on most socials with the hashtag TwoandaMic.Link to the photo: 'We must go on living': Anton Chekhov for the 21st century | CBC RadioI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

How did the world get into the state that it is in today? Why do we hate one another so much when we are all so much alike?Every choice has a consequence, yet we are collectively too shortsighted to realise how our own small voices can lead to such significant changes in the DNA of our societies. Since November 1963 when certain questionable actions occurred and a state cover-up was initiated, the entire world has in one way or another fallen in line with official narratives. However the last 20 years have shown us precisely the dangers of believing that the state operates in our favour.The state, whichever one you choose, has brought the people to poverty, has given our taxes to the rich - their friends, has bombed free nations, initiated coups, supported genocides and is constantly ignoring climate change with where it puts our money - into the hands of oil producers. Even the most die hard of nationalists cannot deny these facts, they would simply agree with the policies. By staying silent and not demanding change, we have quietly allowed ourselves to be placed beside them.This path that our ‘democratic world’ has taken, will lead to greater authoritarianism and less freedoms. It has happened before. The state will continue to justify the need to control us. We are our own enemies. Only the state can think for us. Only the state can be right. Only the state can make big guns. Only the state has the right to train people in the use of them. This is the world we live in and one of the reasons for that is the election in 1980 that was perhaps stolen by Reagan for doing a deal to keep 52 American hostages in prolonged captivity.Here is an article that speaks of the details to Reagan’s deal. Make up your own minds: It’s All but Settled: The Reagan Campaign Delayed the Release of the Iranian Hostages | The New RepublicWalter was on the ground in Nicaragua and though his role did not involve him in what happened, by doing his very normal job he realised he too played a role. Thank you Walter for your time.This is TwoandaMic#Riseup and #BeCurious.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp #BeCurious

Talking about freedom when we believe we have it makes for a deeply reflective experience. There are definitely occasions where we feel free. There will be times when we even act freely. In many places we speak freely and congregate freely. Yet those freedoms are being tightened, and our free speech is being choked.I will address those sentiments in a future episode, so for now I thank Amin for talking about his personal experiences in Jordan and travelling to different countries as well as his openness in reflecting on integration in coming to Germany.This is TwoandaMic, #riseup and be curious.I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!#RiseUp

The world is melting. Climate crises and tipping points, wars, bombs, propaganda and social strife. We are experiencing everything, everywhere, all at once (isn’t that a movie title too?). Yet rather than taking a step back to calm the situation down, our apparent ‘leaders’ are making things worse. The criminals are running the show and the other leaders have simply fallen into line behind them. That’s not any form of representation I am satisfied with.In this podcast we address these issues as well as how our education and our media have covered over the sentiment of resistance. Inspired by the post below we include these thoughts in our chat.https://x.com/trhxianl/status/1935463041484898422My thanks to Esheru for his insights and his time.My best wishes to you all in the hope that we can achieve mutual respect amid our dissention.This is TwoandaMic. Rise up and be curious!Title inspired by د (@trhxianl) / XI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!

Rose, a specialist in Geopolitics, has worked tirelessly to create this fantastic project whereby students from Marseilles and Yerevan have the opportunity to experience life in each other’s cities, learn about the more than century-old history that unites the two towns, and the cultures that have grown through centuries of strife and fluctuation.Below are a few links to the project.Thank you Rose for your time. It is truly appreciated.This is TwoandaMic!NB: Owing to a poor sound connection, I have tried to enhance the audio to make Rose’s speech clearer. At some points this process makes her voice sound mechanical. I apologise for the lack of quality in some parts.Links to the project:Echange Arménie, un premier aperçu dans la presse et en vidéo - Lycée Nelson Mandelahttps://www.lamarseillaise.fr/societe/les-lyceens-de-marseille-et-erevan-main-dans-la-main-ON18269043?sfnsn=scwspwaI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!

Amber from the Road to Tar Valon joins me in this episode on the cancellation of an epic TV Show the Wheel of Time. Amber has her fingers on the pulse of that big spinning wheel and world of WoT themes and theories and shares a few morsels for us to chew on.Plus a very quick chat about Murderbot (more to come when the TV Series season 1 concludes).As always, thank you so much Amber for your time and your insights. You can find Amber’s YouTube channel here: (117) Road to Tar Valon - YouTubeThis is TwoandaMic!#RiseUp and #BeCuriousI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!

When Alex sent me the article about a Cybersex club as background to this episode’s discussion, I was sold on the idea immediately. The sex industry has always been a part of society. For as long as communities have existed, sex has been traded in one form or another. Sex is the vehicle through which society grows, quite literally.Sex motivates and inspires and innovates. Sex pushes boundaries in ways most sectors cannot fathom.However sex and the sex industry must adhere to very specific rules if they are to operate in a law-abiding society and the first rule is legal consent.Here are some links Alex wanted to share:The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny, by Laura Bates (reading her books in general is a good idea, as she has evolved into an excellent resource for fighting misogyny).https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9781471190483/the-new-age-of-sexismYour Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and The Emerging Science of Addiction, by Gary Wilson (this book is ten years old but is a good fence-post of significant research, even if I do not agree with all of it).https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9780993161605/your-brain-on-pornTakedown: Inside The Fight To Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking, by Laila Mickelwait.(This is only available in Kindle or Audio format)https://amzn.eu/d/e0cqrdMI can be found here, if anyone is nuts enough to want to talk to me.https://bsky.app/profile/underdark.mediaI welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:Instagram: TwoandaMicTwitter: TwoandaMic1TikTok: Twoandamic2Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you.PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...!