Two and a Mic - The Social Podcast

Time is measured as a linear human construct, but events take place concurrently and reactions are often uncontrollable and immeasurable. Reliability of info gives power when you monopolise the flow of information and the very information that is communicated. We need to highlight the power of information in the 18th century was absolute. Word got out only when the powers that be wanted it to get...

No Red Wave – which is the main thing. But what state is America in? I’m embarrassed by the childishness of British politics, but wow, the American two-party system is trying really hard to compete in general crappiness. Campaigning costs in the US are ridiculous, what a waste of money. But on the other side, it’s a significant hindrance to any popular poor candidates rising up locally. If you don...

Jefferson, the man the legend, the founding father, president number 3, immortalised by the Jeffersonian, schools and streets and who knows what all over the USA and of course, who could forget, slave owner! He even leased his slaves out to others so that he could profit from them while he was in France. Jefferson is tainted and we have to look at him through those eyes. He was well educated, he h...

Neurodiversity and dealing with it while trying to achieve potential in an extremely challenging environment, is a tough ask. Add to that mix a time period when people didn’t even believe that women could be neurodiverse unless it was specifically bipolar, and we have a very high wall to surpass. To do so takes courage. We all have a thought to what courage means and no doubt in each and every ren...

Guy de Maupassant, a French 19th century author, is considered one of the masters of the short story form. A protégé of Gustave Flaubert, a leading figure in literary realism, Guy’s work personifies the efficiency of language, the depth and intensity of his compositions and the naturalism of his storytelling. His writing is comforting, easy and flowing. His material is almost of the mundane, the l...

The South Sea Company was a state funded slave trading company into which the main politicians of the day invested including the first Prime Minister of the UK. Robert Walpole was a slaver. He negotiated a means to continue his power within parliament and the government to make sure he could keep his lifestyle going. He needed politics to stay financially viable. Robert Walpole was a slaver! The S...

The Sunflower by Dora Greenwell, is a delightful little poem that thrills and satisfies the senses by merging us at once, in ambient tranquillity in a meadow somewhere, with the sun a golden orb shining down at us. Dora Greenwell’s fantastic imagery by far transcend my own thoughts on her delightful work. I read out those words knowing full well that I can only do them a disservice. Dora Greenwell...

John Adams is a relative unknown considering he’s one of the Founding Fathers. He was extremely intelligent, a vastly accomplished lawyer, idealist and ideologist and was fundamentally convincing as advocate for liberty and independence. Was being VP and President a step too far in the career of John Adams? Is his legacy forever tarnished as a result of the failures he presided over in the White H...

Authors, poets, actors, artists, ok people, tend to live troubled lives. I am not yet aware of anyone who has not had a troubled existence of one sort or another. Celebrity does not guarantee riches, but it does mean their lives are played out in view of public scrutiny. T S Eliot was no different. His work touched many and he remains respected as a poet, essayist and critic almost 60 years after...

George Washington, one of the founding fathers, he gave the US capital its name, was the first president of the USA and has so much written about him and said about him…but is it actually true? When you look online for information about GW, or you watch documentaries of read biographies about him, there appears to be a distinct lack of objectivity. So, Aydan and I have decided to put the objectivi...

In experimenting with time and space and movement in a literary format and with my podcast, I have decided to put together a number of short poems. I have no idea how they will be received, but I hope somewhere out there someone will be reminded of one of these dirges, and will think back to when they first encountered it, I hope with fondness and warmth, and… Hut Among the Bamboos BY WANG WEI Ant...

The writings of George Orwell though penned many years ago have perhaps never been so relevant as they are today. I am certain that there have been many occasions in the past when that was also true, and I fear that there will be other occasions in the future when that will also be the case. We have much to learn from people such as George Orwell, whether we do so or not however depends very much...

Vladi and I embarked upon series with regards to the governance of our islands unfortunately the demands on our time has been such that we have taken an involuntary break from this discussion however today we return to continue and we do so by jumping into Vladi's next point. Today's discussion borders on the controversial however I would hope that people listen Vladi's complete thought before jum...

Today’s topic is video gaming and what this ultra-modern, 50 year old ecosystem brings (if not even older). We talk PlayStation and Xbox, we talk passion, being involved in the characters, growing with the stories and being lost in amazing worlds. There are so many good games coming out soon too that the world of gaming is in a very good place. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and f...

Traci, from the Road to Tar Valon and Paperback Cabaret, and I jump into the mammoth topic that is: Women of the French Revolution. It represents an ocean of societal change, extreme positions, rebellion, rights, equality, inequality, genders, thoughts, principles, treason, promise and deceit and hundreds of ideas that crash together to bring down a monarch, kill thousands, reign terror and then r...

We start by talking about inequality, civil and human rights and gender rights. We’ve discussed this before, but we will discuss these issues again and again until the problems are resolved. The main topic of Iran-Contra, however, is a huge, powerhouse historical event of corruption, mismanagement on an astronomical level, breaking government rules, circumventing the constitution and doing everyth...

Podcast number 100 is a special one for me, not because of the number, but because of my guests. My boys join me for a short family chat on a number of crazy topics that include holidays, stress, patch-work families, the premier league, climate change, discrimination, aging, the meaning of Xmas and so much more. Thank you boys for giving me a slice of our lives that I will always be able to refer...

Anton Chekhov was a pioneering Russian playwright and short-story writer. He came from adversity and worked his way through his difficulties. His life at home growing up was uncomfortable and he referred to his father, when writing to complain about his brother, “Let me ask you to recall that it was despotism and lying that ruined your mother’s youth.” Through talent and application he managed to...

We meander and warm into our topic and it’s fun to listen again to how Aydan and I, after only 2 rounds, have already begun to spar so naturally. The talk begins with Covid and ends with Aydan’s predictions for the mid-terms, and it has to be said, he’s not too positive about the Democratic Party’s chances. They haven’t done enough to convince Aydan, and more importantly floating voters, to come o...

Mark Twain (Samuel Longhorne Clemens) is known as one of the US’s greatest authors and humourists. He is accredited with writing the first great American novel with the tales of Huckleberry Finn and both in during his lifetime and after he was and has been given countless plaudits for his wit, storytelling, and skill in charm. There is a sense of adventure and daring in his words, not mention a ch...

I speak with Aydan for the first time, a name frequently referred to in one of my favourite podcasts @TheRoadtoTarValon, and he truly is passionate about a lot of the injustices his countryfolk are experiencing at the moment. Aydan is 21 and like so many young people in the US, he is very disappointed with the political structures in his country. Our main topic is gun violence in the USA however w...

In a work context Tanja takes time to formulate an action plan or response and wants to approach her responses and reactions from a position of calm and awareness. Reflexive responses, too quickly produced are not the best way of responding to things. Take your time and give yourself a chance to calm down. This is one of the many things we talk about today, Conflict Coaching, Corona, Time, Voices,...

Hinrich works, on a mostly voluntary basis, for organisations that defend human rights. He is Green Party politician in his local district of Reinickendorf where he and has party have championed the support of refugees through direct engagement with the community. He will represent Amnesty International Deutschland at the Global Assembly of Amnesty International where current and future paths will...

Producing content is not always as easy as it seems. There are some great content creators out there and they make it look easy, that’s what makes them so good. Julia and her colleagues are more than content creators. They are also platform creators and networking specialists. Below I have listed some of the platforms on which they create content and also the Lively Story APP that brings so much t...

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...