Mitja is a historian by education, passionate about technology in various forms and has been a student of change, culture and society throughout his life. It is possible when studying specific disciplines to lose oneself within the material of that subject and often rewardingly so. In Mitja’s case he combined hard work with raising his head above the parapet, observing and reflecting on changing moods, asking why and seeking answers and also delving into the fine arts of cooking and food.

Mitja has many interests that coincide with my own, especially as many of his subjects are humanitarian in nature. However Mitja is also a man of science and the combination he represents makes for a wonderful conversation partner.

Thank you Mitja for your time and I look forward to our next chat.

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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.

From Berlin to Bavaria to South Africa, Benny pursued his passion, his creativity and his needs. In this, our first podcast together, Benny talks about his motivations and inspirations and how he sought independence in a kitchen in Rosenheim before finding a more artistic edge behind the camera.

Taught his early steps with a camera by his mum, he delayed his photography education by spending a year at art school. It wasn’t just about taking pictures, it was about the angle, the perspective, the story. Benny talks about his views on photography and how experience has pushed him in so many directions that the time has come to set a sail of a different sort: Sustainable photography!

Thank you Benny for your time!

HEINRICH BENJAMIN — work

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

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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!

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.

This is podcast number 7 with Tanja, and her input continues to surprise and inspire in equal measure. She is striking in her strength of thought, her clarity of vision and her thoughtfulness. She weighs every word and gives it value and in that truth lies the depth to her sentiments.

Today we start with a simple quotation from TED: A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected. From here sprout our thoughts, in agreement, disagreement and everywhere in between.

Tanja takes us through the work/life balance conundrum, we focus on needs and passions, we consider how hard it can be to express our true selves and to allow our wishes and dreams to even touch the real world, let alone make them come true.

Tanja weaves her magic through each topic like a ballerina caressing the floor with gentle but solid steps, from one side of the stage to the other. It has been a pleasure to do these podcasts with her and I look forward to many more in 2022!

Once again, thank you very much Tanja…

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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!

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.

Kristine is the consummate professional. She works exactly as any boss would love for her to work; dedicated, focused and always willing to learn. Luckily enough for Kristine she is also the kind of boss people would love to work for. She is patient, instructive, approachable and consistent. As it happens, Kristine runs her own company Andris Capek Consulting, she is both employee and boss. She has worked successfully with her business partner in life sciences recruiting for 3 years.

Recruiting is a tough industry and it is not for everyone. It is the sharp end of sales and the product is people. Kristine gives us a bit of background into how she does what she does on the professional side of things, and she is a truly impressive person. You can hear the smile on her face when she speaks and that immediately is a very positive sign.

On top of her demanding job, Kristine also has time to partake in other passions and one of these is mentoring, specifically mentoring women who want to move on and up the career ladder, how to take the next step and how to motivate oneself and how to know they deserve it. Working with an organisation of volunteers, Kristine adds her experience, her commitment and her leadership to a fantastic project.

Thank you Kristine for your time!

A link to Kristine's mentoring organisation Healthcare Frauen e.V.:

https://www.healthcare-frauen.de/

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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!

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.

Hannah More was a religious British playwright, abolitionist and philanthropist born in 1745. In reading her poem entitled Slavery, it is clear how strong her thoughts were on the disgusting trade of humans from Africa. She was a voice for the abolition of slavery which eventually came in 1807.

It is very modern to view people who are conscious of the suffering of one group of people to express a similar approach to other groups, for example the poor or women. Indeed when Simone de Beauvoir wrote of the state of women in The Second Sex, she frequently compared women’s rights to those of black people and the poor. In the case of Hannah More however that is not right.

Hannah More did not believe that the poor should be taught to read, for they should not rise up above their station. In a letter to the Bishop of Bath and Wells she wrote that her schools only taught, ”such coarse works as may fit them for servants.”

In the case of emancipation of women she argued that women were not fit for politics because she believed women, “to be unstable and capricious!” Saying these traits were “too characteristic of our sex!” She also turned down honorary membership of the Royal Society of Literature on account of being a woman.

Now whether Hannah More used this as a façade to allow her to provide at least some meagre education to those unfancied by society, may be an argument better left to those who know of her life more than I. She did have to deal with a lot of opposition from the community and the church and perhaps by becoming known as a conservative feminist, she was able to continue her work as she saw best.

What follows is a deeply emotional poem worthy of praise. I have in one place chosen not to recite a word used to name people of African origin because I cannot in good conscience utter that word out loud.

I found the poem here: Slavery by Hannah More | Poetry Foundation

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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!

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.

The Road to Tar Valon is a podcast based upon the bestselling Sci-Fi fantasy series of books known as the Wheel of Time, written by Robert Jordan.

The story is epic! The length of the series is mammoth. The undertaking of doing a podcast which involves both a complete read-through plus keeping up with all the news, the TV show, managing a community and doing the necessary background work that makes a podcast work is nothing short of legendary. That is the Road to Tar Valon.

In this episode I am joined by Amber and Traci, the women behind the Road to Tar Valon. They plan, manage, create, edit and produce the podcast themselves and the sheer quality of their production is amazing. We talk about the books that have served as their inspiration, both for the podcast and outside of it. We learn how Traci and Amber met, what drives them and to a certain degree how they work.

We talk about some of the main themes in the story, and how we believe some of the themes will be approached in the TV show. We talk about online communities, the unity, the acceptance and openness as well as on occasion the difficulties that can be encountered.

What stands out for me, is how much fun and energy Amber and Traci bring to their work. I have now had the pleasure of doing two podcasts with them and I have to compliment them on how they can approach so much by way of information, with such depth and appreciation and at the same time without losing themselves in the wealth of material there is.

I look forward to every opportunity of talking with Traci and Amber and once again joining them on the Road to Tar Valon.

Here is a link to their fantastic channel and website:

Road to Tar Valon – A Wheel of Time Podcast (wordpress.com)

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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!

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.

Meeting new and mysterious people online has often been the content for murder mysteries and savage dramas, not to mention some very sad and very real life tales. On this occasion, separated by thousands of miles, the threat ratio was within acceptable limits. Drab is in California, I am in Berlin. Drab ( in case you hadn’t guessed it this is not his real name) is a member of Twitter of Time, a fan community on Twitter for the Wheel of Time series created by Robert Jordan and as a story brought to a conclusion by Brandon Sanderson.

Drab has some very different approaches to the Wheel of Time to my own and he has set himself a role to play online in supporting the story he loves. As he puts it “my role is to engage fans and play the role of media consumer and media provider.”

Hidden away beneath all of that, Drab also has a number of thoughts on politics and society that are not too dissimilar to my own and these became apparent in our chat. There are naturally differing perspectives and ideas on some things, but who wouldn’t expect that?

I am thankful to Drab for accepting the invitation of a complete stranger, for staying awake until 2:00am in California to speak with me and I look forward to our next talk.

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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!

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.

Tatiana is a human rights activist and fundraiser for charities and organisations and an organiser of events with clear policy goals aimed at creating a sustainable future for people on our planet. It’s worth emphasising these points because Tatiana has been doing this for some time now and to maintain the energy and dedication that she has for so long is more than admirable.

Running uphill against the wind is a challenge, doing it while carrying half a village and some farm animals is nothing short of amazing. This is the kind of mentality that is needed to combat human apathy. Leaving issues such as climate change to others has never really worked, there’s no way it is going to do so now. We need to make some hard decisions.

However Tatiana is also a realist and we don’t always completely agree on method, which is a good thing. A certain degree of flight is necessary for Tatiana and in some ways I have to concede the point. On most other areas we appear to find common ground easily.

Tatiana talks about Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. I must say it covers all the major topics that I’d like to read of too, so I am off to order my copy from the local bookstore!

Thank you Tatiana and see you again soon.

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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!

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 Tanja expressed the wish to speak of the passing of her father, there was no need to think long about it. The idea of this podcast is to give voice to people whose experiences are meaningful and whose sentiments and awareness may prove insightful and comforting to others.

Tanja has often talked very openly about other deeply sensitive topics and so this ability she has to address such points is noteworthy in the least. There are issues that many people find difficult to speak of, and strangely, life dictates that these are the very issues we must speak of to solve so many of the social difficulties we face.

Thank you Tanja for your grace and strength of heart in sharing how challenging the last three weeks have been for you and your family. My condolences for your loss.

Link to The Paradox of Order and Chaos:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pc8B9XGXRRywO8L2dgEq0?dlbranch=1&si=WuNvgQeJRzefTJpJw0Row

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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!

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.

The investigation into events surrounding the January 6th attack of the Capitol continue to move forward. Subpoenas, contempt, denial and accusation! Somewhere inside this story is a bastion of democracy, smothered by rage, hearsay and corruption. Certain people, whose job it was to protect the constitution lost their way and instead sought to undermine it from within.

Since when has the use of words that carry the death penalty flown so easily off the tongue? Traitors! Treachery! Betrayal!

Around the world crimes are being perpetrated and I haven’t covered them. I apologise for my ignorance in these matters. Ethnic groups are fighting for their survival and I wish I could shine a beacon upon their suffering. It is perhaps defeatist of me to focus on western democracies again, yet it is what I am most aware of. In addition, it would show immense insensitivity if I were to overlook the vast contradictions of democracy. It is being sold abroad as a system of choice for good living and respect, whereas at home it is being used as a tool to undermine human rights.

Karin is a fantastic guide into the background of these events and provides her characteristic insight into what they might mean.

I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at:

Instagram: TwoandaMic

Twitter: TwoandaMic1

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!

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.