I realise that some of you rarely consume audio at all, while others listen avidly to the radio or to podcasts. In recommending five of the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis, I hope that some of you may be inspired to listen to podcasts for the first time, while those of you who are already on the podcast bandwagon may discover something new.

I listen to podcasts using the PocketCasts app. I paid for it, but believe that it’s now available for free. Typically I listen to podcasts in English at 1.7x speed, and podcasts in French at 0.9x speed!

Displaced (Vox Media / International Rescue Committee)

This podcast explores issues and ideas within humanitarian work, through interviews with influential people within the sphere. I really appreciate the hosts, Ravi Gurumurthy and Grant Gordon. They ask good questions, seem caring and genuine, help to keep the tone light, and strike a good balance between talking about ideas and about experiences.

Invisibilia (NPR)

An exploration of “the invisible forces that shape our world,” Invisibilia covers topics from assumptions and ideas to beliefs and behaviours. The three main hosts – Alix Spiegel, Lulu Miller, and Hanna Rosin – are sharp storytellers who weave testimonies and science together to present quite fascinating episodes. Two particularly memorable, if sad, episodes are The Weather Man and The Remote Control Brain.

RadioLab (WNYC Studios)

The subject matter explored on the Radiolab podcast is quite wide-ranging, touching on science, philosophy, politics, art, and current events, from around the world. So, where to start?

Two suggestions:

The Cataclysm Sentence – this episode explore’s Richard Feynman’s question “If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence was passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?”

The Other Latif – a six-part series in which Radiolab’s Latif Nasser investigates the story of a Guantanamo Bay detainee who shares his name.

The Moth

I value this podcast for the way it highlights humans and human experience through storytelling. Ordinary people submit their stories and are assisted to curate these and present them to audiences live on stage, at “The Moth” events. The stories presented vary widely. Some are hilarious, others profound and sad.

The Inquiry (BBC)

Like Radiolab, the subject matter addressed in The Inquiry is wide-ranging. However, there’s a concerted effort on the part of the producers to address “issues of the day” …i.e. trends or themes dominating the news cycle. This has led to several COVID19-related episodes in recent months.

The format is formulaic: addressing a central question to four “expert witnesses” in order to build up an overall perspective that has colour and depth. An episode that stood out for me was “Why was Qasem Soleimani killed?”

Happy listening!

Here’s a reminder about when to wash your hands. If you don’t yet have a habit of washing your hands (properly, with soap) at these key times, there’s no better time to develop one.

FOOD

If you’re preparing food, wash your hands before starting, during the process, and afterwards. If you’re eating food, wash your hands before you start …and if food has come into contact with your hands while eating, wash your hands afterwards.

ICK (a collective term for things that we are disgusted by)

Your body expels droplets, mucus, and waste, all of which can potentially spread infection. So, wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, and after going to the toilet.

Pets and other people produce the same ick, so if you are caring for a pet or someone ill, young, or otherwise unable to handle their own ick, then make sure to wash your hands before touching them, and following any potential exposure to their droplets, mucus, or waste.

Contact with rubbish – or garbage, or trash, if you really must – also represents an opportunity to spread infection. Wash your hands after handling it.

Voilà, a video about good hand washing technique.

It’s tough to start. But here we go.

I have started this blog primarily in order to improve my writing. I hope that it will serve as a tool to help articulate my thoughts and to tell stories. I will endeavour to be concise.

I hope that my writings will find their way to people who would be inspired to think or act, based on what they read. I intend to steer clear of cynicism and keep the tone uplifting.

To be clear: building an audience and making money are not my primary interests, but both would serve a purpose.

• An audience would help with accountability for continuing, and would fuel my imagination. Additionally, it would massage my pretensions about being a writer.
• It would be helpful if this blog eventually covers its own costs, but the chances of that seem small – at least in the near term.

I do not intend to rapidly grow this blog by implementing the classic tactics used by savvy bloggers for whom finance is the bottom line. I’m aware of a few of these tactics and an expert in none. I feel that pursuing them would miss the point of this blog, which is to serve as a creative outlet.

Thank you for taking a few moments to read these words. I hope that as you read on, you will feel a sense of return on time invested.