Podcasts about botswanan

Welcome to the thirty-second episode of the Zoology Ramblings Podcast!The podcast has a new intro tune, a big thank you and credits to the very talented Al Middleton for the epic jingle. In this episode, Emma and Robi share news about their recent travels. Emma shares the nature highlights from her recent trip to North America and Robi shares his relaxing time in the Botswanan bush. Emma and Robi's animals of the week range from the very fluffy (Sea otter) to the very "sexy" (Onager). We then get into our first rewilding deep dive outside the British Isles exploring Project Cheetah in India. An intricate discussion into the decline of the Asiatic cheetah and the complexities of their highly political reintroduction. Robi and Emma delve into how Southeastern cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia are being used as a proxy to the lost Asiatic cheetahs. Some deem this project a failure but Emma and Robi draw out some of its successes. Robi ends with a tribute to Vincent Van Der Merwe, an inspirational South African conservationist, scientist, and National Geographic Explorer. Vincent was known for his role in cheetah conservation and reintroduction projects in Africa and Asia. About the hosts:Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma's role as a Wildlife Champions Project Officer involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. Follow up links:You can watch "Rewilding A Nation" for free on WaterBear by following this link: https://www.waterbear.com/watch/rewilding-a-nationYou can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @zoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife 

"Voices in the Bows explores the resonance and cultural significance of the Botswana mouth bow, an instrument with a rich history of oral transmission and performance. The original field recording captivated me with its percussive qualities, harmonic overtones, and rhythmic fluidity. Rather than manipulating or digitally altering the bow's sound, I chose to preserve its natural timbre, allowing its delicate nuances to emerge organically within the composition. "This approach was driven by a deep respect for the mouth bow's historical and cultural context. By layering my voice with the unmodified bow recordings, I sought to create a dialogue between human expression and instrumental resonance—an interplay that highlights the instrument's sonic purity while simultaneously expanding its presence into a new musical space. "The composition aligns closely with the themes of Sonic Heritage, particularly in the areas of sound preservation, cultural significance, and the evolving role of traditional instruments in contemporary sonic landscapes. The Botswana mouth bow, like many indigenous instruments, carries centuries of history within its timbral and performative characteristics. These sounds are not merely musical artifacts; they are active conveyors of cultural identity, storytelling, and communal tradition. "Through Voices in the Bows, I aim to amplify the importance of preserving these sounds, not just as archival materials, but as evolving voices that continue to shape musical expression today. By placing the mouth bow in a contemporary compositional setting, the work acknowledges the instrument's past while also demonstrating its capacity to exist dynamically within new artistic contexts. "The composition was built around the rhythmic and tonal qualities of the Botswana mouth bow, with the field recording serving as the foundation for all sonic elements. My voice was introduced as an extension of the bow's resonance, moving between subtle harmonic reinforcement and more expressive vocal gestures. "Rather than imposing external harmonic structures or altering the natural tuning of the bow, I allowed the instrument's intrinsic tonal shifts to guide the composition. The voice functions as both a counterpart and an enhancer, drawing attention to hidden details within the bow's sound—its microtonal inflections, the interplay of its overtones, and its distinct rhythmic articulation. "A key aspect of this process was spatialization and layering. The voice was positioned within the stereo field to create an immersive experience, responding intuitively to the bow's phrasing and dynamic contour. The resulting composition is minimal yet deeply textured, inviting the listener into an intimate sonic environment where tradition and contemporary exploration coexist. "Beyond its technical construction, Voices in the Bows is a meditation on listening—both to sound itself and to the histories embedded within it. This work reflects my ongoing interest in the intersection of sound, memory, and cultural preservation, as well as the ways in which traditional instruments can continue to inspire new creative directions. "The piece asks: How do we listen to sounds from the past? How can we ensure their survival without freezing them in time? And what happens when we allow these sounds to interact with new voices, new spaces, and new audiences? "By engaging with the mouth bow's resonance without modifying its core essence, Voices in the Bows serves as both a homage and an exploration—a bridge between the historical and the contemporary, between cultural preservation and creative reinterpretation." Botswanan mouth bows reimagined by Anderinna Gooch. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

Tänään analysoitiin Botswanan vaaleja, pöllittiin liikennemerkkejä tuomarireissulla ja kuljetettiin salaisesti pizzaa. Lisäksi taisteltiin planeettojen olemassa olosta ja muutamasta muustakin kiperästä aiheesta.

Ian and Hannah review the biggest new films and bingeable shows on UK streaming services for the week beginning Friday 30th August 2024, including:A darkly comedic and contemporary reimagining of Greek mythology, exploring themes of gender politics, power, and life in the underworld; six humans learn that they are component parts of an ancient prophecy in Kaos, starring Jeff Goldblum, on Netflix.Glitz meets grit in this backstage pass to artists from around the world. Through trials and triumphs, Jessi, CRAVITY, and BLACKSWAN give everything they've got to an art form that demands nothing less than perfection, in Apple TV music documentary K-Pop Idols.Get up close to Africa's magnificent felines. Across dramatic Botswanan landscapes meet the lions, cheetahs and leopards at home in the wilderness - and those filming their lives, in BBC iPlayer's Big Cats 24/7Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez return as the true crime podcasters who find themselves in the middle of the action, and in season 4 the trio make their way to Hollywood! Stream Only Murders in the Building on Disney Plus now.Follow Bingewatch on all major podcast players for your weekly rundown of the best binge-worthy shows across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more.Remember to leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser and Goodpods AND you can now show your support and leave a tip for Ian and Hannah.You can also stay in touch with the team via Twitter AND if you like Bingewatch but you're looking for a specific review, check out BITESIZE BINGEWATCH, our sister show making it easier to get the bits you want!If you're a brand interested in sponsorship or collabs, email hello@podcastsbyliam.com and chat to us now!

Bik Nizzar and Randip Janda celebrate the Canadian Men winning the 4x100 Olympic Relay Race, in what could possibly be Andre De Grasse's final Olympics. Then they move on to "beef culture" and talk about the art of respectfully talking trash to your opponents to up the ante, after Botswanan runner Letsile Tebogo had some things to say about Noah Lyles. Finally, it's NHL discussion as they evaluate where Thatcher Demko belongs in a Top 10 goaltender list, and some hot takes for the upcoming season. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

In this interview we discuss Dirks's discovery of Nguni after failed attempts with Bonsmara cattle, amazing attributes of Nguni in harsh Botswanan conditions including longevity, fertility, parasite resistance, failings of commodity beef market, regenerative grazing practices to improve the landscape, his long term vision for the preservation of Nguni and much, much more. Dirk Luus is an expert Nguni cattle breeder operating KwaMakhatini Nguni Stud in Ghanzi, Botswana. He brought a pureblooded herd of Makhitini ecotype Nguni cattle from Eastern Freestate in South Africa to the dry, arid and predator-infested area of, Botswana and is breeding for original traits of adaptability and lack of need for human intervention.----------------------------------------------------------------Upcoming DECENTRALISED Health Summit - IN PERSON & LIVESTREAM TICKETS AVAILABLE✅ Attend REGENERATE Albury August 3rd & 4th https://www.regenerateaus.com/ Join my private MEMBERS Q&A Group (USD20/month) and I will help you optimise your lifestyle using circadian, quantum & ancestral dietary approaches✅ https://www.skool.com/dr-maxs-circadian-resetSUPPORT the Regenerative Health Podcast by purchasing through the following links: 

Robbie chops it up with Ben Cassidy, the Executive Vice President of Safari Club International, from the recent CIC General Assembly in Portugal. The two reminisce about Brazilian soccer and Robbie's early childhood there, the recent epic call-out by Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi challenging the UK and German governments to take delivery of elephants, a legal clarification by the German government on the legality of owning elephants (2,000 hectares and minimum 5 elephants, if you're wondering), New Zealand's Forest and Bird' National Game Act judicial review and the hypocrisy behind their suit against Fjordland Wapiti Foundation, Catalina Island deer, and more! Support our newest Conservation Club Members! J Martin Taxidermy: https://jmartintaxidermy.com/  Boss Shotshells: https://bossshotshells.com/  Dog & Gun Coffee: https://www.dogandguncoffee.com/  See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io Podcast is brought to you by: Bushnell: https://www.bushnell.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fortnight's episode, join Gyles and Aphra Brandreth as they find out more about Botswana and its rich poetic traditions. Speaking to Barolong Seboni, a distinguished retired academic and poet. Barolong shares his fun and insightful translations of Botswanan proverbs, offering a window into the culture and poetry of the country. Poems this episode include: Molepolole; Woman's World; and Gabarone Mall, all by Barolong Seboni.

This week we seek to bring you truth in the midst of the lies -  Perth Museum and the Return of Paganism to Scotland; Banning wood burning stoves; adulterous MP leads SNP campaign; Dundee FC match cancelled by Climate Change;   the Cass Report;  Country of the Week - Hungary;  South Korean Elections;  Brazil censors X;  Douglas Murray in Australia; French politician wants to prosecute priest for bible teaching; Chrislam in Bristol Cathedral; British Muslims and Gaza; Islam in Italy; Coleman Hughes gives the best explanation of Gaza to Joe Rogan; the worlds oldest man; Germany and the Botswanan elephants; SEEK 30 - What happens when you die; Feedback; with music from Wolfstone;  Booker T;  Supertramp; Del Amitri; Bach; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Haydn. 

The De Beers Group, which concluded in principle diamond sales and mining agreements with the government of Botswana at the weekend, has committed a billion pula (R1.4-billion) upfront to fund the development of diversification within Botswana. “I've just returned from Botswana and I'm really delighted that we've reached agreement in principle with the government of Botswana,” De Beers Group CFO Sarah Kuijlaars told Mining Weekly in a Zoom interview. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.) The new mining license in Botswana will run to 2054, an additional 25 years, and the sales agreement for another ten years, to 2033. “I think it's worth remembering that these are quite complex agreements, covering the midstream, but also the upstream, so Debswana, and an extension of the mining licence in Botswana. “A couple of highlights to pull out. We've announced the initiation of a Diamonds for Development Fund, and we've committed to put a billion pula upfront. “This fund is for the development of diversification within Botswana, looking at adjacencies beyond diamonds, and potentially into agriculture, climate change, solar development, and tourism,” said Kuijlaars. The development fund will be managed separately from De Beers for the benefit of the Botswanan people. “It's the acknowledgement of the desire by Botswana to get involved across the value chain within the diamond industry,” Kuijlaars said of the fund, which involves an increased role with though the Okavango Diamond Company or ODC, a rough diamond marketing company that is wholly owned by the Botswana government. “We offer our global customer base open access to scale supply of the full range of rough diamonds sourced from Botswana and increased opportunity in cutting and polishing and increased opportunity in jewellery manufacturing, so overall, a real opportunity to create more jobs for Botswanan people in Botswana,” added Kuijlaars. “These have been a really complex negotiations over many years. But we have agreed in principle and you're you'll have seen that representatives of the government of Botswana have come out publicly as well.” The agreements will proceed to the terms arrangement, and then to the long form agreement, which ultimately will have to go to the shareholders of Anglo American, as this is a related party agreement between the group and the government of Botswana. Mining Weekly: Would you describe the talks as being convivial? Kuijlaars: Any negotiation can get tough at some point, but I think what's really important is we're firmly aligned, and I think it's great to see some many photos of the firm handshake of the Minister and Al Cook on Saturday morning, demonstrating our commitment for the future. Has mining been held up while you people have been talking? No, mining hasn't been held up, but I think we've got to acknowledge there was an expectation around the industry. It is an ecosystem, a global ecosystem, so I think there was some uncertainty, and that's why it's so important that we have demonstrated our partnership, demonstrated alignment, which gives some real clarity for the whole industry going forward.

Robbie is on the ground in Botswana for the 100th Blood Origins roundup with the Slots Media boys! Patrick Tillard joins the boys for this special episode, a filmmaker and journalist, who is new to the podcast but on his second trip with the Blood Origins crew. After recounting Louis's constant bad luck in Africa and baggage woes while traveling on Virgin Airlines, they discuss Botswanan hunting policy, their plans for the trip, the conservation project they're working on and more! Shoutout to our Conservation Club Members! Hunt with Safaris De Mozambique https://safarisdemozambique.com/ Hunt with Venator here https://www.venator.co/ Learn more about 970 Services https://970services.com/ See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io Podcast is brought to you by: Bushnell: https://www.bushnell.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TSX-V-listed Giyani Metals Corporation says a feasibility study for the K.Hill project, in Botswana, has confirmed a low capital intensity for what can be one of the largest high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) projects in the world. The study, which was prepared by SRK Consulting, determines that the project has a net present value of $481-million after tax, with an internal rate of return of 28%. SRK also finds that the project can be built at a capital cost of $281-million, with strong free cash flow generation of about $99-million a year, for a total net free cash flow of $1.09-billion over the mine life. First commercial production is achievable in 2025, with an initial throughput of 200 000 t/y of ore. Exploration work is ongoing to upgrade the project's 3.1-million tonnes of inferred resources, which will extend the mine life in due course. Giyani's probable reserve grade of 18.9% manganese oxides places the project among listed battery-grade magnesite mining peers. Another consultancy, CPM Group, finds that demand for HPMSM is poised to grow by nearly 30 times between 2021 and 2036, given its use in the production of cathode powers for lithium-ion batteries. Giyani believes its production process directly from manganese oxide ore does not require power-intensive calcining of electrorefining, which will ensure lower Scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide emissions. The company also plans on integrating 4.5 MW of solar power into its operation. The company continues work to lower the project's operating costs, particularly those related to certain consumables that are affected by supply chain disruption and global inflation. Giyani is also progressing construction of a demonstration plant, which will produce HPMSM samples for testing by potential offtakers by the second half of 2023. Moreover, Giyani will submit its environmental- and social-impact assessment for approval by Botswanan authorities during the first quarter of next year. Chairperson Jonathan Henry says the K.Hill project has the potential to be one of the most significant and largest battery-grade manganese producers globally. “The feasibility study shows how far the scope of the project has developed since the preliminary economic assessment in April 2021.” He concludes that Giyani has early-mover advantage to meet the growing demand for HPMSM from the electric vehicles sector, which is prioritising responsible, low-carbon producers outside of the Chinese supply chain.

In this episode Alan reviews: The Silence of The WiltingSkin by Tlotlo Tsamaase Kundo Wakes Up by Saad Hossain Cyber Mage by Saad Hossain

Pandemic pregnancies and Covid birth stories from around the world.  Under normal circumstances, having a baby is an overwhelming time in a woman's life. Being pregnant in 2020 looked very different to other times. The weight of the global pandemic has added a new level of stress, uncertainty and loneliness for many women globally. Our stories need to be documented and this season is a collection of our testimonies.In this episode, Botswanan mom Rebecca is sharing her experience of being pregnant and giving birth in South Africa, where she lives with her family.You can find Rebecca on Instagram and TikTok: @inthesestilettos and her blog https://inthesestilettos.com.LET'S CHAT: @aishaandlife on all platforms BLOG: aishaandlife.com #thewholemamaVisit Nuk.co.za to sign up for their pregnancy and baby mailers for more expert advice.

With lots of African headlines in the news, Robbie and Cody tag in Jay Leydendecker, a South Texan, who still holds his Botswanan professional hunter's license, for his thoughts on the topics affecting the hunting industry today. Podcast is brought to you by: Carbon Unwind: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1512187506 Dog And Gun Coffee: www.dogandguncoffee.com Duck Dens: www.theduckdens.com  Pladra: www.pladra.com Civilware: www.civilware.com Dew Rosas: https://dewrosas.com/  See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#20 The Souljah's are back...all three of them! Join Abdullah, Andres, and Justine as they recap what they've been up to and discuss the upcoming episodes in their "Black Love" series.Helpful LinksCB4 “I'm Black” clip https://youtu.be/rZHwGnGrm_kMalcolm X Dictionary Clip https://youtu.be/51USLgPWhgcTrouble Man by Marvin Gaye https://youtu.be/6kduvcqx-BUKenyan radio https://radio.or.ke/classic-105/Botswanan radio https://onlineradiobox.com/bw/gabz/A Black Women's History of the United States http://www.beacon.org/A-Black-Womens-History-of-the-United-States-P1524.aspxAtomic Habits by James Clear https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299Jeremiah 33:3 - “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know.”James Balwin quote https://the1a.org/segments/to-be-in-a-rage-almost-all-the-time/————————————Plenty of options to connect with us:Email: hello@christiansouljah.com Hit us up on social media:Facebook: http://facebook.com/groups/christiansouljahInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/christiansouljah/Abdullah's Instagram and Twitter: @Dat_Dude_DullahJustine's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tina.akinyi.7Andres' Twitter @Andres_Amador

What kind of writing keeps us thinking about technology and social media platforms, and their place in our lives - especially when they're seamlessly woven into our days? Ian McMillan is joined by comedian and actress Isy Suttie, political analyst Nanjala Nyabola, the poet Jack Underwood, and communications lecturer Dr Paul Taylor. Isy Suttie writes and performs a brand new song for The Verb about disappearing into the wormhole of the smartphone, and considers throwing her devices into the sea. But will that just encourage sharks to tweet, she wonders? Isy won a Sony Award for her radio series 'Pearl and Dave'; her novel 'Jane is Trying' is published later this year. Political Analyst and essayist Nanjala Nyabola tells us about the satisfaction of finding Kiswahili words for technological terms conceived in English, and how important the right language is for shaping our political futures. Nanjala shares her love of the work of Botswanan writer Bessie Head and discusses her collection of essays 'Travelling While Black'. Poet Jack Underwood's new book is a lyric essay, combining poetry and prose; it's called 'Not Even This: Poetry, parenthood and living' and is a tender exploration of time, uncertainty and fatherhood. Jack argues for poetry as a respite from the risks of generalisation and certainty that much of today's technology seems to encourage. Dr Paul Taylor is a senior lecturer in communications theory at the University of Leeds, and he avoids social media completely. Paul explains why he looks for insights into how technology may be influencing not just how we use our time - but what we think we are here for - in the work of Italian novelist Italo Calvino and in the novels of French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre.

After listening to this podcast episode you will fall in love with Botswana and will definitely add it to your list of countries to visit ASAP. In this dynamic episode, we talk to Katso Thobega, a medical student and a part-time model :) from Botswana. (You can find her on Instagram at instagram.com/_katso._/) You'll learn about different tribes of Botswana, national traditions and dishes, amazing wild nature of the country... You'll even have a chance to learn a few words in Setswana language! She also created a special playlist with the best Botswanan music just for our listeners! (youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQVKRnMbdgyiZyNjw-iC65Fei6HlYLKu5) Dive in! And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode!

Claudia Hammond discusses the latest influx of excellent Covid-19 vaccine results with Sarah Boseley, health editor of The Guardian. Dr Samara Linton reports on efforts by black doctors in the UK to overcome vaccine hesitancy in their communities. The Biden administration is to rescind the USA's Mexico City Policy which denies federal aid funding to organisations overseas that provide abortion counselling or services. The policy, also known as the Global Gag, prevented other family planning and HIV prevention services from receiving essential funding. Joy Phumaphi, former Botswanan health minister and now with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health talks to Claudia about the impact of the policy on the health and wellbeing on women and children in sub-Saharan Africa, and about the prospects for these services after the Mexico City Policy's imminent demise. A team of eye specialists at University College London has found that levels of air pollution typical of big cities around the world increase the risk of one of the commonest causes of age-related sight loss – macular degeneration, a progressive deterioration of the retina. Professor Paul Foster tells Claudia how airborne pollutants from traffic and industry can damage the eye. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker (Picture: Dr. Nita Patel, Director of Antibody discovery and Vaccine development, lifts a vial with a potential coronavirus, COVID-19, vaccine at Novavax labs in Gaithersburg, Maryland in March 2020. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP.)

Claudia Hammond discusses the latest influx of excellent Covid-19 vaccine results with Sarah Boseley, health editor of The Guardian. Dr Samara Linton reports on efforts by black doctors in the UK to overcome vaccine hesitancy in their communities. The Biden administration is to rescind the USA’s Mexico City Policy which denies federal aid funding to organisations overseas that provide abortion counselling or services. The policy, also known as the Global Gag, prevented other family planning and HIV prevention services from receiving essential funding. Joy Phumaphi, former Botswanan health minister and now with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health talks to Claudia about the impact of the policy on the health and wellbeing on women and children in sub-Saharan Africa, and about the prospects for these services after the Mexico City Policy’s imminent demise. A team of eye specialists at University College London has found that levels of air pollution typical of big cities around the world increase the risk of one of the commonest causes of age-related sight loss – macular degeneration, a progressive deterioration of the retina. Professor Paul Foster tells Claudia how airborne pollutants from traffic and industry can damage the eye. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker (Picture: Dr. Nita Patel, Director of Antibody discovery and Vaccine development, lifts a vial with a potential coronavirus, COVID-19, vaccine at Novavax labs in Gaithersburg, Maryland in March 2020. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP.)

-Azken berriak: Ozono geruzaren zuloa, elefanteen heriotza Botswanan, Plastikoen degradaziorako entzimak-Zer ikasi dugu? Lurra sistema modura. Garapen iraunkorra-Beldurrezko istorioak: Chernobyl-Espezie inbaditzaileak: koipua-Ingurumenaz solasean: Almudena Fontán-Ikusi eta ikasi: "2040"-Krisi hitzak aukera esan nahi du txinatarrez: kontsumoa

Grab your shawl, pour yourself a spot of tea and get cozy. For Episode 7 of Two Lit Mamas, the ladies dig into all things murderous. From traditional British cozies to inspired African American mysteries, the mamas share their favorite TV shows and grown up murder mysteries while uncovering fab mysteries for middle graders. So, take a bun break and Greek out with the mamas or Miss Fortune will find you. Middle Grade Cozies:Taylor & Rose Secret Agents, Peril in Paris by Katherine WoodfineIn 1911, two young detectives, Sophie Taylor and Lillian Rose, shift their focus from sleuthing to the fast-paced world of espionage as they take on a case for Britain’s mysterious Secret Service Bureau. While Lil has been sent on a special mission, Sophie is tasked with uncovering why Bureau agent, Professor Blaxland, was found murdered in his Paris apartment. Although the City of Lights is beautiful and alluring, doom lurks around every corner.Murder Most Unladylike by Robin StevensIn this first Wells and Wong mystery, detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong get their chance to solve a real crime at their boarding school, The Deepdean School for Girls. After Hazel discovers their science teacher, Miss Bell, dead in the gymnasium, she rushes to get her partner but by the time they return, the body is gone. The girls have to find the killer before he or she strikes again.The Clubhouse Mysteries, The Mystery of the Buried Bones by Sharon M. DraperIn this first book in the series by best-selling author Sharon M. Draper, four friends have to find a way to spend their summer after finding their basketball court destroyed. The boys decide to use some salvaged fencing supplies and build a clubhouse for their new club, The Black Dinosaurs. When the boys discover a box of bones, they agree to solve the mystery inside which takes them on an unexpected journey and leading them to finally understand why Mr. Green has been lurking around, singing, “Dem bones gonna rise again.”The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith This book is the first of three cozy mysteries for kids exploring the origins of Detective Precious Ramotswe, from Smith’s long-time cozy mystery series, The #1 Ladies Detective Agency. In this tale, Precious lives with her father in a small Botswanan village. When sweets go missing before snack time at the village school, everyone assumes it was Poloko, their “traditionally built” classmate. But the young sleuth, Precious, disagrees and constructs the perfect trap to find the real perpetrator and clear Poloko’s name.Pick Six: The Mamas Fave Grown Up CoziesLucy Stone by Leslie MeierGreek to Me Series by Susannah HardyMiss Fortune Series by Jana DeLeonInspector Barnaby Series by Caroline GrahamMr. Parker Pyne by Agatha ChristieMurder She WroteReference Links:Masterclass.com cozy murder parametersMasterpiece Mystery TheaterSt. Trinians movieDown the Rabbit Hole PodcastTwo Lit Mamas Blog

I had an excellent conversation with Samo Burja of Bismark Analysis. Samo is one of the most original thinkers I have encountered in the last two years, and it was great to have him share some of his ideas here. You can follow him on Twitter, read his writing, or watch his videos on Youtube. Here is Samo on Botswana and political stability - and how Rome handled the "succession problem". The manuscript of Samo's book is here. You can find us on most podcast platforms as "Ideas Untrapped".TRANSCRIPTTobi: Welcome to Ideas Untrapped and today I am with Samo Burja. Samo is a sociologist and he is the founder and president of Bismarck Analysis, a consulting firm. Samo is also an original thinker who has come up with his own theory of history that he called the Great Founder Theory. Welcome, Samo.Samo: Thank you, Tobi. It's a pleasure to be on the show.Tobi: Briefly please, explain the Great Founder Theory. You call it the Theory of History, can you explain it, in the most simplest form, for us.Samo: Well, everyone has a theory of history. There are some people who believe that history is driven by technology, that technology is the most important thing that changes the world. There are others who think that it is the great people - the generals and individuals and scientists and artists. And still, others think it's driven by economic forces like capitalism and so on. So, everyone has opinions on it. Many historians have arguments on it. Many economists have arguments on it, and political scientists. Great Founders Theory which is my theory proposes that history is driven by the exceptional individuals who make the institutions that we all rely on - the founders of states, the founders of exceptional companies, the founders of religions, the prophets or the statesman or the industrialists of history - and that were you to remove someone from history where there to not be that particular individual, that exceptional and unusual individual, history could have gone very very differently. And also it's not just a way to interpret history it's a way to predict the future because it means that instead of necessarily looking at just the economic fundamentals or just the technological fundamentals of a country, you might actually want to look at: well, is there anyone in the country that might be a founder of new institutions? Because I think that be it a state, a company, or an organised religion, over time as you move away from their founding, these institutions can become corrupt or dysfunctional. So even if a country seems to be doing extremely well, if it doesn't have this type of person around who might rebuild the institutions or build them anew, 50 years from now, 100 years from now, 200 years from now, it will do worse. And a country that at first might not seem promising, might suddenly, like, shift to become the centre of the world if it had enough of such people.Tobi: I found your theory on Great Founders interesting. One is that the conventional wisdom, if I can call it that, on thinking about institutions is not vested in people. There is a common saying that "oh, it's about the institutions and not the people", that's how you build enduring systems that can be fair, that can be just, that can order society. So, now, I think the fear...or in places like Africa where there is a long history of coups and bad leaders, how does [the] Great Founder Theory differ from the Great Man Theory of history?Samo: Yeah, it's an important distinction to make, because not every powerful person is a great founder in this sense. They are often people who appropriate or merely direct institutions and organisations that others created. And then at times, if they tried to create an institution, they might not be very good at it. So the big distinction that I would make is that the individuals who can be exceptional - this kind of, like, far-sighted social engineers, I think they are extremely rare. I think they are not just rare in African history, they were in European history and in Asian history but, over time the fruits of their labour accumulate. An example in SouthEast Asia I think would be Lee Kuan Yew. I think that he was an excellent founder of the city-state of Singapore, which was previously a British colony and developed it extremely well. I think in Africa there are some leaders who are definitely worthy of administration, I think that I wrote an article on Botswana for Palladium Magazine where I examined the origin of Botswanan stability and how the royal family of the country actually made extremely good decisions as to how to approach decolonialisation (sic) and so on. And then Paul... I think Paul Kagame deserves, despite his critics and his critics do have a point that he is very much authoritarian in a way, I think he's done a remarkably good job of both developing Rwanda and healing the deep social wounds that the Rwandan genocide caused in the 1990s. And I can certainly relate to that because the 1990s was also the period where - you know, I'm originally from Slovenia, it's a country in the former Yugoslavia - that country was also torn apart, right? So this kind of, like, tearing apart of societies, I think that can be done by almost anyone. The building together of societies, the re-creation of them, the healing of them, the transformation of them, that is very very rare. So I think that that would be the big distinction.Tobi: Yeah. One issue that you've written extensively about is succession, and...Samo: Uh-hmm.Tobi: This is a very important problem with institutions and leaders and founders as well. Two examples: you talked about Kagame...Samo: Hmm hmm.Tobi: I've always found Kagame interesting because Rwanda seems to be in an equilibrium where Kagame does not really trust anybody as a successor, so that's why he's been in power for so long. Some of his speeches, some of the analysis that comes from...[trails off]. It seems like he sees himself as probably the only credible custodian of that healing process, from that horrible experience; and also in Nigeria here we had a very good example when we transitioned to democracy in 1999 and we had a president who had a particularly good second term in office. There were economic reforms, and there was growth. There was some form of shared prosperity in the society and he wanted a third term because he could not trust anybody, even within a system that he built or that was built around him. So explain to us - how important is the succession problem and how do civilizations and societies that have managed that problem really well, how did they do it?Samo: It's an extremely difficult problem, and I think solving the succession problem probably distinguishes the most successful societies or the most long-lived ones from, like, the ones that struggle. In particular, I think that it has two parts: there is skill succession and there is power succession. Where skills succession means that the next person in a position has comparable skills and knowledge and ability to carry out an office. If say, hypothetically, in ancient times, a wise king is succeeded by a foolish son, right? The song can easily undo what the father had done, they can easily endanger the society. On the other hand, you might have a situation where there is a failure of power succession where, for example, there is a wise ruler but there is another wise individual who could come into power but doesn't really have the resources to reach for that position, even if the formal position still exists, it might be encumbered or disabled. There is such a thing as a powerless president. For example, today in Afghanistan, the president of Afghanistan is best understood as the mayor of Kabul. The power of this government does not extend beyond the capital city itself, with the outline regions still - 19 years after the US invasion, they're still basically governed by the Taliban or are directly governed by, like, basically US military forces. So in that case, the power just is not there to govern the space. Now, with regard to the trust between people, the trust has to be justified on a number of grounds. The very interesting thing here is if you consider [that] it's best to have a loyal competent person work with you and work for you and eventually when you have to go, as all people do, either because of old age or because of term limits or because you want to do something else with the remainder of your life, that person is the best person to hand it off to. It is, ironically, sometimes better to have someone who is loyal but incompetent than to have someone who is disloyal and incompetent, at least when it comes to politics. So, in an interesting way, as you point out, Kagame has difficulty finding someone or trusting someone. He has this fear of political opponents and I think this fear is locally rational but ideally, it would be best for society as a whole to have a higher level of trust. There are societies that have transitioned in history from lower to higher trust setups. One example I like to bring up is in the ancient Roman empire, there was a period of the so-called Five Good Emperors. One of these is Marcus Aurelius who is very famous for his stoic philosophy.Tobi: Yeah.Samo: The Roman empire was in a period of crisis then, so this is not when it was most powerful. This was when it was engaged in civil wars where generals would fight each other and direct their armies against each other to try to win in these wars and become emperor. And the solution was very interesting, perhaps a little bit a matter of happenstance, perhaps a little bit a matter of design. The Romans had this institution of adoption where you can declare someone your son and you adopt them as your son even if the person was already an adult. So there was this interesting political trick that was only possible because everyone so firmly respected [not only] family but simultaneously also this kind of strange idiosyncratic practice of adoption where you spiritually make someone your son even if they are not biologically your son. Not all societies have this, only a few societies practice this in human history. So because adoption was [a] widely spread practice, when a Roman emperor who was old would declare a general his son, the idea of killing your son will just make you so unfit to rule that whoever was adopted as the Emperor's son understood that they were most certainly safe.And on the other hand, they also understood that it's no longer in their interest to undermine the works of the previous emperor or raise themselves in rebellion because all they have to do is support the current emperor and then they get to their turn afterwards. I note for example that Botswana has a very good string of presidents where each president was the vice-president of the previous one and the vice-presidents are carefully selected for this kind of skill and partially also their friendship with the Botswana royal family, so this has helped them to avoid a lot of the troubles of other resource-rich countries. So that would be a different example than the Roman example. And a third example of a way this can be done is the Japanese practice of Moko Yoshi which is the practice of - in Japan, again there is a strong emphasis on family and there is a strong emphasis, however, also on honour and on company performance. And they well understand sometimes that your son might not always be...first of, you might not have a son, but secondly, your son might not always be the most talented at business. So the practice of Moko Yoshi is called son-in-law adoption - it means that for a wealthy industrialist or entrepreneur, they will try to find for their daughter a husband who has business sense and then the daughter marries the man with business sense but the daughter doesn't take her husband's name. Rather the husband takes this prestigious name and some of Japan's biggest companies in their past had made use of this. I think Toyota was an example and I think a few other of their household name companies. This allowed it so that the next CEO of the company, the next head of the company had reason to trust this person because this person is their son-in-law and not only their son-in-law, [but] because the Japanese put so much on to the owner of the family name, this person would be interested in supporting it and supporting the original vision of the company. So this is another way you can produce this kind of trust. These are the three interesting examples - one is through marriage, another one was through adoption, and another one was through this long period of cooperation where you have someone that is your right-hand man, that you work with for 5 or 10 years, you are the president, they are the vice-president, and you sometimes would do interesting things where I think the succession went like this ...I mean I have to possibly check my notes on this but they [Botswana] also had some aspects of this familial bond that can overcome this distrust where, you know, basically president Festus Mogae served as Quett Masire's vice-president but then...Tobi: Yeah.Samo: President Ian Khama who was the son of Seretse Khama who was the first president to try to lead this effort to leave the British empire and achieve independence. So he didn't put Ian Khama directly in charge, no, he rather put Quett Masire and this gave this opportunity that, you know... if Ian was not the best selection, you could have just gone with his vice-president but instead there was still this opportunity to rely on the family connection at the end of the day because someone who was like a close family friend, it would feel difficult for them to move against the son of someone else who was once their close friend and someone who had raised them up to the position of president. So, again, the relationship had to be developed before the country became independent in an interesting way, right? This initial friendship, because then the stakes are lower. So I would say that testing and building close ties before you are in the position of power might actually be the best way to get relationships you can rely on even after you are in power. This was a long answer and relatively involved, but I hope it laid out some of these mechanisms well enough.Tobi: Listening to that bit, I'm wondering does not democratic ideals or what we have come to define as democratic ideal not conflict with these succession strategies that you laid out. I mean I'll give you an example.Samo: Uh-hmm.Tobi: In party politics, for example, in Nigeria, politicians practice some kind of what you would call the "adoption system" but in social discourse, in political discourse, we have labelled it as "God Fatherism" and it is fundamentally perceived as unfair - that whatever comes out of that process does not represent the consensus of the people and so there's an instinctive reaction negatively...Samo: Yes.Tobi: To that. So does democracy conflict with succession in a way, the way you look at history?Samo: I think that democracy is very interesting. I will describe democracy as something that can deeply undermine trust or can deepen trust immensely. And it kind of depends [on] how well-functioning the society is in the first place. So I would say that in a well-functioning democracy, you might have people who compete and in public criticize constructively their opponents and proposed better plans for the good of the country. Yet then, when the president is elected or when the party is elected, the two parties or the two candidates who are rivals still trust the other side to adhere to [the] rule of law and believe that at this point, now that the election is over, the best course for everyone is to work together towards a better country and then you repeat this process every 4 years or 8 years or 10 years...so this is, I think, democracy at its best - where it allows you to express constructive criticism, advancement, the public good on the basis of the social fabric of already well-developed political relations, where there is a sense of shared interest among all the citizens of the country. Now, where it works the worst...I'm going to now reference back the example of the introduction of democracy in my own country Yugoslavia (I was born in Yugoslavia, I was a kid when it broke apart in the 1990s). The best way for Slobodan Milosevic who was a Serbian to win elections was to stoke the sort of resentment and anger of the Serbians that, to be honest... some real problems...there was a real conflict between Albanians and Serbians in the province, of course. But this immediately made it so that Slovenians, Croatians, Albanians, and others felt increasingly uncomfortable, they didn't want to live in a country that was completely dominated by Serbian elites in Belgrade. Before 1980, there was essentially, like, a dictatorial system where Tito was in charge. From 1980 to 1990, there was this tentative federal balance that was non-democratic, so there was this balance of power between the various wings of the Communist party, and then this balance of power was shattered by the introduction of democracy. So what I'll say here is - democracy is extremely powerful...it's a very powerful way to transform the balance of power of a society and put to the test the trust that already exist in a society or does not. So I would say that what is popularly understood as a democratic ideal which is that democracy itself will bring about higher trust, I think this is false. It is however true that high trust, high maturity, and high sense of, like, shared destiny and responsibility among a people, and among the elites of a people of a country, that this can allow democracy to express very very good government. And in fact, if you think about it, in a well-functioning democracy, the selection process should work better than, say, in a monarchy. Again, the hypothetical example of a monarchy that's hereditary, you know... the first son inherits or the kingdom is split between all the sons of the king. These were the two methods of inheritance in the ancient Middle East or Europe in medieval times.Either one of those systems is kind of a throw of the dice. It's sure that the successor will be loyal, at best, if they're good son but they might not be competent, and in a well-functioning democracy and a high trust system, you should, in theory, have this. But I think it's a very delicate machine, I think it relies on [the] rule of law, and it relies on elites that feel that there is [a] common ground. So even though it's a democracy and there is a will of the people, even in democracies some people are more powerful than others. I think this is a fact. If you look at modern... any western country you want to look at, some people are wealthier, some people are more powerful, some people are more influential, some people have more sway over the public's opinions, some people are charismatic - whether it's America or Canada or Germany or any of the Asian democracies such as South Korea or Japan, it works this way. The elites still matter. I think that in this sense, the best way to implement a democratic system is to first create this sense of shared purpose and shared destiny in a people, and to balance the interests of all the groups that live in the country. And I think here I would reference the work of Machiavelli who wrote in one of his books, I think it was on the Discourses on Livy - he said that the constitution of a country, be it a monarchy, a republic or a democracy is always the work of a single man, the single individual. I don't think that's quite true. I think it's usually a small group of people, organised around an individual, like say, America's founding fathers were... but I think it says something very real. I think democracy has difficulty producing the preconditions for its own success.The question is, do you want to be friends and do you support the entrepreneurial young man that doesn't have much money to his name? - SBTobi: That's interesting. That sort of leads me to my next question.Samo: Uh-hmm.Tobi: Are there deep roots element to having a great founder? And here is what I mean: from research in cultural evolution, I think from the works of Joe Henrich and co., societies are classified as either low trust or high trust...Samo: Hmm.Tobi: And we know that high trust societies (they) tend to handle some of these problems like (we've talked about) succession really well. So are there cultural or biologically intrinsic elements to societies that managed to invent credible institutions or produce great founders, at least, more than other rival civilizations?Samo: Well, there is an interesting question of what exactly is producing great founders, right? I don't think I really know the answer to that, I believe that an openness to exceptional skill is very worthwhile. So a society that values the great scientist or the great artist or perhaps be kinder to the great religious and spiritual leader or the wise and thoughtful political leader or the very productive and industrious economic leader, and importantly it will be open to what these people look like before they are successful. Like, everyone wants to be friends with Rockefeller when Rockefeller is already rich. The question is, do you want to be friends and do you support the entrepreneurial young man that doesn't have much money to his name?Tobi: Uh uh.Samo: I think this kindness to what the beginner's stage looks like because if you imagine someone that can go on this trajectory to shape a society - to, like, notably improve it - this person is going to be saying some very strange things when they're young. They are not going to be doing whatever everyone else is doing. His parents might be like "well, you should become a lawyer or a doctor" and instead this person has this seemingly crazy dream that just later on in life turns out not to be crazy. They might still, as part of this dream, receive a lawyer's education. But instead of, say, going to a law firm, they might create either a political party or they might start lobbying for the change of a particular law that enables a particular kind of business or city government or they might run for an office or they might spend 10 years reading books and being a scholar for some reason that's very difficult to explain to others. So there has to be in a society, I think, a desire for excellence, some tolerance for eccentricity or at least the harmless kinds of eccentricity and an encouragement or at least... it cannot be too focused on trying to stamp out creative. Now, ironically, I think some very high trust societies will actually suffer some long-term problems because they have this philosophy where, you know... you hammer the nail that stands out. I think in say modern Denmark or Scandinavia and perhaps also in modern Japan. It's actually extremely difficult to be someone that does something different. Partially because things seem to be working pretty well - there is a healthcare system, the streets are clean, the economy has been stable, everyone's been rich for as long as they can remember - so why are you being a troublemaker and saying you do everything different from everyone else? Who are you to think that you are special or that you know better?So this actually, I think, in the long run, might make Japan, again, and Denmark fragile. And I think this is an advantage to say, some other rich countries such as the US and over time more and more China [which] actually still retain this possibility of being contrarian, not in your words necessarily. It's not respect for necessarily people who are disrespectful to society at large or loud (though certainly such people that can succeed in the United States), it is more [of] a tolerance for a very different way to approach your career and intellectual and economical life. And then I'll add some more components to this - so I had this drive for excellence, this tolerance for eccentricity, the tolerance for the beginner to choose a different life path than other talented young men and women might choose. I think the availability of local traditions of knowledge is immensely important. Where, by traditions of knowledge, I mean the possibility of finding mentors who themselves are exceptionally skilled or exceptionally successful or exceptionally insightful.Historically, there were some universities that played this role and they didn't necessarily play this role through "well, you know, the students and the students are taught by the teachers", it's more as... if you went in medieval, times in England to Oxford, it was just a place where all the smartest scholars of Europe had gathered or say the Cervon in France. And whether or not you were a student of the university, if you could travel there, you could talk to them and you could write with them and you could listen to them. The availability of this knowledge immensely sped up progress and similar things can be said of Florence in the Renaissance. Florence is a city in Italy renowned for its great art. If you were a sculpture or a painter, your craft - your art - will progress much much faster if you could go to Florence and ideally apprentice yourself to someone. But even if you couldn't apprentice yourself, merely walking through the streets of Florence - they had the practice of having these workshops that were open to the street, you could actually just literally see what people are up to and what kind of stuff is produced. And it had this, again, this culture of critique where they would have high standards, so they would examine critically what artists are making and compare it to each other and they were quite direct and open about it much as Italians sometimes are even till today - they are quite disagreeable. So I think this availability of other experts, people who perhaps themselves are not great founders but have quite great mastery in things like rhetoric or law or human organisation or technology or understanding of the country and its issues. The availability of such people can greatly aid great founders. So this perhaps is just kind of the preconditions for this and I'm happy to comment on any specific countries or regions but each of those is like quite involved things... so...Tobi: Let's talk about China. Samo: Perfect. Perfect.Tobi: Interesting article, by the way, yesterday. I read it. Packed with so much insight. And of course, China, in the last decade, has been the most important economic partner to most African economies, so whatever happens in China, the extension of its global power reaches every corner of the African economy.Samo: Uh-hmm.Tobi: You talked about Deng Xiaoping and how he managed to handle the succession problem and Xi who is currently torn between keeping the fire of Marxism burning or watch it die out with modernism and all. How big a threat is the internal political contradictions that China face right now? How big a threat is it globally?Samo: Well, I think that China is facing an immense challenge, I'm very glad that you enjoyed the article. The article in Asia Times outlines my position which is that they did an immensely good job of resolving the contradiction of how to have economic growth with a Marxist ideology. But the problem is they do need the Marxist ideology to keep their political system together. So the succession problem there is driven not just by this difficulty with Marxism where it can always be interpreted in this way that actually shuts down capitalism and economic production - where if the successors of Xi don't take it seriously enough, they have no political principle with which to maintain power and perhaps this could be replaced by something like a democracy but I think that's not trivial at all. It might very easily shatter the country apart as it had numerous times in its long history. China has this long history of dividing into smaller fighting countries and then reuniting. These dynastic cycles have happened several times in the twentieth century. They had terrible civil wars at the start of the 20th century. So it's very risky to undermine the political structure of the country, it's very risky. And then on the other hand, if you take the Marxism too seriously, especially if you take the Maoism too seriously, you might end up destroying this engine of economic growth because then how can you have in a communist society billionaire's, which China obviously does, right, Jack Ma and so on. I think that civil society enables a civilization robustness. Hyper centralised systems can seem very efficient but they can be very fragile. As soon as the centre fails, everything fails. - SBThe succession problem has an even more fundamental issue where while Chinese industry allows for exceptional and strange individuals, like a lot of the billionaires are somewhat eccentric, their academic system does not. Their scientific progress is much slower and the students are very very good students but they don't pursue bold research and a lot of the members of the Chinese Communist Party go through the somewhat academic selection process. And then there is another selection process of "well, which party member advances within the Communist Party of China?" Well, it's the one that doesn't rock the boat. It's the one that's, you know, quiet and agrees with the policy and supports the policy. And in an important way, of course, you can have someone like Xi who he is very reserved in speech, very obedient, plays by the rules and when they come into power they pursue their bold plans they had all along or they acquire and grow into [the] office and become bolder. But for the most part, this is just going to be "yes men" and Xi is the last member of the generation that saw the possible failure of the Communist system. He saw the failure of it in his youth when his family and he himself were targeted by the Chinese red guards during the so-called Cultural Revolution. For a few years, he spent his childhood exiled in the countryside feeding pigs, and that probably stuck in his memory. He understands how despite, I'm sure Xi is... I’m sure he believes in Marxism but he understands this failure part of it and then later in his life he saw the collapse of the Soviet Union. We have to understand that for the Chinese, the Soviet Union in the 1980s was kind of the elder brother, just as in the 1990s Eastern Europeans might admire the wealth and development of Western Europeans. So in the 1960s and 70s, Chinese communists both admired and envied the global power and the technological development of the Soviet Union. So seeing the Soviet Union collapse was this big shock for the communist part of the world, only a few communist countries stayed communist after the fall of the Soviet Union - North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and China and that's basically about it. All of the African and European countries that had experimented with socialism basically abandoned it, it was no longer a viable system. Xi saw this again as a young man, and already on his career...so in a way, he saw both of the failures in [indistinct word].Tobi: Hmm.Samo: He is going to be in power for a while more and I don't think anyone who is of a younger generation has that sort of experiences. All they have is the experience of maneuvering in a Communist Party, ruling an already fairly developed China. So their intuitions and knowledge of what does failure look like for political system or how do unwise decisions come about? it's going to be in a way much impoverished. So I think there is a knowledge transmission problem here. I think power succession works fine because the Communist Party has such control over the country but knowledge succession is a big problem for them and they have a lot of difficulty solving it.Tobi: Somehow I wonder whether these are not (maybe they are, maybe they are not) symptoms of increasing prosperity. One very important point you made in that essay was how much order is necessary to create and maintain a market system. I think a lot of people underestimate that. We all like to believe in this Hayekian vision of an emergent market. So...Samo: Like an idealized market set of rules where people exchange goods and they, sort of, discover what's...together they discover what's the best economic outcomes through the price system and so on.Tobi: Yeah, yeah...I mean, we've been taught to believe that. So when I look at China, people like Ang Yuen Yuen have said that Deng Xiaoping reforms were based on having a decentralized approach to policy and here you have Xi, again, who is so centralised in his approach to economic management. But if you look at cosmopolitan cities like Shenzhen and every other metropolis in China that have seen incredible prosperity in the last 40 to 50 years, isn't the current tension a necessity? That is, when people make more money, when they become more successful, they demand more rights. They become less obedient, they become less conformist, what do you think of that?Samo: I think that there is a strong set of prerequisites in terms of enforcing these relatively strong rules that enable personal liberty in the first place. That you don't have to fear whether or not your store will be expropriated and that you can rely on [the] courts if someone else, say, double-crosses you in a business deal, those are absolute absolutely massive. It just means that people, once those two things become true, then the most rational course of action is to participate in the market and benefit from the market. Until those things are true it's very difficult. And again what is supporting those courts? What's supporting that political order? Well, that's not trivial at all. That took a lot of work in the first place. And I think that this development that we saw in China was that... the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution was a quiet realisation among the remaining members of the Communist Party because they had been purging each other (those internal fight), was that "you know, this got out of hand, I would like more security in my political career. I don't want to be killed on charges, I don't want to be imprisoned, I don't want to be exiled, I'm going to work together with the other people to make sure nothing like this can happen again. And as a side effect of this almost kind of self-interested political aspect, this enables a reformer like Deng Xiaoping to produce something that has not just given political safety to this party officials, but gives economic and political safety to everyone in the society, at least to a much higher degree than was previously available. I'm not ignoring at all the fact of how heavy-handed the Chinese government can be, I'm just pointing out that the mechanic of the change that enabled this broader liberty was partially driven by the people who are already powerful. You can't obviously have this be driven by everyone in [the] existing elite, but I think every reform of society has had one sub-section of the elite interested in change and bringing in new people as allies, who previously were not part of the old elite to become part of the new one. So, there is a change in the ruling coalition... that can happen. And I think often those can be very positive if designed well and can result in what's essentially this higher degree of safety. And I think once the safety is guaranteed, then there's more room for personal expression and this bottom-up order.Tobi: Interesting. Interesting, Samo. So I'm just going to toss out a few theories and framework and I want to hear your reaction to that and weather GFT affirms or refutes that. Acemoglu and Robinson talked about inclusive and extractive institutions, what do you think about that framework?Samo: I think that inclusive or extractive institutions is a good path... it's an interesting frame, right? I think that in the real world, an institution can be both inclusive and extractive. So I think there is some insight there, but I think my perspective on institutions is that they can easily combine many things that seem mutually contradictory. So I'll say it sometimes gives the correct answer but it's basically not as total as it's presented.Tobi: Hmm. In their framework, at least they've extended their theory with their new book, they talked about this narrow corridor where... I don't want to call it perfect, but this balance between the power of the state and the freedom of the civil society as this zone where prosperity sort of exists. Is that...I find that hard to believe somewhat despite all the evidence they marshalled in their book and other research papers...Samo: Uh-hmm, Uh-hmm, Uh-hmm...Tobi: So what role does civil society play in GFT?Samo: In GFT, civil society is the space where new institutions can be designed without the approval of the centre, without the approval of central power because GFT has this self component of high-medium-low...where I think civil society is the space where the middle powers can be built. In other words, to build a great successful company you ideally don't need to have that many government friends. To successfully pursue a new political ideology or new social or ethical ideology, you shouldn't necessarily have to fully wrestle with everyone in society immediately... so, again, another additional aspects of this is I think that the civil society represents this very important redundancy. Redundancy in the positive sense where if you are on an airplane and the electronics of the airplane fails while you are in the air, you really hope that there is a backup electronic system; or if you are in a hospital and you are recovering and the electricity goes out you very much hope that there is a power generator attached to the hospital allowing whatever equipment that is needed for your health to keep on running. I think that civil society enables a civilization robustness. Hyper centralised systems can seem very efficient but they can be very fragile. As soon as the centre fails, everything fails. A strong civil society on the other hand enables not only [a] healthy competition and experimentation which of course should not endanger the centre or should not endanger the coherence and common destiny and stability of the civilization or society, but it enables a backup. So if the centre fails, there is something that is not too far from being able to become the new centre.Tobi: Interesting. Let's talk about technology for a bit, Samo. One of the things that this notion of catch-up growth is built on in economic development is that if you can facilitate technology transfer between a nation that is advanced to a nation that is behind, then you can engineer some form of economic growth. But you also have this concept of social technologies that in my own interpretation do not transfer so easily. What are your thoughts on that?Samo: I think this is very much true. I think that it's very easy to transfer, say, the adoption of a physical technology. It's like not that hard to have the users...you know, everyone has then a smartphone, right? Tobi: Yeah.Samo: It's a little bit harder to have it be sold that the workers and managers exist to run a phone factory, on the other hand, that's a little bit more difficult. And social technologies play a role in this and I think the transfer of social technology is something very interesting and tricky. I feel it is important to note that naively trying to completely copy social technologies from a completely different society can have disastrous or ineffective consequences. Because, in fact, there are already social technologies in whatever society. There is no society without its own ecosystem of highly specialised social technologies. The beautiful balance happens when one is able to learn from other societies and then customise what is introduced. I'm going to use the example here of 19th century Japan. Nineteenth-century Japan, sort of, forcibly opened to trade by Admiral Perry, basically, they are behind on military technology. They understand very well in the aftermath of the Meiji restoration that it's not just the adoption of Western science nor is it the adoption whole-scale of just Western culture and views, but they are very selective. What they do is they send their most talented students to Germany and the United States with specific missions; some of are tasked by the Japanese government as representatives to learn everything they can about how the officer system work in Germany, for example, in 19th century in Germany, 19th century Prussia? How do the ranks work? What kind of discipline and training do the soldiers go through? And they return changing the Japanese army from this relatively archaic system that's feudal, that has samurai because if you arm the samurai with the machine guns and whatever, they're not actually using the artillery, the equipment well nor are they fighting coherently or employing the correct tactics. So the army would in effect be terrible. But they copied the Western system of ranks and training - everything up from the military academies to the organisation of the provisions. They go and observe it. They participate in those armies and then they return to the country, and with the full political backing produced this transformation. And then for the ones that go to the United States, they observed the organisation of railway companies and how American companies operated internally. And note this, of course, was a very different America. This was an America that was still at the frontier - the transcontinental railroad was barely built, so there were definitely people there that knew how to build a completely new railroad system, how to finance it, how to even deal with security issues - and then that transfer goes back to Japan. And then there are people who are in London just working for several years as basically shipwrights that return and then oversee the construction of the first ship. So these are not just technical skills, all them are learning some technical skills but they are also learning things like what does a relationship look like between a soldier and a commanding officer? What does the internal organisation of a shipyard look like? How do shipyards connect with funding and with resources? And how do they select skilled labour vs unskilled labour? How do they enforce workplace discipline? What do you do if the shipwrights come drunk to the shipyard, how do you respond to that? These all seem very trivial everyday problems, but for the most part, we rely on our social understanding, our cultural, our social technology to see what is acceptable and what are the expectations that should be set and should be respected and how to resolve various kinds of conflict and how to reach various kinds of decisions - these are all things that have to be patented. Yet, despite all these expeditions to do this learning, they intentionally combined this and pursue this strategy where they picked and choose which of these practices were compatible with Japanese society. So Japan stayed Japan and successfully industrialized… and it was unsuccessful during World War II obviously, but even after WWII, Japanese society remains distinct and actually in some ways functions better than Western societies. Like, if you go to their high-speed transit, it's maintained at a higher level than you see any western country. So they combine this with some of these strengths that they have... this very broad attention to aesthetics [and] this high level of politeness that they had inherited from that particular kind of feudal society. So yeah, you have to live in a new society, I think. You have to observe it happening, and then not only do you have to live there, you have to return; and not only do you have to return, you mustn't change everything. You must change just something very narrow that works on the strengths of the other social technologies available rather than trying to wholesale imitate something that ultimately has its own flaws.Tobi: Economist Gareth Jones has this concept of hive minds where he says national IQ matters more than the IQ of an individual person and these are correlated with how successful and prosperous a society is. I'm not even going to ask how true or false that is but are higher IQ societies more likely to have great founders than not?Samo: It's a very interesting question. I mean IQ is one of those things that it might not be a good measurement, it might be a good measurement in some circumstance. I think that... yeah, I think there is whatever (I won't measure it with IQ)...Tobi: Okay.Samo: But I do think societies with intelligent people or with greater respect for intelligence or with greater ability to produce intelligent people, I think they do have an advantage here, yeah. You require also other things because as I noted, you might have extremely intelligent people that are however doing exactly the same thing that everyone else is doing. If you imagine a classroom of very very diligent student that mostly to just do the same thing that all the other diligent students...like, that might result in like, say, some well-run things. It might like result in trains that go on time or on factories that can rely on a high level of skill of their workers but the problem is those same students would never have built the train system in the first place or would never have pushed for its creation nor would they have ever pushed for the creation of the factory. So there are additional factors here. I remember reading some articles about Gareth Jones's book, I will say where he's very very right is that if you have a higher culture of intelligence in a society, it becomes easy to not have to worry about things. You don't have to worry whether trivial everyday things are taken care of, you can focus on the truly difficult parts. Again, you can rely on the train that takes you to your class to be there on time, for example. That's like easier, it's not just a matter of organisations, [it's] also a matter of, like, the competence of the rail workers and so on... and these small everyday differences, if you imagine them just through the lifetime of a potential great founder, they make a massive difference.I'm not sure I think that you need to have absolutely all of society be like this, I think it's actually sufficient to have a city that's intelligent in this way. Like I give the example of medieval Europe and the city of Oxford. I think it was quite sufficient to just have Oxford where there were a bunch of smart people around. I think it didn't much matter whether the rest of England at the time was very intelligent or not.Tobi: Hmm. That's interesting. You also talked about Life Players in your book which I greatly enjoy and for the audience, I'm going to put up a link to the publicly available manuscript for the Great Founder Theory book. How can one recognise Life Players in society or in an institution?Samo: I think Life Players are going to the people that have succeeded at very very different tasks. So they are going to be these individuals that have, perhaps, either changed careers (two or three completely different careers) and have been successful at all of them; or completely changed their interpersonal style and were as successful when they were strict as when they were jovial, when they were easy-going or people who have done intellectually completely different things. So what you're looking for is not only a very high skill in an area - again, it's very possible to be extremely skilled in an area and ultimately not be that well-adapted - what you're looking for is the combination of both skill and execution, intentionally observing their environment and success at transitioning. So (a) success at transitioning to completely new strategies and this might look like an entrepreneur that has built a successful company in one industry that [they] then specialise in a different industry and very quickly build a successful company there too. Elon Musk might be a good example where he both has created this business that's a car factory that makes electric cars - Tesla - and has also succeeded in aerospace with his company SpaceX which recently brought American astronauts to space again for the first time ever on a privately built rocket rather than a rocket built by NASA.Tobi: Uh uh.Samo: A different example of a Life Player and I have to emphasise here when I say Life Player, I don't mean I agree with everything the person does. I'm just observing that they have the skill and adaptability. I think Vladimir Putin has showed over the last twenty years in Russia an extreme adaptability where Russia pursued many different strategies to try to maintain its position in the world, and Russia right now punches above its weight. For example, the annexation of Crimea was completely inspired. Nothing like that had happened in Europe before...Tobi: Uh uhSamo: And it was done with, like, killing almost no people, I think something like three or four people died. It was incredible how they orchestrated the mere surrender of the Ukrainian army because the Ukrainian army was so confused and honestly scared with the appearance of these Russian soldiers that, note, were even not officially Russian soldiers. They were wearing no official flags or patches, so they wouldn't give any answers as to who they were. They could plausibly say that they were Ukrainian because Ukrainians and Russians (they) look similar, they speak very similar language, there's a Russian minority in Ukraine and...you know, Crimea declares independence, and then immediately after declaring independence asks to join Russia and Russia says "yes". It's kind of amazing how that can happen. Not saying it was good for Ukraine, definitely, it was good for Russia, I think. And this results in this very creative process because there is no way in the world that Putin ever planned for there to be a civil war in Ukraine, but having the fact of the civil war happen, he and his team very quickly moved tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people and carried out a military operation that had never been performed before by the Russian army. The Russian army has a long history, many centuries ago but believe me they've never engaged and subtle stuff. They usually had this very overt, very heavy-handed interventions in other countries. If you think about it like this intervention in Hungary in the 1950s, in Czechoslovakia in the '60s, they just roll in the tanks and, like, assert authority. And here? No no no. Much more flexible, very subtle. And because the conditions were so unpredictable, this is how we can know that this was not planned a decade in advance. This was a quick adaptation over the course of, possibly, as little as six months to a completely changed situation. So I think that even if you were within the same industry, if this company, if this government, if this organisation, if this institution adapts quickly to massive changes, that's a strong sign that a Life Player he is at the helms. Because no automated system continues working when the operating conditions changed. It stops working if it's the preconditions are not met.Tobi: Hmm. One of your ideas [that] I've also found very interesting is the concept of Intellectual Dark Matter. How can a society benefit maximally from its intellectual dark matter - the tacit knowledge that's around?Samo: Intellectual Dark Matter refers to this concept that makes the analogy to physical dark matter because currently when the physicists and the astronomers look at our galaxy and they count all the stars and put together all the mass, they realise that there must be much more mass there than only what's visible...Tobi: Yeah.Samo: Because, otherwise, the gravity wouldn't be strong enough to keep this spinning galaxy that we find ourselves in and other galaxies together. So they don't yet know what this missing mass is but they are investigating it. And with Intellectual Dark Matter, I think if we put together all the books, all the stuff that's on the internet, all the stuff that's recorded, I think we still find that there is missing knowledge. There is knowledge and skill that we have not explicitly, formally recorded - written down or put into words that deeply matters. And once you start thinking about that, it's very easy to come up with examples of stuff that is very difficult to put into words or put into writing. The skill of a heart surgeon that saves the patient's life. Like, that's a remarkable set of skills but how do you put into words how to perform a heart surgery? Very very difficult, right? Takes a lot of words. I have an article titled "How YouTube is Revolutionising Knowledge Transfer" and I point out that...Tobi: Yeah, I read that.Samo: I point out that for a good enough camera, recording the hand movements in these very skills, and it doesn't have to be just heart surgery, it can be as trivial as cooking or perhaps the way you treat complex machinery... recording the video and others watching this video might be much much better way to convey such knowledge. I also think that we in society, in general, like seeing the results - we like seeing the finished essay or the finished theory by a Thinker. So if I go back to the world of abstractions to either philosophy or science or whatever, we like seeing the finished theory.What we don't see is all of the crazy or stupid ideas that this very intelligent person came up with before they got the right idea. They usually do that on their own or with a close circle of friends. So, one might be tempted to think and look at an extremely successful thinker and assume that they were always very polished, that they were always very eloquent, often this is not the case. Often they are immensely long learning period. Now, I admit I might be a little biased here because I did spend most of the last decade pursuing this kind of, like, thinking, reading, investigating and for most of this time period, people were not immediately interested in my ideas.Tobi: Hmm.Samo: But about two to three years ago, the material not only clicked together but I found the words to express what I, to myself, felt I had understood for several years before, I just could not really find the way to relate it and show to others in a short period of time how in fact this is useful to them. So I think all of these things form part of Intellectual Dark Matter and there is much more. There is, for example, we might not know what the exact process is that allows you...that allows Elon's team at SpaceX, engineers at SpaceX to make that rocket, and we might not even have that available anywhere because it might be classified. There are probably rules, I actually know that there are laws in the US that prevent SpaceX from simply explaining how they're making this vehicle to a company based in a foreign country. They don't want to teach all the countries how to make rockets for obvious reasons, and more importantly, SpaceX probably doesn't want to share its rocket designs with Boeing - their competitor.Tobi: Uh uh.Samo: So there is also an element of proprietary knowledge and trade secrets for stuff that is understood explicitly, stuff that can be put into words, can be put in a document but the person who has this knowledge wants to keep a competitive advantage; sometimes for very good reasons or the organisation that possesses this knowledge doesn't want to share it. So, that also forms a type of intellectual dark matter - it's knowledge we can't directly examine.Tobi: Interesting you talked about YouTube. The global pandemic has seen an increase in virtualisation, are we going to see a reform in education away from the classroom and a reduction in direct instruction? Samo: I think that we will see an increase in autodidacts - so people who know how to learn on their own. I think, however, that most people will return to the classrooms once the pandemic has died down. I don't think there will be permanent remote instructions and I think the reason for this is that the performance seems to be much worse. It seems to actually be the case that unless you are inherently interested in the material. If you're just a kid who's going to school or taking online classes because you have to take online classes or because you have to go to school, it seems your performance is going to be worse. You're going to learn less than if you physically go there. And I think that for autodidacts, there is going to be an abundance of resources - everything from recorded lectures to tests made. So it's going to improve those chances of those who are seeking knowledge out of curiosity primarily, or out of self-development and professional development; but for the majority of people learning, I think this transition is going to be temporary. I don't think it will be a permanent shift.Tobi: So, Samo, it's kind of a tradition on the show to ask this final question. What's the one big idea that you want to see spread globally? Samo: That's a great question. I think if there is one idea that I would like to put in everyone's minds or everyone's hands, it's this realisation that...I think that the surest sign of good knowledge is the ability to act on this knowledge. So I think that there is some deep confusion as to when knowing things and when doing things - how do these two relate to each other? And I think if only we understood that there are many things that have the appearance of knowledge, such as eloquent speech or perhaps particularly good writing that don't carry the substance of it. We should always observe the practice of the individuals and organisations claiming to have knowledge. For example, the WHO...I'm sure it's made of many excellent experts - they individually know many things about the coronavirus but the organisation as a whole despite claiming to know, in its public communication seems incapable of relaying that knowledge. So I think the result should be "well we should take them less seriously on the coronavirus". And if this map between who is believed to have knowledge and who actually has knowledge, if we improve that map, as a species, I think that our ability as human beings and our societies would really rise. It will be a remarkable thing to see and I think the societies that went through golden ages, I think they basically had these happy periods where the two coincided. You know, times like the Renaissance or whatever.Tobi: That's a great idea. We're sure to help you spread it over here at least.Samo: Thank you so much for having me on the show.Tobi: Yeah. Thank you so much, Samo. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at www.ideasuntrapped.com/subscribe

This week, we ramble about the moon landing, DJ Khaled, and why Andys has a "stake" in the Botswanan legislature.

We’re back to soothe those Monday blues with another Best Of… episode, this time from the 2016/17 season!There is, gloriously, an awful lot of Kevin Keegan’s adventures in this episode. From being accosted in Belgrade to somehow coming third in a Thai cup final, there’s a lovely selection of King Kev material. Elsewhere, we’ve got a run down of some fantastic Botswanan team names, Gareth Southgate being petrified about the England job and Pete’s overdue library fines. Plus we get a curious email about a certain stag do from a Steve@hotmail.com….Many thanks to infamous YouTuber Linford Grimes for their inspiration and help in compiling old content. We salute you.Search ‘Football Ramble’ on social media to find us, and email us here: show@thefootballramble.com***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Devlyn talks about living in the space between being a gay man and a straight woman. Sal serves up some Botswanan tea!Give us a G! We’ve got the G in our LGBT Pride month interviews, grassroots historian Owen Keehnen! She’s back! Talking about legendary disco Dugan’s Bistro, socialized queer censorship, Pride and cynicism, and the Belmont Rocks. Win a free copy of one of Owen’s new books “Tell Me About It” or “LGBTQ Book of Days” by DMing us or tagging us on Instagram!Join our Patreon now on any of our three tiers: Supportive Lady, Sugar Mother, or The Reba McEntire Level. You’ll get our new BONUS podcast “More Queers For Your Ears,” buttons, posters, Q&A videos, and more! This month’s bonus is about HBO’s new vvvv lesbian show Gentleman Jack. Queer history! Click here or go to www.patreon.com/theythempod to join now!Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @theythempod Support the show and get fun rewards and bonus episodes at patreon.com/theythempod Visit theypodcast.com to submit music, suggestions, guest appearances, or if you are a Chicago pro-LGBTQ+ business interested in sponsoring the show!Opening song “Sticks and Stones” by Jackie Shane. Music by Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In today's episode Methla Eugine, an international student from Botswana shares his experiences living away from family to study abroad.

Watch video or download podcast belowKen Streater ~ Social EntrepreneurKen's life has been one of exploration, writing, community service and being the good. Ken Streater is a social-good entrepreneur, philosopher, and author. As the founder of Hooray Cafe, contributing editor to motivation.com, consultant to Fortune 500 clients, and international river guide, Ken has traveled, worked, and played in 50 countries. His writings are based on illuminating experiences in places such as isolated Siberian river villages never before visited by Westerners, Botswanan delta waters plied by angry hippos, and a stunned Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square uprising. Ken writes to help foster supportive and flourishing cultures. His books offer insights into everyday heroes who take small and big steps in order to manifest meaningful individual and community change. He formulates and shares ideas for our greater good, concepts born of interactions with wise elders and young visionaries around the world. Highlights of Ken's show include...Growing up in an orange grove in San Bernardino Being inspired by the camaraderie on his first rafting trip as a teenager Becoming an international rafting guide Moving from fear to trust in todays world The man in the airport in Zimbabwe when Ken's father passed away First westerners in a small village in Siberia Using rafting to build community locally and internationally Saving four seniors from being kicked out of their apartments Hiding in a shelter in Hawaii during a nuclear attack warning Igor the Russian interpreter and John Denver The Hooray Cafe - 20 communities by 2020 & the Goodness' Sake Project 3 actions to be good now Time is precious, love is everything [gallery size="large" link="none" ids="2035,2036,2037,2038,2039,2040,2041,2042,2034,2043,2044,2045"] Ken's Links & ResourcesWebsite - http://kenstreater.com/ (Ken Streater) Website - http://hooraycafe.com/ (Hooray Cafe) Book - https://www.amazon.com/The-Gift-Courage-Stories-Passion/dp/0989208923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387568223&sr=8-1&keywords=ken+streater (The Gift of Courage) Book - Be the Good - Coming soon! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ken.streater (https://www.facebook.com/ken.streater) Twitter - https://twitter.com/KenStreater (https://twitter.com/KenStreater)  

Meteorite hunter Peter Jenniskens talks to us about his recent find of a meteorite in the Botswanan bush, and we reveal our stargazing tips for the Perseid meteor shower. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Meteorite hunter Peter Jenniskens talks to us about his recent find of a meteorite in the Botswanan bush, and we reveal our stargazing tips for the Perseid meteor shower. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Radio 4 celebrates the 40th anniversary of the iconic science fiction satire by Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with a new series this week. Comedy producer and friend of the originator John Lloyd stars as the voice of the book. He and radio producer Dirk Maggs talk about the return of the ground breaking show, which fans call H2G2.Tate Modern's first solo exhibition of Pablo Picasso focuses on one year of the great artist's life, 1932. Picasso's grandson, Olivier Widmaier Picasso and curator Nancy Ireson consider this period of great creativity for the artist, when he produced some of his most famous nude paintings of his muse and lover Marie-Therese Walter.David Oyelowo is best known for his roles in the films Selma as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and in A United Kingdom as a Botswanan prince. Now he's taking on his first comedy film in Gringo, about a man who gets caught up in the drug cartels in Mexico. David discusses playing comedy, Black Panther and colour blind casting.Presenter : Stig Abell Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

Mudifoot gets sucked into a deep mud puddle and after being squeezed through the mud he pops out in Botswana. In Botswana Mudifoot is chased by a woman who wants his dirt so she can get dirty herself. If she throws her bucket of water on Mudifoot he will disappear. What will happen? Listen now at http://gooptales.com/mudifoot Children’s podcast Audio books for kids Children’s stories

Opening a can of Kevin Smith We have our 2nd ever photo-negative show, featuring loads of new releases from all over the world. The choice cuts where Kurosawa's Creepy, Botswanan drama United Kingdom, Robert Zemeckis's Allied and the hysteria-laden Korean horror, The Wailing. Sticking with South Korea, Kim Jee-Woon was the target of this week's directors lottery - and with that, we looked at his gonzo western, The Good, The Bad, The Weird.

To many parents the idea of raising children in an underdeveloped African nation would seem scary. For Sara Sullivan it’s just another adventure in a life that has seen her explore new boundaries both personally and professionally. The mother of two has followed up time in Pakistan with starting a family in the Southern African nation where she lives with her family in the capital of Gabarone. Today she joins us to share her experiences of the Botswanan culture, how she raises her children in a foreign environment and how living the expat life can provide you with some very tangible benefits. You can follow Sara’s adventures in Botswana at her blog http://outland-ish.com What I learned from Sara’s interview: There is such a huge perception at the moment that westerners are hated in Muslim countries. This is simply not the case. Although Sara did see some anti American signage during her time in Pakistan she was treated very well and with great interest by the locals. Our opinions are shaped by the media who allow the actions of an extreme few be representative of the silent majority when it simply isn’t the case. If you have safari on your mind then maybe skip the more traditional Kenyan or South African options and look at Botswana. The Okavango delta is world famous for the range and amount of wildlife there and the experience is meant to be well worth it. Botswana sounds like a meat lover’s paradise! Cows are highly regarded and a staple part of the diet. It’s a long way to go for a steak but you’ll find them far more affordable than back home.

Approximately every fifth lesson will be a quick response lesson.  We’ll say the word or phrase in English and you say it in Lithuanian  -  Out Loud!  This time we have so much to review, we’re breaking it up into two episodes.  Sorry, no more questions, the exam starts now! Egypt                                       Egiptas    Australia                                   Australija  Netherlands                              Nyderlandai  Ireland                                     Airija   Botswana                                 Botsvana  Brazil                                       Brazilija  I’m from Egypt                         Aš iš EgiptoI’m from Australia                     Aš iš AustralijosI’m from The Netherlands          Aš iš NyderlandųI’m from Ireland                        Aš iš AirijosI’m from Botswana                    Aš iš BotsvanosI’m from Brazil                          Aš iš BrazilijosI’m Egyptian (male)                    Aš egiptietisI’m Egyptian (female)                 Aš egiptietėI’m Australian (male)                  Aš australasI’m Australian (female)                Aš australėI’m a Dutchman                         Aš olandasI’m a Dutchwoman                     Aš olandėI’m an Irishman                         Aš airisI’m an Irishwoman                     Aš airėI’m Botswanan (male)                Aš botsvanietisI’m Botswanan (female)             Aš botsvanietėI’m Brazilian (male)                    Aš brazilasI’m Brazilian (female)                 Aš brazilėI’m sorry, but I only understand a little Lithuanian Atsiprašau, bet aš labai mazai suprantu lietuviškaiI’m studying Lithuanian             Aš mokausi lietuviškaiRaminta’s book                         Ramintos knygaSandra’s book                           Sandros knygaAustėja’s book                          Austėjos knygaKristina’s book                          Kristinos knygaEglė’s book                               Eglės knyga Agnė’s book                              Agnės knygaDovilė’s book                            Dovilės knygaRamunė’s book                          Ramunės knygaThe wife’s name                        žmonos vardasThe American woman’s name     amerikietės vardasThe Englishwoman’s name         anglės vardasThe Lithuanian girl’s name          lietuvės vardasThe Russian girl’s name              rusės vardasThe American girl’s book            amerikietės knygaThe English girl’s name               anglės vardasThe Russian woman’s house        rusės namasThe Lithuanian woman’s             brother lietuvės brolisThe Japanese woman’s sister       japonės sesuoThe Italian girl’s room                 italės kambarysThe Latvian girl’s city                 latvės miestasThe Polish woman’s restaurant    lenkės restoranas

According to Wikipedia, in the ancient Lithuanian religion, Perkūnas is the Lithuanian God of thunder, the God of the sky, the Lord of rain, mountains, oak trees and storms.  Quite a powerful god indeed.In songs about a “heavenly wedding" Saulė (the Sun) cheats on Perkūnas with Mėnulis (the Moon); Perkūnas splits Mėnulis in half with a sword. According to another, more popular, version, Mėnulis cheats on the Sun with Aušrinė (the morning star) just after the wedding, and Perkūnas punishes it. However, Mėnulis does not learn and repeats the adultery and is punished again every month. Other explanations say it is why the Sun shines during the day and the Moon at night. Though divorced, both want to see their daughter Žemyna (the Earth).In other songs Perkūnas, on the way to the wedding of Aušra (dawn; the daughter of the Sun), strikes a golden oak, most likely in order to expel evil spirits, Velnias or snakes, that usually hide below the roots of an oak. The oak is a tree of the thunder god in the Lithuanian tradition.Don’t you just love Lithuanian culture?This week we’re doing a lesson we hadn’t planned to do, but since we have so many listeners from unexpected places, we’ll customize this lesson for our students who’re listening in Australia, Egypt, The Netherlands, Ireland, Botswana and Brazil.Now, we’ve already learned how to say, for example, I’m Lithuanian or I’m English.  Let’s do our new nationalities… First, let’s go over the vardininkas or nominative declension of the country’s names in Lithuanian. Prašom pakartoti… Egiptas                                    EgyptAustralija                                 AustraliaNyderlandai                             NetherlandsAirija                                       IrelandBotsvana                                 BotswanaBrazilija                                   Brazil Now, to say, “I’m from…", we use the genitive or kilmininkas.  Prašom pakartoti… I’m from Egypt                     Aš iš EgiptoI’m from Australia                Aš iš AustralijosI’m from The Netherlands     Aš iš NyderlandųI’m from Ireland                  Aš iš AirijosI’m from Botswana               Aš iš BotsvanosI’m from Brazil                    Aš iš Brazilijos Great, now let’s say “I’m Australian" or “I’m Brazilian" from a man and a woman’s perspective… I’m Egyptian                      Aš EgiptietisI’m Egyptian                      Aš EgiptietėI’m Australian                    Aš AustralasI’m Australian                    Aš AustralėI’m a Dutchman                Aš OlandasI’m a Dutchwoman            Aš OlandėI’m Irish                           Aš AirisI’m Irish                           Aš AirėI’m Botswanan                 Aš BotsvanietisI’m Botswanan                 Aš BotsvanietėI’m Brazilian                    Aš BrazilasI’m Brazilian                    Aš Brazilė Fantastic, now keep in mind, that later on, it might be easier if, just for fun, you “Lithuanianize" your name.  For example, I use Džiakas when I’m in Lithuania because it’s easier.  If you’re not sure how to make your name into something that makes sense in Lithuanian, just contact us and we can help. Saulė                            the SunPerkūnas                      God of thunderMėnulis                         the MoonAušrinė                         the Morning StarŽemyna                        the EarthAušra                           Dawn; the daughter of the SunVelnias                         God of evil

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the author Alexander McCall Smith. Alexander McCall Smith was an established professor of law, an expert on ethics and a part time musician when, at the age of 50, he wrote the book that turned his life on its head. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency became a word of mouth best-seller. He has now written a series of books featuring Mma Precious Ramotswe, a 'traditionally built' Botswanan woman who spends as much time dealing with the trials of everyday life as solving crime. Her cases have included absent husbands, imposter fathers and missing children - all resolved using common sense and underpinned with a strong sense of the importance of traditional African social values.Alexander McCall Smith's fascination with, and devotion to, Africa is not surprising - he was born and brought up in Zimbabwe - then Southern Rhodesia - only moving to Britain when he began his legal studies. He visits Botswana every year. Even as a child he was a keen writer, and he was a published author for many years before he devised his most celebrated creation. His books are now printed in more than 30 languages and in 2004 he was named the Booksellers' Association Author of the Year.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]Favourite track: Soave sia il Vento by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Collection by W H Auden Luxury: A handmade pair of shoes

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the author Alexander McCall Smith. Alexander McCall Smith was an established professor of law, an expert on ethics and a part time musician when, at the age of 50, he wrote the book that turned his life on its head. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency became a word of mouth best-seller. He has now written a series of books featuring Mma Precious Ramotswe, a 'traditionally built' Botswanan woman who spends as much time dealing with the trials of everyday life as solving crime. Her cases have included absent husbands, imposter fathers and missing children - all resolved using common sense and underpinned with a strong sense of the importance of traditional African social values. Alexander McCall Smith's fascination with, and devotion to, Africa is not surprising - he was born and brought up in Zimbabwe - then Southern Rhodesia - only moving to Britain when he began his legal studies. He visits Botswana every year. Even as a child he was a keen writer, and he was a published author for many years before he devised his most celebrated creation. His books are now printed in more than 30 languages and in 2004 he was named the Booksellers' Association Author of the Year. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Soave sia il Vento by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Collection by W H Auden Luxury: A handmade pair of shoes