I have been busy in the last month so much less time has been given over to things like writing in this blog. My counselling practice has shifted into gear and I have been doing extra reading and preparation on that front. At the same time I have taken up some volunteering work at an emergency centre in Mt Druitt. Both are challenges and I find myself feeling happier and more productive.

Recently I bought a Philips Ariaz MP3 player, a significantly cheaper alternative to the ubiquitous ipod. It's not half bad, has decent sound and a pretty good supporting software program called Songbird. I am using it mostly to listen to podcasts, a format I have hitherto ignored entirely. In a few days I have discovered loads of quality programs, particularly those with political and social commentary. Public broadcasters are an especially rich vein for balanced, decent programming. There are podcasts at places like Fox News but who would even bother. How many times do I need to hear right wing apologists shouting slogans?

It's possible that I know more about the (Republican) Iowa straw poll in Ames than most Americans do, courtesy of NPR and PBS. I must be a strange sort of person to like American politics, or any kind of politics really. But ideas are interesting and national policy debates can can ignite the cerebral fuse. Sometimes.