Zen Rahmoun is living what may be the story of our age: that of the refugee. Whether triggered by war, climate change, political upheaval, or economic collapse, one in 95 people around the world have been forced to leave their home, resulting in over 82 million refugees. Well over a thousand people drown every year trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to find a better life in Europe. Zen was almost one of them. Please consider subscribing to my hybrid newsletter/blog/podcast.Also, if the frequency of these emails is too much for you, I’ve set up a monthly option, so you’ll just get a summary of what I’ve posted once in a full moon. You can find instructions on how to set that up here.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.Here’s a charmingly raw rendition of one of my all-time favorite Funkadelic songs, “Can You Get to That?,” covered by Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers in their car. (Don’t miss the photobombing by the guy in the way back.)Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan is a reader-supported publication. To get access to bonus content including bonus episodes, newsletters, and exclusive blog posts, please become a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.