<p>Broadcasts live every Wednesday at 7:00p.m. uk time on Radio Soapbox: <a href="http://radiosoapbox.com" target="_blank">http://radiosoapbox.com</a></p><p>In this lively episode, I kick off the new year feeling, well, human—complete with on‑air mute mishaps and a fresh live chat that actually works. Mallificus and I ease into the hour with vintage music gems and a meander through gardens, log‑round sculptures, and wooden mushrooms before opening up about the emotional rollercoaster of menopause, HRT, and the reality of low patches—and why small acts of kindness (and a nearly free lunch) can make a day. We also riff on eye‑opening greeting cards, the value of speaking plainly about women’s health, and the odd joys of doing a radio show in slippers.<br /><br />Our guest, Etta Volk—host of Critical Review on RBN—joins us for a spirited, wide‑ranging conversation: fuel price shocks and shortages, digital footprints and opting out, and how social media shapes the pace of breaking stories. We unpack government pandemic preparedness plans, free speech fault lines, and media narratives; wander through space talk from Artemis II to whether the moon landings stack up; and dive into medical debates, from germ theory scepticism to bioweapon fears, MK‑Ultra, and how propaganda patterns repeat. We round things off with music loves—from Pink Floyd and Megadeth to underrated indie cuts—and where to find Etta’s work, plus a tease for her upcoming RBN special.</p>