In this solo podcast, Barbara Tucker shares from her 50 years of experience studying public speaking, rants against Generative AI, and throws in some other thoughts to enlighten or infuriate you.

In this episode, Barbara has the deep honor and joy to interview two old friends, Bill and Becky Petite. In May 2026, they returned to their work with the Japanese people. Barbara was able to sit down (via Teams!) with them–she was in Dalton, they were in Northern Ohio–before they left. Along with an in-depth discussion on intercultural communication, Japanese culture and language, and mission work, the three reminisced on recent travels to the Mediterranean.

Links:

https://abwe.org/

https://abwe.org/blog/the-reality-of-missions-in-japan-with-bill-petite/

Join Dr. Barbara Tucker as she discusses The Stranger by Albert Camus.

Meursault, a detached French Algerian, attends his mother’s funeral with striking indifference. Shortly after, he begins an affair with Marie and befriends Raymond, a local pimp. While on a beach trip, Meursault—disoriented by the intense heat and sun—inexplicably shoots an Arab man.

During his trial, the prosecution focuses more on Meursault's lack of emotional remorse and failure to weep at his mother’s funeral than the murder itself. Deemed a "moral monster" for refusing to play by society’s rules, he is sentenced to death. He ultimately finds peace by embracing the "gentle indifference" of a meaningless universe.