“Sight Unseen”, Friday, July 17, 2026

Hi there The Moosa Slobodian Network friends,

We had a fantastic discussion of “Sight Unseen”, by Georgina Cleege, on today’s show! Have a listen at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WuidoN2qbOBarnEajoZgZ

Show Notes

Welcome and Guest Shoutouts: Aliasgar Moosa and Macara Slobodian opened the show on Friday, July 17th, 2026, welcoming both live listeners and podcast subscribers. They extended gratitude to guests Jim Snyder, Pete Travers, and producer Paulie for their appearances on The Ali Moosa Show earlier in the week, noting the value of those discussions (00:00:03).

Technical Issues with Broadcasting Equipment: Aliasgar Moosa reported ongoing technical difficulties with their Mac, specifically noting that VoiceOver is jumping erratically while using Chrome (00:03:15). They also observed that guest audio has been cutting out during live broadcasts. The hosts identified that they recently switched to using Safari for Google Meet and Audio Hijack, which correlates with the onset of these issues (00:05:39). They reached a consensus that they need to re-evaluate their device setup following a business meeting scheduled after the show to address these evolving technical challenges (00:07:30).
Broadcast Philosophy: Following a commercial break, Aliasgar Moosa and Macara Slobodian discussed the nature of broadcasting (00:23:25). Referencing a prior conversation with Don Collins, they agreed that traditional radio is no longer a requirement for hosting a talk show, emphasizing that they do not need the radio medium to produce their content (00:24:47).
Book Discussion: Sight Unseen by Georgina Cleege: The hosts began a review of the book *Sight Unseen* by Georgina Cleege. Aliasgar Moosa expressed appreciation for how the author describes the sensory experience of navigating the world with eyes closed, calling it a relatable sticking point (00:24:47). Macara Slobodian noted that the author explores the definitions of blindness and how societal perceptions often ignore life skills and individual capabilities by focusing on narrow benchmarks like driving or reading print (00:28:01).
Societal Perceptions of Blindness: Macara Slobodian observed that while the book was written in 1999, its insights into societal perceptions of blindness remain relevant today, suggesting that little has changed over the past two decades (00:31:37). They discussed whether changing these perceptions would lead to better resources, though Aliasgar Moosa expressed skepticism that systemic change would automatically follow, noting that the world is largely designed for sighted individuals (00:33:01).
The Sighted Brain and Blindness: Macara Slobodian highlighted Kleege’s discussion on how, even after accepting blindness, the brain continues to process information through a “sighted” framework. Both hosts agreed that for individuals who lose their vision later in life, the brain retains visual processing habits, whereas visual descriptions often lack meaning for those without such prior experience (00:36:21). They concluded that individual experiences with blindness vary greatly, even within similar conditions (00:39:01).
Review of Sight Unseen: Both Aliasgar Moosa and Macara Slobodian gave the book a positive rating, with Aliasgar Moosa awarding it five stars. They commended Kleege for avoiding the conventions of tragedy, pity, or mystic inspiration commonly found in biographies about blindness, and Macara Slobodian expressed interest in upcoming chapters regarding the representation of blindness in literature (00:40:29).
Sports Update: Aliasgar Moosa noted that the Toronto Blue Jays were scheduled to return to play that evening following the All-Star break, expressing a hope that the team would begin a winning streak (00:40:29).
Upcoming Network Programming: Aliasgar Moosa shared plans to provide content regarding the closure of six radio stations and the upcoming trade deadline (00:42:16). Macara Slobodian announced a books panel taking place on Friday, July 31st, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, which will cover the book “Living Disability: Building Accessible Futures for Everybody” edited by Emily McCrae (00:43:45).
Techstravaganza Scheduling: Macara Slobodian announced the next “Techstravaganza” scheduled for Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. The topic for that session will be adding phone numbers to contacts via email, and they directed listeners to visit techstravaganza.ca for more information (00:43:45).
Future Book Selection and Closing Information: The hosts have not yet selected a book for the following week and advised listeners to watch the network newsletter for the announcement (00:45:03). They reminded listeners to subscribe to the YouTube channel, join the WhatsApp community, and send feedback or recommendations via email to feedback@themoosaslobodiannetwork.ca or through the contact form on the website (00:43:45).

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Looking for tips and tricks on using your favourite devices? Check out Techstravaganza: http://www.techstravaganza.ca