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These days if you want to find out what’s going on you have to hit the road. We’re in Tennessee for a few surprises. Learn more in Back-Road-Trip-Chattanooga-Bob Davis Podcast-841.
Southeastern Tennessee is as Republican as it gets in this country. Even more, a modern economic miracle has taken place in Chattanooga, where a public private partnership has transformed the city.
All the talk about what people in this country might do in the 2020 election is most noteworthy. A theme in these podcasts has been attacking the perception that people with an R in front of their name are actually conservative.
Certainly Chattanooga is a miracle. Back in the day it was an industrial powerhouse. Due to it’s role it was considered one of the dirtiest cities in North America. A public private partnership turned it around. Learn more here.
In addition, Tennessee as a whole is certainly booming these days. From Volkswagen in Chattanooga to the music business in Nashville and the federal government corporate entity known as The Tennessee Valley Authority, things are good here.
Especially relevant to me though is the right-wing orientation of the state as a whole, and yet, all these institutions which might be considered socialist, by any other name.
Finally, local expert John E. Holland joins the podcast to talk about politics in the region and Tennessee’s burgeoning development strategy today.
In conclusion people here consider themselves ‘conservative’ right down to confederate flags and wide margins for President Trump in 2016. Meanwhile public/private partnerships and Federal corporate assets allocate tax dollars and investment and they love it.
To be sure Tennessee as a whole is truly wonderful. When it comes to principles, though, one wonders what ‘conservative’ means, after all.
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Back-Road-Trip-Chattanooga-Bob Davis Podcast-841
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I get a big kick out of myself once and a while. Join me on the road In this most noteworthy podcast a stream of consciousness trip through Southwestern Virginia on the way to Tennessee. Learn more in Road-Less-Traveled-Trip-Bob Davis Podcast 840.
This road trip started with rolling from Minneapolis and Saint Paul to Western Virginia to see family. You know I love the back roads. Even more, I have now made a permanent commitment to travel only on the back roads.
These days on America’s old national highways and state roads when I say it’s the road less traveled I am not kidding. Especially relevant, most of the time I am the only vehicle on the highway.
In addition there’s a lot of history. From the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s in Pikeville Kentucky, to passing General Lee’s Headquarters on a dingy street in Petersburg, Virginia. A rainy drive at dusk, on an empty road, took me through Appomattox, where the Civil War ended.
This podcast opens at Pikeville, Kentucky on the way to Virginia. The main focus is Route 1 South to US 58 West. 58 is a twisting and turning snake through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Heading through Danville, Martinsville, Damascus, South Boston Virginia and more. We end in Bristol, Virginia, the Birthplace of Country Music. I did a podcast on Bristol a few years ago. Learn more by clicking here. By the way, I kept calling it Bristol, Tennessee and there is part of Bristol in the Volunteer State, but country music was born on the Virginia side.
First of all, thanks for all the donations I have received for fuel. Second, from here it’s onto Tennessee, a corner of Arkansas, and up through Missouri to the Ozarks and Highway 61 through Iowa, on home to Minnesota.
In conclusion, travel is good for the soul. Consequently the road less traveled can only be great for the soul.
Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul
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Whenever I feel like I am in a rut these days, a road trip is always the best medicine. Even more a road trip on the back roads. I’ll tell you all about it in Road-Trip-Back-Roads-Only-Bob Davis Podcast 839.
Especially relevant is my new mantra. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I prefer the old National Highway system, state roads, county roads or even rural routes. I feel this is where you really get a feel for what’s going on in this country.
In Road-Trip-Back-Roads-Only-Bob Davis Podcast 839 I wonder whether some people can travel back roads, and see small town and rural America for what it is, without judgement. Because there is a lot to like about some of the places I have been.
It’s most noteworthy that the lessons you learn hitting America’s back roads seem to coalesce in your mind a few weeks after the trip is over. In addition, I have crisscrossed parts of this country so many times I’ll remember an experience I had, but forget just exactly where it happened.
What’s important in rural America? For one thing, small business and local business.
As I blog I am sitting in a shopping center parking lot about fifty miles south of Roanoke. I’ve rolled through Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and now Virginia.
Truth is some of those back roads are really back roads. Switchbacks through the mountains.
In conclusion, the best part of it all? You get to enjoy all this amazing scenery without being bothered. Usually you’re the only vehicle on the road.
It’s been that way most of this trip, and it’s well worth the effort.
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Road-Trip-Back-Roads-Only-Bob Davis Podcast 839
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I think World War Two might have been the most significant historic event in more than the last two hundred years. These days people don’t think or talk much about the second world war, but we’re living in the world created by it. Learn more in D-Day’s-75th-WW2-Significance-Bob Davis Podcast 838.
Like most kids growing up in the 70’s World War 2 was our father’s war. Our grandfather’s war.
Certainly World War 2 was historic. Almost every American family has stories from that war. Family members who served. Army Air Force, Marines, Army and Navy or Coast Guard. The stories fade a little more every year, as our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers, mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers fade too. Inevitably, the significance of that war gets lost in time.
What’s most noteworthy is the structure of the world today is the result of World War 2. Especially relevant to this podcast is this. The world that preceded the start of the war in 1939 is gone. The life Americans knew before the war, was obliterated by it. Learn more in D-Day’s-75th-WW2-Significance-Bob Davis Podcast 838.
When I was growing up we’d go to the army surplus store in Hammond, Indiana. We’d pick through the boots, jackets, and tanker goggles. Whenever we could we watched all the black and white movies. ‘The Longest Day‘, ‘The Sands of Iwo Jima‘, ‘They Were Expendable‘ and many others. Those movies miss or gloss over mistakes governments made that got us into that war.
I am old enough to remember the faded gold stars in the windows of the old ladies on the block, who’s sons never came home. Some were from the Korean and Vietnam wars, but many were still there from World War 2. They were the most faded.
In addition I am lucky enough to have been to Normandy, and of course, Omaha Beach. I have two takeaways. That hill is close to the water and very steep, and I wonder how anyone could have survived crawling up under fire the morning of June 6th, 1944.
In conclusion we don’t think about the war that changed the world. Forever.
These days there’s a lot of talk about making the world a better place.
Those who fought that war, actually did.
Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul
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The big guys are getting into podcasting these days. That means independent voices are more important than ever. Learn more in Independent-Podcasting-Necessary-Voices-Bob Davis Podcast 837.
Especially relevant are big political operators.
Consequently supporting independent voices is more important than ever.
What I have learned working for broadcast companies is especially relevant to creative people who are often the trail blazers and trendsetters. First of all, as independent voices we make our own decisions about our content.
Certainly being on a big platform is great for more feeds. Above all though, what happens when you go against the grain? I’ll tell you in Independent-Podcasting-Necessary-Voices-Bob Davis Podcast 837.
Everyone has a right to produce content their way. That includes business, political operatives and entities like public radio.
Similarly independent voices are necessary. I’m talking about those of us out here on our own. Today’s political climate is most noteworthy in this discussion.
So here’s to us independent content creators. We podcasters and YouTubers writing and producing our own content, trying to monetize our efforts, and saying what we think. No matter what.
Sponsored by John D Scott Personal Injury Lawyer and Ryan Plumbing and Heating Metro Wide From Saint Paul
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