Podcast 355

Nevada and Utah. Live from Park City, Utah in Mobile Podcast Command Unit 8, the Road Trip continues, leaving California and heading into Nevada, and Utah. Thursday was a tough day for the Mobile Unit. Damage was sustained after the driver — tired and hungry — attempted to enter a mall parking lot which inexplicably featured those concrete and steel ‘height regulators’. With damage nominally repaired, the Mobile Unit soldiers on, battered but unbroken. Updates for your weekend. Are you already sick of the Presidential campaign of 2016? What about Hillary’s bags? Is Rand Paul really crazy? Is Marco Rubio’s tax plan really a good idea? It’s Iowa’s fault. Iowa, that has no other reason for anyone to pay attention to it. Iowa, drenched in wind power and ethanol subsides, forcing the whole country to watch as these politicians traverse one end of it to another, just because Iowa has to have the ‘first in the nation primary’ in 2016. As a result, the media valve cannot be turned off. The result? People may just be burned out on political news and coverage, and one wonders whether by the actual election in November of 2016, anyone will have any stomach left for any of it. Is it possible too much coverage will suppress the vote? And, if it isn’t gyrocopters landing on the Capitol steps, its DEA agents who can’t be fired for having orgies, with prostitutes supplied by the cartels. Shouldn’t people who do these sorts of things be fired? Unfortunately, as the head of the DEA testified this week, the civil service employment laws prevent them from even being disciplined. And people say the government is efficient. Tax Day has come and gone, and at the same time one wonders whether the same anti-tax fervor that existed a few years ago, still exists. Touring the country shows people adapting. In spite of a moribund economy, and poor leadership in Washington, they seem to be doing pretty good. (Editor’s Note: Except for Reno, Nevada. They don’t seem to be doing pretty good on the East Side of Reno.) Plus some tips on camping out in Unit 8, emails and one more donation thank you. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. Also join me April 25th for the SD48 Annual Freedom Dinner. Follow the links for more info. 

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Podcast 344

Foreign Policy In New Mexico. The negotiations with Iran are back at the top of the news. Taking a break from the road in The Mobile Podcast Command Unit 8, drinking coffee from the Flying J in Walter White’s Hometown. A quiet conversation about The President’s policy and negotiations with Iran, and what this president might leave the next. As the Iranians get just about everything they wanted, the Saudis, Jordanians, and Egypt talk about forming a joint command to address the Islamic State Threat. Again we find ourselves asking what the US Foreign Policy should be. Do any of the candidates on either side of the political spectrum have any ideas? Its seems as though they don’t. Meanwhile, while the media talks about domestic issues as the primary concerns of 2016, it’s very possible foreign issues could be the main focus, especially if things blow up before this President leaves office in January of 2017. And oh, a couple of side comments about road food, truck stops and travel. (Editor’s Note: This is the kind of stuff I sometimes like to talk about as soon as I wake up in the morning. I’m sitting in the RV Section at the Flying J in ABQ, drinking coffee and getting ready to roll on through New Mexico, onto Phoenix.Definitely having a blast!) And by the way, it’s spelled Albuquerque. And I did not see Walter White, Jessie Pinkman, or even Saul. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. 

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Podcast 343

Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The Road Trip continues all the way to California. Usually I do not write these notes for each podcast in the first person, but I am writing this from a Starbucks in Amarillo, Texas. The WIFI is being very temperamental and it’s driving me nuts! This has been a long day of travel, and doing podcasts. This is the second of two podcasts for your weekend, and there will be two on Sunday. In this podcast I wanted to give you a flavor of what being on the road is like, where my mind wanders and what I have been thinking about. Being on the road definitely has the effect of allowing me to take a more philosophical tone on some of the issues we’re dealing with these days. I love being on the road, and I love the new Mobile Podcast Command vehicle. My sister calls it the Bob Mobile. My friend Margaret calls it the ‘Wambulance’. Ed Johnson at X Government Cars calls it the “Bob Cat”. Cruising south on I35, on through to Oklahoma City, then picked up I40 through western Oklahoma, and onto Texas. I’m sorry but I forgot I have to go through Texas. Then its on to New Mexico, into Phoenix for a few days by the pool, and then onto California. This isn’t all fun and games though. This shakedown cruise is all about learning how to use all these tools on the fly, and integrate them into the systems in the Mobile Command Unit. That way when we scramble for a real story, I should be able to do everything on the fly. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. Thanks for your support and interest. Having a riot! Sponsored by Baklund R & D. 

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