Travel Stories-Regional Differences Across America-2018 Primer-Podcast 703

These days the we see the US from a bird’s eye view. Americans eat the same kind of food. Listen to the same kind of music. Dress the same. Look the same. Right? Not really. Find out why in Travel Stories-Regional Differences Across America-2018 Primer-Podcast 703.

Media Says We’re One People

One people, one culture. That’s what they say on TV. Furthermore, news ratings depend on selling the myth that we’re all the same. We’re supposed to be nine or eleven ‘nations’ of North America. Or as ‘The Fourth Turning’ says, behavior can be predicted by our generation, or where we are from.

Except that isn’t true. Never has been.

Travel Teaches How Real Differences Work

I’ve been up and down both coasts. Crisscrossed the midwest. Toured the west from the Mile High City to Las Cruces. I’ve been up and down Skyline Drive and the birthplace of country music in Bristol. I can tell you from experience there are some real differences in Americans. It’s what makes this country great. In Travel Stories-Regional Differences Across America-2018 Primer-Podcast 703.

Big Assed States

First of all, these fifty states are geographically imposing. Even the so called ‘little’ states in New England are big. Each of them have regional differences that can play out politically in some significant ways.

Different Places Different People

Moreover the personality of these states depends on the settlers. When did they come? Who were they? Why did they come? Where did they come from. What ideas and culture did they bring with them?

Regional Differences

One of the things I hear a lot these days is, “Why can’t they get it done?”. Or, why is a state so ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’. Look closer and you might be surprised. Whatever ‘IT’ is. Part of the reason are the regional differences that might surprise you. Find out about them in Travel Stories-Regional Differences Across America-2018 Primer-Podcast 703.

Northern Minnesota Democrats who support 2nd Amendment rights. Conservative residents of Mountain West states like Colorado that supported legalizing marijuana. West Virginia republicans who want trade protection and aid for coal mines.

These differences are especially relevant when it comes to congressional districts.

All Politics Really Is Local

In conclusion, 2018 is an election year. All of congress. One third of the senate. State Legislatures and Governors. Judges and special elections. The pundits, the media, and the parties will try to make it about national issues. More often though, when it comes to so called off-year cycles, all politics is local.

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Travel Stories-Regional Differences Across America-2018 Primer-Podcast 703

Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702

Controversy in the wake of another mass shooting event distracts everyone from what is really important. Three key stories you missed, show how our government is ruining our future. In Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702.

Trump Supports a 25 Cent Gas Tax That Sucks Up Your Tax Cut

First of all while small business owners optimistically predict a booming economy a republican president has told democrat lawmakers he would support a twenty five cent increase in the federal gas tax on gasoline and diesel. There goes your tax cut!

Conservatives Spend More Than Obama

Especially relevant for fiscal conservatives is a four trillion dollar budget from the president. Moreover congress increased spending by hundreds of billions of dollars in the most recent continuing resolution. There are conservatives? In Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702.

Solution To Fools Getting Their News From FaceBook? More Regulation

What’s more in the wake of indictments for a score of Russians and a few Americans for allegedly manipulating ‘The Internet’ to influence the recent US Presidential election, both sides of the political divide want ‘regulations’. So much for free speech!

I Guess Spending And Debt Is The Republican Way

More importantly do not take these financial mistakes lightly. US government debt is nearly 20 trillion dollars. Americans themselves carry something like 13 trillion dollars in debt. Storm clouds are building in the bond markets. We’ll talk about it in Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702.

You Can’t Make America Great Carrying Trillions Of Debt

Americans cannot be self reliant and strong if they don’t figure out how to assemble the facts about what is known on any particular news story. We cannot make america great again if elected leaders can’t stop spending more and borrowing more.

Freedom Is In Our Genes And Other Myths

In conclusion the idea that ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ are in our genes is nonsense. We aren’t free if all of us ask the government to spend more, regulate more and ‘do something’ about every little problem. For me, the lack of principle of both political parties is shocking and dangerous. Unfortunately for so called ‘conservatives’ this lack of principle is most visible among republicans.

Find out what needs to be done and how to do it in Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Gun Control Fight Hides Important News-Internet-Spending-Taxes-Principles-Podcast 702

Storm Chaser Valhalla-National Weather Service Norman-Podcast 636

Blue skies and sunshine on this Storm Chasing Trip. With no storms, it’s a good time to visit the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center at Norman, Oklahoma. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center is where where all severe weather predictions and updates originate. We’ll go in inside, In Storm Chaser Valhalla-National Weather Service Norman-Podcast 636.

Storm Chaser Valhalla

Storm Chasers use information that originates at Norman. Why? Doppler Radar was developed here. Scientists in Kansas City spent springs here back in the day, to research storms. There was a naval air station here. So, there was plenty of room to locate a brand new radar system.

NEXRAD

Doppler Radar has been a game changer since its inception in the 1990’s. NEXRAD changed and continues to change how the world learns about severe weather. In Storm Chaser Valhalla-National Weather Service Norman-Podcast 636.

Secure Facility

The radar control center is in a secure building shared by several government agencies. One of those agencies is the department of defense. Needless to say, I could not get into this facility. Persistence pays off and after a few calls, NOAA Public Affairs Specialist Keli Pirtle invited me to come over to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. Storm Chaser Valhalla-National Weather Service Norman-Podcast 636.

Weather Geek Out

It’s all about weather geeks. Thanks to Keli Pirtle for inviting me in on short notice and for the history lesson. How did the radar system get built at Norman? Finally, Warning Coordination Meteorologist Patrick Marsh gives us complete rundown of how the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center works. Plus some stories about what it is like in this center when major weather is breaking.

Storm Chasers

The idea behind tax payer funded NEXRAD is data products should be available to everyone, and this is one of the reasons we get radar and other NWS products on our smartphones. However, severe weather can be unpredictable. A town, person or chaser can be right under a tornado and not be able to to see it until it’s too late. While the National Weather Service does not have an official position on Storm Chasing Even the National Weather Service is not immune as you will hear. Be Safe.

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Storm Chaser Valhalla-National Weather Service Norman-Podcast 636