Podcast 530

Freedom to Fly. Or is that fly to be free? Live at the EAA Airventure air show at Osh Kosh, for 2016. This is my second year at this show. Last year I would have been happy to just record some sounds, and take you on a simple walk through of the show. In my second year, I have peeled off a layer by getting around to talk to some people here at the show. First, a fly-in camper and second Sam Bousfield, CEO and designer of the Samson Switchblade. Almost everyone you meet here has some kind of interesting story, with all kinds of twists and turns. Freedom to Fly. Flying means Freedom. Whether it is the chiropractor who flies in to spend a week talking aviation with friends he only sees here, who also fly in, or vendors and manufacturers of aircraft, and anything related to aircraft. One of the things we keep hearing about is the flying car. The switchblade has some interesting characteristics which allows it to escape some of the heavier regulation associated with vertical take off and landing ‘flying cars’, which actually haven’t flown, despite years and years of development. The switchblade should be flying by 2017 though you’ll have to have a private pilot’s license and take off and land on a runway. It’s been a great challenge to design, get funding and get through development and testing of something almost everyone imagines will be the future. Finally, the message of the EAA Airventure air show? In my opinion it has a lot to do with freedom. This is a huge gathering of very positive people, a place where entrepreneurial energy, technical knowledge, design, the sheer passion for flying and a can do attitude comes together and makes beautiful music. When you see what has been going on these last two weeks on TV, with two national political conventions, it’s just nice to hang with people who would rather talk about the hairy approach to the busiest airport in the world for this week, or about their airplane, than presidential candidates. Can’t say as I blame them. For me, the passion and fun I see displayed here is what the whole country needs right now. Sponsored by Karow Contracting and X Government Cars.

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Podcast 526

Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. A trip to Cleveland to cover the RNC turned into a massive road trip to northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, all the way down the Lake Huron coast of the Great Lakes State. This podcast was produced in Mobile Podcast Command at a rest area in Ohio, as we get into position to stage into Cleveland on July 18th, opening day for the RNC. Before the onslaught of media coverage telling us what we’re supposed to think and who we’re supposed to vote for, or not, take a break and join me on a strange tour of some of the most amazing parts of the United States. The Great Lakes States, starting with Michigan. Imagine a place where people are drawn from all over the world to work in mining, transportation, manufacturing and business. Imagine they moved into small and medium sized towns along the coasts. No, it’s not Silicon Valley. It’s America’s Great Lakes Region. At its peak in the 1950’s just about everything America needed was made here. From the ore mined in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, to the big ore boats on the lakes, and the manufacturing plants throughout the region, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois this part of the world had a huge impact. After tough times in the 1970’s and early 80’s — the subject of more than one political commentary over the years — these places are coming back. You really feel at home during the summer season along the Lake Michigan coastline on the UP, and the Huron Coastline in northern Michigan, all the way to Route 75, headed for Detroit. It’s a great primer for the nasty gunk coming up from the streets of Cleveland. Sponsored by Karow Contracting and X Government Cars.

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Podcast 523-Jason Lewis

Podcast 523-Jason Lewis. Join Mobile Podcast Command Unit 8 in the Pan-O-Prog parade in Lakeville, Minnesota. If you’re running for office, or working for someone running for office, regardless of party affiliation, you’re walking in parades, driving in parades, or handing out literature at parades all over your district, and you’ll be doing so until right around State Fair time in the land of ten thousand lakes. The Panorama of Progress parade in Lakeville dates back to 1967. Lakeville is in the heart of Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District where a big political fight is brewing. It isn’t a fight between republicans and democrats, but a fight between republicans. Four candidates are vying for the seat being vacated by the retirement of Congressman John Kline. The trouble started before the CD2 Endorsing convention when Kline endorsed Darlene Miller instead of Jason Lewis. Some believe Kline’s problem stems from comments made by Jason Lewis on The Bob Davis Podcasts regarding Iran and US Foreign Policy. I would urge critics to actually listen to what Lewis said by searching ‘Jason Lewis’ in the search window on my website (thebobdavispodcasts.com) rather than using liner notes or taking the so called party line. As it pertains to foreign policy, I have said many times, it’s going to take independent and thoughtful congressmen, senators, presidents, career diplomats, defense and foreign policy experts to develop a new foreign policy for the United States. The old plug-and-play approach to foreign policy, or the best of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s strategies isn’t going to work in a multi-polar world. Military commitments have to be considered in the light of what the knock-on effects of those interventions might mean, something our government really didn’t do very well when the US invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. Some might argue, this is the root of what ruined the GOP’s chance to succeed George W Bush, or to limit Barack Obama to one term. In the aftermath of the Ron Paul revolution in republican politics, as well as wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the development of ISIS, the Arab Spring, Syria, emerging economies, China and Russia, we need a new approach to defense and foreign policy. The problem is, as I have said, foreign policy doesn’t come out of a can. In this podcast, we ride in the parade with Jason Lewis supporters, who commandeered Mobile Podcast Command’s PA System (I didn’t care, I wanted to ride in the parade anyway, and this doesn’t constitute an endorsement. Jason is a friend of mine, and I think he’s great, but you go ahead and vote for anyone you want!) so you can hear a campaign in progress, and then we’re joined by Jason to talk about the campaign, the Primary Challenge on August 9th, focusing on trade and the economic challenges for everyday Americans, on a brilliantly sunny afternoon in July, in Lakeville Minnesota. Enjoy riding in a parade in Podcast 523-Jason Lewis. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and Karow Contracting, Storm Damage Specialists.

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