Charlottesville Is Final Nail In The Right’s Coffin-Podcast 656

Well before the 2016 primary campaign I posted a podcast announcing the death of the conservative movement. Whatever was left of the right is the final casualty this past weekend In Virginia. In Charlottesville Is Final Nail In The Right’s Coffin-Podcast 656.

A Deal With The Devil

During the 2016 presidential campaign Republican moderate leadership had the opportunity to allow the convention to move through the political process to select a candidate. Instead they chose to close ranks with a candidate famous for rhetoric and little else forcing that candidate on the American people. Surprisingly a week later, the democrats did the same thing. This faustian bargain resulted in a rhetorical presidency which has accomplished little.

Identity Politics Right Wing Style

In this way, the Grand Old Party closed ranks with the politics of division. Name calling and chaos. But wait! Right Wingers didn’t break windows or block freeways. It was the Left which used violence. Until now. In Charlottesville Is Final Nail In The Right’s Coffin-Podcast 656.

It Wasn’t Us!

Is it too soon to suggest humor in the irony of every paid commentator, blogger, show host and agitator of the right suddenly trying to show the world those people carrying Nazi Flags in Charlottesville aren’t really conservatives? Is it too soon to decry the loud mouths hocking constitutional conventions, fife and drum, messaging seminars and civil war?

Who is to blame? Everyone

Especially the voters. This generation of Americans. Children who think the louder they yell the better chance they have to get what they want. People who think good citizenship is doing a FaceBook Live video or throwing up a You Tube Channel predicting the end of the world. Commentators who want to tell you what happened when they weren’t there.

All Hat and No Cattle

People who refuse to help during election season but won’t miss a tea party meeting to discuss messaging and their version of the constitution. People who want to protest but can’t be bothered to stand up and run for office or do any of the hard work citizenship in a democratic society demands. Block a freeway? Why not! Shoot a congressman? Sure. Destroy someone online? Fun! Carry a nazi flag in a parade? Awesome! We’ll just blame the Mercers or George Soros. Doesn’t Matter.

Government Is More Powerful No Matter Who’s In Charge

Whatever you scream when you protest, one thing is true. Government power is more absolute. A prison we have created for ourselves is bankrupting us and destroying our society. National debt is dangerously high and climbing. Little more than window dressing passes for action. Political news watchers concern themselves with the latest greek drama live from the White House. Issues? Policy? You won’t get clicks with that.

Losing Equation

Neither majority nor minority provides anything close to leadership. Attacks and Counterattacks. Name calling. Gleeful enjoyment of this House of Cards. Surprise when it results in death. This does not end well.

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Charlottesville Is Final Nail In The Right’s Coffin-Podcast 656

 

 

What Inspires You These Days? Podcast 628

Inspiration. We all need it. It is sadly lacking these days. In What Inspires You These Days? Podcast 628 I spend some time at my man cave garage. While waxing and buffing Mobile Podcast Command I talk about what inspires me. Maybe you can make your own list while you listen.

Dragging Us Down

So much of the news and social media is negative and frankly uninspiring. Mentally and emotionally taxing. A let down. Time to make a list of what inspires me. Your list will be different. My list isn’t a complete list. Preparing for this podcast did not mean researching a list of inspiring things. It’s a stream of consciousness list. Some things will be left off. These are the things that inspire me now. In What Inspires You These Days? Podcast 628.

Travel Frees The Soul

Mobile Podcast Command inspires me because it means travel. Travel inspires me. Every trip is different. Lessons learned each time I head out are different no matter what the destination. Travel will inspire a person. It makes me want to break free. Turn over a new leaf. Cut the cords.

Travel planning inspires me. What’s the next trip? Should I head out to cover the 2020 elections and stay out? How am I going to do that? Listen as I buff and shine the mobile podcast command studio, and talk about inspiration in What Inspires You These Days? Podcast 628.

Why Aren’t Some People Happy

Had dinner with friends recently. Someone said a lot of people they know aren’t happy. The people I know that are happiest are people who follow their passion. Following your passion helps with inspiration. Since it’s close to Mother’s Day, I should point out that my mother taught me that. She always told me I should do the things that I love to do.

There Was a Time

When we were kids, we ran free. We did whatever we thought of. We lived in the moment. No friction. Why? Because we followed our passions. Why should so called adult life be any different? I am inspired by people of all ages who follow their passions. Whether it’s chucking everything, buying a camper and hitting the road, or writing that book and getting it published. We talk about it in What Inspires You These Days? Podcast 628.

Yes You Can

When we ‘grow up’ we’re pushed into structures. We believe things like, “You’re too old to do that”, or “That will never work”. Like a crust you have to break through. One thing inspiring me on a day to day basis is Yoga. You start out thinking you can never do what others can. Then it comes to you. If he can do it, maybe I can do it.

Time to Break Free

To wash away the crust of expectations and the heavy weight of the day to day chatter. Throw off the yoke of what doesn’t matter. In the end it’s the little things. A gentle push from a friend to reach out to someone in need. Someone who shows by example what a great marriage is. The open road.

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What Inspires You These Days? Podcast 628

Podcast 551

Escapism. Given the sour nature of our political discourse these days what do you do to escape. A morning ritual turns into a content generator for the Bob Davis Podcasts in Podcast 551 Escapism. Lately I have been bingewatching TV shows on Netflix and iTunes, with the HBO series “Shameless’ and especially this weekend to watching the entire first series of the Netflix show “Stranger Things”. Stranger Things does such a great job creating an alternate reality, you just can’t get enough. Usually when people recommend TV shows I’m like, “Yeah whatever”. Stranger Things is the exception. What a great show. Getting back to the morning ritual; Every morning I get up, make coffee and head over to the park. I sit on a hill, drink my coffee and am alone with my thoughts. No phone. No social media. No talking to myself at least for that first few minutes of awake time. It’s been great for listening to the thoughts bubbling up from the subconscious and figuring out how to do podcasts about them. This weekend’s binge viewing of Stranger Things made me think about Escapism and how important it has apparently become considering the election year we’re having and coverage of it. When I first talked about the News Cleanse about three years ago on these podcasts, I had no idea it would end up having the power it has to generate new and different things to talk about in the podcasts. I know that, given the current discourse, I don’t want to be a contributing factor to what amounts to misinformation on breaking news stories like the attack at the Mall in Saint Cloud this weekend or the daily and predictable back and forth between presidential candidates trying to capitalize on these kinds of events. Aside from the stuff that actually moves the needle; shifts in the polls, candidates collapsing in public, huge breaking stories like a financial collapse or some major shift in policy from the current administration, it’s ok to check and once in awhile on political news, but I just can’t muster the intellectual interest in the day to day nonsense that seems to animate everyone on the radio, television and on the Internet. What do you do to escape? Movies, Trips to the Wilderness? Binge Watching shows. Drugs and alcohol? How much escape is too much escape. What is healthy escape? How many want to escape, and what happens after the new president is inaugurated in January 2017. Sponsored by Hydrus Performance.