The Bob Davis Podcast

Podcast 339

Bored With The News? I rarely write these ‘liner notes’ in the first person, but this is one of those times. In the midst of a ‘soul killing’ April snow storm, we’re back by the fire in the Broadcast Bunker. Certainly not as soul killing as the constant snow on the east coast. The Upper Midwest has escaped some of the more distasteful elements of the winter of 2014-15, but now that it’s spring we thought were through it and that’s when April surprises. I was all ready to do news updates for this week, but it’s the same old crap. Talked to a lot of friends and family this weekend who are also just tired of the same goop pumping out of the TV and talk radio over and over. So, I decided to expand on the theme in podcast 338. Actually, this subject picked me, this time. Its seems as though people keep having the same conversations in various groups about the same things over and over, or the same complaints and conversations with each other, that don’t seem to go anywhere. If we are at the end of era, and approaching some catalyst event — and I am increasingly convinced we are — the things people are talking about, and concerned about, may change completely. It may happen before the big election in 2016, or not. How do other pivotal eras compare. My own fascination with the Interwar Period 1919 through 1939 figures prominently in this podcast. Did the people who lived during another era of tumultuous change and development know they were hurtling at top speed into World War 2? What kind of world are we building today? What are we unaware of, as we hurtle at top speed toward … something. I think it’s time to devote a little more time to this discussion. It seems to me the news, politicians and the things they say and do; it all seems well, stale. This only reinforces the idea that some catalyst will move us forward into a new time, with new concerns, and new things to think and talk about, new things to be passionate about. We don’t know what that event may be, but many people I have talked to recently feel very strongly we’re getting close to it. When uncertainty seems to be the order of the day, its hard to take action, or to hold on to old ideas and associations, since you don’t know what is around the next corner. Sure, its always that way, but this time feels different. Sponsored by Xgovernment Cars. 

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Podcast 338

Change. Interrupting The Rockford Files to do podcast 338. The sameness of news coverage lately provokes discussion on change. How it occurs, when it occurs and how do we notice when things are changing? Think back to different times, and how you noticed things were changing. What caught your attention? A TV Show, Fashion, a song, or something in the news? What resonates with you to indicate things are changing. Usually major change requires some kind of catalyst. The stock market crash of 1929 ushered in the Great Depression, the assassination of President Kennedy was the beginning of the tumultuous 1960’s and early 70’s, and of course in our time frame, September 11th brought huge changes in our society and the world. Is there a point where you look up and say, “Things are different now”? Are we on the cusp of major changes in the world and in the United States? What are the cues, the waypoints, the clues of a major change in era? When we watch our favorite old TV shows we can see how things have changed. Its nostalgic but also instructive to watch shows with good writing. like ‘The Rockford Files’, or ‘Friends’, or ‘Miami Vice’; shows that aired for many seasons, starting in one era, and ending in another. Certainly this podcast does not suggest that we can tell what’s going on by watching old TV shows on Netflix. What it suggests is things are changing again, and this time maybe significantly. What things that are present now will be the building blocks of the future, and what things will be swept away. As Moore’s law continues its exponential impact on technology and society, suddenly there is more coverage of robotics and artificial intelligence, suddenly IT systems that were up to date seem old and ‘kludgy’, and we’re seeing signs of the future everywhere; Uber outnumbers yellow cab in New York, autonomous check out machines, new business models, an iPhone that was brand new a second ago seems suddenly obsolete. Media is changing too; MSNBC is dying, broadcast television viewing is plummeting, Netflix is getting competitors including the networks, HBO and Apple, and the new cars don’t even come with AM radio anymore. As things change one thing is for sure. People attuned to politics should hold on loosely, because it may be true that in the near future  many things we consider constants will change. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. 

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The Bob Davis Podcast

Podcast 329

CPAC 2015. Updates for your weekend. This weekend CPAC kicks off the 2016 Presidential Campaign, at least on the Republican side and at least for the Washington Press Corps which doesn’t seem to have much to do these days, other than haunt appearances by one of the many potential Republican candidates. The latest political story line is about how the media giveth and taketh away from ‘untried’ candidates like Wisconsin’s Scott Walker. Walker most recently bristled to what’s referred to as a ‘gotcha’ question regarding the religion of the President. Walker lambasted the media for its coverage of his answer, raised money on the ensuing ‘viral’ stories about that, and wrote a piece in reply which appeared in USA Today. Really? Do you think the average person in this country pays any attention to this kind of high school nonsense? The Washington Press Corps in particular seems to think of itself as some kind of monolithic institution, with the job of ‘vetting’ future presidents. In reality they are a bunch of ninnies who couldn’t vet a lawn service, let alone a potential president. Moreover, Scott Walker has plenty of experience with bruising fights with media, given what’s been going on in Wisconsin in the last few years. Secretary of State John Kerry – with his fake plastic surgery square jaw – made a fool of himself again. Find out how in this podcast. So, terrorism’s cause is the plight of the poor. Poor people have no other choice but to become Jihadists, right? It was revealed this week that so called ‘Jihadi John’, the guy cutting people’s heads off recently, is in fact the son of a well to do family from London, and has a degree in computer science. The fight in Minnesota about state commissioner pay continues, and is brought into perspective with the revelation that over sixteen thousand federal workers made more than two hundred thousand dollars last year. Meanwhile Vice President Joe Biden says the wealth of the top one percent should be ’emancipated’, apparently not realizing he is talking about himself and most of the people who work for our Federal Government. It’s time to emancipate the taxpayer from the burden of perfumed princes who earn a lot more than people in the private sector. Drones have already revolutionized war, now they’re about to revolutionize farming. Soon drone technology may become one of two or three essential tools of the farmer. Whether flown by remote control, or autonomously, farmers of all people are adopting and adapting drones. Find out how. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. 

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