Podcast 347

Summertime in Scottsdale. At least that it was feels like if you’re from the upper midwest, for Arizonans this is just the beginning of the heat, but it sure feels good to a boy from the Midwest, after winter. The second of two podcasts for your Wednesday from the Shore Powered Mobile Podcast Command Unit 8. From time to time its a good idea to just sit down in the studio and wing it. Sometimes a lot of effort goes into doing podcasts that are news, or topic oriented. March was a taxing month for The Bob Davis Podcasts, as we cold hardly wait to get our hot little hands on the brand new remote broadcast truck. Response has been great and as capabilities are brought up to speed, the podcasts are going to become more and more fun. In this podcast, a behind the scenes look at the struggle to get Unit 8 up and running through the month and get on the road, before having to return before April 25th, when Bob Davis is scheduled to speak to the SD48 Republicans at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. We may roll up the night before, fresh from Cali, and camp out at the theater, preparing for the big speech. Actually a lot of good discussion in this podcast about work ethic, how we learn to work, and how we work. And a lesson in patience for Bob Davis. And, an opportunity for sponsorships of the Remote Podcast Command Unit 8. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing of Saint Paul. 

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

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.