Road-Less-Traveled-Trip-Bob Davis Podcast 840

Streaming The Road

I get a big kick out of myself once and a while. Join me on the road In this most noteworthy podcast a stream of consciousness trip through Southwestern Virginia on the way to Tennessee. Learn more in Road-Less-Traveled-Trip-Bob Davis Podcast 840.

Back Roads Only Take 2

This road trip started with rolling from Minneapolis and Saint Paul to Western Virginia to see family. You know I love the back roads. Even more, I have now made a permanent commitment to travel only on the back roads.

Only Car On The Road

These days on America’s old national highways and state roads when I say it’s the road less traveled I am not kidding. Especially relevant, most of the time I am the only vehicle on the highway.

History

In addition there’s a lot of history. From the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s in Pikeville Kentucky, to passing General Lee’s Headquarters on a dingy street in Petersburg, Virginia. A rainy drive at dusk, on an empty road, took me through Appomattox, where the Civil War ended.

Here’s the Path

This podcast opens at Pikeville, Kentucky on the way to Virginia. The main focus is Route 1 South to US 58 West. 58 is a twisting and turning snake through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Heading through Danville, Martinsville, Damascus, South Boston Virginia and more. We end in Bristol, Virginia, the Birthplace of Country Music. I did a podcast on Bristol a few years ago. Learn more by clicking here. By the way, I kept calling it Bristol, Tennessee and there is part of Bristol in the Volunteer State, but country music was born on the Virginia side.

Heading To Tennessee

First of all, thanks for all the donations I have received for fuel. Second, from here it’s onto Tennessee, a corner of Arkansas, and up through Missouri to the Ozarks and Highway 61 through Iowa, on home to Minnesota.

Good For The Soul

In conclusion, travel is good for the soul. Consequently the road less traveled can only be great for the soul.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Road-Less-Traveled-Trip-Bob Davis Podcast 840

 

 

Early-Election-Advisory-2020-Bob Davis Podcast 836

A Year Away And It’s Already Started

The 2020 election is more than a year away. Time and distance doesn’t stop the predictions about who’s running. Even more, who’s going to win. Time to come back to Earth in Early-Election-Advisory-2020-Bob Davis Podcast 836.

Sorry State Of Politics

One of the themes of my podcasts is the sorry state of politics in the United States. First of all our politics these days are driven completely by media. Social media. Cable News Channels. YouTube. Podcasting. All partisan. Usually owned by rich political operators.

Don’t Trust Everything You Read

Moreover it’s all about persuasion. Nothing we see or hear can be trusted.

Confirmation Bias

Tell us what they want to hear.

Make us feel good about it.

What I Won’t Do

Due to advocacy media, seems like the best thing I can do is tell you what I won’t do when it comes to coverage of election 2020. This kind of coverage is a great opportunity for independent voices.

Manipulation Is The Media’s Business

Certainly all the commentators and talking heads are busy convincing us of a point of view. Predicting the future, making assumptions on rumor and innuendo are the tools they use to manipulate viewers. Learn more in Early-Election-Advisory-2020-Bob Davis Podcast 836.

The Borg

Meanwhile local, state and the federal government take in huge sums of money and we don’t seem to have any control over how it’s spent. Consequently more of us feel government is the Borg. We can’t understand it, much less control it. And increasingly we don’t like this feeling.

No Predictions

Therefore with over 25 candidates for the presidency the best service I can provide is to steadfastly avoid predictions and identify my own biases.

Can’t Stand Any of Them

Finally, that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate political skill. campaign wins and losses, political brinkmanship or propaganda. I just refuse to jump in on one side or another. I also refuse to predict the future and predict outcomes. Especially outcomes based on polls.

See It For What It Is

In conclusion, I have found the best way to learn what “The American People” might be thinking, is travel and actually covering these political events.

Sponsored by Reliafund Payment Processors and WhiteTail Builders of Andover Minnesota

Early-Election-Advisory-2020-Bob Davis Podcast 836

 

 

Privacy-Profound Experiences-Bob Davis Podcast 823

These days we live in a world where our first reaction to an amazing experience is to share it. Does sharing the intimate, profound and sublime degrade their value? Learn more in Privacy-Profound Experiences-Bob Davis Podcast 823.

Over Sharing

We’re talking about your shots from Coachella or Burning Man but also pics and posts from the hospital where grandma is dying. Rants about bad service from restaurants and crazy neighbors. Beat down videos on You Tube.

Intimacy and Privacy

Especially relevant are those sublime and sometimes profound human experiences. Intimate experiences. Is it possible that sharing those experiences cancels out the integrity of the moment? Find out why I say this in Privacy-Profound Experiences-Bob Davis Podcast 823.

What Is Special

Furthermore to be intimate is to be private. Certainly there’s a lot of talk these days about privacy. In contrast look at all the people taking selfies at that amazing concert, or taking videos at the beach at sunset or the Grand Canyon.

Ours Alone

What would happen if all these most noteworthy experiences remained ours and ours alone? I think we as human beings have profound and exceptional experiences, or witness these kinds of interactions all the time.

Friends Keep Secrets

Finally what do you call someone who keeps your secret? A friend. Can we keep our own secrets?

Our Unique Experiences Become Content

Above all our personal experiences shared out to social media, become the property of FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram or other platforms. By extension they become the property of the world. We lose the pristine nature of those experiences. We turn something unique and hard to define into a mass experience.

Restoring Integrity

In conclusion, I’m not saying don’t share at all. What I am saying is maybe we save some intimate experiences for ourselves, alone. And by doing so restore some of the integrity society seems to have lost.

(Photo By Jenna Dailey)

Sponsored by WhiteTail Builders and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Privacy-Profound Experiences-Bob Davis Podcast 823