Podcast 343

Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The Road Trip continues all the way to California. Usually I do not write these notes for each podcast in the first person, but I am writing this from a Starbucks in Amarillo, Texas. The WIFI is being very temperamental and it’s driving me nuts! This has been a long day of travel, and doing podcasts. This is the second of two podcasts for your weekend, and there will be two on Sunday. In this podcast I wanted to give you a flavor of what being on the road is like, where my mind wanders and what I have been thinking about. Being on the road definitely has the effect of allowing me to take a more philosophical tone on some of the issues we’re dealing with these days. I love being on the road, and I love the new Mobile Podcast Command vehicle. My sister calls it the Bob Mobile. My friend Margaret calls it the ‘Wambulance’. Ed Johnson at X Government Cars calls it the “Bob Cat”. Cruising south on I35, on through to Oklahoma City, then picked up I40 through western Oklahoma, and onto Texas. I’m sorry but I forgot I have to go through Texas. Then its on to New Mexico, into Phoenix for a few days by the pool, and then onto California. This isn’t all fun and games though. This shakedown cruise is all about learning how to use all these tools on the fly, and integrate them into the systems in the Mobile Command Unit. That way when we scramble for a real story, I should be able to do everything on the fly. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. Thanks for your support and interest. Having a riot! Sponsored by Baklund R & D

Podcast 340 – Mobile Podcast Command

Introducing Mobile Podcast Command Unit 8. After many delays this month, the Bob Davis Podcasts can finally announce a crowd funded mobile capability in the form of a Ford Diesel Ambulance, refitted for audio recording and travel. Aside from being a long term ambition, and part of the plan for the podcasts from the beginning, Mobile Podcast Command Unit 8 allows the Bob Davis Podcasts to get out of the bunker, and go to the story. This podcast kicks off a spring Road Trip to California, heading out right after this podcast is posted. That means a lot of Road Trip Podcasts between now and April 1st. Whatever the trials and tribulations, join the Bob Davis Podcasts as we shake down our new mobile unit. That means testing all the systems so that its ready to roll for covering major stories including Election 2016. There are a lot of listeners and subscribers to thank for listening and subscribing, but especially for donating, and we’ll be doing that by name in the next few podcasts, so listen for yours. Its hard to believe that after restarting the podcasts in 2013 (we originally kicked off in 2009), we started collecting donations, one at a time until they added up to this mobile unit. Video and more photos will be posted in the near future, as we make our way down the middle of the USA, west to Phoenix and to Los Angeles. The follow us back to Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Will Mobile Podcast Command make it? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to hit the road! Thanks again to all who have donated, and all the sponsors of the podcasts since day one. Special mentions in this podcast for X Government Cars, and all the many friends and supporters of The Bob Davis Podcasts since the get go! Here’s to springtime, and new adventures! Oh yeah, and since we’ll need fuel for the trip … your donations are welcome at the Bob Davis Podcasts! Thanks for your patience and support. 

 

 

Podcast 274

Story Lines. A few loose ends on the big stories, heading into the weekend. Frustrating that most media outlets continue to peddle the story that all the President has to do is ‘order’ relations with Cuba normalized, and they are. Then comes all the stories about how it got done, who benefits, the businesses that are chomping at the bit to get into Cuba. Thing is, the law concerning sanctions on Cuba is different. These aren’t sanctions placed entirely with executive orders. A welter of laws regarding just how relations are to be normalized with Cuba will have to be repealed, or the President is going to have to demonstrate to Congress that Castro Land has suddenly become a free country. Meanwhile there is mounting evidence that ‘normalizing’ relations with Cuba will strengthen a murderous regime, and has enriched itself, and left the people of Cuba with nothing. These facts are apparently not interesting to the  media in the US. The President says sanctions haven’t worked against Cuba. Aside from asking ‘which ones?’, if sanctions don’t work why did Secretary of State John Kerry not say, just prior to sanctions being placed on Russia, ‘Sanctions work’. Well? Which is it? If they don’t work, why waste your breath on Russia, or for that matter North Korea. The US now says North Korea hacked Sony, with help from China and Russia. But it’s all Sony’s fault, right? Let’s look at it this way; Sony just got raped by a fraternity of North Koreans, Chinese and Russians and we’re blaming the victim? It gets weirder and weirder everyday. The Sony hack, and the company’s reaction, as well as the reaction of the United States Government, will have far reaching consequences. The President seems fine standing up to right wingers, clinging to their guns and religion, but apparently not when it comes to China, Russia and North Korea. With Obama on his way to Hawaii, for yet another vacation, don’t expect him to be standing up to anyone in the near future. The good news for the weekend? The IRS head says the agency may have to shut down for a few days because of budget cuts. Merry Christmas! We now know how to stop government spending. Just keep cutting the IRS until it closes, and they won’t be able to collect taxes, much less raise them. And, a winter storm is headed across most of the country for Christmas. In the upper midwest that will means snow. Sponsored by Depotstar