Human Interest Episodes

Learn how John Hersh, an ordinary man with a trumpet, transformed a personal routine into a beloved neighborhood tradition by playing taps at sunset, rain or shine. Supporting links 1. Sunset observed with Taps [The Sandpaper] 2. History of Taps [AUSA] 3. Bugles Across America[Bugles Across America] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com Twitter at @RedPhantom Bluesky at @rickbarron.bsky.social Email us at https://www.thatslifeiswear.com/contact...

Learn how if a society refuses to examine its darkest chapters, those chapters don’t disappear — they just wait for the right conditions to return. Supporting links 1. Philippe Collin [Books written] 2. Facing History [Podcast] 3. Léon Blum [Wikipedia] 4. Alfred Dreyfus [Wikipedia] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com Twitter at @RedPhantom Bluesky at @rickbarron.bsky.social Email us at https://www.thatslifeiswear.com/contact/ Episode R...

This story teaches us that risk can be managed, but never eliminated. Supporting links 1. 2026 Lake Tahoe avalanche [Wikipedia] 2. How to Survive an Avalanche [WikiHow] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com Twitter at @RedPhantom Bluesky at @rickbarron.bsky.social Email us at https://www.thatslifeiswear.com/contact/Episode Review Submit on Apple PodcastSubmit on That's Life, I Swear websiteOther t...

Send us Fan Mail The ghost light that’s turned on in stage theaters isn’t just for safety… and it’s not just for ghosts. It’s for us—a quiet reminder that even when everything goes dark, we’re not ready to let the story end. Supporting links 1. Why Do Broadway Theatres Keep a 'Ghost Light' Burning on the Stage? [Playbill] 2. Haunted or Helpful? [Backstage] 3. Keeping Broadway's lights on [CBS NEWS] 4. Theatr...

Learn how REI’s Soho location wasn’t just a place to buy hiking boots or camping gear; it was a quiet refuge in a city that never seems to pause. Supporting links 1. REI [website] 2. REI [Wikipedia] 3. REI Co-op Store Closing [YouTube] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com Twitter at @RedPhantom Bluesky at @rickbarron.bsky.social Email us at https://www.thatslifeiswear.com/contact/ Episode Review Submit on Apple Podcast Submit on That's Li...

This story teaches that if there's a single overarching message from modern active threat training, it's this: You have more control over your survival than you think. Supporting links 1. Active Shooter, How To Respond [Homeland Security] 2. Attacks in Crowded and Public Spaces [Ready] Gun Control [Wikipedia] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com Twitter at @RedPhantom Bluesky at @rickbarron.bsky.so...

David Edward Byrd developed iconic swirling and psychedelic posters and illustrations associated with the best of the rock and theatre era. Supporting links 1. David Edward Byrd Posters [ArtPal] 2. David Byrd Creatives [Laetro] 3. 1968 poster for The Jimi Hendrix Experience [Vintage Poster] 4. Poster Child: The Psychedelic Art & Technicolor Life of David Edward Byrd [Amazon] 5. Jolino Architectural Mosaics [Website] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.t...

At its heart, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a quiet protest against the commercialization of the holiday season. Supporting links 1. Charles Schulz [Museum] 2. Lee Mendelson [Los Angeles Times] 3. Peanuts [website] 4. How Charles M Schulz created Charlie Brown and Snoopy [YouTube] A Charlie Brown Christmas: Linus Explains the True Meaning Of Christmas [YouTube] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my web...

Remember Marv, the bumbling burglar from Home Alone? Actor Daniel Stern has traded break-ins for something far sweeter—tangerines and sculpture. Supporting links 1. Daniel Stern Art [website] 2. Home Alone [movie] 3. Daniel Stern [Instagram] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com Twitter at @RedPhantom Bluesky at @rickbarron.bsky.social Email us at https://www.thatslifeiswear.com/contact/ Episode Review Submit on Apple Podcast Submit on Tha...

Lee Saedol, one of the greatest Go players of all time, is defeated by AI. His shocking defeat wasn't just a game-changer—it was a glimpse into a future that may not have a happy ending. Supporting links 1. Go game [Wikipedia] 2. AlphaGo [Wikipedia] 3. Google DeepMind [Wikipedia] 4. The Story of AlphaGo [Google Arts & Culture] 5. 8 years later: A world Go champion's reflections on AlphaGo ...

The world’s population is expected to grow by more than 2 billion people in the next decades and peak in the 2080s at around 10.3 billion, a major shift from a decade ago, a new report by the United Nations said Thursday. The report—released on World Population Day—says the global population is then expected to decline to around 10.2 billion by the end of the century. Supporting links 1. World's population projected to nearly stop growing by end of the century [Pew Research Center] 2. T...

Show notes What if crossing that finish line, no matter how far behind, wasn’t about winning at all? 1. Newcomb ball [Wikipedia] 2. New to Triathlon? Here’s Your Beginner Training Plan [Triathlete] 3. Triathlon [Wikipedia] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com Twitter at @RedPhantom Bluesky at @rickbarron.bsky.social Email us at https://www.thatslifeiswear.com/contact/ Episode Review Su...

Text us your thoughts on the podcast "We Are the World." The iconic relationships and unforgettable moments that defined an era brought pop superstars together for one incredible night! For that one night we were the world. supporting links 1. Lionel Richie on the Making of “We Are the World” [CBS Sunday Morning] 2. 10 Facts About the Making of “We Are the World” [Mental Floss] 3. How Dan Aykroyd Ended up on We Are the World [Shark1053] 4. We Are the World [Wikipedia] 5. Tom Bahle...

Text us your thoughts on the podcast "Love Actually" is a romantic comedy that has become a beloved holiday classic for many, while simultaneously drawing criticism from others since its release in 2003. supporting links 1. Love Actually [Wikipedia] 2. Love Actually Trailer [YouTube] 3. All of the Love Actually Trivia Worth Knowing [Vogue] 4. Real reason Rowan Atkinson appears twice in Love Actually [LAD BIBLE] 5. ‘Love Actually’ Turns 20: Revisiting Its Incredible, Awful Greatnes...

Text us your thoughts on the podcast Show notes AM radio fights to keep its spot-on US car dashboards supporting links 1. The Real Reason AM Radio is Being Removed from New Cars [Motorist Org] 2. Automakers Are Starting to Drop AM Radio in New Cars. Here’s Why [The Drive] 3. Is AM Radio Walking “The Last Mile?” [Jacobs Media] 4. Industry gives Congress static as they press AM radio mandate [Courthouse News Service] 5. Will EVs—Or Just Plain Progress—Kill the Broadcast Radio Star? ...

Text us your thoughts on the podcast We’re diving into a seismic shift at one of the world’s top universities. MIT’s class of 2028 has shattered expectations — and not in a way many hoped. Supporting links 1. Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action programs in college admissions [SCOTUS Blog] 2. How the public sees the consideration of race in college admissions, hiring {Pew Research] 3. US College Enrollment Decline – 2024 Facts & Figures [College Transitions] 4. Sally Kornblu...

Text us your thoughts on the podcast We all bear the responsibility to counter the growing anti-DEI sentiment in our workplaces. After all, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives aim to create fair and equitable environments where everyone can reach their full potential. supporting links 1. Kamala Harris [Wikipedia] 2. Karine Jean-Pierre [Wikipedia] 3. These 4 phrases are sabotaging your DEI efforts [Fast Company] 4. How JD Vance’s Shocking Inexperience Turned into an Asset [PO...

How does one work, and love it, into your 80s and beyond? Meet Gladys McGarey, who at103, maintains a full schedule. supporting links 1. The Well-Lived Life [Gladys McGary, MD; book] 2. Foundation For Living Medicine [website] 3. Flexibility for Workers [Future Forum] Contact That's Life, I Swear Tweet us at @RedPhantom Listen to audios: -Apple https://apple.co/3MAFxhb -Google https://bit.ly/3L2K4Iu -Spotify https://spoti.fi/3xCzww4 -My Website: https://bit.ly/39CE9MB Email us at h...

Weekly jazz concerts in a Harlem apartment that has become a legendary institution in the New York jazz scene, attracting musicians and audiences from all over the world. supporting links 1. 17 Modern Jazz Musicians Shaping The Future Of Jazz [Udiscovermusic] 2. Carnegie Hall [Wikipedia] 3. Marjorie Eliot's Jazz Matinees [NPR Podcast] 4. Parlor Entertainment Harlem [Facebook] 5. 30th Annual Jazz at the Mansion Concert with Marjorie Eliot & Parlor Entertainment [NMAA] Contact T...

You and your pet have shared so much together, but the time will come to say goodbye. For most people this experience is very difficult and emotional. supporting links 1. Preparing to say Goodbye to your pet [Four Paws] 2. Euthanasia and how To Say Goodbye [Blue Cross, U.K] 3. Facts About Euthanasia [Cornell University] 4. How Long Do Cats Live? [petMD] 5. 24 Common Cat Diseases & Health Problems [RAWZ] Contact That's Life, I Swear Tweet us at @RedPhantom Listen to audios: -A...

The debate over the Trump Tower clock is likely to continue for some time. However, one thing is clear: the clock is a reminder of the power of the wealthy and the importance of enforcing the rules. supporting links Trump Tower [Wikipedia] Trump Tower Clock [Encircle Photos] The Trump Organization [Website] Trump International Hotel in Washington [TIME] Donald Trump Advised to Sell Trump Tower to Cover Spiraling Legal Bills [Newsweek] Contact That's Life, I Swear Tweet us at...

Learn about the life and capture of Matteo Messina Denaro, the most wanted criminal in Italy, and the powerful leader of the Cosa Nostra mafia. Learn about his rise to power and the manhunt leading to his capture. supporting links 1. Sicilian Mafia [Wikipedia] 2. List of Sicilian Mafia members [Wikipedia] 3. Mafia Org Chart [FBI] 4. Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia [Amazon] 5. Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro arrested in Sicily [BBC] 6. American Mafia [Wikipedia] ...

Not sure what you do in the morning, but for me I have my coffee along with my iPhone, and start the day by plugging five-letter words into a grid, waiting for green, gray and yellow boxes to pop up. I know I'm not alone here. I'm talking about Wordle, the free viral word game that has millions of us hooked. supporting links 1. Wordle reveals how answers are picked [CNN Business] 2. Wordle in a Minute [YouTube] 3. Wordle [Wikipedia] 4. Best Starting Words and More Winning Tips [CNET]...

It all started with two dads in the summer of 1965, desperate to find a solution to find a way to keep their kids entertained. The dad did a lot of thinking and then improvised on an idea. They took a plastic ball, some wood, and a badminton court., and walla, "Pickleball" was born. supporting links 1. The Rise of Pickleball [CBS Sunday Morning News] 2. Pickleball [Wikipedia] 3. The History of Pickleball [The Pickler] 4. Pickleball becomes’ Washington’s official state sport [History...