Episodes

Examining the debate between Democratic Socialism and Capitalism: The stance of the Republican Congress on Communism supporting links 1. H. CON. RES. 9-118th Congress [Congress.gov website] 2. Democratic Socialism [Wikipedia] 3. Democratic Socialism Isn’t Social Democracy [Jacobin] 4. 10 examples of democratic socialism around the world [Staker] 5. Democratic socialism, political ideology [Britannica] 6. Policy Basics: Where Do Our Federal Tax Dollars Go? [Center on Budget & Po...

Since 2009 when the first decentralized cryptocurrency, Bitcoin came into view, the world has been mesmerized by the topic. We hear new jargon such as Blockchain, Bitcoin, stablecoin, mining, smart contracts, crypto exchanges. What does all this mean? The history and other crypto jargon can be explained in a book I read recently on what this new digital currency is about. The name of the book, Cryptocurrency-How Digital Money Could Transform Finance. supporting links 1. Crypto Currency [Irish...

This is a follow up to last week’s episode of Snake Island, a year later. In our last episode, I shared how 80 Ukrainian soldiers occupied Snake Island. Their mission was to protect the island from the Russian takeover. The odds were stacked against them, but Captain Hodsky and his team saw it only one way, defend, and if required, die defending to the last man. supporting links 1. 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine [Wikipedia] 2. Why did Russia invade Ukraine and has Putin's war failed? [BB...

On February 24, 2022, two days from now, Russian forces approached a tiny Black Sea outpost, demanding its Ukrainian defenders surrender or die. The response caught the Russians off guard, and the message became a symbol of resistance around the world. supporting links 1. 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine [Wikipedia] 2. Why did Russia invade Ukraine and has Putin's war failed? [BBC] 3. The Strategic Importance Of Snake Island In Past And Present [EurasiaReview] 4. Russian patrol ship ...

Explore the rich history of folk rock through the work of David Crosby and his band Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. From hit songs to solo performances, delve into the music and legacy of one of the greatest musicians of our time. supporting links 1. David Crosby Timeline [Wikipedia] 2. The Byrds [Wikipedia] 3. David Crosby’s Top 20 Biggest Billboard Hits [Billboard] 4. Floyd Crosby [Wikipedia] 5. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Album Cover Location [Popspots] 6. Complete List Of Crosb...

We’ve heard that robots will soon take over our world. I think the jury is still out on that theory. However, a new robot entered on November 30, 2022, into the Artificial Intelligence arena and is getting a lot of attention. It’s a new chatbot that shows rapid advances in artificial intelligence. It’s name: ChatGPT. supporting links 1. What is ChatGPT and How is it Different from Jasper Chat? [Jasper] 2. The Complete Guide to AI Text Generators [Castros] 3. Artificial Intelligence can ...

Since February of 2022, I’ve been watching the ongoing war with Ukraine and Russia. When Putin’s army stormed in, they looked so polish and ready to conquer Ukraine in a manner of hours. Today the Russin army looks like a rag-tag outfit and not the almighty power the world was worried about. Ukraine is kicking their butts. supporting links 1. Learn more about the Night Witches [NBC News Learn] 2. Marina Raskova bio [Wikipedia] 3. Polikarpov Po-2 plane [Wikipedia] 4. The Soviet Night ...

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]...

I love reading books. My interest runs across the board from history, novels, biographies and more. Last year I challenged myself to read 52 books in one year but only hit 47. I thought I’d share a book review on some of the books I’ve read. Hope some of the books will draw your interest. Let’s kick this off with a recently-read book titled Adrift, by Scott Calloway, someone who’s been labeled as the Howard Stern of the Business World. supporting links 1. How to Deal with the End of a Life [...

About four weeks ago, John Carmack, who was the chief technology officer of Oculus, which Meta bought, called it quits and decided to leave. His reasoning for leaving? He said, [the project is working at] “half the effectiveness” and has “a ridiculous amount of people and resources, but we constantly self-sabotage and squander effort.” supporting links 1. John Carmack [Wikipedia] 2. John’s Resignation letter [MP1ST] 3. Within Unlimited [Website] 4. Keen Embedded Technologies 5. Augme...

William B. Gould III, was up in the attic with his son, clearing old items, dusting and making room. When lifting a box, something fell to the floor. It was his grandfather’s diary. Inside the diary was a story of his grandfather that the world would soon know about. supporting links 1. William Gould [Wikipedia] 2. Whipped Peter [History] 3. N.C. Highway Historical Marker Recognizes William Gould [NCDRC.Gov] 4. William Benjamin Gould’s diary traces road to freedom [The Bay State Banner...

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...

As we get ready to see 2022 come to a close, I wanted to share three stories that I thought were, unexpected. The first is a about a small country that stood defiant against a giant bear and punched its nose. The second story is about a country that woke up realizing that freedom and democracy were more sacred and that deniers and psychos be damned. Finally, the story of three high tech egos that went beyond their Superman myth. supporting links 1. 5 major revelations about the collapse of c...

Tom Turcich, from New Jersey, sets a Guinness World Record becoming the tenth person to walk around the world. So what? The 'so what' part is he wasn't alone. His companion, shall we say, was different. He took his four-legged companion Savannah, with him, who became the first dog to walk around the world. supporting links 1. Tom Turcich,10th person to walk around the world. His dog joined him [SBS News] 2. Worldwalk, by Steven M. Newman [Amazon] 3. Around the world walk delayed by Ukrain...

Elon Musk took over Twitter on Oct. 27, 2022. Time to pop the champagne corks and celebrate. What should’ve been a day of celebration has turned into anything but. Currently the state of Twitter is chaotic. Twitter users are jumping ship, various Twitter executives have left [like those who oversaw content moderation and security], and decision-making is shall we say indecisive. Is there another alternative to Twitter? Yes, and its name is Mastodon? supporting links 1. Eugen Rochko, founder of ...

Elizabeth’s begins her story by remember her dad asking if she would do him a favor. Her dad’s favor was if she would be able to take care of his prize possession, his 34-foot Hunter boat, for a couple of weeks. It was a boat where Elizabeth would over the years, learn the lessons of life and sailing. supporting links 1. Grieving the loss of a loved one [Help guide] 2. Elizabeth Anne Bernstein [Wall Street Journal] definitions 1. What is Aphasia? [Cleveland Clinic] 2. Orthopedic surg...

Over the past two years, we had to deal with COVID-19 and all of the underpinnings it brought with it. As we started walking out of this virus nightmare, our society had time to rethink what they wanted in their work-life during those two long years. Part of that rethinking was a new definition of the typical workweek and where. supporting links 1. A four-day workweek: is it really worth it? [Breathe] 2. The five-day workweek is dead [Vox] 3. The 4-day week is flawed. Workers still want it [WIR...

American shoppers, in part, contributed to the breaking of the Supply Chain. The USA is a nation of impatient consumers. We’re geared that anything can be delivered to our homes, 24 by 7, with the click of a mouse button. COVID only exasperated the situation. We have more inventory in our homes than we need due in part to Jeff Bezos convincing us we can have delivery tomorrow. supporting links 1. Building a More Resilient Supply Chain [Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency] 2. Lessons ...

Despite the ongoing breaking news covering the misuse of information and the public's relatively negative sentiments about aspects of social media, it's hard for people to put their mobile phones away, even for a minute. We find ourselves fixated on the content generated via algorithms, via our travels on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and the like. We accept bullying and blatant disinformation. We have this sense of FOMO, Fear of Missing Out. Why? supporting links 1. 5 ways to sp...

About two months ago, against the back drop of the Wyoming skyline, Liz Cheney, conceded her loss to her opponent in the state’s U.S. representative Republican primary. The overwhelming defeat for Liz Cheney was more than a refusal of values and a reshaping of the GOP. For me it was watching voters who have this knuckle head denial of reality. supporting links 1. Liz Cheney’s Next Move [Politico] 2. Liz Cheney [Wikipedia] 3. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address / ”The Great Task” [Battlefields ...

The dangers of climate change are mounting so rapidly that they could soon overwhelm the ability of both nature and humanity to adapt, creating a harrowing future in which floods, fires, and famine displace millions, species disappear and the planet is irreversibly damaged. supporting links 1. What COP26 Glasgow Did and Didn’t Accomplish [Council on Foreign Affairs] 2. Glasgow Climate Pact [Website] 3. Earth’s Black Box [CNN] 4. Steps to reducing our carbon footprint [Texas Coastal Exchange] r...

The year was 1967, and John Donohue took off to make a beer run for some of his friends in his neighborhood. Now one would think, what so special about a beer run? Well, this wasn’t your typical beer run and neither was the neighborhood. supporting links 1. The Greatest Been Run Ever [IMDb] 2. The Real People Behind "The Greatest Beer Run Ever" [CBS Sunday Morning News] 3. Zac Efron Goes to Vietnam [Collider] 4. Pabst Blue Ribbon Presents: The Greatest Beer Run Ever [YouTube] 5. T...

Why is there so much "breaking news" on TV? The label "breaking news" is an overused marketing message used to increase audience size or hold an audience longer. Viewers suffer from viewer fatigue from a constant blitz of "breaking news" messages and in-show graphics. News producers want more "breaking news" promotion, on-air and multi-channel promotion, to increase the size of viewership. supporting links 1. Take a break from Breaking News [BeMoreWithLess] 2. Is watching the News bad for menta...

There’s this island that lies between Greenland and Canada. It’s not really an island perse. It’s more rock than anything else. What makes this rock interesting is a dispute between Canada and Denmark. The discussion involved a border line and liquor. supporting links 1. Hans Island [Wikipedia] 2. Canada-Denmark Relations [Wikipedia] 3. Hans Island [Google Maps] 4. 1982 Law of the Sea Treaty [International Maritime Organization] 5. Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod [Wikipedia] ...