Life 2.0

EARTH MATTERS

That little blue marble hanging in space is the only home we have. The message is clear and simple, as Chief Seattle said, "Contaminate your bed, one night you will suffocate in your own waste." While the environmental challenges at times seem overwhelming, there is one thing you can do to make a world of difference. A little help from Bill Kurtis and John Denver on this one.

Resurrection

On this day before Easter, as many are waiting for the Easter remembrance of the resurrection, it came to me that there have been many times in my life that I had to resurrect myself from something that had died off, be it physically, spiritually, emotionally, or even financially. 

The lessons of resurrection are many and often lost in the endless erosion of life. So, it's important to look back on your life and remember the times that you had a rebirth of sorts from circumstances and situations that no longer existed as they once did. 

And, for those who have always wondered where the tradition of Easter eggs started...I got ya covered.

 

 

The Wednesday Rant

I happened across one of those Tesla Cyber-Trucks yesterday, and just a few hours later was listening to a conversation with my late, great friend Hillary Raimo, who spent a week at Tesla. No, not the Elon Musk EV factory, but rather the rooms that one of the greatest inventors-Nikola Tesla-lived in the last years of his life. Hillary's stay revealed the three secrets of the universe...that are available to everyone, free of charge (no pun intended.)

HOLY COW!

Chicago Cubs manager Leo Durocher once said, "Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." Well, one guy who totally understands is best-selling author and media presence Rick Kaempfer. Rick's just cranked out the updated 7th edition of "Every Cub Ever" a book about every single player who ever played for the Chicago Cubs between the beginning of the 1871 season and the end of the 2024 season (their managers, broadcasters, and owners, too). There are 500 new profiles and some incredible pictures in Rick's latest effort. We take a deep dive into the rich and storied history of the Chicago Cubs, and the players that built the Wrigley Field legacy, from the famous to the infamous and every single one in-between.

Earth Matters Monday

The Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deep-water, semi-submersible drilling rig owned by Transocean and operated by the BP oil company. On 20 April 2010, while drilling in the Gulf of Mexico at the a blowout caused an explosion on the rig that killed 11 crewmen and ignited a fireball visible from 40 miles away. The fire was inextinguishable, and two days later, on April 22, the Horizon collapsed, leaving the well gushing at the seabed and becoming the largest marine oil spill in history. 15 years later, the current administration wants to roll back security measures in an attempt to save oil companies money. Wait, what?

History Matters

There is no question that we are once again living in uncertain times... the key words are "once again." There has never been a time when things are ...certain...and history gives us this lesson over and over again. So, let's take a deep dive back to 1968, when the world was on fire, assassinations were making headlines, the Vietnam war raged on, civil rights marchers filled the streets in protest, Chicago was on the news for the Democratic National Convention and my dad held a gun on a Black man who wanted to use our phone. You know, the good old days.

Find Your Anchors

It's another zero dark thirty-type podcast, as I am up one more time before the crack o' dawn. In the turbulent times we live in, it's important to ensure you have anchors that will keep you steadfast and not swept away by the incessant headlines you can do nothing about except getting bent out of shape over. One of mine is hanging out later today and bending elbows with some guys I played football with back in the last century. Also, I couldn't let today pass without recognizing that it's Vietnam Veterans Day and wishing my friends Mark and Pat good and great luck as they turn the page in their book of life, and start a new chapter as they head toward the Rocky Mountains. 

Erased?

Just a note of caution.

If you are someone who thinks that empathy is a flaw in human nature and that diversity, equity, and inclusion are the cause of all the misery in the world, don’t bother listening to this rant.

You won't get it.

DEI attempted to erase the "Enola Gay" (for obvious reasons) Maj. Gen. Charles C. Rogers MOH recipient (he was Black) now they are on to the Navajo Code Talkers (Native American) in some whitewashing attempt at reframing history.

But, what about herstory?

To gain some perspective, I reached out to someone I have the utmost respect for, someone I served with in the United States Coast Guard (she went on to become a Chief Petty Officer) and who's uniform hangs in a museum. 

She's got the DEI Double Whammy-a woman, and Black.

I learned a lot-what a concept.

We're All In This Together

Before Mike Robbins became one of the most sought-after speakers in the world (and the best-selling author of five books,) he was a highly regarded pitching prospect who played in the College World Series and eventually spent three seasons in the Kansas City Royals organization. Arm injuries cut short the fiery southpaw's baseball career but opened up a much larger arena for Mike—becoming a global spokesman for turning your life's work into a work of art. He shares some great insights from his fifth book, "We're All In This Together."

Earth Matters Monday

I lost a great friend this past week. John Keith was a titan of radio production for decades and we crossed paths back at Oprah Radio and became fast friends. It was all about baseball (and radio) and if it wasn't for JK, the Earth Matters with Bill Kurtis series would have never been heard around the world as it has. I found the first four episodes of EM that John produced, and while I am very sad that he is gone, I am so very glad he was here. Godspeed BRO!