Life 2.0

Father's Day 2021

My banker dad's alter ego was Dracula, and he always wanted to be an architect. Yea-that's him dressed up as "The Prince of Darkness" for Halloween circa 1975.

 

My maternal grandfather Carl, was a muscle-bound Swede, who came to America at 19 with nothing in his pockets and built a life, and my paternal grandfather Big John, was a 6'3 hard charging, plain speaking "jack of all trades" German.

 

Over time-all of their stuff rolled down hill and took up residence in me, to a greater or lesser degree.

 

I learned some valuable lessons from these three men, all of them long gone, but their presence in my life remains alive to this day.

Mr. Motivation

This episode is in response to a former subscriber who cancelled last week because of the Deacon Jones episode. So, I thought I would clarify my concept of motivation, which to me is more than being a "quote thrower" and defend my long held position that finding sense in the senseless is often a difficult process. Especially when we have elected officials that suggest perhaps the best way to counteract climate change is by altering the orbit of the moon and when skipping due diligence in favor of attempting to make a statement, backfires in Georgia. Chris Farley's "Mr. Motivation" skit on SNL is a perfect example of finding the obvious buried in the absurd.

Living On The Edge

I was out early this morning watering the veggies, and decided to take a long drink of ice cold water, directly from the garden hose.

 

According to experts, I might be putting myself at risk by doing so.

 

I call bull$hit...

 

It got me thinking about other things that we did "back in the day" like riding bikes without helmets, leaving the house in the morning, and being gone all day, until the universal signal of the street lights coming on called us home. What it was like to flood the playground and swim around in muddy, nasty water, without a care in the world.

Lest We Forget

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season, and retailers have piggybacked on the three day weekend for decades, giving deep discounts on everything from mattresses to tires to appliances. But, for Gold Star families, there is nothing "Happy" about Memorial Day. In this podcast, I share with you the lives of Nick Daniels, Ryan Jopek, Don Sansone, Kurt Duncan and Nate Bruckenthal, who gave their last full measure for their country.

Thanks Deacon Jones

It's not often that I feel like a 12 year-old kid, but today a box arrived that contained treasure beyond measure to me, and while I have almost nothing in common with the late, Hall of Famer Deacon Jones, the greatest defensive end in the history of the NFL, his presence and legacy was an important reminder to keep the kid in me alive, more than I do.

Pumping Spiritual Iron

Last week I was in the gym, which isn't anything new-but-what is new, is that I pushed more weight than I had in a few years, which had me thinking about the kinesiology concept of S.A.I.D. or Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands and "muscle memory."

 

I've been marinating on these concepts for three days, and once again the reminder comes that SAID isn't just limited to working out, and the physical body-but also applies to the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives.

 

That pic is of "The Iron Swede" aka my maternal grandfather-Karl Gustave Bengston-when was 20 years old in 1925.

Earth Day 2021

Over time, I've become a conservation curmudgeon, when it comes to the ongoing environmental challenges we face, mostly because we're the ones creating the problems, then denying they exist. With over 20 years of effort in using my media platform to inform, entertain and inspire a greater awareness and responsibility, I wonder if any of it really matters in the big scheme of things. But, as always, there is a corridor of hope, of change and of stewardship that remains, no matter how much plastic we put in the oceans. Music from old friend John Denver always puts things in perspective as well.

Remembering Hillary

It dawned on me earlier this morning, that today would have been my friend Hillary Raimo's 48th birthday. Hillary passed away suddenly last November, not long after she was a guest on the international radio show I host called "The Bridge." She was a force of nature, a fierce warrior and incessant seeker of those truths that live between the lines, that most of us miss. She was a best-selling author, internationally recognized artist and radio host. Taking a few moments to listen to her voice, lessons and laughter, I am reminded that tomorrow is promised to no one, and while she is no longer here in the physical, her gifts are still alive in the world.

Disclaimers and Reminders

So, I forked over $69.95 to watch five seasons of The Muppet Show on Netflix-and was surprised to find a disclaimer, warning me of the dangers and stereotypes that are embedded behind the antics of Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang. Then, a few of Dr. Seuss's books were on the chopping block for the same reasons. As recall the one year anniversary , when Cyrus The Virus put us into barely controlled chaos, I was reminded by my conversation from many years ago, with the late, great Christopher Reeve of what's important.

The Dilemma

When a friend of mine suggested I watch a documentary about the effects of social media on humanity at large, I carved out 90 minutes-which might have better been spent watching "Creature from the Black Lagoon." The documentary made some great points, but being a media insider for a couple of decades, nothing I haven't really heard before-and since I still think that common sense in uncommon times is usually the best answer-I offer up a solution to the "Social Media Dilemma."