What do rivers, narrative and racism have in common? “Hush, and Clopin will tell you!” Yeah…too many Disney songs lately.

“She’s back and better than ever!” Or maybe, “Back by popular demand!” Neither are factually accurate, but they are what I like to tell myself. What can I say? I love listening to podcasts and feel COMPELLED to share what I find. Come to think of it, it’s the same reason I share what I read here.

Yesterday, I took a long walk at The Santa Margarita River Trail and found magic. Water was flowing all by itself with no pumps at one end and no tracks beneath the surface to guide boatloads of tourists. Yes, the whole thing reminded me of the Rivers of America, right down to the rocks along the sides and a beaver dam. I didn’t even know Southern California still had wild beavers!

Anywho…podcasts were listened to on the way there and back home again and THAT is what I’m here to tell you about today.

Practicing Human: Small Moments of Deep Mindfulness

I love Cory Muscara’s short reminders. This one was about how much worth there is in just a few minutes of focused meditation. We don’t HAVE TO set aside hours of our day. And if we can take “just a couple minutes” to scroll social media, it can do a world of good to swap that time out for some focus instead.

Cato Daily Podcast: The Busybody Coalition Against Short-Term Rentals

Ahh, the AirBnB battle rages strong in my neighborhood and I’ve grown weary hearing it. It seems like just another reason for people to get up in arms against each other. In my area, people use ALL the complaints that this interview discusses. Personally, I’ve been just as irritated with some of my permanent neighbors as those just spending a few wild days and nights here. The bottom line is property rights. Do YOU want the government to tell YOU what you can do with your property? Or is that rule only going to be for other people?

EconTalk: Frank Rose on Internet Narratives

Book: The Sea We Swim In by Frank Rose

Human memory is story based, that’s why we’ve been telling them since we started communicating. How we tell stories changes, but not why. I can’t wait to read this book! PS I couldn’t listen to all of this episode because someone kept nose breathing into the microphone and it drove me crazy.

People I Mostly Admire: Jared Diamond on the Downfall of Civilizations – and His Optimism for Ours

Hmm…this one wasn’t my favorite, but he had great points. I’m far more optimistic than he is. All civilizations fall, but we don’t see it when it’s happening, just like we don’t see evolution. Sure, there are starts and stops, events that change things significantly, but in the grand scheme of things we just keep plugging along. I’m not going to cry myself to sleep that America isn’t what it was. I’ll wonder what it could be in the future.

Cato Daily Podcast: Partisanship, Polarization, and Political Hatred

Yeah, you know, this is why I have gotten so upset with people the past several years, especially when the Covid BS started. It’s terrifying to watch people launch into mob-mode. His delivery and attitude shut me down a bit, but he’s right about a lot. Give government, or one position in government, that much power and you’re bound to have fights to the death. Can we please not?

Conversations with Coleman: Woke Racism with John McWhorter

Book: Woke Racism by John McWhorter

The title tells you enough, I believe. I’m adding it to my wish list for sure, but I can’t buy it now because I promised a “no buy” January. I beg you to give it a listen. Hearing these two men talk gave me hope for the world. Reasonable people, speaking reasonably, proposing reasonable solutions.

The biggest takeaway from my podcast time this week was when Jared Diamond said, “Our best years are still ahead.” The man is 84 years old and has a million things he wants to learn more about and do. When asked what his favorite decade of life has been, he said it was probably his sixties and seventies, but he has so much more to live.

How’s that for inspiring? When we stop being curious and exploring the world around us, the people, the places, the books, the movies, the food…that’s when we start dying. Our best years are ahead of us. Let’s go see what’s out there!