It’s been a while since I did a Podcast Roundup and today’s is a BIG one. An adventure was had, and it included an early morning departure time to make a dentist appointment near the beach, the ensuing traffic, a hotel stay that made me feel as if I were in a submarine (I’m a little claustrophobic, so breathing exercises were needed), and a… um… “colorful” trip to Walmart for booze.
But there were plenty of podcasts, some a renewal of hope in technology, AND a beer and burger with one of my boys!
I’ll do my best to keep this less that short novel length, but let’s start at the beginning.
My dentist, who I love dearly and is better than any dentist in the world, is about 120 miles away. Why do I go? Because I get great personal service, and his office is on the beach. I don’t need to elaborate, do I? My son had an appointment at the same time, so we planned to meet there and then enjoy the afternoon at an Irish pub he found within walking distance.
I take into account the traffic that may occur and give myself plenty of time to get there, but this time…it didn’t work. But, by the miracles of technology, all was peachy. In my sweet new car that I JUST got last week, I could see on my GPS that there was no way around and that we were going to be about an hour late. I called the dentist, rescheduled, and then called my son so that we were all on the same page.
Yes, my friends, we are living in Star Trek times. I have interactive on-ship navigation, voice and text communications with home base, ship to ship communications, AND entertainment. Don’t even get me started on life support systems. I sat back, turned up the radio, and listened to another podcast.
I’m keeping these podcast notes to one sentence, hopefully, maybe one “line?” Let’s see.
The Happiness Lab: The Secret to Making Friends as an Adult
We need friends. I don’t like it either but it’s true. Humans are social animals. There’s a book to read.
People I (Mostly) Admire: A Million-Year View on Morality
I’m not sure I can go with this guy’s idea. We can’t even predict 100 years. How can you possibly know what’s going to be good for anyone a 100k years from now?
The Knowledge Project: Barbara Tversky: Action Shapes Thought
I like the idea. Didn’t get into this one much. It was while my new ship ran into galactic traffic issues.
This one I’m putting on the playlist again. I couldn’t focus.
And then I arrived at my destination! Since I was so far from home, and I have other friends nearby to visit, I decided to take an evening to myself. I got a hotel room for the night but while I was trying to go to sleep, I started to have a panic attack. It was so hot outside, over 100 degrees. And So. Cal. is doing the Flex Alert thing (nice way of saying “We’re turning the power off for a while. Good luck, suckers!”) The A/C was working fine, but I need more air movement to feel comfortable. And what if the power goes off? Ahh! There was much breathing steadily and calming my heartrate.
Also, I found out that it’s not JUST Costco that you can’t buy alcohol in the self-checkout line, it’s a California law. Here’s the kicker. We have lots of self-checkout lines, but only one or two old-school checkers. So, if you want to buy booze, you’re gonna wait in line. It’s like a “cooling off period.” Do you really want that bottle? How long are you willing to wait? Ugg. Seriously!
If you do take a bottle in self-checkout, the machine says, “Call an attendant.” They come over and say you can’t buy it. Why can’t they just check my ID, like every other sane state?! I can’t… must not… lash out at… breathe in, breathe out… the ground beneath your feet, the air in your nostrils… all I want is a bottle of wine and some oreos. Is that too much to ask?
Still worth the driving though! I did all my “big city” shopping, had lunch (Tacos & Beer is amazing!) with one of my besties, and got to see my other son for a bit before I went home. He had to test drive the new car. Verdict: “It’s not as soul crushing as I thought it would be. PS When the therapist asks me what pushed me over the edge, I’ll have to say that my parents sold our family truck and got a subcompact SUV.”
The drive home was much more peaceful. The smoke from the fires nearby was fantastic. I wish I could have stopped to take some pictures.
Cato Daily Podcast: What Can Presidents Take with Them When It’s Time to Leave?
Interesting interview, history, and yeah…don’t act like Trump is the first president to be an ass over his papers.
Freakonomics Radio: Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America
Of all the podcasts I heard this week, this is the one I shared to my Facebook friends. Highly recommend.
No Stupid Questions: How Can You Improve Your Mental Endurance?
Great conversation. Lots of studies and analogies. It’s amazing what we DON’T know about the human mind.
And that’s it for today. I’ve been sitting here, enjoying the cooler temperatures all morning. It looks like fall is on its way and I’m ready to receive it!
