On The Fly

In this episode - Vintage Vinyl . . . Turntables are making a big comeback; why? Listening to music should be a multi-sensory experience. Harmony, rhythm, and the deep expression of emotion. Like a warm, gentle rain in the springtime cascading around you the room is filled with a resonant, rich, melodic sound. My emotions welled up, and tears come to my eyes. Ok, I get it, we need to step back to get some perspective here. Recently a visit to Lou's Records in Encinitas, California, inspired me to dig out my Vintage vinyl LP record collection. I selected the Carpenters Singles 1969- 1973 . This musical duo reigned from 1969-to 1982 with the rich, full melodic voice of Karen Carpenter. They were one of the biggest-selling groups of the 1970s. "No fewer than ten of their singles went on to become million-sellers, and by 2005 combined worldwide sales of albums and singles well exceeded 100 million units." The tactile sensory experience of music begins with the album cover it...

In this episode, The Sign . . . Raise your hand if you’ve heard of or remember the futuristic design of the 1950s dubbed Googie architecture? Googie architecture was optimistic, experimental, and exciting. And you might already be familiar with it. Animators for The Jetsons used Googie buildings for inspiration. Entering Las Vegas, Nevada, from California on Arrowhead Highway/Highway 91, now called “the Strip,” you can still find cherished remnants of roadside America from its motoring past. While visiting Las Vegas in 2014, staying at Mandalay Bay, I was delighted to discover   the “The Sign.” It’s worth a look just to glimpse Las Vegas’ history. That is provided you have the pluck to make your way from your room through the maze of the modern monolith hotel/casino and can get outside for an early morning walk; you, too, can discover this quaint roadside attraction. Admittedly, I’m an early bird, out the door by 5:15 a.m., enjoying a light breeze and a pleasant 78 degrees. Keep in...

Podcast - 62 Plus Two . . . It’s called a Metric Century (100 kilometers), we call it this year's birthday ride - 62 plus two. I’m fairly certain that I will never shoot my age in Golf, swim the English Channel, or for that matter ride the Le Tour de France. However, since my 50th birthday, my self-proclaimed yearly goal is to complete a bicycle ride, at least my age in miles, on or near my birthday. Today,  August 16, 2020, this olé boy has completed 64 trips around the Sun on this planet we call Earth. With the advent of Facebook, I’ve been able to proclaim from the mountaintop my proposed goal to all who will listen. Even to those who could care less. This serves two purposes; first, to sustain a foundational fitness level as we get older. Dr. Dennis Waitley reminds us that our bodies are, “Our transportation vehicle to the future.” Cycling provides an exercise regiment and long-range goals to keep us healthy and motivated. Second, it challenges me to live up to my commitments...

Podcast  - Everybody Lies . . . We are all Statisticians. “Yah right, everyone I've ever talked to hates statistics, and they hate math.” Don’t believe me? Let me give you an everyday example: When you drive your car to work and approach a stoplight, pay attention next time to how you monitor traffic patterns and observe the sequence of the green, orange, and red lights. Watch the light above you, to your right. The traffic running past you (perpendicular to you) has a green light, it changes to orange, then red. When the traffic stops, notice the slight delay before the traffic in front of you get’s the green arrow to turn left. During that 3 second delay, you can make your right turn and be safely ahead of the oncoming traffic turning left. What’s going on here? You’re gathering data. Data that helps you decide whether to wait for your green light or make the right turn on a red light ahead of the oncoming traffic. In other words, you’re making an inference, “Drawing a conclusion...

Podcast - Crackers in Your Soup . . .   It’s lunchtime. I’m seated at the kitchen table cogitating over a bowl of steaming chunky vegetable soup with black beans. Funny how a jingle from a commercial can transport you back. That song you heard was from the 1960s Campbell’s soup commercials. On this cool cloudy afternoon, soup just sounds good, “And it’s so good for you.” Without giving it a thought apparently, I mosey to the pantry and rummage for the crackers. Then back to the table, open the box, pull out three crackers, and crumble them closed fist into my soup. I'm curious, have you ever stopped to ponder why we add pulverized chunks of crackers to soup? Stick around and we will uncover this mystery of my delectable dish. Maybe it’s not really a mystery, but a habit that developed when we were young. I vividly remember my mother painstakingly twisting that manual can opener to crack open a can of soup. (Today I was able to just flip a tab and pop the top). Then the crackers...