Episodes

Introduction Subsidized self reliance is an oxymoron, a self-cancelling phrase. Like civil war, or jumbo shrimp. In yet another triumph of doublethink (from Orwell’s 1984), over reason and integrity, it is being sold as being humane and compassionate. It is precisely the opposite. That is the subject of today’s 10-minute blog/podcast. Continuing It has long been true that if allowed one false premise to build upon, then just about anything can be “proved” to be true. For example, when the prevai...

Introduction Yes, hate speech, barring encouragement to physically harm others, is free speech. Otherwise, why have a First Amendment at all? That’s the subject of today’s 10-minute podcast. Continuing “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” -Voltaire French Historian and Philosopher, and ardent defender of freedom of speech, and religion, 1694-1778. That justifiably famous saying should be the gold standard. Hate speech is speech you hate, or perhaps ...

Introduction The term “loyal opposition” was born in the parliamentary government system, meaning that those out of power, while still having many disagreements with the party in power, were still loyal to their country and the need for the government to get things done for the citizens they–all sides–serve. In any governmental system, including ours here in the US, opposition, if it is loyal, can be a huge plus. If the opposition is disloyal, it can be an equally huge minus. That’s the subject ...

Introduction Career politicians serve themselves. Citizen politicians serve the citizens. The country’s successful founding depended on, and anticipated the continuation of, citizen politicians to serve the country. Today we have career politicians who serve themselves. We must return to the days of citizen politicians by voting in term limits. Career politicians will fight us tooth and nail. That’s the subject of today’s 10-minute podcast. Continuing Passed by Congress in 1947, and ratified by ...

Introduction Laying out and following a sure path to a successful life is simple, hard, and oh-so-well well worth it. Politicians and government are preaching, promising and rewarding the opposite. For their benefit, and to our detriment. This deliberate and self-serving reversal of how things need to be is the subject of today’s 10-minute podcast. Continuing The rules for succeeding in life are simple. If you merely do the basics; finish high school, hold a full-time job and don’t have kids unt...

Introduction Quoting my 18-year-old son, Joshua, after his third day of digging ditches, burying conduit and wires for a CenturyLink contractor this summer prior to attending college in the fall. He was recapping part of his day with me saying, “Dad, I spent $11 at McDonald’s for food. I had to break a $20. I hated it. It was always okay when you or Mom got me food there. Tomorrow, I am taking a lunch. Money you earn is harder to spend than money you get free, you know?” Yes, son, I know. But no...

Introduction In politics and life, we are all-too-often taught that we live in a world with a fixed amount of resources, a pie for example, and that if we want some it must come from someone else’s portion, leaving them with less. Even worse, we are told that if someone else, Jeff Bezos at Amazon or Sam Walton’s heirs at Walmart want more, that it must come from us, leaving us with less. That deliberately false and dangerous thinking is the subject of today’s 10-minute podcast. Continuing There ...

Introduction Some people call it your True North. No matter; the questions are Do you have one? If you have one, what is it? Why is that your True North/Moral Compass? Do you follow it? That’s the subject of today’s 10-minute podcast. Continuing Having a moral compass is a recurring theme for those of us at Revolution 2.0™. I refer to its importance frequently in my semi-weekly blog/podcast, so it is entirely appropriate for us to return to the subject from time-to time. The last time was over...

Introduction Don’t blame the other party, whether we are using the word party to mean political party, or simply another entity, like another person. The responsibility is always with us, never “them.” That’s the subject of today’s 10-minute podcast. Continuing Let’s begin today’s discussion with a couple of don’ts: Don’t blame the other political party. If you want to make progress, and don’t we all, make your party into what the country needs. Criticizing the other party will result only in t...

Introduction Character is 75% of life and leadership. Competence is the other 75%. And no, assessments of life and leadership do not have to add up to 100%. In fact, they rarely should. Note that I did not ask, “Does character count?” That’s the subject of today’s 10-minute podcast. Continuing When I was in grade school, we were given citizenship grades as well as academic grades. Citizenship, how you handled yourself in school and dealt with others, was how our teachers communicated their view ...

Introduction Many of us have heard of the need to make a “Leap of Faith” in order to go from the evidence that we can take in with our senses and process with our brains in order to get to a belief in God in general or the specific faith–or lack thereof–that we hold. There is no clear and convincing proof of the existence of God, or of the validity, superiority if you will, of any particular religion. And atheists can’t prove their positions, either. No one on earth knows for sure; the assumptio...

Introduction Most regions in the world have their favorite source for starches, that complex carbohydrate that supplies nutrition and needed calories. Leading favorites include potatoes, rice and yams; there are many more, but we’ll use these examples. They can be served up in a variety of ways. Potatoes can be fried, baked, and mashed, with each variation having many offshoots. Rice can be steamed or fried, and can show up on your plate as anything from risotto to sushi. Which starch is the pre...

Introduction The real and inherent danger of privilege is in giving others power over you, declaring that power, that privilege, to be unfair, then demanding compensation in the form of cash, preferential job or schooling treatment, or just the right to be self-righteously angry. Privilege is another word for advantage. Advantages are everywhere in our society; sports, education, business, military, etc., etc., etc. That’s a poor excuse for giving up and demanding that the advantages be eliminat...

Introduction Tariffs are a tax on consumers and businesses, and damage economies. When it costs more to import something, like appliances or smart phones, prices naturally rise. And the price of similar domestically produced items also rises. To date, the relatively modest 10% tariffs added months ago cost the average family almost $800 per year. What will happen if they go to the announced 25%? Tariffs are also a tax on businesses. When it costs more to export goods, fewer will be sold. For exa...

Introduction “Beat L-A!” “I love Tom Brady!” “My two favorite teams are the Broncos and whoever is playing the Raiders.” That is acceptable–even healthy–partisanship. I am a Broncos fan because of an accident of history. My step-father bought 2 tickets in 1960, the first year they existed, and I have been a fan ever since. A good friend of mine in the San Francisco Bay area is a Raiders fan because his father was a 49ers fan. An opposite motivation, but still a very acceptable one. Most of us wh...

Introduction Life is simple. And hard. And well worth it. Let’s start with the good living part. Start with being grateful for everything. Have a moral compass. Always be personally responsible for everything in your life. Be your brother’s keeper for everyone in your life. Love. Nothing else matters without that. Now let’s build on this by adding the plan for sound politics. Remember that we are all the privileged inheritors of Revolution 1.0 in ‘76. Stop labeling ourselves and others and thi...

Introduction “Medicare for All” is an intentional misnomer used to disguise free, single-payer insurance as the popular Medicare plan that so many are currently using for health insurance. Most parts of real Medicare require some form of cost sharing by patients. Medicare Part B, for outpatient medical expenses, has a standard premium of $1,626/per year with an annual deductible of $185, plus a 20% copayment. Dental coverage, vision insurance and useful drug coverage cost even more money. Medica...

Introduction Dignity, like self-esteem, cannot be conferred; it must come from within. There is a lot of talk from some quarters supporting giving people what they want in areas like healthcare, education and housing, as well as in cash, with a growing call for a guaranteed income. The reasons given include these benefits being “human rights” and that conferring these benefits will allow the recipients to live in “dignity.” The truth: like a feeling of accomplishment, dignity cannot be granted, ...

Introduction What is more important, how well we live or how we live in comparison to others? If we have a life with decent food and clothing, access to healthcare, comfortable housing including heating and AC, transportation, a cell phone and a TV with multiple channels, does it matter if Warren Buffet is worth $87 Billion? That’s the subject of today’s 10-minute podcast. Continuing “The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.” -Unknown. Lots of people are...

Introduction When I was in grade school my classmates and I sang “Old Folks at Home” (also known as “Swanee River“; that’s how I knew it.) Swanee River is a minstrel song written by Stephen Foster in 1851. Since 1935 it has been the official state song of Florida, although in 2008 the original lyrics were revised. Here is the chorus from this 1851 song: “All de world am sad and dreary, Eb-rywhere I roam; Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary, Far from de old folks at home!” Stephen Foster, is kn...

Summary “My mind is made up; don’t confuse me with the facts.” Do you know anyone whose mind was changed about the person or party they support as a result of the Mueller report? After two years years of investigation by top-line professionals with all sorts of investigative resources at their command, don’t you suppose there should have been general agreement about the Mueller report result? Not a chance. The investigation produced a 400 page report–and no changed minds. Why? That’s the subject...

Summary That was the evening ritual as announced each night by “Auntoy”, my stepmother’s mother. Auntoy (her real name was Florence Pauly Carroll–but I don’t think I knew that until years later) was the savior of my youth. Today’s podcast is about the vital, no-substitute-for it, home life, family life. I have used the term dinner table in the past as an anchor phrase for how wisdom and learning about everything from handling finances to faith to work ethic to understanding history to values to ...

Summary Barack Obama is ½ black, as is Tiger Woods. Both are seen as simply black. All-white Rachel Dolezal was elected president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP in 2014. Despite her darkening makeup, she was obviously very light-skinned. Yet she was welcomed as a leader in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Ms. Dolezal was 0/0 black. I am 1/14 black. Seven Native American Tribes, including the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Nor...

Summary There is surprising controversy about wanting only legal immigrants, and then only those who want to assimilate into our culture. I see both as non-negotiable, but many do not. Some even want the opposite. I want to see tightly secured borders, a generous allowance for both the immigrants we want and those who need to be here for reasons of either economic or political persecution. And, yes, a final, post having well-secured borders amnesty for the millions of illegals already here. I am...