Riffin' out on the street at the bus stop. Some people are just in the flow, you know? When you're lucky enough to run into one of them, play along....

 

(With some Life courtesy of Sly Stone)

We had the pleasure to sit with this gentleman, Mr. Roberts, on a flight last spring. He is a WWII veteran who had been visiting old friends and, like us, was flying home.

 

[Musical interlude by Yes]

Taken from a recorded call with Gene Gollogly, this conversation is about the kind of practice that can help cultivate a connection with the Earth and with the part we play here. As you will hear, Gene has a warm and inviting way about him. He is president and CEO of SteinerBooks, which offers an enormous number of titles covering spirituality, education, arts, nature, health, psychology, and practically everything else. (www.steinerbooks.org) What a job!

 

In which our lovable heroes un-wholesomely wish for a global military crisis, in order to restore a bit of quiet to their personal airspace.

Destined to be this summer's first blockbuster hit, it's the hair-rinsing, spine-chingling sequel to last year's Toilet Repair Trilogy! Introducing rising star Aaron McGurk as the young youth who learns the hard way that it's not all glamour at the handle end of a toilet plunger, and that snake handling is no business for nice guys....

This conversation with Japa Buckner continues my wrestling match with the concept of monism--the idea that all of reality is of the same nature, rather than split up into the dual realms of matter and mind. It's easy enough to say, but it's practically wired into us to think of a "Creator" who watches over its "creation," and then I'm off track.

The person we're discussing at the beginning is Rudolf Steiner, and the book is The Philosophy of... read more

In search of auditory adventure, we stalked the exotic fauna of Lakeland, FL and captured many specimens. From the sweet trill of songbirds to the uncouth eruptions of swans, with a dog, some tractors, and another very unusual species thrown in.

Talking to myself again.

This time it's about an interesting 'aha!' experience I had while reading Philosophy of Freedom. It has a lot to do with the belief--or fact, I think--that acts of genuine love and sympathy are worth far more than acts of compulsion or earnest political activism.

We're not too adept at dealing with ice 'round these parts. Thanks to all this skidding, spinning & spewing, our backyard now has a good start on that pond I always wanted, or at least a mud pit for wrestling in.

From a recent First Friday Open House--bridging the generations with an anime YouTube video of "Butterfly" and our friend Kyle accompanying on the banjo. Nothing strange about that, at least not around our house!

Here's some kitchen madness involving Kathy, Fred, Ma and Pa, and assorted vegetables. We didn't quite manage to set off the smoke alarm, but several other kinds of mayhem can be heard. We hope you don't get too disorientaled and wok out on us.

And let us know your thoughts on the topic, "Kissin' don't last, good cookin' do!"

Hi Everyone (and Everyone Else),

We would sure like to hear your thoughts about our podcasts! It's nice to hear what people do and don't enjoy listening to.

Libsyn tries to keep records on the numbers of listeners per episode, but their "stats engine" is always giving them grief. So--if you'll click on the "Comments" spot next to a post from time to time and leave us your praise or scorn or anything in between, we'd appreciate the contact! It... read more

Here's a fellow at work who is middle-aged, personable, and to all appearances unexceptional--oh, except that he has a comprehensive new mythology of our world and maybe several others in his head. It gets put on paper, sentence by sentence, day by day, at break times. You never really know what's inside people, do you?

 

(Music from the Moody Blues)

Bjoern's Clock Repair in Bardstown, KY is a neat shop, and Bjoern is a neat guy. Here's the clock-talk part of our conversation (we also talked about Indians in Kentucky and historic reenactments, but those are for another time).

Word to the wise: Don't try to get your cuckoo clock repaired in Louisville. There just ain't a good place to get it done.

Two tall tales tenderly told within the family, showing why it's probably just as well Fred isn't bringing up children of his own....

 

(With a slight "Oliver" twist.)

We have a simply marvelous, darling, hotel and museum downtown called the 21C. On my way to visit there for the first time, I ran into a friend who gave me a preview and some tips on what to look for. To quote her late husband, "Wow, man, what a trip."

A friend's dad passed away after an illness. About all you can do is to visit and listen. As usual at these times, the conversation swings from thoughtful to absurd, then back, in a heartbeat.

At the end Mike reads a poem for his dad.

Here are some tales of deer hunting in a northern state. The tellers will go unnamed, but you may be able to detect from their accents that they're not from Kentucky!

I'm not a hunter, but I find the matter-of-fact lore of stalking a deer, shooting, and dressing it for food (strange term, "dressing"!) to be admirable.

These are thoughts about the Lord's Prayer that came out as I sat alone at the breakfast table one day. I've edited out the longer pauses and stumbles.

The thing I enjoy and admire about Rudolf Steiner's writings is that he doesn't give you facts or doctrines to memorize, but simply points toward things you can look into for yourself. Usually they are hard, obscure, or even bizarre, but it is never about adopting his view. It... read more

Sounds and scenes from the memorabilia appraisal at the Louisville Slugger Museum. Great stuff! You'll hear Fred, his dad and mom, and lots of other characters.

(Musical stingers by .22, The Hoosier Hot Shots, and Edgar Mallaran)

Kathy and Fred revisit the Slugger Factory and Museum to arrange for some old baseball cards to be sold by the appraisal firm. It turns out there's an auction going on right there, right then--what a show!

(Sound effects 'borrowed' from the Kitchensinc baseball game.) 

 

A quick visit to a gallery to see a very creepy print. If you've ever hesitated while perched on the edge of the cellar stairs... or on the edge of your own murky subconscious...

 

(Music by Harry Nilsson)

You never know where that rascal Pan will show up. Here he appears at an otherwise civilized sculpture exhibit that my friend Jim and I visited. Glad to know he's still out there, keepin' it real.

A tale of a strange place I know all too well, the wheelchair supply house, whose name I'll leave unsaid. I had just come from there and met my crazy new chair, then recounted the story over dinner with our friends Scott and Janie.

Yeah, the place is a real mess, but I love it and feel loyal to it--and hope that comes through in the story. The folks there are like family in an odd... read more

It feels great to get home and take your work clothes off--just ask Pokey the Dog.