There’s nothing better than waking up early, before the sun has risen, getting in the car and driving into the mist of the morning dew, sipping on your freshly brewed coffee, and listening to TALK RADIO! I’m the type of guy who would rather flip over to the AM channels or listen to a nice talk show than listen to the same 20 songs continuously repeated on a standard music radio station.

Don’t get me wrong, however, I love music! I cannot stress this enough. If I were the last man on earth and no hope was left, as long as I had music to keep me company, everything would be all right and my life would continue to be worthy of living.

But back to my original point… Ever since the discovery of the wonderful world of podcasts many years ago, I want to believe my fulfillment in life has doubled exponentially. Not only do I want my life to improve but also I want your life to improve by experiencing all that I have learned and felt from podcasts. There are many wonderful podcasts but I’m only going to list a select few that I would consider as holy as the second coming of Christ. Listen and enjoy!

3. DAN CARLIN’S HARDCORE HISTORY

I would not consider myself a History Buff by any means but the way Dan Carlin recounts the stories of the past and explains the time periods on which he focuses, one could not deny the passion he has for his field of study and the art he crafts. I could listen to this guy all day long tell of an age many eons ago and feel like I’m living it myself. Dan Carlin has also got a decent political and current events podcasts called Common Sense. I listen to that one as well. ( dancarlin.com )

2. THE MOTH

I find myself so enthralled when a good storyteller tells me their story. I seem to forget everything else around me and hang on to every word. Some of the stories told here on The Moth podcast are incredibly sad and some are so unbelievably uplifting. “The Moth features people telling true, engaging, funny, touching, and eye-opening stories from their lives.” ( themoth.org )

1. WNYC’S RADIO LAB

I would not be able to praise this show enough. Their shows and discussions amaze and inspire me in every way possible. Even better is that they don’t settle on one single point of view but rather state the evidence and allow you as the listener to form your own conclusions, meanwhile they manipulate and conjure these amazing sounds from every day life that spark memories and feelings deep down inside your soul! Anyway, listen to every one of their shows and then soon afterwards, sell everything you own and give the money you gathered to this group of amazing people. You can thank me later. ( radiolab.org )

Other wonderful podcasts if those three don’t quench your thirst.

• Etsy ( etsy.com )  – Short videos of amazingly interesting people doing what they do best. Most are artful, others are ‘how to’ videos. I’ve learned a bit on the art of shaving from one of these wonderful videos.
• Keith and the Girl ( keithandthegirl.com ) – A comedic (now ex)couple based out of New York City that I listened from Show 1-500 where I soon got overwhelmed by other things in my life and sadly had to stop investing the time. Keith and the Girl is a hilarious, down to earth show. I almost feel like I know these people personally yet they have no idea who I am. I would especially listen if I were living in or around New York City.
• TEDtalks ( ted.com ) – Hopefully every one already knows what this is. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an annual convention bringing together some of the greatest thinkers of this day and age, in to one large room, and having them discuss the best way to improve life in parts and as a whole.   “The annual TED conferences, in Long Beach/Palm Springs and Edinburgh, bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes or less).” (from their site)
• Filmspotting ( filmspotting.net ) – My necessary and favorite film discussion podcast. Two great guys discuss the ins and outs of new and older movies with much passion and expertise. Only problem is that I can’t keep up with all the movies they watch and I watch a ton of movies!
• Free Talk Live ( freetalklive.com ) – FTL is a great podcast for those few extreme libertarians and all libertarians or political nuts in general. I laugh at their extreme view points and their crazy hijinks.

All podcasts are searchable on iTunes or any other podcast feed service.
Enjoy and feel free to recommend me some of your favorite podcasts!

Chickens!

As far back as I can remember both my sister and my mother had the desire to own and raise chickens. Up until recently, they were forced to go without. That is until one of them purchased some land in the country where owning chickens quickly becomes a reality.

I never understood my family’s desire for owning chickens but now that I see them run to and from, free range in the yard looking for bugs and other delicious meals, and chase each other in hopes to steal the other’s newly found piece of food, do I now see the appeal. One could watch them play for days. And they supply you with eggs and cut down on the insect population around your house, which is very nice.

I also spent some time helping my sister build a chicken coop to house the chickens. Much was learned. Many fingers were injured. We took a corner of an old garage and turned it into a chicken pen. We built a nesting box and perch out of the scrap material giving them a place to sit and a place to lay eggs. Which should start happening soon. But for now, the age-old question was answered for us; the chicken came before the egg.

We still need to paint and seal the outside door and put a few more finishing touches to everything. I would like to add shingles to the top of the nesting box and perhaps add the names of each chicken to the pen somewhere.

The chicks were purchased at the beginning of spring, and they doubled in size with every visit I made. I guess I should have taken pictures of the progression. I’ll have to do that with the next batch.

I have a lot to learn still but luckily I had a very easy-going, very beautiful model who put up with my amateurishness.

My very first wedding. It was a great experience and I had a lot of fun. Here’s a select few photos from the wedding.

Just some older pictures from past trips.