Ear Worthy

One of the many attributes I admire about The Howdy Beans podcast is how the YouTube version is audio with a static image. There’s no pretense that anyone wants to watch someone speak into a microphone for 45 minutes, talking about books, movies, or video games. I like what the host Luke the Human (or “the Elder Bean”) tells us by this action: “Go about your business. Nothing to watch here. You can relax and listen.” The Howdy Beans Podcast , hosted by Luke the Human (or “th

People flow in and out of our lives all the time. Bosses, co-workers, acquaintances, friends, family, and sadly, romantic partners. What we know of them is scandalously little. What’s happening in the interior monologue of their lives is often blockaded by emotions that range from pride to shame. That smile that someone brings to the office every morning, that practiced mask of calm, or the hollow and rehearsed, “Have a great day,” underscores the flimsiness of what we really

Ever wonder why there are so many movie podcasts? So have I. The answer, I believe, is based on the unique role movies play in any nation's culture. Films act as a social adhesive, prompting conversations on the world around us. What movies have you seen lately is, in many ways, a more potent social lubricant than a glass of Pinot Noir or Jameson on the rocks.  Always On Film fulfills that role perfectly. What's different about Always On Film from the thousands of other movie

Fingerprinting for identification began in the mid-to-late 19th century, with systematic use in law enforcement starting in the 1890s. While ancient civilizations used fingerprints for seals, modern forensic use began in 1858 with Sir William Herschel  in India, followed by the first criminal conviction in 1892 in Argentina. Since the 1911 People v. Jennings case, fingerprint evidence has been legally admitted in U.S. courts, establishing it as a key tool for prosecutors. A r

I think we’ve all heard the expression that something is “so bad that it’s good.” That’s a summary of the stories contestants tell on the long-running game show Jeopardy. If you are not familiar with the Jeopardy format, host Ken Jennings (Alex Trebek for 36 years) talks with the three contestants after they’ve completed the initial part of the first round. Of course, the contestants have already been interviewed by the production staff, and Ken Jennings has a card he refers

Our political divide often spills into our geographic location. There’s an assumption (wrongly) that only Democrats live in large cities, and only Republicans live in rural areas. Since the U.S. was born as an agrarian society, as citizens, we have a nostalgic feel for rural areas that does not exist when discussing cities. However, despite the issues created by big-city living, urban areas account for 75% of the nation’s wealth, a sizable share of its economic growth, and a