That's Life: Recent Episodes
Lois Richter
Lois Richter’s format for That’s Life is mostly interviews. Recurring topics include Davis activities and groups; work and life choices; philosophy and theory; plus birding, cooking, art, and other passions. Lois occasionally breaks into music -- from ballads to the slack key sounds of Hawaii to golden oldies rock 'n' roll -- but mostly we just talk.
If you want to suggest a topic for discussion or a person to interview, text Lois or leave a message in the comments here.
Lois seldom (but occasionally) updates her personal website. Check it out at: https://gotouring.com/
Heidi Pidcoke.
A Quaker, psychotherapist, teacher, and ...
In all, a very interesting person.
[This episode re-aired 2 May 2024.] https://kdrt.org/audio/thats-life-ray-maxwell
Ray Maxwell is a fascinating man. He has done so many wonderful things, we'd need a month to even summarize them! In this episode we touch on a few -- hot air ballooning, finding minerals by looking at vegetation from space, how wind moves over mountain peaks and what those aerial waves and ridges can be used for, changes in vision after cataract surgery, setting up a studio, teaching people to fly (motor planes, gliders, remote control planes, and drones), Vancouver BC Canada, lots of tech, and philosophy. Although Lois and Ray met thru Office Hours, Ray has many other years of broadcast experience -- radio, tv, podcasting, web streaming, and Youtube. You can see his face online at:
Maxwell's House -- "Stop by the house of polymath Ray Maxwell and see what he's investigating today. Ray is a teacher, color scientist, pilot, photographer, Photoshop wizard and raconteur who each week takes on different real-world applications of complex scientific notions."
Many shows on This Week in Tech -- Here's one TWIT episode on "How to sell your photographs and services, understanding color, photographing abandoned buildings, and more." Ray is in many.
Sometimes he's a guest on Mac Break Weekly -- "New lights in the studio, antenna woes, apple emails, iPhone 4 photography, and more.."
[originally aired on 27 January 2022.]
What's related to what? It's complicated.
Producing the KDRT radio progam "Jazz After Dark", our own Don Shor knows a lot about jazz and its roots. Also about some of the spin-offs that have happened over time. But after talking to him today Lois came away a little dizzy.
It seems that each individual jazz player/ singer/ artist can add whatever flavor they want to their improv in the middle of a jazz performance. A little of this and a bit of that are just fine on a jazz record.
On the other hand, performers in other genres can "jazz it up" and slide their sounds over into jazz -- either by intent or by chance.
Ancestors or antecedents, some "cousins" of jazz have strong lines thru the jazz genre, while others derive from the parents of jazz. Did I mention that jazz has LOTS of parents?
Don explains all this better than I can, so listen to the show to find out more about your jazzy family tree.
What's related to what? It's complicated.
Producing the KDRT radio progam "Jazz After Dark", our own Don Shor knows a lot about jazz and its roots. Also about some of the spin-offs that have happened over time. But after talking to him today Lois came away a little dizzy.
It seems that each individual jazz player/ singer/ artist can add whatever flavor they want to their improv in the middle of a jazz performance. A little of this and a bit of that are just fine on a jazz record.
On the other hand, performers in other genres can "jazz it up" and slide their sounds over into jazz -- either by intent or by chance.
Ancestors or antecedents, some "cousins" of jazz have strong lines thru the jazz genre, while others derive from the parents of jazz. Did I mention that jazz has LOTS of parents?
Don explains all this better than I can, so listen to the show to find out more about your jazzy family tree.
One of our great producers here at KDRT is Preacher. He gives the world his "Praise Time with Preacher" every week (Tu@4pm, Sun@7am). Featuring gospel music in the broadest sense -- that is, songs that inspire and uplift -- his show is well worth podcasting so you can hear those sweet sounds anytime at all!
Although Preacher is a long-time radio host, this was his first ever zoom call. We did great! Lots of laughter in this show. Hope you enjoy our time together as much as he and I did.
Schedule for this and all KDRT programs is at: https://kdrt.org/station/schedule
On 4 November 2023, Lois fell in the shower and broke her hip. The next day she had surgery (at Sutter Davis Hospital) to replace part of her femur with a titanium ball. Surgery went well and Lois is recovering nicely. She spent a couple weeks in URC's "skilled nursing facility" and arrived back home 11-22-23. (With more medication, PT exercises, and a little less energy than before.) Walking improves weekly, but it will be May before she is driving again.
So Lois has not made any new "That's Life" shows for a while. Various re-runs were aired from mid-November -- chosen by KDRT's Jeff Shaw from the 18+ years worth of archives of TL episodes held at the station. Lois expects to return to creating new TL shows, but we're not sure when. (On the other hand, Don Shor continued to meet with Lois on zoom and so only one episode of "Davis Garden Show" was missed.)
Thanks for supporting KDRT.
-- Lois Richter, KDRT.thatslife@gmail.com
1315 Torrey St, Davis CA 95618
https://BirdingWithLois.global
History! It's all HISTORY !! (Family history, that is.)
Lisa Henderson is a dynamo! She is always very busy, yet never too busy to help if help is needed. Lois and Lisa have worked together on many genealogy activities -- Davis Genealogy Club presentations (and now zoom meetings), the DGC website, the International German Genealogy Conference (IGGC) in 2019, and other events. We have also shared some just-for-fun times. This episode of "That's Life" was recorded during the pandemic and does not have current announcements.
In 2023, Lois & Lisa became "stent buddies" after similar heart prblems and "stent" solutions. We meet monthly to check in and shared experiences and resources.
(Original aired in Feb 2021. New broadcast in Nov 2023.)
[Broadcast 10/19 & 10/26/2023.]
Kevin Hall managed the volunteer team taking the 2020 US Census in our area. Here's the inside scoop on how it got done.
In addition to census-work, Kevin is a budding author and will [soon?] publish his book under the name "Kevin Ross Hall" -- because it turns out "Kevin Hall", "Kevin Ross", and "K.R. Hall" are already in professional use. We talked about his writing, his family history, and genealogy in general.
[Broadcast 10/5/2023 and 10/12/2023.]
Grace Garden is a wonderful community resource created by neighbors to help neighbors. The garden is located at the Davis United Methodist Church at 1610 Anderson Road and is run by many, many volunteers. Starting in 2009 with a weedy back yard, this garden has blossomed and grown into a thriving year-round place to feed not only the body but also the mind and the spirit.
Leadership training, gardening classes, concerts, and art projects have all been seen in the Garden. They also have plant sales to raise money.
YOU TOO can help this wonderful place by dropping in to work in the garden (any Monday, Thursday, or Saturday morning from 9-11), or by donating $$, or by volunteering for some other task. The Grace Garden website has more information, history, and ways to get involved.
Enthusiast Renee Dryfoos shares much about Grace Garden and some about her own journey getting here. ENJOY!
Sara Jolena is a Quaker, a spiritual person, a speaker, a leader, and she's witchie.
What is eco-spiritualism? What does history have to do with climate change? How are you and I connected? Today Sara and Lois talk about all those things and more.
Sara lives in New York but travels to many places to speak and inspire. This month, she is leading a workshop at Ben Lomond Quaker Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains titled "If Quakers Were Witches: An Exploration of eco-spirituality" (from Friday, Sept. 29, to Sunday, Oct 1, 2023). More about this program can be found at: http://www.quakercenter.org/if-quakers-were-witches/ . Her personal and spiritual work can be found in several places online: Sequoia Samanvaya (an international learning community); Sara Jolena Wolcott: ReEnchanting Our World (her personal leading); on LinkedIn; and on Facebook.
One of the many things Sara has done is listen to the stories of people she is visiting and "singing back" those tales as original songs made up on the spot.
An amazing guest makes for a great show!
Trees, trees, and more TREES. Okay, and some are shrubs as well.
This is part 2 of a series of talks with Don Shor.
Kristina Mekdeci was born with an artistic talent. And she has lived her life exploring and creating art of various sorts.
By the way, she has several birds who are included in this recording.
TREES!
Don Shor tells us lots about trees -- who, what, why, where, when, which, and whatever.
Part one of ... Two?, Three?, ...? As many as it itakes?
This is a topic which will be visited and re-visited in coming months and years.
In January, three shows about JAZZ played while Lois was out of town.
On 8 February 2023, Lois had a heart attack and is doing fine. (Got one stent and lots of medication. Now there's just a little less energy than before.) But Lois has not created any new shows for a while. So the three interviews with Don Shor (re Jazz) ran again in February. Various re-runs happened in March -- not sure what ones ran which days.
Lois hopes to resume producing new shows in May 2023. But until then, would appreciate assistance in preparing some of her older show for playing now. If you would like to help, please phone Lois (if you have her #) or write to her at: kdrt.thatslife@gmail.com to offer assistance with that prep work.
Thanks for supporting KDRT.
Ann Ranlett is an artist. A SCRATCHBOARD artist. What's that, you say? Listen to today's show and find out!
Lois found Ann while researching a 'drawing' to be donated to the Friends of Art for their auction at the Yolo County Fair. (Anyone know a local artist named "H. Friend" who was been making things in 1972?) Once Lois figuring out this was not a drawing, but actually a scratchboard; she tried to find a gathering place of such folks to see if anyone know more about artist Friend. Although she did find such a group, alas, no one knew that artist.
If you want to follow along during Ann's description of how scratchboarding is done, look at http://www.annran.com/website/gallery/scratchboard/lucy-the-goose-steps/ where Ann has posted, step-by-step, the process she used to make Lucy's portrait.
THANKS! (replay of 2018 interview)
Former Davisite and long-time friend, Elizabeth Gould has been birding for 50 years. Today she shares her experiences -- where she went, what she saw, and how it felt to be there. Lots of info and interesting chatter today. And if you want to SEE what these birds look like, keep an eye on BirdingWithLois.global and check out Elizabeth's appearance there in February 2023.
Today on "That's Life" we're celebrating singer Anne Murray with ballads off her CD "The Best So Far" -- from EMI Music (Canada) and EMI Records (NY), 1997.
You might see a little vw bug around town with "FitDeb" plates. That's her! FitDeb is Debbie Eernisse, who is known by her many students in Davis for helping us get and stay healthier. Her exercise class -- Fit For Life -- was in the Senior Center for many years and is now online (using zoom). She also does "Gentle Yoga" and "Stretch" weekly and also does one-to-one consult to help those who want a personalized fitness plan. More details at: FitDebTraining.com
One busy lady! In her personal time, she trains for and entered challenges in many fitness areas -- rowing, crewing, Iron Man competition, and others.
We talked mostly about seniors getting better and staying fit into old age. Do youknow what an occupational therapist does? By the end of this show, you will.
Have fun listening and then GET MOVING!
An international advocate for climate change solutions, David Saunders mostly talks about his life and passion.
But the hour begins with a history of Bristol -- a city on the east coast of England -- which is creating an ocean barrier with electricity generating tubes. (David explains how all that works.)
There is also a description of the political entities in the British Isles. (Here's a diagram to show you the complexities.) And that doesn't even get into the ever-changing gerrymandered "county" boundaries!
You can hear more from David on his channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/ZeroCarbonBristol
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is now 100 years old. Noted historian and retired Archivist in Yolo County, Mel Russell has created an exhibition detailing how that monument was created and also telling the story of "our boys" (soldiers from Yolo County) in World War One. The exhibit will have an opening on Friday, 7 October 2022, with a brief outdoor ceremony honoring ALL veterans and then a tour of the exhibit, which is inside the County Admin (Erwin Meier) Building next to the old Courthouse. The next day, 8 October, is Woodland's "Stroll Through History" and the exhibit will be open with Mel leading tours at 10, 11, 12, and 1. There will be docents there on Veteran's Day, Friday, 11/11/22, from 10:00am thru 2:00pm.
On weekdays, everyone may view this exhibit -- "Honoring the Dead of WWI: A Photographic Exhibition Commemorating the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Yolo County Fallen" anytime the building is open -- Monday (10/10/22) through Tuesday, (11/29/22) from 9am - 3pm.
But MOST of this episode is about WW1 -- how it started, who was on which side, how it ended, who fought where/when -- and about the changes WW1 caused in America and the world. Today we are still dealing with issues which started back then. The war started in 1914, the US entered in 1917, and we were bringing home soldiers in 1920-1922. This is a fascinating hour, ending with some of the music of the time.
Please join us at the ceremony honoring our veterans -- 5:45pm, Friday, 7 October 2022, at 725 Court St (outside the old Courthouse).
The Sunset Rotary of Davis is a chapter of Rotary International -- one of three in town -- and a service organization which includes both men and women. As the current president, Peggy Stein, says "Rotary is for everyone." Peggy talks about the many service projectsSunset Rotary ofDavistakes on, both locally and internationally. One current project is helping Capay Valley Health expand in the northwest corner of the county.
Find out about Mosquitoes, how our regional district helps keep us safe, and what you can do to aid the cause. HINT: It's not having standing water on your property without also having mosquito fish to gobble down the mosquito larva.
More info at -- www.FightTheBite.net
[This 2022 show is based on a 2018 interview, re-cut and music added at the end.]
KDRT's Hawaiian expert Beth Post is today's guest. Her radio show "Na Mele O Hawaii" is one of the most popular on this station! And the story of how it came to be and what changes it has made in her family's is fascinating.
Beth first became involved with KDRT when a friend started the "Road Scholar" show about home-schooling and needed a back up. Beth and her daughter started helping out and eventually doing it all on their own. After a few years, the kids got older and that show was no longer of as much interest.
Beth's daughter went on to school and Beth -- having gotten a taste of sharing on the radio -- was left on her own. When she approached Jeff about having a new music show, his first question was: "So what kind of music do you plan to play?"
Since there was already a great classical show and several of other genres, Beth had to think hard about what she could offer that was different. Ah-HAH! She had enough Hawaiian music CDs to do 10 half-hour shows. Which was enough time to see if this thing would really fly.
But Beth, being Beth, would not be satisfied just playing a song and announcing the title. No. She wanted to give more info about each song and artist -- background for the people and origins of the songs. "And how do you pronounce that?" So she started researching, began to learn Hawaiian language, and launched her new show.
But that research turned out to not effect just the show. As she learned more about Hawaii, she fell in love with the culture as well as the music.
Fast forward to now ... She and her family have been making the journay to a week-long immersion camp in Maui for years; she says her values have shifted for the better; and now she hosts visiting Hawaiian artists, produces music videos on DCTV, and is widely regarded as a local Hawaiian music expert. She is also organizing 'house concerts' for guest performers from the islands.
A good friend and an interesting chat. Hope you will join us.
Dierdre Wolownick, author of "The Sharp End of Life", shares her stories and introduces us to her son, Alex Honnold, who not only taught her to climb but is also the central figure in the award-winnig movie "Free Solo". This show will give you a feel for what modern climbing is like and help you know more about this fascinating woman. Dierdre climbed Yosemite's El Capitan when she was over 60; and is still going strong.
The phrase "the sharp end of the rope" is used in climbing to describe when a person is climbing up ahead of their safety gear -- that is, the lead climber has to GET THERE before s/he can set in the next carabiner and hook the line into it. During that part, a fall could be more serious. Doerdre describes a time of leaving safety and GETTING to the next safe place as the "sharp end of life" -- a place she knows firsthand and has been in many times.
According to her, you can accomplish very large movements by making small incremental changes. Like when she came back from walking their dog (who always goes faster than 'walk') and told her son -- in some amazement -- that she had just run a mile! His response of "If you can go a mile, you could do a mile and a half," got her inspired to run more and go longer. Eventually she was running marathons.
Then Alex got her involved in his passion, climbing. Dierdre now hold the record as the oldest woman to climb El Capitan!
I hope you enjoy listening to these stories of expansion and overcoming hard times. -- Lois
PS: This episode first aired in Oct 2019, was re-played in August 2022.
Two guests today. Librarian Scott Love managed several branches of the Yolo County Library system, includnig the two libraries in Davis. Rory Osborne is president of ... Friends of the Davis Public Library. Or the Davis Friends of the Library. Or Friends of the Davis Library.
Whatever it's called, this is volunteer organization turns donated books into cash -- to help support our Library and its many programs.
A timely update on the current situation with our library, info about upcoming events, and some ways YOU can help make things happen.
What could you do? * donate books * sort the donations into categories -- biography, cooking, sci-fi, mysteries, ... * make the monthly sale happen -- set up, cashier, take down, ... * BUY BOOKS at Logos Books (volunteer-run store downtown) and at the monthly sale * mend books * ** help with a special event -- literacy, English conversation practice, Reading Garden, maker space, ... *
Local author Shelley Tan talks about her first book "Better Late Than Forever", about becoming an author, and how she promotes her work.
In addition, Shelley and Lois chat about websites, finding (or making) a community focused on writing, and other thoughts.
Details about her book (and the others coming in that series) are at: ShelleyTan.com
PS: Is you have suggestions for future interviews, please contact Lois thru BirdingWithLois.global
...
What's the City up to now?
Recycling guru Jennifer Gilbert works for the City's Public Works Department and specializes in making things in town less wasteful.
Today she tells up about the new program the City has for helping people who are moving away get what they leave behind into some place other than the trash. While this program is aimed primarily at renters, anyone in town can use it.
We also talk about other ways to keep Davis clean and green.
Everyone can find all this info at: DavisRecycling.org
PS: To suggest a guest for a future show, or comment about an existing show, or just chat; you can reach Lois on gmail at KDRT.ThatsLife .
Notice how I sneakily avoided the eddress-harvesting-bots while letting the smart humans figure out how to reach me? Mm-Hmm...
Would you like another COLORful show? This is part two of the color "BLUE"!
BLUE is in the name -- of the song, of the album, or of the artist/band. There were so many "blue" choices, that I made TWO shows this color!
This one includes Kate Wolf, the Grateful Dead, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Ella Fitzgerald, Gershwin, and more.
So here it is -- "That's Blue, Take Too".
Sitting at my computer ... browsing the songs in my iTunes Library ... trying to figure out what to feature next ...
Not jazz-blue, nor blue-grass, nor being-sad-blues. BLUE is in the name -- of the song, of the album, or of the artist/band. And I have so many "blue" choices, that I am making TWO shows this color! So here it is -- "Blue, part one"!
Songs of homecoming and staying, travelling and returning. From the Civil War, the 1940s, the 1960s, and on up to modern times -- here's another selection of songs from my own collection. Fewer jazz/blues songs in this group; and more country. With (of course!) one by John Denver!
This is the other half of my Coming and Going pair of shows. (This time I searched for: come, stay, home, travel, arrival, etcetera.)
"Okay, Lois; think of a topic for the next show. ... Or maybe a THEME? ... "
Now that many folks are thinking about coming and going, how about a show featuring music with those words?
I looked thru my personal collection and found a great many songs by searching for 'coming', 'going', and similar words . TOO MANY songs, in fact, to fit into just one show. So here is "Going, Going, Gone" -- the first of my pair of Coming and Going shows.
Lots of different albums, singers, and styles here -- including Lena Horne, The Beatles, John Denver -- and with song dates ranging thru the Civil War, the 1940s, '60s, '70s, and even some this century! Hope you enjoy this eclectic selection ... with love, Lois.
David Paskin, or Rabbi David as he is often called, is an accomplished spiritual leader, a singer/songwriter, a Jewish futurist, a social activist, an award-winning Jewish edutainer, and your Torah Tech Guy. He's also the "Rock-n-rRoll Rabbi". AND he has published several books. AND he is a speaker/presenter both online and in person.
Hope you enjoy the show.
In late February, Russia invaded Ukraine. One Quaker's response was to start a daily Meeting for Worship to Pray for Peace in Ukraine -- an zoom open to everyone in the world. Why did she do that? How did it happen? Is it still going? Julie Harlow from Davis is that "one Quaker" and she joins me today to talk about her involvement with Quakers, Ukraine, and "Friends House Moscow".
A Friend from the Quaker Meeting in Davis, Julie has been part of my community and my life for over 40 years. She is someone I admire greatly. I'm glad she came to talk with us today.
The company Sophy Lakshmanan created for making and teaching Paper Quilling is "Miss Paper Craft", and Sophy had a booth at the Whole Earth Festival -- which is where Lois met her -- selling quilled earrings like the ones she is wearing now.
What is Paper Quilling? It is the technique of rolling thin strips of paper to form different shapes and designs.
On her website Sophy says: "I stumbled upon Paper Quilling in 2012 and ever since it has been my goto craft for making handmade gifts for friends and family. When I moved to the US, I noticed that Paper Quilling was not as common as it was back in India. From there one thing led to another and "Miss Paper Craft" was born." Her company was born in 2021.
When Lois was her booth at WEF, Sophy had a demo table and gave visitors the materials and instruction to quill a small item. It was FUN!
Since this is a radio show, you can't actually SEE what Sophy is talking about. But you COULD go to her Youtube channel and watch a demonstration at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1yzBDIdKNY
Turning the tables!! Guest-Host Mitch Hill interviews Guest-Guest Lois Richter!
Ever wonder who's behind the voice on That's Life? Here your chance to listen to some stories from Lois.
On the last show she got lots of details out of Mitchell and THIS time he draws out lots of stories from her.
Both have done radio shows; both grew up in the 1970s; and both are part of the After Hours / Office hours community.
Oh, yeah; and both like to talk. A lot. And crack jokes.
The Radio Guy. The Video Guy. The Voice-over Guy.
They are all the same guy -- Mitchell Hill. And, I'll add, a Good Guy to have as a friend! (Also a guy to ask to be a Guest Host on next week's show. He said YES!)
Mitch is a main-stay on the Office Hours panel; sometimes being the "Reader" -- the person who reads each question for the show. And I guess that makes sense because Mitch has a very good, well trained voice and knows how to use it. Today's show is most a getting to know Mitch show. With lost of voices thrown in. Or thrown around. Or just thrown.
Expect to be ...
Well, just expect the unexpected.
Long-time media man Ray Franklin has retired.
Well, sort of. What he actually did was create a new career teaching company execs how to be more effective in their in-person presentationa snd on-line meetings. And, yes, he wrote a book about it.
We met, as have several of my recent guests, on Office Hours and After Hours. Ray has also come to many ofhte regerasals for "Birding With Lois" since we started practicing in February. In the course of being a stand-in for not-yet-acquired panelists, Ray got to pose questions, get answers, and start upgrading his systems for birding in his back yard. New birdfeeder, new i=understanding of some of his feathered neighbors, and a new interest in the life around their Florida lake.
Lots of rambling stories in this episode. Lots of laughter also. Howp you enjoy!
Lois, Leanne, and Mary discuss a set of suggestions for improving your life gleaned from a book that Lois read. That book -- "A Girl's Guide to Moving On" -- included a set of rules for people who were recovering from traumatic relationships. We used these statements as a jumping off point to talk about our own life experiences, sharing with each other and with the listeners the ways WE have improved OUR lives. I hope you enjoy the show and perhaps even use it as a starting point for your own discussions with freinds or partners.
Renowned science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson is an opinionated person. And a thoughful one. And a great researcher. But mostly he is a very fine writer. Of the many many books he has written and published since the 1980s, my favorite is "The Years of Rice and Salt", set in an alternate world where the Plague killed 90% of people in northern Europe leaving empty land to be resettled by people from further south and east. This book is a series of about a dozen novellas tied together by a cast of characters who get reincarnated in different parts of the world amid different circumstances and cultures. A most fascinating book!
But then, I also was mesmerized by his possibilities of Orange County's future in the Three Californias trilogy: "The Wild Shore", "The Gold Coast", and "Pacific Edge". What will happen in OC if (a) we start to recover from a nuclear war while the rest of the world decides that we are too dangerous to allow to re-build? or (b) we stop global warming but continue overpopulation in "an endless sprawl of condos, freeways, and malls"? or (c) we change our culture to a more ecologically-focused future and live in smaller places? These three award-winning books are also filled with fascinating characters.
Currently I am engulfed in his story of a watery culture in "New York 2140" -- drowned after the ice in Antarctica melts and raises sea level by 50 feet. Again the characters are the main focus and one is simply immersed in the future without thinking about it. To GET us thinking about things, Stan has interspersed commentary chapters in amongst the story chapters. A novel technique.
There are many more books of his to choose from. A bibliopraphy is at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Stanley_Robinson_bibliography (link is external)
But books were only a small part of our discussion on this show. Today was a wide-ranging ramble thru to mind and heart of Stan. Enjoy the trip!
(Pre-recorded in 2019. Portrait image from Davis Enterprise.)
Another fascinating story from a friend on After Hours. A self-proclaimed "dungeon master", John Pruett leads a very active adventurous life while sitting down. "Dungeons and Dragons" is his game of choice and he not only plays D&D, but also designs, hosts, and teaches it. Join his Discord server or view his YouTube channel to learn more about the game.
A good talk today!
Ray Maxwell is a fascinating man. He has done so many wonderful things, we'd need a month to even summarize them! In this episode we touch on a few -- hot air ballooning, finding minerals by looking at vegetaion from space, how wind moves over mountain peaks and what those waves and ridges can be used for, changes in vision after cataract surgery, setting up a studio, teaching people to fly (motor planes, gliders, remote control planes, and drones), Vancouver BC Canada, lots of tech, and philosophy. Although Lois and Ray met thru Office Hours, Ray has many other years of broadcast experience -- radio, tv, podcasting, web streaming, and Youtube. You can see his face online at:
Maxwell's House -- "Stop by the house of polymath Ray Maxwell and see what he's investigating today. Ray is a teacher, color scientist, pilot, photographer, Photoshop wizard and raconteur who each week takes on different real-world applications of complex scientific notions."
Many shows on This Week in Tech -- Here's one TWIT episode on "How to sell your photographs and services, understanding color, photographing abandoned buildings, and more." Ray is in many.
Here he's a guest on Mac Break Weekly-- "New lights in the studio, antenna woes, apple emails, iPhone 4 photography, and more.."
Rupert McRae !!!!! 'Nuf said.
Well, actually, that's not enough. Rupert is one of the great panelists on "Office Hours", which is where Lois met him. He has had a long, productive carreer in other people's companies and is now his own boss.
Author and journalist Anne Da Vigo joins Lois to talk about her books and her process.
Anne's journalism career (specializing in feature writing and crime reporting), spanned more than a dozen years at newspapers throughout California. Her latest -- Bakersfield Boys Club -- was loosely inspired by the Lords of Bakersfield murders of the 1970s and 1980s. Da Vigo covered the trial in the first of the Lords murder cases.
She is the author of a previous thriller -- Thread of Gold -- and numerous short stories. She is also part of the Blue Moon writers' group that meets weekly in Davis; and, as always, continues to write.
The finale of today's show is two Merle Haggard songs about Bakersfield.
(This aired two weeks in a row -- 2 Dec and 9 Dec 2021.)
Local author Bill Pieper is today's guest. He has published many works -- mostly short stories.
His most recent book -- Borders and Boundaries -- is a series of ten short stories which reads like a novel. While each story could stand on its own, the thread of characters and locations ties the book together into a greater whole.
Listen to him reading from Borders and Boundaries along then hear Bill and Lois talking about ... well, just about everything. Bikes? Yup. Drumming? Yup. Publishing in the midst of a pandemic? Yup. Sci-fi porn? Yup. Reading books onstage? Yup. The effect of places on people and culture? That, too.
Bill lived in Nevada City for many years, and his stories often are set in a western locale. Now he lives in Sacramento and comes to Davis weekly to be part of the Blue Moon -- a writers' group hosted by Scott Evans*.
Bill Pieper is working on writing a new book (no date set yet); and he is hoping to resume the promotion of Borders and Boundaries once restrictions ease and a new tour can be arranged.
You can see a list of his books at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/708305.Bill_Pieper
That includes his popular Belonging - A Tale of Downieville and California's Modern Gold Country and Forgive Me, Father: Twelve Stories.
But if you want to walk on a wilder side, read his most-popular-story-ever, at: https://www.redfez.net/fiction/sci-fi-alien-dreams-616
PS: This episode also aired on Thanksgiving, 11-25-2021.
[* for an interview with Scott Evans, listen to my 10-7-21 show.]
Davis author Fallon O'Neill is today's guest. He has published two of his "Geist" trilogy so far -- "Geist: Prelude" and "Geist: Intermezzo" -- and the third -- "Geist: Scherzo" -- is coming out in 2 weeks (15 Nov 2021). Fallon is working on the fourth book now; with more expected in the future. Writing is his life's work.
Another writer who is part of the Blue Moon Thursday Group, Fallon found them in high school and credits that group with encouraging him to write, continue, and improve as an author.
For more about him and all his books, visit: https://www.worldcastlepublishing.net/fallon-o-neill
UPDATE!!! Geist: Scherzo has been released! Here is the Amazon link.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/195678814X?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tpbk_2&storeType=ebooks&qid=1536383521&sr=1-1
PS: This episode also aired on 11-10-2021.
Author Barbara Meyer Link talks about her new book -- Chokecherry Girl -- and about writing.
Music by Jose Cabezas closes the show.
PS: This episode also aired on 10-28-2021.
That's Life. That's Water and Soil!
Understanding our water -- where it comes from , where it goes, how it's used, and by whom -- is a vital to knowing what to expect in the future. Understanding how our soils were formed and how the various soil types interact with that water is the basis for many of our gardening and farming decisions.
Davis is in the Sacramento River watershed. It was either marsh or grasslands before Europeans arrived. Because we had annual flooding, our rivers and creeks developed natural levees which overtopped each year and deposited gravel, sand, silt, and clay on the surrounding land -- the lighter particles travelling further than the heavier material. So your yard might be sandy-loam, silty-loam, or clay-loam -- depending on where in the county you live.
Soils and water and other things are part of this episode, talking here to guest Don Shor (of Davis Garden Show fame!) about so many things we don't have time for there.
-- Lois Richter, KDRT.ThatsLife@gmail.com
Author, retired professor, writing group leader, Davisite -- these are just some of the ways to describe today's guest, Scott Evans.
Whether you're a mystery enthusiast; or interested in litereary giants such as Hemingway, Shakespeare, or Plath; or want to become an author; or just like reading ... there's something for each of you in this show.
We start talking about the journal Scott edits -- "Blue Moon: Literary & art review";
then shift to his on-going weekly writers' group;
and move on to Scott's new novel "The Caribbean Prisoner";
then back to the beginning with his 'literary' murder mysteries -- "Tragic Flaws", "First Folio", and "Sylvia’s Secrets";
forward again to his intro of some of the writer (now authors!) in the Thursday group;
and finally settle back for a little history of Scott himself.
In the midst of all that, we hear about the craft of writing -- how, when, why an author does certain things.
As the bio on Scott's website puts it, after telling about his novels and journal: "He has published numerous stories and poems, as well as newspaper articles, and was the recipient of the National Endowment for the Humanities Lectureship in Southern Literature in Louisiana in 1985. When he is not writing, teaching, scuba diving, or sailing on the San Francisco Bay, you will probably find Scott Evans listening to jazz and sipping a martini at a local bar while chatting about books with fellow writers."
Feeling sentimental again.
Looked thru my large collections of Golden Oldies and decided to air a show of some of the songs that were popular when I was in high school and early college.
So here you have "Selected Songs from 1964 to 1972".