Tulip City Dispatch

 As I was driving around West Michigan today, I got thinking about old - the concept of old, the abstract idea of the good ol' days , the stories and experiences of those who came before us, and just how the hell we all got here.  Hemingway said “Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name,” and when I consider my own path here, and the reasons why I made this blog, I want to uphold that idea as best as I can. Part of what draws me to thrift stores and antique stores is wondering about the stories of the items around me...part of why I did the $50 Thrift Store Golf Challenges was to take something I enjoy (golfing) and explore the experience of using old clubs that I'd find.  Let me tell ya, you really gain an appreciation for modern metallurgy and computer design after playing with some of those old stinkers...yet, those are the clubs I learned on back in the day at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Hudsonville; those are...

 User TheOriginalBigDave on Reddit recently wrote the following scathing review of Robert Evans and his content material , instead calling Robert Evans "The Ben Shapiro Of The American Left:" Yeah, you heard me. I know this is the most unpopular thing to post, but it's been bouncing around in my head for a while, and I couldn't think of another place to say it. Know what the difference is between Robert Evans and Ben Shaprio? Ben Shaprio probably makes less money then Robert Evans. Otherwise, they're the exact same. Shapiro says don't trust the media because its controlled by the democrats, Evans says don't trust the media because they manufacture consent. Both of them do the whole contrarian 'Im just saying' bullshit, both of them indirectly encourage streetfighting and buying firearms for 'self-defence', both of them actively want a second American Civil War, and both of them have come real close to advocating for the assassinat...

  Behind The Bastards  is a podcast series about the worst people in history.  Hosted by Cracked alum Robert Evans (the Joe Rogan of the American Left), he goes into depth exploring the backgrounds and stories of dictators, cult leaders, grifters, and other terrible people.  As a Michigander though, especially one who writes articles about local events, I'm forced to wonder why the hell so many Michiganders are featured on BTB. Starting from a broad perspective, while Josh Duggar doesn't directly have connections to Michigan, I've definitely known people who subscribed to his ATI "cult" teachings.  I had peers in high school who fit the descriptions in Evans' podcasts to a T .  As Evans described the abuses within that particular branch of conservative Christianity, I shuddered to think that I probably hung out with kids subject to those same abuses. Battle Creek, MI, is known as Cereal City, USA.  That's just a hop, skip, and jump down the road from...

  From The Newsroom  by The Holland Sentinel.  It's a corporate-sponsored podcast, given that the Sentinel is a Gannett property, but it allows the editorial staff of The Sentinel to do deep-dives into local interest stories.  Local interest?  Count me the heck in! One of the first 'sodes I listened to was about the infiltration of dark money into the mayoral race in Holland.  Mailers, phone calls, and texts were being sent around the city by a political action committee (PAC) calling then-candidate (current Mayor) Nate Bocks things like "radical," and a "Bernie Sanders Democratic Socialist," totally ignoring the fact that mayoral races don't have party affiliations.  Both candidates, even the one who stood to benefit from such action, denounced the action.  Not to mention the fact that Holland is a small town.  Love ya to death, Holland, but we're just not that important. Another 'sode dealt with cold cases and unsolved murders in the area....

Like many of you, I'm spending substantially more time at home.  I'd hoped to be back at work by this point, but the way that current world events have played out put a little damper on that.  I kill a lot of time by listening to podcasts!  You know, the little talking shows that you can listen to at your own leisure; talk radio without fearmongering, politics, or angry hosts screaming at you. I'll open with friend of the blog, the Podcasting Janitor show:   https://linktr.ee/podjanshow I met the host when he was doing the Tales Of Hope podcast, and he keyed me in to some great historical resources available in and around the Holland area, and Hope College specifically.  What I like is the challenge to improve yourself - every week, episodes are published centered around one common word, theme, or idea.  This week's episode, published today (4/21), leads with the question "What happens when things stop going the way you had planned?" and the title "...