Category: reminiscence

  • Thoughts on the Big Mo Pod Show “Funkin’ Down the Highway”

    Thoughts on the Big Mo Pod Show “Funkin’ Down the Highway”

    This is a post about the Big Mo Pod Show we heard last night on the KCCK FM radio dial 106.9. Incidentally, the KCCK fund drive was enormously successful this year, earning $100,000 in donations, according to Big Mo (aka John Heim) himself. One item is the cover by Buddy Miles of the song “Tobacco…

  • Notes on the Blues and Rivers of Whiskey

    Notes on the Blues and Rivers of Whiskey

    I listened to the Big Mo Blues Show last night on KCCK radio (88.3 on your dial) as I usually do on Friday nights. It runs from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm and you can learn a lot from Big Mo (aka John Heim) about the blues. He also has a podcast called the Big…

  • University of Iowa Writing Programs Get High Ranking from U.S. News & World Report

    University of Iowa Writing Programs Get High Ranking from U.S. News & World Report

    The University of Iowa ranks No. 9 across all universities in the country for its power in the writing disciplines., according to the 2024 U.S. News & World Report. The school is well known for its writing programs of which the The Writers Workshop is the best known. The University of Iowa also gives medical…

  • Thoughts on X-Files Episode “Sunshine Days”

    Thoughts on X-Files Episode “Sunshine Days”

    I saw the X-Files episode “Sunshine Days” again last night. It’s the second time I’ve seen it. It’s about a guy who calls himself Oliver who has telekinetic power and who yearns for a father-son relationship with a paranormal researcher (Dr. Reitz) who studied him when he was a kid named Anthony.   The set…

  • The Incredible Shrinking Headshrinker

    The Incredible Shrinking Headshrinker

    Last week we saw the 1957 movie “The Incredible Shrinking Man” on the Svengoolie show on the MeTV channel. We’ve never seen it before and it actually got pretty good reviews back in the day. The main character, Scott Carey, was played by Grant Williams. You can watch the movie for free on the Internet…

  • Back to the Roller Window Shades?

    Back to the Roller Window Shades?

    I just heard about the new regulation banning cords on window shades. I didn’t know that window cords were so dangerous. We recently moved into our new house and need window coverings. We’ve had corded window coverings (mostly blinds) for years wherever we moved. I guess we’ll have to consider other options. This reminds me…

  • Thoughts on the Homeless Mentally Ill

    Thoughts on the Homeless Mentally Ill

    The homeless man who lives on the sidewalk outside our hotel reminds me of a couple of things. One is Dr. Gerard Clancy, MD who is University of Iowa Health Care Professor of Psychiatry, Professor of Emergency Medicine, and Senior Associate Dean of External Affairs. I remember Gerry, who was in the department of psychiatry…

  • Back to the Stanley Museum of Art

    Back to the Stanley Museum of Art

    We went for a return visit to the Stanley Museum of Art the other day. It’s been a couple of years. There were a couple of head sculptures outside in the front of the building. They were in honor of one of my former medical school teachers, Dr. Richard Kerber. And the Keith Haring exhibit…

  • Thoughts on Hobos and Homelessness

    Thoughts on Hobos and Homelessness

    We can see the man from our hotel window. We assume he’s homeless. He has a small area where he sits on the curb next to the street.  He does this most of the day. He has a blanket and a few other loose items which sometimes are strewn on the sidewalk or the grass.…

  • Thoughts as Train Cars Visualization in Mindfulness Meditation

    Thoughts as Train Cars Visualization in Mindfulness Meditation

    The Iowa Interstate Railroad train rumbles past our hotel a few times a day and it reminds me of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course I took 10 years ago. One of the exercises the instructor mentioned was the train visualization mindfulness exercise. I don’t know if I remember what our instructor actually said…