Building a Better Dave

In the latest episode, I share my personal experience with podcasting, detailing how I ended up in podcasting post-divorce while living in my brother's basement. Despite successfully establishing myself over two decades and earning recognition, I still struggle with imposter syndrome. Reflecting on accolades like being called an influencer and my moves within the industry, I discuss the complicated feelings of self-worth and acceptance. Wrapping up, I share some cozy moments from my day-to-day life, which help ground me amid these introspective thoughts. Clips from Podnews Weekly Podnews Daily Like the show? Buy me a coffee.

Welcome to another episode of Better Dave! Today, I'm diving into the fascinating world of personal finance and exploring how we can get our money working for us. I've spent over three decades with the same bank, but recently, I've rediscovered the benefits of modern financial tools like SoFi and Acorns.  As I monitor my income and outcome in Monarch, I have noticed the more attention you spend on your money, the more money there is to manage.  Whether you're drowning in debt or just looking for smarter ways to manage your finances, there's something here for everyone. So, let's get started on building a better financial future together! Mentioned In This Episode Sofi online bank account Acorns Banking (round up and invest) Monarch Budgeting Program Enjoy the show? Buy Dave a Coffee (or two)

Today's story reminds us there's still hope in humanity. In this episode, our host, Dave Jackson, shares a personal mishap that turns into a surprising testament to the goodness of people. After a pleasant bike ride in Ohio, Dave discovers he's lost his wallet, containing all his essential cards and cash. His frantic search proves futile, leading to setbacks as he navigates the day without his wallet. Lessons Learned: Do not put ALL of your cards in your wallet.  Enjoy the show? Buy Dave a Coffee.  

On the latest episode of Better Dave, titled "Putting the FUN in Funeral," host Dave Jackson shares a heartwarming and humorous tribute to his favorite teacher and mentor, Jim Blackstock. This episode takes us on an emotional yet uplifting journey, emphasizing the profound impact a great teacher can have on our lives. Here are three key takeaways from this poignant episode: - **Integrating Humor in Education**: Dave underscores how Jim Blackstock's unique teaching style, blending humor with education, made learning enjoyable and memorable, influencing Dave's own teaching approach. - **The Power of Mentorship**: The episode highlights the significant role mentorship plays in shaping personal and professional growth, as demonstrated by Jim's encouragement of Dave's writing, which started in his college days. - **Celebrating Life with a Smile**: The touching account of Jim Blackstock's funeral, infused with whimsy and laughter, serves as a reminder of the importance of celebrating life and the legacies we leave behind.

Today I turn 59 and apparently, I have one goal: Don't Break a Hip. So I reflect a bit on my 20s, 30s, and 40s, as I have 365 more days in my 50's. According to AI, "From reminiscing about past relationships and experiences to contemplating the inevitability of aging and the challenges of staying healthy, Dave's musings offer a heartfelt and relatable perspective on navigating life's journey." So click Play already Key Points: You can't change people. I don't want to live a life filled with Ozzy Lyrics. With some lessons, you need two chances to learn. Getting old is weird, and I don't want to live in fear. While the baby of the family gets away with murder, there is still a price to pay. While she may be a queen, I need another divorce. Mentioned In This Episode River by Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell on the Grammys 2024 Ozzy See You On The Other Side Prince Lonely Christmas ( the snare is weirdly in the right headphone) Future.co (virtual weight loss coaches) Like the Show? Consider buying me a coffee.

Sometimes we forget what life was like, and in todays' episode I realize that I can get the answer to just about everything with a few clicks of a mouse.  Things we learned today. Which way to set your ceiling fan in the winter. Rhino Sex Elephant Sperm Collection

Yuri Bezmenov was a russian journlist who defected to the USA. He explained a strategy of the KGB. HE said this in 1984. It was called either ideological subversion, or active measures. What it basically means is to change the perception of reality of every American to such an extent that despite the abundance of information, no one is able to come to sensible conclusions in the interests of defending themselves, their families, their community, and their country. It's a great brainwashing process that goes very slow and is divided in four basic stages.  The first one being demoralization; it takes from 15 to 20 years to demoralize a nation. Why that many years? Because this is the minimum number of years required to educate one generation of students  The ideology is being pumped into the soft heads of at least three generations of American students without being challenged or counterbalanced by the basic values of Americanism  What Is The Result? The result you can see, most of the people who were  "half-baked intellectuals" are now occupying positions of power in the government, civil service, business, mass media, and educational system; you are stuck with them, and you cannot get rid of them. They are contaminated. They're programmed to think and react to certain stimuli in a certain pattern. You cannot change their mind even if you expose them to authentic information. Even if you prove that white is white and black is black, you still cannot change the basic perception and the logic of behavior. In other words, the process of demoralization is complete and irreversible. To reverse this you have you need another 15 or 20 years to educate a new generation of common sense. The demoralization process in the United States is completed already. For the last 25 years, actually, it's over fulfilled because demoralisation now reaches such areas where experts, would even dream of such tremendous success. Most of it is done by Americans to Americans, thanks to a lack of moral standards.  Mentioned In This Episode Yuri Bezmenov Time Blindness Video Time Blindness from the Cleveland Clinic Like this episode? Buy Dave a Coffee  

Today we have a very relatable topic to delve into. We've all had those days where everything seems to go wrong, where every step forward feels like two steps back. Well, my friends, today we're talking about having a bad day.   All I had to do was go to Walmart, buy some fruit and two cables, and get to the church by five for a special event. It just seemed like I couldn't catch a break all day. No matter how bad your day is, someone might be having one that is even worse. It's hard, but try to find some gratitude in those situations.

Welcome back to another episode of "Building a Better Dave" with your host, Dave Jackson. In today's episode,  a mysterious bump near the armpit is getting bigger. Dave takes us on a journey of curiosity, self-discovery, and a deep desire to stay healthy. Join us as we explore the hilarious yet relatable moments of navigating waxing, dieting, financial frugality, and the pains and fears that come with aging. So grab your headphones and prepare for another thought-provoking and entertaining episode of "Building a Better Dave." 

So Meta/Facebook released a "new" app called Threads. I installed it to check it out, and well...   It's Twitter.  No. Seriously, it is Twitter (with a different name) Why? Because of a difference of opinion, once again, America separates. Pinapple Pizza Sompe people love pineapple on your pizza, while people like me are more traditional (pepperoni and maybe some onion).  Instead of trying a different type of pizza, we get HIGHLY offended and scream HOW DARE YOU! or ask, "HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK THAT??? and instead of having a dialogue, we separate and go to our respective corners. Instead of asking, "Hey can I try that?" or "Hmmm, that's an interesting concept," we scream for pistols at dawn. We want to wipe the different opinions of the planet, and here it is again, and it somewhat bums me out.  Sidenote: Easy opening tents.

I've started using a Continous Glucose Monitor (or as the cool kids call it a CGM) from Signos. It's pretty amazing and the thing I love about it is if I put in my food into the app before I eat it, it will warn me, "Hey, you better exercise for 20 minutes when you finish eating THAT."  So I do, and I watch my blood glucose stabilize.  Grapes are out. Like, never again. Which is a bummer, as I love grapes. FRONT OF MIND The one thing this does is it helps you keep your health in front of you. I am constantly looking at it to see where I am. As I started to record this, I hit a spike, so I'll be going for a walk.  IF ONLY Wouldn't it be great if there was some sort of warning for real life, "Hey, I'm going on a date with HER, and the app would go, "OK, but you're going to lose a house to her in a divorce in 11 years..." 

Dallas turned 45 (See picture here) and Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Charlene Tilton, Audrey Landers, Steve Kanaly, Joan Van Ark, Sheree Wilson and Cathy Podewell met up for a reunion. Victoria Principal didn't attend. . Here are three key takeaways: Dave has never seen anyone who looks better after getting work done on their face He advises women (and Men) to focus on healthy habits such as eating right and exercising if they're thinking of updating their appearance. Dave questions the effectiveness of cosmetic surgery and suggests that it doesn't make people look better, Have you had experience with cosmetic surgery? Are you happy with it? www.betterdave.com/contact or call in your comments 888-563-3228

I looked up and I was subscribed to Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV, Hbomax, the only one missing was paramount. I use YouTube TV to get "TV." As I was considering closing these, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to chime in on the conversation around the water cooler at work. Then I remembered it's not 1995. I haven't had anyone since Christmas talk about a TV show that I felt I was missing out (Yellowstone, and I wasn't but I binged it on Peacock).  A friend of mine told me how he would subscribe to one at a time and watch all there is to watch, and when he starts to struggle to find something good to watch, he will unsubscribe and fire up a different service. Life is too short to watch mediocre entertainment (I grew up watching the Waltons... ugh...).  Financial guy Dave Ramsey talks about attacking your debt with the same intensity of a Gazelle who is trying to outrun a cheeta (the fastest animal on the planet). So while the 40ish dollars this will save me a month won't make me rich, it will help me pay off debts quicker, so why not.  Speaking of value, if this made you think, why not say thank you and buy me a coffee?

I spoke about my now PSTD reaction to finding pile after pile after pile of plastic bags that my sister (who NEVER throws them away) had stored throughout my house in a previous episode.  After watching a report from ABC News called Trashed: The Secret Life of Plastic Recycling that there was an option that had never crossed my mind.  Isn't that the way so many things are? We convince ourselves of an outcome, or our potential and we never challenge that thought. We never check to see if it is still true.  When I was a teenager, I worked in a grocery store. If someone walked in with a big bag (or a winter coat when it was warm outside) someone was going to watch you through the store to make sure you didn't shoplift. Now it is encouraged so the store doesn't have to pay for the bag you are using.  So what is the cure for plastic bags? Quit using them. Yep, that is an option and I spent $20 on Amazon and bought three usable grocery bags. My problem of always having a bag of bags that I always forget to bring with me when I go to the store (and then stuff more bags into the bag of bags) is solved. For me, who just HATED these bags, this is a big deal that was solved for $20. You can find cheaper versions as well. If your water is drinkable from the tap, then, call me crazy... use it. If it's not then looking into a Brita Water Filter will save you money in the long run. Americans buy 29 billion water bottles a year. When I go to trade shows, I can always pick up some kind of metal 20 oz water bottle that keeps things cool, or you can buy an insulated metal water bottle with a chug lid (who doesn't love a good chug lid). for $13.  So why are we even using plastic bags (I know the idea was to save the trees, but in saving the trees we have a serious plastic issue now), the answer is simple. Who is involved in making these super thin plastic bags? The Big Oil, and Big Chemical industries.  Well, that answers a lot.  P.S. The book I was reading about the guy in the closet is Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Craig Groeschel. Enjoy the show? Buy Dave a Coffee.

I've got some momentum going. My house is cleaner, my vocabulary is growing, my finances are more organized, I'm focused on losing weight, and I'm possessed by the spirit of my Mom, who is helping me locate the best deals for food. When something doesn't go your way, it's not a failure. It's an experience that you can use to move forward in a smarter way.  00:11 Intro 00:37 Lots of Irons in the Fire 01:11 Triggered By My Uncle 02:15 Act 4 02:59 Dave The Slob 03:47 Health Benefits of Less Clutter 04:40 More Sleep = More Focus 05:14 monthlychallenge.fit 05:42 Duolingo 06:10 Dave Ramsey  Every Dollar Financial Peace University 07:32 Grocery Detective 09:55 Pennies Make Dollars Enjoy the show? Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/davejackson

In this episode, I talk about making a brain tattoo, setting myself up to succeed (if I can just remember what it is I'm working on...) and parenting yourself. I just need to add one thing to my routine. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Todoist App Evernote App Google Calendar Todoist Tutorials ENJOY THE SHOW? Buy Dave a Coffee

While I never met him in person, a fellow Libsyn employee was killed by a drunk driver on 12/4/22. He was a wife and three young daughters.  If you're new, I was married to an alcoholic, and hearing about drunk drivers is somewhat triggering. Throw on top a parent leaving the earth way too soon, and now you really are hitting me on all levels.  But wait, there is more. It turns out there are people who are using AI (artificial intelligence) to scrape the internet for obituaries so they can "write" an article about the person and cram the website full of ads. One person even did it in a video (with the monetization turned on and the comments - naturally - turned off).  In the same way, you can get the air knocked out of you; I have lost some of my faith in humanity. I can't even explain my thoughts.  It's not often that Dave Jackson is speechless.  If you'd like to help out his wife and kids, it will make you feel better Here is the GO FUND ME page.

I am worried about men. I think we are an endangered species. Here is why: SPORTS We listen to sportscasters who are making millions talk about athletes who are making millions for team owners who make billions. There are dedicated radio stations that talk about nothing else than how the team is doing, and what they need to do to win. None of that talk has any effect on the team. Zero FOOTBALL COMMERCIALS Then when you watch a football game, you always have: 1. The spokesmodel who didn't play football but is STUNNINGLY beautiful who will "pass it over" to people who actually played the game. She can also do that special piece during breast cancer awareness month. 2. There will be boner pill commercials, cause you know...priorities 3. Remedies for baldness. We will ship it to you in a private box - because nobody knows you're bald. 4. Trucks. Big trucks with deep voiceovers. These trucks have power unlike your small penis, which needs a blue pull to function. 5. Beer. If you can't afford a large truck you head to the mountains. This commercial lists no facts and only has a sweaty beer can that eventually you get to hear open.  5. Gambling. Kevin Hart (another millionaire) talks about the best way to gamble all of the money you worked hard to earn. They are giving away money to people who light their money on fire the fastest. Oh, and here is a phone number if this commercial triggered you.  BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE 6. My Self Esteem is tied to my team. If we lose, my week is wrecked (Really?) 7. Tick Shots - I just started paying attention to TikTok, and I am AMAZED at how GUYS (no women are doing this) are spending what must be hours if not days filming themselves trying to put a cup into a cup, or a ping pong ball, or flying a card into a clothespin. Whatever it is, it took a LOT of time to film. Which makes me think, "How much free time do YOU HAVE?" So we are giving anyone who wants to say how stupid, pigheaded, and idiotic men are - lots of evidence.  Enjoy this episode? Buy Dave a Coffee

So I'm back from an event where people got offended by the presence of someone being in a room. That's a new one for me. I've been disappointed to see someone but seeing them never brought me harm. How can you say you are for inclusion, and at the same time say you want to exclude someone? I don't understand. I'm also sad to see people water down very powerful words. I save the "F word" for the end of the argument (thanks to George Carlin). I also hear people using the word Fascist, and I'm not sure they understand the definition.  We won't learn anything if we are yelling at each other, and I'm asking for help.  It will be interesting to see if asking for help is seen as violence. Check out the commercial for the Fisher Price Podcast Set Podcast Set - Saturday Night Live

It's hard to watch a friend get canceled. My friend Daniel is a devout Christian. Currently, there is the worry that Roe Vs Wade will be overturned and abortion will be illegal.  Daniel left a comment on a tweet that was pro-choice. "“Stopping the mass murder of blacks and women, along with all the other babies, will be wonderful for the USA. How anyone could be so barbaric to endorse the murder of nearly 1 million babies every year is unbelievable." (He later deleted this tweet) Daniel at the time was a Governor for the Podcast Academy. The TPA has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion declaration on their site that reads,  We celebrate and support the industry of audio storytelling and fight to uplift and center the diverse communities of people doing this work.  We acknowledge the historical inequities that have existed in the space. We understand that to dismantle these inequities; it will take intentional efforts and commitments aimed at the communities that have long been subject to these inequities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, immigrants, and people across the spectrum of socio-economic class.    We encourage our members to hold us accountable, but we also realize that it is not the responsibility of marginalized communities to do this work for us. For these reasons, we invest funds into external, BIPOC+ led resources to help us continue in this work.  This policy is a living document that grows as we do, and we look forward to continuing to evolve through our ongoing education, outreach, and efforts for mutual understanding. After his comments went viral people started a petition to get him removed. They called him a racist, homophobic, and a misogynist.  Another fact, the Podcast Academy is 69% female. Daniel was asked to resign, and when he declined he was fired.  Abortion Mike Tyson said everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face. I think everyone has their views on abortion until they find out they are pregnant. I don't have a vagina, so I keep out of that conversation. Racist In the book, “Uncomfortable conversation with a black man” the author says to white people, I imagine some of you are thinking if black people can't decide which term to use, then how and why should white people be expected to know which term to use? Point taken? To the extent I can speak for anyone else, black is the most inclusive choice. There's no one label that will satisfy all. I sued Google and found many websites stating THIS is the term that white people should use. They were all different.  Some wrong words are obvious (the N word) and others have white people asking, "Can I say this?" When I hear that people are saying he should stop breathing because he didn't put a capital on the "B" in blacks, it feels a bit extreme.  I asked this question in a group, and the group could not give me an agreed-upon answer. SO know that white people are trying, but it's confusing.  Learning You don't learn when you talk, you learn when you listen. It's hard when we get upset. When we don't feel heard our voices get loud. That is being human, but you have to realize that we were all raised in our own bubbles of culture and are probably missing pieces when it comes to understanding others.  The internet can bring us all together to learn from each other if we are willing students with open minds. There will be times when we agree to disagree. I am driving to PA next week to see a friend of mine who is an atheist. I am not. We talk about everything and anything - except religion. He's not changing my mind, and I'm not changing his. If we have questions we know where to go.  Dialogues At a podcast event, there were two left-leaning, two right-leaning, and one LGBQT+ person and we all listened and talk about our experiences. This was the first time I realized what I learned in school is not accurate. Daniel was nothing but respectful. This was such a cool conversation that I remember it, and so does David Hooper (one of the guys at the table). It was like, "Hey remember when people could have a dialogue?" A Better Use of Your Time? Instead of digging through years of old tweets, right not reach out and ask to have a conversation. Steven Covey in the book the 7 Habits of Effective people says we should "understand before being understood." John Mayer In 2001 I pre-judged John Mayer as "another pretty-boy singer-songwriter who is going to make the girls scream."  I would overlook him year after year. 14 years later a friend told me I should give him a listen. I did, and it turns out he is an AMAZING guitar player. I had missed out on some great guitar playing, lyrics, and music.  My point is if we can take a second to get to know each other we might benefit from understanding each other. It may not always be easy, but anything of value rarely is. Mentioned in this Episode No Safe Places Documentary John Mayer Belief (Lyrics video) The Social Dilemma Trailer Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man Linconia Pocahontas Exception

Today I share a story that I have not thought about in a long time. Ti's weird to think of a time when there was ONE TV in the house, and you couldn't fast forward through the commercials. My brother and I created a sport that we played during the commercials. This came to me after attending a storytelling event from Matthew Disk who is the author of one of my favorite books Storyworthy. He has an exercise where you list three random things you can touch. You then have one minute to come up with a story about one of those items, and then you two minutes to tell a story about it.  The word that inspired this episode was pillow. 

Gentlemen, is this just me? There are certain things that happen as you get older: 1. You're probably having less sex in your marriage. 2. Your anatomy might become looser and hang lower 3. Your urination stream is not as powerful as it once was.  I get those but NOBODY mentioned this one and it's happened to me.  I LOST MY ASS.  As in my buttocks. As in I'm wearing the same pants as always (34X36) and my belly is larger than it has ever been, and yet my pants will straight up FALL down if I'm not careful (I've not worn a belt since the 8th grade). So is this a thing? Is it just that all of the fat in your butt dissolves and relocates to your belly? I bent over to put groceries in the car and shot everyone behind me the moon.  My badonkadonk is now a badonkadon't. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Click Sliding Belt

When I read the lyrics of the song "Frosty the Snowman" I saw some disturbing things.  Frosty was on the pipe. He was headed to the village with a broomstick in his hand. Frosty attempted death by cop. If Frosty was black in lived in Chicago, he would've been dead.  Did Frosty have a death wish? Was frosty really just unselfish? Was Frosty just a moron. Was the "Magic" in his hat just packets of cocaine? Why is Frosty (a middle-aged white guy) really just a pedophile? Maybe frosty was depressed. He should have called the suicide hotline. 800-273-8255 Look at Frosty go? Did he make the children watch him pee? 

Today I'm talking about my time at the Spark Christian Podcast Conference in Grapevine Texas this week. I got to hear Tara-Leigh Cobble speak twice and WOW what a story.  She (in two years) has 75 million downloads of her Bible Recap podcast. Would I get up the nerve to ask her on my show? If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to buy me a coffee. Mentioned in this episode The Chosen (it's pretty cool!)

So on Tuesday, I had to crawl through the back window of my house after locking myself out of my house - wait for it - twice.  On Friday I had one of my "Sweating buckets, getting dizzy, can't decide if I'm going to have explosive diarrhea, vomit or passout" sessions. This now has fairly nasty stomach pains. I injured my stomach on Tuesday with a nasty scrape. This is Friday.  I wake up a few times during the night. It hurts to move in bed. Each time I wake up, the pain is moving higher up my body. We've gone from belly button, up higher and higher, and now my chest is tight, and I'm having issues taking a deep breath. The question and conversations that go through your head when you can't decide if you're having a heart attack or not were not what I had expected. One would think if you thought you were having a heart attack you would call 911. Not me. I know how much an ambulance is, and my Dad was thrifty, and apparently so am I.  I am also the son of my Mom who never wanted to be a bother to anyone. She always put others first.  The good news is I was not having a heart attack. So what was it? When I asked the mirror it lied.  I now think it was a delayed reaction to just beating the crap out of my stomach - twice. That caused the tightness in my chest. The hospital show triggered the sweats (and later the intense pain in my stomach would cause sweats). In the end, I'm not sure.  It does make you think when you have to take a breathe and realize that your number might is being called and your time is up. I am not ready or prepared for any of that, and death doesn't care. It's coming if you're ready or not.  Kiss everyone you love to kiss and hug. Let those you appreciate know it. You never know when your time is up.

Today I explain some side effects of 2020.  COVID 19 where 19 stands for how many pounds did you gain? It turns out 444 lbs is heavy.  I may have more deliveries in the future. My gut is ruining my aim I have carried on a Jackson tradition  Sometimes life has to hold a mirror up until you acknowledge it.

While many people may find themselves crying watching This is Us, I thought things had taken a weird turn when I found myself choking back tears when I was watching the Real World Reunion (on the Paramount Network). When I feel this way, I have a mental picture of one of those Submarine doors that has almost opened and water starts gushing out, and I get there just in time to spin that wheel and lock it up and go back to whatever I was doing... I decided to try Better Help, and it's not cheap, but if my arm started bleeding for no reason, I'd go get it checked out.  Just writing down why I thought I should talk to someone made me feel better. If you need a journal check out Penzu.com and in this case, I just had to write why I was signing up for this service. Just going through that process made me feel better. I met with the counselor and after talking she suggested I read The Grief Recovery Handbook, 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition: the Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses Including Health, Career, and Faith I made it through chapter one, but now I feel like a kid who doesn't want to do his homework. I know that doing the work provides much better grades, but still, I made it through the first chapter and stalled. I need to put on my big boy pants and keep going. So Why Did I Make This Episode? We live in a Facebook world where everyone's lives seem so happy and perfect. I'm OK, and I'm working on being better. I thought if I pulled back the curtain to let you see it's OK to reach out when you could use someone to talk to, and that you're not "weird."  I just need to do my homework and reconnect on Better Help

This episode really makes me sound weird. What I'm getting at is how things make you feel.  “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou My second marriage wasn't always bad. My wife and I had a running gag of dragging a stuffed bear with us to events. It was funny. He was behind the speaker at our marriage.  My ex-wife named him Roy. I use to give Roy a voice and make him say terribly dark things that make it hilarious coming out of a cuddly bear.  When we divorced, she kept Roy, and I kept another bear that I had purchased to give to her (but later decided not to - mature I know...)  I decided to buy my own Roy. It turns out that was harder to do than originally planned.  How do you make people feel? If a stuffed toy can bring happiness, can you imagine how you can make a person feel? One last thing, I know this makes me sound like COVID has cracked my sanity. I'm fine. I know this is weird. 

I found myself in my new old house. This was different. I had no speakers, no Internet, and my phone was there, but that wasn't going to work.  I was alone - with just my thoughts.  I wasn't sure what would happen, but sometimes when I'm left alone with just the voice in my head things can go negative.  The house (without the noise to distract me) sent my brain into the archives of thoughts that I had not remembered in decades.  The brain is amazing, and I enjoyed a trip down memory lane.  Enjoy the show? If you feel so moved, Buy Me a Coffee    

Today I share some insights into love and living with people who had disorders.  I currently get annoyed with how cashiers bag things at the store. I end up with twice as many bags as needed. It just seems everywhere I turn, I'm opening a drawer, a pocket, a box, and its all bags. Love is knowing someone's characteristics that drive you nuts, and accepting them. It's part of what makes them who they are. You can try to change them, but you and I both know that the chances of that succeeding are slim and none.  So you hang in there, and focus on the good things, and accept those things you can't change. 

I lost a lot of sleep worrying about talking to my sister. My sister (who I love dearly) has always had my back and has a very unique set of skills. While never officially diagnosed, I think it is safe to say she has some form of Aspergers. This can make things "fun." My brother and I (and, well everyone else) knew it made more sense for me to take over the house I grew up in (where my sister occasionally lives), but just cause it makes sense doesn't mean my sister would go for it. She's not a fan of change at all. Logical things don't always resonate with her (she won't eat Devil's Food Cake...). So how do I get her on board to let me take over the house so she can go live permanently in a better house with a better neighborhood? Today I talk about how some things you think are hard, may not be as hard as you think. I took on the challenge of my sister, and I put off doing my taxes as long as I could.  If you are putting something off cause it looks "Hard" it may not be as hard as you think.  I do always find it weird how I can take positives and turn them into a negative. 

It's always weird how any stories in my childhood involving animals of some sort have a weird outcome, In this case, it was lightning bugs. I took a second tonight and really let myself go back to the front yard. To the time of being a kid and shouting when you achieved your goal. When the only thing you needed to worry about was if you had any empty peanut butter jars (of course you did cause you would store food in them).  It was a time when you did not have to worry about anything. You were safe. It was all about fun, friends, and fireflies.

Why is it that the people that seem to make the best points ae comedians?  The other night I watched 8:46 by Dave Chappelle. It's an amazing presentation. I also loved his last special on Netflix called Sticks and Stones. Then at 4 in the morning, it came to me: DAVE CHAPPELLE IS MY HERO.  He makes me do all the things I said a good podcast should do. He makes me laugh, cry, think, or groan. If it doesn't do any of those it should be educating or entertaining me and DAVE DOES ALL OF THOSE.  Check him out  Dave Chappelle 8:46 Dave Chappelle Sticks and Stones Sample Like the show? Buy me a coffee

I am an ill-informed middle-aged white dude. A black man was lynched in 2020 in broad daylight as George Floyd was pinned to the ground by police and later would die.  I often hope someone will come along and teach me so I'm not so ill-informed on how to act, what to say, etc when it comes to people of color. It's time for white people to take a step and do our homework. The better we understand, the better we communicate. The better we understand, the better we live.  Mentioned in this episode.  Conan O'Brien interviews Van Jones White People Training YOUR HOMEWORK The 13th Documentary (free on YouTube)

I've never been able to get passed the "woo woo" part of Yoga. However, when I see fit people one of the words that comes up in regards to how they stay fit, it's Yoga. Lost In My Yoga Class Any time I tried yoga the instructor would go through different posts like: Funky Firefly Young Puma Sad Palm Tree Be the Embryo Hords of Locust Legs behind your head Silly Kitty Grump Turtle Baby Rhino and I would be still trying to figure out the Sad Palm Tree as they are finishing up. I also love how your are supposed to keep your head facing down. How do I see what you're doing with my eyes facing the floor? DDP Yoga I got sucked in by some videos of people with serious hurdles who have lost hundreds of pounds doing Yoga (and I'm assuming eating less junk). I decided to give it a shot and was surprised how (without using any weights) I was working up a sweat. Here are some links (not affiliate links) www.ddpyoga.com Guy loses tons of weight video Guy couldn't walk can now run Support the Show Buy Dave a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/davejackson    

I watched a movie called Bowling for Columbine, and one part really caught my attention and that is how many things on the news are based on fear.  Killer bees Swine Flu Bird Flu and many other things. Everything seems fear-based.  BLACK OR WHITE There is a song by the Monkees called "Shades of Gray" and while it was talking about equal rights for people of color, but it made me notice that now you are either a scary cat who is afraid to go outside or a nutjob who won't "Let you tell me what to do" and is doing pushups on a sidewalk to prove it.  There is no "gray area" and as I think about it I would think the rules for New York city might be different than the rules needed for Farm Town Iowa with almost no people, that maybe the rules could be different. However, on TV dialogue is no encouraged. You're either one side or the other... It makes me worried. Dialogue and having open minds are what can lead to the best decisions. 

 I just have a really weird thought today. I don't know why this popped into my brain. I'm making my breakfast. And this thought pops into my brain and that was: How did Adam and Eve figure out how to have sex that first time? Did Eve look down and go, that's weird. You have a thing? And I don't? Or was it a case where she was bending over to pick up something and Adam tripped him? Did God come down with a PowerPoint presentation and show this slot A into tab B Was it an Instinct? I had a dog named Dudley. And when we brought him home, the first thing we did was buy a bunch of squeak toys. And the first thing he did was hump them all. Like, wow, that dog needs a release of some sort. Apparently. I don't know what's going on with that dog, but he really likes that monkey. So, it was a very weird thought. And maybe it's because it's May 2020. I'm in the middle of a pandemic.  

April is the month that all my relatives died in. Mom, Dad, Aunts, it just seems like every day my phone reminds me how many years ago somebody died.  Throw on top of it being locked in due to a pandemic it makes from some interesting dreams. I never had a Dad dream. I had a GREAT mom dream, but no Dad dream and then... Nothing good happens at four in the morning. Not even hanging out with LeBron James. Nothing better than waking up at 4 am PISSED OFF.  The pandemic is real. A friend of mine lost his best friend for life and was 40 or 50 and nowhere near a nursing home or age 80. It's real. My latest trip to Walmart leads me to believe people are dropping their guard.  Stay Safe Mentioned in this episode I can only imagine movie Support This Show Buy Dave a coffee

I had something happen yesterday, and you just kind of think, well, that was weird. And that was a, I think I told you about my neighbor next door who had a really old mom who eventually died. And for some reason, he had a fruit basket, and he gave it to me along with some other things in his freezer that he didn't eat, but his mom would, and he has since moved out. The neighbor immediately to my right has moved out. So I'm hoping a Claudia Schiffer type person will move in and want a podcast. That would be awesome. Meanwhile,  back at the couch, Oh, thank you so much for the fruit basket. I do eat fruit, apples, oranges. And I stuck it on the couch cause we were talking in my living room and it sat there for a long time, and it's wrapped in plastic, so nothing to worry about. Well, it's at there for weeks cause I kept buying more fruit and forgetting about it. I've done a lot of traveling recently, and I was amazed that when you live in a hotel and everything is neat and vacuumed, and then you return to a home that is not. You're like, "Wow, your house is a pigsty." When your house is a pigsty, you kind of feel like a pig. And so the one day I just said, I have got to clean the living room. The messiness is ridiculous. And I picked up the fruit basket that had gone bad basically at this point. Even though it was wrapped in plastic, the plastic is stretched over the top, and then the bottom is just where the plastic touches. Yeah, it had soaked right through the basket and onto the couch. There was a big round stain. And I was like, Oh man. And it's not like the world's best couch, but for me to buy new furniture would be stupid because I'm never in my living room. I mean, I eat lunch there every day, and I eat dinner there. My living room is my dining room. The spot is about the size of an Apple, and it's this big black circle. I know you can flip it over and put that on the bottom. I thought well, maybe, maybe if I'm lucky enough. This couch has the kind of cushions with a zipper, and you can remove and wash the cover. It turns out it was. And I'm like, okay, cool. And I'm doing laundry. I've been programmed, of course, that when you see a stain, you don't just put it in the wash. You "shout it out." I got the bottle of "shout" out from underneath the bathroom sink, sprayed a bunch on it, rubbed it in. I maybe even said a quick prayer, basically sacrifice some lambs to the spot. I'm really thinking, yeah, that's not going to come out. There's no way that's coming out. And part of it is my inner thoughts saying, "Well, you can't have nice things. You just, you, you can't. Now, there's no way that's coming out." And if you're a regular listener to the show, you knew when I was growing up, anytime bad things would happen, my brother and I and my friends would just call it "Davey luck" cause my brother can call me Davey, you can't. I was thinking aw man, it's just Davey luck again. I just turned 55. 40 years ago I was 15. That was a long time ago. And I just thought it was interesting that I went over to the laundry and I'm thinking, I know, I'm going to pull out the cover and the stain will be there laughing at me. I look, and the spot is gone. The spot is gone. I shouted it out just like the commercial said. And what was really interesting (to me at least), was I was 98% sure that it just wasn't going to work. I was convinced Davey luck had struck again. I was surprised at my reaction., It seemed like it was instinct to just think, "Oh, this is not going to work." Which had me thinking, "Why is it my default answer to think, yeah, that's not going to work?" I don't know really. I mean, it might be just the years of Davy luck talk that I'd just expect things to go bad. I was really surprised on how certain I was that this was not going to work. What does this say about me? And so I need to realize that the world is not out to get me.

Why are people in their 50's wearing bikini's news like they've found a long lost animal species? HERE IS ANOTHER ONE! see https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/elizabeth-hurleys-flawless-figure-baffles-010458031.html   REAL HEADLINES Elizabeth Hurley Skips the Gym to Relax In Revealing Dress Elizabeth Hurley Gets Cozy In Sexy LBD Elizabeth Hurley Is Sneaky & Sultry In Cleavage-Baring Ninja Suit Elizabeth Hurley Eyes Up Christmas In Open-Chested Jacket, Bikini Bottoms & NO Bra Elizabeth Hurley Admits Bizarre Similarity She Shares With England's Queen Elizabeth I don't get why this is acceptable to comment on a female's appearance if its the media. Isn't that still objectifying?  I'm so confused.  DID YOU LIKE THIS? Buy Dave a Coffee and help keep the lights on here at Building a better Dave.

A mall that was a part of my childhood is on life support and in April the last store (JC Penny). I'm not sure why this is making me so sad. Sure it's part of my childhood, but I guess in a way the Mall is a mirror of me. It was so big and so strong, and now it's on its last breathe.  If something so big and strong can die, then it's just a reminder that we all need to maximize our time on the planet.  I'm walking around the mall, taking mental pictures of its 860,000 square feet because soon I won't be able to.  MENTIONED Bookends by Simon and Garfunkle. on YouTube

My Dad would always let me know that life is not fair.  I have found that weight loss is a lot like walking the wrong way on one of those moving sidewalks at the airport. If you're walking the wrong way you would need to really walk fast and then if you stopped for a second you would be catapulted backwards very very quickly.  I had to wear a suit for the first time since 2018 and my "Lucky Green Suit" no longer fits. This brought on a bunch of emotions and I took a second to take a second to embrace the hatred of myself, the disappointment, the frustration, and really took a second to remember how this feels.  I have fooled myself with lies like "one won't hurt" and many others.  It's working. I'm back down to 222 and headed the right way. It's not easy. It's not fair, but life's not fair.