Podcast appearances and mentions of Doug Harris

Please join us for a special film documentary screening and an intimate conversation with filmmaker Doug Harris and civil rights attorney John Burris.  The film, John Burris: The Godfather of Police Litigation, highlights Burris's life, police brutality, and Burris's high-profile cases: Rodney King's civil trial, the Oakland Riders case, the Oscar Grant case, Barry Bonds, Mario Woods and among others.  Filmmaker Doug Harris points out that the Burris film documentary “is very special—the majority of my previous biographical stories have been about people who are deceased, and this project has given me an opportunity to form a close bond with a living legend.” As Burris looks forward, he is “really working hard to pass the baton on to the next generation of attorneys to carry on this type of civil rights legal work.” Organizer: Robert Melton Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic forum. We welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our mission. An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King James director Ryan George and actors Doug Harris and Blake Morris join SportsJam with Doug Doyle to talk about the comedy that runs through April 6 at GSP

February 6, 2025 ~ The State of the Nation Project measured American's economic opportunity, physical and mental health, and more than 30 other measures. Guy and Lloyd talk with Tulane University economic professor Doug Harris, the chair of the project, about why people feel great about the economy, while everything else is falling behind.

For our latest Are We Here yet? podcast we offer four perspectives sure to keep you contemplating on this upcoming Indigenous People's Day. Our Season III guest Doug Harris, retired archivist for the Narragansett Tribe spoke to us regarding New England's Ceremonial Stone Landscape for episodes 87 and 88.  We feature two clips here, the first focused on answering the question, ‘what is this place and who are we?' The second which ends our podcast focuses on his groundbreaking work alongside Smithsonian documentarian Ted Timreck, our guest for episode 132, which has dispelled many falsehoods about the peoples of this part of North America.  How they lived, traded and thrived for thousands of years.  Sandwiched between our clips of Doug Harris we offer contemporary native American poets and their work with poet and essayist Joshua Michael Stewart, a frequent guest of our show. We originally aired his reading of these six poems in 2021.   Joshua is the author of three books of poetry, his latest being 2022's ‘Love Something'.  His soon to publish ‘Welcome Home, Russell Edson' combines the graphic novel with the prose poem. He writes for M the Media Project under the feature, ‘The Way of Wind and Stream'.  Listen to our episode on Kerouac at 100 from March 2022.  But first, our host Scott M. Graves reads from his 2020 essay ‘Borders'.  Scott was investigating the early colonial New England period of King Philip's War for several years which led him to taking a deeper dive into the competing concepts over land ownership between indigenous and English colonial cultures.  ‘It didn't escape me at the time that I was doing this amateur investigative work while the question of immigration in the US was speeding into a raging crisis,' he told us. ‘what results here are my thoughts on a very deep, very flawed piece of debris just underneath our skin that continues to leave scars on our culture.  We can and should do better'.  The issue h only become more polarizing and central to the presidential election in 2024.

594. Part 2 of our interview with Nick Douglas about  New Orleans jazz and civil rights. “I am working with my filmmaking partner Doug Harris on a documentary called the Reconnect: The Untold History of Jazz. It is a true story about the actual formation of jazz in the only place it could have formed: New Orleans. But it is more it identifies for the first time New Orleans as the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. It shows how jazz and jazz musicians used jazz and musical performances to fund and support the civil rights movement long before most people realize the movement started. It answers questions about jazz and the civil rights movement that have never been exposed. Enjoy and if you like what we are doing share the video and donate to get this project completed.” Nick Douglas is the author of “Finding Octave: The Untold History of Two Creole Families and Slavery in Louisiana.” Nick is an MBA with a background in international business. Born in Oakland, California, Nick grew up in a multi-generational Creole home. As a child he had a close connection to his grandmother and great-grandmother, who were both Creoles from New Orleans. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 220 years. Order your copy today! This week in Louisiana history. October 6, 1860. John Slidell publishes his address to people of LA. "Let every man go to polls...we may soon be called under a common flag against a common enemy" This week in New Orleans history. October 5th marks the annual Feast Day of 5 Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, who was assigned, in 1866, to the Redemptorist community in New Orleans.  He also served as pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption parish. He died after contracting yellow fever, on October 4, 1867, at the age of 48 years and 9 months.  Pope John Paul II beatified Father Seelos in St. Peter's Square on April 9, 2000.The National Shrine of Blessed Francis Seelos, C.Ss.R is located at St. Mary's Assumption Church. This week in Louisiana. Gothic Jail After Dark Haunted Attraction October 11-31, 2024 205 W 1st St. DeRidder LA 70634 October features a Haunted House like none other this Halloween season! Experience the haunting and historic Gothic Jail, where paranormal activity runs rampant and the walls hold secrets of a brutal murder, suicides and a double hanging! (337) 463-5534 Website beautour@bellsouth.net Postcards from Louisiana. The Jazz Vipers play at the French Quarter Fest. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Listen on audible. Listen on Spotify. Listen on TuneIn. Listen on iHeartRadio. The Louisiana Anthology Home Page. Like us on Facebook. 

593. Part 1 of our conversation with Nick Douglas about the documentary he is working on about the relationship between jazz and civil rights, “I am working with my filmmaking partner Doug Harris on a documentary called The Reconnect: The Untold History of Jazz. It is a true story about the actual formation of jazz in the only place it could have formed: New Orleans. But it is more it identifies for the first time New Orleans as the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. It shows how jazz and jazz musicians used jazz and musical performances to fund and support the civil rights movement long before most people realize the movement started. It answers questions about jazz and the civil rights movement that have never been exposed. Enjoy and if you like what we are doing share the video and donate to get this project completed. Nick Douglas is the author of Finding Octave: The Untold History of Two Creole Families and Slavery in Louisiana. Nick is an MBA with a background in international business. Born in Oakland, California, Nick grew up in a multi-generational Creole home. As a child he had a close connection to his grandmother and great-grandmother, who were both Creoles from New Orleans. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 220 years. Order your copy today! This week in Louisiana history. September 28, 1973. Orleans parish DA Jim Garrison acquitted in Pinball Bribery Case. This week in New Orleans history. June 1927. Airline Highway originally was a two-lane road that ran from Prairieville to Shrewsbury (now Metairie). The first section, running between Williams Boulevard in Kenner and Shrewsbury Road, opened in June 1927. It was begun by the Jefferson Parish Police Jury as a local road and incorporated into the plan for Airline Highway during construction. This week in Louisiana. La Fête des Vieux Temps Oct 04 - 06, 2024 4484 Highway 1 Raceland, LA 70394 985-637-2166 Website Called the "Festival of Old Times" this event features a celebration of music, dancing, Cajun food, and arts & crafts show. This long standing event is a local favorite and showcases the true authentic Cajun culture of Lafourche Parish. New for this year: the return of the pirogue races! Postcards from Louisiana. Roxy Doll plays at the French Quarter Fest. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Listen on audible. Listen on Spotify. Listen on TuneIn. Listen on iHeartRadio. The Louisiana Anthology Home Page. Like us on Facebook. 

In her new book, The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America (Harvard University Press), the historian and Harvard professor Sarah Lewis unpacks a major part of United States history that until now wasn't just brushed over, but was intentionally buried: how the ​​Caucasian War and the end of the Civil War were conflated by P.T. Barnum, former President Woodrow Wilson, and others to shape how we see race in America. Long overdue, The Unseen Truth is a watershed book about photography and visuality that calls to mind works by history-shaping authors such as James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and bell hooks. Lewis is also the founder of the Vision & Justice initiative, which strives to educate the public about the importance of art and culture for equity and justice in the U.S., and is launching a new publishing venture with Aperture this fall.On the episode, she discusses the tension between pedagogy and propaganda; the deep influence of Frederick Douglass's 1861 “Pictures and Progress” lecture on her work; how a near-death car crash altered the course of her life and The Unseen Truth; and the special ability of certain photographs to stop time.Special thanks to our Season 10 presenting sponsor, L'École, School of Jewelry Arts.Show notes:Sarah Lewis[04:01] The Unseen Truth[05:24] Woodrow Wilson[05:24] Frederick Douglass[05:24] P.T. Barnum[06:51] Toni Morrison[06:51] Angela Davis[06:51] Mathew Brady[51:14] Vision & Justice[11:35] Caucasus[14:02] Imam Shamil[17:38] Caucasian War[19:31] MFA Boston[19:31] The Metropolitan Museum[22:30] “Pictures and Progress”[28:41] “A Circassian”[28:41] “Slave Ship”[28:41] “The Gulf Stream”[35:13] Frances Benjamin Johnston[39:20] Jarvis Givens[39:20] Fugitive Pedagogy[44:05] The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search of Mastery[49:08] Montserrat[49:08] Under the Volcano[51:36] Aperture[52:26] Maurice Berger[52:26] Coreen Simpson[52:26] Doug Harris[52:26] Deborah Willis[52:26] Leigh Raiford[52:57] Hal Foster[56:01] Hank Willis Thomas[56:01] Theaster Gates[56:01] Mark Bradford[56:01] Amy Sherald[57:58] Wynton Marsalis[57:58] Charles Black, Jr.[57:58] Louis Armstrong[57:58] Brown v. Board of Education

In this episode, I meet up with my old friend Doug Harris and go for a drive in his home town, Houston, Texas.   We visit The Gents Place and Buffalo Bayou park.   See pictures and read blog post here: www.theradiovagabond.com/196-houston-creative-animal-making-noise/ 

In this episode, I meet up with my old friend Doug Harris and go for a drive in his home town, Houston, Texas.   We visit The Gents Place and Buffalo Bayou park.   See pictures and read blog post here: www.theradiovagabond.com/196-houston-creative-animal-making-noise/ 

Welcome to the Pinkleton Pull-Aside Podcast. On this podcast, let's step aside from our busy lives to have fun, fascinating life giving conversation with inspiring authors, pastors, sports personalities and other influencers, leaders and followers. Sit back, grab some coffee, or head down the road and let's get the good and the gold from today's guest. Our host is Jeff Pinkleton, Executive Director of the Gathering of the Miami Valley, where their mission is to connect men to men, and men to God. You can reach Jeff at GatheringMV.org or find him on Facebook at The Gathering of the Miami Valley.Today we turn the tables on Pink! Tim Young and Doug Harris co-host this episode turning the hard questions around on their friend, Jeff Pinkleton.

A new MP3 sermon from Grace Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Conduct Unbecoming Of A Saint Speaker: Doug Harris Broadcaster: Grace Baptist Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 2/12/2023 Length: 59 min.

“Darkness Comes to Dawnland” Recorded and Produced by Michael Kline, Talking Across the Lines, Sunderland, MA Time 2:00:08 “Darkness Comes to Dawnland” is a two hour audio documentary based on five individually recorded voices recounting 13,000 years of Indigenous history of Northfield leading up to the arrival of English colonists in the 17th Century and the impacts of colonialism that followed. Replete with tribal songs, flute and drum interludes and ambient sounds, this conversational telling of the story creates its own imagery, to the considerable satisfaction of those whose voices are interwoven throughout.  The five narrators recorded for “Darkness Comes to Dawnland” spoke from memory and the heart where memory dwells without notes or prior discussions as to the intended content of their testimonials. The five voices belong to old friends who have paid increasing collective attention to their own Indigenous cultures and histories, buttressed by a decade of archaeological research of their homelands and battlefields. It is a study of the confluence of the focused efforts of the five in the service of wider understanding and inclusion – among themselves and non-Indigenous neighbors. This production, then, has it's roots in intertribal memory and legend passed through a multi-generational conduit of oral tradition. Its sources are enriched through spiritual interaction with natural surroundings, as well as, more recently, the surfacing of old letters, diaries and other written colonial records. This production does not purport to be a polished or footnoted, scholarly, historical, rendering of Squakheag's past. Library bookshelves groan with euro-centric studies which have long peddled destructive stereotypes and historical inaccuracies. The response of these narrators is a passionate reaching out in search of balance and reciprocity in the telling of a shared past as a cornerstone to peace and reconciliation. It is dedicated to the life, accomplishments and speedy recovery of Doug Harris and his devoted new wife, Genevieve Frasier.

Welcome to the Pinkleton Pull-Aside Podcast. On this podcast, let's step aside from our busy lives to have fun, fascinating life giving conversation with inspiring authors, pastors, sports personalities and other influencers, leaders and followers. Sit back, grab some coffee, or head down the road and let's get the good and the gold from today's guest. Our host is Jeff Pinkleton, Executive Director of the Gathering of the Miami Valley, where their mission is to connect men to men, and men to God. You can reach Jeff at GatheringMV.org or find him on Facebook at The Gathering of the Miami Valley.

Peek behind the veil of condo ownership with esteemed guest, Professor Doug Harris. Together, Aaron and Professor Harris traverse through the evolution of condo ownership, from its 1960s beginnings to its modern-day role in urban living. Their conversation dives into the unique dynamics of condo living, exploring landlord-tenant relationships, co-ops, detached parcels, and the intricate legalities such as residential tenancy laws and strata corporation governance. They also examine the challenges municipalities face in providing rental housing, consumer protection in multi-unit developments, smoking rules,  and Doug's call for thoughtful housing policy.Douglas Harris, a professor at the Allard School of Law since 2001, has significantly contributed to property law and legal history, authoring award-winning books on Indigenous fisheries in British Columbia. After his call to the British Columbia bar in 1994 and playing in Canada's Olympic field hockey team, he pursued further education, earning LLM and PhD degrees in legal history, and later served in various administrative roles at UBC, receiving teaching awards. Currently, he's focusing on condominium property law, co-authoring a leading Canadian property law casebook, and fostering collaboration on law and cities through the Law & Cities Research Group.Support the showwww.biggerthanmepodcast.com

February 20, 1951 (or July 1951). Emmett Ashford is waiting inside the ballpark of the Mexicali Eagles. At 36 years old, he's toiled around the United States, working toward his goal of becoming a professional umpire. Finally, he lands a tryout just south of the border to make it happen. But there's a problem: the other umpires needed to play the game are white— they won't take the field with a Black man.Today, Emmett Ashford attempts to become the first Black umpire in organized baseball. Can he make it happen? And if so, can he overcome barriers to make it all the way to the majors?Special thanks to our guests: Raymond Bell, the executive producer of “Called Up: The Emmett Ashford Story” and Doug Harris, the producer, director and editor of the same film; Adrienne Bratton, the daughter of Emmett Ashford; and Mark Armour, a baseball historian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SMG's 'Are We Here Yet?' podcast is about a strong sense of place and the people who generate that energy. Today's episode brings a different dimension to that fact.  We're exploring the Native American effect on the landscape.  This discussion will generate in each of you, our listeners, some profound questions of American identity and exactly who gets to have a say in deefining that identity while leaving you observing your local landscape as you've never done before. Doug Harris began his career as a documentarian during the height of the civil rights movement in the deep south.  Doug heeded the words of his grandfather to honor his native American Nansemond ancestors of Virginia and those of the former Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples of the deep south at the same time he was honoring the struggle of yet another group of American people to find their place on this great continent. Doug is the retired Deputy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer/Preservationist for Ceremonial Landscapes for the Narragansett Indian Tribe. He is a preservationist of ceremonial landscapes and helps communities request the preservation of ceremonial landscapes through the National Register of Historic Places, legislation so lately enacted some 30 years ago to protect such places of cultural and spiritual significance. We discussed a variety of evidence of animal stone effigies, stone groupings that assist to keep celestial time and the reasons for the grandfather stones, in our English, that were placed in many cases more than 3000 years ago. In part II of our two part episode we'll focus on the mounting evidence for major activity along what is now submerged continental shelf territory off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. To learn more of Submerged Landscapes click here

SMG's 'Are We Here Yet?' podcast is about a strong sense of place and the people who generate that energy. Today's episode brings a different dimension to that fact.  We're exploring the Native American effect on the landscape.  This discussion will generate in each of you, our listeners, some profound questions of American identity and exactly who gets to have a say in deefining that identity while leaving you observing your local landscape as you've never done before. Doug Harris began his career as a documentarian during the height of the civil rights movement in the deep south.  Doug heeded the words of his grandfather to honor his native American Nansemond ancestors of Virginia and those of the former Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples of the deep south at the same time he was honoring the struggle of yet another group of American people to find their place on this great continent. Doug is the retired Deputy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer/Preservationist for Ceremonial Landscapes for the Narragansett Indian Tribe. He is a preservationist of ceremonial landscapes and helps communities request the preservation of ceremonial landscapes through the National Register of Historic Places, legislation so lately enacted some 30 years ago to protect such places of cultural and spiritual significance. We discussed a variety of evidence of animal stone effigies, stone groupings that assist to keep celestial time and the reasons for the grandfather stones, in our English, that were placed in many cases more than 3000 years ago. In part II of our two part episode we'll focus on the mounting evidence for major activity along what is now submerged continental shelf territory off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. To learn more of Submerged Landscapes click here

Fr Doug joins the Sons of Thunder and reveals ALL the secrets of perpetual eucharistic adoration, as well as a miracles extravaganza fest.  And after some whining, Jesus gives Sam peanut butter when he needed it most - not joking.  Listening will probably be your best spent hour this week.  I couldn't make it any shorter. - Marty

This week Peter resumes his conversation with Doug Harris who explains how Pipe Grafting can yield impressive results, tells the story of his businesses' roots and shares some of the questions he's been asked and most baffled by. Elsewhere Peter has news and is stumped by a listener's question. If you have the answer or would like to send your own question or message to Peter, write to: Thisweekinthegarden@gmail.comYou can visit Doug's website here: https://penwoodnurseries.co.uk/wp/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lt. Governor of the State of Hawai'i Josh Green on limiting the spread of COVID-19 as schools prepare for the academic school year; Doug Harris of the Harris Agency and Food Gurus Hawaii on a new restaurant index tracking trends across our islands; retired political science professor Neal Milner on police issues in our state; and Sarah Styan of the Kauai Community Science Center and Ellen McCallie of the National Science Foundation on how to get involved with citizen science.

Em duas semanas, Doug Harris vai se casar com a mulher dos seus sonhos, mas o problema é que ele não tem padrinhos para a ocasião. Desesperado, Doug contrata uma empresa especializada em providenciar padrinhos para noivos que não têm amigos. Este mini podcast pretende te ajudar a escolher o que assistir hoje no no seu aplicativo de streaming. Afinal, quantas vezes você já se viu paralisado em frente à tela inicial dos aplicativos sem saber o que escolher diante das tantas opções disponíveis? Abra a playlist deste podcast no seu tocador, selecione o modo aleatório e deixe a sorte decidir afinal o que assistir hoje. Com Marina Mentz. Este podcast é uma produção de Bisque Laboratório Criativo.

Veteran DEI subject matter expert Doug Harris joins us for our next Expert Interview on The Generational View. This Greatest of All Time comes with a lot of knowledge and an equal or greater amount of personality! It's important to understand how DEI work has evolved over time so we can pave the road for the future, and there's no better person to have this conversation with than Doug!   Our Guest Doug is a proud Baby Boomer who is a father, a mentor, a DEI maverick and an all around phenomenal human being. He is the Chief Executive Officer of The Kaleidoscope Group and has assisted organizations with successfully managing culture change and creating inclusion for over 30 years.   What they'll hear in this episode How Doug began his work in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion space (1:03) How DEI work has evolved over the past 30 years from Doug's perspective (3:49) What it looks like to hold leadership accountable in midst of cancel culture (12:43) How we create collaboration across generations and racial backgrounds inside of the DEI space (30:20) He also almost makes me cry (33:10)   Additional Resources The Kaleidoscope Group D&I (Diversity and Inclusion) Training and Consulting Chicago (kgdiversity.com)

Cock-a-doodle-doo fra Lockhart, Texas Efter min fantastiske tid i Houston, hvor jeg blev vist rundt af min gode ven, Doug Harris, tog jeg til min næste destination i Texas. Min GPS viste vej til en lille by langt ude på landet syd for Austin, hvor jeg skulle bo alene de næste ti dage. Ja, ikke helt alene, for der er mange farlige koral slanger, og hvis de bider mig, kan jeg dø. Og de nærmeste naboer er begge døve, så de vil ikke kunne høre mit råb efter hjælp, hvis en sulten slange skulle få lyst til at smage min delikate danske hud. Noget af en velkomst, ikk'? SSSSSSLANGER I LOCKHART Mary og Charley har et charmerende hus på landet udenfor Lockhart. De skal på en lille ferie, og havde brug for nogen til at passe deres hus, katte og planter. Så de har bedt mig om at være deres 'trusted housesitter'. Mens de viser mig rundt og fortæller mig, hvad jeg skal gøre og hvor alting er, fortæller de mig også om de forskellige farer herude på landet i Texas. De har nogle dyr omkring, som er meget forskellig fra da jeg selv boede ude på landet i Danmark. Mary fortæller mig for eksempel, hvad der kan ske, når jeg træder udenfor.   ”Når du går udenfor, så hold øjnene åbne. Vi har måtte slå et par koral slanger. Vi har tit måtte slå et par stykker ihjel. De er meget giftige, men de har en lille mund, så du skal være meget uheldig, men pas alligevel på. Og så er de i øvrigt sorte, røde og gule… og meget smukke”. Smukke er da én måde at beskrive dem. Jeg hørte en fyr på YouTube beskrive dem som “... den mest giftige slange i USA, og de har et meget potent gift, som er mere farlig end nogen af klapperslangerne i Texas, og at man kan dø ved lammelse af din membran: dybest set kvæles du ihjel”. Skønt at vide… Ifølge Mary og Charley er det ikke noget at bekymre sig om. Søde ældre Mary siger henkastet ”vi slår dem bare ihjel”, og da jeg spørger hvad jeg skal gøre, hvis jeg ser én, siger Charley: ”du ka' bare la' den være, eller slå den ihjel, hvis du skulle få lyst til det… det er det den lille skovl er til”. Mens de taler, tænker jeg bare ”jeg har aldrig slået så meget som en snog ihjel og jeg har absolut ingen planer om at blive koral-slange-morder på dette tidspunkt af mit liv”. Men de er jo ganske små, og jeg tænker samtidig, at jeg da er glad for at der ikke er større slanger heromkring. Men så siger Charley: ”Vi har også klapperslanger og prærieulve”. Fedt… Klapperslanger! Mary mærker min nervøsitet og siger, at det er længe siden, at de har set nogen. Men det hører Charlie, og minder hende om, at det da kun er et par måneder siden, at han sidst havde slået en ihjel. I sandhed et interessant sted med nogle interessante dyr. Så træder vi indenfor i deres hus, hvor de eneste dyr er søde katte og lidt edderkopper. Jeg lærer kattene at kende og de får at vide, at jeg er deres ”mad-mor” de næste ti dage. Charlie tager mig også med på en gåtur udenfor, hvor han fortæller mig, hvilke planter, der skal vandes hvor meget og hvor tit. Jeg lytter efter og er opmærksom, men må samtidig indrømme, at jeg kiggede ned, så ikke jeg satte foden i nærheden af en koral slange eller noget andet farligt. LIDT SYD FOR UNDERLIGT Kan du huske det uofficielle slogan for Austin: ”Keep Austin Weird”? Lockhar er omkring 30 miles syd for Austin, så de lokale siger, at de bor ”omkring 30 miles syd for weird”. Faktisk har Charley dette stående på en t-shirt. Og ”weird” er stavet forkert. Underligt. LOCKHAR ER BARBECUE HOVEDSTAD I TEXAS Inden jeg blev vist rundt i deres hus, havde Mary og Charley taget mig med på en fantastisk BBQ-restaurant. Og det er en stor ting her, da Lockhart er Barbecue Hovedstaden i Texas. Og det er ganske officielt, og noget de blev udråbt til af den lokale regering i Texas i 1999. Og det er almindeligt kendt i staten. Hver gang jeg har nævnt for andre texanere, at jeg skulle til Lockhart, er deres øjne lyst op og de har sagt, at jeg skulle glæde mig til deres barbecue. Lockhart har fire berømte barbecue restauranter: Kreuz Market, Black's Barbecue, Chisholm Trail BBQ, and så den, Mary og Charley tog mig med på, Smitty's Market. Lokale anbefaler, at man tager på tur til dem alle fire – men på tom mave medbringende gode venner og masser af servietter. For man bruger ikke gaffel her. Du kan få en kniv til at skære i kødet og en ske til at spise tilbehør med. Men ingen gaffel. Det er forventet, at du spiser med dine fingre og bruger brødet til at samle ting med. Da vi trådte indenfor, lugter man straks røgen fra det åbne ildsted, og samtidig var det som at træde tilbage i tiden. Smitty's Market ligger faktisk, hvor en af deres konkurrenter, Kreuz Market lå inden de flyttede til deres nuværende placering. Faktisk var det en søster til ejeren af Kreuz, der startede Smitty's efter et skænderi i familien. Men det er ret specielt, at der er så mange fantastiske BBQ-restauranter i denne lille by. Det giver Mary mig ret i: ”Det er en meget lille by, med bare 14.000 indbyggere. Det er også en meget latinamerikansk by, hvor mange har boet her i mange generationer. Vi har også en meget speciel retsbygning, der er blevet brugt i mange film og serier, fordi ligner noget fra gamle dage”. FAKTA OM LOCKHART Lockhart er opkaldt efter Byrd Lockhart, som var en landmåler og efter sigende den første europæer, der satte sine fødder i Caldwell County tilbage i 1800-tallet. Lockhart var stedet for et stort slag, hvor texanerne kæmpede mod Comanche stammen ved Plum Creek i 1840. Faktisk hed byen Plum Creek i starten, men blev senere omdøbt. The Caldwell County Courthouse er utrolig smukt, og du vil måske kunne genkende det fra mange film og tv-serier – som f.eks. Waiting for Guffman, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Faculty, Transformers og HBO-serien The Leftovers. Og en sidste ting: Byen har intet med Glitterik Smørhår at gøre. Du ved Gilderoy Lockhart fra Harry Potter. HOUSESITTING ALENE HJEMME I LOCKHART Jeg fik sendt Mary og Charley afsted på deres ferie, og jeg havde huset alene med kattene de næste ti dage. Jeg har passet huse og kæledyr før, men hvis ikke du har hørt de episoder, så lad mig lige minde dig om, hvad ”Housesitting” er for en størrelse. Det er hvor husejere (som Mary og Charley) lader nogen bo gratis i deres hus, mens de er ude at rejse, mod at housesittere (som mig) ser efter deres hus og passer deres kæledyr, planter og andet, der skal holdes styr på. I dette tilfælde har vi fundet hinanden på den hjemmeside, der hedder TrustedHousesitters.com. Der er ingen penge, der skifter hænder. De får nogen, der passer på deres hus og dyr, og jeg får et sted at bo. I det hele taget er det en god ting for alle parter. De har endda givet mig lov til at låne nøglerne til deres personbil og truck. For sådan én har man jo i Texas. I det hele taget er det godt at være mobil herude på landet, da det er 8 km fra den næsteste by Lockhart. LARMENDE HANER Den næste morgen – som I “tiiiiiiiidliiiigt” næste morgen vågende jeg til lyden af højlydte kyklikyyyyyyy. Naboen opdrætter haner til hanekamp. Denne ikke særlige dyrevenlige sport er forbudt i Texas, men det er åbenbart ikke forbudt at opdrætte dem, for herefter at eksportere dem til et sted, hvor det er tilladt at sende haner i kamp med det formål at hugge hinanden til døde. Ikke særligt charmerende, hvis du spørger mig.   Og hvis du tror, at haner kun galer om morgenen, så tro om igen. Det foregår hele den lange dag og flere hundrede haner kan i den grad lave larm. Hane-farm-ejerne har tilsyneladende ikke noget problem med det. De er begge stokdøve. PAUL WEYLAND En af de næste morgener fodrede jeg kattene og kørte et par timer nordpå for at besøge en anden god gammel ven. Som det var tilfældet med Doug Harris i Houston, så kender jeg også denne texaner fra min tid i radiobranchen. Han hedder Paul Weyland og faktisk var vi alle tre sammen i Mumbai, Indien, hvor vi alle var foredragsholdere på en konference. Og som Doug er Paul også en fantastisk foredragsholder og en meget interessant og underholdende mand. Så jeg blev bare nødt til at besøge ham, når nu jeg var i nærheden. Da vi så hinanden sidst, boede han i Austin, men nu er han flyttet ud i naturen og ombygget sine bedsteforældres hus ved bredden af Lyndon B. Johnson søen i Sunrise Beach Village. “Da vi boede i Austin, var det i gåafstand til den store park, hvor Austin City Limits Music Festival finder sted. Vores hus var måske kun fire minutters køretir fra centrum, men vi blev trætte af trafikken og trængte til at komme lidt væk fra byen. Så vi solgte det, og flyttede her ud til vores sø-hus, som vi har arvet fra min bedstefar. Tidligere brugte vi det bare som sommerhus, men blev så enige om, at det ville være et perfekt sted at bo. Det er et mindre og meget roligt bysamfund. Det er ret tæt på Austin, men stadig lidt væk fra de mange mennesker. Vi renoverede lidt på huset, men blev så enige om, at det ville være bedre at jævne det med jorden og starte helt forfra. Vi fjernede endda fundamentet, så det er et helt nyt hus. Dog har vi taget enkelte elementer fra det gamle hus, så der stadig er noget nostalgisk ved det”. Det er blevet så specielt og smukt, at det er blevet omtalt i et amerikansk ”Bo Bedre”, en populær hjemmeside for specielle design-huse ved navn Dwell. Billederne af Pauls hus er taget af en fotograf fra Austin, Chase Daniel. Besøg ham på Instagram og på ChaseDaniel.co. Efter et glas vand og en rundvisning i det specielle hus med egen bådebro, tager Paul mig på en køretur i området. Vi kommer først igennem Sandy Mountains og oplever en utrolig udsigt over søen og området. Paul gætter på, at det vil tage det meste af en dag at køre hele vejen rundt om søen og måske 6 timer fra den ene ende til den anden. Det er en kunstig sø, som har en dæmning i hver ende, der genererer elektricitet. Han fortæller mig også, at hele dette område var engang Comanche land. Comanche stammen var ifølge Paul ret brutale. Måske ikke overraskende, når de kæmpede for at beholde deres land for sig selv, da det blev invaderet af folk fra Europa. Paul fortæller mig, at han boede i Europa i tre år, og her var der ofte folk, der sagde, at de var begyndt at opleve ”det amerikanske problem med indvandring”. Hver gang mindede han dem om, at amerikanerne jo selv er indvandrere. Det USA, vi kender i dag, er bygget op primært europæisk indvandring. Paul selv, er født og opvokset i USA, men han har rødder fra både Skotland, Tyskland, Alsace i Frankrig og sikkert også andre steder. Hans familie har endda også blod fra den oprindelige befolkning i Nordamerika. Jeg siger til ham, at jeg helt sikkert er 100% viking. Men siden min køretur med Paul, har eg faktisk fået taget en af de her ”Heritage DNA-tests” og fundet ud af, at jeg kun er 98% skandinav. Jeg har rent faktisk også 2%, der enten er græsk eller syditaliensk. Hvordan i alverden det er havnet i mit blod, står hen i det uvisse. Men måske er det netop vikingerne, der på et togt i Middelhavet har taget mere med hjem til Danmark end guld og sølv. Og så er det blevet udvandet af midtjysk blod gennem tiderne. Det er ikke til at vide. Jeg fortsætter min køretur og snak med Paul Weyland i den næste episode. Mit navn er Palle Bo, og jeg skal videre. Vi ses.

Cock-a-doodle-doo from Lockhart, Texas After my wonderful time in Houston being shown around by my good friend Doug Harris, I headed to my next destination in the state of Texas. My GPS led me to the middle of nowhere in rural farmland Texas where I will be staying alone for the next few days. Well, not entirely alone: this area has loads of coral snakes and if they bite you, you can die. Oh, and my new neighbours are apparently deaf so they wouldn't even be able to hear my death screams if I ever crossed a hungry snake looking to taste my delicate Danish skin. Quite a welcome, right? SSSSSNAKES IN LOCKHART  Mary and Charley own this charming country house in rural Lockhart, a small city south of Austin. They're going away for a few days and need someone to take care of their cats, house, and plants. So, they asked me to be their trusted house-sitter. While showing me around and giving me strict instructions on what to do and where everything is, they also tell me a bit about the dangers out here in the countryside of Texas. They have some animals roaming around that I'm not used to from when I lived in the countryside of Denmark. Like coral snakes when you step out the door, Mary tells me. “When you walk out the door, be sure to always look out as we have had to kill coral snakes on two separate occasions right here on our porch. They are very, very poisonous. They have tiny mouths, so they have to get you real' good for it to be dangerous, but still, be careful. And they're very pretty: black, red, and yellow.” Pretty is one way to describe them. This guy on YouTube describes them as “...the most venomous snake in the United States and they have a very potent neurotoxin, more potent than any of the rattlesnakes around Texas, and you can die by the paralysis of your diaphragm: basically, you suffocate to death”. Delightful. Well, no big deal for Mary and Charley apparently, as they “just kill them” sweet Mary says very casually. Charley adds that I can just leave them alone or kill them too if I want to… “that's what the shovel is for.” During all this, I was thinking to myself: “I've never killed a coral snake before, and I don't really want to start my coral snake-killing spree now. And I wonder how long I will have to live if I get bitten living out here all by myself?”. But they are pretty, very small, and they must bite me in a soft spot of skin like my hand or my bare feet. Thank God there aren't any bigger, more dangerous snakes around here. Oh, there are? “There are also rattlesnakes around here and cayotes,” says Charley.  Oh, great. Rattlesnakes. Even though Mary tries to calm me down by saying that they haven't encountered one in ages. To which Charley was quick to remind her that he killed one only two months prior… This is truly an interesting place with interesting animals around. So, we step inside, and they show me around the house where the only animals are cute cats...and a few spiders. I introduced myself to their cats that I was going to be taking care of before my hosts guide me through what I need to know about keeping everything going. Charley then takes me for a walk outside and tells me which plants out there I need to water and how much. I was listening and paying attention…but mostly looking down on the ground to make sure I wasn't stepping on a coral snake or any other dangerous creature. Charley tells me more about the dangers: “Coral snakes are very poisonous. And rattlesnakes are too but not as much, and they tend to warn you before striking. They have a strike distance that is the length of their body. Be sure to listen out for their tail rattle. We also have raccoons. They can be very mean, especially if you corner them. They look cute but I wouldn't want to corner a mom with her babies. They sometimes come to visit us on our front porch”. SOUTH OF WEIRD Remember the unofficial slogan for Austin: “Keep Austin Weird”? Well, Lockhart is about 30 miles south of Austin, so locals like Charley say they live “about 30 miles south of weird”. In fact, Charley even has a t-shirt that has this slogan on it, but with the ‘weird' spelled incorrectly. Weird. LOCKHART IS THE BBQ CAPITAL Before I met up with Mary and Charley at their country home, they took me to an amazing BBQ restaurant. Yes, Lockhart is known as the Barbecue Capital of Texas. And it's official, something the Texas Legislature proclaimed them as in 1999. Whenever I told anyone in Texas that I was going to Lockhart their faces lit up and they started talking about barbecue. Lockhart is home to four famous barbecue joints: Kreuz Market, Black's Barbecue, Chisholm Trail BBQ, and the place we went to, Smitty's Market. Locals suggest you arrive armed with your appetite, good friends, and plenty of napkins. Mary tells me that it is frowned upon to eat your BBQ here with a knife and fork, and no sauce. You should eat it instead with your hands and with bread. As soon as we walked inside, I felt like I was walking into history. Actually, one of the competitors, Kreuz Market, was located at this spot before they moved to its current location. And it was the sister of the owner of Kreuz that opened Smitty's Market after they had a family disagreement.  But it is quite remarkable that this city has so many incredible barbecue joints for such a small place. MARY ON LOCKHART “It's small, with a population of only 14,000. It's a very Hispanic town, with families being here for generations. We have a few fancy courthouses that have been used in many movies and series because they all look mid-century”. FACTS ABOUT LOCKHART The city of Lockhart is named after Byrd Lockhart, an assistant surveyor (someone who takes measurements and maps an area). Reportedly he was the first Anglo to set foot in Caldwell County in the 1800s. Lockhart was the victory site for the Texans over the Comanche at the Battle of Plum Creek in 1840. In fact, Lockhart was originally called Plum Creek, but the name was later changed to Lockhart. The Caldwell County Courthouse is absolutely stunning, and you may recognise it from being featured in various TV shows and films (Waiting for Guffman, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Faculty, Transformers, and the HBO series The Leftovers. And one final thing: it's got nothing to do with Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter (I checked). HOME ALONE IN LOCKHART Mary and Charley left for their vacation, and I had the house and the cats to myself for the next 10 days. I've housesat before but in case you haven't heard listened to those previous episodes or are wondering what housesitting is, let me quickly explain.  It's where people like Mary and Charley let someone stay in their home for a few days/weeks/months while they go on holiday or something and get ‘housesitters' like me to look after their pets, water their plants, provide general upkeep, etc. In this case, we found each other on TrustedHousesitters.com.   There's a mutual agreement that I get to stay in the house while they are away in exchange for doing a few things. In this case, it's taking care of their cats and making sure that their plants are alive when they come back. No money changes hands. They get someone to look after their house, pets, and plants, and I get a place to stay for free. They even gave me the keys to their car and their truck. And a car is handy because we're in the countryside down a dirt road, 5 miles southeast of Lockhart. BUNCH OF COCKS  The next morning, like eeeeaaaarrrllyyyy in the morning, I was woken up by the delightful, sweet melodies of LOUD COCKS cock-a-doodle-doo-ing. The neighbours of Mary and Charley breed cocks for cockfighting, despite it being illegal in this state. So, they breed them, train them like miniature gladiators, then truck them to a nearby state where people place bets on which cock will win. Charming.   And the cocks don't only cock in the morning: it's an ALL DAY affair which the neighbours don't mind because, well, they're deaf. PAUL WEYLAND I fed the cats and then headed two hours north to visit another good friend, Paul Weyland, a Texan whom I also know from the radio industry. In fact, Doug, Paul, and I met in Mumbai a few years back when we all were speakers at a conference. And like Doug, Paul is also an amazing public speaker and an interesting man. So, I just had to pay him a visit now that I was here in Texas. Paul's house is quite unique: so special, in fact, that it has been featured in Dwell, a popular website for unique house designs. Pictures of Paul's LBJ Lakehouse in Sunrise Beach Village, TX are by Austin-based photographer Chase Daniel. Visit him on Instagram and on ChaseDaniel.co. After a quick tour of the beautiful house on the edge of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, he takes me for a drive around this beautifully idyllic area. But he hasn't always lived here: when I met him, he lived in Austin. “I lived in walking distance to the big park where Austin City Limits music festival is held. We had a house that was maybe 4min by car to downtown and we got tired of the traffic and the city. So, we sold it and moved to the lakehouse which was handed down to me by my grandfather. We only used it as a holiday home but soon we realised that it would be a perfect place to live, with its lovely and quaint community that is still close to Austin but far from the maddening crowd. We started to renovate the house but realised that we had to completely demolish and rebuild due to structural implications, but we wanted to include elements of the old house”. Paul drives me to Sandy Mountain to experience the incredible view of the lake and the neighbourhood. Paul shows me his house from up here. It takes roughly a day's drive to visit each place along the lake, but 6 hours if you go from one end to the other without stopping. It is a man-made reservoir with a dam at either end that generates electricity. This area used to be Comanche land, Paul tells me.   Paul informs me about the history of the Comanches in the area, how they preferred to raid the European settlers than farm for themselves. He tells me that when he lived in Europe for 3 years, some people would talk to him about Europe experiencing “American problems” - referring to the migrant surges. But Paul uses this as an opportunity to inform his ‘friend' that the USA was founded by the bravest and most religious Europeans... Paul tells me that as a natural-born American, his heritage is Scottish, German, Alsace-Lorraine (between France and Germany) and some other mixes, including Native American. In response, I joked that as a Dane, I am 100% Viking... Well, since my drive with Paul I actually had a Heritage DNA test taken and found out that I am only 98% Scandinavian…the remaining 2% is either Greek or Southern Italian. I must say that I was a bit surprised how that had ended up in my bloodline. But then, it might just be due to the Vikings raping and pillaging their way through the Mediterranean Sea back in the day who then brought something back to Denmark from there that just got watered down throughout history. If only I knew… I'll continue my drive and chat with Paul Weyland in the next episode.  But before I go, there are two things I'd like to mention: If you like what you hear, please give this podcast a five-star review in your podcast app… just because it makes me feel good.  And then tell a friend about this podcast. One way you can do it is by going to Facebook.com/TheRadioVagabond and just tag a friend in the post for this episode. Hey, with all the work I do, to give you these episodes totally free, that's the least you can do for me, right…? My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.

Howdy igen fra Houston, Texas Velkommen til den anden halvdel af min dag med Doug Harris – en stolt Houstonian og min gamle ven, som viser mig rundt i sin hjemby. Hvis du endnu ikke har hørt den første halvdel, burde du måske gøre det først, så du er med på, hvad der sker. Gør det bare nu, jeg venter her. Okay…? Velkommen tilbage, lad os springe ud i det. LAKEWOOD CHURCH  Doug og jeg fortsætter vores eventyr i Dougs bil, og vi kommer forbi et populært og anderledes sted i byen: Lakewood Church. Bygningen blev tidligere kaldt The Summit og senere som Compact Center – inden den skiftede navn til Lakewood Church. Det er et sted med plads til 17.000 mennesker, og husede også tidligere NBA-basketball, når Houston Rockets var i kamp. Doug fortæller mig, at han også har været til flere koncerter i denne bygning. Blandt andre har ZZ Top og Aerosmith fået taget til at lette. Men nu er det en kirke. Dog en meget stor kirke, der er anderledes end de fleste. Den hedder Lakewood Church og både kirken og den unge præst, Joel Osteen er til stede på de fleste sociale medier. De har også en app, en podcast og en meget professionel hjemmeside, hvor de både har live-stream og en webshop med masser af bøger fra Joel, hans hustru, Victorie og hans mor Dodie Osteen. HELLIGE FADER OG HANS SØN Kirken blev grundlagt af Joels far, Pastor John Osteen, og mens han kørte den, arbejdede Joel i baggrunden som TV-producer. Da faderen døde overtog Joel ansvaret som Senior Pastor i Lakewood Churck. Jeg tog et kig på deres hjemmeside og så en video fra en gudstjeneste for et par uger siden. Set hverken ligner eller ser ud som en almindelig gudstjeneste i en almindelig kirke. Som Doug fortalte mig, så er det en kæmpe arena med 17.000 sæder og det hele starter med et band på scenen med lys og et hujende publikum. Selve Tv-produktionen er også meget professionel med mange kameravinkler. Det minder mig mere om en X-Factor finale i BOXEN. Da musikken klinger ud og publikum er færdig med at klappe træder Joel og Victorie ind på scenen med hvert sit følgespot – og starter gudstjenesten. En noget anden oplevelse end hvad man ser i en lokal landsbykirke i Danmark en typisk søndag med fem forkølede mennesker. TRADITIONAL TEXAS BBQ Doug tager mig med videre til sin yndlings-frokost-restaurant, Charlies BBQ, så jeg kan smage noget rigtig Texas barbecue. Man mærker straks, at han har været her mange gange, for han hilser varmt på personalet og introducerer mig, så jeg føler mig både velkommen og lidt speciel. Vi går op til grillen og måder ejeren, Fote Demires, som gik i gang med at give mig gode råd om, hvad jeg skulle vælge: ”Du skal absolut prøve vores brisket og grillpølserne er også meget populære. Og spareribs naturligvis.” Jeg følger hans råd, og efter at have konsumeret en kæmpe tallerken med Houston kød bevæger jeg mig tilbage for at tale mere med Fote. ”Vi har været i BBQ-branchen siden før min tid – i omkring 60 år. Som en anden-generations-griller har jeg været i barbecue-branchen i 30 år, siden jeg overtog den fra mine forældre. De immigrerede hertil fra Grækenland, og besluttede sig for at åbne en BBQ-restaurant fordi… ja, det er jo Texas. Hen over årene har vi tilføjet en smule græsk madkultur og tilbyder nu også både gyros og tzatziki”. Efter en fantastisk frokost (med propfyldte maver), kravlede vi tilbage i bilen og fortsatte vores køretur gennem Houston. HUSK THE ALAMO Doug fortæller mig, at Houston er opkaldt efter Texas' første præsident og general, Sam Houston. På et tidspunkt var Texas under mexicansk styre og siden blev det en selvstændig republik. Efter de erklærede sig uafhængige sendt den mexicanske regering en stor hær under ledelse af Antonio López de Santa Anna til at angribe Texas. Men den mexicanske general havde undervurderet hvor stærk Texas' hær var. Den blev ledet af William Barret Travis, som havde samlet en flok frivillige til at hjælpe ham med at holde mexicanerne væk. En af disse frivillige var en folkehelt ved navn Davy Crockett. De holdt skansen ved Slaget ved Alamo i 13 dage mod tusinder af mexicanske soldater i San Antonio i 1836. Doug fortæller videre: ”Det store formål med Slaget ved Alamo var at det gav Sam Houston tid til at træne sine tropper ved den Mexicanske Golf, og iværksætte et overraskelsesangreb på Antonio López de Santa Annas mænd. En eftermiddag mens den mexicanske hær holdt siesta og tog dem alle som fanger. Santa Anna nåede at skifte til en almindelig uniform, så han ikke skulle blive genkendt af de texanske soldater, men blev afsløret da en af hans egne folk tiltalte ham som ‘generalissimo'”.  Hele historien om Davi Crockett og slaget ved Alamo er noget, vi dykker mere ned i, når jeg besøger San Antonio om et par uger. Det er meget fascinerende så bliv her på kanalen. TEXAS GULE ROSE Som det er med et hvert godt folkesagn, så havde Antonio López de Santa Anna på dette tidspunkt, en elskerinde af blandet herkomst. På grund hendes (som de lokale kaldte det) “gule hud” var hun inspiration til den kendte folkesang ”Texas' Gule Rose”. MUSIKKEN I DOUG Og apropos musik, så er Doug den slags person, der konstant går rundt med en melodi i hovedet, og han nynner eller synger konstant. Det er ikke noget, jeg har lagt mærke til før, når jeg har mødt ham rundt omkring i verden, men her (på hans hjemmebane) er det helt tydeligt. Da vi forlod kontoret, nynnede han, i elevatoren sang han, og det fortsatte, da vi gik ud til hans bil. Og det lade ikke til at det på virker ham, at der er folk, der hører ham. For eksempel, da vi mødte personer i elevatoren, lavede han blot en lille pause mellem verset og omkvædet og fik plads til et hurtigt ”howya doin'?”. Han er en mand, der konstant spreder glæde og smil omkring sig. Doug tager mig med til endnu et imponerende sted, der er opkaldt efter byens grundlægger. Den berømte væddeløbsbane, Sam Houston Race Park er vært for mange hestevæddeløb, men også et stort koncertsted, og en prominent turistattraktion i Houston. Mange countrystjerner optræder her. Doug slår mig mere som en fan af 'classic rock' end country. Til det har han disse ord:  ”Jo, jeg er en rocker – jeg voksede op til The Beatles, The Yardbirds og Jimi Hendrix. Desuden tilbragte jeg mange af mine unge år på rock-radiostationer. Jeg havde endda engang et band i min garage, hvor vores bassist var den siden så kendte, Dennis Quaid. Men selvom jeg er en rocker, så vil det være dumt at frasige sig fantastiske sange i andre genre. Og country musikken har nogle helt fantastiske navne som Willie Nelson og Bob Wills. Så jeg vil sige, at jeg kan lide al slags musik. Jeg er dog ikke den helt store rap-fan. Men hvis jeg ka' synge med på det, når det spilles i radioen, ka' jeg li' det”. HOMEWOOD SUITS BY HILTON Doug har fundet et hotel til mig, og skaffet mig en super skarp pris. Det er et såkaldt Homewood Suites, som er en del af Hilton kæden. Det er meget kunstnerisk med smukke malerier i foyeren og et stort vægmaleri bagved poolen. Jeg møder Bruce fra hotellet og beder ham fortælle mere om stedet. Jeg synes, at det er interessant, at det ligger i en del af byen med mange kontorbygninger – og for mig måske ikke er det mest indlysende sted til et hotel. ”Både og… Hilton havde brug for et hotel i denne del af byen, og i den korte tid, vi har været åbne, har det vist sig at være en god beslutning. Vi er bestemt mere et hotel for forretningsrejsende. Vores ejere har bestræbt sig på at skabe et sted med en følelse af et boutique-hotel og har investeret en masse i kunst. Al den kunst du ser på væggene, er af en lokal kunstner, der kalder sig Mr. D. Han er kendt som Houstons største væg-kunstner, og han har også skabt det store vægmaleri, du ser bag ved poolen”. Bruce viste mig også rundt i det i resten af hotellet, der har 125 værelser og et udendørs-køkken og bålplads. Og endnu et stort håndmalet Mr. D vægmaleri, der er som skabt til at tage selfies ved. Og så viste han mig min suite, som var både smuk og meget rummelig. FLERE OPLEVELSER MED MIN VEN DOUG Jeg kom til at hænge ud en dag mere med Doug. Han tog mig blandt andet med til fernisering på en kunstudstilling – og på hans opfordring besøgte jeg et bizart sted: the National Museum of Funeral History. Her kom jeg til at lære en masse om kister og begravelsesoptog gennem tiden, plus en masse om berømte begravelser. De har også en souvenirbutik, hvor de sælger kasketter, kaffekopper, t-shirts og køleskabsmagneter, hvor der står ting som ”en dag over jorden er en god dag”. I sandhed et underligt og lettere morbidt sted. Men interessant og unikt for Houston. NÆSTE STOP: LOCKHART Jeg er glad for, at jeg tog mig tid til at besøge min gamle ven, og præsentere dig for den store texaner. Jeg glæder mig til at vore veje krydser hinanden igen, et eller andet sted på kloden. Og det var det hele fra Houston. Nu skal jeg tilbage til Austin for at aflevere den lækre lille sorte sportsvogn til Gary, og så videre til Lockhart, en mindre by omkring 50 km syd for Austin. Her skal jeg ”house-sitte” – altså passe hus og i dette tilfælde katte og planter. Det er faktisk ikke engang i selve Lockhart, men lidt længere ude på landet. Det er et sted med slanger i græsset og en gård med hundredevis af haner. Den er meget larmende, men ægteparret, der ejer den er ligeglade, da de begge er døve. Mit navn er Palle Bo, og jeg skal videre. Vi ses.

Hello again from Houston, Texas.  Welcome to the second half of my day with Doug Harris — a proud Houstonian and old friend who is taking me around his beloved city. If you missed the release of Part I last week then be sure to give it a listen to get up to speed with my time in Houston with Doug Harris. Let's jump back into it. LAKEWOOD CHURCH  Doug and I continue our adventures through the city in Doug's car, and he takes me to a popular site in the city: Lakewood Church. The building was previously called the Summit (subsequently changed to Compact Center before becoming Lakewood Church), a 17,000-seater venue that used to be the home ground for the Houston Rockets NBA team. It is also where Doug saw ZZ Top and Aerosmith perform live a few years prior, but now it is a very large place for worship. Lakewood Church and Joel Osteen are on all the social media platforms: there's an app, a podcast, and a very slick website where they also live stream that includes a webshop with books from Joel and his wife Victoria, and his mother Dodie. HOLY FATHER AND HIS SON The church was founded by Joel's father, Paster John Osteen, and Joel worked in the background as a TV producer up until his father passed away. When that happened, he stepped up and assumed the role of Senior Pastor at Lakewood Church.  I went to their website and saw a video from a sermon a few weeks ago. It does not look or sound like a regular church. As Doug said, it's an arena with 17,000 seats that starts with a band on stage with lights and a cheering audience. The production itself is very professional. It's like watching X-Factor or a big award show with several camera angles. Then Joel and his wife take the stage. With 17,000 people in the church arena and I don't know how many listening on Sirius XM satellite radio in North America, and a global audience watching the live stream, it's certainly not your average church experience. It is very different from what I grew up with in Denmark, where there would be just a handful of people in my local church on a regular Sunday. TRADITIONAL TEXAS BBQ Doug then took me to one of his favourite places for lunch, Charlies BBQ, where I got to taste some real Texan barbecue. He's a regular there and he introduces me to some of the staff, making me feel welcome and special. We sat down at the grill and the guy behind it who happens to be the owner, Fote Demires, recommended I try the brisket and sausage as they are the most popular choices (apart from the ribs of course). He tells me that brisket is a staple in Texas, and if you head further east, they enjoy pulled pork. After consuming a big plate of various tasty BBQ flavours, I carry on my chat with Fote. “We've been in the BBQ business since before my time — some 60 years. As part of the second generation, I have been involved in operations for 30 years, taking over from my parents. My parents came from Greece and decided to open a BBQ shop because, well, it's Texas. We've infused a bit of our Greece culture into the menu over the years, we offer gyros and make our own tzatziki.” After a delicious lunch, Doug and I get back in the car and continue our Houston road trip adventure. REMEMBER THE ALAMO Doug tells me that Houston was named after Sam Houston, the first president of Texas and general of the Texas army. Texas used to be an independent republic that was once under the dominance of Mexico. After declaring independence from Mexico, the Mexican government sent a large army led by Antonio López de Santa Anna to attack Texas in bitter retaliation.  Despite Santa Anna being an accomplished military tactician, he underestimated the strength of the Texan army led by Colonel William Barret Travis, who called for volunteers to assist his men in warding off the Mexican army's attacks. Famous American frontiersman and folk hero Davy Crockett joined the cause where he and his volunteers took the famous stand at the Battle of the Alamo — a 13-day siege where they battled against thousands of Mexican soldiers in 1836 in San Antonio, Texas,  “The critical purpose of the Battle of the Alamo was that it gave Sam Houston time to train his Texan troops by the Gulf of Mexico to launch a surprise attack on Antonio López de Santa Anna's men. One afternoon while the Mexican army was taking a siesta, Houston's men surprise-attacked and took the Mexican soldiers as prisoners. Apparently, de Santa Anna removed his general's uniform as to not be identified by the Texas army, but his cover was blown when one of his men called him ‘generalissimo'”.  The story with Davy Crockett and the Alamo is something I'll dive more into when I visit San Antonio in a couple of weeks. It's fascinating so stay tuned. YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS As folklore has it, Antonio López de Santa Anna had a mixed-heritage concubine who was with him during this time. Due to her mixed-heritage, she had what locals called ‘yellow skin' and she is the inspiration for the famous folk song The Yellow Rose of Texas.  DOUG THE MUSIC MAN And speaking of music, Doug is the kind of guy who always goes around with music in his head, and he is always humming and singing. I never noticed it before my visit, but as we're leaving his office he was humming in the elevator and singing while walking out to his car.  And he doesn't seem to mind that there are people around him. He's not shy at all and kept singing when we met other people in the freight elevator (great acoustics in there by the way) while maybe adding a “howya doin'?” between the verse and the chorus. He really spreads joy and smiles around him all the time. Doug takes me to yet another impressive place, named after the city's founder, the Sam Houston Race Park. It's a famous horse racing track that also has a large paddock that plays host to music concerts throughout the year. It's a prominent tourist attraction in Houston. Many big country music stars have performed here. Doug strikes me more of a classic rock fan than a country music fan. To this he responded: “Well, I'm a rocker — I was raised in the 60s and 70s on The Beatles, The Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix. Plus I made my bones in rock radio. I had a garage band back in those days and our bass player was a little-known actor called Dennis Quaid. But even though I'm a rocker, it would be silly not to enjoy some great songs from other genres and performers. And country music has some classic performers, like Willie Nelson and Bob Wills. So, I like all music because I'm a student of human nature. But I'm not a huge hip-hop fan. If I can sing along to it on the radio, then I enjoy it.” HOMEWOOD SUITS BY HILTON Doug found a hotel for me and was able to strike a deal with them for a better rate. It's a Homewood Suites by Hilton, and it's very artistic with a big mural on the wall behind the pool and a lot of art in the lobby. I meet Bruce from the hotel and wants him to tell me more about the place. It's in a part of the city that is more a corporate area with a lot of big companies and to me, it's not the obvious location for a hotel. “There was a need for a Hilton in this part of town, and in the short period of time that we have been open, we have seen the true value of our presence in this area. We are definitely more of a corporate-focused hotel. Our owners have tried to install more of a boutique flavour through the artwork they have installed. All of the art that you see on the walls is done by Mr. D of Houston, known as ‘Houston's largest muralist', who also did the hotel's exterior murals.”  Bruce was kind enough to show me around the 125-room hotel, including the outdoor kitchen, firepit, and another Mr. D mural hand-painted specifically for selfies. He showed me to my suite which was beautiful and very large.  MORE ADVENTURES WITH DOUG I got to hang out with Doug some more the next day. We went to an art gallery opening, and I followed his recommendation to visit the National Museum of Funeral History where I got to learn about caskets and coffins, hearses through history, plus the funerals of Presidents, Popes, and celebrities. They also had a gift shop selling caps, mugs, t-shirts, and magnets saying something like: “Any day above ground is a good one”. A really weird and kinda morbid place. But interesting… NEXT STOP: LOCKHART I'm so glad I got to spend some time with my old friend Doug and can't wait to see him again soon somewhere in the world. Maybe we'll share a room again, purely in the “interest of camaraderie and economics”. That's it from Houston. Now I'm heading back to Austin and returning the cool convertible sports car to Gary, and then heading a bit south of the city to the little town called Lockhart, where I'm housesitting. Well, it's actually not in Lockhart but in a nice little house in the countryside – with dangerous snakes in the grass, and next to a noisy rooster farm with deaf owners. My name is Palle Bo, and I got to keep moving. See you.

In this podcast, this is the third installment of our Hall of Fame series, where we feature two of our eight 2021 inductees. These distinguished individuals were honored at our annual Boca conference and we thank them for their contributions to our industry. This podcast features industry veteran Doug Harris and former president of CME Group Bryan Durkin.

Velkommen tilbage til Houston, Texas Jeg fik sagt farvel til mine nye venner Jeanie og Big Ed i deres trailerpark i Houston, og hoppede ned i min sexede åbne sportsvogn for at besøge en gammel ven, Doug Harris. Han havde sat mig stævne på sit kontor. Jeg kender Doug som en Marketing Consultant, der har firmaet Creative Animal, hvor han arbejder med radiostationer. De seneste 20 år har han også drevet Noisemaker Communications, hvor han og sit team også hjælper andre brancher med at lave noget larm og skabe opmærksomhed. Doug er verdensberømt fos sine skøre, kreative og larmende idéer. Et eksempel er fra da en Star Wars film havde premiere og en radiostation (på hans opfordring) tilbød 1000 dollars til den første lytter, der legalt ville ændre sit navn til Obi-Wan Kenobe. Det gav dem en masse medieomtale for radiostationen – og det er en idé, der siden er blevet kopieret af stationer verden rundt. Jeg kan også huske, at han har fortalt mig om sin yndlingsidé, som dog aldrig blev ført ud i livet – fordi kunden fik kolde fødder. Han repræsenterede et firma, der laver barbermaskiner, og han foreslog, at de skulle indrykke en helsidesannonce, hvor de tilbød Fidel Castro en million dollars for at barbere sit ikoniske fuldskæg af med deres barbermaskine. Kunden var bekymret – for hvad nu, hvis den kommunistiske leder i Cuba sagde ja til denne kapitalistiske bestikkelse? Efter min (og Dougs) mening ville det have skabt så meget medieomtale, at det ville være mange millioner værd. Det er den slags tossede kreative idéer, der opstår inde i hjernen på denne mand, du skal møde i dag. Så spænd sikkerhedsselen… MØDER EN GAMMEL VEN I HOUSTON, TEXAS "Houston is a cruel, crazy town on a filthy river in East Texas with no zoning laws and a culture of sex, money and violence. It's a shabby, sprawling metropolis ruled by brazen women, crooked cops and super-rich pansexual cowboys who live by the code of the West — which can mean just about anything you need it to mean, in a pinch." Dette citat er fra den berømte amerikanske journalist og forfatter, Hunter S. Thompson. Efter en varm velkomst og en bamse-krammer fra min gamle ven, sprang vi ned i hans bil og startede med at mindes de mange gange, vi har mødt hinanden. En af gangene var ved en NAB radiokonference I London, hvor vi endte med at dele et hotelværelse … ”udelukkende for kammeratskabet og økonomien”, som Doug udtrykker det. Vi har også set hinanden i Mumbai, Indien, hvor vi begge var talere på en konference – kort efter at den indiske regering havde tilladt private at drive radiostationer. Og det er kun et par af de steder, vi har set hinanden rundt omkring i verden. Faktisk har jeg selv hyret ham og fløjet ham til Odense for at sprede lidt glæde og kreativitet til fynske reklamefolk. Så det er helt fantastisk at møde denne store texaner på sin egen hjemmebane her i Houston. Noget af det første Doug fortæller mig på vores køretur, er at Houston har et af de fineste hospitaler i verden, Texas Medical Center, som modtager mange patienter fra hele verden. Houston har også et meget stort teater område – her i USA er det faktisk kun overgået af New York City, når man tæller antal sæder. Desuden har de ”den bedste mexicanske mad og barbecue på planeten”. Lige det med den mexicanske mad, kender jeg dog en mexicaner, der vil være uenig i… men det et noget, jeg vil undersøge nærmere, når jeg kommer til Mexico om en månedstid. Doug er, som du måske allerede har opfanget, en sand ”houstonian”. Han elsker og kender sin by igtig godt, så han er den perfekte turguide for mig, mens vi er på vej til sin yndlingsrestaurant, Charlie's BBQ for at få mig til at konsumere noget originalt Texas BBQ. ”Denne by er utrolig mangfoldig. Vi har et stort antal spansktalende og et voksende asiatisk samfund i byen, som består af personer fra Kina, Korea, Japan og Vietnam. Det er alle sammen folk, der har fundet deres hjem her, fordi Houston er et sted, der tager imod andre kulturer. Det giver os en fantastisk blanding af kultur, mennesker og sprog – og der er masser af muligheder her. Noget af det specielle ved Houston er, at vi gør alting større og bedre her…” Dette er blot en smule af det, som Doug fortæller mig om sin by indenfor de første par minutter. Han tilføjer, at han godt er klar over, at det er lidt kontroversielt, men dog også, at USA er bygget på indvandring. Det gælder også ham selv. Han er født her, men hans forældre er indvandrere fra Grækenland. BEGRAVELSESMUSEUM Vi kommer langt omkring på kort tid i vores samtale, og pludselig fortæller han mig om et bizart museum, som han opfordrer mig til at besøge: National Museum of Funeral History. Glæd dig til næste episode, hvor jeg følger denne opfordring. UNDERLIGE FAKTA OM HOUSTON, TEXAS De færreste af dem, der bor i Houston, er fra Houston. Hvis du spørger folk på gaden, hvor de er fra er det faktisk de færreste, der vil svare Houston; de fleste er fra en anden by, en anden stat eller måske fra et helt andet land. Houston har et stort underjordisk tunnel-gang-system. Det er omkring seks meter under jorden og er over 11 km langt.   Der er ingen skrap byplanlægning her. Du kan sagtens se en sexshop ved siden af en stor herskabsvilla, ved siden af en skole, ved siden af et buddhisttempel. Du ser ikke mange her med cowboystøvler og Stetson hatte. Og det er fordi de ikke er rigtige cowboys. Den eneste undtagelse er, når de har deres årlige rodeosæson – så ifører de sig de fineste støvler, hatte og de største prangende bæltespænder, de kan få fingre i, og lader som om de er rigtige cowboys og cowgirls. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo er et af de største rodeoshows i verden. Denne månedlange event tiltrækker mere end 2,5 millioner deltagere hvert år. Og endelig: Opgiv på forhånd at gøre noget ved dit hår i august. Fugtigheden vinder – hver gang.  DOUG HARRIS = SÆBEBOBLER Meget ofte, når jeg har oplevet Doug som taler på konferencer rundt omkring i verden har han medbragt bobler. Han taler tit om, hvordan man skaber et kreativt miljø på en kedelig arbejdsplads, og én af de ting han anbefaler (efter slik, donuts og sodavand) er altid sæbebobler. Jeg husker, den europæiske konference i London (hvor vi delte et hotelværelse). Her havde han 4-500 mennesker i sin hule hånd, mens de blæste bobler. Hele det store lokale var fyldt med sæbebobler … og vi følte os meget kreative. Og han bemærker ofte, når andre har fået en god idé. Og det sker også, mens vi kører rundt i Houston. Her bemærker han et skilt, som er fra en møbelbutik, der har en god idé. ”Hvis du køber en madras ved os og vores lokale hold Houston Astros vinder World Series, giver vi dig alle pengene tilbage.” Sådan noget som det, er ifølge Doug en god idé – for selvom det er en satsning, så er det noget, der kan få folk til at snakke – og madras-sælgeren fremstår som en god lokalpatriot. På vores køretur gennem byen peger han – og kommenterer på mange af de ting, vi kører forbi, som kan være svært at fange på skrift. Så hvis du vil have det fulde udbytte, så tryk på play og lyt. FRISØR-SALON-BAR Doug har ikke meget hår (men dog mere end mig), så han trænger til en trimning. Derfor laver vi et hurtigt stop og jeg bliver placeret i baren og får en kop kaffe. Ja, dette er en frisørsalon med en bar. Meget anderledes end nogen anden frisørsalon, jeg har været i. The Gents Place, som den hedder, er et sted, du absolut skulle overveje, at besøge, hvis du trænger til en klipning, en hovedmassage, at få vokset de små hår i næsen eller ørerne, at få pudset dine sko – eller bare har lyst til at komme væk fra kvinden i dit liv et par timer og hænge ud med andre mænd. Som de skriver på deres hjemmeside: ”En god klipning er kun begyndelsen”. Se denne video om stedet. Alissa fra The Gents Place siger: "Vi sælger en oplevelse, og ikke kun en klipning. Mænd kan hænge ud I vores bar og få et par drinks før eller efter arbejde. Og mange kommer hertil for at komme væk fra konen et par timer”. På deres website skriver de: Enjoy a place where distinguished gentlemen gather for conversation and drinks while receiving luxury grooming services such as steamed towel treatments, neck and shoulder massages, and facial hair maintenance. With our men's grooming clubs, we strive to bring back the gentleman in all of us. Life is not an errand, nor should we treat it as such. When it prompts us to attend a task with regularity, we might as well attend to it while surrounded by like-minded gentlemen, complimentary top-shelf drinks, and curated advice. Such is the path to looking our best, feeling our best, and becoming our best. BUFFALO BAYOU Den nyklippede Doug og jeg fortsatte ned i downtown Houston for at besøge Buffalo Bayou – en skøn park, med stier og en lille flod, hvor byens beboer kan sejle kajak og nyde udendørslivet i midten af byen. Doug er den slags person, der er god til at falde i snak med fremmede på gaden. Han har bare en aura omkring sig, der siger ”hey, jeg er flink, tal til mig”. Og det er ikke noget, han gør sig umage for – det er bare sådan, han er. Som da vi møder nogen med en hund, starter han en samtale så let som ingenting. Det er som om, at han giver en Master Class i, hvordan man gør: Snakker med hunden. Hilser på ejerne, introducerer mig og siger, at han er i gang med at vise mig rundt. Giver hunden flere komplimenter. Jeg er ret sikker på, at Doug ikke vil synes, at det var noget særligt, men jeg var imponeret, og jeg synes, at disse få sekunder meget godt opsummerer, hvilken positiv udadvendt person, han er. Tilbage i bilen fortæller han mig mere om alt, hvad vi kører forbi – for eksempel en bygning, de kalder The Heartbreak Hotel og en udendørs park, der har aircondition. Man kan mærke, at han elsker at fortælle om sin by, og han har meget mere, han vil dele, så der kommer en del 2 af min dag med Doug i Houston. Mit navn er Palle Bo, og jeg skal videre. Vi ses.

Welcome back to Houston, Texas.  After leaving my new friends Jeanie and Big Ed in their trailer park in Houston, I jumped back into my sexy hired sports car to see an old friend of mine, Doug Harris. We made plans to meet at his office.  I got to know Doug as a Broadcast Marketing Consultant for his company Creative Animal. For the past 20 years, he has also been running Noisemaker Communications. Here, he and his team work with businesses that want to make some noise and grab some attention. Doug is known for his crazy, creative, noise-making ideas. For instance, when one of the Star Wars films was about to premiere, he came up with the idea to offer $1,000 to the first listener that would legally change their name to Obi-Wan Kenobe. That got them some attention for his client's radio station, and the idea was later copied by stations all over. And I remember him telling me about his all-time favourite publicity stunt that never saw the light of day as the client got cold feet. He represented an electric razor company and pitched the idea of taking out a full-page ad in the newspaper offering Fidel Castro $1 million to shave his beard with their electric razor. The client was worried – what if the leader of communist Cuba actually took a capitalist bribe to shave his famous beard? It's ideas like these that pop up in the mind of this man that you're about to meet. So, strap in… MEETING AN OLD FRIEND IN HOUSTON, TEXAS "Houston is a cruel, crazy town on a filthy river in East Texas with no zoning laws and a culture of sex, money and violence. It's a shabby, sprawling metropolis ruled by brazen women, crooked cops and super-rich pansexual cowboys who live by the code of the West – which can mean just about anything you need it to mean, in a pinch." These are words by famous American journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson. After receiving a warm and friendly welcome from my old friend, we jumped into his car and immediately began reminiscing. Doug and I met at a NAB radio event in London years ago and ended up sharing a hotel room "purely in the interest of camaraderie and economics". Our paths again crossed in Mumbai a few years later when the Indian government had just launched independent radio. We've certainly been to some interesting places together. And here we are together again in Doug's hometown of Houston. Doug tells me a few interesting facts about Houston, such as it is home to one of the finest medical centres in the world, Texas Medical Center, which receives many patients from all over the world. Houston is also home to a fabulous theatre district, second only to New York City (when you calculate the number of seats). Additionally, Doug tells me that it is also home to the "greatest Mexican food and BBQ on the planet". Doug is super well-travelled and a man of the world. But he's also a true Houstonian. He loves his city and knows a lot about it. So, he's the perfect tour guide for me as we're driving on our way to an original Texas BBQ lunch at Doug's favourite restaurant, Charlie's BBQ. "This city is amazingly diverse. We have a huge Hispanic community and a growing Asian community, consisting of distinctly Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese communities who have found their home here because Houston is a really welcoming place. It is a warm mix of culture and people, and there is a lot of opportunity here. There's something about Houston – we do things bigger and better here." Doug tells me he wants to take me to visit Houston's famous National Museum of Funeral History and tells me some fascinating things about what to expect. He also plans to take me to the Art Car Museum because he wants me to tell the world the people in Houston don't "ride horses to work and there isn't primary sagebrush/tumbleweed floating across the streets." FACTS ABOUT HOUSTON, TEXAS No one is actually from here. If you ask most Houstonians, most of them are from another city, state, or country altogether. Houston has an underground pedestrian tunnel system. The tunnel is 20 feet below the ground and runs for seven miles, linking 95 city blocks. There are no zoning laws. You will see a sex shop next to a mansion that's right down the block from a school that sits alongside what seems to be a Buddhist temple. They don't really wear boots and hats because they're not really cowboys. The only exception is during rodeo season – when they put on the finest bolo ties, hats, boots, and buckles, they can find and totally pretend to be cowboys. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of the biggest rodeos in the world. This month-long rodeo attracts over 2.5 million attendees each year. And finally: don't bother doing your hair in August. Humidity wins —it always wins. A substantial portion of Houston's population is 'new arrivals'. In this tradition, Doug's family is originally from Greece. His father came over to Texas at the turn of the 20th century to work in his uncle's meatpacking plant.  "That's how things work here, this country was born from immigrants. My father managed to serve in the United States Army, after which he got into medical school, married a local gal, built up his medical practice, had two sons, and lived the American dream as it was in the 20th century. We'll see how that American dream turns out in the 21sr century". When I got to know Doug, he was always one of the speakers at radio conferences I attended, talking about being more creative. He spoke about how to spark creativity and nurture a creative environment in a boring workplace. And just one of the tricks he suggested was: bubbles.  I remember the European radio conference where we shared a room (in the spirit of camaraderie and economics). He was speaking to a room of 4-500 people, and everyone was blowing bubbles. They were all over this big conference room, and people were laughing and feeling creative. I don't know; there's just something about blowing bubbles that brings out the creative kid in us. He always notices when someone is pulling off a marketing stunt that is a bit out of the ordinary. While we're driving around Houston, he points out a billboard with a great idea. Doug excitedly tells me about a marketing campaign that a local furniture store is rolling out that basically offers people their money back on recently purchased mattresses if the local baseball team, the Houston Astros, win the World Series.  Our drive through the city sees us talking about a range of interesting topics relating to Houston. Although the Houston skyline isn't as typically picturesque as a European city, "I still love it here", Doug insists.  BARBERSHOP BAR Doug decided he needed a haircut, so we made a quick stop for his appointment. I took a seat at the bar to get a cup of coffee – yes, there is a bar inside the barbershop, and it's unlike any barbershop I've ever seen before. The Gents Place is a beautiful barbershop that you should absolutely visit if you need a haircut, a scalp massage, a shoeshine — or just want to get away and hang out with friendly people for a bit. On their website, they write 'A Great Haircut is Just the Beginning'. Check out this video to see how cool this place really is. Alissa from The Gents Place: "We sell an experience, not a haircut. People can hang out in either of our two lobbies, our Members Lounge, or our bar, and have a couple of drinks. We do haircuts, hand and foot repairs, eyebrow, nose and ear waxing, massages, everything really. Members come in and hang out before and after work. We've created a cool place to hang out,"  Check out this excerpt from their website: Enjoy a place where distinguished gentlemen gather for conversation and drinks while receiving luxury grooming services such as steamed towel treatments, neck and shoulder massages, and facial hair maintenance. With our men's grooming clubs, we strive to bring back the gentleman in all of us. Life is not an errand, nor should we treat it as such. When it prompts us to attend a task with regularity, we might as well attend to it while surrounded by like-minded gentlemen, complimentary top-shelf drinks, and curated advice. Such is the path to looking our best, feeling our best, and becoming our best. BUFFALO BAYOU After Doug's new trim, we headed to downtown Houston to visit Buffalo Bayou. This lovely recreational park used to be a large ditch where the famous Allan Brothers founded a city named after the hero of the Texas Republic, Sam Houston, in the mid-19th century.   The park has many running tracks and hiking trails, including the river where people can kayak and enjoy the outdoors in the middle of the city. Doug is the kind of person who gets into conversations with the strangers he meets. He's got this aura around him that says, "Hey, I'm a nice guy, talk to me", and it's not put on or fake — it's just who he is. Like, when we saw a dog in the street, Doug effortlessly made conversation with the dog and its owner as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Doug then offers a Master Class on how to establish rapport and get into a conversation with random strangers in the streets of Houston. Step 1: Greet the dog warmly with compliments. Step 2: Greet the owners by introducing me, saying that he's showing me around Houston. Step 3: Compliment handsome dog again. I'm pretty sure that Doug doesn't give this kind of thing a second thought, but I feel that this simple interaction sums up what kind of great and outgoing person he is. We get back into Doug's car and continue our way through the city as Doug tells me interesting things about almost everything we pass by — including The Heartbreak Hotel and an outdoor park that is air-conditioned. He loves telling people about Houston and showing them around because he wants people to come to visit. As you probably can sense, Doug is a man of many words, so I've got more from my drive with him around Houston in the next episode. My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.

Welcome back to Texas.  In this episode, I'm taking you to the 4th biggest city in the USA — Houston. Here, I'm visiting one of the most iconic places in the city that really put Houston on the map when NASA started going to space.  I also get to stay with two Texans in a trailer park. But first, I needed a car to get me there. And I thought I might as well go there in style. TURO CAR HIRE I'm in Cedar Park in the northern part of Austin to pick up my rental car. It's in a beautiful residential neighbourhood with nicely trimmed lawns. My Uber drops me off at one of the houses where I meet Gary, the car owner.  I bet you're wondering why I'm getting a car at a private home and not at Hertz or Avis or one of the other big rental car companies. So, let me explain — pay close attention because this is a cool travel tip: I'm using Turo.  Turo is like Airbnb for rental cars. It's an online platform where people can rent out their car to strangers. It's a great alternative to traditional car-renting companies. The owners, like Gary, list their cars with Turo and renters like me can search the site and rent them for daily prices set by the owners.  It's my first time using Turo. I was looking at normal car rental companies, but then I tried looking on Turo's website, and this little cute sports car came up at a fraction of the prices I had just been quoted. It seemed almost too good to be true.  It's a black two-seater sports car where the roof folds back at the push of a button. This was just something I had to try, so I booked, and here I am, in front of the car chatting to Gary.  "I just bought the car because I wanted to have a fun little car that I can rent out," says Gary. "I've always wanted to own a small, convertible sports car to take advantage of the great Austin weather. Turo made sense because it allows me to rent it out when I am not using it to make a few extra dollars. I bought it specifically to rent out on Turo, so I don't mind it being used by other people." Just like me, this was Gary's first time using the Turo service. After a brief chat, I was handed the keys and took control of the little black beauty. And boy, was it a great ride. ROCKSTAR OF THE ROAD During my first few days in Austin, I attended another travel bloggers conference and one night, over a few beers at one of the social events, I met Ed and Jeanie – a charming couple from Houston. We got along rather well, and at the end of the night, Ed offered for me to stay at their place for a few days when I got to Houston. I wasn't sure if it was the beers talking, but I took him up on his offer and said that I would love to.  So here I was, heading from Austin to Houston in a little open-top two-seater sports car. It's a 2.5 hours' drive, and I had a blast hitting the open highways, feeling the wind brush through my hair; I felt like a rock star even though it was a bit scary being all the way down that close to the road with the huge 20-ton Texan trucks driving alongside me, hardly being able to see me all the way down there. I felt I was driving a go-kart and could drive under them without any problems… but I decided against it.  TRAILER PARK LIVING As I'm sure you can imagine, the car made a few heads turn as I was slowly making my way through the trailer park to Jeanie and Ed's trailer — my home for the next couple of days.  Ed is a tall Texan, so everyone calls him Big Ed. As I arrive, I'm greeted by Big Ed and his friend Randy who were on the front porch having a few cold ones. Keeping them company was a cute little white dog called Yogi Bear.  "Woah, look at you man. Fuckin' pimpin'. That's great man, I can't believe you found us," says Big Ed as I head over to greet him.  Jeanie's and Big Ed's trailer is big. It is 16x80 feet (5x24 meters), and if you didn't know it, you would think it's a normal little 120m² house. Especially when you step inside, it's got a corridor and several rooms including two bathrooms.  So, it's not the kind of caravan that you would hook up to your car and go on a summer vacation. Well, maybe here in Texas with a big-ass truck in front of it, you could. But this one hasn't been moved since it got here a few years ago.  Big Ed is retired, and since he doesn't have to get up early, he likes to stay up late watching sports or Fox News on their big flatscreen TV — easily until 3-4a m each night. Jeanie usually goes to bed earlier because she still works (or was at the time of the recording, but she just retired in 2021).  So, for Ed not to wake her up in the middle of the night, they have separate bedrooms. But while I'm there, Ed is letting me have his bedroom and will sneak into her big waterbed, which he doesn't seem to mind.  As the sun slowly started to set, it started to rain. So, I sat down with Big Ed on his front porch for a chat to find out more about my hospitable host. PORCH CHATS WITH BIG ED The rain, unfortunately, prevented Big Ed from making his "not-so world famous" BBQ spare ribs for us. But he assured me that I would be treated to them the next evening. Big Ed tells me about how he and Jeanie came to live in this trailer park. "We have a lovely little cottage, if you will, that my wife has put almost $30,000 into making a home. We've put granite countertops in the kitchen and put in new bathtubs among other things. It's a lovely little place for myself and my wife to live with our little puppy dog, Yogi Bear. I built an outside porch area in the back that I turned into a bar where we can have live music and entertain." You can't really call it a trailer as it has no wheels. Big Ed tells me that they remove the wheels upon delivery of the cottage to ensure people don't pick up and leave in the middle of the night to evade outstanding payments. TRAVELLING TRAILER PARKERS Big Ed and his "beautiful Jeanie" travel around the world a lot because Jeanie used to work for United Airlines, which entitles them to free airfares whenever they please. They can simply walk up to the ticket counter and choose any destination, and they don't pay any fees, not even for their luggage. They have certainly made the most of it. When people ask Bid Ed where they have travelled to, he finds it easier to list continents rather than countries as the list would be too long.  For every New Year's Eve, they like to visit capital cities. Thus far, they have visited most of the major capital cities around the world, from Paris to Phnom Penh. Next up is Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Big Ed and Jeanie are certainly uncharacteristic: I mean, you don't meet many world-travelling jet setters who live in a trailer park in Texas. And this is just one of many incredible un-stereotypical things about this wholesome couple from Houston. "Only about 42% of Americans have passports, and of them not many get out and travel. So, not only do we find ourselves in a unique position but many of our friends and widespread acquaintances look to us for interesting stories that we have been lucky enough to experience here, there, and everywhere around the world." Big Ed is certainly a well-travelled, intelligent, and interesting man. I really enjoyed our chat on the porch, but I had to go to bed because I had an exciting day planned across town. I'm going to the place where they were communicating with the first man on the moon.  PODCAST RECOMMENDATION I have another great podcast recommendation. This is a podcast that is for someone like me: someone whose kids have grown up and left the house and you've become an empty nester — or, as Tessa and Amir call it, an "Open Nester." Listen to The Open Nester podcast here. SPACE CENTER HOUSTON After about a 1.5-hour drive from Big Ed and Jeanie's place, I arrived at the Space Center Houston. I was immediately met with an amazing view of a huge jumbo jet with a space shuttle connected to the roof of it. I was very excited to find out more about American space history. Houston, I have arrived... Since opening in 1992, Space Center Houston has welcomed more than 22 million visitors from all over the world — and today, they can add one more dashing Dane to the list. They host nearly 1.25 million visitors each year in its 250,000-square-foot educational complex. That's more than 23,000 square meters.  Known around the world as the home of NASA Mission Control, International Space Station Mission Control, and astronaut training center, guests are taken behind the scenes to see NASA's Johnson Space Center. Johnson Space Center (JSC) and NASA have a tremendous story to tell. Before they opened to the public, they had artefacts and models displayed in the hallways of the employee auditorium. Hal Stall, director of Public Affairs at JSC, likened it to "displaying the Hope Diamond in a shoe box." So, in 1992 they decided to make it public. After an introduction film, I went on their NASA Tram Tour where we went around the area and one of the things that impressed me the most was the real Saturn V rocket. It is displayed vertically in a big warehouse. The Saturn V rocket is 111 meters (363 feet) tall, about the height of a 36-story-tall building, and 18 meters (60 feet) taller than the Statue of Liberty. And has the weight of about 400 elephants.  It was the most powerful rocket that had ever flown successfully and was used in the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s. Just walking around it from the pointy tip of the rocket on one end to the five big booster rockets on the other end makes you realise the sheer scale of it.  We then walked on an elevated path through the building where NASA astronauts train for current missions. This is also where NASA's scientists and engineers are developing the next generation of space exploration vehicles.  And then we entered possibly the most iconic place: Mission Control. And it's the real deal. This is the exact place where NASA's team led the Gemini and Apollo missions, including when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon.  It's also possible to enter the replica of the Independence shuttle, mounted on top of a giant plane, that is the historic and original NASA 905 shuttle carrier aircraft. Inside the jumbo jet, there's a very interesting exhibition.  But there is so much more: Lunar Modules, space suits, interactive exhibitions, and Space Center Houston also has the world's largest collection of moon rocks and lunar samples on display. There is so much to see, and it's easy to spend a full day here. You can see more and book tickets on SpaceCenter.org. BACK IN THE TRAILER PARK  When I returned to Big Ed and Jeanie's trailer, Big Ed was working his barbeque magic, making his "not-so famous" spareribs he promised me the night before. They were so delicious that they should, in fact, be world-famous. After we ate dinner, Big Ed and I resumed our positions on the porch and continued our conversation. I asked him to tell me a bit more about Houston. Having lived here since 1954 after moving when he was just five years old (still "Little Ed"), he's been here so long and can't really say anything bad about it.  "Houston has just become the 4th largest city in the US (behind New York, Los Angeles and Chicago) having just surpassed Philadelphia. It's not really a vacation destination per se, it is just a really great city that makes a lot of money. The Space Center Houston created an incredible amount of cash flow for Houston. In the 60's, all the astronauts were our heroes around here and we followed each major NASA mission." Remember the episode from Maine where I got into trouble talking about politics? Herewith Ed, the conversations are interesting and with a lot of respect for each other's points of view. Ed knew that I probably isn't a big Trump fan, and I knew that he probably is. And still, we could talk about what was going on in the world with the respect that we probably won't agree on everything.  Obviously, Texas is right here on the border to Mexico, and Ed and Jeanie have been south of it many times. Big Ed tells me about his travels through their southern neighbours and also around the Caribbean. They really love Belize and have returned there 12 times, exploring the coast and the surrounding islands. One of Big Ed and Jeanie's bucket list items is to visit Easter Island. They are planning to fly to Chile and hop on a 5-hour prop-plane flight to Easter Island, then take another prop-plane flight to Tahiti. The most important thing for this amazing couple is that they don't only place value in the destinations they visit, but also the incredible people they will meet and the interesting things they will learn. I really enjoyed my stay with Big Ed and all of our great conversations. NEXT EPISODE  I'm staying a bit longer here in Houston, and in the next episode, I visit one of the locals and an old friend of mine. His name is Doug Harris, and he is an amazing person that I've known for many years. We've even seen many parts of the world together.  That's next week on The Radio Vagabond. So, for now, it's goodbye to Jeanie and Big Ed and off to another part of this huge city.  My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.     CR-APPLE CR-APP Here in the spring of 2021, when I'm editing this episode, Apple announced that they just made the biggest changes to their podcasting app since podcasting began. So, I decided to update to the latest iOS when it was possible for me this week. It's the one called IOS 14.6. I was most of all expecting a better podcast listening experience.  If you're considering doing the same, please don't. Or, please wait until they have fixed all the bugs.  First, a lot of my apps don't work in this new iOS… yet. That will probably come soon. But the worst part is the new Apple Podcasting app.  I don't know how to say it more clearly other than it has become the worst crappy app. Hardly anything works. It is so bad that I actually started using other apps – right now, I'm using Spotify. And who knows if I get so used to Spotify, then I will stay there.  Apple Podcast is still the top dog in podcasting, but Spotify is number two and gaining many followers. And with this move, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple gets usurped soon. Don't get me wrong; I'm still an Apple fan. I have an iPhone, a MacBook, and an iPad, and I normally love everything they do. But this is so bad. So, if anyone at Apple is listening (and they're probably not able to if they upgraded to the new iOS)… get your sh**… ehh… act together.  My short message is: don't upgrade just yet. Wait until Tim Apple and the team have fixed all the bugs… Okay, my rant is over. I just had to get it off my chest.

Velkommen tilbage til Texas I denne episode tager jeg dig med til den 4. største by i USA – Houston. Her besøger jeg et af de mest ikoniske steder i byen, som satte Houston på verdenskortet, da NASA begyndte at sende folk i rummet. I starten af mit besøg skal jeg bo hos et lokalt par i en trailerpark. Men først skal jeg finde et køretøj, og jeg bestemte mig for at køre med stil.   BILLEJE MED TURO Jeg er i Ceder Park i den nordlige del af Austin for at hente min lejebil. Det er et smukt parcelhuskvarter med fint trimmede græsplæner foran husene. Min Uber sætter mig af ved et af husene, og jeg møder Gary, der ejer den bil, jeg skal køre i. Du undrer dig måske, hvorfor jeg henter en bil i et privat hjem i stedet for et kontor hos Avis eller Hertz i et industrikvarter. Så lad mig forklare – og her kommer et godt rejsetip: Jeg bruger Turo.  Turo er som Airbnb for biludlejning. Det er en online platform, hvor folk kan udleje deres egen bil til fremmede. Det er et rigtig godt alternativ til almindelig biludlejning. Ejerne (som Gary) kan udleje deres bil med Turo, og lejere (som mig) kan kigge på siden og leje dem til de priser, ejerne sætter dem til. Det er både første gang for Gary og mig, at vi bruger Turo. Jeg startede med at kigge på hjemmesider for almindelige biludlejningsfirmaer, og prøvede så at kigge på Turo. Og pludselig dukkede denne lille seje sportsvogn op – og den var billigere end selv de mindste biler, jeg havde set på lige før. Det virkede næsten for godt til at være sandt, men den var god nok. Det er en lille sort 2-sæders cabriolet, hvor taget folder tilbage, når man trykker på en knap. Det var bare noget, jeg blev nødt til at prøve, så jeg bookede den – og kort tid efter stod jeg og sludrede med Gary. ”Jeg har lige købt bilen, fordi jeg altid har haft lyst til at eje en lille bil. Jeg har altid drømt om at eje en lille cabriolet, og udnytte det gode vejr her i Texas. Turo giver mening for mig, fordi det giver mig mulighed for at leje den ud og måske tjene lidt penge den vej. Jeg købte den med den viden, at jeg ville leje den ud, så jeg har ikke noget imod, at fremmede kører i den – i bund og grund er det bare en maskine, der kan repareres, hvis der sker noget. Det er ikke min baby”. Efter en kort snak og instruktion fik jeg nøglerne og kontrol over denne lille sorte skønhed. Og det var så fedt. LANDEVEJENS ROCKSTJERNE I starten af mit besøg i Austin var jeg til endnu en rejseblogger konference, og en aften over et par øl ved en af de sociale events, mødte jeg Ed og Jeanie – et charmerende par fra Houston. Vi kom rigtig godt ud af det med hinanden, og i slutningen af aftenen, tilbød Ed mig at bo hos dem et par dage, hvis jeg skulle til Houston. Jeg var ikke helt klar over om det var øllene, der talte, men jeg tog ham på ordet og takkede ja. Så her var jeg, på vej fra Austin til Houston i en lille åben sportsvogn. Det er en køretur på to-en-halv time, og jeg nød at ligge der i fuld fart på de åbne landeveje. Med vinden i håret følte jeg mig som en rockstjerne, selvom det samtidig var en smule skræmmende med alle de kæmpestore Texas-lastbiler omkring mig. De kunne sandsynligvis ikke engang se mig helt dernede på vejen, og det var som at sidde i en gokart, som sagtens ville kunne køre und under lastbilerne… hvilket jeg dog ikke gjorde. AT BO I EN TRAILERPARK Du kan sikkert forestille dig, hvordan øjnene rullede, da jeg langsom trillede ned ad grusvejen i trailerparken mod Ed og Jeanies trailer, som skulle være mit hjem de næste par dage. Ed er en høj texaner, og alle kalder ham ”Big Ed”. Da jeg ankommer og bliver mødt af Big Ed og hans nabo, Randy, gør de store øjne. Det samme gør Eds lille hvide hund, Yogi Bear. "Woah, look at you man. Fuckin' pimpin'. That's great man, I can't believe you found us," siger Ed med et smil og en tyk Texas-accent. Jeanie og Big Eds trailer er stor. Den er 5x24 meter stor, og hvis man ikke lige ved det, ville man tro, at det var et almindeligt lille 120m² hus. Specielt når man træder indenfor. Der er en gang og adskille værelser – blandt andet to soveværelser. Så det er ikke den slags campingvogn, man spænder efter bilen og kører på sommerferie. Jo, måske her i Texas med en kæmpe truck foran. Men denne har ikke bevæget sig siden den blev parkeret her for flere år siden. Big Ed er pensioneret, og siden han ikke skal tidligt op går han sent i seng. Han fortæller mig, at han tit sidder oppe til 3-4 om natten og ser sport eller Fox News på deres store fladskærms-TV. Jeanie arbejder stadig (eller gjorde på dette tidspunkt – hun er også gået på pension her i 2021), så hun går tidligere i seng. For ikke at Ed skal vække hende hver nat, har de separate soveværelser. Men mens jeg er her, låner jeg Eds soveværelse og han vil stille kravle ind i Jeanies store vandseng. Noget det ikke virker som om, han har noget imod. Jeanie blev ikke spurgt. Mens solen langsomt går ned, begynder det at regne, og jeg satte mig ned med Ed på deres veranda foran traileren, og ville lære min gæstfrie vært bedre at kende. VERANDA-SNAK MED BIG ED Regnen forhindrede desværre Ed i at lave sine ”ikke-helt-nok-så-berømte-Houston-barbecue-spareribs”, som han kalder dem. Men han lovede, at han ville lave dem i morgen. Big Ed fortæller mig, hvordan han og Jeanie endte med at bo i en trailerpark. ”Vi har en dejlig lille hytte her. Specielt efter min kone har smidt næsten 30.000 dollars i forbedringer. Vi har granit-bordplader i køkkenet, har indsat nye badekar og meget andet. Det er et skønt lille sted for os to og vores lille hvide hundehvalp, Yogi Bear. Jeg har også lavet et lille udedørs område omme bagved, som jeg har lavet til en bar, og et sted, vi kan have små koncerter og hygge med vennerne”. Man kan næsten ikke kalde det en trailer, da den ikke har hjul mere. Big Ed fortæller, at de blev fjernet, da den blev stillet der, så man ikke lige kunne spænde den efter en bil og forsvinde i nattens mulm og mørke, hvis man var bagud med betalingerne. REJSENDE TRAILER PARKERE Big Ed og hans ”smukke Jeanie” rejser rundt i verden mere end de fleste. Det har de mulighed for, da Jeanie har arbejdet for United Airlines i 20 år og derfor har lov til at flyve med dem gratis. Hvor som helst og når som helst, de har lyst. De skal bare gå op til skranken og sige, hvor de vil hen – og de skal ikke engang betale for baggage. Det er en enestående mulighed, de udnytter så meget, de kan. Når folk spørger Big Ed, hvor de har været, siger han, at det er nemmere at tælle kontinenter end lande. Så jeg spørger naturligvis, hvor de har været. Han fortæller, at det er blevet en ting for dem at holde nytår i en hovedstad et eller andet sted i verden. Indtil nu har de gjort det i London, Paris, Rom, Phnom Penh og mange andre steder. Næste gang regner de med at det bliver Quito i Ecuador. At rejse så meget som amerikaner er bestemt ikke normalt. Og da især ikke, hvis man bor i en trailerpark i en rød stat som Texas. Ed fortæller: ”Kun omkring 42% af alle amerikanere har et pas, og af dem, der her det, er der ikke mange, der rejser meget udenfor landets grænser. Så vi er ikke som de fleste, og mange af vores venner kommer til os og regner med, at vi altid har en ny spændende historie at fortælle”. Big Ed er en berejst, intelligent og interessant mand, som jeg er glad for nu at kunne kalde min ven. Jeg nyder virkelig min snak på verandaen, men nu må jeg i seng, da jeg har en lang dag foran mig. Jeg skal til det sted, hvor de kommunikerede med den første mand på månen. Houston Space Center. Men først: EN PODCAST ANBEFALING Jeg har en podcast, jeg vil anbefale dig at lytte til. Det er en podcast for sådan nogen som os: Os der har børn, der er ”fløjet fra reden”. Værterne Tessa og Amir kalder det ”Open Nesters”. Lyt til The Open Nester podcast her. SPACE CENTER HOUSTON Efter 1,5 times kørsel fra Big Ed og Jeanies sted, ankom jeg til Space Center Houston. Det første jeg ser, er det imponerende syn af en kæmpe jumbojet med en rumfærge på taget. Jeg var meget spændt på at komme indenfor og lære en masse om den amerikanske historie i rummet. ”Houston, The Radio Vagabond has landed”… Siden 1992 har Space Center Houston budt mere end 22 millioner gæster indenfor. Gæster fra hele verden – og i dag kan de tilføje en dansker til listen. Næsten 1.250.000 besøger hvert år det 23.000 m2 store område. Hele verden kender det som stedet, der huser NASA Mission Control, International Space Station Mission Control og ikke mindst stedet, hvor astronauter bliver trænet. Vi kommer bag kulisserne og ser NASAs Johnson Space Center. Johnson Space Center (JSC) og NASA har en fantastisk historie at fortælle. Inden de åbnede dørene for offentligheden, havde de mange af de specielle ting udstillet på personalegangen. Hal Stall, director of Public Affairs ved JSC, har sagt, at det var som at have Hope Diamanten udstillet i en skotøjsæske. Men det ændrede sig som sagt i 1992. Efter en spændende film som introduktion tager jeg på en NASA Tram Tour rundt i området. Vi kommer først til en stor bygning, der huser den rigtige Saturn V raket. Den ligger ned og er enorm: 111 meter høj, hvilket svarer til en 36 etagers bygning og 18 meter højere end Frihedsgudinden. Og så vejer den omkring 400 elefanter. Mens den var aktiv var det den mest kraftfulde rumraket, der havde fløjet succesfulde missioner, og den blev brugt flittigt i NASAs Apollo program i 1960'erne og 70'erne. Når man går rundt om den – fra spidsen i den ene ende til de fem store booster raketter i den anden, fornemmer man, hvor vildt stor, den er. Senere på turen går vi på en gangbro gennem en anden stor bygning, hvor NASA-astronauter træner til kommende missioner. Der er også her videnskabsmænd og ingeniører udvikler den næste generation af rumfartøjer. Og så kommer vi til måske det mest ikoniske sted af dem alle: Mission Control. Og dette er den ægte vare – ikke noget, der er lavet til udstillingen. Det var præcis her, NASA kommunikerede med de legendariske Gemini og Apollo missioner – og det var her, de talte med Neil Armstrong og Buzz Aldrin, da de satte fødderne på månen.   Mens jeg går rundt i udstillingen, møder jeg en af medarbejderne, som har det danskklingende navn, Pernille. Og ganske rigtigt; Pernille er en dansk-amerikaner, der har boet her i omkring 30 år. Hun fortæller mig om sin internationale familie, og om hvordan det er at bo her i Texas. Det er også muligt at komme indenfor i den 1:1-kopi af den rumfærge, der er monteret oven på den store jumbojet, som jeg så fra parkeringspladsen. Flyet er det originale fly, der fragtede rumfærgen rundt, og indenfor er der en meget spændende udstilling Men der er så meget mere at se. Månekøretøjer, rumfartøjer, rundragter, interaktive udstillinger og så har de også verdens største udstilling af månesten og andre ting hentet ned fra rummet.   Der er så meget at se, og det er nemt at glemme tiden. Det gjorde jeg, og blev prikket på skulden og bedt om at gå kort før lukketid. Du kan se mere og bestille dine billetter på SpaceCenter.org. TILBAGE I TRAILERPARKEN Da jeg kom tilbage til Big Ed og Jeanie, var Ed i fuld gang med at udøve sin magi på deres store gril. Som lovet var han i gang med sine ”ikke-berømte spareribs”. Efter vi havde spist, måtte jeg konstatere, at de burde være berømte. Og så knappede vi en øl op og fortsatte vores snak på verandaen. Jeg bad Ed om at fortælle mig lidt mere om Houston. Han har boet her siden 1954, da hans familie flyttede hertil og han var 5 år (og stadig ”Little Ed”). Så han har været her så længe og det er ikke uden grund. Han er glad for byen. ”Houston er lige blevet den 4. største by i USA (efter New York, Los Angeles og Chicago). Det er ikke en typisk turist-destination, men det er en virkelig fed by, der tjener MANGE penge – og NASA har hjulpet med at få pengene til at flyde til byen. Jeg husker, hvordan astronauterne var store helte, da jeg var barn i 50'erne, og hvordan vi fulgte nøje med i alle de store NASA-missioner”. TALER POLITIK MED EN TRUMP VÆLGER Kan du huske min episode fra Maine, hvor jeg fik problemer, da jeg bragte politik på banen. Here med Big Ed, er det anderledes – selvom vi bestemt ikke er enige. Vi kan tale politik med respekt for hinanden, og med den forventning, at der nok ikke er nogen, der overbeviser den anden. Ed var klar over, at jeg nok ikke var Trump-fan og jeg forventede, at det var han nok. ED OG JEANIES REJSER Texas er jo her på grænsen til Mexico, og Ed og Jeanie har været syd for den mange gange. Ed fortæller mig om deres mange rejser til deres sydlige naboer og rundt omkring i Caribien. De er især vilde med Belize og har været der omkring 12 gange, hvor de har udforsket kysten og de forskellige øer.   En af de steder der er på deres ”bucket list” er et besøg til Påskeøerne. De planlægger at flyve til Chile og springe på en 5-timers flyvetur med et lille propelfly til Påskeøerne. Her kan de tage et andet propelfly til Tahiti og derfra direkte hjem til Houston. Alt sammen gratis med United Airlines takket være Jeanies misundelsesværdige ordning. Det har været fantastisk at besøge Jeanie og Big Ed, og det mest fantastiske var de gode samtaler, vi havde siddende på verandaen. Og Ed var glad for at jeg havde fundet en six-pack med Carlsberg, så han kunne smage en lille bid af Danmark. Jeg forlader trailerparken med to nye venner. NÆSTE EPISODE Jeg bliver lidt længere i Houston og i den næste episode, besøger jeg en gammel herboende ven. Han hedder Doug Harris og er en fantastisk person, som jeg har kendt i mange år og set i mange forskellige lande. Mit navn er Palle Bo – og jeg skal videre. Vi ses.

This audio file is a recording of a recent Featured Faculty Talk with Doug Harris, a long-time instructor in the MA in Government program. In his upcoming book (co-authored with Amy Fried from the University of Maine) called At War with Government: How Conservatives Weaponized Distrust from Goldwater to Trump (Columbia University Press), Doug Harris addresses the question of rising public distrust in the American government.

The Unification church of Revd Sun Myung Moon (aka The Moonies) is often regarded as a cult.  But what do they actually believe about Jesus and his death and resurrection? Christian Nseka is a member of the religion and believes we need to see Jesus' death and resurrection in a new way.  He believes that Christ did not fulfil his mission and that Revd Moon is the new Messiah. Doug Harris runs the Reachout Trust, a Christian organisation seeking to engage with Cults and the New Age.  He believes that Nseka's understanding of the Bible is skewed and he has missed the point of Jesus death and resurrection at Easter. This show was originally broadcast on 3rd April 2010. Doug sadly passed away in 2013. For the Reachout Trust visit http://www.reachouttrust.org/  For Christian Nseka visit http://www.messiah101.com/  For Unbelievable? The Conference 2021 http://www.unbelievable.live  USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the free Unbelievable? e-book ‘In Conversation With…’ https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter   Support the show: https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable    For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB   Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb   Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley

Doug Harris is my father! He's also a limerick collecting, community caring, charity donating all round good guy. He's also sick of the world of wokeness (aren't we all?!). Have a listen and let me know what you think!

An Inter-Christian discussion on the beliefs and doctrines that are distinctive of Seventh Day Adventists. Why do they hold to Saturday as the ‘true’ day for worship and rest? Are they too legalistic? What about the failed prophecy of Christ's return that they grew out of? What should we make of founder Ellen White's teaching on ‘Investigative Judgement’? David Burnett and Victor Hulbert of the SDA church in the UK respond to these questions raised by Doug Harris of the Reachout Trust in a friendly encounter seeking to understand more about the denomination. This show was originally broadcast on 10th April 2010. Doug sadly passed away in 2013. For the Seventh Day Adventist Church see http://www.adventist.org.uk or http://tottenham.adventistchurch.org.uk  Watch Doug Harris, Victor Hulbert and Gerard Chrispin's TV debate http://www.adventistinfo.org.uk/about/world-in-focus.php  For the Reachout Trust see http://www.reachouttrust.org/  For Unbelievable? The Conference 2021 http://www.unbelievable.live  USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the free Unbelievable? e-book ‘In Conversation With…’ https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter   Support the show: https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable    For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB   Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb   Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley

Griffinstein chops it up with Big Doug, a Richmond legend. This documentarian has told the stories that others won't touch, but need to be told. His latest “Uzikee” is a masterpiece. Please look on YouTube for it. Mr. Harris also works telling stories for the Richmond Museum, the city, and sports. The post Episode 26 – Doug Harris appeared first on Darkxide Axylum Recording Kompany.

This week my guest is the always entertaining Doug Harris, CEO of Noisemaker Communications in Houston. A master of promotion, branding and marketing worldwide, Doug talks about growing up in the Lone Star State, his love of performing from an early age (including - true story - beating out another Houston legend, childhood friend Dennis Quaid in a talent contest); creating legendary events as Promotion Director with Rock 101 KLOL, along with branding and developing the stations' equally legendary talent lineup of Stevens and Pruett, Dayna Steele, Grego, Outlaw Dave and more. The new Executive Director of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame has advice for entrepreneurs, discusses his storied campaign career outside of radio, and talks about movies and the Houston Film Critics Society. It's a 'real big small town' slice of Texas you gotta hear. Bring a margarita and tune in!

With the pandemic and the social distancing measures, we are not able to honour Doug Harris with a traditional funeral service, so our team decided to dedicate this podcast episode to reflect on the life and ministry of Dr. Doug Harris, who was a truly influential Christian leader in British Columbia and beyond. In this episode, you'll hear from Pastor Paul, Mary Grierson, Jayson Oldham, Pastor Jordan Scott, Pastor Rick Burdett, Pastor Paul Johnson, and Pastor Jeremy Johnson as we all reflect on Doug's influence on our lives. We hope you enjoy this episode.

C4 and Bryan Nehman heard weekdays from 5:30-10:00am ET on WBAL Newsradio 1090 and FM101.5.

Trump attacks presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris after their first appearance. During a briefing at the White House, Trump called Harris a "very risky pick," along with "angry" and "mad," tropes used against African American women. Biden and Harris took aim at Trump in their first campaign event together in Wilmington, Delaware Wednesday. Sen. Harris pointed to President Trump when discussing why the United States leads the world with the most Covid-19 infections. Biden assured that he and his running mate were going to get to work to fix Trump's "mess." Biden added, taunting Trump with, "Is anyone surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman." Since the announcement of Biden's VP pick, he says his campaign raised $26 million. Biden says Kamala Harris' husband, Doug Harris, could also be "a barrier breaker" as the United State's first second man. Both Biden and Harris will formally accept the Democratic nominations during the party's convention held virtually next week. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

In this episode, you will learn how to effectively address diversity to create a positive change in your organization with Doug Harris (CEO of Kaleidoscope Group). Doug Harris is the CEO of Kaleidoscope Group. He helps organizations create customized strategies that address their specific and unique diversity needs. In our changing world, where differences are normal in every organization, Doug does a visionary work assessment to get to the core of these differences and turn them into something positive. To learn more about Doug Harris, go to http://aha.pub/DougHarris. To get in touch with him, visit https://kgdiversity.com/.Mitchell Levy is the Global Credibility Expert at AHAthat, the first AHA leadership (Thought Leadership) platform on the market for thought leaders, experts and companies to unleash their genius to the world. His passion is helping entrepreneurs, business owners and C-Suite Executives get known as thought leaders & become best-selling authors with the AHA platform. He is an accomplished entrepreneur who has created 20 businesses in Silicon Valley including four publishing companies that have published over 800 books. Mitchell is an international best selling author with 60 business books, has provided strategic consulting to over 100 companies, has advised over 500 CEOs on critical business issues, and has been chairman of the board of a NASDAQ-listed company.Visit https://www.credibilitynation.com to learn more about the Credibility Nation communityVisit https://www.ahathat.com/author to learn how you can become an Amazon best-selling author in 4 months.

Francene Marie interviewed CEO Doug Harris with The Kaleidoscope Group regarding The Love Principle. Listen to the interview and see how to forge through your present situation to a better way of viewing the world and the people in it. 

Listen to these successful thought leaders on how they present themselves and their crafts as experts in their fields. Ed Brenegar http://aha.pub/EdBrenegar, is the founder and CEO of Circle of Impact Leadership. Ed works with individuals in organizations so they can be inspired to lead. Through leadership coaching, he teaches them how to take personal initiative so they can become people of impact in the organizations, communities, and institutions with which they engage. To get in touch with him, send an email at ed@edbrenegar.com. Anne Beninghof (http://aha.pub/AnneBeninghof), is an internationally recognized consultant and trainer. She has taught professional development, authored nine books and several videotapes, and is a regular contributor to blogs and webinars. Anne focuses on engagement-centered learning and emphasizes the power of adding caffeine to presentation design so audience members are awake, alert, and learning. She is passionate about helping companies change their practices as presenters so employees are learning and highly engaged. To get in touch with her, visit https://www.caffeinatedlearning.com. Doug Harris http://aha.pub/DougHarris, is the CEO of Kaleidoscope Group. Doug helps organizations create customized strategies that address their specific and unique diversity needs. In our changing world, where differences are normal in every organization, Doug does a visionary work assessment to get to the core of these differences and turn them into something positive. To get in touch with him, visit https://kgdiversity.com/. Global Credibility Expert, Mitchell Levy is a TEDx speaker and international bestselling author of over 60 books. As The AHA Guy at AHAthat (https://ahathat.com), he helps to extract the genius from your head in a two-three hour interview so that his team can ghostwrite your book, publish it, distribute it, and make you an Amazon bestselling author in four months or less. He is an accomplished Entrepreneur who has created twenty businesses in Silicon Valley including four publishing companies that have published over 800 books. He’s provided strategic consulting to over one hundred companies, and has been chairman of the board of a NASDAQ-listed company. Mitchell has been happily married for thirty years and regularly spends four weeks in Europe with family and friends. Visit https://mitchelllevy.com/mitchelllevypresents/ for an archive of all the podcast episodes.   Connect to Mitchell Levy on: Mitchell Levy Present AHA Moments: https://mitchelllevy.com/mitchelllevypresents/ Thought Leader Life: https://thoughtleaderlife.com AHAthat Radio: https://AHAthatRadio.com LinkedIn: https://Linkedin.com/in/MitchellLevy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1963, Northern California’s first African American State Assemblymember, Byron Rumford, championed a Fair Housing Act designed to prevent racial discrimination that severely limited where people of color could live. This bill, and the national laws it helped inspire, banned property owners from refusing to sell to potential buyers on the basis of race. As the Civil Rights movement gained momentum through these legislative victories, the end of segregation seemed within grasp. But now in 2020, amidst a tech-fueled real estate boom that’s sent home values soaring, the Bay Area is re-segregating as Black populations in wealthy areas dwindle and “neighborhoods with low pollution, high-quality schools and other resources have become increasingly inaccessible for African Americans.” In Byron Rumford’s former hometown of Berkeley, the percentage of African American residents has dropped from a high of nearly 25% during the 1970s to less than 10% today. The problem isn’t limited to California. According to The Center for Investigative Reporting, “a new epidemic of modern-day redlining has crept quietly across America. The gap in homeownership between African Americans and whites is now wider than it was during the Jim Crow era.” More than half a century after the Civil Rights Act was supposed to end housing discrimination the problem is getting worse in some ways. So what went wrong? The new episode explores this question through interviews with William Byron Rumford III, former California State Assemblymember E. Dotson Wilson, documentary filmmaker Doug Harris, and historian Ryan Reft. Listen now to learn what Byron Rumford’s story can tell us about why racism and real estate are so hard to untangle. To see images and links related to this story, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/unfair-housing/ East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your support. Please donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday

On this week’s podcast, Doug Harris, director of the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the progress, and recent plateauing, of NOLA’s ed reforms. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how earning college credit in high school via AP exams affects postsecondary course-taking.

Doug Harris, Professor and Department Chair of Economics at Tulane University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss his new study, "How is New Orleans School Performance Evolving, and Why?," co-authored with Lihan Liu, Alica Gerry, and Paula Arce-Trigatti, and how school choice and performance-based contracting have fared after 15 years. Read the full study here: https://educationresearchalliancenola.org/publications/how-is-new-orleans-school-performance-evolving-and-why

Today, we’re talking to Doug Harris of ADHD Synergy.  Doug is a long-time ADHD coach, working primarily with creatives and the gifted.  He organizes the Ann Arbor Michigan ADHD Support group, and was an absolute blast to talk to!  In today’s episode, Doug tells us about finding connection in ADHD conferences and groups, how he used streaks to meditate for 388 days in a row, his theory of pre-trying, and growing up with ADHD. Guest Links: Learn more about Doug at http://adhdsynergy.com Find the Ann Arbor, MI support group here: https://www.meetup.com/AnnArbor-ADHD-ADD-Support/ ADHD Essentials Links: Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com Join Our Facebook Community

A special all-schools episode. Host and producer Jessica Rosgaard talks to education researcher Doug Harris about New Orleans becoming an all-charter city. And we hear from the lawyer for a family suing John F. Kennedy High School. The post Behind The Lens episode 39: ‘That’s where the district wants to go’ appeared first on The Lens.

Professional pet sitter Doug Harris joins Julie Fudge Smith and Colleen Pelar to discuss pet-sitting and why you might want to consider hiring a trained professional to care for your dog, cat, bunny, fish or whatever pet you may have. Learn what you should look for in a sitter and why it makes a difference.   For show notes please see: Your Family Dog

Danny Star, the CEO of Websites Depot, talks about what it takes to be a leader in a highly competitive market, and how he successfully stays on top of his industry. He also shares his insights on how a solid marketing strategy helps to recruit top talent. Doug Harris, the CEO of the Kaleidoscope Group talks about what organizations need to do to obtain the best talent. He also talks about the importance of diversity and how diversity can have a positive impact on a company.This show is brought to you by Talk 4 Radio (http://www.talk4radio.com/) on the Talk 4 Media Network (http://www.talk4media.com/).

Danny Star, the CEO of Websites Depot, talks about what it takes to be a leader in a highly competitive market, and how he successfully stays on top of his industry. He also shares his insights on how a solid marketing strategy helps to recruit top talent. Doug Harris, the CEO of the Kaleidoscope Group talks about what organizations need to do and be thinking of in order to obtain the best talent. He also talks about the importance of diversity and how diversity can have both a qualitative and quantitative impact on the company. 

Demand a Brand with Leonard Courtright and Doug Harris. by Allied Siding and Windows

FFRF Senior Attorney Patrick Elliott tells us about the federal lawsuit we filed today demanding that HUD Secretary Ben Carson waive fees in our FOIA request for information related to White House Bible Studies. We discuss evangelical hypocrisy, Trump's racism, FFRF’s "In Science We Trust" billboard in Atlanta and Ron Reagan's FFRF ad running on MSNBC. Then we talk with 11-yr-old Bailey Harris and her father Doug Harris about their beautiful new book, I Am Stardust, introducing science to children.

Doug Harris co-hosts with Jill as they check out opening day of the Kennett Square Farmers Market.

We catch up with Doug Harris, Owner of State & Union and have a great time learning about his store and United By Blue.

Doug Harris from Tulane University joins Martin R. West to discuss how New Orleans changed their school system in the decade following Hurricane Katrina.

Tom and Yvonne have completely different ideas on what a vacation should be. Tom makes some valid points. Can Yvonne withstand Tom's double dose of truth? Special Thanks to Doug Harris for the intro bumper

This week’s guest is Doug Harris.  Doug was a part of the second ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group.  Through that group, Eric came to know Doug as a person with a gift for distilling the essence of situations into bite-size synopses encapsulated with humor.  He also came to know Doug as not-your-average-Mensa man.  In this episode, Doug explains the concept of twice-exceptional and describes his frustrations, his free-range thinking, and his future in the ADHD coaching community. Go to for the full show notes and links mentioned in this episode. Go to or call 224‒993‒9450 to let Eric know if you're interested in joining the next ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability group. Connect with people virtually using Eric's favorite video conferencing and connectivity platform, Zoom, by visiting – the basic service is totally free. For a free audio-book download from our sponsor Audible.com, please visit Help the CHADD organization by donating to their fundraising campaign here: . Visit for information on improving the lives of people affected by ADHD.

This time on Peace Talks Radio, how sports can be used to point to peace. While sports headlines these days are as much about pro football players facing domestic violence,  child abuse, shooting crime charges and crippling game injuries, there are still examples of the potential for sports to bring together athletes from all ethnicities, nationalities and sexual preferences to bond and celebrate the fun, skill and mutual respect of sport.  We spotlight an annual sporting event that on the surface may seem sort of small – a two day summer basketball camp in the border city of El Paso, Texas.  But the hearts behind the camp seem sort of large and the perspective the camp offers is sort of large too.  Carol Boss talked with Rus Bradburd, one of the directors of "Basketball In The Barrio." Bradburd is a former collegiate basketball player and coach who both loves sports, sees some potential for good in it, but also doesn't especially like where sports has come to sit in the order of priorities.  He was led to use sports as an avenue to teach other lessons in establishing his annual camp. Also, we visit with Doug Harris, the executive director of the Athletes United for Peace, the camp's parent organization, about other initiatives that use sports to promote unity, diplomacy and peace.   Plus, a conversation with former collegiate basketball star and NBA player, Len Elmore, who also believes in the uniting power of sports, but wishes its pro athletes would speak up MORE often on social justice and peace issues. Carol Boss and Paul Ingles host.

This time on Peace Talks Radio, how sports can be used to point to peace. While sports headlines these days are as much about pro football players facing domestic violence,  child abuse, shooting crime charges and crippling game injuries, there are still examples of the potential for sports to bring together athletes from all ethnicities, nationalities and sexual preferences to bond and celebrate the fun, skill and mutual respect of sport.  We spotlight an annual sporting event that on the surface may seem sort of small – a two day summer basketball camp in the border city of El Paso, Texas.  But the hearts behind the camp seem sort of large and the perspective the camp offers is sort of large too.  Carol Boss talked with Rus Bradburd, one of the directors of "Basketball In The Barrio." Bradburd is a former collegiate basketball player and coach who both loves sports, sees some potential for good in it, but also doesn’t especially like where sports has come to sit in the order of priorities.  He was led to use sports as an avenue to teach other lessons in establishing his annual camp. Also, we visit with Doug Harris, the executive director of the Athletes United for Peace, the camp’s parent organization, about other initiatives that use sports to promote unity, diplomacy and peace.   Plus, a conversation with former collegiate basketball star and NBA player, Len Elmore, who also believes in the uniting power of sports, but wishes its pro athletes would speak up MORE often on social justice and peace issues. Carol Boss and Paul Ingles host.

An Inter-Christian discussion on the beliefs and doctrines that are distinctive of Seventh Day Adventists.  Why do they hold to Saturday as the "true" day for worship and rest?  Are they too legalistic?  What about the failed prophecy of Christ's return that they grew out of?  What should we make of founder Ellen White's teaching on "Investigative Judgement"? David Burnett and Victor Hulbert of the SDA church in the UK respond to these questions raised by Doug Harris of the Reachout Trust in a friendly encounter seeking to understand more about the denomination. For the Seventh Day Adventist Church see http://www.adventist.org.uk or http://tottenham.adventistchurch.org.uk Watch Doug Harris, Victor Hulbert and Gerard Chrispin's TV debate http://www.adventistinfo.org.uk/about/world-in-focus.php For Doug Harris see http://www.reachouttrust.org/ Hear more theological debate at http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or subscribe to the podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or via itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 8 Sep 2007 - Mormonism and Christianity Unbelievable? 9 Feb 2008 - Bahai faith and Christianity Join the discussion at the "Unbelievable?" group on the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

Justin is joined by atheist Robert Stovold who claims that Christians stole Christmas! He says the Gospel stories are nothing more that a re-hashing of similar pagan legends. Doug Harris of the Reachout Trust says that's ridiculous and will be going head to head with Robert to defend the Christmas story. Guests Ken Humphreys and Anthony McRoy also join the fray. To hear more discussions between Christians and non-Christians go to www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable. Join the discussion on the Premier Community www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable.

Michael Donovan is a committed evangelical Christian.  He is also a Freemason.  Doug Harris of the Reachout Trust believes that being a Freemason and a Christian are incompatible.  They join Justin as he asks whether Freemasonry is a religion, what it says about God, and whether Christians should be involved in secret societies.  For more info on the Reachout Trust visit www.reachouttrust.org To hear more discussions between Christians and non-Christians go to www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable. Join the discussion on the Premier Community www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable.

What is the period called the Last Days actually referring to? Find out with Nathan Jones and Doug Harris on Revelation TV's End Times Truth show.

What is the period called the Last Days actually referring to? Find out with Nathan Jones and Doug Harris on Revelation TV's End Times Truth show.

When former UCLA basketball player Don Barksdale died of cancer of the esophagus in March 1993,his passing was noted in a two-sentence obituary in The Times, a woefully inadequate summation of an extraordinary life. Barksdale, a 6-foot-6 center from Berkeley and a Bay Area legend not only as an athlete but also as a TV host, disc jockey, nightclub owner and philanthropist, was an African American trailblazer — “kind of like the Jackie Robinson of basketball,” says his friend and unabashed cheerleader, documentary filmmaker Doug Harris. Harris, a former Golden State Warriors draft pick who wrote, directed and produced a tribute to Barksdale’s life that will air next month on FSN Bay Area, believes his late mentor was worthy of much more than a footnote. Harris,46, is leading an effort to get Barksdale posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. “This is a person that people need to know about,” says Harris, whose exhaustive efforts already have helped land Barksdale in halls of fame honoring California community college athletes, African American athletes, Bay Area athletes and Pacific 10 Conference athletes. “I would like young people to know about Don Barksdale, know about his legacy, the way they know about Jackie Robinson.” As chronicled in Harris’ documentary “Bounce: The Don Barksdale Story,” which the filmmaker hopes also will air in Southern California, Barksdale was college basketball’s first African American consensus All-American — as a senior in 1947. He was the first black basketball player on the U.S. Olympic team, winning a gold medal in London in 1948. He broke the color line in the AAU’s national industrial league, which welcomed him when the NBA would not. And although others of his race beat him to the NBA by a year, Barksdale was the first African American to play in the NBA All-Star game, suiting up for the East in 1953. All this after Barksdale was left off the basketball team at Berkeley High — he was cut three years running — for reasons that had nothing to do with his ability. As Barksdale recounted years later, his friend Em Chapman already was on the team and coach Jack Eadie told Barksdale, “One black is enough.” Undeterred, Barksdale honed his skills at a Berkeley park, starred at Marin Junior College and followed his idols, Robinson and Kenny Washington, to Westwood, where in 1943 he helped UCLA end a 42-game losing streak against USC. After returning from World War II, where he served in the Army, Barksdale continued to star at UCLA while also kick-starting his business career by opening a record store on Western Avenue. Though his Olympic coach was Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp, a man not known for his racial tolerance, he was the third-leading scorer on the U.S. team in the 1948 Games. In 1949, the personable Barksdale was hired to be the Bay Area’s first black television host, moderating a program called “Sepia Revue” that featured the leading black entertainers of the day, among them Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Armstrong. In 1950, he was one of the first four black players taken in the NBA draft. But he was doing so well financially — by then, he had also opened a beer distributorship — that he didn’t sign with the Baltimore Bullets until 1951, when he doubled as a 28-year-old rookie forward and host of the Bullets’ postgame radio show. He played two seasons with the Bullets and two with the Boston Celtics, averaging 11 points and eight rebounds, before ankle injuries forced him to retire in 1955. Before leaving, though, he recommended Bill Russell to Red Auerbach. “It’s a travesty more people don’t know about him,” Harris says. After his playing days ended, Barksdale continued his successful business career, opening nightclubs in Oakland. He founded Save High School Sports, a fundraising effort in Oakland that was a savior to prep athletes during a budget crunch in the 1980s. And as a scout for the Warriors, he recom- mended they draft a 6-foot-8 Berkeley High graduate from Central Washington named Doug Harris. An eighth-round pick in 1983, Harris never played in the NBA, but he remained indebted to Barksdale and got to know him better through their work with Athletes United for Peace, a Bay Area nonprofit. Harris’ film on Barksdale was an outgrowth of the thesis he put together to complete work toward a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies that he earned from Cal State Monterey Bay in 1998. His lobbying for Barksdale since has been nothing short of a labor of love. On Feb. 16, he’ll find out if Barksdale is among the finalists being considered this year for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Whatever the result, Barksdale’s sister, Pamelia Barksdale-Gore, says she is “astounded” by Harris’ efforts on behalf of her brother. “Don would be very pleased and proud of all this,” she says. No big deal, Harris says. “It’s the right thing to do,” says the filmmaker, who since 1993 has served as executive director of Athletes United for Peace, which sponsors sports and media-arts programs for disadvantaged youth. “If we’re not proactive in telling some of these untold stories, they’ll never be told. Everybody will be gone.”

KNBR "Law of Sports" broadcast on "OUT. The Glenn Burke Story" with Abdul-Jalil, Doug Harris, and Ivan Golde on 12-4-10.