TWO OLD BUCKS

229: Habit or Rut, Mold Dog, An 80 Perk, Dark Matter, Eco-anxiety, Distressed Haiku

Send us Fan Mail Del finds a perk for being 80: free bus rides. Let the good times roll! Ranger Rick takes the Bucks to task to better define having a habit vs being in a rut. We try to explain. Dave says a habit serves you, but you serve a rut. What's your take? Tell us. Del has eco-anxiety on top of his AI-anxiety. What's a boy to do? Dave wants to change his name to Domingo. If you could change your name (hint: you can), what would you change it to? Del recommends the non-fiction book, The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. Dave 5-star recommends Essays After Eighty by Donald Hall and gives 4 stars to his Selected Poems. Dave read Hall's poem, Distressed Haiku. Check it out. Bucks discuss Dark Matter, a series on Apple TV. Great start but bogs down. 2.3026 stars, naturally. Our bonus track is Loan Me a Dime, covered by Box Scaggs and Duane Allman, originally done by Fenton Robinson. Wait for the horns. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

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228: Missing Dolly, White Squirrels, Galapagos, Del and Whales

Send us Fan Mail The Bucks talk about losing Dolly Parton, someone who everyone liked regardless of their politics. What did you like best about Dolly? Here's Dolly with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt singing a Neil Young song. Three earth angels. Del is astounded to learn there are white squirrels frolicking in Brevard, NC, where Dave is stating in a hexagonal house of mid-century architecture and furnishings. Dave recounts his recent trip to the Galapagos aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II. Spectacular in every way, highly recommended. Del ruminates on the Lindsay Clancy trial, which ended in a mistrial two hours after the Bucks recorded this. What are your feelings? On a less serious note, Del [clearly with too much time on his hands] delves into the making of the Blues Brothers movie. This naturally led him to recount a discussion with a crazed neighbor who said people were swimming across the Hudson to escape New York. Really? What about the ferry? The swimmers led Del to ponder the whale's blowhole. Here's another Dolly Parton song, just because Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

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227: Crypto Crash, BPH Gash, AI Rash, Talkin' Trash

Send us Fan Mail Bucks review the ups and downs of cryptocurrency since last September. Well, there are no ups. Don't say we didn't warn you. Del sends out a one-question litmus test he developed while smoking an El Gordo. Is he set in his wheys or does he have PWS? An expert phones in a warning about AI. Ignore at your peril. Speaking of phones, Del got a live human when calling a product support line. Dave discusses his Aquablation surgery experience to fix his BPH. Too much detail? Del finished the epic poem, The Odyssey, and enjoyed it but decides he won't sit through the movie. Dave recommends the book, Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry. Five stars. Del highly recommends the movie, Tuner while Dave enjoyed Blackberry. Dave took some heat from listeners over his bonus video last time. This time the topic is heroin addiction, not death. But just watch the band play their hearts out in this version of Waiting for My Man by the late, great Lou Reed. Did you ever have this much fun at work? Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

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226: We're Baaaaaack! Old Buck Milestones, The Usual Stuff, More to Come

Send us Fan Mail After eleven blissful yet possibly boring months without us, the Bucks are back to share our stories, life events, and views of the world with you. This is a short episode, mainly because Dave in production and Dave in editing couldn't remember how to do stuff after nearly a year off. In future episodes, we'll review some of our past topics like crypto [way down], AI [way up], Ukraine [still hanging tough], and more. We'll also be sharing our reading and viewing habits with you. Right now, Del is reading The Odyssey, the one by Homer, not Nolan. Dave thoroughly enjoyed Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov. Dave liked the movie, Project Hail Mary. Maybe more than the book. Anyway, you get the idea. What's on your mind? Let us know what you think, what you'd like to hear us talk about. Remember, we'll be posting clips on Youtube as well. Until next time, think about what The Flaming Lips are telling you here. We mean YOU. You know who you are. It's an important message even if the video is a bit weird. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

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225: PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW

Send us Fan Mail Here's the totally unedited video version. Hard to believe but the Bucks are galloping (hobbling?) into the sunset. After 225 shows, thousands of laughs and more than a few tears, Dave and Del are headed for new worlds to explore, new mountains to conquer, and new coffee shops. It really has been a fun journey and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. We've created our own little community of loyal listeners (that's you) and we've always appreciated your insights and opinions. As Del often said, "It's all about friendship." As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." As the girl from the north country said, "Bonne soirée." Here are some of our most popular episodes if you're a new listener or even an old listener: 118: Bridey Thelen-Heidel 122: Phoenix, the Wounded Ukrainian Doctor 84:Judge Clarance Jones 151: Tahoe Toogie 213:Mahesh Patel 135:Frank Young 224: Craig Benjamin So many episodes, so little time. We couldn't patch this onto the end of our recording but it is worth as listen. It was written by Don Henley and Bruce Hornsby. Tell us what it means to you. It's called The End of the Innocence. If you need a mellower song to drift away on, try Groovin' Call a friend today. Better yet, hug a friend today. Best from the Bucks. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

224: Dr. Craig Benjamin, Historian Extraordinaire

Send us Fan Mail The Bucks interview Dr. Craig Benjamin, historian, jazz musician, cruise lecturer and much more. Stay with us for the entire hour to hear about a life well-lived. HERE'S A LINK TO A 6-MINUTE VIDEO CLIP OF THIS INTERVIEW. A 2-minute video about three bears. Books recommended by Dr. Benjamin: Traditions and Encounters; A Global Perspective on the Past Comprehensive, 8th. Edtn, by J. Bentley, H. Zeigler, H. Streets Salter, C. Benjamin, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2025. This is the top selling world history college-level textbook in the US. It literally covers the history of human societies from the stone age to the present. Empires of Ancient Eurasia. The First Silk Roads Era 100 BCE – 250 CE, C. Benjamin, Cambridge University Press New Approaches to Asian History Series, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. This book discusses the history of ancient Eurasia during the first great era of Silk Roads land and maritime exchanges. It focuses on the four great empires that made the Silk Roads possible – the Han Chinese, Kushan, Parthian and Roman empires. Big History: Between Nothing and Everything, D. Christian, C. Stokes Brown, and C. Benjamin, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014. The only college-level textbook available on big history; this literally tells the story of the cosmos, our planet, life on earth and humanity from the big bang to the present. Craig recommends KE Adventures if you are interested in adventure travel. In other news, Dave reflects on his time at Black Mountain, including his first bear encounter while Del dodges the 93F Florida heat. We'll leave you with a couple history-related songs. Which one gets your vote? Who started the fire? Who saw it all? Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

223: Del has a Heat Attack and New Teeth, Dave Visits London

Send us Fan Mail Del panics over losing his phone and blames the heat. Is Del acting like a teenager or is it really the heat? Del pays for another year's tuition for his dentist's child. But he looks mahvelous. Dave nods the antlers to Rewen, Francis and Harriett, and Buck and Linda from the Baltic cruise. He also recommends seeing Joshua Jay, the magician performing on the ship. Here and here are videos of a couple of his routines. Dave tours London and finds the people there extremely kind and helpful. He also determined he had Mal de Debarquement Syndrome from the cruise. It was not fun but it was only for a few days. Dave recommends a dazzlingly good play he saw: Stereophonic. It's not about the music. Shoutouts to old friends Michael and Rose, with whom we spent a wonderful afternoon and evening. Here's a little more traveling music. Speaking of Traveling Next episode is Dr. Craig Benjamin, historian extraordinaire. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

222: Del's new TV, Dave's Baltic cruise

Send us Fan Mail Del has a good purchasing experience and a less than good follow-up with AI. Dave discusses his 15-day Baltic cruise, the good, the bad, and the ugly. What are your AI experiences? Have you been to the Scandinavian and Baltic countries Dave visited? What were your impressions? What is MdDS? Find out next episode. Dick Clark introduces the bonus track. Or, do you like this one? And finally, Dave forgot to give a shout-out to Rewen, another new friend from the trip. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

221: Dave reports in from Denmark

Send us Fan Mail Dave manages to get to Copenhagen in one piece after nearly melting in Boston. He met one nice folks over there and highly recommends the city. In the battle of the bonus tracks, listen and tell us which one you like the best. 1. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen 2. Monster by Steppenwolf 3. Land Down Under Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

220: Whither thy Weather, Speak Up, No Kings

Send us Fan Mail The Bucks whine about the weather again...and again. Do you have a butt dial story? Let us know. We're all ears, hearing aids and all. Bucks reconnect with Old Buck Gene, whose memory issues have taken a turn for the better. Amazing. Bucks pay tribute to Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, two monsters of the music of our youth. Do you have a favorite song from either? Let us know. Dave attended the No Kings demonstration in Sarasota. It's a good start. Our two bonus tracks are renditions of Amazing Grace sung by descendants of the original peoples of North America. Susan Aglukark sings in Inuit and Iveta Sunyata sings in Cherokee “Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.” - Mark Twain Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

219: Crazy or just OLD? Gloucester Cheese, Canadian Fires, Spearhead

Send us Fan Mail Here's a short video clip from the episode Del displays his geographic knowledge. He cannot be stumped. Why does Dave have to practice mounting his bicycle? Del makes milestone soup as only he can. Those crazy Brits and their cheese chases. Can you do this? Del expresses concern over proposed Medicaid cuts and the impact on poor people. Dave recommends Spearhead by Adam Makos. Our bonus track salutes the men and women who saved the world from tyranny. Will it happen again? Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

218: Bucks interview Curtis Weber, a retiree now teaching English to immigrants

Send us Fan Mail Maybe retirement is a time to kick back and relax and that's fine. But it wasn't enough for Curtis Weber, a retired educator who relocated to Sarasota and now teaches English to non-English-speaking immigrants who have also found a new life in the area. Curtis teaches advanced English classes at the Sarasota Technical College where his students range in age from 17 to 83. He's had students from 30 countries with diverse backgrounds from cardiologist to ship captain. Send us your questions or comments, we'd love to hear your feelings on this topic. Dave in editing apologizes for the subpar audio quality of this episode. Del is putting him on probation. Yikes! This week's bonus track was written by Graham Nash. It seems to fit. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

217: The Lottery by S. Jackson, Tornado !, Del Flips his Lid, Tom's First Kiss

Send us Fan Mail Dave has an unexpected and unforgettable trip to a tornado shelter. Yikes! Del proves once again he has too much time on his hands as he sands and drills plastic lids. Tom recounts songs that carry a signifigant meaning for him, especially the one that was playing when he got his first kiss. What a memory! The Bucks read and discuss The Lottery, a short story by Shirley Jackson published in 1948. Give us your feedback on the story. Like it? No? Thoughts? Our most downloaded story was The Quiet by Carys Davies. Which story do you like better? Why? Our bonus track today may or may not relate to the episode [it does] but it is the world's greatest rock song by the world's greatest rock band...and Lisa. And it is not called Free Bird. And a bonus bonus track for Tom. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

216: Caregiving, Yo Yo Ma, Black Bag, Three More Love Questions

Send us Fan Mail Here's a 5-min. video clip. Del deals with caregiving for an elderly friend. Dave wraps up his San Diego visit. Del reviews the movie, Black Bag, and gives it a not so great rating. What do you think? Dave saw Yo Yo Ma. Highly recommended. Here's the Van Wezel. Bucks discuss three more questions that lead to love, or maybe friendship. Tell us how you'd answer. In the next episode, we'll read and discuss The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. You can read it in advance and send in your comments. Our bonus track is in line with our mostly maudlin episode. Or, for something mellower from the north country. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

215: Persia, San Diego, A Question or Four of Love

Send us Fan Mail Dave's wife makes a new friend on their coast-to-coast flight while he sits next to the perfect passenger-an empty seat. The new Persian friend makes some San Diego recommendations, including the Lafayette Hotel. Just dazzling! Dave enjoys the cool, perfect weather in San Diego, again visiting Balboa Park. Highly recommended. The Bucks discuss the first four questions from the NYT article, The 36 Questions That Lead to Love. Read the article and tell us what you think or tell us how you'd answer the first four questions we discussed. View our YouTube clip on this here. We have some interesting episodes coming up so hang around and find out what they are. Del recommends the book, The Water Room by Christopher Fowler. A book about two 70-year-old guys? Who's gonna read that? Dave gives thumbs-up and high fives to Mikey Madison for her Oscar-winning performance in Anora. Dave dittos that for Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain. A touching performance. This week's bonus track is an R.E.M. classic. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

214: Feedback on Mahesh, The Brutalist, Sitting on a Plane, Unbeer

Send us Fan Mail Got lots of great feedback on 213 with Mahesh Patel. If you haven't listened yet, please do and tell us what you think. There are links to two short video clips in the show notes. C'mon back, Mahesh. Del gives two thumbs down to The Brutalist. Dave hasn't seen it. What's your vote? Dave gave 3.5 stars to The Chestnut Man, a series streaming on Netflix. It's a hunt for a serial killer in Denmark, a bit creepy, a bit gory, a bit of a tangled web. Del laments a Florida law outlawing emanations in the sky, or something like that. It's Florida, what can we say. Del further extols the pleasures of NA beer. Yuck! This is NOT the bonus track but if you want to keep track of all the ways the new administration is trying to destroy our country, sign up for this. This IS the bonus track, so pay attention. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

213: We interview Mahesh Patel, author of RELOCATE ADJUST REPEAT

Send us Fan Mail Video clip of Mahesh on writing his memoir. Video clip of 18-year old Mahesh on the Hippie Trail The Bucks interview author Mahesh Patel, author of RELOCATE ADJUST REPEAT: AN INTERNATIONAL LIFE. Joining us is Old Buck Tom, who will be sharing the load with us from time to time down the road. Mahesh has led a fascinating life and our interview only scratches the surface of what is in his book. Soooo, we urge you to buy his book; you won't be disappointed. To get his book, either in either the print or Kindle version, go to the Amazon website and enter the title in the search bar. It's that easy. Please tell others about the book and about this podcast. We encourage you to forward this episodes to your friends and neighbors or anyone interested in hearing about a life well-lived. As always, please give us your feedback via our email, text or voicemail options. We'd love to hear what you think. WHO: World Health Organization. The World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to achieve better health for all. By connecting countries, people and partners, we strive to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. UNICEF: UNICEF is the United Nations Children’s Fund, working in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents – and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. One of the world’s largest providers of vaccines, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality education and skill building, HIV prevention and treatment for mothers and babies, and the protection of children and adolescents from violence and exploitation. Finally, here's the bonus track. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

212: Road Trip, Bikes and Books,AI Blues, No Mahesh Yet

Send us Fan Mail We had to postpone our interview with Mahesh Patel, author of Relocate Adjust Repeat. Mahesh will be with us next time. In the meantime, buy his book on Amazon. You'll love it. The Bucks do a road trip looking for another bike for Dave and find a self-taught artist and all-around sweet guy. Dave builds the courage to actually sell a bike so his car can fit in the garage. Seller's remorse? Del tangles with an AI chatbot...and loses. Get used to it. Del recommends Elmore Leonard books. Dave was not enthralled by Slow Learner, the first short story collection by Thomas Pynchon. 2 of 5 stars. Go with Gravity's Rainbow instead. Dave is watching the series, Shrinking, with amusement. Elmore would have liked this bonus track. For something mellower, try this. Look at some of our video clips on our YouTube channel: @two_oldbucks4617 Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

211: Planetary Alignment, A Complete Unknown, Martin Luther King Day

Send us Fan Mail Happy Birthday to loyal listener Linda from Germany! Auf Wiedersehen. Tomorrow, Jan. 21, you can see six planets align. You can see it on subsequent nights, as well, but they won't be in perfect alignment. Or, you could wait until 2040. Here's the link to the article in WIRED. Tell us what you saw. Dave saw A Complete Unknown, the movie on Bob Dylan's early career in the '60s. Five stars from Dave. Timothée Chalamet nailed it! Here's a trailer. And for all the girls from the north country, here's one of Dave's favorites. This version, with Johnny Cash, features his Nashville voice. Dave reads an essay on Martin Luther King and other heroes written by historian Heather Cox Richardson and published in her blog. Read it and tell us what you think. Our next episode will be an interview with citizen of the world Mahesh Patel, who will discuss his new memoir, Relocate Adjust Repeat- An International life. You can get a copy on Amazon. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

210: Jimmy Carter, More Ants, Slow Sisters & Bad Horses

Send us Fan Mail Del runs more ant experiments, proving once again that he has too much time on his hands. Bucks pay tribute to Jimmy Carter, our 39th president. We miss him more every day. Dave recommends two series on Apple+ [where we think you can get a free 3-month trial]: SLOW HORSES, a British series about MI5 agents who have screwed up and been assigned to a purgatory called Slough House. Gary Oldman is brilliant. BAD SISTERS, an Irish dark comedy about five sisters who may be bad. Or not. PSA on alkaline water. It's just water, folks. The bonus track is the theme from Slow Horses because Dave likes it AND Mick. If you want something completely different, watch this by Maggie Rogers. Tell us what you think, folks. Look for our Youtube clips. Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM Find Two Old Bucks on Facebook and YouTube Leave a Voice message - click HERE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?