In a trenchant series of interviews, Bob and other dinosaurs explored mysteries great and small on the Before Phone (BP) geologic epoch | Our hosts | Our venues | Our topics
Lots of people talk about it, and some even give it an honest start, but finishing? Now that’s pretty rare. Even rarer still is co-writing a book, and here’s the clincher: writing two more to make it a trilogy. Not saying it’s perfect, but what masterpiece is. Most importantly it’s done … with the exception of the abridged version. Stay tuned!
Nobody sets out for their weekend to turn into an algorithm, nor do you expect to show up on Monday to discover that your flagship website isn’t working quite like it should.
The positive news is that I went for two runs and three walks and had two eureka moments along the way. I’m not saying I have things completely figured out. But by the end of Monday, I turned the lemons of having to revert to a “backup(p)ed” version (I can’t seem to spell that word) of my website only to serve as inspiration to reformat the entire front page. After about two hours I finally got it to looking semi-right. In retrospect, I’m not convinced the breakdown wasn’t a blessing in disguise. It forced me to admit that the old formatting wasn’t quite working.
But my larger point: Really, the whole point about the Nature Folk Flyer is to connect myself and my audience to nature. Why is it then that I seem to be spending equal shares of my time working through the minutia and archania of the computer matrix? It didn’t help that the internet was down when I arrived home at the end of the day. Keep in mind by this time I had discovered that my website was seizing up, and entire pages weren’t appearing when clicked. After a quick inspect of a couple work-arounds, and a hesitancy to try to contact technical support which is always by chat, and not very good: I simply took the bull by the horns and reverted to a backup copy of my site. And as I said, that served as inspiration to reformat and reconsider my old structural design.
The result? I’d really like to delve deeply into the Nature Folk Movement (NFM), and maybe someday I’ll get this complex architecture of websites figured out. Until then, I’m just glad I’m enjoying the process. What more really can you ask for in life?
Some would say ample research on the topic you’re trying to discuss. Others would say having a good set of questions. Still others would say inviting in a good guest. But for me, the secret to a good interview starts with the host. It isn’t so much the questions or the answers as it is the good conversation to be had. And really, for that to occur: Is there really a need for anyone else? Answer: I would say yes. The caveat is you better be comfortable having a dialog with yourself first. And that’s why in many ways this is a breakthrough interview.
Among the topics we cover: My new idea for a great app, new details on the Time of Great Phonelessness (i.e. Before Phones), how phones stole our memories, the difference between prescient and clairvoyant, why a ranger kept returning to the swamp and what made him stop, the difference between a tree and a large blade of grass, why cigarettes are healthier than cell phones, how banjos went viral, and more.
In a trenchant series of interviews, Bob and other dinosaurs explored mysteries great and small on the Before Phone (BP) geologic epoch | 
