Good Morning Monterey Bay

Ep. 650 - GMMB Tuesday 16 August 2025

We heard of a 12-year-old boy who read books to special needs kids over zoom. He did it for several years, developing relationships with the children over time. The parents consider it quite a boon.

Robert Redford just died. We had lots of good things to say about him, including in the good news segment.

Rachael Shelton talked geriatric chickens. She did some sleuthing to determine why some of their younger coop mates were dying. Uncle Jerry left us recently, but Rachael described how she still feels his influence in the garden.

Ep. 649 - GMMB Monday 15 August 2025

In good news we heard of an Indian hospital in a train car, and an older gent who, upon retirement, followed his dream of joining the marching band at Louisiana State University.

Mark Mozena had some particularly interesting topics today.

• Scientists announce potential biosignature on Mars - best clue yet of ancient microbial life on Mars. 
• Congress had a hearing on UFOs/UAPs
• US Air Force funding demonstrations using rockets to deliver cargo anywhere on earth in 1 hr
• Drama over “China beating the US to moon”…
• Solar eclipse this week but not in the US. whomp whomp

Michael Olson's ag report this week was about honeybees.

Ep. 647 - GMMB Thursday 11 August 2025

In good news we heard of a group of 50 pilots graduating from Tuskegee University. Also, a lucky person had their hows burn down, then win a drawing at the boys and girls club in which they won a new house.

Gary Shapiro told us what the earliest Academy Awards were like, but only after reminiscing first about our time at the fair yesterday.

Good news was food for litter and CPR for a drunk raccoon. Really. It was better than this makes it sound.

In movie reviews, Alex said Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will be loved by DA fans. He liked The Long Walk and was enamored of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. Rosemary needs a more emphatic phrase that "enamored of" to describe how she feels about the Spinal Tap movie. Bill does not have movie picks. If he did, this week it would have been Rabbit Trap. If some listener wanted to pay Bill to go to see The Long Walk, the price would have been too high. He would demand too much to sit through a movie depicting humans being cruel to humans.

Charlie Keutman gave a symposium on the care of echinacea, rudbekia and lantana. Bill was just happy that when he wrote the description for the podcast he got two of the three spelled correctly before checking his work.

Ep. 646 - GMMB Wednesday 10 August 2025

Jaime Smith talked fair food with us. His favorite is waffle cones. Rosemary dissed corndogs. Bill is not a fan of panko corndogs, but likes the plain ones.

Gary introduced us to a book about Elvis Presley and his manager, Colonel Parker. It is The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership that Rocked the World by Peter Guralnick.

We heard several variations of the musical them of the Santa Cruz County fair.

Ep. 645 - GMMB Tuesday 9 August 2025

In good news we heard of a gathering of family members of a crew from a B-17 who flew together in World War II. Then we heard of an eight-year-old boy who went on a car trip with his parents, and his stuffed dog. The dog disappeared at some point. They figured it was at a rest stop they visited. The dad wrote the sheriff there, giving the location of the rest stop, and asked him to have a look. A deputy did, and the boy and dog were reunited. Joy!

Ep. 644 - GMMB Monday 8 August 2025

Gail Pellerin joined us, discussing the death of John Burton, the compassion with dying bill, and suicide prevention month.

Mark Mozena was back from his honeymoon, to tell us of these things.

• Oumuamua is classified as an exo-Pluto object. It was our first known exo-solar system visitor. 
• NASA releases draft of new Space Station development program. Funding for commercial space stations to replace ISS. 
• More changes at Department of Defense (War?) - head of space development agency leaves. And new commanders set to be announced for space force
• Exhostar cancels massive contract and sells spectrum to SpaceX 
• NASA funding fights continue in Congress all week

Michael Olson had Ron Haedeke with him, to talk about the Santa Cruz County Fair, which opens the day after tomorrow.

Ep. 643 - GMMB Friday 5 August 2025

Dr. Pete had several topics for us today. First we talked about how fast things--like rubber bones--go through a dog. From there we went to oral cancer in cats, and then to brushing dogs' teeth, using doggiedent. Then it was new cancer treatments for animals utilizing their immune system, and parallel treatments for human cancers. Finally, it was zoonotic diseases, like rabies.

Movie picks this week were The Baltimorons and Twinless.

Charley Keutman had two ideas for fun things to do this weekend. One was to visit Vallejo Street Dahlias in Watsonville. You'll need to get tickets in advance. Another is to attend the Monterey Bay Area Cactus and Succulent Society's upcoming show at the Watsonville Portuguese hall. Rosemary and Bill thought adding a trip to the county fair would round out the day nicely.

Ep. 642 - GMMB Thursday 4 August 2025

A student from Argentina vacationed in Italy. She stayed in a home and learned that it was the home in which her father was born and raised. She stayed there by coincidence, demonstrating what a small world it is.

A Philadelphia policeman gave a man who is blind and deaf money to take a bus to New York. The man had gotten off to stretch his legs during a stop, and no one let him know the bus was leaving, and it took off with all his stuff, leaving him behind.