The rise and fall, and rise again(possibly) of Ames Department Stores. Old school trips to the mall to get professional photos taken. The best-selling Atari 2600 games ever. Episode 140 returns after a week off filled with fun nostalgia. It begins with the story of a Northeast staple for decades. Generations of those who grew up in that part of the United States likely have fond memories of shopping at the Ames Department Stores. However the rise of competition like Walmart and Target, along with other issues, eventually spelled the end of Ames. Now there is a possibility that the chain that o ..read more

Some of the biggest failures of 1990s products. Some of the most dangerous vehicles ever created. The rise of Napster and the dawn of music downloading in general. The nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island. Episode 138 of the podcast has warm and fuzzy nostalgia, horrific and scary events, some laughs and some head-shaking all in one show. It begins with a look back to the bygone days of the 1990s. Some products burst onto the scene and changed the way people lived their lives. This segment will not include any of those. We will kick the show off with the products that came in with major hype ..read more

Products that were here and gone in a flash. A serious 70s educational short film with some underlying humor. One of the most infamous unsolved crimes of the 20th century. Some of the best long songs. Episode 137 has nostalgia in bloom as the calendar turns to spring. It begins with a look at some products that were here and gone so fast that they barely had time to leave a mark. In the initial Blink and You'll Miss It segment we look at six food-related products that came in with a bang and left in a flash, or just left in a flash. Do you remember any of these? Bomb threats are serious and ca ..read more

Memories of when a trip to the video store was a must on a Friday night. What were the original games released with the Nintendo Entertainment System? How about the bad guys of advertising? Episode 136 is chock full of all of that and more! It begins with a time when renting movies was as much fun as watching them. In the days before streaming and on-demand features if someone wanted to see a movie they could either pick up TV Guide and hope it was on a channel they had access to, or they could get to the nearest video rental store and hope that there was a copy in stock. We will go way Back I ..read more

The Goonies as writing inspiration. Urban legends 1980s kids will remember. What music played on MTV's first day? Everyone has their origin story, how they ended up where they are or doing what they are doing. In Episode 135 of the podcast, I share my story of how I first got interested in being a writer. It goes all the way back to 2nd Grade, my favorite teacher ever, and a surprising inspiration, the movie The Goonies. Kids who grew up in the 1980s get ready for some major flashbacks. We go way Back In the Day to look at urban legends that kids from the 80s will remember. Some are silly old ..read more

Subscriber-only episode Hello subscribers! It's March, spring is arriving. The sun will bring some warmth and so will a new subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast! This is the 6th monthly installment in the series where I review a blog I had written called Initial Impressions which I began in 2010. For those who might be new here, this blog was meant to be a behind-the-scenes look at my travel trips but ended up as a fever-dream mix of random quotes, predictions, observations that would make Seinfeld proud, and some actual looks into the places I was visiting. In February love was in the ..read more

Some of the most memorable commercial jingles of the 90s. A trip back to Cape Cod's beloved Bassett's Wild Animal Farm. Historical Leap Day events. Episode 134 takes a trip back to simpler times. First, it begins with a trip back to the days when a petting zoo was popular entertainment. In the time before the Internet and smartphones, young people had fewer options for fun on Cape Cod. One such attraction that is looked back upon fondly is Bassett's Wild Animal Farm in Brewster. Animals both native and foreign to Cape Cod were front and center for generations of kids. Learn the story of that b ..read more

A driver's ed film that scarred children of the 1960s. Stories of my time as a degenerate Las Vegas gambler. Some of the best 1980s teen movies, and more. All of this is front and center on Episode 133 of the podcast. Las Vegas is called 'Sin City' for a reason. All of the excesses that you could want are within arms reach. Even if you are a resident you cannot escape the pull of some of the vices. During my time living in Vegas in 2000-01 I found out that my major weakness was the lure of gambling. I will share some head-shaking yet hilarious stories of my days as a degenerate gambler. From l ..read more

Happy Valentine's Day! Love is in the air on Episode 132 of the podcast. Helen Keller was an icon of the 20th century and a true testament to the will of the human spirit due to her achievements despite being rendered both bling and deaf at an early age. One of the loves of her life was the many trips that she made to Cape Cod during her childhood through early adulthood. We will look at her connection to The Cape. I love The Simpsons. At its peak it was arguably the best show ever made, at least in the conversation. For more than three decades it has entertained millions. This week we go way ..read more

It is the dead of winter and Episode 131 will try to bring the warmth. It begins with a trip back to a long-since-forgotten Cape Cod establishment. The Chequesset Inn of Wellfleet, the Grand Resort of the Outer Cape, was an oasis of luxury in the late 19th and early 20th century. However, it has been all but lost to time. We'll look back at its story this week. For 70 years one magazine has captured the world of athletics better than all others. Sports Illustrated has been more than just a sports magazine, it became a cultural institution. Anyone who is anyone in sports has been either on the ..read more