The Not Old - Better Show

House of Cards Walking Tour of DC, Interview with Kathleen Bashian Frank Underwood's Washington... As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living series, our guest today on The Not Old Better Show is House of Cards Walking Tour expert, guide, and professor, Dr Kathleen Bashian. You've seen that flashing opening sequence of House of Cards season after season, and we all know that theme music (here, generously supplied by musician Jesse Ahmann, an excellent cellist, and online at jesseahmann.net). But, for those of us who binge on the Netflix program, and obsess over each episode and detail, we can walk the House of Cards Washington locations, on an excellent walking tour, lead by DC based guide, and House of Cards expert, Kathleen Bashian. I had the pleasure of joining local historian Dr. Kathleen Bashian (web site HERE) for a 2 mile walking tour that covers a wide variety of Washington locations against which the Underwoods' scheming, affairs of state, and affairs of a different kind play out. Along the way, she offers insights into the history and background of the locations in House of Cards to better appreciate some of the show's memorable moments, and how their astute selection enhances the impact of its storylines and characters. Next tour is Nov 5. Meet at the fountain on the West Front of Capitol (the location where presidential inaugurations take place); the tour concludes at Hill Country Barbeque Market. The tour includes lunch. Enjoy! Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

HeartScribe: 16 Year Old App Dev. Rohan Taneja, Interview The internet can be intimidating for those not used to it, and when it comes to healthcare, while many potential advantages are available using the newest technology, there are still obstacles. Here on The Not Old Better Show we've talked a lot about the "age gap" that exists in the technology industry. The fact that most tech workers are young people, and that technology often appears to be designed for young people. And, we've established, and data supports this, that by 2030, approximately 20% of people in the US with be over 65. Maybe 20% doesn't sound like a lot to you. Well, it happens to be about the same number of people in the US who own an iPhone today. Which of these two groups do you think Silicon Valley spends more time thinking about? This seems unfortunate when you consider all of the things technology has to offer those of us 55+ in age. Thankfully, some of this, appears to be changing, and my guest today on The Not Old Better Show has created a smart, mobile tool to help gather and save our vital healthcare information, and do so simply and safely. "When I first started developing the app I went to a few senior centers and I realized the buttons were not big enough; it was like every other app out there. Most of the other apps are really hard for people who are over 60 or over 70 to use, but this but this app is for heart failure patients, who are usually over 60. That was when I realized the app needed to be a lot more catered towards older people, so I made the buttons bigger I made everything a lot simpler. I took out some features that made it a bit too complex and were not really necessary. I had to make it really easy to use for the older population who have heart failure and other chronic conditions," says Rohan Taneja, 16, developer of the HeartScribe app. More information HERE, and you can find the app at Google Play (only, for the time being...iOS coming soon). Enjoy...BTW, Rohan encourages feedback, so please provide any directly HERE. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Not Old Better Show Interview series, Author Sheri Castle, The New Southern Garden Cookbook Welcome to The Not Old Better Podcast. As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art Of Living series, our guest today is chef, author, cooking teacher, and public speaker, Sheri Castle. Ms. Castle, who hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, explores the rich history and heritage of the foodways of the Mountain South, a region whose cuisine—long overlooked or misunderstood—is riding the wave of new attention. She looks at the wide variety of dishes that make use of quintessential mountain foodstuffs including corn, beans, wild greens, potatoes, sorghum, apples, biscuits, game, and freshwater fish. She introduces iconic Appalachian foods such as leather britches beans, dried-apple stack cake, chocolate gravy, candy roaster squash, and righteous skillet cornbread. Join Sheri, and Smithsonian Associates, Nov. 3, 2016, Ripley Auditorium, Washington DC, for Sheri Castle's presentation, titled "Shuck beans, stack cake, and chocolate gravy." Enjoy. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Not Old Better Show Interview series, Author Mike Massimino, "Spaceman," (full length version) As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living series, our guest today on The Not Old Better Show is Astronaut Mike Massimino. Mike's new book, "Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey To Unlock The Secrets of the Universe" is wonderful, and in this, extended interview, Mike talks a lot about the book, but about himself as astronaut, survivor, and teacher, as well as his sense of awe about Planet Earth. This interview is a companion to our previous book review of Mike's book, with all new material, discussion and comments. Massimino talks about preparing for life in space, and some of his interesting moments on this planet and far above it. The nerdy science of TV's Big Bang Theory (where Mike played himself on several episodes) is worlds away from breathtaking adventures in outer space, where the immensity of the universe alters perceptions of reality. He tells a compelling story about following a dream and what having the "right stuff" really means—at NASA, in space, and in life. Give a listen to today's show, featuring a very interesting subject, and told by a very interesting person with great science, passion and experience! Enjoy. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Not Old Better Show Interview series, Rob Kapilow, What Makes It Great, Smithsonian Associates As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living series, our guest today on the Not Old Better Show is composer, performer, podcaster, radio show host, and music expert, Rob Kapilow. Rob is well known for so many things, but his "What Makes It Great" series is perhaps a "go to" resource on music. There's "FamilyMusick," for kids, and Rob is well known for his "Polar Express," "Green Eggs & Hamadeus," and his vocal score companion, "Dr Suess' Gertrude McFuzz," Kapilow's "Citypieces," with communities, and places in history, including his work with the Blackfeet tribe titled, "Summer Sun, Winter Moon" are stunning. Just a lot of brilliant work. Rob's new ebook, "What Makes It Great, Enhanced Edition," is out now, too, and can be found HERE. Rob, along with a group accompanying him, will share music from Harold Arlen, who wrote over 500 songs, many, many well known, but Arlen himself isn't so well known. None other than George Gershwin called him "the most original of all of us," he won an Oscar, and had many hits, and yet he's largely unfamiliar to many of us. Any fan of the Great American Songbook could hum a few bars of "Over the Rainbow," "Stormy Weather" or "That Old Black Magic" without having to think too hard. And yet, the composer of those songs remains little known. His songs are so alive that many major singers, including Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and even George Harrison, here singing "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." All that changes Sunday night, October 30, when Rob Kapilow will be presenting "What Makes It Great," (I think I counted 21 seasons of "What Makes It Great,") in Washington DC, at the Baird Auditorium, and the program begins at 6 PM, sharp. I'll be there. Those who know Rob, know of his work, and know of his 21 seasons of "What Makes In Great" on NPR, agree that Rob is a born teacher, a motivational speaker, and game show host, all rolled into one," according to the Boston Globe. Audiences agree. Join Rob and guests on Oct. 30, 2016, for Smithsonian Associates series, co-presented by Washington Performing Arts, and tickets are HERE. Enjoy. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Not Old Better Show Interview series, Kathryn Johnson, Write a Novel in a Month, Smithsonian Associates As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living series, our guest today on the Not Old Better Show is writer, educator, blogger, and mentor, Kathryn Johnson. Kathryn is well known for so many things, but her own writing, which we'll touch on today on the Not Old Better Show. Kathryn is teaching the day long course, from Smithsonian Associates, "Write a Novel in a Month," October 29, 2016, Ripley Center, Washington DC. You can find out more HERE, at smithsonianassociates.org Kathryn teaches as The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and is the author of more than 40 published novels. You can learn more about Kathryn at her web site HERE. Bring your pad, and pen, or a fully charged laptop, and get ready to write your novel, during Write a Novel a Month. My math tells me, based on the average size of a novel at 50,000 words, that is about 1600 words each day! Enjoy. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Not Old Better Show Interview series, Dr Sarah Shomstein, Brain Scientist, Smithsonian Associates As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living series, our guest today on the Not Old Better Show is Dr. Sarah Shomstein. Dr Shomstein will appear at the Ripley Center, Oct. 19, 2016, and will be speaking on the subject of "The Brain in a Digital Age." Born in the Kiev, Russia, now the Ukraine, Sarah Shomstein is an Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, and Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Program, at the George Washington University. Her research interests are focused on investigating the neural mechanisms of attentional selection by combining both behavioral and neuroimaging techniques in normals as well as brain damaged populations. In her spare time she plays squash, skis, scuba dives, travels, attends art exhibits, and perfects her photography skills. According to Shomstein, because the brain isn't able to process the amount of information coming at us all at once, it has developed a way to select a subset of information for further processing. The critical question, she says, is how the brain chooses what to process first and what to process next. She addresses the science behind that question and suggests ways we might enhance the brain's ability to keep us focused. So pay attention! Give a listen to today's show, featuring a very interesting subject, and told by a very interesting person with great science, passion and research by her side! Enjoy. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Not Old Better Show Interview series, Author Mike Massimino, "Spaceman," at Smithsonian As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living series, our guest today on the Not Old Better Show is Astronaut Mike Massimino. Mike Massimino has authored the recent book, "Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe." Massimino, a 6-foot-3, blue-collar kid from Long Island with poor eyesight and a fear of heights is not what you'd call a surefire bet for the space program. But Mike Massimino is no ordinary guy. He was an astronaut with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and is the veteran of two NASA space flights: STS-109, aboard space shuttle Columbia in March 2002, and STS-125, aboard space shuttle Atlantis in May 2009. His final mission was to repair the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. Massimino talks about preparing for life in space, and some of his interesting moments on this planet and far above it. The nerdy science of TV's Big Bang Theory (where Mike played himself on several episodes) is worlds away from breathtaking adventures in outer space, where the immensity of the universe alters perceptions of reality. He tells a compelling story about following a dream and what having the "right stuff" really means—at NASA, in space, and in life. Give a listen to today's show, featuring a very interesting subject, and told by a very interesting person with great science, passion and experience! Enjoy. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Smithsonian's Grand Opening of National Museum of African American History & Culture... Renowned Ballet Dance, Lauren Anderson's Toe Shoes Enshrined... The Not Old Better Show celebrates the Grand Opening of the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Renowned ballet dancer, Lauren Anderson, has her ballet toe shoes enshrined and featured in our video. Enjoy. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Not Old - Better Show Interview series, Author Jodi Picoult at Smithsonian As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living series, our guest today on the Not Old Better Show is Jodi Picoult. Jodi Picoult, the best-selling author of 26 novels, is one of the most popular fiction writers today, but that doesn't mean her books are easy reads. Picoult has addressed some tough topics in her novels, including the death penalty, stem-cell research, and child abuse, among others. She prepares for each book with extensive research, sometimes investigating medical, scientific, and ethical issues. Her newest novel,Small Great Things follows an African American nurse who clashes with the white supremacist parents of a critically ill newborn—a confrontation that moves from the delivery room into the courtroom. (the title refers to MLK quote: "If I cannot do great things, I can do small things that are great." ) Jodi will be at the Baird Auditorium, Washington, DC, Oct. 26, and tickets, including Jodi's new book, Small, Great, Things, are available at the Smithsonian Associates ticket web site: HERE. Enjoy. Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on Radio & Podcast! Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.