Stuff I Learned Yesterday

Tomorrow will be the end of an era. On Wednesday, May 21, 2014, the final episode of Revolution will air on NBC. Once it ends and we record our podcasts on Thursday night, it will mark the first time since we started podcasting in 2008 that Golden Spiral Media will not have a podcast about a currently airing TV show. Yes, we’ll still have our LOST podcast, and Triplecast is coming back in the next...

Some of you that are in your 40’s or older may remember a show named 8 is Enough and a character named Tommy Bradford.  If you’re a bit younger than that then you may remember a show called Charles in Charge and a character named Buddy Lembeck, the goofy best friend of Scott Baio’s character, Charles.  Both of these characters were played by a guy named Willie Aames. I never really watched 8 is En...

Today is the Friday Forum!! In today’s episode I share a very special story of adoption from John McGrail. You can participate in a future Friday Forum episode by calling and leaving a message at 304-837-2278, emailing an audio file to feedback@goldenspiralmedia.com, or clicking on the Send Voicemail tab on my website, GoldenSpiralMedia.com. Read More... The post 45- Friday Forum appeared first on...

15 years. It really doesn’t seem like it’s been 15 years since I married Kari Maechelle Brunson, but today is our 15 year anniversary. We met while working at a bookstore. I was the assistant manager. She and her family had just moved to Oklahoma City from Texas and she was hired to work in the teacher supplies department and work customer service. It was not love at first sight. I was coming off...

We all know that college students are usually broke.  I certainly was when I was in college.  I had a couple of small scholarships that covered most of the expense of books, but nothing more.  All of my tuition was paid for by saving money earned from my part time job.   After my freshman year, my roommate and I got a small apartment just off of campus.  It was the cheapest one we could find.  It...

I think most people dream about being a singer at some point as a child. For me the first memory I have of dreaming what it would be like to be a rock star was when I was first introduced to Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. I was 6 years old. I don’t think I ever really thought I’d make it as a big time singer and never really pursued it. In fact, I never even sang in front of anyone except for t...

Like many of you, I had a pretty busy weekend.  My Saturday started with my son and I attending men’s Bible study at church, and then I had to set up the drum kit for Sunday’s church service.  While we were doing those things, my wife and daughter did a bit of shopping.  We all met back at our house shortly before lunch and then headed out together to deliver some flowers to my grandma for Mother’...

Today is the Friday Forum!! Friday Forum is your opportunity to Share what YOU’VE learned, so that other listeners and I can learn from YOU.  It can be a message as short as 30 seconds or several minutes long.  It really doesn’t matter just as long as it’s something that will benefit others.  You can participate in Friday Forum by calling and leaving a message at 304-837-2278, emailing an audio fi...

When I started this podcast nearly 2 months ago I never would have dreamed that I’d be doing any episodes about plants or gardening, but here I am doing my THIRD episode about that very topic. That does not mean that I now enjoy gardening or yard work. That has not changed and I do not see it changing anytime soon. However, I am committed to making sure my flower beds thrive this season and I’m le...

I love Kevin Durant.  Outside of choosing to go to college at the University of Texas, the guy is everything you’d like a guy to be.  He’s funny, caring, athletic, good looking, humble, and has a great attitude.  In case you don’t follow sports, Kevin Durant is a small forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder and he’s one of the best basketball players on the planet.  This year he won his 4th scoring...

I’m a terrible golfer.  On a regulation course, I’ve only broken 100 one time.  I don’t go very often, maybe once or twice a year, so it’s no surprise that I’m not very good.  Some people are naturally gifted at it and able to at least play near par without too much practice, but I am not one of those people.  In fact, if it is any kind of sport or athletic contest, I can assure you that the words...

When my neighbors, Allen and Mandy moved in a few years ago, their lawn was kind of lackluster.  It was a brand new house with new sod.  Most of the sod had taken root and was filling in pretty nicely, but it was just an average lawn.  There was one spot in particular that the sod was not growing.  Since it was a new home with new sod, the home builder came back out and laid down some fresh sod in...

Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday.  My name is Darrell Darnell, I got paddled at school every single year except Kindergarten, 4th grade, 9th grade, and 12th grade, and I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living.  In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I’m happy to share another installment of the Friday Forum, dedicated to stuff learned from teachers. Read More... The po...

Really?  An internet video?  Yesterday’s episode tackled big topics like racism, homosexuality, religion, and politics, and today I’m offering wisdom from a YouTube video?  Yep.  That’s how I roll. I have come to the conclusion that I am a sucker for those inspiration audition videos from The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and the like.  I don’t watch those shows.  I don’t really care for reality...

Today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday is one that I’ve had in mind to do since the beginning, but I’ve been putting it off.  I wanted to make sure that when I did it, I had time to really think it out and choose my words carefully.  The things I’m talking about in today’s episode are the types of things that seem to easily get people get upset.  I don’t know if I’ve chosen the best words.  ...

I won something yesterday!  It’s pretty cool, really.  It’s a high quality microphone attachment for Apple devices like the iPad, iPad mini, and iPhone.  It’s called the Zoom iQ5. If it sounds like something that you might find useful, you can check it out at www.goldenspiralmedia.com/iq5.  That’s a link that will take you to B & H Photo and Video.   Would you like to know how I managed to wi...

You know what I enjoy?  Well, lots of things, really, but to be more specific, I enjoy sitting at a computer and producing podcasts or building websites.  I can easily spend over 12 hours a day doing that stuff and not feel tired.  You know what I don’t enjoy?  Working out in my yard. As you probably know by now, it was right at a year ago when I left the company I had worked for for 19 years so t...

Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday.  My name is Darrell Darnell, when I was 9 I sat on the front row of the movie The Return of the Living Dead just to prove to my brothers that I was brave, and I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living.  In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I’m happy to share another installment of the Friday Forum. Read More... The post 30-Friday Foru...

Time sure flies, doesn’t it?  It’s hard for me to believe that 20 years have gone by since I graduated high school.  I’ve mentioned before that I graduated from the thriving metropolis (if you use the word metropolis in the loosest way possible) of Wellston, OK in 1994.  I moved to Wellston before I went into the fourth grade. It was an odd adjustment for me.  I had previously gone to school in a...

Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday.  My name is Darrell Darnell, my favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin, and I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living.  In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share a story of conflict and confession. Friday Forum Friday Forum is your opportunity to Share what YOU’VE […] The post 28- Do You Want to Punch it Out, or Hug it Out? appear...

When I was in seventh grade one of my teachers thought it would be good to teach our class a lesson on perspective.  She gave each of us a glass and had us fill it up half way with water.  She then asked us to carefully study the glass of water.  After we had time to study the glass of water she asked us a simple question.  She wanted us to tell her if the glass was half full or half empty.  She a...

I have to admit, I’m pretty excited about the state of Golden Spiral Media.  If you’ve been listening to any of our podcasts for a while, you are probably aware of the work that Golden Spiral Media does.  Just in case you aren’t here’s a brief synopsis.  Golden Spiral Media works in two branches.  One branch is this one, that is, the podcasting branch.  From this branch we record and produce podca...

Today is the Friday Forum!! In today's episode I share contributions received from Jill, Ana, and Bonita. You can participate in a future Friday Forum episode by calling and leaving a message at 304-837-2278, emailing an audio file to feedback@goldenspiralmedia.com, or clicking on the Send Voicemail tab on my website, GoldenSpiralMedia.com. Read More... The post 25- Friday Forum appeared first on...

Time really flies when you’re having fun, right?  The first episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday was released on March 17, so that means that today marks the one month anniversary of Stuff I Learned Yesterday.  This last month has been one of the most challenging and rewarding that I’ve had both personally and professionally.  I’ve learned a lot about myself and some of you in the process.  I don'...

As I mentioned in an earlier episode, my parents divorced when I was 9.  My dad remarried later that year, in December I think.  Sometime after my parents divorced and before the next school year started, my dad moved us into a rent house in a small town.  It was the town that my soon to be step-mom and her two kids lived.   I was going into 4th grade, my step-brother would be in 5th grade, my bro...