Advertise on podcast: The Wizard of iPhone Speaks

Opening piano music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church. Closing: The Army Medley, courtesy of Robert W. McEkewen & The American Military Band. My review of Grammar Girl 101 Misused Words (for show notes)I’m not clear where I first became a follower of Grammar Girl (Migon Forgarty in real life). My best recollection was via Twitter.Over the past six years, we have been connected on LinkedIn. We are both podcasting, except that she produces an MP/4 (video) and my world is MP/3 (audio), but that aside, we are, in a manner of speaking, colleagues.I say it’s a fun book because she’s blind sided by our French cousins on page 4: “Adieu vs Ado” — yes, Virginia, modern English is loaded with French words. It’s especially ironic because some years ago the French had a hissy fit over all the “Englishisms” in their language, i.e., Le drug store, Then it’s “byte versus bite”, which is not a Misused Word at all. “Byte” is a technical term and has nothing at all to do with digestion.On pages 68 & 69, she debates the misuse of our prefix “IN” meaning N O T. You guessed it: flammable vs valuable.I picked up a copy of her latest book — it’s a fun little piece and, in my opinion, if you intend to be a serious writer, especially of nonfiction, you need this book on your bookshelf, right next to your dictionary of choice.

Opening & closing piano music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church Let’s end this dual citizenship nonsense — It doesn’t exist“In Greece, his dual citizenshipcomplicates efforts by authorities to extradite him.” WSJ weekend edition page A/5That’s why he fled to Greece. Here’s the reason why,  FYI, as a naturalized American, he made the following oath before a Federal judge.

Opening piano music, courtesy of Stevens Valley Church, Finlandia -- Closing music recorded live by iPhone (20-14), courtesy of Steinway Piano Galleries. Gershwin plays Gershwin, played by Sprio -- the automated piano & The Entertainer. Scott Joplin.Charting Pacific Ocean Temperature & labeling it El Niño “intensification” is not scientific Weather is a technical subject; creating weather content using Siri is navigating a slippery slope.  Blaming Pacific cyclones (that's what Western Pacific hurricanes are called) is not just silly; it's illogical.

Closing Banjo Music courtesy of Banjo HangOut, Wreck of the old 97 & Happy Days are here again Medley, used with permission. Memo to Humana — why would I want to use your pharmacy when you are “dropping” my doctor from your plan? My medical care is not about your profit; it’s about my well-being!This is the final program in my five-part series about America's favorite morning beverage.

Closing Banjo music courtesy of Banjo HangOut -- Blue Skies used with permission. Join me next week for Trash Your Kureg -- Mother Earth will thank you. Here’s another little bit of weather nonsense — “California is already taking steps now to protect communities from a potentially historic El Niño because we know how serious these weather extremes driven by climate change can be,” California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said in the statement. Published by AccuWeather Sept 22 (20-26)This online post was accompanied by a chart of Pacific Ocean temperatures. Since El Niño is always a warm onshore flow, it can’t intensify because it’s always warm. The uniqueness of El Niño is being an "onshore" flow(close to the coast) when the norm is an offshore flow

Opening piano music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church. Closing banjo music courtesy of Banjo HangOut -- "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee..." used with permission. Waffle House plays it smart  Since the start of the so-called penny crisis, Casa Waffle has even-numbered pricing and engaged tax-included pricing.   Only to-go orders trigger a decimal dilemma: WH charges 10% on to-go orders.  So if you visit your favorite breakfast place and use your debit card 💳. Tip the server with cash and save your host 02.5%. They earned it!   On a personal note — I visited my dentist's office this morning and noticed they charge 03.5% “convenience fee.”  I used my American Express Card (Dave Ramsey hates that part).

Opening piano music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church; closing Alabama Jubilee courtesy of BanjoHangOut -- It's a matter of technical rule one -- "If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong & at the worst possible moment..."  Somehow I had been signed out, and the files were not loading. I apologize for the screw-up. Next time, the third in our series The freshness clock goes into overdrive when the beans are roasted, not when they are ground…

Closing music courtesy of Stevens Valley Church.When I was growing up, the preferred method of brewing coffee at home was by the percolator.More losing Control of the language — Is Clay & Buck radio the new source of misinformation?Perhaps when you consider a caller’s statement 09 - 14 - (20-26)Here’s what he said: “I’m an analyst, and I used AI to write my latest post, and I did it in record time.”Here’s the problem: computers (including Siri) don’t analyze anything — that’s a human function. What computers do is “sort data” so the user can analyze it. Don’t believe me… Try it for yourself; a sort of data is what you will get.Your laptop is a binary device, just like your smartphone, and it only recognizes up and down or right and left, over and under, but fails when comparing something quantitative, like good or bad.

Closing music courtesy of Banjo HangOut -- Civil War Medley -- used with permission. News Two Nashville reports today that motorists are “concerned” about high gas prices. Drivers might complain about high prices, but won’t do the one thing to save fuel: S L O W  D O W N. Just try driving on I40. In a manner of speaking, you and I are like the early Christians in the Colosseum, hoping for deliverance but expecting lions! Let me remind my fellow Americans of these words of Benjeman Franklin, upon the signing of the Declaration of Independence….“We must indeed all now hang together, or most assuredly, we hang separately “The victims of the 9/11 attack are new Christian martyrs.

Closing music courtesy of BanjoHangOut -- Dixie Medley used with permission. It’s a desert out there, and here’s Apple’s newest bad idea — Genius Picks#6 is bound to bring “distracted driving” to new levels.It’s called: “Watch your favorite podcast”FYI/if you can watch it - it’s not a podcast (MP/3); a video is an MP/4.I was very distressed to find that the barometer is no longer in utilities; I’d prefer it over the ability to watch a video while driving.

Opening music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church, used with permission. Closing music courtesy of Steinway Piano Gallery -- Down by the Riverside, performed live and recorded by iPhone. A cursory look puts alarms (wake-up) a close second to the plethora of gaming apps.On a personal note: iPhone users have always been able to toggle gentle wake-up by choosing an “ascending ring tone”. You just have to look in your library of tones.However, this app does not contain the obligatory warning: “In-app purchases may be required….”Overall, I would give the app a plus score on design and ease of use, but there’s a serious drawback, and that involves competition. As far as alarm apps are concerned, it’s a jungle out there.

Closing music courtesy of Blair String Quartet I had to open a dispute with my debit card and found out that I was loaning EARNIFY $125.00 as "preauthorized" credit. On a $57.00 purchase --  Next time I'll shop elsewhere or use my American Express Card (Dave Ramsey hates that part).

Closing piano music courtesy of Bellevue Presbyterian ChurchAnswer -- It’s the daily horoscope, not sports like most people imagine. Sports is a department of a newspaper, not a feature. FYI/except USA (yesterday), it’s State by State — they don’t have a horoscope.

Opening piano music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church, closing banjo music courtesy of BanjoHangOut. The William  Tell Overture  (used with permission. Join me this week on Content Matters  when I explain concierge medicine

Opening and closing music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church, used with permission..When next we meet, let's talk iPhone.  You don't have to go to prison to shut off your iPhone, from WSJ Weekend Edition 08/07/2026 -- reader suggested methods 08/16/20-26 I'll tell you how to do it easier.