About Us
Paul Menzel
Jim Conlan
Episode No. 2: "It's all downhill from here"
The Old Dogs ramble about why we think this podcast is a gift to our generation.
The Old Dogs Interview
Bill Hinds has been creating the Tank McNamara comic strip for 44 years. He now draws digitally and submits electronically. The challenge ahead is the future of newspapers.
Episode No. 3: "Did we really eat that stuff?"
The Old Dogs ramble about the food fads of the 1950's
The Old Dogs Interview
Lidia Porto is a Hispanic actress born in Colombia and raised in California and Texas. After many years of success as a regional performer, she moved back to Los Angeles. Eventually she landed her current starring role in Get Shorty. So what’s next?
Episode No. 49: "Better to be vaccined and not herd"
Episode No. 26: "Where have all the malls gone?"
The Old Dogs wonder what happened to all the malls we used to frequent
The Old Dogs Interview
PAUL MENZEL, the Dean of the Old Dogs team, describes his early days as a funny man, his middle years as a funny man, and his senescent years as a funny man in this engaging start to Season Two.
Episode No. 27: "I see dead people!"
The Old Dogs ponder the possibilities of artificial conversations with the departed
The Old Dogs Interview
JIM CONLAN gets his turn in the hot seat as partner Paul Menzel probes his past and current life for clues to what makes Jim think he's so darn funny. An in-depth interview full of shallow questions.
Episode No. 28: "The New Normal"
The Old Dogs ask what the heck is normal anyway?
The Old Dogs Interview
BUDDY BARNES in a conversation about engineering - military and civil - and a new career as a corporate mentor.
Episode No. 29: "Cruising Through Retirement"
The Old Dogs ramble on the ups and downs of living on a
cruise ship
The Old Dogs Interview
JACQUIE WHITT in a conversation about her adventures leading tours in South America - and her discovery of a potentially history-changing building process. Look for the documentary this fall.
Episode No. 30: "Running... and Running... for Office"
The Old Dogs ramble on what we think is wrong with elections
The Old Dogs Interview
RICK ANTONSON was a travel writer. But he got tired of seeing the world from fancy hotels. So he started travelling on his own dime - and discovered a brand-new world. Rick talks about his amazing adventures, and the books he's written about them.
Episode No. 31: "The Old Dogs Go Viral"
The Old Dogs ramble on how we're coping with the pandemic
The Old Dogs Interview
We hear from past podcast contributors on how they're doing. A hopeful and cheerful look at lives that are by no means on hold.
Episode No. 32: "Is it Normal Yet?"
The Old Dogs ramble on finding normal again
The Old Dogs Interview
MEL FOSTER is an Old Dog who has been an adman, an audiobook narrator and lately reinvented himself as a videographer of other Old Dogs. Sounds like a good idea to do this... before it's too late.
Episode No. 33: "The Lockdown Frees the Mind"
The Old Dogs ramble on human nature - and natural nature
The Old Dogs Interview
DR. THOMAS COLE, PhD has far-ranging interests, including humanities in medicine. A particular focus lately has been his study of famous men as they approach their final years. We talked with Dr. Cole about his book, Old Man Country, and what his interviews uncovered.
Episode No. 34: "You Ain't Missed Nothin' Yet"
The Old Dogs ramble on what we miss the most
The Old Dogs Interview
CHARLIE McCARTHY, Sailor, Banjo Player and all-around Tall Tale Teller is a guy who should have been happy as a successful IT wizard but turned to sales, then to the law, and now - who knows - maybe welding.
Episode No. 35: "Relax: You're Not Going Anywhere."
The Old Dogs ramble on how to communicate when nobody can
The Old Dogs Interview
JEAN AND JOHN RANAHAN found fulfillment by taking jobs in various locations around the world. They often wondered where they'd end up. As it turned out, it was where they began... in Micronesia.
Episode No. 36: "I Don't Dig Your Slanguage, Dude."
The Old Dogs chat with a Gen-Z-er about slang
The Old Dogs Interview
DIAN GREISEL is author of the Silver Disobedience Blog. She has a million followers who have found a safe space to explore the challenges and opportunties of growing older. She believes that getting to know ourselves with kindness will help us - and help us understand others better.
Episode No. 37: "Some Things Are Meant to be Puzzling."
The Old Dogs ramble about being resilient
The Old Dogs Interview
JOHN MADDEN is a puzzler. Literally. He makes the most devious, most unique, most expensive puzzles in the world. His company, Par Puzzles, is finding a new market among families who have the means - and the time - to indulge in a custom Par Puzzle.
Episode No. 38: "Blame the 60's on 50's TV."
The Old Dogs ramble about 50's TV and The American Way
The Old Dogs Interview
SHERRY ADAMS was in some ways the heartbeat of a major metropolitan newspaper. As the librarian for the Houston Chronicle, she was in charge of gathering news clippings, providing research, and a first-hand witness to many major events. In this conversation Sherry talks about her many years of service at the Chronicle.
Episode No. 39: "Driving While Old."
The Old Dogs ramble about when to stop driving
The Old Dogs Interview
News reporter, magazine editor, and all-round communications whiz JOHN FLORIAN got to the point where he needed a change. He found a new career as a voice talent. But his growing awareness of the voiceover business convinced him that voice talent needed a resource for information about their industry. For over 15 years John has been that resource – respected by new and seasoned talent alike.
Episode No. 40: "I'm Not Complaining, but..."
The Old Dogs ramble about how to complain
The Old Dogs Interview
ELAINE ADAMS is a rare birder, because her lifelong hobby has been birdwatching. As a birder she has traveled all over the countryside of North and South America. To support her hobby she has had some fascinating careers over the years. She was a professional singer in church choirs, a music teacher in a Texas school system, and a vintner.
Episode No. 41: "Are You a Man or a Robot?"
The Old Dogs ramble about the rise of the robots
The Old Dogs Interview
SUSAN ALEXANDER should have been dizzy from all the career moves she's made - from teacher to business woman to lawyer and beyond. But she's still looking for what's next, even in retirement.
Episode No. 42: "Let's Shake On It... Not!"
The Old Dogs ramble about the funding crisis in small arts organizations - and what that may mean for thousands of performers
The Old Dogs Interview
SANDY HARDWICK and SHIRLEY PETTIS found the cost of living a bit too much to remain stateside. So they packed up and moved to Costa Rica. There they found more than cheap living – they found a new community of friends both ex-pat and local… and a new acceptance for who they are.
Episode No. 43: "Old Elephants Know Best"
The Old Dogs ramble about sharing our infinite wisdom with our heirs
The Old Dogs Interview
DAVID HENRY has spent more than 50 years studying the fauna and flora of the boreal forest – that is, those far-off lands where humans seldom tread above the civilized areas of Canada. He tells us what he’s accomplished up there… and why “up there” may not be exactly “there” much longer.
Episode No. 44: "Any Twit Can Tweet on Twitter"
The Old Dogs ramble about social media for seniors
The Old Dogs Interview
TECLA MURPHY found a great way to spend her time after her children grew up. She started a magazine. Now, you might think magazine publishing isn't necessarily a good idea, but Tecla explains how she made Outlook By the Bay a success… by appealing to seniors.
Episode No. 45: "Vote for This Fake Episode!"
The Old Dogs ramble about better ways to spend election campaign money
The Old Dogs Interview
MARK SWAN still hasn't settled on a career. He's been an ecological researcher, a professor, a hermit, an editor and an author. You'd think by now he'd have made up his mind, but at 83 he's still exploring his options.
Episode No. 46: "Don't Make an Ash of Yourself"
The Old Dogs ramble about (gulp) cremation
The Old Dogs Interview
NEIL THOMPSON was a Hollywood actor, writer and director who enjoyed his 25 years contributing to many hit TV series. But he finally gave it up for his first love: teaching history.
Episode No. 47: "The Election: Red and Blue? Or Black and Blue?"
The Old Dogs ramble about how we can best get on with The Healing Process.
The Old Dogs Interview
EILEEN MORRIS is the Artistic Director of The Ensemble Theatre of Houston, Texas, one of the largest African American theatres in the world. She is nationally recognized for her interpretation of the plays of August Wilson, who once said, “Art does not change the world; it changes people. And people change the world.”
Episode No. 48: "Trolling for the truth"
The Old Dogs ramble about knowing when information is dis-information.
The Old Dogs Interview
ARTHUR SCHECHTER is a man whose family life in a small Texas town gave him a humanistic perspective on a world he would travel extensively. He talks about his life as a lawyer, ambassador, and friend to some pretty colorful characters.
The Old Dogs ramble about guidelines for voters with dementia.
The Old Dogs Interview
LUCY ABERNATHY grew up in the wealthy Detroit suburb of Birmingham. Her worldview changed dramatically when she became involved first in teaching inner-city kids, then in helping young California students get back on the right path. After retirement, Lucy is still going strong…