The Daily Note with James A. Brown

The first Super Bowl in January 1967 was played in a nearly empty Los Angeles stadium with twelve-dollar tickets. The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a game most people ignored at the time. Vince Lombardi was coaching that day, and what started as a hard sell eventually turned into the biggest sporting event on American television.

Quiet time is uncomfortable, and most of us fill it with music, podcasts, or TV just to avoid it. James admits he does the same thing. But all that background noise can keep you from sitting with thoughts and feelings you really need to face. What are you avoiding when you reach for the remote or the headphones?

Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy came down to one African proverb: speak softly and carry a big stick. He backed that philosophy with real military power, overseeing the construction of the Great White Fleet to show the world that American diplomacy had teeth. In this episode, we break down how that approach shaped the way Roosevelt protected American interests.

Phone charging ports have gone from micro USB to Lightning to multiple versions of USB-C, and keeping up feels like a full-time job. Just when you figure out which cable goes where, the industry moves the goalposts again. James looks at how the push for slimmer devices keeps reshuffling the one thing everyone just wants to be simple.

Links referenced in this episode:

• jamesabrown.net

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth walked into an unguarded balcony box at Ford's Theatre and shot President Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head. Lincoln's bodyguard had left his post to get a drink, leaving the president unprotected. Booth didn't stop there. Before escaping, he also attacked a military officer in the chaos that followed.

A $4 daily coffee habit can balloon to $40 or more when you are only making minimum credit card payments each month. James has been there himself, staring at that bill and thinking a small payment is no big deal. This episode is about why that thinking costs you more than you realize.

Polio was a terrifying reality for American families in the first half of the 20th century, paralyzing thousands of children and spreading through public spaces. We dive into the story of Jonas Salk, the man who took on this virus headfirst. Rather than keeping his breakthrough to himself, Salk famously said the vaccine belonged to the people, even questioning the very idea of patenting it—could you patent the sun? His approach, which included testing the vaccine on himself and involving over a million children in trials, showcases a remarkable commitment to public health. Join us as we explore how Salk's groundbreaking work transformed the landscape of medicine and the lives of countless families. So, let's rewind to a time when hope was just a vaccine away.

Takeaways:

• In the early 20th century, polio became a widespread fear as it paralyzed countless children annually.
• Parents were in a state of panic as polio spread through pools and playgrounds during summer months.
• Jonas Salk's groundbreaking polio vaccine was tested on himself, his family, and then a million kids.
• Salk famously stated that the patent for his vaccine belonged to the people, not to him.
• He posed a thought-provoking question: could you even patent the sun?
• Ultimately, Salk chose to give away his vaccine, prioritizing public health over profit.

James tossed his college ID out a car window somewhere along Niagara Falls Boulevard, and he's never stopped regretting it. That's just one of the keepsakes from his high school and college days he wishes he'd held onto, along with his first cast iron pan and some hilariously bad short films. The older he gets, the blurrier those memories feel, and the more he finds himself wishing he had something to hold onto.

• jamesabrown.net

'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' was written in 1908 by a man who had never watched a baseball game in his life. Jack Norworth saw a subway sign and wrote the lyrics right there. Albert Van Tilzer put them to music, and he had not been to a game either. It is now one of the most recognized songs in American sports.

Scientists have found that sweat triggered by anxiety and fear carries signals that can alert other people to danger, without a single word being spoken. This so-called emotional sweat is more than just a physical response, it's a kind of silent communication that can ripple through a room and affect the people in it. James breaks down what the research says about how our feelings travel beyond our bodies.

Links referenced in this episode:

• jamesabrown.net