Happy New Year! In this 11th solo episode (and first of 2025), I dive into heavy topics that hit close to home. For example, I discuss the recent Bourbon Street terror attack in New Orleans. The tragedy of it is particularly unsettling since I’ve been there at 3am more than once. And watching the horrific
Symbolism > Status Symbols
I’m not into status symbols. But I do like symbolism. Especially the sort of symbols others won’t “get,” but mean something to you. For example, I used to have three humanoids prominently displayed in my living room. I’ll explain. As a 31-year old bachelor, all I knew about decorating was that things on the wall
Man Overseas Q&A, Dealing with Rejection, Evil Reveals Itself
Merry Christmas! In this 10th and probably last solo episode of 2024, I start by talking about business & politics, since the two intersect in ways we often overlook. I also discuss losing 7 years’ worth of readers & listeners during my eight-month hiatus. There were lessons learned from that experience. The value of prayer
My Journey Into Language Learning
Before we visited Mexico a few weeks ago, I told the wife I hadn’t spoken Spanish in so long, I wasn’t sure I’d remember any. When it was game time and I was forced to speak Spanish—whether with the airline lady checking our bags or the shuttle driver who wanted a tip despite not lifting
Male Vanity, More Propaganda, All-Inclusive Vacations
In this 9th solo episode, I talk about why we’re in Mexico. Two main reasons: I wanted to give the wife a break; I had another medical procedure done. After the misery of recovering from previous procedures, I figured if I had to go through it again, I’d rather recover on a beach in Cancun
We in Here Talking About Practice (The Rise of AI)
“I am standing here beside myself” is what Ben Jabituya (played by Fisher Stevens) said in the 1986 classic movie, Short Circuit. Stevens played an Indian engineer who was looking at a robot, “Number 5,” when he said it. I was 7 years old watching the movie, and remember thinking What the hell does that
Thailand Ladyboys, The Tupac Effect, ESPN’s Ryan Clark
In this 8th solo episode, I talk about a few topics surrounding former NFL star Ryan Clark, including how the media spun his Westbank upbringing into a rags-to-riches story. As someone who grew up around him, I knew better. My brother ran into Clark at the airport, and they started chatting about the epic basketball
Man’s Midlife Crisis – What to Expect
I saw an advertisement that said, “If you’re not completely satisfied with your sex life, give us a call.” Genius marketing. Since it’s a fact of human nature that we’re insatiable creatures. In fact, the biggest impediments to contentment are these: Expectations Human nature is insatiable Comparing yourself to other people Let’s focus on expectations.
Thoughts on 2024 Election, Memory Palace Coup, Communist Vietnam
Back for solo episode 7. I dive into techniques on how to improve your memory—sharing tips that have helped me to remember names and lists. I also give my take on the recent election, with a bit of humor and a bot of speculation. Plus, there’s a story from my trip to Vietnam, where I
Nazis on Meth (with pictures)
In the last pod, I discussed the origins of heroin. Here I’ll go further to talk about the drugs that fueled Nazi Germany. I’ve long been a student of World War II, but there’s so much more to know. Most of what’s here I learned from a book titled Blitzed by Norman Ohler. He expounds
Baseball Cards & Heroin for Kids
Back for consecutive solo episode 6 from New Orleans. I share some of what I learned from a mind-blowing book I just finished—Blitzed by Norman Ohler. It’s a fascinating look at how the rise of modern societies is as intertwined with the drug trade as much as technological advances. I had no idea until now—but