People Who Are Good at What They Do Being Good at What They Do

Jay and Mark spend time sharing their passion and stories around Rocky Horror Picture Show. We talk about what makes Little Nell, love of performance, and the intricacies of how to keep the enthusiasm intact. T his is part 2, wherein I interview 2 additional members of the O'Brien Orchestra shadow cast. They are able to share some of the differences that make the Austin shadow cast so good. ...

Brett and Macy are generous guests. We talk about what makes this shadow cast tick. We share stories, and fun times, and get to the heart of where this love of theater all began. In this episode, Brett reveals a lot of heart, and Macy grows up right before our eyes. The context of this show is in the current vein of our local continuously running late night  showing of Rocky Horror Picture Sh...

Yen reflects on home life, developing space for a dark room. He dreams revolve around getting his hands dirty: mountain biking, wrenching on his bikes, getting back into photography. We discuss his application of Claude code for work, and his optimism toward LLMs and AI. We give time to discuss pets, and mentorship. I included a short clip from an episode that aired back in 2024, but, is no longer...

The Film Club Project is explored through the eyes of Mallory, Mark, and me, with a special guest as well. We discuss many of the movie touchstones of 2025, which include notes on: Sinners, One Battle After Another, Rats!, Secret Mall Apartment, and much more. There is simply no denying it. When you get together to discuss movies with friends, there is really no telling where the conversation will...

Do you love movies? Come on a journey all about movies and how they intersect our lives. After some introductory remarks, Denny and I discuss movies (1917, Sorry to Bother You, Spiderman Across the Spiderverse, Alone, Incredibles 2, The Creator, Squaring the Circle, Umbrella Academy, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, X-men Origins Wolverine, Wolverine and Deadpool, The Unbearable Weight...

Mark and I discuss the nuances of what makes camp... camp. Camp Longhorn has a storied history that has affected us both personally. So, we take time to figure out what it all means. We discuss everything from merits, Blob technique, stories about Tex, grotnot, the Sail-O, pickleball, Ropes, Hoss, the Ranger trip, King of Camp, Favorite Marine, Favorite Counselor. There is a lot to unpack, and we...

Listen to the passion in Syed's voice as he tries to move you toward wanting to cook more. He shares the virtuous cycle idea that cooking begets more cooking, and more enjoyment out of that cooking. Syed has married his passion for cooking with a passion for board games, and finds himself reveling in the gift of sharing his love of food and games with close friends. Likewise, he feels similarly pa...

Syed and I go on a food journey around the world. Sushi in Japan. Bánh mì in Vietnam. We play an elimination game in the style of the Elite 8, wherein Syed has to pick the best dish. Then, we play a Jeopardy!-style trivia game, where Syed is challenged to come up with the names of seemingly obscure or novel foods. Syed name-drops "House of Three Gorges" restaurant, which I have since eaten the Dry...

Is Social Media the new cigarette? "The big change is that social media is not just targeting advertising to you, but, it is targeting content to you." This episode continues our discussion of social media on adults and children and how it is steering us. Funemployment helped serve as a sabbatical for Brian. He's landed happily into a great team with Favor (subsidiary of HEB.) Brian's story came b...

Brian and I explore the various volunteering roles within the Church and the division of labor. We celebrate women in leadership roles at Covenant Presbyterian, in part because it is PCUSA. We start a discussion around Social Media and Performance Marketing, which we continue into the next episode. We make an effort to distinguish between the humble beginnings of social networking online Vs. the m...

Successfully coaching youth sports, organizing family connections, and building a successful work team have a lot in common. Brian shares the tips and tricks on summer youth coaching in Texas. We find out how he landed on pickleball. Then, we find out there are some surprising corollaries between coaching and teaching children softball, and connecting with adults. What are the pitfalls of remote w...

We take a whirlwind tour through managers and mentors from Travis's 17 year heritage at NI (formerly National Instruments, currently Emerson). Ever wondered how a spreadsheet can take over your whole life, learn more... Then, we take a stab at the formula for a high quality, moderate work brisket. Maximize the quality of the brisket without having to output 100% of the effort. Learn about the Texa...

Travis and I take the long walk through some of Austin's coolest breweries. Find out what's hot and what's not. We talk about some of our favorite Austin Breweries, and take time to say goodbye to some of the others that came and went.

Do you know the main differences between Big Bend and Yellowstone? Travis and I take a deep dive into backpacking through Big Bend National Park. We contrast that with 'Car Camping.' We discuss the purposes and the use cases for backpacking Vs. 'Car Camping.'

As Laura and I wander through our thoughts about going back to school, we spend the majority of this episode talking about what it was like to grow up in the McFarlane household. This venturing into our developmental years stems mostly from our shared thoughts about the mentorship we received from Mom and Dad. But, even growing up in the same house, it really wasn't.

"You have to go through what you've been through, to get to where you are, to get to where you're going." We wade into the depths, and discover the common thread. Laura Trietsch, created to pour out love into others, has done this through her gifts of: music, Spanish, teaching, dance fitness instruction, parenting, and counseling. There have been highs and lows, along this journey. But, she finds...

Matt and I discuss what its like to run 3 dental practices, while working in one full time. We talk about why we listen to some emo, and what it's meant to us. We compare the novel challenges of trying something new, (e.g. yoga, cold showers, intermittent fasting, mountain biking). We look at the interplay between general dentists and specialists, and the special relationships that we forge throug...

Matt and I discuss baseball cards, watches, and other non-traditional investments. How did Covid create conditions for alternative investments? A love of Legos - some for selling some for keeping. We get into how Matt shifted his thinking from a love for hot rods and driving powerful cars to wanting a better future for our planet. He details how he perceives the ways that going green makes sense f...

Ashley and I discuss her retirement from dentistry. What does she miss about practice? What physical toll does practicing dentistry take on your body? Management of your physiology with ergonomics. Management of your career with mentorship.

Ashley and I delve into the world of living abroad with a family in Ireland for a year. She tells funny stories about trash cans, nude beaches, and school enrollment. We learn about the cultural significance of "the gray," "grand," and "craik." This is part 1 of 2 of our sit down.

Matt and I talk about the intricacies of practicing dentistry with your spouse as your business partner, and your home partner, and your clinical partner. We discuss the desire for quiet to unwind at the end of the day, even when we would otherwise enjoy the day-to-day interactions of family and home life. Matt describes the captivation of telescopy, and paints a compelling picture for the beauty...

In part 2 of my interview with Dr. Tim Brunson regales me with the story of how a hike on MT Whitney ultimately led him to Austin, TX to practice orthodontics. We discuss family, and excellence in medical care. We discuss his mentor and lone survivor grandfather in a foxhole in WWII. Finally, we finish on a lighter note about the bright spot in college football, Tim's childhood idol, Ty Detmer.

Dr. Tim Brunson comes on and we discuss the origin story of how he thinks about dental practice. As an orthodontist, Dr. Tim tells about how long he thinks is too long to be in ortho. He expresses his thoughts about treatment, and patient experience. Then, we move into some of his personal interests and pique the interest for the second installment, where we will uncover how he came to be here in...

Travis and I discuss music and enjoy laughter while we talk about his latest project Pretty Little Thieves. Austin is the "Live Music Capitol of the World," we discuss studio recording, and taking and giving criticism.

Travis and I journey to the center of music making; he helps differentiate the difference between 4-track traditional recording Vs. digital editing (e.g. Garage Band). We also go into his work with the Beatles tribute band. It's amazing.