Set & Centered

We geek out over a Texas-based remote observatory that lets you run telescopes under dark skies from anywhere, and we can’t stop admiring how simple and scalable the setup is. Then we pivot into the oddly satisfying world of 35mm film, where fewer shots and more friction can actually make photography feel better.  Starfront Observatories — the remote observatory model that's blowing up, and w...

We kick off the first run of Save It For Swing Shift by chasing two kinds of chaos: the grand opening of Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s and a very real QVC fixation that turns “background TV” into a shopping strategy. Along the way, we end up talking traffic control, brisket sandwiches, impulse buys, and why TikTok Live feels like QVC with a faster heartbeat.  • Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s opening and why...

Set & Centered welcomes a new addition to the family lineup. You already know Rob — he's been mentioned more times than we can count and has guested on a couple of episodes — but now he's got his own mic and his own show with RJ: Save It for Swing Shift . It's what happens when two brothers in two different states finally stop saying "let's save it for the podcast&quot...

Flash showed up uninvited, hit the mute button, presented his cat butt to RJ, and left like nothing happened. Oakley had opinions about the cats. Hartley chewed through wires on the Expedition that turned out to be fine, which is the only way that story was going to end well. Two Canadian gooseapuses used the pond as a rest stop during a storm and took off like seaplanes. Then RJ opened the stenop...

Oakley, Finley, and Flash are all in the studio and none of them were invited. Spotify thinks Set & Centered listeners should also check out Calm Your Daily Stress and Handbag Designer 101, which we are choosing to take as a compliment. Mark wrote to Shania Twain from an aircraft carrier in 1994, she wrote back with autographed photos for the whole crew, and he found out the same day he took a...

Finding Nemo has been fully watched, including the turtle scene this time. RJ returns with an official updated review — same five categories, same seven-duckie scale — and the scores have moved. Some significantly. Meanwhile, a Mother's Day gift spent six days in the Dallas regional facility before anyone told it to leave, RJ walks through the entire tracking history in real time, and somehow...

RJ watched Finding Nemo. It took two months, a lapel mic, a homemade review template scored in duckies, and royalty-free background music that sounds — his words — a little like porn music. He also accidentally skipped the turtle scene. Mark is not letting that go. The official Set & Centered rating system makes its debut, Dirty Dancing is formally up next, and somewhere in East Texas, Chimp C...

RJ went down a YouTube rabbit hole at midnight watching West Coast swing dance competitions in Singapore. This led to a completely serious investigation into why nobody has brought the Macarena back. Then there was a road trip to Palestine, Texas to mail a Mother's Day gift, a spontaneous decision to try a new chicken finger place instead of Chicken Express, and 27 minutes of waiting for food...

We came in planning to talk about ranch projects. We left knowing more about boa constrictor reproductive anatomy than we ever asked for. In between: a twenty-minute spiral about whether the air purifier should be on Auto or Pet mode (we never resolved it), a scorpion in the yard that sparked a heated debate about footwear policy, an ants-in-pants story from a vehicle recovery that cannot be unhea...

We’re back in the studio swapping road stories, ranch updates, and the kind of pet logistics that never show up on a map. A cross-country detour to pick up a family dog turns into a homecoming full of food math, messy cleanup, and one very nervous pit mix. In this episode: • Returning to in-studio recording and missed release catch-up • Pacific Northwest plans derailed by a North Carolina dog pick...

We head outside to record and immediately prove we should not be trusted with telescopes, technology, or having a podcast. We start under the night sky and somehow end up in a wandering tour of pop culture, nostalgia, pets, small business economics, and the chaos of trying to capture shooting stars.  In this episode: • Forgetting the plan and leaning into the tangent • A Star Trek gripe about &quo...

Mark checks in from Oregon while RJ holds it down back in Texas, and we bounce from family dinners and pizza in Turner to the logistics of hauling a "Barbie Boat" across the country to Texas (via North Carolina?). The conversation drifts from AI false alarms and chat bot annoyances to smart telescope tracking, stargazing plans, and life with a cautious new puppy. It’s part travel diary,...

We start where we always do — somewhere ridiculous. Brontosaurus names, Pluto's planetary status, a fearful stray puppy who won't come inside but absolutely will paw at the door the moment you turn your back. Then Rob joins us from Arizona, and we get to the reason Lake Lucy exists. He tells us Lucy's full story: how she came to him from an Air Force family in crisis, how she protec...

We bring Rob on from Arizona and immediately get hit with peak brother energy, tech chaos, and a fish tank that sounds way too much like a bathroom. Along the way we check on Maggie, relive listener nicknames, argue about a movie quote poll, and somehow end up on AI actors and online privacy. In this episode: • Maggie update and small routine changes that help  • Rob’s long teased full guest appea...

The tone flips fast when you live with dogs: one minute you’re laughing about pop culture, dumb polls, and a joke so bad it’s good, and the next you’re dealing with the kind of responsibility that keeps you up at night. We laugh, we vent, and we land on the same point: caring for animals means showing up even when it is messy and heartbreaking. In this episode: • Seattle trip recap and helping wre...

We catch up after a brutal snowstorm drive, a missed release, and another round of remote recording chaos that turns into a surprisingly good setup. Then we pivot back to the ranch where we try to find Nemo but end up with a new puppy instead. We talk the reality of running a dog sanctuary and feeling grateful and overwhelmed at the same time.  Email us at setcenterlive@gmail.com or check out our...

Ever tried to keep a podcast alive from the cab of a truck at 4 a.m.? We did—one of us in the ranch studio, the other barreling north toward the Pacific Northwest with two sleepy dogs and a stubborn laptop finally tamed by a password named after a beloved pup. Tech mishaps, family milestones, weather worries, and dog snacks collide as we name a new format and keep our promise to ship. Email us at...

We head outside to record under a cloudy sky, trade telescope tips we can’t use, and dig into the strange comfort of a slow, honest show. Between Starlink mishaps and ranch projects, we find a lane that feels calm, funny, and unforced. Email us at setcenterlive@gmail.com or check out our website at https://www.setcenter.live Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/setcenterlive YouTube: https://www.you...

We welcome Robbie to the ranch mic, trade barbs about broken rods and a Jeep stuck in first, and let Glamma set the rules on respect while we test the truth of a few wobbly stories. Between laughter and shotgun echoes, a teen finds his voice and we find the heart of our show. Email us at setcenterlive@gmail.com or check out our website at https://www.setcenter.live Facebook: https://www.facebook.c...

Ever had a small fix turn into a life upgrade?  That’s the pulse running through this one where we juggle dog chaos, missing pens, and a surprise studio cameo while chasing down tech issues and a trench full of roots. We laugh hard at ourselves, but there’s real progress hiding in the mess: a lost keepsake found in seconds, a fresh set of tires, a utility trailer that suddenly does the work of a w...

She was nine pounds of absolute chaos who destroyed a house in Tucson, reduced grown adults to tears, and then quietly became the reason a 50-acre dog sanctuary exists in East Texas. We hand the mic to Mom — who was there from the beginning — to tell the real story of Patsy: the terrier who demanded applause on command, outlasted every expectation, and taught a family that structure and patience a...

We welcome Mom to the studio, argue about social media apps and missing passwords, and finally call Brian to hear which gym he chose and why it’s already paying off.  Between ranch upgrades and a stubborn gate, we land on a simple theme: reduce friction, find momentum, lean on friends. Email us at setcenterlive@gmail.com or check out our website at https://www.setcenter.live Facebook: https://www....

We juggle ranch fixes, family chaos, and comic relief, turning a dead gate and cold heaters into lessons in creative problem solving. A free S10, a mini Jeep, and one unlucky cactus prove that stubbornness and humor keep this place running.  Email us at setcenterlive@gmail.com or check out our website at https://www.setcenter.live Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/setcenterlive YouTube: https://w...

We start with an argument over whether it’s a toque, a beanie, or a toboggan hat.  Then solve a heater issue, debate ship classes and tires, and phone a friend wrestling with a classic motivation trap.  And we slow down for the most human moment of the hour—how to care for a dog during a long seizure with calm and cuddles. Email us at setcenterlive@gmail.com or check out our website at https://www...

A kitten derails our studio while we chase a new beekeeping obsession.  Tractor Supply runs become strategy sessions on pet food:  label changes, ingredient lists, and why it all matters if you live with a bulldog who treats gas like a weapon of mass destruction.  And Lucky steals the show with no tail, unexpected agility, and the kind of resilience that makes you laugh and root for him in the sam...