PODCAST

What People Do

brendanhoward

A moment to savor intelligent conversation about ONE THING someone else is deeply invested in.

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

45:56

75: James Gomes reads this one book again and again

What People Do ·

2023/09/19

I stumbled onto James Gomes (pronounced "GOHMZ," not "GOH-mez") on Reddit.com, which I have since abandoned as a forum for anything other than dumb questions, confirmation bias and echo chambers. However, I found a few interesting people along the way, like James. We were both into old books, and I was surprised to hear he'd read and re-read a particular book, like, every year ... for many years. In this episode, we find out the particular pull of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha for James as well as how a

01:03:02

74: Sam Chupp writes and creates role-playing games

What People Do ·

2023/09/12

One role-playing game changed the way I think, or confirmed the way I think—now I don’t know which. It was Mage: The Ascension. The tabletop role-playing game had players take on the roles of modern mages. The difference was, in previous RPGs, mages are usually spell-casting wizards. In Mage, magic works by imposing will upon the world: A mage wants something to happen. They try to learn how to do things like that (use fire, use time, use space between things, use death), and then they try to force

15:37

BONUS! Dr. Jennifer Sperry writes on the high costs...

What People Do ·

2023/09/06

Pet owners complain about the rising cost of veterinary prices. What’s to blame? This is a special bonus episode of What People Do that I've produced as a part of sponsored content for Animal Health Digest, a premier content curation service collecting and commenting on actionable information for people working in animal health. I talk with Dr. Jennifer Sperry about the rising cost of veterinary care. Pet owners often say they’re shocked and unprepared for the bill when they visit their local

07:47

73: Brendan is making a new podcast

What People Do ·

2023/08/22

Hey, gang. I was getting out new episodes of What People Do every Tuesday for a few months. Then my backlog run out Aug. 1. Surprise! I'm back. Not to tell you the backlog is back and the schedule is back (I am scheduling interviews, and this will keep going), but to say I'm working on a new podcast, too. This short 7-ish-minutes-long solo ramble covers what this podcast is and continues to be, and how a new podcast is another way to approach conversations. Watch out for the new one. Continue to

16:26

BONUS! Joe Roetheli, PhD, talks about a honeycombed...

What People Do ·

2023/08/15

The Greenies inventor is at it again … a new dental treat on the market. This special podcast is a collaboration with Animal Health Digest, a premier content curation service collecting and commenting on actionable information for people working in animal health. I talk with Joe Roetheli, PhD, about something almost all dog owners buy: treats. Roetheli and his wife, Judy, were the masterminds behind the Greenies dental treat before selling it to a big dog in animal health, Mars, way back in 2006

34:31

72: Michael Strumsky conquered TV addiction

What People Do ·

2023/08/01

It started before college. But when he showed up and could organize his life and calendar the way he wanted, well, there was so much TV to watch. All the time. And Michael Strumsky hit college during not “destination television,” but during the era of DVDs and online show sharing. He could watch and re-watch shows all the time, at all hours, any time of day. What did he do? What did he do? He eased up. He got busy. Let’s see how it went … Want more Michael? He interviews people more than

01:04:24

71: David Patterson translated Leo Tolstoy’s Confession

What People Do ·

2023/07/25

I read books all the time, but very, very rarely do I read a book more than once. That was Leo Tolstoy’s Confession. I had seen references to the Russian great’s short work of religion, morality and personal experience. Basically, Tolstoy hit middle age, wildly successful as an author with a happy family, and he wanted to die by suicide. For years, he struggled, and the short work is the story of his despair, his reasonable questioning, and the way out he found (it wasn’t suicide). Today, David

01:03:48

70: Ganesh loves cricket. Like, really loves it.

What People Do ·

2023/07/18

There are some dudes who play cricket in a big grassy field out here between a walking trail and some suburban homes. There’s a long stretch of concrete in this Kansas suburban field, and a port-a-potty nearby. Some Saturdays I would walk by and see these guys out there, but I felt weird about stopping and asking about their game of cricket. So, I found Ganesh online. And he answered all my dumb questions. And I think … I THINK … I understand the mechanics of the game and its appeal. Among me

15:08

69: Who edits those internet videos? Nathan does

What People Do ·

2023/07/11

Some content creators get so busy that they can't find time to plan, film, edit, post and promote their own stuff online. They turn to a growing international corps of creatives to do it. This guy’s one. His favorite claim to fame right now? Editing a Minecraft video from Mr. Beast that now has 1.7 million views. Holy crap snacks. Now, he might be off to his next greatest adventure, leaving rural northwestern America for … urban Florida! Find him at tssvideoediting.com. Let’s dig into the calm

40:41

68: New to Neoclassical music? Dive in with Hipster Pug

What People Do ·

2023/07/04

In recent years, I have fallen back in love with New Age, space music, and the droning, atmospheric, accessible Neoclassical genre. Imagine music to TV shows, movies and moods that don’t exist … or only exist in the composers’ and performers’ own heads. Works like Max Richter’s Sleep and Johann Johannson’s Virðulegu Forsetar have played and replayed in my head as I lie on my bed dozens of times now. Their droning but moving parts, atmospheric sound and noise, and accessible melody and harmony, slow

41:56

67: Spiraling metal and wood: James Payne’s public...

What People Do ·

2023/06/27

I stumbled onto James Payne on Reddit.com, where he asked folks in my town if they’d go check on, and take measurements of, a big piece of public art he’d loaned to the city a few years ago. I know that art! I’ve gotta talk to this guy! And he agreed. I got to ask Payne about his art sensibilities, how he got entranced by big sculptures, and the moment spirals grabbed his attention. If all went as planned, I went out at the end of May to spend an hour or two meeting Payne in person and watching

35:49

66: Escaping abuse and processing trauma: Pamela...

What People Do ·

2023/06/20

Pamela Topjian published a book last year about her experience escaping an abusive partner and figuring out how she’d wound up there in the first place: I Didn't Come This Far to Only Come THIS Far. She was once trapped in a terrible marriage. Now, she lives a life she says she never expected to live. How did she get from there … to here? She tells us. You can, of course, run off and read Topjian’s book on Kindle. Or you can check out her evolving channel of thinking, hypnotherapy and meditation

46:39

65: One man’s military life: Anonymous talks about...

What People Do ·

2023/06/13

I can’t share his name, but he calls in from France. He wanted to join the military, and he’s serving a five-year stint. He’s gotten promotions, and after basic training, he got into exactly the unit he yearned for. He doesn’t regret his choice to join the military. He wanted a unique, powerful experience. He wanted to join that brotherhood of men and women that develops only when you’re pushed your limit, under fire, in danger, and exhausted. He found what he wanted. He also found Post Traumatic

33:33

BONUS! Gabi Dyck makes hand-made dice … and more

What People Do ·

2023/06/10

The folks at the gaming convention Kantcon let me interview Gabi Dyck of Gamer Girl Jewelry recently to help me help them promote my favorite gaming convention in the country. (Full disclosure: It's them. They're my favorite. But I’ve only ever been to Kantcon over and over again for years, so I’m biased.) You’d think with tabletop RPGs roughly 50 years old that hand-made dice would have totally been a thing by now. But Gabi Dyck, founder of Gamer Girl Jewelry, told me that hand-made dice are

01:00:11

64: What do we do with this life? Georgios asks, with...

What People Do ·

2023/06/06

Ultimately, I think the fundamental question we tumble into, like rolling down a mountain of sharp, rocky points, bloodied and bruised at the bottom of the Mountain of Life time and time again, is, “What are we supposed to do with this life?” The philosophers phrase this question in many ways: What is good? What is God? What is truth? What is kindness? Why do we gather together? What are the best ways to gather together? Why do we rule and consent to be ruled, and what are the ways to do that? On

50:07

63: Josh has done psychedelic drugs

What People Do ·

2023/05/30

Josh was an atheist. But Josh’s mind was blown, in a good way, in experiences where he consumed psychedelic drugs. Here, he talks about his pre-psychedelic world, his mind shift, how religions might be onto something, and the benefits and dangers of psychedelics in this one. Let me be clear: In talking to Josh openly about his experiences, I am not recommending anyone follow his path. I’m not telling you it would be good for you, personally, to use particular drugs, or drugs at all. That’s a

54:09

62: Beth Mayorga on fan fiction

What People Do ·

2023/05/23

Beth Mayorga hosts her own podcast, The Fan Fic Maverick. What is “fan fic”? The definition is always being fought over in online forums, but Beth says it simply: You’re writing stories using someone else’s IP (intellectual property). An early form of this in the 1960s that Beth and I mention are Star Trek stories written by fans shared way before the internet was big about Kirk and Spock’s evolving relationship outside the "approved" TV show—sometimes romantically. No, that doesn’t mean all fan

34:15

61: Noah Mussay talks about spina bifida

What People Do ·

2023/05/16

What is spina bifida? What is it like living with the ongoing of the birth defect as a creative twentysomething American? Noah Mussay talks about childhood, school, work, life and sled hockey, and gives us a few pointers on the way he prefers strangers ask about his condition (hint: be curious, not entitled). Note: After the last question here, I asked Noah what he does for fun outside of work and his former sled hockey days. He said he’s reading Robert Jordan gigantic “Wheel of Time” series. He

01:02:14

60: Jeffery D. Long on Indian philosophy

What People Do ·

2023/05/09

Jeffery D. Long spoke to me last year about religious pacifism, especially in reference to the brand-new book he co-edited (and wrote chapters for), Nonviolence in the World’s Religions: A Concise Introduction (Routledge, 2022). Now, the Carl W. Ziegler Professor of Religious Studies at Elizabethtown College talks to me about a book coming out this year: Discovering Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Thought (Bloomsbury, coming 2023). It’s a sneak peek! And I am

59:28

59: Adam Gray teaches English in Taiwan

What People Do ·

2023/05/02

There is a joy that comes with interviewing someone about something you are deeply familiar with. You have lots of follow-up questions. You have lots of chances to push back. You know what to joke about to show inside knowledge and how to carry the interviewee deeper and deeper into the shared pool. There is another joy that comes with interviewing someone about something you know nothing about. Well, OK, to be fair, Adam Gray and I both teach languages, and we both play video games (check out his

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