Jobscast

Jonah and I discuss what it's like to be a musician, including touring, music listening habits, learning instruments, stage fright, collaboration, the making of records, and much more. Epilogue Sources: https://indyweek.com/music/features/streaming-kill-music-industry.-major-labels-did./ https://www.barrons.com/articles/record-deals-inside-the-music-royalty-boom-01662997890 https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/03/24/spotify-says-it-paid-7-billion-in-royalties-in-2021-amid-claims-of-low-pay-from-artists/?sh=6d2d3cf8a0db https://www.forbes.com/sites/eamonnforde/2022/09/12/ire-supply-irish-government-gives-musicians-a-weekly-grant/?sh=469728b148d7 https://www.marketplace.org/2022/09/02/musicians-union-challenges-spotify-to-raise-royalties/ https://artists.apple.com/support/1124-apple-music-insights-royalty-rate https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/vzp9ee/how_much_does_a_session_musician_earn_while_on/ https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/vew6n1/spotify_not_a_tool_for_musicians_to_make_money/ https://blog.groover.co/en/tips/intermittent-entertainer-music/ Jonah Tolchin and Ronnie Earl part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olDTe1pLc5g Jonah Tolchin and Ronnie Earl part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUv5hBx_BAU

Doris and I discuss the experience of her emigration to the U.S. from El Salvador, her work experience as a custodian at Harvard, the American Dream, her involvement with TPS advocacy, and much more. Donate to TPS: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ntpsa Information on TPS: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/temporary-protected-status-overview#:~:text=What%20is%20Temporary%20Protected%20Status,or%20extraordinary%20and%20temporary%20conditions R. Viswanathan on the involvement of the U.S. in the creation of instability in Central America https://thewire.in/world/what-lies-behind-central-americas-gang-violence Write-up on Doris and TPS: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/2/25/doris-tps/ TPS Massachusetts https://www.facebook.com/groups/338236879940513 Email me: pat.bubul@gmail.com

Dana and I discuss what it means to work in hospitality and how Dana got into the industry. We explore the many roles he's had along his career path, the concepts of anti-job and work-life balance, the role of performance at work, and how to handle difficult guests. We also talk about the experiential possibilities of restaurants ranging from fast casual to fine dining, the notion of “customer as king,” and why Dana decided to make a career pivot from standing to sedentary work. We close with Dana providing a wonderful list of New York City restaurant recommendations. The article mentioned in the opening monologue is here: https://ny.eater.com/2021/4/16/22309937/nyc-restaurant-industry-covid-19-impact-one-year-later

Ashley and I discuss the origins of Skip the Small Talk and how she chose a self-invented occupation over the PhD road and adapted Skip the Small Talk for the pandemic. We talk about the paradoxical dynamic that is Generation Y and Generation Z being the most connected and loneliest generations alive. We talk about the MBTI and the fundamental attribution error. We discuss how in a context of intimate conversation, judging a book by its cover reliably produces an inaccurate picture of others. We talk about the relationship of alcohol to friendship formation. We look at the assumptions people make –- and whether they're reasonable –- about how friend and romantic relationships are sparked and whether relationships might be better served by similar interests or similar values. We explore a recently published research paper on Skip the Small Talk that bears out its health effects. We discuss the meaning of community and the science of group feels. We talk about how community projects like STST are helping fill the community hole left by the diminishment of religion. We explore what turning a project into a business is like and how it involves both growing pains and opportunities. We close with our thoughts on social awkwardness and the rustiness people have been feeling since the start of the pandemic.

This episode's conversation focuses mainly on Ashley's experiences as a bus driver in Baltimore and as a plaiter at Pall corporation. We also discuss Ashley's time in prison, the circumstances that led to it, and what she has learned from her life experiences thus far.

Ashley Brooks on Perseverance

Mary Ann and I explore her observations, thoughts, and feelings from her three years of experience as a grocery clerk in New Jersey.

Tom and I discuss Tom's 35 years of service as a U.S. diplomat working under such leaders as Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton.

Kim and I discuss why Kim became a teacher, what makes a good educator, growth and self-perception, household expectations, the difference between learning and getting A’s, what Kim would change in classrooms if she were the Secretary of Education, and how Kim has seen the behavior of children and parents, as well as her own behavior, change over the course of her 19 years of teaching. We also address tact and empathy, how the digital world seems to be affecting relationship building and emotional development among middle school children, the importance of learning how to make mistakes, how hope and passion tend to get tempered by realism in adulthood, the importance of school culture, and misperceptions around teaching. There are some cute and amazing stories about kids too!

Writer and podcaster Jason Gots and I discuss artistry, structure, wisdom, doing it yourself versus doing it with others, psychedelics, and much more.

Jason Gots on Presence Over Achievement by Jobscast

In our conversation Sam and I address how COVID-19 has affected his business, the roles of creativity and decisiveness in the plumbing industry, American individualism and American ingenuity, the general importance of good decision-making and self-awareness, stereotypes, networking, the master plumber test, what it's like working in a family business, and insights about others' lives based on spending time with them in their homes.

In the first half of our conversation, Bonnie and I focus on her work experiences as a wildfire fighter. In the second half we turn to Bonnie's present job as a substance abuse prevention program manager at the Office of Behavioral Health in Colorado. Some of the subtopics we get into include the common ingredients of human happiness, what an idyllic childhood looks like, the desire for one’s work to be both a source of excitement and a means of giving back, the game-changing executive order that Barack Obama passed in 2012 for wildland firefighters, the income possibilities for wildland firefighters, making a career pivot in one’s 30s, the four major denominators of fire behavior in fatal and near-fatal fires, and the ACES framework (ACES = adverse childhood experiences). Bonnie and I also talk about what happy work means to her, what it feels like waking up on a Monday morning, and the hopefulness Bonnie has around the potential for community connections to alleviate childhood trauma.

Lisa and I discuss how hookup culture in U.S. universities came about and how it makes students feel; sociology's ability to create large meta-stories that help answer complex questions; the difference between freedom and equality; the strongly gendered rules of hookup culture and how they generalize to broader society; and how people tend to respond to gender codes. We also explore how and why traditionally masculine ways are valued over feminine ones, the advent of university party culture and the roles Animal House and Union College played in that story, and we additionally touch on friends with benefits, Jordan Peterson, incel culture, and the trouble with commencement speeches.

Jua and I begin our discussion with the letter he and other black alumni of Liberty University circulated in response to the actions of Jerry Falwell Jr. that led to Jua experiencing national limelight. We talk about Donald Trump’s un-Christlike behavior and how Christians tend to rationalize or ignore it, the necessity of relationships that can help people contextualize events in the world, the importance of modeling kind behavior, and the challenge of trying to build infrastructure to scale goodness. We then discuss Jua’s trajectory of service and his involvement in the Boston Collaborative, which leads us into a variety of topics including trauma, vulnerability, racism, and the definition of community. We also explore what an unacceptable reality is versus an acceptable one, the enduring significance of Christianity writ large (notwithstanding its entraining problems), and finally Jua shares some of what gives him hope during a time that for many feels increasingly marked by fear, uncertainty, and precarity.

Jerry Colonna and I discuss the "what do you do" question and why it tends to be so unhelpful, the privilege that comes with being a white, cisgender male, revealed wisdom versus discovered wisdom, the value of stillness, the art of growing up, what it means to be both readers and writers of our lives, racism in America, the true definition of masculinity, how to work hard in a healthy way, and much more.

Anthony Tamasi and I discuss various aspects of Anthony’s life: his work history going back to his first job at age thirteen, his move from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, his experiences and aspirations as a musician, and his professional life as a custodian and union laborer. We also get into the importance of leisure (check out episode 1 with Joanne B. Ciulla if this is a topic you’d like to hear more about), what it means to be skilled versus educated, and several anecdotes that showcase the difficulties of interpersonal dynamics on the job.

Professor Tess Wise and I discuss Tess's experience of COVID-19 as a political science professor at Amherst College, our shared belief in Generation Z being stronger than they tend to be given credit for, the history, impact, and misperceptions of bankruptcy, and the merits of ideas such as postal banking, universal basic income, de-alienation, and the de-monopolization of work hours by the most privileged classes.

Boston Police Officer Frank G. Williams Jr. and I discuss why Frank decided to become a police officer, how COVID-19 affected his work, Frank's view on why the arrest of George Floyd went so horribly wrong, why Frank believes the BPD is a premier police force, shifts in neighborhood parenting, the practical importance of organizational diversity, how race relations have changed over time, leveraging community relations to diffuse tense situations, the problem of desiring instant self-gratification, the relationship of fear to effective policing, and the importance of integrity. We also discuss Frank's community work with the organization Volley Against Violence.

Philosopher Joanne B. Ciulla and I discuss the past 100 years of work history in the United States, the rise of job insecurity, the origins of the American Dream, the value of certain undergraduate majors, the relationship between free time, work, and leisure, the age-old human desire for robots, work-saving versus work-making technologies, the dreaded "what do you do" question, the role religion has played in shaping how we think about work, and the importance of saying yes to experiences and opportunities.