Podcast appearances and mentions of joshua specht

Look in the nonfiction section of any bookstore and you'll find dozens of history books making the same bold claim: that their narrow, unexpected subject somehow changed the world. Potatoes, kudzu, soccer, coffee, Iceland, bees, oak trees, sand, chickens—there are books about all of them, and many more besides, with the phrase “changed the world” or something similarly grandiose right there in the title. These books are sometimes called “microhistories” or “thing biographies” and they've been a trope in publishing for decades. In this episode, we establish where this trend came from, figure out why it's been so persistent, and then we put a bunch of authors on the spot, asking them to make the case for why their subjects changed the world. The writers you'll hear from include:  Simon Garfield (Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World) Mark Kurlansky (Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World) George Gibson, publisher of Cod and Dava Sobel's Longitude Historian Bronwen Everill Slate writer Henry Grabar (Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World) Gastropod co-host Nicola Twilley (Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves) Tim Queeney (Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization) Leila Philip (Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America).  This episode was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Evan Chung, Decoder Ring's supervising producer. Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman also produce our show. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Thank you to Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America; Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World; Tina Lupton; Dan Kois; and Nancy Miller. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281. Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Look in the nonfiction section of any bookstore and you'll find dozens of history books making the same bold claim: that their narrow, unexpected subject somehow changed the world. Potatoes, kudzu, soccer, coffee, Iceland, bees, oak trees, sand, chickens—there are books about all of them, and many more besides, with the phrase “changed the world” or something similarly grandiose right there in the title. These books are sometimes called “microhistories” or “thing biographies” and they've been a trope in publishing for decades. In this episode, we establish where this trend came from, figure out why it's been so persistent, and then we put a bunch of authors on the spot, asking them to make the case for why their subjects changed the world. The writers you'll hear from include:  Simon Garfield (Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World) Mark Kurlansky (Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World) George Gibson, publisher of Cod and Dava Sobel's Longitude Historian Bronwen Everill Slate writer Henry Grabar (Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World) Gastropod co-host Nicola Twilley (Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves) Tim Queeney (Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization) Leila Philip (Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America).  This episode was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Evan Chung, Decoder Ring's supervising producer. Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman also produce our show. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Thank you to Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America; Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World; Tina Lupton; Dan Kois; and Nancy Miller. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281. Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Look in the nonfiction section of any bookstore and you'll find dozens of history books making the same bold claim: that their narrow, unexpected subject somehow changed the world. Potatoes, kudzu, soccer, coffee, Iceland, bees, oak trees, sand, chickens—there are books about all of them, and many more besides, with the phrase “changed the world” or something similarly grandiose right there in the title. These books are sometimes called “microhistories” or “thing biographies” and they've been a trope in publishing for decades. In this episode, we establish where this trend came from, figure out why it's been so persistent, and then we put a bunch of authors on the spot, asking them to make the case for why their subjects changed the world. The writers you'll hear from include:  Simon Garfield (Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World) Mark Kurlansky (Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World) George Gibson, publisher of Cod and Dava Sobel's Longitude Historian Bronwen Everill Slate writer Henry Grabar (Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World) Gastropod co-host Nicola Twilley (Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves) Tim Queeney (Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization) Leila Philip (Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America).  This episode was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Evan Chung, Decoder Ring's supervising producer. Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman also produce our show. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Thank you to Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America; Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World; Tina Lupton; Dan Kois; and Nancy Miller. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281. Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Look in the nonfiction section of any bookstore and you'll find dozens of history books making the same bold claim: that their narrow, unexpected subject somehow changed the world. Potatoes, kudzu, soccer, coffee, Iceland, bees, oak trees, sand, chickens—there are books about all of them, and many more besides, with the phrase “changed the world” or something similarly grandiose right there in the title. These books are sometimes called “microhistories” or “thing biographies” and they've been a trope in publishing for decades. In this episode, we establish where this trend came from, figure out why it's been so persistent, and then we put a bunch of authors on the spot, asking them to make the case for why their subjects changed the world. The writers you'll hear from include:  Simon Garfield (Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World) Mark Kurlansky (Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World) George Gibson, publisher of Cod and Dava Sobel's Longitude Historian Bronwen Everill Slate writer Henry Grabar (Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World) Gastropod co-host Nicola Twilley (Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves) Tim Queeney (Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization) Leila Philip (Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America).  This episode was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Evan Chung, Decoder Ring's supervising producer. Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman also produce our show. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Thank you to Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America; Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World; Tina Lupton; Dan Kois; and Nancy Miller. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281. Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Look in the nonfiction section of any bookstore and you'll find dozens of history books making the same bold claim: that their narrow, unexpected subject somehow changed the world. Potatoes, kudzu, soccer, coffee, Iceland, bees, oak trees, sand, chickens—there are books about all of them, and many more besides, with the phrase “changed the world” or something similarly grandiose right there in the title. These books are sometimes called “microhistories” or “thing biographies” and they've been a trope in publishing for decades. In this episode, we establish where this trend came from, figure out why it's been so persistent, and then we put a bunch of authors on the spot, asking them to make the case for why their subjects changed the world. The writers you'll hear from include:  Simon Garfield (Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World) Mark Kurlansky (Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World) George Gibson, publisher of Cod and Dava Sobel's Longitude Historian Bronwen Everill Slate writer Henry Grabar (Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World) Gastropod co-host Nicola Twilley (Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves) Tim Queeney (Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization) Leila Philip (Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America).  This episode was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Evan Chung, Decoder Ring's supervising producer. Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman also produce our show. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Thank you to Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America; Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World; Tina Lupton; Dan Kois; and Nancy Miller. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281. Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh my God you guys... here it finally is and I am so pleased with the results. Let's paint a scene: me, my dear friend Matt, my biological Aunt Dot, Cousin Kelly, First Cousin Once-Removed Adasynn are gathered around 2 mics, in the sun room, sometime before midnight, casually discussing the ladies' visit from Oklahoma and our collective family story. We discuss what discovering each other means to all of us, how and when we all met, the importance of hugging, celebrity encounters, and what IS a leaf-peeper anyway? Adventures were had that week, in the mountains, at the seaside, and in the darkness of my creepy New England basement. Leaf-peeper Dot shares her story which leaves her still with many questions about her own origins, how reconnecting with me and my mother was an unexpected Ancestry.com bonus, and how peeking in drawers sometimes is worth the trouble. Have a story to share or know someone who may? The podcast can't go on without YOUR stories! Email me at BloodStrangers603@gmail.com or message me on Instagram @BloodStrangers Blood Strangers is co-created by Charleen Thorburn and Tiffany Lessard; Title and Concept by Tiffany Lessard. Hosted and Produced by Charleen Thorburn. Audio Engineering by Justin Smith. Theme music is "The Plot Thickens" by Joshua Specht, courtesy of Soundstripe. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/charleen-thorburn/support

QUESTION PRESENTED: Whether allegations that a state law has dramatic economic effects largely outside of the state and requires pervasive changes to an integrated nationwide industry state a violation of the dormant commerce clause, or whether the extraterritoriality principle described in the Supreme Court's decisions is now a dead letter; and   whether such allegations, concerning a law that is based solely on preferences regarding out-of-state housing of farm animals, state a claim under Pike v. Bruce Church, Inc. Date                 Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)Sep 27 2021 | Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 29, 2021)Oct 11 2021 | Waiver of right of respondents Karen Ross, in her official capacity as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, et al. to respond filed.Oct 11 2021 | Waiver of right of respondents Humane Society of the United States, et al. to respond filed.Oct 12 2021 | Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, National Pork Producers Council, et al.Oct 13 2021 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/29/2021.Oct 13 2021 | Waiver of National Pork Producers Council, et al. of right to respond not accepted for filing. (October 19, 2021)Oct 19 2021 | Response Requested. (Due November 18, 2021)Oct 29 2021 | Brief amicus curiae of Canadian Pork Council filed.Nov 01 2021 | Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 18, 2021 to December 20, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.Nov 01 2021 | Response to motion for an extension of time from petitioner National Pork Producers Council, et al. filed.Nov 02 2021 | Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted in part and the time is extended to and including December 8, 2021, for all respondents.Nov 10 2021 | Brief amici curiae of Indiana, et al. filed.Nov 12 2021 | Brief amicus curiae of Cato Institute filed.Nov 18 2021 | Brief amici curiae of North Carolina Chamber Legal Institute, et al. filed.Nov 18 2021 | Brief amici curiae of National Association of Manufacturers, et al. filed.Nov 18 2021 | Brief amici curiae of Iowa Pork Producers Association, et al. filed.Dec 08 2021 | Brief of respondents Karen Ross, in her official capacity as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, et al. in opposition filed.Dec 08 2021 | Brief of respondents Humane Society of the United States, et al. in opposition filed.Dec 21 2021 | Reply of petitioner National Pork Producers Council, et al. filed. (Distributed)Dec 22 2021 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/7/2022.Jan 10 2022 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/14/2022.Jan 18 2022 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/21/2022.Feb 11 2022 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/18/2022.Feb 22 2022 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/25/2022.Feb 28 2022 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/4/2022.Mar 14 2022 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/18/2022.Mar 21 2022 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/25/2022.Mar 28 2022 | Petition GRANTED.Apr 06 2022 | Joint motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.Apr 22 2022 | Joint motion to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioners' brief on the merits is extended to and including June 10, 2022. The time to file respondents' briefs on the merits is extended to and including August 8, 2022.Apr 25 2022 | Motion to dispense with printing the joint appendix filed by petitioners National Pork Producers Council, et al.May 16 2022 | Motion to dispense with printing the joint appendix filed by petitioner GRANTED.Jun 10 2022 | Brief of petitioners National Pork Producers Council, et al. filed.Jun 14 2022 | ARGUMENT SET FOR Tuesday, October, 11, 2022.Jun 14 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Pacific Legal Foundation filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of National Association of Manufacturers, et al. filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Protect the Harvest filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of The Buckeye Institute filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of North Carolina Chamber Legal Institute, et al. filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of The Retail Litigation Center, Inc., et al. filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Professor Lea Brilmayer in support of neither party filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Canadian Pork Council, et al. filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of American Association of Swine Veterinarians filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Indiana, et al. filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Agricultural And Resource Economics Professors in support of neither party filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Professors Michael Knoll, et al. filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of The Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Iowa Pork Producers Association, et al. filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of North American Meat Institute filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Washington Legal Foundation filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Association for Accessible Medicines filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of National Taxpayers Union Foundation filed.Jun 17 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Association Des Éleveurs De Canards Et D'oies Du Québec, et al. filed.Jun 22 2022 | Record requested from the 9th Circuit.Jun 23 2022 | The record from the U.S.C.A. 9th Circuit is electronic and located on Pacer.Jul 21 2022 | CIRCULATEDAug 04 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Dr. Leon Barringer filed. (Distributed)Aug 08 2022 | Brief of State Respondents filed. (Distributed)Aug 10 2022 | Motion for leave to file respondents' brief on the merits out of time filed by respondents The Humane Society of the United States, et al.Aug 10 2022 | Brief of respondents The Humane Society of the United States, et al. filed (September 9, 2022). (Distributed)Aug 12 2022 | Brief amici curiae of State of Illinois, et al. filed. (Distributed)Aug 12 2022 | Brief amici curiae of The Center for a Humane Economy, et al. filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Motion for divided argument filed by respondents The Humane Society of the United States, et al.Aug 15 2022 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae, for divided argument, and for enlargement of time for oral argument filed.Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Animal Protection Organizations and Law Professors filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Worker Safety Advocates filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Donald Broom, Elena Contreras, Gwendolen Reyes-Illg, James Reynolds, and 374 Additional Animal-Welfare Scientists and Veterinarians filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Animal Protection and Rescue League, Inc. filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of The American Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Professors Barry Friedman and Daniel T. Deacon filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Trade Law Professor Mark Wu filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of National League for Cities, et al. filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of United States Senator Cory Booker filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Jim Keen DVM PH.D, et al. filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of O. Carter Snead, Mary Eberstadt, and Matthew Scully filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Economic Research Organizations filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of American Public Health Association, et al. filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Public Citizen filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Federalism Scholars filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Perdue Premium Meat Company Inc. d/b/a Niman Ranch filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Global Animal Partnership and EarthClaims LLC filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Small and Independent Farming Businesses, et al. filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Historians Thomas Aiello and Joshua Specht filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of Association of California Egg Farmers filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amicus curiae of ButcherBox filed. (Distributed)Aug 15 2022 | Brief amici curiae of Constitutional Law Scholars filed. (Distributed)Sep 07 2022 | Reply of petitioners National Pork Producers Council, et al. filed. (Distributed)Sep 09 2022 | Motion for leave to file respondents' brief on the merits out of time GRANTED.Sep 09 2022 | Motion for divided argument filed by respondents GRANTED.Sep 09 2022 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae, for divided argument, and for enlargement of time for oral argument GRANTED, and the time is divided as follows: 20 minutes for petitioners, 15 minutes for the Solicitor General, 25 minutes for the state respondents, and 10 minutes for The Humane Society of the United States, et al. respondents.

What has got 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast host Joshua Specht “almost ready to swear”? It has to do with him and co-host David Specht talking about getting people to commit. Have you committed to the goal you set last week? Why or why not? Let the father and son duo dive into how a commitment is merely a decision that above all else, you're going to stay the course. Your generational lesson: Commitment doesn't mean having everything figured out, it's knowing you can't stay where you are now, so you decide to take the next step. “Commitment” is a promise, a sequence of choices to act on something for yourself, or someone else, and not stray from it. How do people hype up their promise one day and then lose motivation almost the next? Failure happens because a new commitment seems easily attainable. The problem is when that commitment requires you to continue the process. If you want to commit, you have to build yourself up, it doesn't mean doing it right away. Car salespeople are taught to not let the customer leave the lot, and seize upon their impulse to commit. But, if that car gets repossessed then it's a failure of the salesperson because he/she shouldn't have sold you the car knowing you don't have the finances for it. When helping someone commit, realize it's about them. You have to meet them where they are and mitigate as many negatives as possible…but having the right mindset is essential. Helping someone navigate commitment means letting them know that life change is not easy, you are going to be with that person every step of the way, but not letting them commit until he/she is ready. Communicate your commitment and goal to the important people in your life so they can hold you accountable. And, you have to be okay with being called on your failings and failure to follow through.  But know that when you take a stand based on a commitment, you will lose certain people in your life. And, that is okay, but if they can't support you then they get limited access to you and your life.

Ring in the New Year with the 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast! You father and son hosts, David and Joshua Specht, talk about how to show up differently in 2022 versus 2021. The pair rip apart the notion of a New Year's Resolution and discuss how to rebuild it in the form of a goal that can inspire you to better yourself and those depending on you. Your generational lesson: A resolution is nothing more than a wish. Set a goal instead because it has a backbone with a deadline and necessary milestones. Resolutions suck. That's probably why we never achieve them. But why? Because resolutions are vague. So, change your New Year's Resolutions into goals. A goal has effective steps on how to reach them. Break it down into a deadline with benchmarks to hit along the way. Change your environment to hit the goal, not change yourself to achieve the resolution. You can have the same goal as last year, but the vehicles to get there may have changed since last year. For example: We cannot count on our society returning to the way things were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses change their goals and pivot to accomplish it. That means having to supplement your pay by developing new revenue streams. Make sure your goals have an impact on your family. It applies good pressure by creating a sense of responsibility to not let them down. If you show up for people or a cause bigger than yourself, you'll succeed more often than not. Here are some action steps to achieve that New Year's Goal: Have a goal that you physically write down. Set a deadline and put them on/in your calendar. Break your goal down into as many small tasks. Know that a goal takes time and is not a straight line. Recognize it's all about progress.

This week's 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast hosts, David and Joshua Specht, ask, “What the Health?” and tackle the vaccine issue. The father and son duo don't answer whether you should or shouldn't get the COVID-19 vaccination, but they look at it from the underlying health issue to see how the right health decisions can help you no matter where you stand on getting the shot. Your generational lesson: If you couple a healthy lifestyle with the vaccine or not getting the vaccine, the outcomes will be better than if you don't put the proper nutrition in your body.  Your Gen. X Advice: There is no medical solution to a lack of health. You can't medicate yourself to health.  Your Gen. Z Advice: You need to make a decision about the future of your health, and/or remind yourself of your motivation to stay healthy. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that health matters now more than it ever has. The lack of health is shutting down businesses and keep kids out of school. This entire pandemic can be overcome, but something else will come along if we don't prioritize health as a society. Underlying health issues are crucial when it comes to dealing with COVID, and there are issues you can control. For example, David started a program with his wife and the pair lost 180 lbs. combined.  Whether you get the vaccine or not, overall healthiness sets you up to deal with and come back from diseases like COVID-19 more quickly. That is why we need to do everything possible so that our bodies can withstand this disease, to the best of its ability.  People who take care of themselves, do things that boost their immune system. A lot of the adverse effects of COVID coincides with an unhealthy lifestyle.  You can do that by finding a community that holds you accountable and offers support for you to make healthy decisions. Be open and honest about your choices. And you need to have the strength to stay committed to your health — that means making the harder, more expensive choices that positively impact your health.

This week's 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast sees father and son hosts, David and Joshua Specht, coaching you on how not to be paralyzed by making a decision.  Any big decision in your life will cause discomfort and tension as well as sacrifices, but growth and progress doesn't happen without making a decision. David and Josh will share their stories about major decisions in their lives to help you take that leap. Your generational lesson: Make a decision with what you want to be in mind, don't go into a decision without a purpose. Then act on that decision.  Your Gen. X Advice: You have to make the decision AND THEN take the action that leads you into your purpose. It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to go against the grain.  Your Gen. Z Advice: At the end of the day, decisions are on you. Whether you're a young adult trying to figure things out or a grown adult changing your life, you have to make tough, unexpected decisions.   Josh made major decisions in his early life — he decided not to attend college without a goal. He then decided to enter the workforce and head up a cell phone and electronics repair business, before deciding to learn how to manage a newspaper. Although the further he gets along from graduating high school, he moves further away from actually going to college. But after running a business for four years, he learned more than he would have getting a business degree from a college. In the end, he's incredibly thankful he chose this path, because he saw so many people go into college because they felt forced to, without a purpose, and washed out. Now, they're where he was after high school. For David, his generation was expected to go to college. Most of his peers would get a degree, work decades for a large company, then retire. He learned early on in his college career that he wasn't a fit for college and to avoid his father's wrath, he then decided to join the Air Force.  Those lessons taught him skills he would need in the workforce and gave him a platform to enter the workforce, where he would later decide to start and lead his own businesses. His second decision came when his health suffered. He chose to eat food he couldn't stand at first, but over time that food became more tolerable until he liked all those foods he hated. He then lost well over 100 lbs, got off medicine, and took control of his life.  Learn more about their motivations and tips for deciding how to make your own Decision.

Do you have a friend who is constantly consumed with drama and wants your advice but ignores it? Do you have an employee who asks 1 million questions about their job, but never has a solution?  Then you, my friend, have an Ask Hole.  In this week's 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast, David and Joshua Specht apply their generational knowledge to help you deal with Ask Hole friends and coworkers. Your generational lesson: It's okay to ask questions, but Ask Holes who constantly ask and don't heed advice require straight forwardness on your answer, limited access to you and your bandwidth, training and assessment, and possibly even termination. Your Gen. X Advice: You can't have Ask Holes that require micromanaging in your business because then you will never scale beyond your current situation. Your Gen. Z Advice: To help the Ask Hole who constantly asks questions for every minor detail, you have to put it back on them and ask, “What would you do?”  Trying to legitimately help an Ask Hole and having your advice ignored, or even seeing them do the exact opposite, is infuriating. Here are steps to avoid the frustration that comes with Ask Holes: Shut it down — If the Ask Hole doesn't take your advice, you have to shut them down. You gave your best input and if they don't acknowledge it, then you have to save your mental brain power. Be straightforward without being rude — If the Ask Hole won't heed your advice, you have to tell them not to waste your time by repeatedly asking the same question and not accepting your answer. Are they really an Ask Hole? — Every business has some specific things to it that requires knowledge, so it takes seven interactions to assess whether they really don't know or are an Ask Hole. Train your people — Tell the Ask Hole you don't need questions, you need solutions. You're not asking them to have all the answers, but they need to exhaust all other options and be open to your solution before asking. Are you an Ask Hole? — If you're the Ask Hole, you need to step back, take the time to think things through, and trust yourself to have the confidence to solve problems. It's okay to ask questions, but at some point you need to start building your own knowledge and creating your own solutions.

This episode of the 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast has father and son hosts, David and Joshua Specht, crossing the generational divide to discuss the importance of creating a positive work environment. The pair dive into how work environments affect morale and productivity, how to change your environment for the better, and even what that means in a post COVID-19 pandemic world. Your generational lesson: You can change your environment by finding out what is important to you, creating daily routines, removing obstacles, and being consistent in effort. Your Gen. X Advice: Setting an environment isn't a switch you flip, it's a process. And, understand that process can change over time. Your Gen. Z Advice: Create a routine, because your routine is what creates your attitude. By creating a routine in your environment, it helps to make that environment more welcoming. Your environment around you has an affect on not only your morale and productivity but the people around you or in your workplace. That can mean what you have on your shelves in your office and seeing weeds growing around the building outside to atmosphere like sounds and smells permeating your business. People get stuck in their own environment and that can limit your progress, and the more you're in the same environment, the less you notice the flaws. You should want to have an environment that creates a sense of momentum, that gives the impression that things are happening. Changing your workplace environment is about being strategic to give that sense of forward momentum.

The 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast talks about crawling down from the pedestal in this week's episode. Your father and son hosts, David and Joshua Specht, give you tips on how to take your blinders off when it comes to admiring others.  Your generational lesson: Not putting people on a pedestal means you prioritize yourself, avoid feeling lied to if that person falters, and don't develop resentment or negativity by comparing yourself to them. Your Gen. X Advice: Because so much is expected of the person on a pedestal, it creates pressure to stay there. It causes leadership to keep secrets because they don't want their image to suffer. Your Gen. Z Advice: Putting people on a pedestal creates a conflict of self interest to where you're setting the bar for other people and not setting it for yourself. We have all found someone we admire so much that we start to feel he or she can do no wrong. Maybe it's a person in a position of authority, someone we see who can help us, or just a person we enjoy being around. But you need to keep that person off the pedestal.  By recognizing the imperfections of a person you look up to, you can avoid feeling lied to when they make a mistake, the urge to ignore previously valuable advice from them, intimidated by their success, or resentful of their achievements. In that spirit, here are some tips for taking off the blinders for Pedestal People: Remind yourself that people are human and flawed. They're not going to meet all of your expectations. Don't think someone has all the answers. Do your own research and figure things out for yourself. Remember that the difference between the person at the bottom and the top of the pedestal is experience. Recognize that people on a pedestal have an agenda...and you do too by engaging with them. To the people on the pedestal — don't be a jerk to those people who look up to you, don't abuse your influence, and don't believe you know more than someone not in your lane.

Why do bad things happen to good people?  This week's episode of the 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast sees hosts David and Joshua Specht explore why tragedy strikes and how to cope afterwards. The father and son duo don't go as far as telling anyone how to feel when tragedy happens, but they ask you to take a second to look at the “how”.  Your generational lesson: Bad things happen to both good and bad people, but there are a multitude of factors in both the faith and spiritual realms that affect why they happen. Your Gen. X Advice: I believe in sowing and reaping but I don't believe everything bad that happens is a result of sin and a result of God. We want to have free will but we want God to take it away from the people who could harm us.  Your Gen. Z Advice: Life is a series of hills and valleys. When we're in a valley, we feel like we need to get out right now, but maybe that's not the plan. Growth happens in the valley, so working through it can be more beneficial in the long run.  We live in a world where violence, disease, natural disasters and unexplained tragedy is part of the deal. Rain falls on the just and unjust. Even the apostles who walked with Jesus all suffered and had painful deaths.  Bad things don't happen because God is an angry God, but if we are created in God's image, there are other emotions to God than the popular image of a loving God.  This is why God created ways for you to endure — the idea that peace goes beyond all understanding. You may be suffering now, and you can feel however you need to feel in that moment. You can need time to work on pulling yourself out of that situation, but so many people go into a cocoon or check out because of bad things happening to them. Don't let tragedy derail you from your purpose in life.

The times, they are a-changin' in this week's 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast. Father and son duo David and Joshua Specht share their thoughts on how technology has changed the business world. While it evolves almost daily, they dive into how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of technology to conduct day-to-day business. Your generational lesson: Technological advances have changed core elements of a business — marketing, customer service, and sales to name a few — but the main tenets of those elements remain the same.  Your Gen. X Advice: Many people have avoided technological changes, so there's still a need for people to engage with customers and clients in a face-to-face way. It's about doing it in an efficient, effective way.  Your Gen. Z Advice: While technology makes doing business easier and quicker, there's a drawback to using technology to conduct your business — it can make your people lazy, or give a way for the customer to avoid doing business with you.  The COVID-19 pandemic opened up the business world to be able to engage with the public digitally. Video meetings are viable because it allows users to see each other. To market to your customer, then you need to think about Facebook Live video because it catches the eye and appeals to people by instant gratification to see reactions in real time.  So, the point of marketing is to gain a spotlight on whatever you're promoting...but technology has changed how you do it.  Another area where technology has impacted businesses is customer service. The same rules apply when dealing with customers, but how you offer customer service is different. Chatting with a customer allows input, but the business keeps customers' emotions at bay while forming a well-thought-out answer. Technological advances have changed the method of how results are delivered in a business. For example, sales were done away from the office. But sales are based on relationships, and relationship-building has changed to where that can be built electronically.   It still takes multiple touches, 7-14 in fact, for the customer to buy. But technology has compressed a timeline into days that would normally take weeks.

What to do when you are frustrated by others' reactions This week's 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast talks about frustration in growth and development. Father and son hosts David and Joshua Specht bring a generational perspective on the friction caused by making changes to improve your business or personal life, which generates frustration for you and/or the people around you. Your generational lesson: If you want to enact change on something you're excited about or have strong opinions about, but it's not being received, recognize it's because the audience is wrong, you're bad at explaining it to them, or you're already trying to change too much. Your Gen. X Advice: The older you get, the more you have to work at taking risks. When you're 50-plus, opportunities are diminishing and the desire for security is important, so you need to deal with the frustration caused by your own internal conflict. Your Gen. Z Advice: Sometimes, your same message needs to be relayed to employees from someone else. If you're preaching the same idea or multiple changes, having a different voice offer the vision can cause your employees to not get frustrated. If you've ever brought in an idea to improve your business or life, and that same enthusiasm is met with blank stares, it takes the wind out of you. Now, you're frustrated that others don't share your vision. Realize that you are running a story in your head, and it doesn't always gel with another person's story. When your enthusiasm falls flat, it's hurtful to you but others are oblivious to the effect because they don't share your experience. If you're a leader and you're exposed to something you know is beneficial for your company, then it's your job to sell it to everyone but also hold them accountable until they truly “get it”. Take as second to acknowledge there's frustration on both sides: For you when your employees don't see the big picture, and on your people's side because they're frustrated by having to change.  To force it through, it means you have to be more frustrated than your employees because you have to be persistent in driving that change. However, don't always be changing. Whatever you're inspired by at the moment can't keep causing you to change because that makes you inconsistent.

The 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast gets spooky in the current age of communication by shining a light on ghosting and trolls.  Hosts David and Joshua Specht dive into the uncomfortable side of texting and social media today, and figure out the how, why and next steps to get over these 21st Century irritations. Your generational lesson: We are all going to have messages ghosted and get trolled by someone on social media, it's up to us to be intentional in following up on important messages and our responses, if any, to the trolls.  Your Gen. X Advice: Ghosting is a priority thing — if a text was sent and didn't answer, that person is busy. If it's important and you need an answer, you need to follow up. Your Gen. Z Advice: As we encounter trolls, we need to ask ourselves if there's any truth in whatever they're saying. And, we can't go on the offensive and let our mad get our money. We've all been ghosted — have someone quit responding to your texts or calls. In fact, it goes way back to avoiding a phone call thanks to caller id or ignoring messages left on answering machines, but it wasn't so rampant. Now, there are more options and  ways to ghost people. Realize that ghosting is a priority thing. With texts, you know people received the text because their phones are glued to them. But if a text was sent and unanswered, give that person the grace that he/she is busy and missed it, or is too focused on their current task to respond. If you call or send a text/email and don't get a response — don't assume that person never got it or it's being ignored. It's up to you to follow up with another text or phone call if you need a response on something important. Social media has created a wave of trolls — social media users who can attack your character with no repercussions — and we often have to be the bigger person and ignore it.  As we encounter trolls, we need to ask ourselves if there's any truth in whatever they're saying. We also have to ask if these types of comments physically affect our daily lives, because if they're not, then we need to let it go. However, one company has proved that we can make being snarky a part of our business brand. Wendy's has proved how their humorous trolling of other commenters and competitors on social media can go viral and give free publicity.

The 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast echoes The Rock by telling everyone to “Know your role!” Hosts David and Joshua Specht break down how we all have various roles to play across our lives and the needs within the most important ones. Your generational lesson: We all have a role to play, and those roles are varied across our lives. Even if you only have one role, you need to break it down as you transition from work to church to your private life.  Your Gen. X Advice: When you know what your role is every day, you're not competing to compare with one another. Marriage is not a competition, your wife should be on your team. Your Gen. Z Advice: If your current role isn't moving that business forward, maybe it's time to change the role or establish what your role can be.  The two most important areas to know your roles are work and marriage. In business, no matter what business you're in, you have to figure out what role you play. If your current role isn't moving that business forward, maybe it's time to change the role or establish what your role can be.  People are going to look to whoever is above them. So, leaders need to know what their role is and embrace it. As a leader, you have to work twice as hard to dispel the belief that the person in charge “doesn't do anything”.  In relationships, communicate what you think your role is and don't assume your partner knows what his/her role is coming into the relationship. And, roles change and evolve throughout marriage, which makes communication even more crucial. When you know what your role is every day, you're not competing to compare what you did. Marriage is not a competition, your wife should be a part of your team. It's a different world for couples today than it was for Generation X. Grace needs to be given for younger couples because their early years of parenting are not our early years of parenting. You can advise, but not direct.

The 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast has reached double digits! In this episode, hosts David and Joshua Specht talk about growing where you are. The father and son duo explore the benefits of expanding your worldview and growing your mindset, in addition to having the bravery and awareness to seize opportunities.  Your generational lesson: As you strive to make yourself, your town, or your business a bigger, better version, realize that you're already the bigger, better version to someone else. That doesn't mean being complacent, but being content with what you have.  Your Gen. X Advice: If you have a vision for growth, you have to be willing to be misunderstood, step out, take hits, and see your vision come to pass.  Your Gen. Z Advice: The size of your problems are relevant to the magnitude of where you're currently at in life. We can all get closed minded with our immediate area, social circle, and own day-to-day lives. Sometimes it helps to just go out and realize there's a world beyond our issues. Expanding your view shows the world is so much bigger than you realize and your problems are small. If you think you have big problems, then go to a bigger place — your problem is huge to you, but the bigger picture shows your problem is relevant to the magnitude of where you're living. So, how do you change that mindset and view? You have to think bigger to find and  take advantage of those opportunities.  You can't ever expect a small town to have big city opportunities. The small towns that are growing took the opportunity to change their mindset, be strategic and form partnerships with neighboring cities. You have to make the decision to grow and take a leadership role to affect that change. And, there will be pushback. It takes people with intestinal fortitude to step out against that push back. You have to be willing to be misunderstood to step out, take those hits, and see your vision come to pass.

Change is uncomfortable, especially when it comes to culture. The latest episode of the 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast has Hosts David and Joshua Specht talking about the changing of cultural norms. Your generational lesson: What's socially acceptable depends on culture, stages of lie, social circles, and media. All of these things impact what “normal” is. Your Gen. X Advice: Honor the place you're in. For example: If you're a drinker and you're in an environment that looks down on alcohol, it's best to not push back against those people who don't drink.  Your Gen. Z Advice: It's about respect. Recognize what's socially acceptable for one group/generation, and even if you don't agree with that, be agreeable so long as it's not affecting each other. Back in the day, you would meet someone, decide if you like them, get married and have a kid together. Nowadays, you meet someone, have a kid, then decide if you like them. Another change is that smoking and having a drink at work used to be completely acceptable. Now, smoking is banned in almost all buildings and bars are only allowed in restaurants. So, how does the culture change? How do norms shift? The information age has changed rules and how kids make decisions. A parent telling their child, “Because I say so”, isn't enough for that kid to base a decision on anymore. That's because they already have so much access to a wealth of information. This change has forced generations to try and meet in the middle. Parents need to try and see their kids' perspective, and vice versa. Other factors to consider include culture — What's socially acceptable depends on where you are in your life and what your circle is. Pop culture also impacts our values and how we define normal.

You know the saying behind good intentions. In this episode of the 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast, your Hosts David and Joshua Specht will talk about how follow through will prevent paving a certain road with them. Your generational lesson: Achieve your goals with follow through by having a system, prioritizing, setting boundaries, communicating your goals, and finding an accountability partner. Your Gen. X Advice: When someone else is in play and passes on the responsibility to you, then you are the lead when it comes to follow through. Your Gen. Z Advice: Follow through is key for growth, and juggling priorities is where follow through can falter. It happens to all of us: We get an idea and are on fire to see it realized, then an obstacle gets in the way. In that moment is when follow through is essential to seeing our dreams become a reality.  So how do we push through resistance and follow through on the goals we have set for ourselves? Develop a system — Whether it's making your bed or starting a new business, you have to develop a plan to keep those promises to yourself. Keeping that promise will give you momentum in other areas in your life. Prioritize — A dozen things will pop up and distract you from your goal, so overcome them by figuring out your priorities and setting up your time around those priorities. Set boundaries — Distractions and interruptions are numerous these days due to constant, instantaneous connections. So, put your phone on “do not disturb” and set a timer for 30 minutes to maximize efficiency. Communicate — When it comes to follow through, you cannot over communicate. You cannot communicate too early or too often if there are others expecting you to lead. Find accountability — You need someone who will push you when things are hard or you try to avoid follow through. Having someone who understands your goals and holds you accountable to achieving them is crucial.

Just the phrase “social media” evokes different reactions. Social media is a virtual world individually cultivated by and for each of us that wants us to stay engaged with as much as possible.  The 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast sees Hosts David and Joshua Specht talk about whether the various platforms that make up social media has actually made us unsocial.  Your generational lesson: Social media is suitable for any age group, so long as you are aware of how you use it and are using it in a healthy way. Your Gen. X Advice: Be aware that more often than not, what people put out on social media is not real life. Your Gen. Z Advice: Know what you use your social media platform for and how that can affect others. Dave was an early adopter of social media. He says it can be beneficial for staying connected with one another, but also negative and uses political conspiracy theories being shared as an example. Josh says social media is like being a pet owner — depending on how you approach and treat social media determines whether it will be a “bad dog” or a “good dog”.  He says staying on social media to interact and stay in touch with friends and family is a good thing. Taking it to politicize people or grow your own influence is a negative use of platforms. Dave encourages you to be intentional about how you consume social media. Understand that you're not getting the whole picture of what makes up real life — what you see is getting filtered through the poster's profile and the platform's algorithm tailored to confirm your beliefs.  Josh believes social media has now turned into presenting a positive image to seek approval while hiding your flaws and mistakes. Then, there are people who use social media for ridicule and bullying. Both agree that it is a tool and encourage social media users to treat it like real life — don't use it to say or do something that you wouldn't say or do in real life. 

Did you know that you are the sum total of the five people you are around the most? This week's 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast sees David and Joshua Specht discuss whether it's beneficial to have friends that span generations, and how you can deal with changing friendships. Your generational lesson: You need friends across a variety of age groups to get different, more well-rounded views on life. Your Gen. X Advice: Iron sharpens iron, so we need an inner circle of people who make us better and a larger circle of friends we can enjoy spending time with. Your Gen. Z Advice: Like-minded people tend to hang out with each other, so be prepared for your friendships to change as your priorities change. In high school, we all tend to have a small circle of close friends our same age and with similar life experiences. But as you get into the real world, you're exposed to multiple generations.  So how do you navigate that and what value can be found in those? We can all learn something from each other as we go along life's journey. Being enlightened to each other's views can make you a more well-rounded person. Josh says you need friends across a variety of age groups. He believes in having a small group of friends because friendship is one thing, having real relationships with your friends are another.  Dave notes that friendships spanning age gaps aren't a problem, but perception can be — people younger than you will believe your age means you have your life together, but older generations are composed of people who are still a work in progress. No matter the age, both note that friendships are seasonal as life and priorities change. Friends who were close to you in high school tend to fall away due to different priorities and life's twists and turns.  Josh advises that it can be scary as friendships change, but you need to be okay with the ones you have, enjoy them, and know it's okay that those relationships can change.

Does appearance matter in business? The 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast sees Hosts David and Joshua Specht give a multi-generation approach to whether leniency in dress and appearance standards is a good thing. Your generational lesson: The care you take and effort you put into your appearance affects how you show up for work. Your Gen. X Advice: You have to make a conscious decision of what you want your appearance to be based upon your goals.  Your Gen. Z Advice: It is your decision about your appearance, and once set in that appearance then you can't turn defensive when judged by others beliefs on appearance. No matter whether you're a jeans guy or a khakis guy, it's clear that appearance standards have been relaxed. Even a decade ago, a job applicant with blue hair or an arm sleeve of tattoos would have been laughed out of the building.  Even Dave's standards have adapted. For years, he dressed in khakis, a polo or button up shirt, and casual dress shoes. During COVID-19 lockdown, those standards dropped to shorts, t-shirts and flip flops. Now, there's a medium balance between jeans, sneakers and a long sleeve shirt.  Josh argues that this effort to find your own standard is important because appearance has a huge impact on you as a person. Our appearance affects us emotionally and mentally because not taking that time to invest in your appearance has an element of not caring about yourself. The pair highlight the fact that everyone judges others. In business, sometimes your age and that appearance can create a judgement against you, or for you.  For example, if you have a “baby face” then that can mean you're judged negatively on your experience and/or skill. Or an older person who dresses more casual can create approachability to the younger workforce coming through businesses now. That is why they say it's crucial to dress for the situation — look at where you work, what you're doing that day, and who you're seeing In the world of business, in order to build relationships and be taken seriously, you want others to view you as a step above in professionalism.

The 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast Hosts David and Joshua Specht take you to church.  The father and son ask, “Is church still church if it's in your living room?” When churches adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by hosting virtual services, the congregation shifted to online services over physical ones. Dave and Josh examine whether churches need to change their offerings or find a way to attract their congregation back to campus. Your generational lesson: Church is meant to reach and teach. Whatever the method is, it's just an avenue to accomplish the mission and the community is what makes the difference in your congregation. Your Gen. X Advice: We have an obligation to pass on what we believe and why we believe it. With the current generation receiving more information than ever before, we need a community to counteract the outside world that doesn't share your beliefs. Your Gen. Z Advice: Church shouldn't be a congregation, it should be a community. The congregation keeps the lights on, but it's the community that grows the people. Once you reach that mindset, that's when the walls come down and you will embrace the capacity of what the church can do. Change in the Church is nothing new, David points out how it shifted to focusing on small groups and contemporary services in the early 2000's. But when the Church went virtual, David said it created a discipline issue for the believer where inconvenience can override the calling to attend in-person.  Josh adds that he doesn't see it ever going back to how it was. The many different ways to reach a congregation means the Church has to get out of its “always been done this way” rut. That doesn't mean propping up a camera to stream the standard service and calling it online ministry. Josh muses that In order for a young believer to grow, they have to be more worried about surrounding themselves with a community of Christians, even if that's via online, instead of four walls.

The 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast has a case of the Mondays.   Your hosts David and Joshua Specht vent about spending their Monday adapting and overcoming a challenge to their day job. The father and son duo use this episode to discuss having their bad day fuel motivation for new beginnings. Your generational lesson: Never let your mad get your money. Having an emotional reaction as a leader can lead to more problems. Your Gen. X Advice: Don't expect others to understand (that means even your partner). You may be on a journey together — whether in work or life — but others may not feel the negative as hard as you do. Your Gen. Z Advice: You're allowed to have a bad day and throw yourself a pity party every now then. Then you have to pick up all the pieces, because people are counting on you. David discusses how when we fail, we do want to throw in the towel. He has seen people who don't own their business up and quit. However, he says real leaders have that moment and then they snap out of it. You have a greater responsibility — you have to see the big picture the entire time. When things go wrong, Josh says you can have an emotional reaction. But people who depend on you need to see you doing what it takes to get things done. David adds that you don't have to be perfect in your leadership, but you need to be involved and recognize where you can help. He says just being there gives everyone a sense of calm. Josh notes that when things go wrong, your first reaction is to do anything to stabilize it. And even though you do a lot in that process, you can't feel any accomplishment until you get it back to normal. But he points out that it's not about the instant gratitude of getting something fixed, it's about the learning process.  So, while it's okay to not be okay, it's not okay to stay that way. Once you get through the crisis, give yourself grace to take a break and get yourself together before stepping up to solve problems. Always remember that you're a leader and how you react will affect the volatility of the situation.

This weeks amazing episode, brought to you by B&K Auto Salvage finds the gang down a couple reachers, but fear not, they have a stellar guest host who brings the heat and keeps the gang in line. Amy McNamee joins the herd and brings up some great stories of times of yore and keeps things rolling for the gang. The Entertainment Spotlight touches on a 2019 Virology Today interview on Youtube about Coronoa research in China and is something everyone should check out! The Pendleton Mixer and Cigar Intellectual Moment of the Week asks the question, "What should we do when the media is caught lying?" Which the gang are more than willing to share an opinion on. Richard is starting a website and another podcast called Ranch and Range, which will be source of experience and excellence for those in ag and those getting into ag. So the crew gets that chance to learn a little more about what he hopes to do and some of the people that will be involved. The word of the week from Micah is Hoosegow, which causes the Reachers to think about some of the times they had a close call or two with finding themselves in the Hoosegow! Richard leads the discussion on what is Grinding His Gears and Amy notices the same thing in her part of the country. Richard also has the next Entertainment Spotlight and picked a great book for all to dig into, titled Red Meat Republic, by Joshua Specht. The gang dig through some excellent Reacher Mail and have a world class discussion on flat beds during the Buying Stuff segment. They wind up the episode with some of the Best Things of the Week, which includes an upcoming Bull Tour with the North Central Livestock Association! Check out their Facebook for details and to join the fun! Another great episode of random and fun filled topics, and you are invited to come along for the fun! Get your Reach On! In This Episode: 00:00 Intro 03:55 Reach Around 21:38 Entertainment Spotlight, Virology Today: https://youtu.be/IdYDL_RK--w 30:56 Pendleton Mixer and Cigar Intellectual Moment of the Week 43:30 Richards New Ranch and Range Project 01:00:10 Word of the Week: Hoosegow 01:16:27 What Grinds My Gears! 01:23:00 Next Week's Entertainment Spotlight: Red Meat Republic: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691182315/red-meat-republic 01:31:25 Reacher Mail Bag 01:37:36 Buying Stuff: Flatbeds! 02:00:17 Best Thing of the Week 02:05:00 North Central Livestock Bull Tour:https://www.facebook.com/North-Central-Livestock-Association-818110014924861 02:18:55 Wrap Up! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/micah87/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/micah87/support

It's episode 2 of the 2 Per-Specht-Ives Podcast, with your hosts David and Joshua Specht. The father and son duo talk about the importance of health. Dave is a health coach who helps others achieve their potential through nutrition. As a Type I diabetic, Josh has to be more intentional about his health choices. The pair each discuss generational views and actions when it comes to living healthy. Your generational lesson: When it comes to health, mindset is everything, have something to work towards, have built-in accountability, and have an environment that supports your goals. Your Gen. X Advice: David advises the younger generation that while your body is operating at its most efficient that if you make small changes to work towards the better version of yourself, as you mature your body will keep up instead of hold you back.  Your Gen. Z Advice: Josh tells the older generation already seeing side effects of not making healthy choices, make the small changes to positively affect your health with goal of leading by example. David says the majority of health is in the kitchen, meaning what you put in your body affects how it functions. While that wasn't always his mindset — in his younger days, he wanted it fried with cheese and bacon added — but passing the 40-year-old threshold, the dominos started falling in his health that caused him to change. Josh said while his generation is more health conscious, many pick and choose, and often choose the unhealthy option because of convenience. He says, “The microwave generation grew up on the microwave”. He adds that being younger means there's a subconscious decision to eat whatever they want.  David says it's about routine. He notes how he was held accountable and checked during his service in the U.S. Air Force and once he left, he added 50 lbs. because his routine changed and there was no accountability.  He says working towards a goal is crucial. Need-to isn't the same as want-to. He has seen people who had open heart surgery want to change because the “why” was really strong during that crisis, but they backslid later because that motivation waned.  Josh said that accountability plays a key role in health transformations. David concurrs, saying that people who don't support your decisions will either pull you back into your old lifestyle, or you will have to cut them loose. Josh gives the alternative that you have to figure out how to remove that unhealthy thing you share with your group of friends. Finally, both add balance and focus are key. They conclude that doing everything in moderation and consciously staying on your health journey and acknowledging the process leads to success.

In this episode of the 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast, it's spring time and that can mean only one thing: Yard work.  Co-host Joshua Specht needed a lawnmower and spent a pretty penny on it, which got him thinking about purchases that are an investment. His Co-host and father, David Specht, notes that no matter age, there are major purchases at every stage in life that are required or you decide need to be made.  Your generational lesson: Don't blow extra income on things you don't need. Try to find areas where you can invest or improve your life for the future. Your Gen. X Advice: Immature people do what makes them happy today and mature people plan for what makes them happy tomorrow.  Your Gen. Z Advice: Survive off the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches now, so the lobster and steak dinners will taste so much better in the future. Spring 2021 also means that it's tax season and economic stimulus time. That gave Josh the opportunity to make the investment upfront, but be reimbursed by tax returns or the COVID-19 economic stimulus payments that are going out to millions of Americans. With the economic stimulus, David says many people who have been able to work during the COVID-19 pandemic have been buying niceties and not necessities.  He said in his younger days, he and his peers were all about blowing extra income. Now that he's older, he wants to hold that money longer. For example, the 2020 economic stimulus was spent over the course of six months.  That experience caused him to ask that you take a step back and look at what you can do with that money to invest in your future. Josh points out that if it's not a necessity, it's about turning that money into a gain. For example, he was told that the best strategy with a stimulus you have but don't need is to invest in an IRA.  Dave says his generation views Josh's generation as having a safety net in their parents, meaning the consequences of spending money are lessened. Josh adds that if your parents are paying for anything, there's always a tension there and argues that those who can use extra money to pay off debt or make a move to get out on their own is a wise move. Finally, Dave notes that's why he advises you to find places where you can invest and buy things that will be of benefit beyond the now.

Saddle up, folks: Today’s episode involves the cowboys' lullabies and meat riots that helped make beef an American birthright. With the help of Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic, we tell the story of how and why the 30 million bison that roamed the Plains were replaced with 30 million cows. You'll never look at a Porterhouse steak—the first cut of beef invented in America—the same way again. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss meatpacking plants and the Defense Production Act. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:  President Trump has used the Defense Production Act to order meatpacking plants to stay open, even as these factories have become hotspots for coronavirus infection. Niki commented on how Upton Sinclair’s classic novel, The Jungle, exposed the horrible working conditions of meatpackers in the early 20th Natalia referred to Joshua Specht’s book Red Meat Republic and Samuel Moyn’s review of the book for The New Republic. This Atlantic article on Americans’ changing eating habits also informed our discussion.   In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History: Natalia discussed Stephanie McNeal’s Buzzfeed article, “The Fitness Industry Is in a Crisis.” Neil commented on the recent controversy over Christian influencer Rachel Hollis, as detailed in Stephanie McNeal’s Buzzfeed article, “Rachel Hollis Has Apologized After Posting a Maya Angelou Quote without Attribution.” Niki talked about the various meanings attached to May Day.

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he writes, the colonialism and appropriation of indigenous lands enabled the expansion of western ranch outfits. These corporate ranchers controlled loose commodity chains, until powerful corporate meat packers in Chicago seized the economic order through the tools of modern capitalism (scientific management, standardization, labor suppression). These capitalists expanded the supply chains to far-flung consumers in New York and around the globe. But as meat became a staple of the American diet, and measure of progress, consumers cared more about the price and taste than the violence to people, animals, and environment behind the scenes. “America made modern beef” Specht writes, “at the same time that beef made America modern.” Ryan Driskell Tate is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at Rutgers University. He is completing a book on fossil-fuels and energy development in the American West. He teaches courses on modern US history, environmental history, and histories of labor and capitalism. @rydriskelltate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he writes, the colonialism and appropriation of indigenous lands enabled the expansion of western ranch outfits. These corporate ranchers controlled loose commodity chains, until powerful corporate meat packers in Chicago seized the economic order through the tools of modern capitalism (scientific management, standardization, labor suppression). These capitalists expanded the supply chains to far-flung consumers in New York and around the globe. But as meat became a staple of the American diet, and measure of progress, consumers cared more about the price and taste than the violence to people, animals, and environment behind the scenes. “America made modern beef” Specht writes, “at the same time that beef made America modern.” Ryan Driskell Tate is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at Rutgers University. He is completing a book on fossil-fuels and energy development in the American West. He teaches courses on modern US history, environmental history, and histories of labor and capitalism. @rydriskelltate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he writes, the colonialism and appropriation of indigenous lands enabled the expansion of western ranch outfits. These corporate ranchers controlled loose commodity chains, until powerful corporate meat packers in Chicago seized the economic order through the tools of modern capitalism (scientific management, standardization, labor suppression). These capitalists expanded the supply chains to far-flung consumers in New York and around the globe. But as meat became a staple of the American diet, and measure of progress, consumers cared more about the price and taste than the violence to people, animals, and environment behind the scenes. “America made modern beef” Specht writes, “at the same time that beef made America modern.” Ryan Driskell Tate is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at Rutgers University. He is completing a book on fossil-fuels and energy development in the American West. He teaches courses on modern US history, environmental history, and histories of labor and capitalism. @rydriskelltate Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/animal-studies

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he writes, the colonialism and appropriation of indigenous lands enabled the expansion of western ranch outfits. These corporate ranchers controlled loose commodity chains, until powerful corporate meat packers in Chicago seized the economic order through the tools of modern capitalism (scientific management, standardization, labor suppression). These capitalists expanded the supply chains to far-flung consumers in New York and around the globe. But as meat became a staple of the American diet, and measure of progress, consumers cared more about the price and taste than the violence to people, animals, and environment behind the scenes. “America made modern beef” Specht writes, “at the same time that beef made America modern.” Ryan Driskell Tate is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at Rutgers University. He is completing a book on fossil-fuels and energy development in the American West. He teaches courses on modern US history, environmental history, and histories of labor and capitalism. @rydriskelltate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he writes, the colonialism and appropriation of indigenous lands enabled the expansion of western ranch outfits. These corporate ranchers controlled loose commodity chains, until powerful corporate meat packers in Chicago seized the economic order through the tools of modern capitalism (scientific management, standardization, labor suppression). These capitalists expanded the supply chains to far-flung consumers in New York and around the globe. But as meat became a staple of the American diet, and measure of progress, consumers cared more about the price and taste than the violence to people, animals, and environment behind the scenes. “America made modern beef” Specht writes, “at the same time that beef made America modern.” Ryan Driskell Tate is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at Rutgers University. He is completing a book on fossil-fuels and energy development in the American West. He teaches courses on modern US history, environmental history, and histories of labor and capitalism. @rydriskelltate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he...

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he writes, the colonialism and appropriation of indigenous lands enabled the expansion of western ranch outfits. These corporate ranchers controlled loose commodity chains, until powerful corporate meat packers in Chicago seized the economic order through the tools of modern capitalism (scientific management, standardization, labor suppression). These capitalists expanded the supply chains to far-flung consumers in New York and around the globe. But as meat became a staple of the American diet, and measure of progress, consumers cared more about the price and taste than the violence to people, animals, and environment behind the scenes. “America made modern beef” Specht writes, “at the same time that beef made America modern.” Ryan Driskell Tate is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at Rutgers University. He is completing a book on fossil-fuels and energy development in the American West. He teaches courses on modern US history, environmental history, and histories of labor and capitalism. @rydriskelltate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he writes, the colonialism and appropriation of indigenous lands enabled the expansion of western ranch outfits. These corporate ranchers controlled loose commodity chains, until powerful corporate meat packers in Chicago seized the economic order through the tools of modern capitalism (scientific management, standardization, labor suppression). These capitalists expanded the supply chains to far-flung consumers in New York and around the globe. But as meat became a staple of the American diet, and measure of progress, consumers cared more about the price and taste than the violence to people, animals, and environment behind the scenes. “America made modern beef” Specht writes, “at the same time that beef made America modern.” Ryan Driskell Tate is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at Rutgers University. He is completing a book on fossil-fuels and energy development in the American West. He teaches courses on modern US history, environmental history, and histories of labor and capitalism. @rydriskelltate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do Americans eat so much beef? In Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019), the historian Joshua Specht provides a history that shows how our diets and consumer choices remain rooted in nineteenth century enterprises. A century and half ago, he writes, the colonialism and appropriation of indigenous lands enabled the expansion of western ranch outfits. These corporate ranchers controlled loose commodity chains, until powerful corporate meat packers in Chicago seized the economic order through the tools of modern capitalism (scientific management, standardization, labor suppression). These capitalists expanded the supply chains to far-flung consumers in New York and around the globe. But as meat became a staple of the American diet, and measure of progress, consumers cared more about the price and taste than the violence to people, animals, and environment behind the scenes. “America made modern beef” Specht writes, “at the same time that beef made America modern.” Ryan Driskell Tate is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at Rutgers University. He is completing a book on fossil-fuels and energy development in the American West. He teaches courses on modern US history, environmental history, and histories of labor and capitalism. @rydriskelltate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s long been an adage that what we eat, defines who we are. That’s never been truer than in our polarized world today and beef and its mass production has long been at the center of this definition. From the mid 19th century, the history of beef parallels, and often reflects social, cultural and economic changes. From the great plains in the 1850s to the slaughterhouses of the midwest, to the first McDonalds in San Bernardino in 1940, “where’s the beef,” has often told us who we are. Joshua Specht tells us more in  Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America  My conversation with Joshua Specht: 

Joshua Specht takes a hard look at the cattle industry in the US in Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-Table History of How Beef Shaped America. This isn’t a book about what you should, or shouldn’t, eat: it is a book about how stories shape our choices and our realities.

Jonathan Rees of Colorado State University Pueblo tells us the story of the ice industry before electricity. Joshua Specht of the University of Notre Dame reveals how beef became so central to the American diet. Jon Townsend of Jon Townsend & Son visits with us to discuss historical cooking techniques. Rachel Wadham explains how learning online can enhance classroom learnign. Journalist Christopher Null of WIRED explains what it feels like to be invisible to computers.

A battle between the US and Latin American producers has ensued, to feed an increasingly beef-hungry world – mostly people in Asia. We assess who is dominating the meat market – and if our planet can afford to keep the herds grazing. Author of 'Red Meat Republic', Joshua Specht, tells us why the meat production line impressed industrialists and the middle classes - which helped the industry grown exponentially. And we speak to charity Friends of the Earth to hear how younger people relate - or don't - to eating meat, and the pattern of change in appetites. (Image: Raw Angus beef steaks. Credit: Reda & Co / Getty Images)

This week at In The Past Lane, the American History podcast, I speak with historian Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America. It’s a fascinating history of the beef industry and how it changed not just America’s diet, but also its culture and politics. Beef was not always a centerpiece of the US diet. Prior to the Civil War, the most common meat source was pork. But after the Civil War, as white migrants, the railroads, and the US Army spread out across the Great Plains, cattle ranching emerged as a major industry. Over time, as entrepreneurs and investors figured out how to get cattle from Texas onto the Great Plains, then to the great slaughterhouse operations in Chicago, and then how to move large slabs of beef to regional wholesalers, who then sold to local butchers, who in turn sold retail cuts of beef to local customers, beef became affordable and widely available. Americans came to expect beef several times a week. So, too, did immigrants, who wrote letters home to their homelands in Europe extolling America as a place of freedom, opportunity, and beef. Today, even though beef consumption has declined by about one third since the mid-1970s, Americans still consume more red meat than any nation in the world. In the course of our conversation Joshua Specht explains: How beef went from a special occasion food that was raised locally, to an everyday staple produced by a vast, national market. How dispossessing Native Americans of their land was a crucial early step in the formation of a booming beef industry. How that process relied not on plucky pioneers, but rather the raw power of the federal government via the US military and support for a national railroad network. How and why massive, heavily capitalized industrial ranching in the Gilded Age failed, causing investors to shift capital to the meat processing industry, centered in Chicago. How as beef became cheap and plentiful in the late 19th century, it became a key cultural marker for white middle-class success, especially along immigrants to the US. The emergence of the four great beef packing companies, including Swift and Armour, and how they used new technology and government policy to revolutionize their industry. How the insistence on low prices led the beef packers to ruthlessly exploit their workers, a process famously chronicled by Upton Sinclair in The Jungle. How one of the great challenges today is to reconnect the costs of low beef prices to the conditions that make them possible – exploited workers, government subsidies, and environmental damage. Recommended reading:  Joshua Specht, Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press) James R. Barrett, Work and Community in the Jungle: Chicago's Packinghouse Workers, 1894–1922. Patricia Nelson Limerick, The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West Jimmy K. Skaggs, Prime Cut: Livestock Raising and Meatpacking in the United States, 1607–1983. Louise C. Wade, Chicago's Pride: The Stockyards, Packingtown, and Environs in the 19th Century. Upton Sinclair, The Jungle (1906)   More info about Joshua Specht http://joshuaspecht.com/   Follow In The Past Lane on Twitter  @InThePastLane Instagram  @InThePastLane Facebook: InThePastLanePodcast YouTube: InThePastLane     Music for This Episode Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (JayGMusic.com) Kevin McCleod, “Impact Moderato” (Free Music Archive) Andy Cohen, “Trophy Endorphins” (Free Music Archive) Blue Dot Sessions, “Sage the Hunter” (Free Music Archive) Jon Luc Hefferman, “Winter Trek” (Free Music Archive) The Bell, “I Am History” (Free Music Archive) Production Credits Executive Producer: Lulu Spencer Technical Advisors: Holly Hunt and Jesse Anderson  Podcasting Consultant: Dave Jackson of the School of Podcasting Podcast Editing: Wildstyle Media Photographer: John Buckingham Graphic Designer: Maggie Cellucci Website by: ERI Design  Legal services: Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Social Media management: The Pony Express Risk Assessment: Little Big Horn Associates Growth strategies: 54 40 or Fight © In The Past Lane, 2019 Recommended History Podcasts Ben Franklin’s World with Liz Covart @LizCovart The Age of Jackson Podcast @AgeofJacksonPod Backstory podcast – the history behind today’s headlines @BackstoryRadio Past Present podcast with Nicole Hemmer, Neil J. Young, and Natalia Petrzela @PastPresentPod 99 Percent Invisible with Roman Mars @99piorg Slow Burn podcast about Watergate with @leoncrawl The Memory Palace – with Nate DiMeo, story teller extraordinaire @thememorypalace The Conspirators – creepy true crime stories from the American past @Conspiratorcast The History Chicks podcast @Thehistorychix My History Can Beat Up Your Politics @myhist Professor Buzzkill podcast – Prof B takes on myths about the past @buzzkillprof Footnoting History podcast @HistoryFootnote The History Author Show podcast @HistoryDean More Perfect podcast - the history of key US Supreme Court cases @Radiolab Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell @Gladwell Radio Diaries with Joe Richman @RadioDiaries DIG history podcast @dig_history The Story Behind – the hidden histories of everyday things @StoryBehindPod Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen – specifically its American Icons series @Studio360show Uncivil podcast – fascinating takes on the legacy of the Civil War in contemporary US @uncivilshow Stuff You Missed in History Class @MissedinHistory The Whiskey Rebellion – two historians discuss topics from today’s news @WhiskeyRebelPod American History Tellers ‏@ahtellers The Way of Improvement Leads Home with historian John Fea @JohnFea1 The Bowery Boys podcast – all things NYC history @BoweryBoys Ridiculous History @RidiculousHSW The Rogue Historian podcast with historian @MKeithHarris The Road To Now podcast @Road_To_Now Retropod with @mikerosenwald 

Joshua Specht discusses his new book, RED MEAT REPUBLIC, and how the history of beef production tells the story of broad changes in the American economy, society and political landscape during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss YouTube’s role in political radicalization, the history of tariffs, and the presidential candidacy of Senator Elizabeth Warren. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:  YouTube’s algorithm, the New York Times reported, serves up increasingly extreme content to viewers. Niki recommended media studies scholar Siva Vaidhyanathan’s book Antisocial Media. Natalia recommended Niki’s book Messengers of the Right. Tariffs have become a central part of President Trump’s foreign policy. Niki cited historian Marc W. Palen’s book, The Conspiracy of Free Trade, and Natalia referred to historian Lizabeth Cohen’s book A Consumer’s Republic. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 candidacy is inspiring passionate support from many on the left. Natalia recommended this Politico article about Warren’s conservative past.   In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History: Natalia recommended historian Joshua Specht’s new book, Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America. Neil discussed Jia Tolentino’s New Yorker article, “Why Humans Treat Their Dogs Like People.” Niki shared Lindsay Parks Pieper’s Washington Post article, “The Biggest Challenge Facing the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Isn’t on the Field.”

In Red Meat Republic author Joshua Specht brings to life a turbulent era marked by Indian wars, Cowboy myths, Chicago labor unrest, and food riots in the streets of New York. He shows how the enduring success of the cattle-beef complex—centralized, low cost, and meatpacker dominated—was a consequence of the meatpackers’ ability to make their …

Today we're joined by Professor Joshua Specht of Monash University to talk about his new book Red Meat Republic: A Hoof-to-Table History of How Beef Changed America (Princeton University Press, 2019).   You can find him on Twitter as @joshspecht. 

The production of beef requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more greenhouse gas than the cultivation of beans, and seven times more than that of chicken. We're not eating as much beef in America as we were in the 1970s, but we’ve held steady at over 50 pounds per person a year, and beef consumption is rising exponentially in places like Brazil and China. How did having cheap beef become so desirable that we were willing to overlook environmental degradation, worker safety, and animal welfare, in order for the average American to eat 220 pounds of meat a year? The historian Joshua Specht thinks the answer lies with 19th-century cattle. In the span of just a few decades, American beef production flipped from a small-scale, local operation to a highly centralized industry with its heart in the meatpacking plants of Chicago and railroad supplies veining the United States. Modern agribusiness as we know it today was born in the cattle-beef complex, and those meatpacking conglomerates did such a good job of aligning their interests with those of consumers that the system has remained largely unchanged for the past hundred years. The model is now used in the entire industry, from poultry to pig farming.Go beyond the episode:Joshua Specht’s Red Meat RepublicRead an excerpt from the book that takes you inside the slaughterhouseAnd Specht’s op-ed about how hamburgers have been conscripted into the fight over the Green New DealThe Guardian reports on the cost of working in a U.S. meat plantTwo books that Specht recommends for further reading: Timothy Pachirat’s Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight and William Cronon’s Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great WestAn abundance of statistics on contemporary meat consumptionTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. Follow us on Twitter @TheAmScho or on Facebook.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The production of beef requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more greenhouse gas than the cultivation of beans, and seven times more than that of chicken. We're not eating as much beef in America as we were in the 1970s, but we’ve held steady at over 50 pounds per person a year, and beef consumption is rising exponentially in places like Brazil and China. How did having cheap beef become so desirable that we were willing to overlook environmental degradation, worker safety, and animal welfare, in order for the average American to eat 220 pounds of meat a year? The historian Joshua Specht thinks the answer lies with 19th-century cattle. In the span of just a few decades, American beef production flipped from a small-scale, local operation to a highly centralized industry with its heart in the meatpacking plants of Chicago and railroad supplies veining the United States. Modern agribusiness as we know it today was born in the cattle-beef complex, and those meatpacking conglomerates did such a good job of aligning their interests with those of consumers that the system has remained largely unchanged for the past hundred years. The model is now used in the entire industry, from poultry to pig farming.Go beyond the episode:Joshua Specht’s Red Meat RepublicRead an excerpt from the book that takes you inside the slaughterhouseAnd Specht’s op-ed about how hamburgers have been conscripted into the fight over the Green New DealThe Guardian reports on the cost of working in a U.S. meat plantTwo books that Specht recommends for further reading: Timothy Pachirat’s Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight and William Cronon’s Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great WestAn abundance of statistics on contemporary meat consumptionTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. Follow us on Twitter @TheAmScho or on Facebook.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Beef occupies a unique place in American culture. In his new book Red Meat Republic Joshua Specht examines the history of the American beef industry. He examines how ranching and range land was seized from Native Americans, how beef shaped […]