Book Wisdom

April 17, 2015August 27, 2017

Episode 12: Furious 7, Sports!, Small Talk: The Sport, Unchained Melodies, and The Goalkeeper

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This week Dave and Steel are joined by their old friend Spencer. The whole episode is sports themed, so brace yourself for some incredible wingspan and raw athleticism. They discuss Spencer and Dave’s impressions of the latest Fast & Furious film, the NBA sneaker landscape circa 1993, their favorite basketball video games, best basketball haircuts, the most prolific reproducers in NBA history, and their favorite sports friendships and rivalries. They also have a special sports-themed segment of Unchained Melodies, featuring songs by Belle and Sebastian, Public Enemy, Simon and Garfunkel, Skee-Lo, Camper Van Beethoven, and The Duckworth Lewis Method, and close the episode with some poetic reflections on the ignominy of the goalkeeper from the great, and recently deceased, Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano.

Episode 11: Aliens, OTC Hall of Fame, Lost the Plot: John Wick, Unchained Melodies, Book Wisdom

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This week Dave and Steel discuss Dave’s new haircut, four types of aliens, induct the newest member of the OTC Hall of Fame, play Lost the Plot with the film John Wick, share some great music from Andrew Bird, Mississippi John Hurt, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Cat Power, and Roger Miller, and drop some heavy theology from the Book of Genesis.

Links

Aliens

Dave referenced a couple of books in this segment that are worth checking out. The first is Vernor Vinge’s Fire Upon the Deep, which featured the alien race of dogs which share a common mind. The second is Larry Niven’s Ringworld, which was the source of the Puppeteers, a strange race of highly intelligent beings. Niven has written a larger Ringworld series, which Dave highly recommends.

OTC Hall of Fame

Steel inducted Miami lawyer and immigration reform advocate Nora Sandigo, who was recently featured in this outstanding Washington Post article by Eli Saslow. Sandigo has become the legal guardian for more than 800 children whose parents have been deported for illegal immigration over the past 6 years.

Lost the Plot: John Wick

The very violent trailer for the cinematic release of John Wick

Unchained Melodies

Andrew Bird — Three White Horses

Mississippi John Hurt — Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me

Here Am I, Oh Lord, Send Me by Mississippi John Hurt on Grooveshark

Alvin Youngblood Hart — Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me

Here Am I, Oh Lord, Send Me by Alvin Youngblood Hart on Grooveshark

Cat Power — Colors and the Kids

Roger Miller — Oo-De-Lally

Song – OO-De-Lally (Roger Miller) by Robin Hood [Soundtrack] on Grooveshark

Roger Miller — Whistle Stop

Whistle Stop by Roger Miller on Grooveshark

Roger Miller — Dang Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1s7HHnnjU4

This week’s passage was The Akedah (The Binding [of Isaac]), taken from Genesis 22:1-12.

April 3, 2015August 27, 2017

Episode 10: Baby Birthday Parties, To The Limits, Ask OTC, Small Talk, Diesel: Running on Gas, Unchained Melodies, and Montaigne's Essays

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This week Dave and Steel discuss some pro tips for successful birthday parties for infants and toddlers, talk about some incredible feats of human achievement (including Yeti sightings and some of the longest walks ever recorded), introduce you to the paranormal educational opportunities available at Arthur Findlay College, discuss Turning Point and Radio Diaries, answer great listener questions about vanity plates and rectal tubes, share some great music from Martha Wainwright, The New Christy Minstrels, Bahamas, and The National, and drop some humility from Michel de Montaigne.

Links

To The Limits

Sławomir Rawicz’s book is called The Long Walk. The book was the ‘inspiration’ for a 2010 film called The Way Back with Colin Farrell and Ed Harris.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87kezJTpyMI

Here’s Elizabeth Weil’s NYT magazine article about the Swiss adventurer Sarah Marquis. Ms. Marquis maintains a website where you can hear interviews, find her TED talks, and see several videos of her exploits.

Small Talk

WSJ article programabout Arthur Findlay College, a Spiritualist-run school for psychics and mediums. The college also has its own website.

Dave highly recommends BYUTV’s programTurning Point.

Steel recommends Joe Richman’s podcast Radio Diaries, especially their recent episode about songwriter Rose Marie McCoy.

Unchained Melodies

Martha Wainwright — Everything Wrong

The New Christy Minstrels — El Camino Real

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btb2lEL4f7s

Bahamas — Lost in the Light

The National — So Far Around the Bend

So Far Around the Bend by The National on Grooveshark

Book Wisdom

Today’s passage was “To the Reader,” the brief preface to Michel de Montaigne’s classic Essays. Steel recommends the Donald Frame translation. You can also listen to the essays, as they’ve been recorded by LibriVox volunteers.

March 27, 2015August 27, 2017

Episode 9: Ostrich Fest, March Madness!, Lost the Plot: Backdraft, Unchained Melodies, and Raise Hight the Roof Beam, Carpenters

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In this week’s episode Dave and Steel discuss Ostrich Fest, their favorite March Madness memories, Steel’s idea of what the movie Backdraft might be about, they share some music by the Silver Jews, Serengeti, Night Beds, and Angel Olsen that’s grabbed them recently, and Dave drops some familial love from a classic J.D. Salinger novella.

Episode 8: Children's Picture Books, Small Talk, Ask OTC, Unchained Melodies, and The English Patient

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This week Dave and Steel are joined by their old friend Amy to discuss children’s picture books, cave dwellings, pigeon-based Ponzi schemes, a once in a lifetime chance to own Hell, frog burgers, answer pressing questions from longtime listeners, share some of their favorite recent music, and drop some beauty from Michael Ondaatje.

Links

Children’s Picture Books

Dave’s recommendations

Peggy Rathmann: She’s my number one. We especially love Good Night, Gorilla
Mo Willems. Especially the Elephant & Piggie series.
Uri Shulevitz. Especially his book Snow

Amy’s recommendations

Harry G. Allard’s Miss Nelson is Missing!, illustrated by James Marshall.
Dallas Clayton‘s An Awesome Book.
B.J. Novak’s The Book with No Pictures.

Steel’s recommendations

Richard Scarry. Especially What do People Do All Day? and Cars and Trucks and Things That Go.
Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant, with watercolor illustrations by Lizbeth Zwerger.
Ingri and Edgar d’Aulaire’s Book of Norse Myths and Book of Greek Myths.

Small Talk

Dave’s favorite cave homes.
Hell [Michican] for sale and the Damned artists who want to buy it. Amy’s list of her top 5 things to do in Hell.
Jon Mooallem’s story about Arlan Galbraith, the Ponzi-scheming Pigeon King.
And, ummm, don’t forget about frog burgers.

Ask OTC

The stuffed animal hospital that just might be what you need to revive your best friend from childhood.
Amy’s got a whole bunch of recipes on her blog, including this mouthwatering one for Skinny Texas Cheese Fries.
The tacocopter. Apparently they’re trying it out in San Francisco (beta version), which of course they are.

Unchained Melodies

Caroline Smith — Bloodstyle

Dom La Nena — Llegaré

Built to Spill — Living Zoo

The Decemberists — Carolina Low

D’Angelo and the Vanguard — Back to the Future (Part 1)

The Beatles — Golden Slumbers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykl4Uqrbhjc

Book Wisdom

This week’s passage comes from Michael Ondaatje’s beautiful novel The English Patient.

March 13, 2015August 27, 2017

Episode 7: Time Travel, OTC Hall of Fame, Ask OTC, Unchained Melodies, and All the Pretty Horses

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This week Dave and Steel are joined by their friend Ryan to discuss two important time travel franchises: Bill and Ted’s & Back to the Future, learn more about DIY time capsules, induct their first class into the OFF THE CHAIN Hall of Fame, share some recent music that’s impressed them, and drop some beautiful prose from Cormac McCarthy.

Episode 6: At the Limits, Small Talk, Unchained Melodies, and Grooks

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This week Dave and Steel are joined by their friend Ryan. Together the trio discusses the limits of human endurance by way of the stories of Ernest Shackleton and Yiannis Kouros, share some conversational anecdotes from old Chip & Dale cartoons, Finnish miltary history, and mathematical outsiders, share some favorite recent music, and drop some wisdom from Danish Scientist Piet Hein.

Links

At the Limits

Dave recommends checking out these two books about Ernest Shackleton, both called Endurance, after the name of Shackleton’s ship:

Alfred Lansing’s book, a non-fiction account written by a professional historian.
Frank Arthur Worsley’s book, a first-person memoir written by the Endurance’s commander and Shackleton’s colleague Frank Worsley.

Steel recommends this fascinating 2006 profile of Greek-Australian ultramarathoner Yiannos Kouros from Runner’s World. Kouros also maintains his own website, with more biographical information for the curious.

Small Talk

Donald Duck pulls a handgun on Chip & Dale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biy5HrSCSSg

Finnish master sniper Simo Häyhä’s wikipedia page.

The recent New Yorker profile on mathematician Yitang Zhang.

Unchained Melodies

Waxahatchee: Under a Rock

London Grammar: Nightcall

Mina Tindle: L’Astrakan

Book Wisdom

The poems Steel read in this episode come from Danish scientist Piet Hein‘s book Grooks.

February 27, 2015August 27, 2017

Episode 5: Small Talk, Diesel: Running on Gas, Ask OTC, Unchained Melodies, and Shantideva

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This week Dave and Steel are joined by their old friend Jordan, a Las Vegas-based lawyer. Together, the trio talk about professional dumpster divers, meditating mummified monks, and the maker Jimmy DiResta, introduce a new segment focused on Dave & Jordan’s shared love of Vin Diesel, take a question from a listener about how to deal with boring lecture classes, share some of their favorite recent music, and explore the wisdom of the 8th Century Buddhist monk Shantideva.

Episode 4: Food Kiosk, Men's Room Graffiti, Unchained Melodies, and the Brothers Karamazov

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This week Dave and Steel are joined by their old friends Spencer and Jordan. Together, they discuss the best meals they’ve ever had, some graffiti Steel recently spotted in a men’s room, some of the best tunes they’ve heard recently, and Spencer shares some wisdom from Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Links

Food Kiosk

The idea for this segment came from Stephen L. Peck‘s book A Short Stay in Hell, which Dave recently read and enjoyed. The premise for the story is partially based on Jorge Luis Borges’ famous short story “The Library of Babel”

Aglio Olio e Peperoncino Recipe

Ingredients

Amounts are very approximate and not that important – you really should experiment a little, it’s a sign of culinary maturity and confidence — Spencer

Spaghetti pasta – 1 lb
Fresh garlic – 3 cloves
Extra virgin olive oil – 1/3-1/2 cup
Red pepper flakes – to taste
Parmesan cheese – to taste

Directions

Start water boiling in a pot. There should be enough water to completely submerge the spaghetti. Add a generous amount of salt to the water. When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until it has reached the desired consistency.

In the meantime, add the olive oil to a pan over low-medium heat. Crush the garlic and sauté with pepper flakes.

Combine the pasta and the oil/garlic/pepper flakes and toss. Serve with grated parmesan.

Men’s Room Graffiti

Check out the Men’s Room Graffiti Tumblr, where you can find a couple of images of the piece of graffiti which inspired our conversation.

Unchained Melodies

Timber Timbre: Demon Host

Shovels & Rope: Lay Low

Mikal Cronin: Made My Mind Up

Flume & Chet Faker: Drop the Game

Vulfpeck: Outro

Book Wisdom

Spencer shared a beautiful passage from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brother’s Karamazov. The passage he read appears in Book II, Chapter IV of Constance Garnett’s translation.

February 13, 2015August 27, 2017

Episode 3: Small Talk, Lost the Plot, Ask OTC, Unchained Melodies, and The Little Prince

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In this episode of Off the Chain, we introduce a new segment called Small Talk, in which we offer you some advice for improving your conversation skills and give you some rich content for your next informal chat with friends (Is it safe to read on the toilet? Coke vs. Pepsi? What does Ayn Rand think of recent children’s movies?), play another version of our Lost the Plot game, in which Dave asks Steel to describe the plot of a bad action movie he’s never seen (this week it’s Lockout!), answer listener questions in another installment of Ask Off the Chain, share some of our favorite recent songs, and drop some book wisdom from French adventurer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Links

Sports!

NBA Shoes

Favorite Basketball Video Games

Dr. J vs. Larry Bird

NBA Jam

NBA Live 1995

Favorite NBA Hair Cuts

Best NBA Names

Most Prolific NBA Fathers

OTC Sports Friendships

OTC Sports Rivalries

Unchained Melodies

Belle & Sebastian — Piazza, New York Catcher

Public Enemy — He Got Game

Simon and Garfunkel — The Boxer

Skee-Lo — I Wish

Camper Van Beethoven — Take the Skinheads Bowling

The Duckworth Lewis Method — Nudging and Nurdling

Book Wisdom

Links

Aliens

OTC Hall of Fame

Lost the Plot: John Wick

Unchained Melodies

Andrew Bird — Three White Horses

Mississippi John Hurt — Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me

Alvin Youngblood Hart — Here Am I, Oh Lord Send Me

Cat Power — Colors and the Kids

Roger Miller — Oo-De-Lally

Roger Miller — Whistle Stop

Roger Miller — Dang Me

Book Wisdom

Links

To The Limits

Small Talk

Unchained Melodies

Martha Wainwright — Everything Wrong

The New Christy Minstrels — El Camino Real

Bahamas — Lost in the Light

The National — So Far Around the Bend

Book Wisdom

Links

Ostrich Fest

Grand Funk Railroad

Nathan Valencias & The Wheel of Destiny

March Madness

The NCAA

1998: Bryce Drew, “The Shot”

1995: Tyus Edney coast to coast in 4.8 seconds

2007: Eric Maynor

2006: George Mason’s run to the Final Four

2010: Ali Farokhmanesh (and Lucas O’Rear!)

2011: Jimmer!

Gregory Echinique

1991: Kansas Jayhawks and Mark Randall

Name of the Year

Lost the Plot

Backdraft

Unchained Melodies

Silver Jews — We Could Be Looking for the Same Thing

Serengeti — Dennehy

Serengeti — Rhythm of Devotion (live)

Night Beds — Head for the Hills

Angel Olson — Some Things Cosmic

Book Wisdom

Links

Children’s Picture Books

Dave’s recommendations

Amy’s recommendations

Steel’s recommendations

Small Talk

Ask OTC

Unchained Melodies

Caroline Smith — Bloodstyle

Dom La Nena — Llegaré

Built to Spill — Living Zoo

The Decemberists — Carolina Low

D’Angelo and the Vanguard — Back to the Future (Part 1)

The Beatles — Golden Slumbers