Society & Culture Episodes

Joel Schwartzberg is a New Yorker with Texas roots - or a Texan with New York roots. Either way, he now lives in NJ and wants to be friends with fellow Jersey folks Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. While he waits for that ...

No matter how much you know about Germany, you probably never consider baseball when you think of that European country. In this episode, we have Antonio Lopez, Fraynel Mercado, and Alex Torres, the latter two guests are U.S...

Pastor Stephen Simpson and attorney Rob Ryan return to continue the conversation from early April. "Men of Goodwill, Part 2" follows the men's discussion of race, religion, politics, and manhood. These potentially volatile is...

Master storyteller and baseball historian Bob Kendrick returns to the show to get the 2024 baseball season started the right way. Listen to his stories of Negro Leagues baseball greats in a way that only he can tell them. Thi...

What does it mean to be a man of goodwill in the age of social media? Real-life friends Stephen Simpson (pastor), Rob Ryan (attorney), and Melvin E. Edwards (host) discuss the hot-button issues of politics, religion, and race...

Presidential historian Lewis Ben Smith joins the show on this Presidents Day to discuss his favorite- and least-favorite Presidents, among other interesting details about the men who have held the highest office in the United...

Two of the leaders of the Tucson-based Wholistic Transformation join the show to talk about their nonprofit organization and how we can all get involved in helping young adults transition from foster care to the adult world. ...

Bob Lutz, the founder and executive director of League 42, an inner-city youth baseball program in Wichita, Kansas, joins the show to discuss the recent vandalism and destruction of the local Jackie Robinson statute. It's pur...

Political consultant and strategist Lee Spieckerman has thoughts about a lot of subjects. He's especially passionate about politics, fiscal policy, and racial reconciliation. He was battling a cold, but what he had to say to ...

During his time as a locksmith, John Thorsson has heard a lot of stories. Once, he answered the call for a man whose angry girlfriend had thrown his keys on top of a 3-story building. Another time, the police were called to t...

What kind of President would Alexander Hamilton have been if he had not died during that famous duel with VP Aaron Burr? Could he have ended slavery without a Civil War? Would he have replaced James Madison in the historical ...

Too often, our dreams are shattered before we ever give them a chance to develop. In this episode, 26-year-old entrepreneur and author Joe Ignace shares the secrets that made him a Top 1% salesman at his company, and how you ...

Dr. Jan Canty is a psychologist, writer, photographer, educator, consultant, podcast host, and cancer survivor, whose cancer has just returned for a second bout. She tells us some sobering stories of how her life was tragical...

Talented musician Daniel DeBlanke, known professionally as Bombay Beach Revival, once ended up on tour with the legendary Prince. Yes, THAT Prince! He joins the show to talk about all things music related, including his unexp...

Documentarian Mary Beth Minnis isn't the person you might expect to produce a film about Juneteenth, but when she was approached by Rasool Berry and Our Daily Bread Ministries, the executive producers of Juneteenth: Faith & F...

Anna R. Holloway, PhD, is a retired Professor of English, and is a writer and editor. During her 46 years at Fort Valley State University, she taught writing, literature, and journalism. When she left her White Midwestern roo...

Host Melvin E. Edwards was the Master of Ceremonies during the Traditional Storytellers portion of the Wimberley (Texas) StoryFest over the weekend of October 12-14, 2023. He also interviewed various participants as they repr...

GUEST: ROB MATWICK In this special edition of the podcast, Texas Rangers Executive Vice President of Business Operations Rob Matwick stops by to discuss this October weekend's American League Championship Series (ALCS). This ...

Dr. Hans Boas is the Director of Germanic Studies at the University of Texas-Austin, but until he arrived in Texas in 2001, he had no idea that the distinctive Texas German dialect even existed. Once he learned this fascinati...

Guest: Deb Powell Deb Powell, the owner and operator of Port O'Connor (POC) Rod and Gun, has been fishing in this Texas town since childhood. She shares her favorite memories of fishing with her dad and siblings, and recalls ...

Guest: Rick Hall, Jr. You may not know Rick Hall's name, but you know the music that Rick Hall developed as the founder and producer of FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. In this episode, we talk to Rick Hall J...

Because of Jim Crow laws, Darrin Evans' father - an Army Drill Sargeant - was never allowed to go to a public pool. Yet, he taught himself to swim in the river and insisted that his children also learn to swim. He considered ...

Guest: Bob Kendrick Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick is the ultimate storyteller. He can take you from the pitcher's mound with Satchel Paige to the batter's box with Josh Gibson in the time it takes a fas...