The subject of this week’s podcast is a documentary called “What is a Woman?” If there’s been a more controversial documentary in recent memory, I don’t know what it is. It has yet to find a major distributor, and the film’s critics have been strident in their objections.
I finally watched it over the break and I’m glad I did. Not because I agree with every single thing the film makers espouse, but rather, because they allow the opposing side to speak for themselves. At length. The results are kind of extraordinary.
At its heart, “What is a Woman” is not really a movie about the process of changing genders, or the push to allow children and teenagers to make irreversible surgical decisions without their parent’s consent. It’s really a movie about truth, reality, and the inability of lots of otherwise intelligent people – from doctors to professors to Supreme Court Justices – to answer a really simple question. It’s a movie that illustrates just how radically – and quickly – the simplest of words in the language we all share have been literally redefined beneath us.
Link in bio
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#thewayiheardit #podcast @mattwalshblog #whatisawoman
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Mike – I saw an old episode of Dirty Jobs today where you sang a song at a garbage dump. It was catchy. Sounded like you were singing the harmony in the background, as well as the melody. Is that music available anywhere? I’d like to see if I could get my chorus at school to sing it. Thanks. Tom Fogle
Hi Tom – I don’t have the sheet music handy, but here are the parts I made up many years ago, after a long day of filming at an oyster gathering operation in South Carolina. I actually wrote it in a bathroom and sang it on an episode back in Season 1 with a local guy who just happened to have a guitar. This is what it sounds like 20 years later, with no accompaniment, (and after a couple drinks.) If your chorus can deconstruct it, be my guest! Just post the results here so I can see what you did.
PS. New episode tonight at 8. There will be no singing, but cats will howl!
PPS Barbershop Harmony Society – Somebody please do this better. Crossroads Quartet ???
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#DirtyJobs @Discovery @DiscoverPlus @barbershopharmonysociety @crossroads_quartet #harmony
If you missed the first episode of Dirty Jobs, then you are not yet acquainted with Carlos the Soap Whisperer. Well, allow me to introduce you.
Carlos was struggling once upon a time – struggling mightily to make ends meet. No car, no job, no direction, no prospects. In 2010, he was given a chance by a guy named Shawn, who had started a non-profit in Florida called @clean_the_world . Today, Carlos is still there, helping Shawn and a team of bloody do-gooders recycle millions of bars of barely used hotel soap and shipping them to third world countries with massive hygiene problems. He’s also supporting himself and his family.
If you remember Returning the Favor, Carlos will remind you of the kind of people we used to honor on that program. People with a passion and a purpose larger than themselves. That show, for reasons I still don’t understand, is no longer in production. And so, from time to time, I try to use #DirtyJobs to introduce you to people I think you should know. Well, Carlos is one of those people. In twelve years, he has recycled over 73 million bars of soap, and helped save the lives of tens of thousands of people. People he will never meet.
We could ponder the irony of a show called Dirty Jobs highlighting the business of recycling soap. Or the ingenuity and wisdom of Shawn Seipler, who first asked the question, “What happens to all the hotel soap that’s only used once?” But on Christmas Eve, I prefer to consider the story of one man with no job and no prospects, winding up with a true purpose in his life.
If you saw Carlos in action, you saw a man who cleaned up his act in every way possible. A man who absolutely loves what he does. A man who can’t wait to get to work the next day to do it all again. A man whose work ethic and positive attitude have earned him the admiration of everyone around him.
That’s Carlos, the Soap Whisperer.
And everyone else, I suppose, whoever got a second chance, and ran with it.
Merry Christmas
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@discovery
If you missed the first episode of Dirty Jobs, then you are not yet acquainted with Carlos the Soap Whisperer. Well, allow me to introduce you.
Carlos was struggling once upon a time – struggling mightily to make ends meet. No car, no job, no direction, no prospects. In 2010, he was given a chance by a guy named Shawn, who had started a non-profit in Florida called @clean_the_world . Today, Carlos is still there, helping Shawn and a team of bloody do-gooders recycle millions of bars of barely used hotel soap and shipping them to third world countries with massive hygiene problems. He’s also supporting himself and his family.
If you remember Returning the Favor, Carlos will remind you of the kind of people we used to honor on that program. People with a passion and a purpose larger than themselves. That show, for reasons I still don’t understand, is no longer in production. And so, from time to time, I try to use #DirtyJobs to introduce you to people I think you should know. Well, Carlos is one of those people. In twelve years, he has recycled over 73 million bars of soap, and helped save the lives of tens of thousands of people. People he will never meet.
We could ponder the irony of a show called Dirty Jobs highlighting the business of recycling soap. Or the ingenuity and wisdom of Shawn Seipler, who first asked the question, “What happens to all the hotel soap that’s only used once?” But on Christmas Eve, I prefer to consider the story of one man with no job and no prospects, winding up with a true purpose in his life.
If you saw Carlos in action, you saw a man who cleaned up his act in every way possible. A man who absolutely loves what he does. A man who can’t wait to get to work the next day to do it all again. A man whose work ethic and positive attitude have earned him the admiration of everyone around him.
That’s Carlos, the Soap Whisperer.
And everyone else, I suppose, whoever got a second chance, and ran with it.
Merry Christmas
.
.
@discovery
If you missed the first episode of Dirty Jobs, then you are not yet acquainted with Carlos the Soap Whisperer. Well, allow me to introduce you.
Carlos was struggling once upon a time – struggling mightily to make ends meet. No car, no job, no direction, no prospects. In 2010, he was given a chance by a guy named Shawn, who had started a non-profit in Florida called @clean_the_world . Today, Carlos is still there, helping Shawn and a team of bloody do-gooders recycle millions of bars of barely used hotel soap and shipping them to third world countries with massive hygiene problems. He’s also supporting himself and his family.
If you remember Returning the Favor, Carlos will remind you of the kind of people we used to honor on that program. People with a passion and a purpose larger than themselves. That show, for reasons I still don’t understand, is no longer in production. And so, from time to time, I try to use #DirtyJobs to introduce you to people I think you should know. Well, Carlos is one of those people. In twelve years, he has recycled over 73 million bars of soap, and helped save the lives of tens of thousands of people. People he will never meet.
We could ponder the irony of a show called Dirty Jobs highlighting the business of recycling soap. Or the ingenuity and wisdom of Shawn Seipler, who first asked the question, “What happens to all the hotel soap that’s only used once?” But on Christmas Eve, I prefer to consider the story of one man with no job and no prospects, winding up with a true purpose in his life.
If you saw Carlos in action, you saw a man who cleaned up his act in every way possible. A man who absolutely loves what he does. A man who can’t wait to get to work the next day to do it all again. A man whose work ethic and positive attitude have earned him the admiration of everyone around him.
That’s Carlos, the Soap Whisperer.
And everyone else, I suppose, whoever got a second chance, and ran with it.
Merry Christmas
.
.
@discovery
If you missed the first episode of Dirty Jobs, then you are not yet acquainted with Carlos the Soap Whisperer. Well, allow me to introduce you.
Carlos was struggling once upon a time – struggling mightily to make ends meet. No car, no job, no direction, no prospects. In 2010, he was given a chance by a guy named Shawn, who had started a non-profit in Florida called @clean_the_world . Today, Carlos is still there, helping Shawn and a team of bloody do-gooders recycle millions of bars of barely used hotel soap and shipping them to third world countries with massive hygiene problems. He’s also supporting himself and his family.
If you remember Returning the Favor, Carlos will remind you of the kind of people we used to honor on that program. People with a passion and a purpose larger than themselves. That show, for reasons I still don’t understand, is no longer in production. And so, from time to time, I try to use #DirtyJobs to introduce you to people I think you should know. Well, Carlos is one of those people. In twelve years, he has recycled over 73 million bars of soap, and helped save the lives of tens of thousands of people. People he will never meet.
We could ponder the irony of a show called Dirty Jobs highlighting the business of recycling soap. Or the ingenuity and wisdom of Shawn Seipler, who first asked the question, “What happens to all the hotel soap that’s only used once?” But on Christmas Eve, I prefer to consider the story of one man with no job and no prospects, winding up with a true purpose in his life.
If you saw Carlos in action, you saw a man who cleaned up his act in every way possible. A man who absolutely loves what he does. A man who can’t wait to get to work the next day to do it all again. A man whose work ethic and positive attitude have earned him the admiration of everyone around him.
That’s Carlos, the Soap Whisperer.
And everyone else, I suppose, whoever got a second chance, and ran with it.
Merry Christmas
.
.
@discovery
If you missed the first episode of Dirty Jobs, then you are not yet acquainted with Carlos the Soap Whisperer. Well, allow me to introduce you.
Carlos was struggling once upon a time – struggling mightily to make ends meet. No car, no job, no direction, no prospects. In 2010, he was given a chance by a guy named Shawn, who had started a non-profit in Florida called @clean_the_world . Today, Carlos is still there, helping Shawn and a team of bloody do-gooders recycle millions of bars of barely used hotel soap and shipping them to third world countries with massive hygiene problems. He’s also supporting himself and his family.
If you remember Returning the Favor, Carlos will remind you of the kind of people we used to honor on that program. People with a passion and a purpose larger than themselves. That show, for reasons I still don’t understand, is no longer in production. And so, from time to time, I try to use #DirtyJobs to introduce you to people I think you should know. Well, Carlos is one of those people. In twelve years, he has recycled over 73 million bars of soap, and helped save the lives of tens of thousands of people. People he will never meet.
We could ponder the irony of a show called Dirty Jobs highlighting the business of recycling soap. Or the ingenuity and wisdom of Shawn Seipler, who first asked the question, “What happens to all the hotel soap that’s only used once?” But on Christmas Eve, I prefer to consider the story of one man with no job and no prospects, winding up with a true purpose in his life.
If you saw Carlos in action, you saw a man who cleaned up his act in every way possible. A man who absolutely loves what he does. A man who can’t wait to get to work the next day to do it all again. A man whose work ethic and positive attitude have earned him the admiration of everyone around him.
That’s Carlos, the Soap Whisperer.
And everyone else, I suppose, whoever got a second chance, and ran with it.
Merry Christmas
.
.
@discovery
If you missed the first episode of Dirty Jobs, then you are not yet acquainted with Carlos the Soap Whisperer. Well, allow me to introduce you.
Carlos was struggling once upon a time – struggling mightily to make ends meet. No car, no job, no direction, no prospects. In 2010, he was given a chance by a guy named Shawn, who had started a non-profit in Florida called @clean_the_world . Today, Carlos is still there, helping Shawn and a team of bloody do-gooders recycle millions of bars of barely used hotel soap and shipping them to third world countries with massive hygiene problems. He’s also supporting himself and his family.
If you remember Returning the Favor, Carlos will remind you of the kind of people we used to honor on that program. People with a passion and a purpose larger than themselves. That show, for reasons I still don’t understand, is no longer in production. And so, from time to time, I try to use #DirtyJobs to introduce you to people I think you should know. Well, Carlos is one of those people. In twelve years, he has recycled over 73 million bars of soap, and helped save the lives of tens of thousands of people. People he will never meet.
We could ponder the irony of a show called Dirty Jobs highlighting the business of recycling soap. Or the ingenuity and wisdom of Shawn Seipler, who first asked the question, “What happens to all the hotel soap that’s only used once?” But on Christmas Eve, I prefer to consider the story of one man with no job and no prospects, winding up with a true purpose in his life.
If you saw Carlos in action, you saw a man who cleaned up his act in every way possible. A man who absolutely loves what he does. A man who can’t wait to get to work the next day to do it all again. A man whose work ethic and positive attitude have earned him the admiration of everyone around him.
That’s Carlos, the Soap Whisperer.
And everyone else, I suppose, whoever got a second chance, and ran with it.
Merry Christmas
.
.
@discovery
According to my cable guide, which is sometimes accurate, Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe is on Discovery for eighteen of the next twenty-four hours. Bias aside, I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year than with a gentle reminder of what it looks like to work in places that don’t offer catered meals, meditations booths, manicured campuses, interactive walking trails, foosball, cornhole, red wine on tap, and yoga studios for their employees.
Our country is in the midst of redefining what it means to work for a living, and for a lot of people, this is it. This is their wish-fulfillment. To be taken care of. To be catered to. And to be fair, who can blame them? They are snowflakes, for sure, but we are the clouds from which the snowflakes fell. And many companies today are so desperate to attract workers, they’ll do whatever it takes to please them. I doubt that many have gone as far as the tech giants here in California, but these videos are real, and there are many others like them. Videos posted by employees that celebrate the opposite of ambition. The opposite of adversity. The opposite of discomfort. The opposite of work ethic.
Again, bias notwithstanding, thank God shows like #DirtyJobs and #DeadliestCatch and How America Works are out there, to introduce Americans to that part of our workforce keeps the lights on and the bridges standing and the crap flowing in the right direction. My advice on New Year’s Day, especially if you have kids in the house, is to watch Dirty Jobs and see what kind of conversation might ensue. Whatever the outcome, it’s a conversation worth having.
Meanwhile, there’s a new episode tonight at 8pm, and it’s awesome. The first job is “Pile-Jacketer”, and it’s a back breaker. The second is my day with “Concrete-Cleaner,” and it’s a ball-buster. More on both of those adventures later. Great guys doing essential work with lots of laughs, tonight at 8pm on @Discovery.
Happy New Year!
According to my cable guide, which is sometimes accurate, Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe is on Discovery for eighteen of the next twenty-four hours. Bias aside, I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year than with a gentle reminder of what it looks like to work in places that don’t offer catered meals, meditations booths, manicured campuses, interactive walking trails, foosball, cornhole, red wine on tap, and yoga studios for their employees.
Our country is in the midst of redefining what it means to work for a living, and for a lot of people, this is it. This is their wish-fulfillment. To be taken care of. To be catered to. And to be fair, who can blame them? They are snowflakes, for sure, but we are the clouds from which the snowflakes fell. And many companies today are so desperate to attract workers, they’ll do whatever it takes to please them. I doubt that many have gone as far as the tech giants here in California, but these videos are real, and there are many others like them. Videos posted by employees that celebrate the opposite of ambition. The opposite of adversity. The opposite of discomfort. The opposite of work ethic.
Again, bias notwithstanding, thank God shows like #DirtyJobs and #DeadliestCatch and How America Works are out there, to introduce Americans to that part of our workforce keeps the lights on and the bridges standing and the crap flowing in the right direction. My advice on New Year’s Day, especially if you have kids in the house, is to watch Dirty Jobs and see what kind of conversation might ensue. Whatever the outcome, it’s a conversation worth having.
Meanwhile, there’s a new episode tonight at 8pm, and it’s awesome. The first job is “Pile-Jacketer”, and it’s a back breaker. The second is my day with “Concrete-Cleaner,” and it’s a ball-buster. More on both of those adventures later. Great guys doing essential work with lots of laughs, tonight at 8pm on @Discovery.
Happy New Year!
According to my cable guide, which is sometimes accurate, Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe is on Discovery for eighteen of the next twenty-four hours. Bias aside, I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year than with a gentle reminder of what it looks like to work in places that don’t offer catered meals, meditations booths, manicured campuses, interactive walking trails, foosball, cornhole, red wine on tap, and yoga studios for their employees.
Our country is in the midst of redefining what it means to work for a living, and for a lot of people, this is it. This is their wish-fulfillment. To be taken care of. To be catered to. And to be fair, who can blame them? They are snowflakes, for sure, but we are the clouds from which the snowflakes fell. And many companies today are so desperate to attract workers, they’ll do whatever it takes to please them. I doubt that many have gone as far as the tech giants here in California, but these videos are real, and there are many others like them. Videos posted by employees that celebrate the opposite of ambition. The opposite of adversity. The opposite of discomfort. The opposite of work ethic.
Again, bias notwithstanding, thank God shows like #DirtyJobs and #DeadliestCatch and How America Works are out there, to introduce Americans to that part of our workforce keeps the lights on and the bridges standing and the crap flowing in the right direction. My advice on New Year’s Day, especially if you have kids in the house, is to watch Dirty Jobs and see what kind of conversation might ensue. Whatever the outcome, it’s a conversation worth having.
Meanwhile, there’s a new episode tonight at 8pm, and it’s awesome. The first job is “Pile-Jacketer”, and it’s a back breaker. The second is my day with “Concrete-Cleaner,” and it’s a ball-buster. More on both of those adventures later. Great guys doing essential work with lots of laughs, tonight at 8pm on @Discovery.
Happy New Year!
A one of a kind…
#dad #woodworking
A Word About #2
Interesting story out of Baltimore concerning me, @RachaelRay, #DirtyJobs, and crabs.
Tonight, I highlight a Maryland company called @jospicecompany . These guys make dozens of delicious spices, one has become synonymous with Maryland steamed crabs. The spice is called J.O. #2, and the company has been cranking out tons of the stuff for four generations. Unfortunately, 99% of the country – including most everyone in Baltimore – confuses J.O. #2 with Old Bay Seasoning. It’s a mistake I’ve made myself, more than once, and I wanted to use Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe to atone for my past mistakes. I also wanted to make sure more people know that Old Bay has been getting a LOT of unearned publicity, thanks to people who confuse their product with the far more ubiquitous, but less glamorously named, J.O.#2. (Having built a large part of my own business on #2, it seemed the least I could do.)
Rachael Ray urged her viewers to watch tonight’s episode. (Along with the J.O. Spice Company, I go fishing tonight with a husband-and-wife team who run a caviar company on the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, Rachael Ray was under the impression that the J.O. Spice Company made Old Bay Seasoning, (NO!) and proceeded to promote Old Bay on the air, even going so far as to hold up a tin of Old Bay and sprinkle some into her mouth.
Ginger Ports, the delightful matriarch of the family whom you’ll meet on tonight’s episode, voiced her displeasure on Rachael’s website, which caught the eye Christina Tkacik, a local reporter in Baltimore with an unpronounceable last name, who called me last week to discuss the kerfuffle and write a story. Hopefully, her efforts – and your willingness to share this story – will help prevent others from perpetuating the mistaken belief that Old Bay is the preferred provider of the delicious spice that makes Maryland crabs so delicious. In reality, J.O. #2, is really #1.
Mistakes get made & Rachael & her team quickly removed the video from her site and replaced it with a sincere and appreciated retraction. You can read it and, in the meantime, don’t forget to watch or Dirty Jobs tonight at 8pm on @Discovery . It’s a good one.
Mike – Absolutely LOVING the new episodes of Dirty Jobs. Love seeing you rolling up your sleeves and still getting in there. Was curious though – you kinda pussed out on the Carolina Reaper thing. How come you didn’t try the hottest pepper ever made? In the old days, you would have eaten one. Still love ya! – Pat Lawhon
Hi Pat,
To be honest, my intention on that day was to eat whatever Ed put in front of me. I wasn’t looking forward to it, because frankly, I don’t really enjoy super spicy food. I like a little heat with my carbonara, and maybe a little Tabasco on my eggs, but I don’t understand the current obsession with swallowing the hottest peppers on the planet just to say, “I did it!” as sweat, tears, and snot stream down my face. But still, I was game, and I went to Puckerbutt with every intention of chowing down on a ghost pepper, or a Carolina Reaper, or a mouthful of Napalm, or whatever Smokin’ Ed Currie put in front of me. However – and I know this sounds lame – I had a prior engagement that turned out to be completely incompatible with swallowing peppers that ranked 4 million on the Scoville scale. Specifically, I was scheduled to fly to Nashville that night, and record a song with John Rich early the next morning.
When I shared this with Ed’s partners and employees, Ed’s own people warned me NOT to eat the super-hot stuff. I’m not exaggerating. Off camera, they said, “Ed will light you up. Do NOT go toe to toe with Ed Currie. He’s immune to the pain.” One guy pulled me aside and said, “Seriously man, “this sh@t will f@*k you up for DAYS! – Do NOT eat the Ghost Pepper!” And so, I didn’t. Perhaps it was a pussy move, but I felt like I’d made a promise to John Rich, and if those godforsaken scrotum-shaped gasoline bombs had in fact rendered me speechless, I’d have no one to blame but myself, and the world would have been denied the feel-good hit of the season, “Santa’s Gotta Dirty Job.” So, Zach Hall stepped in, and thank God he did. The Ghost Pepper messed him up for at least 36 hours.
Have Yourselves a Happy and a Spicy New Year!
PS There’s a new episode Sunday night on Discovery. 8pm. It’s very, very dirty.
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#DirtyJobs @Discovery
Mike – Absolutely LOVING the new episodes of Dirty Jobs. Love seeing you rolling up your sleeves and still getting in there. Was curious though – you kinda pussed out on the Carolina Reaper thing. How come you didn’t try the hottest pepper ever made? In the old days, you would have eaten one. Still love ya! – Pat Lawhon
Hi Pat,
To be honest, my intention on that day was to eat whatever Ed put in front of me. I wasn’t looking forward to it, because frankly, I don’t really enjoy super spicy food. I like a little heat with my carbonara, and maybe a little Tabasco on my eggs, but I don’t understand the current obsession with swallowing the hottest peppers on the planet just to say, “I did it!” as sweat, tears, and snot stream down my face. But still, I was game, and I went to Puckerbutt with every intention of chowing down on a ghost pepper, or a Carolina Reaper, or a mouthful of Napalm, or whatever Smokin’ Ed Currie put in front of me. However – and I know this sounds lame – I had a prior engagement that turned out to be completely incompatible with swallowing peppers that ranked 4 million on the Scoville scale. Specifically, I was scheduled to fly to Nashville that night, and record a song with John Rich early the next morning.
When I shared this with Ed’s partners and employees, Ed’s own people warned me NOT to eat the super-hot stuff. I’m not exaggerating. Off camera, they said, “Ed will light you up. Do NOT go toe to toe with Ed Currie. He’s immune to the pain.” One guy pulled me aside and said, “Seriously man, “this sh@t will f@*k you up for DAYS! – Do NOT eat the Ghost Pepper!” And so, I didn’t. Perhaps it was a pussy move, but I felt like I’d made a promise to John Rich, and if those godforsaken scrotum-shaped gasoline bombs had in fact rendered me speechless, I’d have no one to blame but myself, and the world would have been denied the feel-good hit of the season, “Santa’s Gotta Dirty Job.” So, Zach Hall stepped in, and thank God he did. The Ghost Pepper messed him up for at least 36 hours.
Have Yourselves a Happy and a Spicy New Year!
PS There’s a new episode Sunday night on Discovery. 8pm. It’s very, very dirty.
.
.
#DirtyJobs @Discovery
Mike – Absolutely LOVING the new episodes of Dirty Jobs. Love seeing you rolling up your sleeves and still getting in there. Was curious though – you kinda pussed out on the Carolina Reaper thing. How come you didn’t try the hottest pepper ever made? In the old days, you would have eaten one. Still love ya! – Pat Lawhon
Hi Pat,
To be honest, my intention on that day was to eat whatever Ed put in front of me. I wasn’t looking forward to it, because frankly, I don’t really enjoy super spicy food. I like a little heat with my carbonara, and maybe a little Tabasco on my eggs, but I don’t understand the current obsession with swallowing the hottest peppers on the planet just to say, “I did it!” as sweat, tears, and snot stream down my face. But still, I was game, and I went to Puckerbutt with every intention of chowing down on a ghost pepper, or a Carolina Reaper, or a mouthful of Napalm, or whatever Smokin’ Ed Currie put in front of me. However – and I know this sounds lame – I had a prior engagement that turned out to be completely incompatible with swallowing peppers that ranked 4 million on the Scoville scale. Specifically, I was scheduled to fly to Nashville that night, and record a song with John Rich early the next morning.
When I shared this with Ed’s partners and employees, Ed’s own people warned me NOT to eat the super-hot stuff. I’m not exaggerating. Off camera, they said, “Ed will light you up. Do NOT go toe to toe with Ed Currie. He’s immune to the pain.” One guy pulled me aside and said, “Seriously man, “this sh@t will f@*k you up for DAYS! – Do NOT eat the Ghost Pepper!” And so, I didn’t. Perhaps it was a pussy move, but I felt like I’d made a promise to John Rich, and if those godforsaken scrotum-shaped gasoline bombs had in fact rendered me speechless, I’d have no one to blame but myself, and the world would have been denied the feel-good hit of the season, “Santa’s Gotta Dirty Job.” So, Zach Hall stepped in, and thank God he did. The Ghost Pepper messed him up for at least 36 hours.
Have Yourselves a Happy and a Spicy New Year!
PS There’s a new episode Sunday night on Discovery. 8pm. It’s very, very dirty.
.
.
#DirtyJobs @Discovery
Mike – Absolutely LOVING the new episodes of Dirty Jobs. Love seeing you rolling up your sleeves and still getting in there. Was curious though – you kinda pussed out on the Carolina Reaper thing. How come you didn’t try the hottest pepper ever made? In the old days, you would have eaten one. Still love ya! – Pat Lawhon
Hi Pat,
To be honest, my intention on that day was to eat whatever Ed put in front of me. I wasn’t looking forward to it, because frankly, I don’t really enjoy super spicy food. I like a little heat with my carbonara, and maybe a little Tabasco on my eggs, but I don’t understand the current obsession with swallowing the hottest peppers on the planet just to say, “I did it!” as sweat, tears, and snot stream down my face. But still, I was game, and I went to Puckerbutt with every intention of chowing down on a ghost pepper, or a Carolina Reaper, or a mouthful of Napalm, or whatever Smokin’ Ed Currie put in front of me. However – and I know this sounds lame – I had a prior engagement that turned out to be completely incompatible with swallowing peppers that ranked 4 million on the Scoville scale. Specifically, I was scheduled to fly to Nashville that night, and record a song with John Rich early the next morning.
When I shared this with Ed’s partners and employees, Ed’s own people warned me NOT to eat the super-hot stuff. I’m not exaggerating. Off camera, they said, “Ed will light you up. Do NOT go toe to toe with Ed Currie. He’s immune to the pain.” One guy pulled me aside and said, “Seriously man, “this sh@t will f@*k you up for DAYS! – Do NOT eat the Ghost Pepper!” And so, I didn’t. Perhaps it was a pussy move, but I felt like I’d made a promise to John Rich, and if those godforsaken scrotum-shaped gasoline bombs had in fact rendered me speechless, I’d have no one to blame but myself, and the world would have been denied the feel-good hit of the season, “Santa’s Gotta Dirty Job.” So, Zach Hall stepped in, and thank God he did. The Ghost Pepper messed him up for at least 36 hours.
Have Yourselves a Happy and a Spicy New Year!
PS There’s a new episode Sunday night on Discovery. 8pm. It’s very, very dirty.
.
.
#DirtyJobs @Discovery
Tom Gioradia: Mike – Any thoughts on the uproar surrounding traditional Christmas songs?
Me: Hi Tom. Yes, I do.
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@johnrichofficial #SantasGottaDirtyJob #merrychristmas
Marc Levine: Did I just see you on stage with Jimmy Kimmel and Robert Downey Jr.? At a @metallica concert? What the hell?
Me: Hi Marc. What the hell, indeed!
@allwithinmyhandafoundation is doing great work, and just presented @mikeroweworks with a check for $25,000, along with half a dozen other charities they admire. Thanks, guys. I appreciate it
Marc Levine: Did I just see you on stage with Jimmy Kimmel and Robert Downey Jr.? At a @metallica concert? What the hell?
Me: Hi Marc. What the hell, indeed!
@allwithinmyhandafoundation is doing great work, and just presented @mikeroweworks with a check for $25,000, along with half a dozen other charities they admire. Thanks, guys. I appreciate it
When Animal Lovers Eat Their Own
A quick word about last week’s episode of Dirty Jobs, and this week’s podcast. Both feature a woman named Stacey Shumacher.
Like everyone she employs at TCAP, (Texas Coalition for Animal Protection), Stacey wants to do something about the 6.3 million animals currently in shelters around the country, and the million or so unwanted strays that are euthanized every year. That number is way too high. Scandalously high, in my view, and I wanted to highlight her efforts to make things better. It’s also why she’s my guest on the first podcast of 2023.
Full disclosure, I didn’t want to talk to Stacey simply because she loves animals, or because she and her team have spayed and neutered over 670,000 cats – an excellent mission which I completely support. I wanted to talk to her because unlike a lot of self-proclaimed animal lovers, Stacey Schumacher also owns and operates a ranch, with her husband, Scott. And as a rancher, Stacey is keenly interested in helping people understand where their food comes from, and what it takes to get the steak on the table. This makes Stacey a person I think you should know.
There’s a widely held belief – especially among members of animal rights organizations – that farmers and ranchers can’t be animal lovers. I know I’m generalizing here, and I apologize to anyone in any of those organizations who believe otherwise. I mean no offense. But from what I’ve seen, farmers and ranchers are routinely targeted by animal rights groups. Certainly, there are instances where I think the targeting is justified, and we discuss that in this episode. But most of the farmers and ranchers I’ve met over the years care deeply about the animal kingdom – including the animals they raise for food. Very few, however, also run an organization like TCAP. For that reason, I wanted to have a more in-depth conversation with Stacey, and I’m glad I did. If you share my love of dogs and cats, along with my addiction to chewing and swallowing things, you’re gonna love this episode.
Link in bio
#thewayiheardit #DirtyJobs #cat
Close Call
Mom celebrates the runaway success of her audiobook by tripping on an area rug, falling face first onto the floor, and puncturing her upper lip with an implanted tooth. Mom cries for help. Dad stays on the phone, (“it was an important call.”) Mom tells Chuck, but instructs him not to tell me. (“No need to worry Michael.”) Chuck complies. What the hell?
Link in bio
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#thewayiheardit #podcast #mom
We’re taking the week off, sort of.
The Way I Heard It will return next week with a brand new episode, and with a little luck, another new one every week after that for years to come. I’m delighted to report that we are now rated consistently among the Top 200 podcasts in the world. Some weeks, in the Top 100. Considering there are nearly 3 million podcasts out there, I reckon that puts us in the top 0.000006%.
I want to thank the listeners for coming along on a very unpredictable ride, as we navigate this very weird landscape. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to have an audience, especially nowadays, and I promise to never take you for granted, or charge you a subscription fee to listen. Big thanks as well to my old buddy Chuck, for continuing to impersonate a producer, Ross, for being an actual engineer, Jade, for keeping an eye on the bottom line, and Mary, for keeping an eye on Chuck. And of course, a big thanks to everyone at audioBoom and all of our sponsors, to whom the attached is dedicated. See you all next year!
#podcast #thewayiheardit
