What Just Happened?

Latest Episodes:

Drinking the Kool-Aid (Ep. 137) Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

As Eugene notes in this episode, it's not a surprise that David has "authority issues." In this second half of the discussion of Jocko Willink's book, "Extreme Ownership," we talk about the idea of being a true believer, whether Jocko is right when he says being a true believer is necessary to being a good leader, and David gets personal in his view of why his reluctance to "drink the Kool-Aid" would make him a lousy leader of any institution or organization.

In November 1978, American cult leader and mass murderer Jim Jones ordered more than 900 members of his cult to drink a mix of Flavor Aid laced with cyanide and commit "revolutionary suicide." Since then, the term "drink the Kool-Aid" has come to mean believing in foolish or dangerous ideas based on a misguided faith. As always, thanks for listening!

Threads @davidchang99 X @davidgchang whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com "In order to lead, you must believe." - Jocko Willink

Extreme Ownership (Ep. 136) Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

My daughter thinks the phrase "you can't swing a dead cat in this town" is absolutely ridiculous, and to be fair, she's not wrong! That said, you can't swing a dead cat these days without hitting a couple self-help gurus and podcasters who love them. But the self help book, "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink caught my attention a while ago, and to me it genuinely reads different than what you typically see on the shelves. Willink is a former navy seal who emphasizes humility and detachment from ego as much as being "hard core." It's also one of several books I've been meaning to talk about on this podcast. In this episode, David and Eugene discuss the concept of extreme ownership, what it means, its pros and cons, David fanboys about Jocko for a few minutes, and we discuss why the phrase "try harder" might mean something very different and ultimately more important than simply, for example, waking up two hours earlier or doing fifty extra pushups. As always, thanks for listening!

Threads @davidchang99 X @davidgchang whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com

"There is no one else to blame." - Jocko Willink

The Hard Year (Ep. 134) Jan 09, 2024

Show notes

We're back! David and Eugene reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2024. Eugene talks about why 2023 was such a challenging year, while David discusses his marathon goals, his desire to finally pick up a camera, and what Deion Sanders and marching band taught him last year. As always, thanks for listening! Threads @davidchang99 X @davidgchang whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com "These kids are ready. We prepare them not just athletically, we prepare them mentally for things and challenges that are going to happen in life as well. So, I like what I see on a daily basis. I really do. Matter of fact, I love these kids. I really do." - Deion Sanders "A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men." – Herman Melville

Where are you from? (Ep. 131) May 16, 2023

Show notes

I (David) have always had a hard time answering this question. In part because I'm from a family of immigrants but also because we lived in so many places over my childhood. This is the second half of David and Eugene's episode about home. We discuss our "Alien Space Club," the difficult move to Wilmington, Delaware, and what home means for us. As always, thanks for listening!

Twitter @davidgchang

whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com

"Home is where one starts from. As we grow older the world becomes stranger, the pattern more complicated ... a lifetime burning in every moment." - TS Eliot

Home (Ep. 130) May 02, 2023

Show notes

Home is where the story begins. Home is not a place but a feeling. David and Eugene have lived in several homes over time, in different parts of the U.S. In this episode, we discuss the places we lived, from our earliest memories to significant events (like the time Eugene broke his femur), and how these spaces shaped and influenced our childhood. As always, thanks for listening!

Twitter @davidgchang

whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." – Maya Angelou

To sleep, perchance to dream (Ep. 129) Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

Everyone I know, to a person, says they need more sleep. Yet the modern age is not conducive to getting a full eight hours. After a brief discussion about the modern weight loss "miracle cure" Ozempic, David and Eugene get into the nitty gritty of sleep habits, and some of the psychology and hard choices that keep us from going to bed. As always, thanks for listening!

Twitter @davidgchang

whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book." — Irish Proverb

"Her" but in real life (Ep. 128) Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

You can't pick up your smartphone these days without seeing the latest crazy headlines about artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and how they will take over the world. David and Eugene wanted to take a different approach on the topic and ask what happens if/when people start forming friendships with AI. David plays devil's advocate and argues that having AI friends might be normal in the future, and that may not be a "bad" thing. It's fair to say Eugene has ... a different opinion. As always, thanks for listening!

Music:

GroovyD - Take Off

Declan DP - Wonderland

Twitter @davidgchang

whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com

"AI can be our friend." - Bill Gates

4000 Weeks (Ep. 127) Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

The average person lives about 4000 weeks. To author Oliver Burkeman, that sounded absurdly brief. So in response to this "radical finitude," Burkeman wrote the kind of self-help book that David has been wishing for years. One that doesn't necessarily provide ten tips and tricks for a more productive morning, but asks some of the deeper, more difficult questions about what we spend our 4000 weeks doing, and what we think makes our time worthwhile. In this episode, David and Eugene discuss some of the key ideas from the book, "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals," while Eugene talks about why the book may not necessarily be for him. As always, thanks for listening!

Music:

Markvard - Hold On

Nomyn - Farewell

Twitter @davidgchang

whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com

"Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire." - Jorge Luis Borges

The Importance of Hobbies (Ep. 126) Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

The word "hobby" has connotations of something trivial or inconsequential. (The word's roots refer to "an activity that doesn't go anywhere.") But I'm coming to realize just how important and life sustaining hobbies can be in our lives. In this episode, David and Eugene reflect on their lives over the past year, the function of hobbies in their purpose, and Eugene explains why his catchphrase of 2023 is "the ordered year." As always, thanks for listening!

Music:

Wanheda - Dawn

tubebackr - Mosaic

Twitter @davidgchang

whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com

"Today is life — the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with GUSTO!" - Dale Carnegie

Turning the Tables, Part 2 (Ep. 125) Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

As it turns out, when you put four middle age men in front of a microphone, they have a lot to say. It's a good thing none of our wives prefer the "strong silent type" haha! This is the second half of our conversation with Sam Chung and Rob Koh. As always, thanks for listening!

Music:

VDGL: Sheherazade

LiQYWD - Miss You

Twitter @davidgchang

whatjustpodcast @ gmail . com

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected