The Good and Basic Podcast: Better and More Complex

In which the Josephs offer some thoughts about what gratitude means, what it does to you, and how relates to the ethic of self-reliance.  

All Things Shining:  https://amzn.to/3cNi6ku 

You can donate to our channel at https://goodandbasic.com 

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Podcast: anchor.fm/goodandbasic 

Twitter: @goodandbasic 

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Music credit: Spanish Summer from Audionautix.com

Flight From the City by Ralph Borsodi

This book follows the Borsodi Family in their experiments in domestic production, living on a homestead in the 1920s, and it is one of the most wholesome explanations of the virtues of making more of what you use yourself that you are likely to find. Touting both the economic security that the Borsodi family enjoyed on their homestead in the midst of the Great Depression and the increased standard of living made possible by garden fresh food (including the best homemade ice-cream), Borsodi lays out the case for home production as a way out of society's greatest insecurities and also a way forward to a life that not only has less of the bad, but more of the good things in life.

A key moment from the book:

 " In the summer of 1920--the first summer after our flight from the city--Mrs. Borsodi began to can and preserve a supply of fruits and vegetables for winter use. I remember distinctly the pride with which she showed me, on my return from the city one evening, the first jars of tomatoes which she had canned. But with my incurable bent for economics, the question "Does it really pay?" instantly popped into my head. Mrs. Borsodi had rather unusual equipment for doing the work efficiently. She cooked on an electric range; she used a steam-pressure cooker; she had most of the latest gadgets for reducing the labor to a minimum. I looked around the kitchen, and then at the table covered with shining glass jars filled with tomatoes and tomato juice. "It's great," I said, "but does it really pay?" "Of course it does," was her reply. "Then it ought to be possible to prove that it does--even if we take into consideration every cost--the cost of raw materials, the value of the labor put into the work yourself, the fuel, the equipment." "

The shocking result of this experiment was that Mrs. Borsodi was actually outcompeting the leading canning companies by 30% in her home kitchen. This led Mr. Borsodi to an in-depth study of the areas where producing things at home not only resulted in a better product, but where it also was simply more economical as well.

In which JB and JF celebrate JB joining the faculty of a small college  in the wilderness by talking about higher education in general--what is  it good for, how can you extract the best out of it, and what could be  done to make it better?  We cover a lot of ground, but when it comes to  education there's always more to tackle and we'll likely be back soon.    

Education playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRx_pCwmvYY&list=PLPXAOUDhQDCqbEPq8tkun91li7_78UCPE    

Videos where John Boyd is mentioned:  
To Be Or To Do?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LndwoEYZEU
Writing And Survival  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxnHImj0Jrs&t=1s   

Help support the channel and learn with a free Audible trial (including  free audiobook): audibletrial.com/goodandbasic  

Youtube: youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic  

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which JB and Jack K. discuss law school, guardian ad litem, and the sanctity of the courts in their role of balancing rights.  

Podcast: anchor.fm/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic  

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionatix.com

In which we spend some time reflecting on how to find out if mushrooms  kill you, plus even more time going meta to ask what the channel is all  about.  

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Videos: Youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
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Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we discuss the legendary OODA loop, the fact that  podcasts/audiobooks might be as big a deal as the Gutenberg press, and more on the ancient progymnasmata.  

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Twitter: @goodandbasic
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Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we briefly talk about the archaeological game of  interpretation, before segueing into a discussion about dissolving mos  maiorum and what to do about it.  Mostly we are crushingly morose, but  we do come up with a couple good ideas.  

Help support the channel and learn with a free Audible trial (including  free audiobook): audibletrial.com/goodandbasic 

Videos: Youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
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Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we sit down with Lloyd from Lindybeige on Hadrian's wall and discuss Roman archaeological sites, agriculture, fourth-generation warfare, and more.  A very eclectic episode, not unlike Lloyd's channel itself.  A big thank you to Lloyd for meeting up with us!  Apologies for the poor audio quality, including but not limited to sheep baa-ing in the background, as well as the fact that video was not recovered for the full interview.  It's also worth noting that this podcast was actually recorded in May of 2019.  If you've never checked out Lindybeige, do yourself a favor and check it out now: https://www.youtube.com/user/lindybeige/featured

Help support the channel and learn with a free Audible trial (including free audiobook): audibletrial.com/goodandbasic

Youtube: youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we start by talking about beef jerky and end up talking about alternative medicine.  What combines both?  Something like the tension between general patterns of knowledge and particular experience.  Apologies for any small errors in the audio.

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Youtube: youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
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Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which JF and JB reminisce about their own individual experiences with martial arts, muse on what martial arts are good for, and give their favorite martial arts movie recommendations.

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Affiliate links for books mentioned in the podcast:
Tao of Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee): https://amzn.to/34RFmbV
Hagakure (Book of Samurai Proverbs): https://amzn.to/2Qg7jad
The Art of Shaolin Kungfu (Wong Kiew Kit): https://amzn.to/2O75byS
The Complete Book of Shaolin (Wong Kiew Kit): https://amzn.to/30490fq
The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan (Wong Kiew Kit): https://amzn.to/2NhK7WU

You can also find Wong Kiew Kit's website at shaolin.org.

Youtube: youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we muse about the dearth of good bread in America, the enduring value of grains as a food source, how to measure temperatures without a thermometer, and more.

If you're visiting from the TKOR collab, make yourself at home here.  You may be interested in our previous adventures with rye in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMAtFAjVhlY&list=PLPXAOUDhQDCqrSpiszNdjdxWiMu7mL_PH
We harvest more rye, thresh it with a leaf shredder, and lots of other stuff besides.  Thanks for watching, and thank you to the TKOR team for working with us! 

Podcast: anchor.fm/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

We return after 3 weeks off the channel to recount the tales of our adventures.  JF explains why Thoreau wasn't actually trying to do a survival camp at Walden pond and JB synthesizes liberal arts education with farming.  It's great to be back!  Apologies for any small errors that may exist in editing.

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Affiliate links to books mentioned in the podcast:
Walden (Henry David Thoreau):  https://amzn.to/2zMqNbp
Shop Class As Soul Craft: https://amzn.to/2XnThGG
The One Straw Revolution (Masanobu Fukuoka): https://amzn.to/2ZLyn4A

Previous podcast of our survival camp (mis)adventures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsOxF1LRWG8

Podcast: anchor.fm/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit: Spanish summer from audionautix.com

In which we cap off last week by talking a little bit more about the origins of rhetoric and why it is so powerful.  Unfortunately we weren't able to record as long of a podcast as we might like, but consider this a teaser for future content.

Go to audibletrial.com/goodandbasic for a free audiobook and 1-month Audible membership!

This is the book where I first found the phrase logos politikos.  It's an excellent collection of essays about Greek rhetoric (Amazon affiliate link:) https://amzn.to/2YH1PZ7
This volume contains two of Isocrates' most important works, Antidosis and Against the Sophists

Podcast: anchor.fm/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we talk about how risk is the dark face of randomness and how courageous, conscious living is the answer.

Go to audibletrial.com/goodandbasic for a free audiobook and a 30 day Audible trial!

Amazon affiliate links to books mentioned in the show:
Skin in the Game by Nassim Taleb: https://amzn.to/2MiKn6A
Incerto (Black Swan, Antifragile, Fooled by Randomness, Bed of Procrustes) by Nassim Taleb: https://amzn.to/2YpWql0

Podcast: anchor.fm/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we lay out a manifesto for cottage industrialism while galloping through Karl Marx, Ayn Rand, Jordan B. Peterson, G.K. Chesterton, and Hilaire Belloc.  It's an exhilarating ride with lots of interesting side quests--we think you'll enjoy it.

Purchases made through Amazon Affiliate links help support the channel and don't add to the purchase price for you.  Thanks for your support!

The Servile State (Hilaire Belloc): https://amzn.to/31247iO

Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand): https://amzn.to/2LLNV1C

12 Rules for Life (Jordan B. Peterson): https://amzn.to/2MtIiFd

Communist Manifesto (Karl Marx): https://amzn.to/32UWj4r

Skin in the Game (Nassim Taleb): https://amzn.to/2MiKn6A

Incerto series (Nassim Taleb): https://amzn.to/2YpWql0

Creality Ender 3 3D printer: https://amzn.to/319g5aP

Podcast: anchor.fm/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we reminisce about a two-day survival camp we attempted ten years ago, and how it compared to our night in Sherwood Forest.  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance comes up, as does Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive.  We also spend a bit more time on Robin Hood's chaotic good alignment.

Youtube: youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit:
Spanish Summer from audionautix.com

In which we look through the various perspectives of last week's videos to try to answer the question of what makes good or bad technology.  This week's discussion is a little like punching a giant marshmallow again and again...it's not clear how much progress you're making, but isn't it kind of fun anyway?

Youtube: youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Song Credit: Spanish Summer from Audionautix.com

 In which we answer your questions in our first ever livestream.  Thanks  to all who participated!  And thank you, as always, for your support. 

Youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @ goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

In which we ponder the fact that bone adzes do the same job that bronze adzes do, and why you have to believe that fire works in order for fire to work.  Videos covered include our smelting project with Neil Burridge and bronze casting with Will Lord--very fun projects to revisit for our podcast.

Youtube: youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Music credit: Spanish Summer from audionatix.com

In which we revisit a couple videos from last week and preview a particularly awesome one going up this week.  What's so cool about bowl carving, pole lathing, or skinning a deer with a rock?  The fact that you can do them without being an expert.  We muse about this and about the distance between experts and amateurs and why you should try to do these things yourself--while managing to invoke a couple of our favorite books on crafts and philosophy (see Amazon Affiliate links below).  Exactly one deer was harmed (indirectly) in the production of this podcast; rocks and carving tools not included in this digital format.

Shop Class As Soul Craft:  https://amzn.to/2EYZm10
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:  https://amzn.to/2Xwek64
Review of ZAMM:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VCcFJN8dTs&t=19s

Youtube: youtube.com/goodandbasic
Twitter: @goodandbasic
Instagram: @good_and_basic

Song Credit:  Spanish Summer from Audionatix.com

In which we recap our recent trip to Europe (where we did everything from camp in Sherwood forest to visiting a scalable plastic recycling facility) and draw out a couple of important themes, including the ways we saw our heroes on the trip and how to weight the value of the good (ethics) against the value of the true/real (epistemology/metaphysics).  If you'd like more about our trip, check the Youtube channel soon for videos we filmed (youtube.com/goodandbasic and listen to our bonus podcast episode recorded during our trip at anchor.fm/goodandbasic

Song is Spanish Summer from Audionatix.com

This is a special podcast episode recorded in a car on our recent trip to Europe where we sum up the first week of our trip and offer some reflections.  The audio quality is not great but the thoughts are pretty interesting.  If you'd like to know more about what we did on our trip and what it all means, see our regular podcast episode (in better quality too) at anchor.fm/goodandbasic.  If you enjoyed the podcast, consider checking out our project videos at youtube.com/goodandbasic.

Song is Spanish Summer from Audionatix.com

In which we build on our good grades/bad grades videos and talk about our respective educations, the high school where we met, and how to get a good education.  You can also check out our project videos at youtube.com/goodandbasic

JB is writing a paper for his law class--are courtrooms a more  appropriate technology for making laws than legislatures?  The answer is  often yes, albeit with some important exceptions.  We also invoke  Godel's theorem--not for the first time, not for the last time either.  You can also check out our project videos at youtube.com/goodandbasic

Smelting, textiles, grain milling, scythes--what do these all have in  common?  All of these projects help us understand appropriate  technology--roughly, technology that satisfies a wider spectrum of  values than economic "efficiency."  We also talk about why we can often  look to the past to find these technologies, the fact that they often  appear to be "low-tech," and some common characteristics of appropriate  technologies.  You can also check out our project videos at youtube.com/goodandbasic

 JF just defended his Master's thesis, and the topic was a doozy: Is  President Trump like an internet troll?  We explore this question while  trying to remain agnostic "political Martians" (Dan Carlin style).  No  matter what your opinion is on Trump, we think you'll find the  conversation thought-provoking and insightful.  We also update you on  current projects and talk a little bit about the thesis defense. 

We return to the podcast to explore the connection between three videos  we made: playing the Royal Game of Ur, visiting Rob's 3d printing lab,  and Chesterton's Fence.  Amazingly, there is a connection--all three  have to do with how to approach the problem of incomplete information.  You can also check out our project videos at youtube.com/goodandbasic.

This podcast is a companion to our Youtube channel, youtube.com/goodandbasic.   In this first episode we talk about the chemical process of smelting and  our six-year history trying to turn dirt into metal.  We also talk  about the lessons we think you can learn from smelting--primarily  gratitude and a sense of self-reliance.