Once upon a time, I was interested in becoming an FSO (Foreign Service Officer) with the US Department of State. I passed the FSOT (Foreign Service Officer Test) but that was, apparently, not good enough.

#17: Failing the Metropolitan Opera Audition, Twice

Jul 17th, 2023 45m 53s

I auditioned for The Met Opera and failed, twice in a row. Going for the big one and failing was embarrassing. But by reaching for something far out of my grasp, I learned some lessons, had a great experience, and also had some small wins. Visi

#16: Taking A Police Polygraph (Lie Detector Test)

Jul 4th, 2023 48m 4s

A true story of the time I went to a police station to take a polygraph (lie detector test). It was an unbelievable experience. (To view photographs, read episode transcripts, or find resources mentioned in the show, visit https://micronpodcast

#15: I Took Ancestry’s DNA Test. Here’s What I Discovered.

Feb 22nd, 2021 36m 9s

After spending two years trying (and failing) to discover the original birthplaces and hometowns of my family's European ancestors, I decided to take the plunge and sign up for AncestryDNA. I ordered the kit, spat in a test tube, and mailed it

#14: Becoming an EMT for Absolutely No Reason At All

Feb 7th, 2021 45m 58s

Content Warning: this is an episode about emergency medicine and, as such, contains descriptions of medical scenarios that some listeners might not appreciate. Discretion is advised.Gather round and listen to one of the strangest chapters of m

#13: Six Days in San Francisco - A Ring Cycle Review

Jan 22nd, 2021 35m 34s

This is episode 3 of 3 in a series about Richard Wagner's collection of German Operas, "Der Ring des Nibelungen" (the "Ring Cycle" in English). In this episode, I share about the overall experience—what it was like spending six days in San Fran

#12: Wagner's Ring Cycle - The Greatest Story Ever Told

Jan 15th, 2021 18m 31s

This is episode 2 of 3 in a series about Richard Wagner's collection of German Operas, "Der Ring des Nibelungen" (the "Ring Cycle" in English). In this episode, I share about just how the Ring Cycle is superlative in every way: monstrously expe

#11: Looney Tunes, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars: The Impact of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle

Jan 10th, 2021 18m 37s

This is episode 1 of 3 in a series about Richard Wagner's collection of German Operas, "Der Ring des Nibelungen" (the "Ring Cycle" in English). Discussed are Looney Tunes, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, "it ain't over 'till the fat lady sings!" and

#10: Food Service Files - The Italian Restaurant

Jan 2nd, 2021 40m 58s

This is episode 3 of 3 in a series about my time working in the food service industry. In this episode, I'll share about the time I spent working as a bus boy at an Italian restaurant. In my final attempt at making a career in food service, I s

#09: Food Service Files - The Hotel

Dec 25th, 2020 46m 41s

This is episode 2 of 3 in a series about my time working in the foodservice industry. In this episode, I'll share about the time I spent working as a banquet server at a hotel and conference center. It was a pretty great gig, where I met a lot

#08: Food Service Files - The 1950s Diner

Dec 19th, 2020 38m 17s

This is episode 1 of 3 in a series about my time working in the foodservice industry. In this episode, I'll share about the time I spent waiting tables at a 1950s-themed American diner. Here, I gained valuable life experience, made a little bit

#07: Debunking The Myth of Homeownership

Dec 11th, 2020 31m 54s

Are you stupid for not buying a home? Are you throwing away your money every month if you pay rent? Are your rent payments just making someone else rich? No, no, and no. Ron Stauffer debunks all these ridiculous myths of homeownership and shows

#06: Rediscovering The Magic of Christmas Through Caroling

Nov 29th, 2020 16m 53s

A true story of how joining a Christmas caroling group completely changed my formerly rotten attitude on Christmas. The grumpy old Scrooge is now a changed man.Do you listen to and enjoy this podcast? Give it a review on Apple Podcasts! It's t

#05: From Ireland to America - Finding My Ancestors In Pennsylvania

Nov 21st, 2020 28m 10s

For my final semester of college, I had to create a "capstone project" in order to graduate with my bachelor's degree in Storytelling. I decided to use the opportunity to fly from Colorado to Pennsylvania to discover who my Irish ancestors were

#04: Singing With A Four-Star Army General

Nov 15th, 2020 20m 36s

Of all the marketing projects I've worked on, one that truly stands out from the rest is the one where I found myself one evening wearing a tie, sitting down at a table at a five-star hotel in the Rocky Mountains, eating salmon and steak and li

#03: Play Ball! Life Lessons From Coaching Youth Baseball

Nov 8th, 2020 30m 33s

As a lifelong observer of the sport, an occasional participant, and sometimes a coach for my son's baseball teams, I've noticed that baseball (sometimes called one of "America's gifts to the world" ) has a lot to teach us. Through baseball, we

#02: Meeting Weird Al Yankovic

Oct 31st, 2020 15m 42s

In 2011, I received two free tickets and backstage passes to see Weird Al Yankovic at the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The concert was great, but the whole experience surrounding it was one of the strangest, most surreal exp

#01: Growing A Beard (A Social Experiment)

Oct 23rd, 2020 11m 55s

For the past decade or so, my facial hair has fluctuated back and forth between being neat and trim, and fully grown and bushy. As any man who's taken the time to grow a full beard knows, the strangest part about having a beard isn't your facia

Trailer

Podcast Trailer: Introducing Micron

Jul 6th, 2020 6m 48s

In this episode, we introduce the Micron podcast, explain what it is about, and more. Episode transcript: https://micronpodcast.com/episodes/podcast-trailer-introducing-micron/

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