It’s been a while since David and Eugene have talked about their fitness journeys. In this episode, we discuss how Eugene smoked David in our most recent half marathon race, how we’re dealing with injuries and stress, and our very different strategies for trying to lose weight. Unsurprisingly, Eugene’s approach is highly scientific, while David’s —…

David and Eugene have been on a 90’s kick recently, and are sticking with the trend with a review of the business self-help best seller “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson. We discuss the fable of the two mice and two “Littlepeople” named Hem and Haw, and how remarkably relevant the story remains today. We also apply the mindset from the book…

In the second half of our discussion of "Queen of Tears," David and Eugene talk about how the show ends, the richness of the characters in this family drama, how meta the show was, and which characters we identified with the most. David asks Eugene whether he'd ever want to visit Sanssouci Palace, and we discuss the endless tropes in K-drama land. …

In David’s ongoing effort to get Eugene hooked on K-dramas, we review the recent Netflix hit “Queen of Tears.” David and Eugene discuss what made this Korean drama so good, the main characters, villains, corporate intrigue, and love as seen in rom coms. As always, thanks for listening! Threads @davidchang99 X @davidgchang whatjustpodcast @ gmail . …

Something happened earlier this year in Formula 1 that David has literally never seen in sports. Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton announced he would be leaving his current team Mercedes Benz to drive for Ferrari. An athlete leaving a team is not new. But Hamilton said he wasn’t leaving until NEXT season (2025), and for THIS entire current year, h…

I (David) have always found Formula One to be an intimidating sport. Vaguely European, with weirdly shaped cars racing at break neck speeds around bizarrely shaped tracks, without a guide, it’s hard to know what’s going on. Eugene meanwhile has been an auto racing aficionado since his early childhood and can talk F1 shop for days. In this episode, …

In this second half of our discussion about the movie Sleepless in Seattle, David and Eugene discuss Anne stalking Sam, poor Walter and Victoria’s fates, and debate over some of the choices made by these characters. We explore some of our own theories about love and romance, how we see this movie so differently now that we are both parents, and won…

In 1993, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks starred in the hit romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle. With its quirky characters, clever writing, and stellar soundtrack, not only did the movie put the city of Seattle on the map, it was a huge box office success, and has since been recognized as one of the great romantic comedies. As it turns out, and to David’s…

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 vie…

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 t…

After a long time away, David finally gets a chance to ask Eugene the burning questions he’s been wanting to discuss. Ever a trooper, Eugene is a willing participant in following David down rabbit holes, even when addressing A.I., whether boys have positive role models, why parents should never turn their backs on their children, or how to respond …

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 …

How has the way we parent changed, for better or worse, since David and Eugene were kids? How do we approach major life choices without anxiety or regret? We discuss these questions and more in the second half of our conversation with our dad, Dr. Jonathan Chang. We’re taking our yearly break for the rest of the summer and will return in the fall. …

CW: This episode contains conversations about parents who don't accept their child's sexual orientation. It's helpful to have someone in your life you can ask hard questions. I'm lucky enough to consider both my dad and my brother Eugene among such people. In this episode, our special guest Dr. Jonathan Chang returns to the podcast to share his wis…

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 …

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. …

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, t…

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 ha…

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 diffi…

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 pur…

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 whatjus…

We hope everyone’s 2023 is off to a good start! This week we bring back long time friends of the podcast and Ironman triathletes Sam Chung and Rob Koh. But this time around the tables have turned, as Rob and Sam put David and Eugene on the hot seat, and have some questions for us to answer. As always, thanks for listening! Music: Atch - Right Here …

In the second half of our discussion on the Karate Kid sequel, David and Eugene discuss Daniel-san, Miyagi, Sato, Kumiko, the romances, plot twists, final battle, what happens to these characters after the movie (which we know thanks to Cobra Kai), and the impact this movie had on our lives. After three episodes over two years, it’s safe to say we’…

Last year around this time, David and Eugene reviewed one of David’s all time favorite movies, “An Ode to My Father.” Because we had so much fun with that episode, we decided to take another ride on the nostalgia train, this time revisiting the 1986 martial arts sequel, The Karate Kid Part II. In addition to discussing the movie itself, we talk abo…

Putting all the Twitter drama aside for the moment, David presents an actual, non-trolly theory for how Elon Musk can heal and ultimately unify a broken and divided America. Suffice to say Eugene ... has questions. We also talk about the pros and cons of tracking health data, the future of robot companions, and whether rich Californians will stand …

David and Eugene talk about how our drinking habits have changed, and for David why he's nearly stopped drinking alcohol all together. The topic of alcohol is admittedly too big to address on this podcast, let alone in a single episode. Instead, we focus on how our habits have changed specifically since the start of the pandemic. We also discuss th…

The second of our two part series on the SF Marathon. David and Eugene discuss the highs and lows of the race, our biggest takeaways, Eugene's surprise mystery SECOND race, and what we hope to get from running in the future. As always, thanks for listening! Music: New Lands - Alex Productions Running Up That Hill - Mozartine Follow me on Goodreads:…

What possesses anyone to run one mile, let alone 26.2? David and Eugene talk about our attempt to complete the San Francisco Marathon this past summer. We discuss why we run, our running histories, the training, and the many MANY logistics leading up to the race. As always, thank you for listening! Music: Trip - Sakura Girl Let's Get It Started - O…

Time can be a strange thing. David and Eugene recorded this episode earlier this summer, making predictions about events happening in the near term. Predictions are never easy, and some of these events have already happened. After catching up on how we're doing mid-year, we make our best guesses about a variety of topics including electric cars, Ro…

We've never done 3 movie reviews in a row on this podcast, but there's no question that the independent juggernaut Everything Everywhere All At Once merits its own attention. This is my NON-spoiler review and response to this film, and the many interesting questions it raises. As always, thank you for listening! Follow me on Goodreads: https://www.…

David and Eugene are joined by friend of the show and former naval officer Rob Koh to discuss Top Gun: Maverick. We talk about whether the movie lives up to the hype, how Tom Cruise is able to unify the left and the right, and why this is such a special franchise especially for Rob and Eugene. As always, thanks for listening! :) (This is the 2nd of…

After a brief spring hiatus, David and Eugene are back to take a deep dive into Marvel’s latest, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (with spoilers!). We talk about the movie’s themes of grief, power, and abuse of power, the controversial decision to go "horror," why we think Elizabeth Olsen stole the show, and whether it’s ever okay to inv…

What does money mean to you? What was your relationship with money like growing up? I was honestly surprised that we've never yet tackled the topic of money head on. In this episode, David and Eugene talk about our complicated feelings, goals, hopes and dreams, all related to money. We'll be taking a brief "spring break" after today's episode, but …

If you ever feel like raising a parent's anxiety and stress levels -- actually there are many ways to raise a parent's stress level! -- but one way is by asking them about their child's future career and job prospects. Personally, until becoming a parent, I never knew it was possible to feel so guilty about my own kids' privileges while simultaneou…

Many of these podcast episodes have been brooding in my head for years. This is definitely one of them. In this episode, I explain why the fictitious and often problematic character of Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid movies has become a role model for me as an adult. As always, thank you for listening! My reading journey: https://www.goodreads.com/r…

You can't lift your smartphone these days without seeing multiple headlines about "the metaverse" -- though no one seems to truly know what precisely the metaverse is. In this episode, Eugene and David discuss our conception of what the metaverse could be, what our lives in the metaverse could look like -- BTS concert? Quidditch? recess? -- and the…

Happy Lunar New Year, Year of the Tiger, and Black History Month! In this somewhat belated episode, David and Eugene reflect on the year that was and the year ahead. We explain why David's theme for the year is "fewer for longer," while Eugene's is to be more intentional. David also talks about why he often feels like an unambitious person. Whereve…

It's hard to say what your single "favorite" movie is. While it has its flaws, David makes the case for why the 2014 Korean film "Ode to My Father" may be his all time favorite. It's fair to say Eugene ... has some thoughts! :) As always, thank you for listening! We are taking a "winter break" following this episode and will be back early next year…

Life can be humbling. It's important to try to be grateful. In the last year of his life, Tony Hsieh's life went quickly downhill. In the second half of this series, I talk about what I believe triggered his demise, what happened in those final hours, and some of the lessons I took away from Tony's quirky, eccentric, rich, tragic life. As always, t…

With the recent releases of Black Widow, WandaVision, Shang-Chi, Loki, and now Eternals, among others, we are deep in Phase Four territory of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. David and Eugene share their feelings on how phase four is going and whether Marvel is living up to its promises of greater representation. We also discuss Eternals, a "reach fo…

Zappos CEO and eccentric billionaire Tony Hsieh died at the age of 46 almost a year ago on November 27, 2020. His was just one death among countless others in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, the more I learned about the manner in which he died -- by fire in a small wooden shed in Connecticut -- the more I became fascinated by the mann…

With Halloween quickly approaching, David and Eugene talk about our favorite holidays of the year. What do we remember about trick or treating growing up? What do the holidays mean to us now? And how do we tackle telling our kids that (spoiler alert!) Santa Claus may not be real? As always, thank you for listening! Music: Kevin MacLeod - Darkest Ch…

Can men and women "just be friends"? What do you do if someone wants to be your friend but you don't? How do you join a community without "drinking the Kool-Aid"? We don't always get a lot of guidance when it comes to hard questions about friendships. While certainly no gurus, Eugene and David offer their opinions on how to tackle challenges and bu…

We're back with another season of the podcast! The statistics don't lie. It's hard for adult men especially to make friends. In this episode, David and Eugene discuss what it takes to make deep, meaningful friendships, how to overcome toxic masculinity that often gets in the way, and how our own dad modeled a path for us. As always, thanks for list…

Why did David start this podcast? Has Eugene gotten more woke since joining? We end this season with a Q&A, reflecting on what motivates us to keep talking (it doesn't take much!), how David got deservedly scolded for lack of attentiveness, ways both of us want to grow, and much more. This is our last episode before our summer hiatus. Thank you all…

It's our 100th episode! Rather than doing a Q&A (coming soon), Eugene and David celebrated the special occasion by ... renting cars. We explain in the episode. In a strange way, cars are also symbolic of the journey that life takes us on. We have one more episode this season before taking a summer hiatus. As always, thank you for listening! Music: …

As the U.S. starts to open up, David and Eugene continue their series on travel. Why do we travel? What are some of our favorite travel memories? Where do we look forward to going in the future? (And what's the story behind Eugene's larger than life ice cream cone?) We hope all of you are doing well, and are able to create travel memories with your…

This is a somewhat different type of episode. The topic of the day is officially "research" -- how to approach research, what questions to ask, where to find resources. But to make it fun, David talks about planning an aspirational family trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, while Eugene asks key questions about how to make the process le…

While recording our Minari episode, Eugene and David discussed their feelings on the aftermath of the Atlanta shooting (which, to be honest, already feels like an eternity ago). In this bonus segment, we discuss our thoughts on the shooting and ways we wish to elevate Asian American female voices. Support Asian American women Red Canary Song: We ar…

From our last episode's focus on reality TV, we turn to the critically acclaimed independent film Minari. Beyond the accolades and awards (congrats Youn Yuh-jung!), this movie hit home for both David and Eugene on a personal level. We talk about all the ways it did. As always, thank you for listening! Music: LiQWYD - We Got Something Lana. Et. Rosp…