Pondering Porters: Recent Episodes
Renata Porter
Mike and Renata Porter discuss all aspects of their lives and they share their unique spin on the weirdness of life from the mundane to the absurd and what lies in between.
In this episode, the Porters discuss the stories of Black Eyed Kids. The start of this urban legend is from Brian Bethel in Abilene TX, but stories date back as early as the 1950s and have happened around the world. They discuss how seeing someone with black eyes can be terrifying and Renata shares a story of how just a few years ago she experienced this scenario when someone was really angry.
In this episode, Renata shares two stories in history that seem a bit off. One is about how Napoleon was attacked by 3,000 rabbits and one is about the various assassination attempts the CIA planned for Fidel Castro. Both stories are bizarre.
In this episode, Mike shares the story of Tom Slick Jr. and how his desire for exploration and scientific study lead him to start the Southwest Research Institute, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, and the Mind Science Foundation. He also financed and led expeditions to hunt for the Yeti in Nepal.
In this episode, the Porter’s talk about the Emily Morgan Hotel that is on the grounds where the Alamo long barracks stood. It was previously a medical arts building, that was later turned into a hotel. Guests see the lady in white, the ghost girl, and strange happenings and smell at the hotel.
In this episode, the Porter's talks about a strange Brazilian cryptid called Mapinguari. It's a monstrous entity said to live in the Amazon rainforest. Older sightings described it as an ape-like creature whereas modern sightings show the beast as a giant sloth. The creature also supposedly has a horrid odor, which supposedly can knock a man unconscious. It is said to sometimes be a humanoid creature with a mouth in the middle of its stomach.
In this episode, Mike and Renata talk about India’s Lake of Skeletons. It’s a lake full of 600-800 human skeletons and scientists are stumped by the diversity and time range of the death that occurred at the lake.
In this episode, Mike reads Renata an article about how the country has employed a wizard for over 23 years. This is a shake your head type of story, not only due to the fact that taxpayer money was used but because the Prime Minister at the time felt it was necessary for the good of the public. Weird.
In this episode, Mike talks about an article where scientists have concluded that there is some form of life on Venus due to the phosphine gasses. The Porters talk about how we really should think differently about other planets and quit assuming that “other life forms” mean little green aliens. Sometimes, it’s just microbes.
In this episode, Renata shares how she had to get creative with her cooking when they were struggling financially. She ended up making up a dish called SIAB, which the kids never understood because the dish was different every time. Eventually, someone asked what SIAB stood for… Renata named it “Stuff in a Bowl” and it’s been a family favorite ever since.
In this episode, the Porter’s discuss various local cryptid and paranormal stories. They live near the area where the Lake Worth Goat Man was seen in the 1960s as well as one of the most haunted houses in Texas, Hill House in Mineral Wells. Mike talks about why these places are interesting and why he doesn’t have the urge to go look at these places himself even though he is an avid fan.
In this episode, Mike wraps up his experiences in the game industry and the series of jobs and layoffs he went through prior to going into education, and how those experiences benefited him and his students.
In this episode, Mike talks about his experiences in the game industry when he left Terminal Reality and began working at Ritual Entertainment and some of the games he worked on, including those that never saw the light of day.
In this episode, Mike talks about his experiences in the game industry starting with the very first company he worked for, Terminal Reality. He goes over some of the games he worked on and falls into a job he was less than qualified for.
The Porter’s go over what they have been doing over the last few years to be more self-sufficient and prepare for a disaster or the upcoming hyperinflation. They discuss water capture, canning, chickens, dehydrating, growing extra food in the garden, and the possibility of rabbits.
In this episode, Renata surprises Mike with an interesting story about a company who created an implanted medical device that gives blind people the ability to see. The story takes a turn as the company is now defunct and leaves its patients with ineffective or broken devices in their skulls.
In this episode, the Porter’s questions what the real catalyst is behind the supply chain issues and raising prices. They explore the trucking shortage, shipping containers piling up, and the inability to get in and out of docks. They then talk about what effect it is having on us today, two years after the start of the pandemic.
In this episode, Mike talks about the abandoned places he’s been and why he loves exploring old buildings. He talks about when he was working on the Blair Witch games and he visited the Rustin Parr house and also when he went to an abandoned school in Oklahoma.
In this episode, Mike and Renata tell each other what spirit animals they think they are. They discuss astrology and the cosmic clock. Mike feels he is the Phoenix, but Renata thinks he’s closer to the Crow. Renata is the Sea Turtle and Mike says she is the Sea-Goat.
In this episode, Mike and Renata talk about a show called the Ugliest House in America that they found interesting. They also thought that some of the houses weren’t half bad! They talk about Poseidon, Egyptian and Jungle themed homes. But the winning home was a bit disturbing!
In this episode, the Porter’s talk about comfort foods. Are those foods nostalgic foods from great moments in their youth or if they are simply stress-related? Sweet or Savory? Salty and Crunchy? Or gooey and full of fat.
In this episode, the Porter’s pose questions about the true costs of using electric cars. They look at what it takes to make an electric car including power, manufacturing, mining, and human rights issues. While they believe in hybrids or electric cars, they feel the public should consider the underlying and continued cost to our environment.
In this episode, the Porter talks about how Mike has an issue staying focused because he has so many different things he wants to do. As an artist, he wants to try everything, and sometimes he jumps from one thing to the next. Renata talks about how she teases Mike about needing more focus and how she pushes for him to get out of the cycle of not completing things. They both realize that they are very different in how they structure themselves and how they’ve grown to believe that’s ok.
In this episode the Porter’s talk about their version of what going off-grid means and how they have the desire to get as far off-grid as possible. However, their view is not out of mistrust of the government but more of just to be covered if they face weather challenges. Additionally, as they get older they want to reduce their expenses as much as possible.
In this episode, the Porter’s discuss the metaverse and what it is today, and what it will be in the future. Renata doesn’t buy into it and questions people’s sanity on spending money for a make-believe environment or digital art.
In this episode, Mike and Renata talk music with their son, Martin. Mike believes that those of us who were raised in the ’70s, 80’s and even the 90’s had exposure to a boom in genres. Martin pushes back in saying that might be true, but the music of today is more textural and complex. Is noise a genre? Is there such a thing as Neo Neo-Classical? And Martin points out that Covid has created a new Renaissance.
Mike and Renata recount their honeymoon in Germany and Italy, which only happened because Renata made it a business trip. Renata was training Military Exchange staff how to do ear piercings and they used themselves as test models for the staff. They felt it was better the staff tested on them rather than a customer the first time, which led to a few mistakes and a bit of blood.
In this episode, Mike and Renata’s son, Martin, joins them in a conversation about movies and how they played a part in their family time. They discuss what aspects of movies they love, what puts them off and the movies they are loving now.
In this episode, the Porters discuss having two children with Type 1 Diabetes and how their diagnosis to how they manage today is very different. They share stories about the balance of life in having two kids with a life-threatening condition and how they attempted to instill standing tall and being open about what was going on. Renata discusses her fleeting business idea to serve others, how she worked with Diabetes New Zealand and Diabetes Youth New Zealand, and then how all of this pushed her to believe in patient advocacy.
In this episode, Mike discusses how he wants to put up art that suits his style, which is dark arts. He wants to put up creepy character statues, monsters, or designs that create a dark atmosphere. Renata agrees that Mike can have a space to create and display his art, we will see how long it takes before she breaks everything due to getting a fright.
The Porter’s talk about the different types of museums they’ve been to. From the tiny roadside curiosities to gold mining towns, to major events in history. Mike fondly tells stories about his fondness of the small museums, like the one with thousands of bugs or over 300 different types of barbed wire. He then lets you in on a research project that he is hoping to work on where one Indian tribe separates due to differences in what they eat. Very interesting!
In this episode, Mike talks about how he really wants to get back to the “old ways” of doing things. After the brief discussion over what the term is for nostalgia for a past not lived, anemoia, they move into how Mike wants to do more with his hands to not only be able to be creative but to problem solve without having to run to YouTube.
In this episode, Renata challenges Mike on if there is still such a thing as planned obsolescence or do we as consumers dictate how products are built. There once was a time when everything was built to last so manufacturers built things or parts to break so they could have repeat customers. Renata believes that now it’s more the consumers that want things to be more affordable or the fact that we want the latest trends, is what actually drives products to not last.
There’s always something to update and change at the Porter house, and not because they look for re-sale value, but because they want to make it a functional home that suits their needs. Renata and Mike discuss the changes to the kitchen, adding a garage and Renata even slips in how she needs space for a new farm animal.
The Porter’s describe how they would handle winning the lottery. As you would expect, Renata and Mike would head in a similar direction. The difference is that Mike’s idea is to be involved with many different people, and Renata wants to become a hermit.
In this episode, Mike talks about how he spent a lot of his early childhood reading due to being stuck in the hospital. He feels reading is what gave him his imagination which plays such a huge part in his creative life, even now as he’s older.
The Porter’s discuss job interviews that went awry. From the 12 hour session to the interview with Dr. Evil, to being told your responses are stupid.
The Porter’s talk about their times at Microsoft and how Mike moved around internally from game division to game division, from FASA to Bungie to Aces. And Renata talks about how she moved from the NBA (Seattle Supersonics) to Microsoft and how that launched her career in Project Management. Their time at Microsoft was wonderful, until the market crash of 2008.
In this episode, Mike and Renata talk about how you can give back to the community and local non-profits. Often these organizations really need help, so if you have the time and certain skillsets, they could use your help. Listen in to learn how you can approach these organizations in order to best utilize your time and to make an impact on the community.
In this episode, the Porters ponder what they would do if they knew their death date. They first explored if they would even want to know, then quickly moved on to the ridiculous things they would do with whatever time they had left.
In this episode Mike and Renata talk about a family trip they took when they were first married. They discuss the events that took place and how Mike rode a Belgian that kept trying to knock him off his back.
The Porter’s talk about having a bucket list and sharing with each other what is on their lists. The conversation quickly takes a turn when they discover that neither one of them can come up with good ideas!
In this episode, the Porters discuss Mike’s obsession with paranormal or cryptid shows and information. He discusses why, scientifically, he feels BigFoot is not a fantasy or a conspiracy theory, it’s actually an interdimensional being. And while people feel this topic is all hooey, Mike discusses how science isn’t supposed to judge, they are supposed to test. Which is an interesting point of view on this topic.
Renata and Mike talk about how they were overwhelmed by the number of choices we have here during their first visits back home after being in New Zealand for years. They weirdly get fixated on the number of different types of croutons are in Walmart, but nevertheless, the conversation talks about how good we have it here in the US.
Renata and Mike discuss ways to avoid food waste and also provide some interesting ways to get rid of those uneaten fruits and vegetables instead of just throwing them in the garbage. They talk about companies such as Misfits Market and Butcher Box, great companies that can help.
In this episode, Renata and Mike discuss their desire to chuck in their property and space for living the RV life. The fantasy of simplifying their life greatly and traveling the country is something they think about often, however, the “yeah buts” always find a way to interfere with their dream.
In this episode, Mike and Renata talk about their quick trip away to celebrate their 23rd Anniversary. The trip wasn’t a disaster, but it definitely wasn’t what they expected. Listen in to learn a little about the towns of Rusk and Nacogdoches Texas.
In this episode, Mike and Renata talk about how Renata is working on prioritizing herself and how she manages the everyday grind work, in order to feel like she has made room for personal time. They discuss how in the US we talk a good game of work/life balance, but that people really don’t put themselves first. They provide suggestions and ask for your feedback regarding how to place value on your own personal time.
Renata and Mike discuss working remote and the type of person you must be in order to be successful in a remote environment. They also encourage those who are thriving to do what they can to stay remote, giving balance to their everyday life.
In this episode, Mike and Renata discuss how hard gardening is in North East Texas. They go over the struggles Renata is having and the almost daily massive changes in the weather affect what grows and what doesn’t.
Mike and Renata talk about the lack of common sense in people these days and why they think that critical thinking is a lost art.
In this episode, Renata and Mike discuss why they push the limits on things that are out of their control. Renata almost ran out of gas in the middle of the desert and then again out in the boonies. She swears she won’t do it again.
In this episode, Mike and Renata discuss how they placed value on Mike’s time over expenses. Mike spends a lot of time and money commuting to work. They talk about how they made the decision to get Mike an apartment, and how that worked out.
In this episode, Mike and Renata discuss how Renata has a disorder, Misophonia, that no one can pronounce. Renata discusses how she knows getting upset over how people eat is silly, but that it is a struggle. Mike chimes in with how he deals with the ridiculousness of it all.
In this episode, Renata and Mike compare themselves to a Butterfly and a Cat and explain how they approach their social lives where one person wants to know everyone and the other couldn’t be bothered.