PODCAST · society
Randy Unscripted
by Johns Creek Studios
Hosted by educator and podcaster Randy Black, Randy Unscripted dives into modern culture, technology, news, and occasional matters of faith with curiosity and candor. Listeners can expect a mix of analysis, personal anecdotes, and playful tangents that make complex topics accessible, entertaining, and relevant. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Episodes
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The Union Without Teeth
What happens when a union loses the one tool that traditionally gives it power? In West Virginia, teachers’ unions operate without collective bargaining rights, forcing them to rely on political advocacy rather than direct negotiation. But does that leave teachers with meaningful representation…
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When Shame Changed Sides
What is shameful? It’s a question that seems simple at first, but the answer depends a lot on when—and where—you ask it. Inspired by a thought-provoking quote from Jerry Seinfeld, this episode explores how society’s understanding of shame, embarrassment, and social expectations has changed over...
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The Death of Ownership
What does it really mean to own something? For generations, ownership was simple. You bought a book, a record, a movie, or a piece of software, and it was yours. But in an age of streaming services, cloud platforms, subscriptions, and digital purchases, that definition has become much less clear....
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The Next Generation Doesn’t Need More Technology. They Need Better Adults.
Every generation worries about the one coming up behind it. We hear concerns about phones, social media, artificial intelligence, and attention spans almost daily. But what if we’re asking the wrong question? What if the biggest challenge facing the next generation isn’t technology at all? In…
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What Did God Leave Out of The Bible?
What did God leave out of the Bible? That simple question—shared on a note and discussed on an episode of We Get To Do This with Adam Curry and Pastor Jimmy Pruitt—sparked a much deeper conversation. As Christians, we often focus on what we wish Scripture would tell us: what Jesus wrote in the...
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Start with the Outcome, Not the Tool
More than a decade ago, I saved a simple educational technology graphic that made a lasting impression on me. In fact, I liked it so much that I contacted its creator, received permission to use it, and even printed it on the back of my business cards. Recently, while scrolling through old photos...
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7 Lessons Podcasters Can Learn From "Weird Al" Yankovic
For more than four decades, "Weird Al" Yankovic has remained one of the most recognizable and respected creators in entertainment. While many artists have come and gone, Al has continued to find new audiences, adapt to changing technologies, and build a career defined by creativity,...
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The Future is Uncertain
Six months ago, Mikey joined me on Randy Unscripted to talk about his senior year, his growing passion for music, and his plans after high school. Now, just days after walking across the graduation stage, he’s back to reflect on what has changed, what surprised him, and what comes next. We…
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The Song Everyone Knows
Why does every graduation ceremony seem to use the same song? In this episode of Randy Unscripted, we explore the surprising history behind “Pomp and Circumstance,” the melody that has become synonymous with graduation season across America. Long before it echoed through school gymnasiums and...
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More Than a Long Weekend
Episode #43 of Randy Unscripted takes a reflective look at Memorial Day and the meaning many Americans have gradually lost sight of over time. While the holiday has become widely associated with cookouts, travel, sales, and the unofficial beginning of summer, this episode gently revisits the...
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That Podcaster IS NOT Your Friend
In this episode, we discuss the psychology of podcasting and why the format can feel especially personal and intimate. We explore parasocial relationships, how repeated listening and familiar voices can make creators feel like part of a listener’s social world, and how the microphone can shape…
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Main Character Syndrome
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy explores the growing cultural phenomenon known as “Main Character Syndrome” — the mindset that life revolves around us and everyone else exists as supporting characters in our personal story. From social media and performance culture to identity,...
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Continuous Partial Attention
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy explores the concept of Continuous Partial Attention, a term coined by Linda Stone to describe the modern habit of constantly dividing attention across multiple devices, notifications, conversations, and streams of information. He reflects on how...
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We’re Not as Broken as We Think—But We’re Looking in the Wrong Place
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy reflects on a powerful 60 Minutes segment featuring Scott Pelley interviewing former university president and senator Ben Sasse about community, relationships, and the growing isolation present in modern culture. The discussion centers on a terminally…
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Education Spending vs Student Performance: What the Data Shows
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy examines public education funding in West Virginia and asks whether the state is seeing meaningful academic results from its educational spending. Using publicly available statistics and national assessment data, he compares West Virginia’s per-student...
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Remarkable?
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy reflects on the meaning of the word “remarkable” and why it has been occupying his thoughts lately. Inspired by comments from podcasting educator Dave Jackson about creating remarkable content, Randy examines how the word is often automatically…
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The Minnesota ICE Shooting: What the Law and the Video Show
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, we examine the fatal shooting of a woman in Minnesota by a federal ICE officer. Many discussions around this incident have focused on emotion, politics, or selective interpretations of video footage. Here, we cut through the noise and analyze what Minnesota…
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School Choice in the Mountain State – The Hope Scholarship Debate
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black takes a thoughtful, even-handed look at the growing school choice movement in West Virginia, with a particular focus on the Hope Scholarship Program. As the program expands toward universal eligibility, it has sparked intense debate among parents,...
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The Top Ten Podcasting Myths Debunked
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, we explore the top ten myths about podcasting that can hold creators back before they even hit record. From the pressure to include video, to fears about gear, downloads, and consistency, we examine the most common misconceptions and why they aren’t always…
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When a 4.0 GPA Doesn’t Mean What We Think It Means
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy reflects on a thought-provoking opinion article published by Fox News that challenges a long-held assumption in education: that a 4.0 GPA automatically signals academic mastery. Drawing from the article and his own experience as an educator, Randy…
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The Impact of Apostasy on the Modern Christian Church
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy takes an unfiltered look at apostasy and its growing impact on the modern Christian Church. Drawing from Scripture and cultural observation, the conversation defines apostasy as a “falling away” from biblical truth and explores how this spiritual drift…
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Still Showing Up - NaPodPoMo 2025 #30
Reflection and Challenges Randy Black reflects on the month of NAPODPOMO 2025, highlighting how the journey tested his discipline and creativity. The month was particularly challenging due to a personal loss when his father-in-law passed away on day 24. Despite this setback, Randy realized that…
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Committed to the Process - NaPodPoMo 2025 #29
Reflection on NaPodPoMo 2025 Experience: Randy Black reflects on the challenges and lessons learned from completing 30 podcast episodes in 30 days. Initially expecting the endeavor to be incredibly difficult, Randy faced worries about creativity, inspiration, and burnout. However, he discovered...
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Back to Bethlehem - NaPodPoMo 2025 #28
Randy Black’s Reflection on Christmas Introduction: Randy reflects on the holiday season, focusing on the deeper spiritual meaning of Christmas rather than the commercialism often associated with it. The Commercialization of Christmas: Randy notes the overwhelming commercialism during the holiday...
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The Heart of Thanksgiving - NaPodPoMo 2025 #27
Spiritual Meaning of Thanksgiving The episode discusses the spiritual significance of Thanksgiving, emphasizing it as a command and a posture in the Christian faith rather than just a holiday. It highlights how thanksgiving involves remembering God’s faithfulness, trusting in His sovereignty, and...
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Thanksgiving as a Moral Compass - NaPodPoMo 2025 #26
On this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy presents an episode focused on the character of a nation, using Thanksgiving as a moral compass. He emphasizes the importance of understanding a nation through its values rather than just its timeline. The Role of Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is highlighted...
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The Constitutional Foundations of Thanksgiving - NaPodPoMo 2025 #25
Randy Black discusses the intersection of Thanksgiving and the U.S. Constitution in a podcast episode. He highlights that while the Constitution doesn’t mention Thanksgiving, it provides the framework for national observances through presidential proclamations and legislative actions. Key Points...
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The Woman Who Made Thanksgiving National - NaPodPoMo 2025 #24
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black continues his Thanksgiving series for NaPodPoMo 2025 by exploring the life and legacy of Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman whose persistence helped establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the United States. Drawing from his background as a…
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Gratitude in the Middle of a War - NaPodPoMo 2025 #23
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black explores one of the most powerful and often overlooked chapters in the history of Thanksgiving — Abraham Lincoln’s decision to establish a national day of thanksgiving during the height of the Civil War. Drawing on his background as a former…
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The Thanksgiving You Never Learned in School - NaPodPoMo 2025 #22
In this opening episode of the Randy Unscripted Thanksgiving series, Randy Black takes listeners beyond the familiar classroom version of Thanksgiving to uncover the deeper and more complex history behind one of America’s most celebrated holidays. Drawing on his background as a former history...
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The Podcast That Saw It Coming - NaPodPoMo 2025 #21
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black takes a deep dive into one of the most influential and unconventional podcasts in independent media — No Agenda with Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak. Known for their sharp analysis of media narratives, political messaging, and cultural trends, Curry...
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The Empathy Crisis - NaPodPoMo 2025 #20
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black explores what he believes is one of the defining social challenges of modern life — the growing empathy crisis in America. In a culture shaped by nonstop outrage, social media conflict, political division, and digital isolation, genuine human...
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Speak Your Ideas Into Existence - NaPodPoMo 2025 #19
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black explores how the app Monologue is transforming the creative workflow for podcasters, educators, writers, and content creators. Designed to turn spoken thoughts into organized written content in real time, Monologue offers a powerful alternative to...
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Momentum Over Motivation - NaPodPoMo 2025 #18
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black explores the difference between fleeting motivation and sustainable momentum. While many people wait to “feel motivated” before making changes in their lives, Randy argues that real transformation often begins with small, intentional actions…
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Behind the Mic - NaPodPoMo 2025 #17
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black takes listeners behind the scenes of the podcasting process to share how Randy Unscripted is actually created, produced, edited, and published during the intense pace of NaPodPoMo. From recording and editing to chapter markers, publishing…
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The Decline of Christianity and the Downfall of America - NaPodPoMo 2025 #16
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black examines the growing decline of Christianity in American culture and explores what that shift could mean for the future of the nation. Drawing inspiration from his blog post, The Decline of Christianity and the Downfall of America, Randy reflects…
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The Future is Collaborative - NaPodPoMo 2025 #15
In this continuation of the AI conversation from Episode 15, Randy Unscripted takes a deeper look at the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human creativity. Building on the idea that AI should serve as a tool rather than a replacement for people, Randy Black explores how...
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If You Can Text, You Can Use AI - NaPodPoMo 2025 #14
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black explores one of the biggest conversations shaping the future of creativity, education, and communication: artificial intelligence. Drawing from insights and inspiration gained during PodIndy 2025 — including ideas presented by Craig Van Slyke —…
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Failure is Feedback. And Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions. - NaPodPoMo 2025 #13
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black reflects on a simple fortune cookie message that unexpectedly carried a powerful life lesson: “Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Using that quote as the foundation for the conversation, Randy explores how failure,...
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The Democracy Paradox - NaPodPoMo 2025 #12
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black dives into one of the most fascinating and unexpected challenges hidden inside modern democracy: the mathematics of voting systems. Inspired by the Veritasium video Why Democracy Is Mathematically Impossible, the episode explores how even...
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The Cost of Freedom - NaPodPoMo 2025 #11
In this special Veteran’s Day episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black reflects on the meaning of service, sacrifice, and the true cost of freedom. Taking time to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces, the episode explores the personal and national impact of...
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Why I'm Using PodChapters - NaPodPoMo 2025 #10
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy discusses PodChapters, a browser-based podcasting tool created by Daniel J. Lewis that helps podcasters generate chapter markers, transcripts, and structured episode navigation. As part of the NAPODPOMO series, Randy explains how the tool has improved…
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Disagreement Isn't Censorship - NaPodPoMo 2025 #9
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy reflects on the meaning and limits of free speech while participating in the NAPODPOMO 2025 challenge. He examines how people often reference the “spirit of the First Amendment” in online discussions and explains the important distinction between...
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Can You Legally Parody Something? - NaPodPoMo 2025 #8
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy explores the legal concept of parody and how it connects to fair use under United States copyright law. As part of the NAPODPOMO 2025 challenge, he explains how creators can legally use portions of copyrighted material for commentary, criticism, or humor...
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The Road to PodIndy - NaPodPoMo 2025 #7
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy shares his excitement about attending Pod Indy during his ongoing NAPODPOMO 2025 challenge. He explains the origins and mission of the independent creator event, highlights its focus on collaboration and education for podcasters and content creators, and...
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Wikipedia: Brilliant or Broken? - NaPodPoMo 2025 #6
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy takes a closer look at Wikipedia and the enormous impact it has had on the way people access and share information online. As part of the NAPODPOMO 2025 challenge, he explores the history and mission of Wikipedia, the collaborative model that allows...
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Technology Can't Replace Teachers - NaPodPoMo 2025 #5
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in education as part of his NAPODPOMO 2025 challenge. Drawing from his experience working in education technology, he explains how AI tools are already influencing classrooms through grading systems,...
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How Faith Changed My Reaction - NaPodPoMo 2025 #4
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy reflects on a difficult interaction that occurred while working in education technology and how his response to the situation surprised him. During his NAPODPOMO 2025 journey, he shares a personal story about being treated rudely while simply trying to...
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The Truth About Online Privacy - NaPodPoMo 2025 #3
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy explores the complicated question of whether Americans truly have a right to privacy online. As part of the NAPODPOMO challenge, he breaks down how digital privacy works in the United States, why there is no single federal law guaranteeing online…
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Father, Son, and Jazz Band - NaPodPoMo 2025 #2
In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy is joined by his son Mikey for a relaxed conversation during NAPODPOMO 2025. The two reflect on Mikey’s return to music after several years away from band, including how a high school guitar class unexpectedly led him into jazz band and eventually…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Hosted by educator and podcaster Randy Black, Randy Unscripted dives into modern culture, technology, news, and occasional matters of faith with curiosity and candor. Listeners can expect a mix of analysis, personal anecdotes, and playful tangents that make complex topics accessible, entertaining, and relevant.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
HOSTED BY
Johns Creek Studios
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Randy Unscripted have?
Randy Unscripted currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Randy Unscripted about?
Hosted by educator and podcaster Randy Black, Randy Unscripted dives into modern culture, technology, news, and occasional matters of faith with curiosity and candor. Listeners can expect a mix of analysis, personal anecdotes, and playful tangents that make complex topics accessible, entertaining,...
How often does Randy Unscripted release new episodes?
Randy Unscripted has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Randy Unscripted?
You can listen to Randy Unscripted on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Randy Unscripted?
Randy Unscripted is created and hosted by Johns Creek Studios.
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