Bufnagle: the Podcast
Join us for an entertaining and enlightening discussion of eclectic adventures in the pursuit of all things Good. Gain a better understanding of technology and science, history and philosophy, and leadership and success, all presented in a positive and affirming conversational framework. Big Brain SmartHead™ guests occasionally join the pair to bring actual expert knowledge to the conversation.
Episodes
258 episodes
Ep 255: Aviation History: Lift, Thrust, And An Unknown Brush With Greatness (part 2 of 2)
Harry joins Rafe to discuss the principle of lift, problems the Wright brothers needed to solve before their airplane could be complete, how jet engines work, and an unknown brush with greatness that Rafe had years ago.This is Part 2 of ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 255
•
30:55
Ep 254: Aviation History: Lift, Thrust, And An Unknown Brush With Greatness (part 1 of 2)
Harry joins Rafe to discuss the principle of lift, problems the Wright brothers needed to solve before their airplane could be complete, how jet engines work, and an unknown brush with greatness that Rafe had years ago.This is Part 1 of ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 254
•
31:26
Ep 253: "What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to reward?" — The Book of Esther (part 2 of 2)
In this second of two episodes, Rafe discusses the second half of the Book of Esther, a tale of political intrigue, cleverness, faith, and duty.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 253
•
38:05
Ep 252: "Perhaps it was for a time like this that you were made queen?" — The Book of Esther (part 1 of 2)
In this first of two episodes, Rafe discusses the first half of the Book of Esther, a tale of political intrigue, cleverness, faith, and duty.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 252
•
41:02
Ep 251: Respect the Boundaries: Virtue, Art, Cities and Societies, and Cancer
Rafe takes on the topic of boundaries and freedoms and how the restrictions we put on ourselves in all endeavors bring us the freedom that we seek.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 251
•
21:21
Ep 250: Makers Leave Their Image and Likeness Imprinted on Their Creations
Rafe recalls stories of his father crafting things and tells stories about crafting things himself, all while watching professionals using industrial techniques that fail to allow the story of the maker to be imprinted into the craftwork. ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 250
•
35:26
Ep 249: Leftovers, Dinosaurs, Swimming Pools, Secret Pals, and Gratitude
Rafe relates a number of stories that link together and reveal again the infinitude of the variety of the Good.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 249
•
37:37
Ep 248: Bufnagle Classic Re-drop: Pledging Lives, Fortunes, and Sacred Honors
Re-dropping a classic episode from Independence Day 2022: From fireworks to sparklers to lawn darts, America's Independence Day provides an opportunity to look back to build understanding of how and why the American colonies broke away fr...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 248
•
47:28
Ep 247: Let's Talk About The Buf at 250 — Big Brain Smart Head™ Bob Luzenski interviews Rafe
As the Buf approaches 250 episodes (all in season 1!!), the Buf's most frequent guest, Big Brain Smart Head™ and America's Favorite Rocket Scientist™, Bob Luzenski, takes over the host chair and peppers questions at Rafe.In typical Buf f...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 247
•
51:08
Ep 246: When and Where Does the Sun Stand Still? — Winning the Global Solstical Lottery
Rafe looks into the upcoming June solstice and which lucky locations will get to see the sun at its absolutely highest point.Of course, to get there one must discuss time zones and UTC offsets and silly daylight time and all such things....
•
Season 1
•
Episode 246
•
28:04
Ep 245: What Does it Mean? — Statistics, Carl Jung, Shakespeare, and Humanity
Rafe looks at what means mean and why they are not all they might be cracked up to be. Along the way we hear stories about Zach's youth, about Amazon's call centers, about support sets and mass functions, about Carl Jung, and Hamlet and H...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 245
•
42:11
Ep 244: Old is New Again — Lessons Learned Restoring an Antique Phonograph
Rafe discusses restoring a 100-year old Edison Amberola 30 phonograph, how he did it, and the surprising lessons that he learned.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 244
•
40:04
Ep 243: Let's Talk About Beauty — A Thought-provoking Conversation with Master Carver and Big Brain Smart Head™ Patrick Webb
Rafe has the honor of hosting master carver and Big Brain Smart Head™ Patrick Webb on the Buf to discuss beauty, carving, architecture, education, the difference between economy and ecology, and the sacredness of human hand craft, among other t...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 243
•
49:06
Ep 242: There Will Come Soft Rains — A Line in a Poem in a Story in a Novel on a Podcast
Rafe talks about catch-phrases, punchlines, Fig Newtons, soft rains, Martians, talking dogs, and caring, but not necessarily in that order.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 242
•
32:11
Ep 241: Horses, Frogs, and Stagecoaches — A Wonderful Conversation with Big Brain Smart Head™ Maura Donahue
Rafe entertains (or is entertained by?) his sister, Big Brain Smart Head™ Maura Donahue. Together they discuss horses and frogs, stagecoaches and getting to where you want to go, the forthcoming hurdles awaiting higher education, the joys...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 241
•
50:25
Ep 240: Punishment, Temptation, Testing, or Consequence — What is Actually the Cause of Your Suffering?
In a follow-up to Episode 239's discussion of Sin, Suffering, and Death, Rafe pursues the question of the source of your suffering. Is this certainty of life due to punishment? Temptation? Testing? or simple Consequence? ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 240
•
40:10
Ep 239: "A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet" — What's In a Name?
Rafe does a solo discussion of the concept of naming, a uniquely human thing to do and a necessary component of our status as Imago Dei. Along the way we'll learn the reason for Rafe's four names, discuss naming conventions, inve...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 239
•
31:00
Ep 238: "Preparation for the Antagonist World" — A Most Pleasant Conversation with Big Brain Smart Head™ Annie Holmquist
Rafe is joined by author and Big Brain Smart Head™ Annie Holmquist to discuss her learnings from Russell Kirk about four principles for childhood success: happy family, extended family interactions, regular reading exposure, and the freedom to ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 238
•
36:56
Ep 237: Bufnagle Classic Re-drop: Lessons From the Passion; Power, Corruption, Truth, and Progress
Re-dropping a classic episode from Lent 2023, Rafe takes a short solo episode to discuss the Passion and how it is the oldest and most common story in history: power is threatened by Truth so Truth gets killed. But Truth has that odd litt...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 237
•
19:32
Ep 236: Suffering, Death, Sin, and Falling Rocks — How Ought We Think About Avoiding These?
Harry and Rafe discuss three things that people seek to avoid: suffering, death, and sin and where we ought to put our priorities. And along the way, we come to understand the nature of sinning and why it is the worst of these three thing...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 236
•
37:33
Ep 235: Time Zones, Daylight Time, and Busybodies — What Time It Is Where and When
Rafe goes after time zones and daylight time and how things are so complicated and goofy that it defies belief. We start with understanding Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), address the sun moving at 15 degrees per hour, and then d...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 235
•
38:08
Ep 234: Snowflake Bentley — The Breathtaking 100-year-old Snowflake Photographs Done by W.H. Bentley
Rafe discusses Wilson Bentley and how he developed a method to take photomicrographs of snowflakes and make snow, one of the grand beauties of our universe, even more beautiful.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 234
•
31:41
Ep 233: Spinning Goat Hair and Seeking the Garden of Eden
Rafe talks about his daughter Olivia's substack and a post from a different blog about seeking the Garden of Eden in things that are simple, beautiful, soft, and comfortable.Olivia's substack can be found at
•
Season 1
•
Episode 233
•
15:51
Ep 232: Backyard Radio — The Story of Radio Station WEPB-LP FM with Big Brain Smart Head™ Mickey Guffey
After the release of Episode 229 in which the Buf discusses a unique low-power radio station in Noblesville, Indiana, Rafe goes on the hunt to make contact, somehow, with the people at the station.Following some internet leads, he eventu...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 232
•
37:43
Ep 231: "Gravity is Lumpy and Athena Has Better Legs" — A Rocket Update with Big Brain Smart Head™ Bob Luzenski, America's Favorite Rocket Scientist™
Rafe is joined by the Buf's most frequent guest, Big Brain Smart Head™ Bob Luzenski, America's Favorite Rocket Scientist™, to discuss what is happening in the world of Bob and the world of rockets: winter, flowers and bulbs of Spring, model tra...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 231
•
48:03