On this episode of This Is My Thing, we talk with Rae Loos about aggressive roller skating!

This episode comes to us from my friend Zahra Crim, who until recently was KUT’s Community Producer. Zahra’s moved on to go to grad school and new adventures, but before leaving, they worked on this piece for the show. It’s kind of a full-circle moment. The day I met Zahra, they were interviewing for the job at KUT and we talked a bit about hobbies and outside interests. Zahra mentioned that one of their main hobbies was something called aggressive roller skating, a term I had never heard before. That piqued my interest, of course, because I was already developing this show… and now this piece about that very hobby is Zahra’s last official task as a KUT employee.

Zahra talks with their friend Rae Loos about their shared love of the sport, how it’s different from skating at the roller rink, and what it means to Rae.

Some folks like to watch trains or photograph trains or build model trains, but for Marc Opperman only the real thing will do. His love of trains led him to become a student conductor on a real, functioning vintage train, or what he calls '12 inch to the foot scale.'

We'll talk about Marc's lifelong love of trains, the responsibilities of being conductor (even a volunteer student conductor), why a particular spot on the train's path holds a special meaning for him, where he finds his happy place onboard, and a lot more.

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

We're talking with Dan Schumacher about his love of tattoos and about the tattoo collection he's amassed on his person over the years. This episode of This Is My Thing comes to us from my friend and fellow KUT producer Juan Garcia. Dan was Juan's faculty adviser back in his college radio days, and they share an affinity for tattoos.

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org