Teaching Richard Dreyfuss His Mac and Brainstorming a Civics Podcast

The Goals Aboard

• Richard had joined the cruise with two key goals in mind:
  • To learn how to master his Apple MacBook laptop.
  • To network and brainstorm strategies for his civics education initiative—Common Senselessness (which later evolved into The Dreyfuss Civics Initiative), dedicated to reviving civics education, reasoned debate, and democratic literacy in American schools.

Brainstorming the Civics Podcast

• We spent hours having conversations across the ship. As I helped him navigate his Mac and discussed distance learning, Web 2.0, and social media, the medium that resonated most was podcasting.
• Richard spoke with remarkable eloquence about American history, democratic institutions, and civic values. I proposed that we launch a weekly 15–30 minute audio show recorded remotely over Skype, paired with a companion blog for show notes, primary sources, and audience dialogue.

Reaching Out to Leo Laporte & Dan Carlin

• On November 5, 2007, I emailed Leo Laporte (leo@leoville.com) directly from the ship:
  • > "So, I'm on the ship with Richard Dreyfuss (the actor :)). We're having great conversations... The one thing we really started clicking on was podcasting... Richard speaks eloquently about the issues... Any help you can offer would be fantastic."
• Leo replied warmly within hours:
  • > "Wow, that's fantastic! I'd be glad to help in any way you'd like. The only index that matters is iTunes and I'm sure you could get it highlighted there. — Leo"
• I also corresponded with Dan Carlin of Hardcore History to explore bringing Richard onto historical discussions, marking a unique intersection of Hollywood, podcasting pioneers, and civic activism in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.