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Love Thy Nerd
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LTN Pulse 27 | Joe Taylor: Oops! All Tangents

SHOW NOTES

In this episode of LTN Pulse, Luke and Michael are joined by first-time guest Joe Taylor for a fun, winding conversation about conventions, community, and the friendships that grow through shared nerdy passions. What starts with haircut updates and accidental train collecting quickly turns into Joe’s first convention experience, jumping into the LTN community, and discovering how powerful it can be to simply show up and serve.

Along the way, the crew gets delightfully sidetracked with talk about movies, anime, retro consoles, handheld gaming, board games, late-night gaming habits, and even pizza debates. Beneath all the laughs and off-topic detours is a meaningful reminder that nerd culture can open the door to genuine connection, both online and in person.

This episode feels like hanging out with friends who got off topic three times and somehow made the conversation even better.





Episode Hosts

Michael Shurbutt
Michael Shurbutt’s journey to nerddom began at an early age. From his preschool days playing NES games, to obsessing over Sonic the Hedgehog and Star Wars in elementary school, to beginning a life-long passion for music and audio technology in his teens.

These days, he’s a full-time podcast producer who enjoys long walks (or frantic dodge-rolling) in The Lands Between and jamming along to pop-punk tunes from the early 2000’s. He and his super-talented wife live in North Carolina with their two adorable dogs and cat who’s pretty sure he’s also a dog.

(Also, Michael used to longboard. Has he mentioned that?)
Luke Filipiak
Director of Community Engagement
Luke Filipiak serves as Director of Community Engagement for Love Thy Nerd and Director of Facilities at Sojourn Community Church. Originally from Guam and now living in Southern Indiana with his wife and daughter, Luke is passionate about building relationships, creating community, and connecting people around shared interests.

A lifelong nerd, he enjoys board games, video games, movies, TV, model trains, woodworking, coffee, audio engineering, and cooking. Whether he's hosting an event, networking with fellow nerds, or teaching a new game, Luke loves bringing people together.

Episode Guests

Joe Taylor


Episode Discussion

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