por Storytime with GamerDude
While watching the Loki series on Disney+, GamerDude started thinking about movie franchises, and how Marvel has created such a huge universe in which it could create its stories. That got him to wondering about how many movie franchises there actually are, and have been, in Hollywood over the years. As he started digging into the topic, he discovered that there are far more movie franchises than he realized, and that they date back decades. He talks about the concept of a "franchise" and what makes up a franchise. He discusses the Batman movies, from the first one spun off from the TV series in 1966, to Michael Keaton's Batman, to Christian Bale's. He talks about the Superman franchise, which dates back to the 1970s. He also discusses how horror movies seem to be built on franchises, from Halloween and Friday the 13th to Freddy Kruger and Saw. He talks about the science fiction franchises, including Star Trek, Star Wars, and Planet of the Apes. And, he talks about the action movie franchises, from Fast and Furious, to Indiana Jones, to Lethal Weapon, to The Terminator. (This barely scratches the surface of the movie franchises in this episode!) And GamerDude talks about some of the "forgotten" franchises that he remembers that are either overlooked, or that people have simply forgotten about over the years. No spoilers! You'll have to listen to get GamerDude's list!
GamerDude has always believed in God because of the way he was brought up, but his view of God (or whatever name you have for the Divine Power) has evolved and changed over the years. He talks about how he was brought up to undertand that "God Is Love," and how that didn't necessarily jibe with all of the horrible things that actually happen in the world. He talks about how his early understadning of God didn't explain how things like wars, and accidents, and natural catastrophes could happen, which is why his views evolved. That evolution also gave him perspective on both the universe, and human beings' place in it. GamerDude talks about the sheer immensity of the universe, and how arrogant humans are to believe that they are the most important thing that God would have created in the vastness of the universe. He also talks about how his view of God, and his own place in the universe, has influenced how he views life, and how he lives it. He suggests that, because humans have such a tiny place in the universe, for such a short period of time, it makes sense to live a good, helpful, calm life, rather than finding reasons to be angry over things, or to fight over things, that on the cosmic scale, really don't matter in the end.
GamerDude returns to one of his favorite topics: food! This week, he talks about salad bars and buffet restaurants, both how they used to be, and how COVID may result in their disappearance because of the way people have been treating them. He talks about the steakhouse buffets he first discovered at places like Ponderosa, Sizzler and Bonanza, and describes the huge salad bars you used to find there. He talks about the Wendy's salad bar that used to exist, and how it was a god-send to a starving college student. He also talks about discovering breakfast buffets while on a trip with his dad. He explains how the breakfast buffet is the perfect setting for someone who likes breakfast food as much as he does. He also talks about how places like Golden Corral, and the local Chinese, Indian and Asian Buffet restaurants have taken the concept of the salad bar and expanded it to every type of food. He talks about the various things he's eaten at buffets, and how people's attitude towards and behavior at salad bars and buffets over the years has changed the experience for the worse. And, he speculates that COVID may change (and possibly eliminate) the concept of a buffet restaurant permanently.
This week, GamerDude continues the discussion from his Twitch stream about what constitutes a sandwich. He talks about the variety of different sandwiches he brought to school when he was a kid, from liverwurst to PB&J. He talks about the "fluffernutter" sandwiches he never had, but always heard about, as a kid. He also remembers when he "discovered" the classic submarine sandwich (or hoagie, or grinder, or hero). He talks about Long John's, the sandwich shop his parents took the family to for sandwiches after church, and he talks about the wonderful aromas he remembers from this classic deli. GamerDude also talks about why a sub is a sandwich, despite some opinions to the contrary. He discusses why a sub meets the definition of "sandwich," and then goes on to discuss other types of "sandwiches." He talks about open-faced sandwiches and over-stuffed sandwiches, before turning to the "controversial" topic of whether hamburgers and hot dogs are actually sandwiches. GamerDude then switches gears to give you a fast and simple recipe for baked ziti. He talks about how easy it is to make, and how experimenting with ingredients is a perfectly acceptable way to cook.
This week's episode features a variety of stories GamerDude has already recorded for previous episodes but, for one reason or another, were edited out of the final cut. Sometimes the edits were based on time constraints, while others were thematic decisions. But the stories themselves are nevertheless ones that GamerDude wanted to share. So, this week, he compiled several of those "edited out" stories into today's show. You'll hear stories about GamerDude's 5-speed "chopper" bicycle, and about Dick Clark, and about drying his basement after the flood he experienced in early 2021. He also has stories about Howard Johnson's and Stuckys, the giant fan his dad used to help cool the house, and some of the weird foods his mom made when he was a kid. The last story is about growing older, and how the secret of being an adult is realizing that adults are just making it up as they go along.
GamerDude has previously talked about products and things that he grew up with that are now out-dated or obsolete, and this week, he adds to that list. He talks about how simple little things like the telephone busy signal, and television static, which were just a "fact of life" when he was a kid, just don't exist anymore. He talks about spending sick days in front of the TV, enjoying a buffet of soap operas and game shows, which also no longer exist anymore. He talks about how cursive writing and calculators - once fixtures in school - are essentially obsolete these days. He also talks about things around the house that were a part of every day life. From wood paneling to wallpaper, from popcorn ceilings to wall-to-wall carpeting, the way a "normal" home is decorated has changed drastically during GamerDude's lifetime. He also has some predictions for things that we take for granted now, but which he sees as becoming obsolete in the next ten years or so. Without spoiling too much of the list, GamerDude thinks that things like car keys, remote controls, and good old fashioned cash are destined for the "dustbin of history." Check out the full episode for the entire list.
When GamerDude was growing up, his parents taught him the value of saving things, and using things until the no longer worked. He talks about how his dad would buy used fans and vacuum cleaners at auctions and garage sales, because you never knew when you might need one. He talks about his dad's tools and hardware, and his back-up tools and hardware. He talks about how his mother saved everything, from paint brushes to newspaper clippings. He also talks about how hard it was - and how hard it continues to be - to get rid of his parents' stuff, even though it's been more than a decade since they passed. He talks about trying to get rid of his mom's college yearbook, and her scrapbook of newspaper clippings, and the various documents and things his parents accumulated over the years. He talks about how difficult it was getting rid of their 20-year-old computers, because "they worked just fine!" and he talks about how, even though their memories were not his memories, it was still difficult to part with their stuff simply because it was their stuff. GamerDude also talks about the realization he's had that he has accumulated stuff over the years that he doesn't want to have his kids stuck agonizing over if he ever gets hit by a bus. He talks about his penguin picture, his 8th grade math award, and the drumsticks he never actually used. And he says it's perfectly okay to get rid of his stuff after he's gone because he won't need it at that point. GamerDude also talks about taking pictures of old mementos and scanning old documents as a way to preserve your memory of them without having to take up space doing so.
In another "Best Of Storytime" episode, GamerDude has pulled some stories from Season One. He talks about being a fidgety kid, and some of the "momisms" that generated. He talks about how watching movies on TV was the only way to catch a movie before the days of VCRs, DVDs, and streaming services. He talks about how he loved the stories Jean Shepard told on the radio, and how he looked forward to the radio show every night when he was supposed to be asleep. He remembers what it was like to have a "party line" for the phone when he was growing up. And, he talks about taking the podcast to the beach through the power of imagination.
With the release of the re-mastered Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, GamerDude got to thinking about his favorite games and game genres over the years. He talks about how he first loved simulation games, like Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon, and Ports of Call, and the original Sim City. He talks about how much fun he had planning railroads, and shipping cargo, and designing cities back when these type of simulation games were all the rage. He also talks about how his tastes evolved over the years, and how he came to love what he calls "story games." They could be RPG games, or action games, or action adventure games; the "story game," for GamerDude, has a good hero, a good story, and makes you want to keep playing. He talks about how much he enjoyed the Uncharted series, and how good a character Nathan Drake is. He talks about Red Dead Redemption (both 1 and 2), and how the open world, the moral choices in dialogue options, and the replayability, make those games so appealing, and he discusses how John Marston and Arthur Morgan are two of the best characters in gaming of all time. He also talks about how much he enjoys the Mass Effect trilogy, and why Commander Shepard is such a great character. He talks about what makes Mass Effect unique as story game, and so replayable. GamerDude also talks about his time with World of Warcraft, and how he spent literally years playing almost nothing but that. He talks about how he enjoyed it, but how he realized you do get tired of playing a game after a while, and why replayability is an important factor in making a good game.
With graduation season upon us, and with so many people trying to figure out what to do with their lives, GamerDude remembers back to when he graduated from Bowling Green State University. Like so many people, he wasn't sure what to do after he graduated, or where to go, or how to get there. He talks about spending a year in graduate school, and "trying on" a job that involved working on campus and in dorms. When he realized that wasn't for him, he left the graduate program, returned home, and started looking for work. GamerDude first landed a job driving limousines. He talks about what driving a limo was like, and how he learned patience and customer service behind the wheel. He talks about working in retail, and how he started as a stock boy at Fashion Bug, and how that evolved into a job as a quasi-fashion merchandiser. And, he talks about how working those jobs enabled him to volunteer at a college radio station so that he could learn how to become a disc jockey, which eventually led to a full-time, paying job at a local radio station.