by Storytime with GamerDude
Long time listeners know that GamerDude has always loved driving, and cars, and this week, he's talking about his love for cars again. He talks about how his dad used to monitor gas prices when he was a kid, which is probably why he remembers what gas cost back in the 1970s. That focus on a car-related essential is probably one of the factors that led to GamerDude's love for cars. He talks about his first car, a Volkswagen bug, and the Plymouth Fury he replaced it with. He talks about trying to learn to do body work, and how he discovered that he wasn't really good at it. Mechanical stuff he could do; body work - not so much. GamerDude also talks about the Rockford Firebird he bought, and why he liked it better than the "Screaming Eagle" Trans-Am. He also talks about trading it in for his first new car - a Mitsubishi Cordia. He talks about his preference for manual transmissions versus automatics, and how heart-breaking it was when someone ran a red light and totalled his Cordia.
As GamerDude explains in the intro to this week's "Best of..." episode, it was a tough week. The actions of the Supreme Court during the week before GamerDude recorded this episode was upsetting, maddening, and disheartening, as GamerDude explains in the intro. Rather than go off on yet another rant, he decided to go to his happy place, and put together this episode about vacations. This week, there are stories about beaches, and preparing for traveling. GamerDude also talks about how important it is to have rainy day activities because you just KNOW it's going to rain at least one day while you're away.
This week, GamerDude goes back into the world of law to discuss The Bar Exam. Before a law school graduate can become a full-fledged practicing attorney, he or she has to pass the bar exam. Each state has its own requirements, so new prospective attorneys have to pass the bar exam for the state they want to practice in before they can become a full-fledged attorney. The bar exam takes place over two- to three-days and consists of a combination of essay and multiple choice questions. Each state has different requirements for the essay questions, which cover different areas of the law. Each state also differs in the number of essay questions they ask. GamerDude took two bar exams; Ohio had 24 essay questions over two days while New Jersey had 6 essay questions over one day. GamerDude talks about the weeks and weeks of study involved in preparing for the bar, and the process for taking the bar. He talks about how, as a law school graduate who has yet to pass the bar, you can't actually practice law, so you've got to find something to do to earn a living while you prepare for the bar, take the bar, and wait for the results (which take weeks to post). GamerDude talks about his clerkship in Ohio, and his work as a temp in New Jersey while waiting for his bar results. (Spoiler: He passed both bar exams on the first attempt.)
GamerDude goes back to the movies for a list of what he considers hidden gems or forgotten movies from the 1980s. He's got a list of 15, from Adventures in Babysitting, to St. Elmo's Fire, to The Terminator, which he believes gives a flavor of what was popular, and what life was like, in the 1980s. (You'll have to listen to the whole episode to get the full list!) GamerDude also has some more movie tropes this week. He talks about everything from super-old "teenagers" in movies to those two guys carrying a giant pane of glass who are in so many movies. He also includes some overused movie lines, which we've all heard over and over again, and also shares his new favorite (or, rather, least favorite) over-used line.
GamerDude talks about storytelling this week. His recent experiences playing The Last of Us, Part 2 and Battlefield 2042 got him thinking about the elements of good stories, and how story-telling technicques can make or break a game. GamerDude talks about story structure, and how the most simple - have a beginning, a middle where something happens, and an end - can be effective if done correctly. He talks about books he loved as a kid, where story structure and characters kept him coming back to re-read the same books over again, because he wanted to revisit the characters, or the worlds that they lived in. He talks about the same elements of story and character in video games, and why some video games are inherently re-playable. He talks about why Mass Effect, and Red Dead, and Uncharted keep him coming back for more replays - because of the stories, and the characters. GamerDude also talks about the story in TLOU2, and how he believes it was a missed opportunity to make Abby a very sympathetic character. GamerDude discusses the fact that HOW a character is presented can really make a difference on how we feel about the character. He also talks about how the lack of a campaign in Battlefield 2042, and the lack of any ability to "get into" the world of the game makes it more difficult to enjoy. He explains the value of having a world you can relate to and characters you can identify with, which will make a game more enjoyable.
Because of the horrific events in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022, while GamerDude was away, he wanted to share some thoughts on the police response to the situation. He remembers what police officers used to be like, and how they've always been depicted on TV and in the movies, and how what happened in Uvalde was nothing like anything he'd ever seen before. GamerDude's also shares his stories about vacationing during a pandemic. He talks about how no one wants to admit that COVID is still around, and still a danger, and still a factor in our lives. Because of that, he talks about how it has factored into things he and Mrs. GamerDude plan, like going on vacation and eating out. He talks about the fact that he and Mrs. GamerDude still wear masks when shopping and going out in closed spaces in public, because it's a small price to pay for a little extra peace of mind. He talks about how he planned a trip to Ocean City, Maryland for the off-season, to avoid crowds. He talks about weighing the risks and benefits of where to stay, and eating out. He discusses how so many of his favorite restaurants have made accommodations for those he want to order take-out, rather than risk sitting in a roomful of strangers. And, he talks about the first meal in over two years that he and Mrs. GamerDude actually "ate out." Of course, it was at an outside table, and they were seated at least 30 feet from other people, but it was still "eating out."
This week's "Best of" episode revisits GamerDude's movie tropes discussions from the first three seasons of Storytime, covering everything from the perpetual parking spot, to the always-interrupting friend, to the "we don't have time to discuss this!" blow-off.
The focus in this week's Storytime is on a number of current events that have been exhausting and depressing over the past few weeks. GamerDude talks about the white supremacist's terrorist attack on a supermarket in a black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, and the nonsensical "replacement theory" that the murderous terrorist relied on in his "manifesto." He also talks about the potential (at this writing) over-ruling of the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, and the consequences of the Supreme Court stripping rights from women. He talks about the impact on women, and also the impact on his belief in the validity of the legal system as currently constituted. GamerDude also talks about how the extreme right has created a boogey-man out of critical race theory, which is a concept that started in law schools in the 1970s, and uses it - without actually understanding what it is - to try to initiate an authoritarian takeover of the democracy that is supposed to exist in the United States. GamerDude also talks about how important it is to protect our democracy, because democracy is not the "default" system. He talks about how important it is to be involved in politics at the local, state, and federal levels in order to protect democracy. He also suggests following Teri Kanefield for more information on how we can all protect our democracy.
GamerDude travels back to his childhood again to discuss some of the ordinary things in his life as a kid that don't seem to happen or exist anymore. He talks about going into the woods to build forts, and catching critters like frogs, snakes and toads. He talks about flying kites and playing with friends. GamerDude also remembers when "bankers' hours" were 9 am to 3 pm, and that's the only time you could actually do any banking. He talks about opening a bank account, and getting an actual bank book. He talks about the days before ATMs, debit cards, and credit cards, and remembers how the local stores all seemed to have their own credit cards and charge accounts. He also remembers the lawaway plans that some stores used to have. He also talks about how controlling of our lives telephones used to be, but in a different way than they are now. He talks about having to wait for calls, and being confined to a 3 foot radius around the phone because of the phone cords the phone company used to give you. He also discusses the evolution of the view of cars in the US, and how "American cars" were accepted, and "imports" were looked down on when he was a kid. And he talks about how that view has changed over the years.
This week, GamerDude invited Bryant Chappel, host of The Nerf Report, to share some of his stories on Storytime. They talk about Bryant's early days as a Twitch streamer and how demanding being a live streamer can be. Bryant opens up about the demands that being a content creater can put on you, and how important it is to be aware of when you, as a content creator, need to take a break. Bryant also talks about how he changed gears from being a live streamer to creating The Nerf Report. He talks about the origins of his YouTube channel, about learning the ins-and-outs of YouTube, and how and why The Nerf Report has evolved. He also talks about his hopes for The Nerf Report. Bryant then talks about what it's like being a new dad. He talks about the surprising things he's learned as a new dad, and how he plans to continue to be a good dad to his daughter. Bryant and GamerDude close with some one-off questions, from favorite video game to what video game character they would get tattoos of if they had to. Be sure to check out and subscribe to The Nerf Report on YouTube. And many thanks to Bryant for taking the time to do this interview!