Connect More

We recorded this episode a few weeks after the holidays, so it seemed like a good time to do a little housekeeping and clean up some loose ends. We thank a very generous friend from Cedar Falls for a nice donation to the swear jar to benefit the American Cancer Society and explain why that's our charity of choice. Some of our listeners may not realize that we post lots of 'behind the scenes' conte...

Things get creepy this week as our producer asks us if we've ever had any paranormal experiences. We had to dig pretty deep on this one because we may not be interesting enough for ghosts to mess with us a lot, but we've certainly had our fair share of weird or hard-to-explain occurrences. Remember, we grew up getting freaked out by Leonard Nimoy's "In Search Of..." so we kno...

The boys took a few weeks off from taping during the holidays, so it was fun to get back together and have some laughs. All of us have been to San Antonio at some point to see our pal Ruben and his wonderful family, so Eric gave us the rundown of his recent trip there and all the fun times with our friends Down Under. That's what they call Texas, right?? The holidays are often times when families...

Our producer knows we've seen some stuff, so she asks us about advice we've received that has helped us out along the way. In these shortie episodes we don't hear the questions ahead of time, so we give some off-the-cuff responses about words of wisdom that have helped us become the mostly well-adjusted, fairly decent humans that we are today. As always, we welcome our listeners to dro...

Even tired, beat-down GenX'ers need goals, so we start off with a few things we're hoping to accomplish in 2026. Learning new languages, reading more, sharpening our AI acuity, and learning how to not eat like a 12-year-old are all on our lists. Not bad for a bunch of old dogs, right?? We all spend WAY too much time streaming TV shows, so it might as well be something good. We swap recommendations...

Because our producer just can't get enough of us, she tosses us an extra question every now and then. This week she's curious if we're dumb enough to think we could actually land a jumbo jet in an emergency (with a little help from the control tower). Research shows that a stupidly large number of men in the US think they could do that...even though they can't. How do the Connect M...

As 2025 comes to a close, the Connect More boys reflect on things that surprised them in the past year, including the onslaught of AI, stock indexes, unexpected happiness, and soul-crushing political chaos. How's that for range?? Even though we're too old to really rage on New Year's Eve anymore, we recall some fond (and not so fond) memories of times we all celebrated the holiday toge...

What are you doing out there in the cold? Come inside, grab a drink, and celebrate our weirdest, most awkward holiday: Festivus! Just like we learned from Frank Constanza in the classic 1997 Seinfeld episode, we gather around the aluminum pole and marvel at our Feats of Strength, commiserate by Airing Grievances, and get real with some genuine Festivus Miracles. Grab a chair, light up a Lucky Stri...

What did you want to be when you grew up? The Connect More boys reflect a bit on 'what could have been' and describe what they'd be doing now if they'd stayed on the track they were on when they got out of college. Only one of us got remotely close...who could it be??? With the holidays coming up, the fellas provide a guide to their favorite Christmas shows. No big surprises here,...

Our producer gives us a hand-tossed question this week: Who has the best pizza? It didn't take long for us to generate a sizable list of the best pizza spots in Iowa, from Norwalk to Dubuque. Get out a pen & paper and make a plan to eat your way across the state on a pizza road trip. We probably missed a few of your favorites, so drop them in the comments and we'll get to 'em eventually!

We almost didn't get this episode off the ground because Jocó was traumatized by getting a new iPhone, but we eventually made it around to arguing about bands that we just don't "get" and probably never will. Then we get newsy and lament the sad state of local journalism. We grew up watching the 6 o'clock news and grabbing the local daily off the front porch, so it's hard to wrap our brains around...

Because she just can't get enough, our producer digs deeper with a pop question for us. Take a trip down memory lane as we recall our favorite childhood candy and realize that, despite our shared GenX upbringing, we can still surprise each other with something as simple as smashing a frozen Charleston Chew. Was that candy actually good, or are we blinded by our GenX nostalgia? What's your...

Since our audience demands to know "Why in the hell are you even doing this?" we take few minutes to discuss how the pod got started and the importance of being intentional about life-long friends staying connected. Then, since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, we get "side" tracked with foods that we all enjoy seeing at our holiday feasts. And although none of us will be accused of being f...

Because our producer can't get enough of our nonsense, she occasionally asks us for a bit more info. In this shortie, she asks how four idiots like us would survive the zombie apocalypse. John has thought about this a LOT so tune in to get some pointers about you can save your family from hoards of the undead. Enjoy!

It's 'game on' at Connect More HQ, so the guys compare notes about totaling up those stars at the end of Mario Party (FU#@$K!!!) and learn about something called Undertale(?) After sharing their surprisingly deep philosophies about how they approach home improvements, they dive into the follow-up discussion about GenX Mt. Rushmore. Who were the biggest influences on GenX and why do they deserve to...

Pull up a chair and get ready for an extra helping of Connect More! As you all know, the fellas have pretty good taste in music, movies, and TV...but can they eat cilantro or does it taste like soap?? Our producer needs to know. Of course the guys get off track talking about different spices, genetics, and other stuff along the way. Enjoy this shortie!

After they do a little travelogue of their favorite cities, the boys throw down about who they think should be on the GenX Mt. Rushmore. What four faces should be etched in stone that best represent folks born between 1965 - 80? What entertainers, sports figures, politicians, actors, or others deserve such a lofty honor. Get ready for a wild ride. Things get spooky with some creepy and highly susp...

Because she just can't get enough of us, our producer lobs an extra question our way: "What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen in someone's house or cubicle?" We bring it all home with a quick trip around grandma's living room that gets real weird, real quick. What's the strangest thing you've ever seen in someone's house? From Graceland to grandma'...

The Connect More boys can hold a job, hold a grudge...and hold onto a bunch of old, outdated stuff from the '80s & '90s that's just gotta go. You'll learn that PIebald Pheasant isn't a British detective show - it's some dusty taxidermy on Ween's shelf. Then we dig into one of the most controversial topics you can bring up with any Midwesterner: What's the best convenience store? The guys talk...

Can't get enough Connect More?? Well, you're in luck! Our producer has some burning questions that didn't make the cut in our main episode, so YOU get a bonus set of stories! Let's crush this! It's a shortie, so you'll be done by the time it takes your Netscape browser to download Smooth by Rob Thomas & Santana from Napster.

Welcome to the "Secret Origins" episode of Connect More where the guys reveal how they got the (for the most part) stupid nicknames that you hear occasionally during the pod. Remember when movie soundtracks were actually the soundtracks of our lives? The boys recall some of their favorites, including a few terrible movies that had great soundtracks ([cough]... Dirty Dancing ...[cough]) Like the go...

Can't get enough of Connect More?? Well, it's your lucky day! Our producer decided to throw a surprise question our way, and now you get some BONUS stories from the Connect More crew. Hop on the bus - let's take a ride! We've got some war stories about life on the GenX mean streets trying to get to school. It's a quick one - you'll be done listening before your pasta is coo...

The boys get cooking with a spirited debate on the art of grilling, from a caveman-style Tomahawk steak that required a power drill to classic Iowa pork chops and bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. Their group-chat was fire this week, so the fellas recap of some of their favorite jokes and stories, including trashy/classy, Hogan's Heroes, and albino pythons. How's that for an eclectic mix?? A...

Remember that "Behind the Music" show on VH1? This episode is our version of that, but with MUCH less heroin and squandered fortunes. Get to know the geniuses behind the pod and glean a few insights about where our messed up sense of humor is coming from. Hear about where we're from (Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Des Moines, & Dubuque), where we went to school (CR Prairie, Hempstead, Un...

After years of procrastination, the boys have finally launched their podcast to capture the quick, unhinged energy of their texting group chat. Join Brian, Eric, Jason & John as they stay grounded by sharing some of the good stuff going on in their lives before griping about a few current trends that should be kicked to the curb. Get some tips for the upcoming fantasy football season before la...