Storytime with GamerDude

GamerDude grew up in a family of story-tellers. He talks a bit about his father, who was a master story teller and would likely have been a bard, sitting by a pub fire in medieval times. He also talks about his mom's stories. He explains that she was more of a conversationalist than a story teller, and he talks about how her socializing after church usually delayed departure from church for at lea...

The tumultuous times in which we live has prompted GamerDude to revisit the topic of knowing the difference between right and wrong. This week, he talks about ethical dilemmas, and how he was brought up to know and understand the difference between doing "the right thing" and not doing "the wrong thing."  He talks about the idea of "moral absolutes" and the fact that, sometimes, there is a "right...

GamerDude's lifelong love-affair with food is no secret and in this episode, he remembers the importance of family dinners when he was growing up. He talks about learning how to cook because he loved food so much growing up, and he learned how to prepare different foods in different ways. He talks about learning to cook as a way to develop relationships as well. He discusses cooking as a way to ge...

In this "Best of Storytime" episode, GamerDude brings back the story of when his dad joined him to play softball while wearing bermuda shorts and combat boots. He also talks about why he doesn't curse, and explains what it was like trying to record movies back when he was a kid; it was especially challenging because there was no actual way to record movies, at home, when GamerDude was growing up....

August always meant the end of summer when GamerDude was growing up. The family vacation was always during the last two weeks of summer, so the first two weeks of August basically marked the last two weeks of "summer vacation." GamerDude remembers those last two weeks, and how the days were filled with summer chores in the morning - like making his bed, buffing the floor, vacuuming, and the ever-p...

In this "very special episode" of Storytime, GamerDude talks about the difficulty people have in discussing death. He talks about how people tend to avoid the topic, even within their own families. He talks about how death has a perfect record because everyone is going to die eventually, so perhaps it is important to talk about it, share stories about it, and make it a less scary prospect. He talk...

In this spoiler-filled episode, GamerDude talks about 10 of the most overrated movies he's seen in his lifetime of movie watching. In a list sure to annoy a lot of people, GamerDude talks about how the ending of Captain America: The First Avenger ruined the movie for him, and makes it one of the more overrated Marvel movies.  He talks about how Titanic is titanically overrated, and he takes to tas...

It seems that every neighborhood has a basketball rim, and GamerDude's was no exception. He talks about how his neighbors across the street had rims, and how he wanted to get one at his house too. But with his dad's gravel driveway, and the cost of installing a post for the backboard, he never did get one, except for one brief afternoon, when he and his friends hung a backboard from the telephone...

Regular listeners already know about GamerDude's love for music, and for TV, when he was growing up. In this episode, he talks about - and plays - 15 of the most memorable TV theme songs that he grew up with.  This is by no means the most definitive or complete list. The songs featured in this episode run the gamut from Saturday morning cartoons to late night television and everything in between....

The classic "old wives tales" that GamerDude heard growing up were, essentially, the urban legends of his childhood.  He talks about the tales he heard, from going blind from sitting too close to the television set, to getting arthritis from cracking your knuckles, to the benefits of carrots and the dangers of spilling salt and eating chocolate. He also heard about why he shouldn't eat spicy foods...

GamerDude has always loved the taste of food cooked on the grill, from hot dogs to burgers to brats. This week, he talks about the difference between grilling and barbecue, and the different ways you can cook over charcoal, and over hardwood. He shares the easiest way he's found to get a fire going for the grill, and extolls the virtues of a charcoal chimney.  He also shares the very easy recipe f...

Food is one of GamerDude's favorite topics, and in this episode, he talks about the fast food places and family restaurants he went to when he was growing up.  He talks about Friendly's and the greatest ice cream sundae ever invented.  He also talks about the many different burger places his family visited, from Burger Chef to Carroll's to Gino's. He remembers his mother's obsession with a place c...

GamerDude has always loved music, thanks to his mother.  Because of her early influence, his musical taste was confined to classic folk songs, show tunes and hymns, and he talks about some of those early songs he learned, from "My Darlin' Clemintine" to "Oklahoma.". Then, he discovered rock and roll, and fell in love with the electric guitars, the fuzzy bass, and the hard driving beats. He talks a...

GamerDude developed his sense of humor at a young age as he listened to comedians and comedy albums on his record player as far back as he can remember. He learned the secret of comedy (timing), and learned how to tell a good story, and tell it in a funny way, by listening to some of the old school masters of the craft. He talks about listening to Bill Cosby, who, long before he was convicted of s...

In this "Best of" episode, GamerDude has compiled some of his favorite stories from past episodes. This week, he tells the story about when he was bullied in the seventh grade and how it has stayed with him through the years. He also includes the story about learning Trumpeter's Lullaby in middle school for a band concert. He also tells the story about going swimming during the summertime at the l...

With vacation time rolling around again, GamerDude returns to one of his favorite vacation destinations: the beach. As he has talked about in previous episodes, when he was a kid, the family vacation for many years was to the beach at Assateague Island, near Chincoteague Virginia. That's where GamerDude learned to love the beach.  As he's gotten older, he has expanded his taste in beaches, and man...

When he was a kid, GamerDude discovered the book Chariots of the Gods. The author theorized that aliens from other worlds visited ancient humans and, because they were so advanced, the aliens were presumed to be gods. The books discusses various instances offered as "proof" that aliens visited the earth long ago, including Ezekial's visions of angels in the sky, the destruction of Sodom (was it Go...

GamerDude loves trivia, history, and little known facts about nothing, and has collected them for years. In this episode, he shares some of the information he's learned over the years revolving around "facts" we were once told that turned out to be anything but factual. He talks about the Sixteenth Amendment to the constituion, which relates to the income tax, and wonders whether it was ever actua...

We all have parents and, love them or hate them, they influenced who we are today. GamerDude talks about his parents and how they brought him up. He talks about how there is no one right way to raise kids because every parent, and every kid, is unique. He talks about the role of parents, and how too many people try to be their kids' friends, rather than their parents. He talks about the role of th...

GamerDude talks about the state of the world these days.  He talks about how people view the political scene as so divisive today, but remembers how the Government has never been known for its kind and generous treatment of its citizens.  He discusses how people are so upset by corporate greed these days, but remembers how corporate greed has been a mainstay in America. He gives a "Google assignme...

In this "Best of Storytime" episode, GamerDude tells stories about growing up without any seasoning stronger than salt, and his love for homemade chocolate chip cookie dough. He also talks about his first air-shift as a radio newscaster, and his family's first trip to Chincoteague, Virginia for family vacation.  And, he tells the story about his one and only buzzer beater on the basketball court

It's no secret that GamerDude loves movies, and he shows that love to some of his favorite corny movies from the 70s, 80s and 90s. He talks about some of his favorite Arnold movies (Raw Deal and the Conan movies), some Sylvester Stallone movies (Cobra, Over the Top, and Tango and Cash), the classic Con Air, with Nicholas Cage, and he talks about his icon from the 70s Burt Reynolds, and Smokey and...

Whenever GamerDude is preparing an episode of the podcast, he jots down memories that pop up so that he can talk about them.  Most fit into a theme or topic he wants to featurein an episode, but some do not.  This episode contains stories about more of GamerDude's random memories from things that have happened over the years. He talks about playing in a rock quarry as a s child. He remembers his m...

When he was younger, GamerDude had dreams about the places he hoped to see one day. In this episode, he talks about holding onto those kind of dreams, because it is only recently that he has been able to travel to some of those places he dreamed of as a kid.  He talks about traveling to Mount Rushmore for the first time, and how impressive he found it.  He talks about visiting Hoover Dam, and then...

Once again borrowing from Johnny Carson's "The Best of Carson," this week's episode features highlights from shows from last season.  In this "Best of Storytime," GamerDude talks about cursing, and why he generally doesn't curse. He talks about mis-used and mis-pronounced words. He also delves into the origin of certain words (including the Twitch stream favorite, "chum"), and finishes up by talki...