Storytime with GamerDude

The skyrocketing prices of eggs in early 2023 inspired this week's episode. GamerDude first talks about how the price spikes seem more like the result of collusion amongst the "vertically integrated" egg producers than the story those companies are feeding us about the avian flu and alleged supply line issues. GamerDude then shifts gears to talk about what shopping at the grocery store was like wh...

Long-time listeners know that GamerDude has collected stories from previous episodes of Storytime that didn't make the final cut. But, he's saved those stories for occasions just like this - when he can put together an episode of clips of stories GamerDude likes, but hasn't included in an episode yet. So, this week, he's put together an episode with stories about dating, and about why he decided n...

This week, GamerDude talks again about the practice of law, and also has a couple of stories from his early days as a lawyer. WARNING: This is not an upbeat episode, and the stories involve criminal cases, death, and sexual assault, so if you'd rather not hear stories about these kinds of things, you should skip this episode. GamerDude talks about how different areas of the law will result in havi...

GamerDude is talking about food this week. He remembers the meals his mother used to make, from the straight "meat and potatoes" fare like meatloaf and mashed potatoes, to the more "exotic" uses she found for leftovers, from ham croquettes to turkey a la king. He also talks about his mom's favorite appetizer to serve: the half-a-grapefruit, with a sprinkle of sugar (of course!). GamerDude also sha...

GamerDude talks about some of the unwritten rules that he believes apply (or at least should apply) in the world today. These go beyond the manners he talked about in Season 1 (things like saying "please," and "thank you.") These are more common sense rules of behavior that can apply in almost any setting. The unwritten rules run the gamut from the courteous: Don't listen to your music, or make a...

GamerDude talks about the end of the year and the latest idea in setting goals: the "SMART" goal. He talks about what a "SMART" resolution would be - something Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely - and how he doesn't believe a SMART goal or resolution is anything different from any other goal. It all comes down to a question of wanting to make the change. GamerDude also talks abo...

GamerDude talks about Christmas traditions this week. Some are particular to him, like his dad's giant star or his mom's ceramic N O E L letters. Others, like the Elf on The Shelf are more well know. GamerDude talks about where the Elf on the Shelf came from and why he's not a huge fan. He also talks about the green pickle ornament, which started in the late 1880s and actually has an origin story...

With thirteen Christmas episodes over the past four seasons, GamerDude has told a LOT of Christmas stories. This week, he decided to bring some of his favorite stories from Seasons 1, 2, and 3. He talks about the Sears Wishbook and Christmas concerts (from Season 1). He talks about some of the origins of the Christmas holiday, and how Christmas was actually banned in New England - by Christians! -...

This week, GamerDude first welcomes new listeners who may be joining the podcast as a result of the switch to RSS.com . Then, GamerDude talks about the permanent changes in his life as a result of Covid, and the pandemic. He talks about how everything from going to the store, to shopping habits, to travel are different. He explains how he has developed a dislike for crowds, how he and Mrs. GamerDu...

As GamerDude migrates Storytime from Blogtalkradio to RSS, he takes a few minutes to explain the transition, re-visits his "five-season rule," and thanks everyone for their continued support.

GamerDude talks about how he's always loved Thanksgiving, and how he believes it gets short-changed, wedged between Halloween and Christmas.  He talks about the food we all love to eat, and discusses how he used to be a "turkey traditionalist," but has broadened his horizons over the years. GamerDude also talks about the importance of being grateful for things, and how there is always something we...

This week, GamerDude goes back for some of his favorite Thanksgiving stories from the first three seasons of Storytime.  He talks about how his cousins gobbled up all the leftover turkey one year, leaving GamerDad with no leftovers to snack on. He talks about the differences between his grandmothers' Thanksgivings, and how he tried to graduate from the "kids table" at his dad's mom's house. And he...

This week, GamerDude remembers some more of the things that he grew up with that have disappeared since he was a kid.  He talks about how colored toilet paper was a thing, and how it was designed to match the colored fixtures in bathrooms back in the day.  He also talks about how kitchen appliances used to have a variety of colors, from Harvest Gold to Avocado to Coppertone.  He also remembers som...

Returning to one of his favorite topics, GamerDude talks about some movies that were big when they came out but, in his opinion, haven't held up over time.  He talks about some dramas, like The Matrix and Top Gun, which he doesn't believe have aged well.  GamerDude also talks about several comedies that have not stood the test of time, from The Mask, with Jim Carrey, to Weekend at Bernie's, to the...

For Halloween this year, GamerDude heads back to the Halloween Room for some ghost stories.  He has dug into his collection of short stories for a couple of ghost stories to send chills up your spine.  He has also found some two-sentence horror stories on-line that he shares.  He also digs into the background of a couple of haunted houses/haunted hotels.  He talks about Sarah Winchester and the Wi...

This week, GamerDude talks about catching Covid, despite all of the precautions he's been taking for more than two-and-a-half years. He talks about the frustration he feels about all he's given up, and the way he's had to change his life to avoid Covid, only to contract it anyway. GamerDude also has some stories for Spooky October.  He has always been a fan of spooky stories and unsolved mysteries...

Despite his best efforts (which included rarely leaving the house), Covid found GamerDude and ran his vocal cords through a blender. No worries, though; he decided to go back to Season One to re-master some more stories from the first year of the podcast.  He talks about some of the superstitions he believed in (and some he didn't). He also talks about Halloween when he was a kid, and how importan...

This week, GamerDude decided to try something a little different. He's slowed things down a little, and taken some time to talk about the lost art of listening. He remembers the sounds of the neighborhoods he's lived in, and grown up in, from the lawn mowers in the distance to the barking dog two blocks over. He remembers the sounds of the garbage trucks, and the train whistle miles away, and he t...

GamerDude continues with his discussion of weird facts and odd information he's collected over the years. He talks about his fascination with books like the Information Please almanac, and shares some passages from The Public Speaking Treasure Chest, a book he has from 1942. He talks about how much he liked puzzles and riddles when he was growing up. He shares some of the riddles from a book he ha...

After talking with his daughter this week, GamerDude realized that the "going out" things that he used to do in his twenties don't really exist anymore. He remembers the various places he could go and the things he could do for entertainment on the weekends. GamerDude talks about the prevalence of comedy clubs back in the 1980s and 1990s, with names like "Bananas" or "Giggles." He talks about the...

GamerDude goes back to Season Two for a couple of the lists he did for a couple of his movie episodes.  First up, he talks about 10 of the most overrated movies he's seen (or tried to see). Included on that list are two films by Stanely Kubrick, one by Woody Allen, and one of the first MCU movies. GamerDude also includes 10 of his most underrated comedies, which span decades. He goes back to 1950...

This week's episode is inspired by a question about the Columbia House Music Club. GamerDude talks about that, of course, but takes the opportunity to go back through the comic book ads he grew up with, and how appealing they were to a little kid.  He talks about the simple things, like toy soldiers and ant farms, that were always advertised. He also remembers the Daisy Air Rifle and Daisy BB gun....

Long time listeners know that GamerDude is a bit of a trivia-head. This week, he talks about some more of the strange facts, interesting stories and minutiae that he's collected over the years.  He briefly revisits the parallels between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy before talking about numerous other facts he's accumulated. He talks about how footprints in concrete came to be a "thing" in f...

As a Certified Old Dude, GamerDude has a lot of experience with the aging process. This week, he returns to the spirit of Jimmy Buffet and "growing older but not up" as he talks about things that change as you get older. He talks about how your sense of responsibility changes as you realize that you're in charge of your own life and get to (and have to) make all of the decisions for yourself. He t...

GamerDude talks about the various choices a new lawyer has to make when entering the legal profession. He talks about the trial attorney, which is what everyone pictures an attorney is, based on TV and the movies. He also talks about other areas of the law, like Trusts and Estates, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Real Estate, where attorneys can spend their entire careers and never see the inside of a...