Fresh Catch 2.0

Send us a textIf you listen a bit to our podcasts, it comes as no surprise to hear us confess how biased we are about most things. It's actually quite amazing that either of us have been married for a long time, given how clueless we are with our patient and loving spouses. Our journey into self-justification and undeserved righteousness was on display in this episode that begins with David recalling a 14-year old walk of shame. Enjoy … but be careful in what you copy.

Send us a textAdd this episode to your Helpful file. Have you been in rooms like David uncomfortably endured in a recent Great Clips  experience? His skilled hair-stylist lacked read-the-room-awareness or a voice that didn't make his skin crawl. Intervention was needed. So we unpacked it. And we probed how new grandpa David's son gently corrected his clumsy baby-holding skills. Intervention well done.

Send us a textIn only three days Father's Day will arrive, ready or not. If therapists listened to this episode they might detect our insecurity. We are, after all, two aging dads. Both of us are grandpas. And we seemed to meander our way toward comforting one another by lowering expectations for what we'll experience on Sunday. It helped that we could make fun of Pappy when he dialed in during our recording.

Send us a textEven though David launched immediately into a campy mimicry bit, this episode may actually be worth submitting to those who are spiritual coaches. We somehow got talking about our impulsive responses when flailing limbs fail to keep us from making messes. The growth techniques we exchanged can help us guard our hearts. Even when the lyrics we put to music are raunchy.

Send us a textWe explore the unvarnished grist of life in our podcast. Loyal listeners have heard much about St Betsy, David's wife. She's a long-suffering woman who embraced the calling to be a moral compass. Too often she's been pressed into the thankless role of reminding Comedy Boy about where true north is. If you're at all sympathetic to her burden, you may wince a bit about the very fresh text David sent an hour before we hit record. Plz join us in prayer: "Lord, double Betsy's grace portion today…for David's sake."

Send us a textTrue confession. While we take strange pride in never preparing for our podcasts (an unwritten recording value is to avoid serving up anything that isn't totally "fresh"), we agreed in the minute before we began to chase what we both thought would be entertaining. But somehow the words "fact check" slipped into the intro banter and thus, O Fair Listener, were we hijacked from our pursuit. How delightful, indeed, was this romp through an unexplored forest!

Send us a textAre you annoyed by the 24 hour delay in delivering this podcast? Perhaps you have a preference for listening on Thursdays and we disrupted your routine. Before we rush to apologize we want you to consider a quote from Donald Miller that we dissected today: "Don't moralize your preferences." Is this good marriage advice? Felt like a speed trap to us. But then David offered a way out. Enjoy!

Send us a textThis title is literally true about this podcast episode. It was also the only time the word was used…but it sure seems like we chatted about how many ways life's sugary sweets don't exactly nourish. Within the first 60 seconds David set the tone by failing to indulge Dr Dave's transparent request for affirmation. We're all so needy.

Send us a textWe meandered a lot during this episode. After sharing our old age affections for plush, thick, green lawns we explored other attachments we've bequeathed with a near holy status. Are you a sports fan? So are we. Love blues and jazz music? That's cool. Like good movies? Us, too. Do you like to drop rare facts on your neighbor while watching the movie? One of us loves to do that. 

Send us a textIf you listen regularly to our podcast you know that it's not uncommon for Dr Dave to serve as David's therapist or host his confessions. It seems like a good thing to do. We all should look for low hanging fruit where at least one person is helped. In today's episode we explored David's recent confrontation while parking in a location familiar to the lowlife underbelly culture of Huntington: Patel's convenience store. We hope you don't grow disdain for David over what you hear but, if you do, be forewarned. He's not afraid to let God know "he'll be right back." 

Send us a textDavid is under the weather, but he's learned that the show must go on. Inspired by his heroic efforts to overcome the funky infectious germs keeping him from doing an honorable gig later this afternoon at Lincoln Elementary, Dr. Dave attempted to connect to the moment by describing an upcoming encounter he will have at Huntington University. We shared awkward moments when a person (maybe us) attempts to express empathy when they would be better off wearing a t-shirt that reveals their true state.

Send us a textThe Bible urges us to tame our tongues but warns us that this is no small challenge. On this episode, we spent a few minutes as fellow strugglers squeezed into a confessional, swapping stories about some untamed moments and wondering aloud why the intoxicating appeal of another big laugh can shred our filters. As you reach the painful end of our transparent exchange, we hope you can embrace whatever animalistic stride God fits you with. 

Send us a textTo be fair, we didn't actually and openly explore this question during our podcast. But it was in Dr Dave's heart as he sidled up to his funny friend and invited a deeper consideration of how, if, when, where, and why anyone who loves Jesus and makes a living doing comedy might dance in the Blue Zone. There would, of course, be hang-ups to reckon with. Not the least of these is based in the sinful, er, OCD nature of being judgmental to the core. Enjoy!!

Send us a textPlease don't become gruff with us, loyal Freshies. We know we're a day late in posting this episode. But, as David explains in hushed tones from the sanctity of his basement, his house has been invaded, er, swarmed upon, no… ENRICHED by eight brothers who have massive drywalling skills. The whispers were due to David's desire not to say anything disrespectful about the culture of those doing beautiful work under his roof. On the other hand, Dr Dave felt very free to challenge David to get outside his comfort zone and become relational when both parties expect nothing more than a transactional exchange.

Send us a textSocial media is a force to be reckoned with. When someone does a dirty deed, mobile phone cameras catch it and post it for the world to heckle. As we discussed David's near victimization yesterday (and near loyalty betrayal) we realize how healing it can be to embrace snarkiness. And, as a public service for those who secretly hope to be noticed by famous podcasters, we're posting the name of a despicable person in the title of this episode. Meanwhile, be mindful so the person you enjoy today doesn't steal affection from your true blue friends. Stay tuned to social media in case Dr Dave walks out on Brian Regan tonight. 

Send us a textIt was Dr Dave's turn on the therapy couch this morning, a few days before he will withstand the annual St Paddy's Day picture indignities he brought upon himself. Dave was exceptionally skillful at coaxing the good doctor into telling a couple of stories from his early days in youth ministry. The landing point of all this reminiscing was and is to reckon with how – not if – we will deal with life's natural assaults on our ego. HINT: God really loves doing this shrinkage with us!

Send us a textIf you're new to the Freshie Fellowship you may not have caught on to what our seasoned loyal listeners already know. David is a bit of a narcissist. Dr. Dave may also suffer from S.A.S. (self-absorption syndrome), but he tends to mask it well. This episode caught the funny guy in an exceedingly whiny state. He needed a friend to unload on. Since St. Betsy's spatula reference cast her as a bit more unsympathetic than David needed, he turned to the podcast to share about his recent traumatizing visit to the urologist. How fitting that on Michaelangelo's 550th birthday, our little David needs to be seen as more than a block of stone.

Send us a textIn this episode, David and Dr. Dave indulged in some old movie reminiscing. That led us to be vulnerable about what it was like to lag behind other teenage boys in our pubescent development. If you have monkey toes, you know. Listen closely, and you might pick up on the pain that still lingers. But we're here for you, loyal Freshies, so we pushed through our wounds to offer unparalleled wisdom and encouragement, soaked in a vocal impersonation that refused to be pinned down.

Send us a textThe episode began with a quick nod to the 50-year anniversary show of SNL, some time travel about old TV, and airing grievances about changes that make us crotchety old men. But David had something sticking in his craw…or he would soon. Left with an instructional mailer for his upcoming medical visit, David required a bit of reassurance. With Ed Sullivan's constipational posture and Archie Bunker's defiance of censors fresh in our minds, we dove in. Feel free to change your channel if you can figure out how.  

Send us a textPatience is a virtue. The Bible references this about 25 times. And David was a bit late to our scheduled recording time today because of an encounter at his local Tractor Supply store. Against the backdrop of this fresh experience (we deliver on the brand of our podcast name) — still breathless from the hustling irritation he was feeling — David invited Dr. Dave's moral critique. It led us into surprising territory. BTW, consider surprising your special Valentine tomorrow with a renamed body of water… it's trending.

Send us a textOur episode today was fraught with distractions. We apologize. Dr. Dave's chair made sounds David imagined were from a human source. But the elephant in the room was David's appointment 15 minutes after our recording. To his credit, our brave little funny guy confessed his vulnerability and invited Dr. Dave to try and counsel him out of the state of dread David had as he anticipated the annual tax meeting with his accountant. If you giggle at David's expense, be sure to keep your receipts. 

Send us a textOur podcast was sailing along with a familiar cadence. We wondered aloud why and whether we might ever do a social media fast. We riffed on how RFK might be a good pin-up poster for good health in America but as a spokesman, we're getting mixed messages. Then David's wife sent him a text and we became 7th grade boys, giggling with glee about the messages David would send, receive, and read aloud while we recorded. David might have to do some marriage penance, but this was a generous Candid Camera gift for all of us listeners.

Send us a textLoyal listeners, how would you describe FC2.0 to those wanting a podcast referral? We get so captivated by our conversations that we imagine you might like to listen in. A bit too narcissistic? Probably. Our 47th president is setting the pace for all of us. But we also hope that when you hear us rave about a TV or movie experience that we enjoyed you might find our reviews helpful. Mostly, we hope listeners are inspired to grow a few friendships around frisky, playful, and Jesus-welcoming conversations… and we pray our example helps.

Send us a textPlease forgive the tease behind this episode's title. While we did pounce on up-to-the-minute headlines (Roger's advice), it seemed out of character for us to do so. In post-production reflection, Dr Dave could not help but wonder what was driving our comedian's pursuit. We invite our loyal and embarrassingly small audience to be armchair psychologists and consider whether we have just witnessed evidence of David's fantasy to BE a headliner in Vegas. If you're ever at the Huntington DQ, ask "Jot" -- he seems to know a lot.

Send us a textWe recorded our podcast with a national time stamp in the background, prompting David to ask about the apparent friendliness between former presidents attending Jimmy Carter's funeral. Our ensuing conversation ranged far and wide, with two helpful takeaways, we hope. The first is to enlarge your vocabulary. The second is to practice a lovely "slow your roll" response you can offer loved ones when the heat of conflict is unproductive. Enjoy!!

Send us a textTrue confession. This episode's title might promise more than we delivered. It may be that we could have pivoted toward something as helpful as our title offers, but we a) didn't (don't) plan what we talk about, and b) are easily distracted. So when David started spinning into movie character voices we rolled with it. And Dr Dave (usually the helmsman to steer this half hour) was rolling in laughter…let's just say there are worse ways to be incapacitated.

Send us a textThe day after might actually be too soon to declare that we've made it through another Christmas season. But for the sake of our podcast, we celebrated being mostly done. For example, we learned that David officially disinvited Karen Carpenter's holiday music from his listening experience before the 25th had even ended. We wondered aloud whether seasonal pageantry proves that church life is too event-centric. But David needs gigs, so we hope we're not too convincing. 

Send us a textOn this last episode before Christmas, we shared the unspoken goal of offering loyal listeners a gift worth cherishing. It took us a bit of stumbling around some Granny and Gramps memories (rehearsal for table talk next week) before we found a way to be helpful. Please remember for years to come how your Fresh Catch Santas introduced you to Shame Judo—an invaluable, yearlong skill—in 2024. Merry Christmas, everyone…. we hope you can find Baby Jesus!!

Send us a textLoyal Freshie podheads know that "unpredictable" is sort of our brand here. We love the chance to deliver something uncontrived and savory in the moment. Today we pulled back the curtain a bit on why this tastes so good, exploring moments of edgy comedy that might offend both Amish and gay communities while searching for a simple way to help churches dodge dodginess. Enjoy!

Send us a textIt all begins when we stand in our morning closets, selecting how to present ourselves to the world on any given day. For whatever reason, David felt like showing a bit of skin during this episode, and his unzipped exposure led us to fondly remember the Bee Gees and disco days. During a rare podcast recorded a mere hours before David earns a living doing a comedy gig, we treated our time as his professional warm-up act. 

Send us a textAnticipating a great holiday feast with family, we offer this episode as a public service to those who might not naturally be wired to give thanks. Predictable scenarios await. Expect to be annoyed. Spend a few precious turkey-brining moments getting your heart soaked in juices that make gratitude front and center. Maybe you will whisper a prayer of gratitude for your two pod-hosts. We'd be thankful if you did.  

Send us a textIn this episode, we accidentally came out of the closet. Starting playfully (as we are wired to do), we made a big deal out of our husky voices. That led to cowboy talk, man talk, Mike Tyson talk, and Jesus talk. Ultimately, we confessed our love for Yellowstone in public and wondered how Jesus might interact with our favorite cowboy, Rip. Come, wonder with us.

Send us a textThis episode migrated from a frisky frolic around what research might do to break down the authenticity of love to some vulnerable sharing. First, David "other-disclosed" (he's working his way to brave SELF-disclosure) about a story from a friend. But that laid the trap for Dr. Dave to reveal fresh pain from not being noticed. Along the way, our apologies to the world's largest nation.

Send us a textAt a certain age, men seem to make peace with how they will present their bellies to the world. We celebrated our shared contentment with having enough in the round to thump soundly, but the topic triggered a frat initiation memory for Dr. Dave that may be hard to un-hear. You've been warned.

Send us a textOur Fresh Catching immediately jumped into the festivity of the day and we could never quite get dislodged from discussing Halloween. It's not like there aren't other storylines to tackle. Next week, for example, we might elect the Great Pumpkin as our president. If so, Pappy will be happy…unlike the costume mask David will ask him to wear tonight. But WHERE will he WEAR it?? (Cue scary laughter.)

Send us a textWe know we're biased, but from start to finish in this episode, it felt like we set a new record of hard laughter during a single show. Admittedly, we road the coattails of last week's wedgie guffaws. But then, as often happens in FC2.0, we got to eavesdrop on David's therapy-seeking confessions to Dr. Dave. Let's just say it might take some healing before we can hold eye contact with one another in the immediate future. 

Send us a textLike a psalmist's lament, we opened this episode in honest acknowledgment that we delivered a poor podcast last week. David was pretty quick to assign blame and he's probably right. But to his credit, he also ushered us into a warmer space of reflecting on our good times. Favorite memories, decades old, had us giggling like crazy. It may be that Kool and the Gang will request a royalty check. Or it may be that an Indiana Hall of Fame wrestling coach will deliver yet another move to entertain us all and smite the wounded, cackling camel. Enjoy!

Send us a textIt's a movie. It's a metaphor for life. And by the time you finish listening to this podcast, you may turn it into your prayer. Enjoy. (Cue banjo…)

Send us a textWe danced with a bit of syrup from Love Potion #9 today. Eventually, we scrambled out of our hugfest hole to properly poke fun at some of our recent experiences. But the real payday came as Dr Dave shared the incredulous story of a church friend's unfiltered comments to his dental hygienist. Color us wistfully mocha-skinned.

Send us a textIt takes a while to crack open our windows of transparency. David unpacked the wonder of being named #2 instead of Jr., revealing a memory of Pappy that earned him a place on Dr Dave's psychoanalysis couch. A 48-year old original parable got dropped into the discovery conversation, bubbling up unresolved resentment for one of our most loyal Freshies. There's gold in this podcast. Enjoy!

Send us a textIf you prefer your podcasts to jump around a bit, this one's for you. We advanced the theory that comedians benefit from being overweight or slightly un-handsome. We got confused about how to pronounce a British singer's name. We called out David's (once) good friend from the humor industry, Andrew Stanley, for being a botoxer. And after hearing about David's latest adventures with his aging dad, we may have agreed to lie about Pappy's birthday is OK. Be careful. This episode may border on being helpful to listeners in tough times.

As a rule of thumb in this largely lighthearted podcast, we two Davids talk about our political perspectives in hushed tones. But whispers can backfire on us. They sometimes do better at communicating and, as we freely admit, they can also just creep us out. Especially if the topic happens to be pet consumption. WARNING: This episode offers Dr Dave's surprising slant on how the past week's presidential debate may impact his vote. For now, let's keep it at a whisper.

We'd love to hear from loyal listeners who live somewhere outside of the Midwest … what are garage sales like in your community? Dr Dave was given a pass from his three-day duty to record this episode as the haggling was happening on the opening morning of their bizarre bazaar where the cars are usually parked. For some folks, it's more about the social interaction than The Art of the Deal. That's when he heard a friendly buyer complain about Gene Autry. 

This episode's title was tough to land. If you've come to love our distinctively free-wheeling conversations at FC2.0, you'll enjoy this dance fest. We routinely pounced on and hijacked one another's topics, took them for a quick surfboard ride, then quickly caught another wave. One of the foamy curls we hung ten on was David's admission that he likes laughing at old people's troubles. Since Dr Dave is now 70, you might want to bookmark this moment as the day when it was no longer pure fun to be podcast partners. We're calling our sons to the green room.

Relationships being the confusing Matrix-adventure that they are, everything we notice about someone, each smidgen of communication (in whatever form), and gestures of give and take can get over-analyzed. It spills over into what we see on the TV screen, even when the DNC is our main primetime option. It also includes delivering saucy gifts to a hip-hindered neighbor who's love for "luv-texts" weirds us out. Never fear. We made sure this dance got proper scrutiny.

Dave V and Roger V, we heard you. The week of August 8, 2024, will go down in history(!) as a shameful betrayal by the two lame hosts of FC2.0. Although, if you listen carefully to the details of this week's podcast, it does seem like one David owns more of the responsibility for our non-transmission than the other does. But, hey, since there's no "I" in team, why make it a big deal, right? We've got other bullhorn messages to stir us up. Seriously, thx for your patience. Have fun.

Keenly connected to contemporary headlines, your FC2.0 team jumped into the controversy surrounding the opening ceremony at the Olympics. As a result, we also took a swim in the Social Media River, mindful that even the Seine running through Paris may be less murky and polluted, especially for Christians. Thank God that Dr Dave's middle name is both a calling and a gift … we think.

One of the things we pride ourselves in delivering through our FC2.0 podcasts is a willingness to dive into our conversational walk-abouts without holding back. We fancy ourselves as comfortably authentic. No spin that's not exposed. That's why we might need to apologize for today's episode. As it turns out, David's desire to chat about "fibby-fibs" may have been a veiled attempt to coax Dr. Dave from his sleepy state for the sake of a more energetic, entertaining listening experience. Alas, this truth was left unsaid during our recording. Pray for us.

Loyal FC2.0 listeners have come to expect scattershot ramblings from the Davidic duo. Today's episode was a transfixation. It's like we were swept away, caught up in irresistible conversation that — if we were all in a room together — would have made total sense. If seeing is believing then you'd better believe that David's nose repair job was worth talking about. The whole time. Endlessly. It was a like a verbal hard massage. Enjoy … at David's expense. 

We're hoping one of the two topics we danced with during this day late episode makes the wait worthwhile. First, if there's wisdom in waiting, why does it annoy us so much? Second, if there's wisdom in weight control why is fair food so scrumptious? Moreover, how should we respond when the voice in our head sounds like the robot from a 60's science fiction TV show (when science WAS fiction)? 

Happy Fourth of July, podheads! We lit so many fuses that the fireworks from this episode had us scurrying for cover. Our civic duty obliged us to contemplate the state of our country by trash talking the Brits while lamenting about last week's presidential debate. We fondly remembered bigger-than-life heroes from the past, e.g., Jack Palance's push-up on the Oscar stage, Reagan's aplomb, and Kojak's lollipop. When we linked angelic coolness with cigarette smoking, we decided to say farewell. Picture us waving goodbye with the delight of two modern dictators.