The Smartest Guy in the Room

Are you alive right now? Of course you are, but are you living in the moment? Most of us run around like so many chickens with our heads cut off and the boys wonder why. Join them for a moment of Zen, meditation, and mindfulness. Otis catches a glimpse of his former self through the eyes of a kid enjoying his first Bills game! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Technology is ubiquitous. Unfortunately, like our Miranda rights, anything we say or do can be used against us in a court of law or the one of public opinion. The guys discuss the many benefits and pitfalls of our modern technology advancements. Bonus story about how Demps stumbled upon a potential new fetish. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Did Elon Musk buy Twitter in a boozy, pot fueled fit of hubris? Or is he playing 3D Chess while everyone else plays 52 pickup? Should we follow Sam Harris' lead and ditch Twitter? There is only so much outrage one can handle, so come listen as our guys distill the truth from all the noise. Otis argues online with a bonafide Nazi! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Whether you are Pete Rose, Minnesota Fats, or used to like going to Studio 54, most people these days have some kind of side hustle. Listen along as Demps realizes he needs to have something to do to stay busy, even if it's just for fun. Otis recounts a time he was asked to be the voice of reason. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Find out what happens when seven feet of snow falls on a city in one day! Demps shares his family recipe for frozen snowballs! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you enjoy shameful pleasure? "Sign me up!" is what Demps' says. The guys wonder if enjoying the suffering of others is healthy or if it exposes the darker, more sinister side of humanity. The holiday season is upon us and Matt has flashbacks to his "Mickey Rooney" days. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you have too much stuff? Is your mind cluttered? Folks, minimalism isn't just for the poor. Join our special guys as they weigh the pros and cons of minimalism in today's society. Otis wonders if keeping up with the "Jones" is a fool's errand and Demps thinks mother nature is a pack rat! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

The Onion says "Stereotypes save time", but is it true that most people go around doing very little thinking and letting our instincts and pre-formed opinions color our thoughts, judgments and decisions? Come find out what the boys have uncovered regarding internal biases and if those same thought processes are being used to manipulate us by the people in charge, whoever they are. Matt confesses he has Sunday scaries! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Are you the strong silent type? Perhaps you wear your heart on your sleeve? Maybe you hate cliches' and just want people to give it to you straight? The boys sit down and discuss what Stoicism is, and how/if people practice it today. This week's episode will resonate with kids of all ages, whether you're a drama queen who overshares or is figuratively crippled by your emotions. Demps learns a new way to say f*ck you! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

What is Stan Culture? The guys were asked, and they have delivered. Listen along as they break down how a simple fondness for a person or thing can become an obsession and morph into something more sinister like stalking, cyber-bullying, or even murder. On a more positive note, Demps proves that meeting your hero can be an amazing experience. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Remember the days of playing pickup football where all you needed was a Nerf and your buddies? The suits from the NFL and others have managed to extract a lot of the joy we experienced playing sports as kids and replaced it with a corporate thirst for profits. Matt rediscovers his throwing arm while dealing with a local nuisance. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Bob Dylan famously wrote "You gotta serve somebody" and with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the boys were inclined to wonder who should be served and what, exactly, should we serve them? Also, Matt asks if the King has ever used duct tape or WD-40. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you like to take risks? Most people would say no, only to get into a tin box on wheels to do one of the most dangerous things ever invented by man! The Guys examine why some people live for risk taking, and ponder whether or not it is a mental condition? Also learn how Matt drove a point one time by driving a nail through his heel. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Never a borrower or lender be! It's a fact that these words of wisdom are not heeded in today's world. Cancelling, or transferring the massive student loan debt is a hot topic so the fellas decided to pop open the hood and take a look. Demps learns the hard way not to mess with his garage door and leave it to the professionals. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

If everyone is jumping off a bridge, are you going to? In today's hyperconnected world, we are learning fast that just because something is popular, there is no guarantee it is going to be good. Join the discussion and learn, for example, why today's country music is as bad as your dad's was, but in its own terrible way! Bonus material- Otis never goes number two in public restrooms. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

I love rush hour traffic! Said no one ever. During the pandemic, many of us lucky enough to have jobs were forced to work remotely. Now, we're being harassed to get our buts back in the office and folks are confused as to what the optimal work-life balance should look like. The boys decide to have a look see. Also, Demps fills us in on the reason you have to turn your video camera on manually. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you love seeing live music? We all do but have you seen the price of concerts these days? The guys discuss the outrageous cost of concert tickets as a harbinger of the decline of society. Find out why Otis wishes he was a vampire. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Remember when they chanted "Forty acres and a mule!" No, you probably don't and more importantly, why would you care? A large chunk of the American Dream is owning your own home. Join the guys as they try to figure out if there is any value in owning your own home or if being part of "Generation Rent" is a better option! Demps discovers that China doesn't have property taxes! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Are you a Karen? We hope not! Seriously, the "Karen" phenomenon has been around for a long time but like all of the worst things about society, the internet and pervasive video have only managed to intensify our disdain for the worst behaviors that humans exemplify. Demps meets a male Karen, or Chad, at a local Starbucks. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Otis and Demps are both avid readers and students of life but they part company on the best way to consume the written word or to quote Otis "carve up the monkey". From junk mail to making copies at the office, Americans waste millions of tons of paper every year with no end in sight. Our guys look for answers on how to turn the tide and be better stewards of planet earth! Demps admits to killing lots of trees while using his body as an amusement park! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you have a billion dollars? Most of us don't even have a billion doll hairs! Either way, we all know being rich doesn't suck. Our guys get after this one like the early bird getting the worm so take a deep breath for a not so deep dive on why we have mixed emotions about what to do with these people. Also don't tell Demps he is probably a C player! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Are you sick of high gas prices? Of course, but are you prepared to drop fifty thousand bucks on a zero emission electric car? Elon Musk thinks so, but our guys aren't so sure about that. Plug in, take the ride, while the guys discuss things like flying cars, the Simpsons, and the greatest super food ever, the potato. Otis wants to know why electric cars are so darn ugly! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Picture yourself flying down the highway without a care in the world. Awesome, right? Now wake up and realize that most of our driving time is wasted getting cut off in traffic and being disrespected in general by our fellow drivers. Have a listen as the guys recount some horrible life experiences of their own while admitting to performing some of the worst driving habits ever exhibited by man. Demps also brags about the time the California Highway Patrol needed a plane to catch him speeding. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Are you Type A? Perhaps you are the other type. Come along for the ride as the guys talk about different types of personalities, why some personality types are better suited for some jobs, and if there is any value in being passive aggressive. Demps considers getting his nipples pierced as well. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Have you been injured by someone else's negligence? Did you win a big settlement? Donning their figurative seersucker suits, our hosts do their best "Matlock" to unravel the gordian knot that is the litigious nature of life in the USA. Bonus story about a flaming asshole. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

What is inflation? Like death, taxes, and herpes, inflation is never fun, and never goes away. The boys have done the research on this one folks so get comfy, crack a cold one, and listen along as they come to the sad conclusion that inflation, while awful, cannot continue to rise, and will come back to earth eventually. The question is, are you prepared for a crash or a soft landing? Also, Demps considers his connection to Danny DeVito. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Why do people waste the present lamenting the past and/or fearing the future? Who cares is a better answer. Life is short, and you could die right now for all you know so listen to the boys wax on about things like travelling to Finland, bungee jumping, and swimming with great white sharks. If you're breathing, it's not too late to start living, even if all you want to do is yell at a grocery clerk about the rotten cheese they sold you. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Are you a peacenik? Aren't we all? The last time we checked the answer was no. Come along for this crossing of the Rubicon, and see what our special guys have to say about why wars suck for everybody, including the rich. Unless, of course, the rich are deceiving us! Make sure to stay to the end for a breakdown of the best/worst songs written about war. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

The boys take part in a roundhouse discussion that includes fighting amongst themselves, dealing with the kids, and the value of a big sigh. Demps wonders why his son thinks he is being judgmental! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." A classic phrase repeated to kids everywhere when getting busted for stealing from a convenience store. But do those words ring hollow? Global organized crime is a $5T per year business and Otis and Demps kick the beehive to see what the buzz is all about. Come have a listen, a laugh, and a pause at why the world is rife with crime and if there is anything to be done about it. Stay to the end for a story about Otis' addiction to cheese danish. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

The pandemic has altered our world in many ways. From actual death caused by the virus, to what Demps calls a mere inconvenience. Join the conversation as the guys consider what freedom is today and how even the definition of the word can be interpreted to mean vastly different things. Also learn why Demps got kicked out of a Buffalo Bills game for exercising his freedom to contract cancer. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Everyone dreams of a socialist utopia, yet many are confused by what socialism means. Join our fearless hosts as they parcel out and deconstruct the differences between economic realities and falsehoods being dispensed daily like so many useful placebos! We also find out why Otis has a statue of Leon Trotsky, whose only crime was to dream of a better life. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

The fellas sat down with Hal Higdon, a founding father of the marathon revolution as Demps like to call it. Hal has been a lifetime runner and has competed at the highest levels in the sport. He has written many articles and books about running and contributed to Runner's World Magazine. His work has inspired, motivated, and taught millions of everyday folks the benefits of getting out on the road and just running for the fun of it. Also Demps talks about the time he had plantar fasciitis! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Have you ever asked yourself who puts the "you" in community? Life is about many things, and one of those things is dealing with other people. Take a ride with the guys down Good Intentions road as they get technical about what it means to be a part of a community, and if it's worth the trouble. Demps also explains what a litmus test is. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Everyone lies. Just ask Snopes. Otis and Demps confess that lying was key to their survival growing up, and while they prefer to be lied to most of the time, they ponder whether the truth sets any of us free. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you love to win and hate to lose? Who doesn't? The fact that any of us are alive right now has been a giant crap shoot when you think about the odds. Come join the boys as they weave through the seedy and lucrative world of gambling from street bookies, to Native American casinos to the likes of Dave Portnoy and online sports betting, they cover it all. Make sure you listen to the part where they poke fun at the only casino owner who lost bigly, which is hard to do when the fix is in. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

They say if everyone you meet is an asshole, you may be the asshole. Come listen to the guys NOT argue about why it seems more interesting to fight and argue with each other instead of just getting along! Added bonus; Demps almost admits he has a Napoleon complex. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Everyone on the planet seems to agree that Donald Trump is a narcissist. But let's be honest, most of us barely understand the condition and are hardly qualified to diagnose it in others. Join us as we take a look at this very popular and ugly personality disorder and break down what it means, and if we posses any of the tendencies of this crippling affliction. You may just end up finding some empathy for the Orange Cheeto! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Are you humble? Would you like to be humbled? Join the guys this week with special guest Rich Brzezinski. Rich is an old pal of Demps' who manages his busy schedule with self-discipline and jiu-jitsu. Make sure to listen to the part where Otis recounts his battle with a rare form of vertigo! Not the U2 song, either. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

You're not the boss of me! A phrase we've all screamed at someone at some point in our lives, but the question remains: who is your boss? Teresa Dempsey joins the guys to discuss entrepreneurship and what it takes to follow your passion and strike out on your own. Stay until the end to find out why pigs are committed to you enjoying your breakfast! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you follow the science? Of course you do, but when is science fiction and when does fiction become science? The good news is no one knows and if you think you do, you're probably wearing a tin foil hat! Strap in, hold on for dear life while our favorite smart guys attempt to boil the ocean on this very deep topic. We also find out if Otis whupped his dad's butt. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you love your job? Do you even like it? For most of us, asking these questions is a moot point because we don't think we have a choice. Join Otis and Demps as they speak candidly about what their next moves are going to be as they ease into semi-retirement and ponder the importance of hobbies and other interests outside of work. Make sure you catch the part where Otis expresses gratitude to the folks who allowed him to be himself! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

If we're lucky, we get to grow old and die, but do any of us grow up? Otis and Demps explore the history of maturity and how diverse cultures throughout time have marked the passage from youth to adulthood, from the pedestrian to the unbelievably bizarre! Also find out if Demps really made his kid stand on a fire-ant mound to prove his toughness. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Everybody gotta die sometime, right? We sure do, but life is for living. Christmas is a time for giving gifts and getting into fights but on a deeper level we take the deadest time of the year, winter, to celebrate the best thing in the world, which is life! Come join the fun as Otis shares his darkest fears about death and Demps' only fear is that he has a drink before meeting his maker! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you speak slang? Sure, but whose? Otis and Gerry cut through all the jargon, red tape, and/or minutia and end up having a big glow up at the end. Bonus story about the time Matt took a bath with his dog! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you love holiday traditions? Most of us do and shockingly, the fact that we do may be a sign that we're all insane. Have a listen to Otis and Demps slog through the meaning behind some of our most treasured practices, why they are important, kind of dumb, and why you should never go into the bathroom when Krampus is around. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Are you a product of your environment or did you come from the factory the way you are? Come explore this complex and interesting topic with our hosts and discover why shavings make a pile, whether that pile comes from beard clippings or a hunk of cheese. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Are you a role model? For better or worse the answer is yes. Join the fellas for a captivating look at how society loves putting people on pedestals and of course, knocking them down. Stay till the end to find out what happens when you head butt a tree. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you take drugs? Maybe you're just high on life. Yeah sure you are! Please join our resident mad men as they do their best to figure out where America will go next with our relationship with drugs. Matt questions why we all just can't get along and laugh insanely when we are in excruciating pain like he did when he broke a bunch of bones one time. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Do you like fancy words? Hubris is one of those words that sounds as funny as the people who put it to use. Come listen to the boys make fun of themselves while being introspective. Also find out why the largest purchase most people will ever make in their life can suck. (Note-Minor technical difficulties). --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support

Did you know there are people who don't believe in dinosaurs? Yep, it's true. Conspiracy theories have been around since Eve fed Adam the poison apple (or did she?). Join in as the guys wade into the murky waters of their favorite conspiracy theories like QAnon. Are these theories based in reality? Sure, they are, just like Demps' dream where he may have had a non-consensual encounter with an octopus. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gerry-dempsey/support