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The Real Brian Show

What are you nerding out on? That's the question I ask you, my guests, and even myself. You never know what you're gonna get on each episode! We hit record and see what happens!
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The Real Brian Show
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Now displaying: September, 2018
Sep 28, 2018

Old friend, but new to the show, we welcome Andrew Alliance and his dazzling personality to the Real Brian Show! Andrew co-hosts a gaming podcast called The Show Radio (links below) and a large focus of this episode is around gaming, but through a very unique lens. We're talking about why we do what we do, about the impact we have on the people around us, and why it's important to adopt the mantra "you do you".

In This Episode

  • Welcome, Andrew!
  • Andrew's story
  • You Do You
  • Destiny 2, Red Dead Redemption
  • Having an impact...

You Do You

My favorite line from Andrew in this episode is, "Play what you love and don't look for validation from someone else for why you play the games that you like." You do you! It's a statement that can be broadly applied to hobbies and interests... we apologize for what we love to do. Judgment will always come from the outside, whether it's from folks who think we're "not real fans" if X-Y-Z or think that if you love one game you couldn't possibly love another.

Nerding out and geeking out is a staple of The Real Brian Show. Whether you've been listening for one episode or 131 episodes, we are not shy about the things we love. Some people like drinking Folgers crystals... and though we ridicule it from time to time, we accept it! Because it's a losing battle. Just kidding. We love the breadth of personalities that are drawn in by the breadth of interests and it's endlessly interesting to me to see where interests overlap from people of all backgrounds.

Don't apologize for what you love! Embrace it. You do you!

Links

Sep 21, 2018

After being frozen in carbonite for an unspecified amount of time in an undisclosed place, Miss Ice emerged! In a world dripping with options, it wouldn’t hurt us to be picky and choosy from time to time! Miss Ice joins The Real Brian to talk about broadening our perspectives and how being selective isn’t really a bad thing.

In This Episode

  • Peppermint and Predator
  • Taking a break from TV
  • Sports!
  • Thoughts on perspective
  • Brian's on the Matt Bellamy bandwagon!

Picky and Choosy

We should be picky and choosy. The first time this was said to me was at work, when we were under a barrage of requests to get certain aspects of our applications enhanced or built-out. The department's product owner started saying this and at first it was really hard to dispel the angry, frustrated voices who'd been trying to push their own agendas and were falling flat. But then, as we became pickier and choosier, it finally gave us time to start flexing our muscles and show our internal clients that we hear what's causing them pain, but provide them with solutions that address a more holistic need.

Watching this process happen at work made me start thinking about this in other aspects of my life. The most obvious category was my media intake. When I stopped and thought about it, it was like there were dozens of angry people yelling at me, demanding my attention, and I didn't care about ANY of them. I wanted to care about something again... and by stepping back, thinking critically about what I want out of my media, it made me see that I don't need to consume everything. I can look for the shows and movies that grab my attention, and turn off the ones that don't.

Amazingly, I don't miss it! I do a lot of other things now that I was just kind of ignoring before. Shopping for clothes to replace all my old crappy ones. Spending oodles of time with my 2-month old nephew! If I could only incorporate grocery shopping into my routine...

Links

Sep 14, 2018

We crush a lot of topics this week with the help of crowd favorites Lord Thunder and Mr. What! From Tesla to Subnautica to marriage advice, nothing is out of scope for what we like to talk about. And yes, you'll learn just why our biceps are bulging with power. There's also a special appearance from a very special person in Brian's life....

In This Episode

  • Whatchoo drinkin'?
  • Tesla
  • Takin' a drive
  • Subnautica, Spider-Man
  • Marriage insights
  • Lord Thunder is crushin'...

Bulging With Power

How about this guy, huh? Here's Lord Thunder, once confused about what this newfangled device is... used to speak to others across time and space. No, Mr. Thunder, that is not what the microphone is for.

Like Lord Thunder, I have a big voice-crush on Matt Bellamy of Muse. As if I need a real reason to think so, I find his style of songwriting to be extremely clever and unique, something that is impossible for another band to reproduce. If you're interested in songwriting, check out this video released by Holistic Songwriting earlier this year... he does a fantastic breakdown of Bellamy's style.

I totally resonate with Lord Thunder... sometimes we'll hear a voice that just rings perfectly to us and it's hard to shake or really explain why we think so. Thunder does a very good job of it, and I would agree with him that it's a reason I love Muse, but I always feel that what makes use love a particular voice is more ethereal than we can put any explanation to... part of what makes music so genuinely incredible.

Here's a list of my voice crushes (in order) and a link to a video that showcases their incredible talents:

There's more, but these are the notable mentions. Whose voice makes you go weak at the knees? Leave a comment!

Links

Sep 7, 2018

Can you see the good in bad? It can be one of the most difficult and rewarding challenges in life. Not to live in the past, but learn from it. Not to obsess over mistakes, but grow because of them. Brian and Tony dig into the meat of this concept and also into our other, familiar nerdy topics!

In This Episode

  • End of Summer thingz
  • Steamboat Tread of Pioneers Museum
  • Are things really getting "worse"?
  • Nothing new under the sun!
  • Self-inflicted burdens
  • Gaming
  • We're looking forward to Predator!

Good in Bad

"Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns, be happy the thorn bush has roses."

Sometimes we get sucked into negativity and before we know it, we're going along with the hoard. The hoard can be horrible and the mood of that hoard contagious. We throw out quotes, like the one above, or idioms like 'is the glass half full or half empty?' in order to glean some insight into someone else's mindset, but often the bad can creep into our lives and minds in ways we're not expecting.

Before you go and say, 'Well, everyone is just getting meaner. And more cruel.' Let us remind you of a couple pretty horrific events of human history: Nazi Germany. World War I. World War II. Rwandan genocide. Maybe your rebuttal is, 'Yeah, but those are the worst of them.' The fact is... no. Those events were the culmination of evil and hatred in human hearts, not a random rebellion against human nature. Some pretty terrible events have taken place before we were born, and still not that long ago. Are things really getting worse? Well, we certainly have more visibility into the atrocities happening, thanks to the internet connecting us the entire world.

What's the point? The point is that we're flawed beings. I believe that someone's intentions can be good, but our inner nature is not good. It is our responsibility, and our challenge, to rise above selfishness and put the needs and interests of others ahead of our own. And in everything, try to find a balance! It isn't that we ignore our own needs and only focus on others, but that we learn how to co-exist with others. Share the road! Smile at people when you pass by! Hold the door open for the next person. And beyond those we can see, think about the people who have yet to be born by conserving resources and recycling! The little things we do to notice other people in our day-to-day lives open our minds to a whole new form of existence.

Game Suggestions!

We're looking for game suggestions... that aren't repetitive or horror-themed. Got anything you're playing now that we should try? Leave a comment!

Were you paying attention?

For those of you who caught the reference, you'll appreciate this!

Links

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