Mind Gap

This week Justin and Doug are discussing why it’s important for people to be genuine and sincere and how this affects work environments and politics. Doug admits that he’s a terrible negotiator and how he hates doing manual labor. The dorks then share some stories about being stagehands before the conversation drifts into how obsession drives an artist and whether artists are wired differently than other people. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Dredd vs. Judge Dredd. You see Doug performing with the improv team Recess on Friday, September 15 at 8:00pm at the Playground Theater. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you don't miss anything!

If you’ve ever wondered if there was a bromance that could rival that of Doug and Justin, today you find out. This week, Doug and Justin are joined by Doug’s good friend known as New York.  The two met in 2005 playing World of Warcraft and while they’ve never met in person, their friendship has blossomed over the years. New York tells of how he and Doug met, the shenanigans they got into playing games, and some of the crazy people they encountered along the way. Doug then professionally segues into the more serious topic of addiction and New York shares his own story of battling drug and heroin addiction. New York talks about what led him down that road, what he endured, and how he ended up getting help. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with some World of Warcraft classes: Mage vs. Rogue. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, New York wants you to know that you are not alone and that there are people that can help. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you don't miss anythin

Chris Charles, filmmaker and co-founder of Cyntax Sportswear, joins Justin and Doug to talk about some of Chris’ favorite movie making moments, how distribution deals work, and the state of the movie industry. The dorks then talk about how hard it is to act against nothing but a green screen, smaller digital studios versus larger movie companies, and whether virtual reality could enhance the storytelling experience in movies. Things are wrapped up in a throw-down between Steven Spielberg vs. Martin Scorsese. Check out Chris’ new sports clothing company, Cyntax Sportswear, and donate to their Kickstarter campaign! Check out Doug on the improv team Recess on Friday, Aug. 25 at 8:00pm at the Playground Theater! Follow us on Twitter & like us on Facebook so you don't miss anything!

This week, Justin and Doug discuss the idea of cyborgs and how people are installing technology into their bodies to enhance their experiences. The dorks discuss the pros and cons of these type of upgrades then think of what types of upgrades they would consider making to their own bodies. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with cyborg enhancements: upgraded reflexes vs. hardened skin. Check out the Beme News video on cyborgs: https://youtu.be/NJPuti68gCc Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you don't miss anything!

Doug and Justin celebrate two years of Mind Gap Podcast episodes! They take a moment to reflect on some of their favorite moments on the podcast before the nerds discuss outdoor music festivals, entitled people, and what it means to be a good human. Doug tells some war stories from his hotel days and why it’s important to pick up after your kids in public. Justin gets Doug all riled up about his recent Jewel grocery store bagging experience. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Turk vs. JD from Scrubs. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you don't miss anything! THANK YOU ALL FOR AN AWESOME TWO YEARS!

In honor of our 2 year anniversary, we've put together some of our favorite moments on the show so far. Thank you so much for your support. We're looking forward to another 2 years of falling headfirst into the nerdiest of mind gaps!

Doug starts this week off talking about how he spaced out during a meeting and thought about how if all of the insects in the world united, humans would be screwed. Justin offers his counterpoint. Doug shares his opinions on why he doesn’t like Avatar and how unique storytelling devices make for a good movie and/or tv show even though Justin feels like it’s almost impossible to come up with anything new or original anymore. The dorks discuss coming up with an idea only to find out someone else has done it. Our heroes then dive into the Harry Potter universe and talk about their own fan fiction ideas. Things are wrapped up with a debate throw-down with Dave Cochrane vs. Wain Parham. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you don't miss anything!

This week Justin and Doug kick things off with a scientific discussion about how sex positions were invented. The conversation shifts gears as the guys share their experiences of homeless people in Chicago and how that relates to Dunbar’s number (150 monkeys). The two dorks then talk about their anger issues and what sets them off. Doug shares some stories of when he had some knock down, drag out arguments and the heroes discuss tactics used in arguments as well as how they avoid arguing in their relationships. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down featuring Rocky Balboa vs. Little Mac from Mike Tyson’s Punchout. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you don't miss anything!

This week Doug and Justin are joined once again by stand-up comedian and teacher, Sydney Davis Jr. Jr. to chat about some great things. The dorks start by chatting about what it’s like to be a teacher at The Second City Training Center, how stand-up comedy is different from improv, and how Sydney developed her comedic voice and style. Then Doug leads Sydney into discussing her disdain for Iliza Shlesinger and her most recent controversial interview about female comics. The heroes then discuss what it’s like being a female comic nowadays. The focus then turns to Tomi Lahren and how Sydney has tried to get her to respond to her on Twitter. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Iliza Shlesinger vs. Tomi Lahren. Check out Sydney’s special at the Elbo Room on July 22 at 7:00pm.  Buy your tickets here! Doug has an improv show at The Playground Theater on Friday, July 22 at 9:00pm. Click here for more info! Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you don't miss anything!

This week, Doug and Justin talk about the new Netflix movie Death Note coming out on Aug. 25. The movie is an adaptation of an anime of the same name and the two dorks discuss the fan reaction to the American version. Doug eventually asks Justin what he would do if he were to get his hands on a Death Note and then the heroes discuss the idea of justice and whether death is really the answer to someone’s crimes. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Link vs. Legolas. Go see Chris’ new comedy show, The Chris and Matt Show playing at The Second City Training Center on July 14 and July 21 at 8:30PM. Tickets are $13, but enter the online promo code “SQUEEP” to get a discount. You don’t want to miss this show! Doug has an improv show at The Playground Theater on Friday, July 22 at 9:00pm. You can find tickets here: http://theplaygroundtheater.com/shows/house-team-saturdays-2017-07-22/ Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you don't miss anything!

This week, Justin and Doug talk about their 4th of July vacations and Justin brings up a Playstation 2 incident that happened in Doug’s family years ago. The dorks then discuss some issues with YouTube, specifically how someone can claim copyright infringement on a video and get it immediately taken down for roughly 14 days without any oversight. The two heroes then discuss the Wall Street Journal’s takedown of PewDiePie and discuss how advertisers have been leaving the YouTube arena due to fear of unacceptable content. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Max Payne vs. The Punisher. Jim Sterling’s video about YouTube and copyright infringement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO-NvN0Diu4 Go see Chris’ new comedy show, The Chris and Matt Show playing at The Second City Training Center on July 7, July 14, and July 21 at 8:30PM. Tickets are $13, but enter the online promo code “SQUEEP” to get a discount. You don’t want to miss this show! Doug has an improv show at The Playground Theater on Friday, Jul

Chris Vellucci of The Chris and Matt Show returns to the podcast! The dorks chat about the powers of perception, whether national and state borders are archaic, states seceding from the US, and some pretty insane legislation happening in Missouri. The gentlemen then discuss rimjobs and fetishes and then Justin brings the heroes back into the fold with some questions on perception. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Mario vs. Luigi. Go see Chris’ new comedy show, The Chris and Matt Show playing at The Second City Training Center on June 30, July 7, July 14, and July 21 at 8:30PM. Tickets are $13, but enter the online promo code “SQUEEP” to get a discount. You don’t want to miss this show! Doug has an improv show at The Playground Theater on Friday, July 7 at 8:00pm. Tickets here --> http://theplaygroundtheater.com/shows/real-housewives-2-2017-07-07/

At long last, Mind Gap Podcast super fan Wain Parham joins Justin and Doug this week and it is a doozy! Wain sets a new standard by bringing Justin and Doug a gift, he explains why church music is so different and complicated, and he finally explains to Doug why he’s a fundy Christian.  This leads the heroes down a discussion about human nature, tribalism, and evolving to the next human level. Wain gives his thoughts on Christopher Nolan and talks about his programming skills. The heroes then discuss some of their favorite nerd TV shows and then Justin tries to get Wain and Doug to fight by asking them to debate whether The Dark Knight is a good movie. Things are wrapped up in a throw-down with One Punch Man vs. Iron Fist. Check out Wain’s theatre company, TUTA, for shows and labs: http://www.tutato.com/ Doug has an improv show at The Playground Theater on Saturday, June 24 at 9:00pm. Tickets available here: http://theplaygroundtheater.com/shows/house-team-saturdays-2017-06-24/

This week, Doug helps Justin deal with a caffeine crash as he consumed an inordinate amount of coffee throughout the day, which leads the two to talk about how caffeine affects them. The dorks then discuss the current protests surrounding Evergreen State College in Oregon regarding professor Bret Weinstein and racial tensions. The conversation moves into freedom of speech, absolutes, mob mentality, and liberals galvanizing each other. The heroes then reminisce about situations where they felt stupid in public by hurting themselves. Things are wrapped up in a throw-down with Wonder Woman vs. Thor. Doug has an improv show at The Playground Theater on Saturday, June 24 at 9:00pm. Get tickets here: http://theplaygroundtheater.com/shows/house-team-saturdays-2017-06-24/ Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

This week Doug and Justin start out trading stories where they inappropriately misspoke at work. Justin discusses his plans for how he will handle his poop cycle when he runs the Chicago marathon. The twosome then discuss the recent issue in Portland, OR involving two women who were forced to close down their burrito cart when they were accused of cultural appropriation. The dorks then ponder whether two white guys can have a conversation about a culturally sensitive topic and better themselves and then they consider the idea of whether race is a social construct. Then, Doug brings up the Flat Earth conspiracy theory and things go off the rails. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with the xenomorph from Alien vs. the T-800 from Terminator. Doug has an improv show at The Playground Theater on Saturday, June 24 at 9:00pm. Tickets available here: http://theplaygroundtheater.com/shows/house-team-saturdays-2017-06-24/

Doug and Justin spent the first few minutes getting excited for their upcoming 104th episode and marginally less excited for their 100th. The heroes then use the show The Last Kingdom as a jumping off point to discuss what makes a good character vs what makes a bad character as well as some of their favorite fictional characters. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Uhtred of Bebbanburg from The Last Kingdom vs. Jamie Lannister from Game Of Thrones.

Doug gets excited to explain grassy waterways and trade secrets to Justin. Doug then decides to vent some frustration with some police officers looking unprofessional in the subway. The dorks wander down the road of customer service and how it applies in everyday life. The duo then discuss abuses of power with prominent leaders and how people have lost their job due to their online behavior. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Chris Hardwick vs. Ryan Seacrest.

This week Justin and Doug talk about stand-up comic Bill Burr and how he goes about experience life to generate comedic material. Doug talks about how being a parent affects his consumption of movies and games and goes on a wonderful tangent about the indie game called Inside. The dorks talk about intense scenes in movies, why they’re difficult to watch, and why it’s important to show the consequences of violence in movies. The heroes then talk about how the bad apples in most situations ruin the privileges for everyone else. Things are wrapped up with a comedy throw-down with Bill Burr vs. Louis C.K. Be sure to check out Doug’s improv troupe, RECESS, on May 19th at 8pm at the Playground Theater!

This week Justin and Doug head on an internet adventure through StumbleUpon. Using the StumbleUpon website, the dorks wander through the world wide web to see what they can find to talk about. Such topics include quotes by famous people, 18 best movies on Netflix you haven’t seen, 10 awesome experiences you can only have in Kentucky, 8 great learning vacations in California, a unique way to make money on Amazon, digital collage art, and whether or not food is art. Things are wrapped up with a throw-down with Rocket Raccoon vs. The Punisher. Be sure to check out Doug’s improv troupe, RECESS, on May 19h at 8pm at the Playground Theater!

This week the conversation starts off with Justin excitedly telling Doug about a hashtag he finds very clever, #SkepticalLyrics, but Doug is slow to jump on the bandwagon. This leads the guys to reminisce about jobs they’ve had that played “corporate radio” all day as well as how people got questions answered before the days of Google. Our dorks move seamlessly into their main topic which is different industries becoming automated and the concept of implementing a universal wage in order to lessen the blow of people losing their jobs to robots. The heroes discuss how technology has changed society’s physiology and whether our current society could recover if there was a Walking Dead style apocalypse? Things are wrapped up in a throw-down with today’s society forced back into “hunter/gatherer mode” vs. our original hunter gatherer ancestors. Be sure to check out Doug’s improv troupe, RECESS, on May 6th at 9pm at the Playground Theater! http://theplaygroundtheater.com/shows/house-team-saturdays-2017-05-06/