Once you set foot on any Disney property, the sounds and colors will haunt your life for the rest of your days.

This week, we're talking about tourism. Specifically:

• When’s the first time you remember hearing of the idea of traveling for fun, or to go see a thing/event?
• When was your first “touristy” trip?
• When you travel, is it for tourism, or is it task-oriented? (“I’m going to New York to see the Empire State Building” vs. “I’m going to New York for a work thing.”)
• What’s the most touristy thing you’ve ever done?
• What touristy thing do you hate?
• What touristy thing do you want to do?
• What’s something that you’ve gone somewhere to see, but very few people would even bother to seek out?
• Do you wish you could travel for leisure more?
• Have you ever worked in the tourism industry?
• Have you ever had to deal with tourists?
• What’s the future of tourism?

Some weeks, there are things you just have to accept. Not that it was a bad week, but Gorilla Christopher was like [to himself]: "Chill...you'll get the episode up at some point...worst case, Gorilla Shawn's always got your back..."

So here it is, in its snazzy glory...all about...stoicism...

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This is how it flows:

• When did you first become aware of stoicism?
• Do you consider yourself stoic?
• Whether or not you consider yourself stoic, what are some of your stoic moments in life?
• What are some good things about stoicism or being stoic?
• What are some bad things about being stoic?
• Do you think stoicism is avoidance?
• And along that line of thinking, many will argue stoicism is anything BUT avoidance, because you are always prepared to deal with the worst. Do you think that’s a realistic way of looking at the world?
• A tenet of stoicism is accepting the things you can and cannot control. Doing something about those things you can control…and letting the things you cannot roll off you. Your thoughts on that?
• Do you agree that people should love all the things that happen to them?
• Stoicism seems to have become a sort of buzzy philosophy among entrepreneurs. Do you think they really get stoicism?
• Why do you think stoicism still endures today?
• What is the future of stoicism?

Sprawling on the fringes of the city
In geometric order
An insulated border
In between the bright lights
And the far, unlit unknown
- Rush "Subdivisions"

This week, it's all about the suburbs!

Here's what we talk about:

• How long have you lived in the suburbs?
• What’s the first time you heard a mention of the suburbs?
• Have you ever lived in the limits of a big city?
• Which do you prefer? The suburbs or the city?
• What’s the draw of suburbia for most people?
• For us?
• What’s the most suburban thing you’ve seen?
• What’s the most suburban thing you’ve done?
• Is there really a difference in kids/people raised in the suburbs and those in the city?
• What about suburbs vs country/rural? What’s your preference there?
• Are the suburbs a good invention, or a bad one?
• What’s the future of the suburbs?

Because Gorilla Christopher is determined to get some writing in during his lunch break, here's what we chat about this week:

• When did you first become aware of determination?
• Are you a very determined person?
• What is the best thing, to you, about determination?
• What is the worst thing, to you, about determination?
• Who is the most determined person you know?
• Do you think there's anything wrong with not being a determined person?
• Can one be determined without being ambitious?
• As a society, do you think we place too much importance on being determined?
• Is there anything you are determined to do before you die?
• What's something you were once determined to do that you aren't anymore?
• What advice would you give to someone who wants to be more determined to do the things they want to do in life?
• We usually end by talking about the future. As we stare climate change in the face, do you think humanity is determined to actually do something about it?

Very few people know Gorilla Shawn is a concert pianist and Gorilla Christopher is a chamber cellist. We are tops when it comes to our Mensa scores. Christopher swam the English Channel...under water, while holding his breath. Shawn can assemble furniture with his mind. Don't even get us started on our mad dance skills.

But still...we are the most talented gorillas you will ever meet, and we combine all our talents into the most important thing you will listen to this week: the two of us talking about...talent!

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We begin the episode discussing when we first realized some people were inherently better than others at certain tings...and then talk about when we first learned what talent was.

Find out if we were aware of our talents when we were younger and what we did to discover them. After that, we chat about the most talented people we knew growing up.

We devote a bit of time to talking about what we feel we're talented at doing -- and then discuss what we wish we were truly talented at doing. If that's not enough, we chat about the most talented person we know now...and who we think are the most popular celebrities.

We get a bit serious when the topic turns to wondering if society puts too much pressure on people to discover and use their talents...and we wrap it all up with this question: Are talents even important anymore?

All we ever wanted in life was to say we recorded 277 episodes of Men in Gorilla Suits.

Check that off the bucket list, babeeeeeeee!!!

* * *

This is what we're talking about this week:

• When did you first hear of bucket lists?
• Do you have a bucket list?
• What is your opinion of bucket lists?
• What effect does social media have on bucket lists?
• What is the best thing about bucket lists?
• What is the worst thing about bucket lists?
• Are bucket lists the domain of the privileged?
• What are the top things on your bucket list?
• Is there something on your bucket list you'll likely never do?
• What's your oddest bucket list item?
• Do you think an unfinished bucket list is a sad thing?
• What is the future of the bucket list?

We don't care about SEO…we only care about talking about what we want to talk about…

[Shawn is like, "Damn, Chris…we're trending in South Korea and Malaysia…be cool, manl! Be cool!"]

(If he only saw the paragraph I deleted...)

He is right, though: Chill, Chris…chill…

And for those of you who listen to the show to hear English, the "CH" in Christopher is NOT the CH in Chill. (Also, thank you for listening. We'd rather people in South Korea and Malaysia listen than some angry redneck. But stalwart rednecks are okay with us...)

English…it's wacky!

Anyway...Shawn sings a lot in this episode...and makes Gorilla-Christopher sing along, so we're all golden!

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What we talk about this week:

• Define a stranger.
• Were you warned of “stranger danger” when you were a child?
• Who is the strangest stranger you’ve ever met?
• Are we, as a society, too afraid of strangers in general (like as in the Neighbors app, or immigration, etc)?
• Our fears of others don't match reality.
• What’s the worst interaction you’ve had with a stranger?
• The best?
• Do you think kids should still be taught that strangers are evil?
• Have you ever been the mysterious stranger in someone else’s story?
• Who’s stranger: you or me?

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Photo: Paul Garaizar

So busy making things this week that we don't have time to tell you all the things we are making. So...here's what we talk about this week!

(Now Gorilla Christopher is going to go make lunch for tomorrow...)

• What is the first thing you remember seeing being made?
• What was the first thing you remember making?
• Why make things when you can just buy stuff?
• What are some kinds of making skills you’d like to learn? Why?
• What is something you recently made that you thought was cool?
• What is the coolest thing you've ever made?
• Is there something you really want to make, but haven't gotten around to?
• What prevents you from making certain things?
• Why do you think things like maker's groups have become so popular?
• Do you think society loses (or gains) something when people have everything made for them and cannot make things themselves?
• Where do things like 3D printers, laser cutters, and other things fit into making things? Do they make it all too easy?
• What is the future of making things?

"Yeah, uhm...we're gonna need you to come into work tomorrow. I know, I know...it's 4:49 on a Friday and you're about to leave, but...we have a lot to do, so we're working this weekend. Oh, you have plans? Plans can be cancelled...I mean, it's not like your kid isn't going to go on to play professional baseball if they're just on some lowly city league. They're already too far behind. The best they will become is someone just like you who will one day work on Saturdays for a bigger cause. Oh, by the way...I know your property has been in your family for generations, but we lobbied local officials and we all agree that the town would benefit more from taxes once a strip mall is built there, so just remember: you're getting a fair price when we assert eminent domain. Seeya tomorrow..."

This week, we're talking about corporations! Here's the list of what we discuss:

• What was the first corporation you were aware of?
• What’s the first corporation you were a part of in any way?
• Do corporations have too much access to our daily lives?
• Do you trust corporations with your data?
• Do corporations have our best interests at heart?
• Are corporations soulless and evil, or are they sometimes good?
• What’s the best corporation you can think of?
• The worst?
• Which corporations figure into your daily life most?
• Do corporations own us? The government?
• Do you think corporations are too powerful?
• What’s the future of corporations?

Apparently the consequence of having a day job when there's a wicked cold going around the northern part of the Lone Star State is that you might catch that cold by going into the office.

The Gorillamen are in different stages of that cold, so please ignore any snarfiness in this episode. Also, we're just going to get straight to what we talked about this episode:

• When did you first learn there were consequences for certain actions?
• How much did consequences factor into your life when you were younger?
• How much do consequences factor into your life today?
• Do you think perceived consequences are often valid or are they overhyped?
• Neither of us have kids, but let's pretend we do. What consequences do you feel are most important to explain to a younger person?
• How does discipline factor into consequences?
• What is one lax action and consequence you wished you'd heeded more?
• What do you think about systems set up to measure results and force consequences (e.g. annual performance reviews)?
• Do you think it's effective to suggest to others ways to avoid negative consequences for their actions?
• As we rely on more tools (smart phones, apps, etc.) and institutions, what consequences come with that expansion of use?
• Do you think it's possible to live a life of few consequences?
• What consequences from the last decades do you think we will face in the not-too-distant future?