Men in Gorilla Suits
Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 160: Last Seen…Having Regrets

Warning sign showing person falling in a pit - Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 160: Last Seen…Having RegretsWe'll get right to it: you want to know our greatest regrets -- the things we are most ashamed of -- it's all right here! (Okay, and Christopher, at Shawn's request, talks about the time he found his father in the basement doing surgery on himself.

Seriously!

Ralph Bertil Gronlund may have been a man wrought with regrets, but he did shit his own way...

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We kick it off by talking all about the first time we became aware there was this thing in the world called regret. After that, we define regret...and chat about whether or not it's possible to live a life without regrets.

Want to know what we regret in life? We talk about that shit...and then we discuss people [not by name -- we're not assholes] we know who are torn apart with regrets to the point that life is hard for them. (And, sadly, a lot of people are like, "Get over it!" to them. Ah, were it that easy for those people...)

Sticking to that, we chat about why some people have a tougher time with regrets, while people like us are like, "Ah well, there was a time in the past when we were stupid...and even did horrible things..."

We step back to the "Get over it!" advice, talking about whether or not that's a realistic bit of advice when dealing with people who carry regret. (By now, it's probably clear that we are not heartless bastards and feel for those around us.)

We love technology on this show, so...we devote time to how technology affects people's regrets...as well as how simply being an American (and what we "stand for") can play into regrets.

If we had a time machine, find out the one thing we'd go back to in our own lives and change. But let's be honest: the present is where it's at. We talk about if there's anything we're doing right now that we might one day regret -- and what we can do today to prevent that from ever happening.

And while we were scheduled to talk about what advice we'd give to a person torn up by regrets, we had such a great time with this episode that Shawn thought Christopher was setting him up for our end catch phrase. But it's probably fair to say we'd each have said something like, "Get professional help, and realize we all make mistakes. Find a way to love yourself and see your good, no matter what terrible things you did in your past. They're probably not as bad as you imagine them to be." (Seriously, Christopher really did something shitty to a kid in his neighborhood, but the past is the past...)

And don't regret not sharing your greatest regrets in the comments.

Direct download: migs160.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 8:29pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 159: Last Seen…Volunteering

Statue of two people helping each other - Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 159: Last Seen…VolunteeringSome people feel it's a huge obligation to help others, while others are mostly interested in helping themselves and a few people close to them. Is one view of society right and the other wrong? What about those who volunteer more to boast about all they do, rather than actually helping causes? Can a person be like, "Fuck it -- I look out for Numero Uno," and still be decent...or must we all give more of ourselves than we have to give? (And at what point is giving convenient and actually a personal sacrifice?)

In short, is there a proper way to volunteer one's time?

That's what we're talking about on this week's episode of Men in Gorilla Suits.

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We kick it all off by talking about how often we volunteer our time, and quickly jump to the last time we volunteered. On that topic, we discuss what we last did to help others -- and why we volunteered our time and energy.

Want to know if we've ever volunteered to get something in return? Well, listen in 'cause we talk about that. And also find out our ideal volunteering scenarios.

After that, we chat about whether or not we've been forced by loved ones or even the state to volunteer our time...and then we move on to our worst -- and best -- volunteering experiences.

Are we so ingrained with volunteering that others volunteered their time for something we organized? And is there a societal obligation to volunteer?

We close it all out by talking about how often we've volunteered for things no one else wanted to do.

Feel free to volunteer a little bit of your time and leave a comment about this week's episode.

Direct download: migs159.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 7:31pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 158: Last Seen…Taking Risks

A woman standing on the edge of a cliff - Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 158: Last Seen…Taking RisksThere was a time when men were men and took great risks. (And the world was even more sexist than it still is.)

Today, it's not hard to find some middle-aged guy talking about the "Pussification of today's youth," when they rarely did anything to merit any real degree of boasting. But to hear them tell the story, we were all hanging from hot air balloons from threads of dental floss while today's younger people are living in a world of cushions and hugs.

The thing is, that's all bullshit. Men and women have always taken risks to various degrees, and still do today. That's the topic this week -- not the board game, Risk, but actual risky behavior and how it's shaped humanity.

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We kick off this episode talking about the first time in our lives when we realized there was this thing out there called risk. After that, we discuss whether or not we were risk-takers when younger...and whether or not we are today.

We chat about the greatest risks we've taken...as well as the funniest.

Is physical risk the pinnacle of risk, or are there other kinds of risks that eclipse even the kinds of things that can kill us? Also: find out what we've learned about ourselves by taking risks.

Risk has become a bit of a buzzword. Go to a conference of many sorts, and you'll hear people saying that even things as normal as blogging and podcasting are "risks." Are those actual risks -- and is "Take more risks!" good advice, or just a platitude?

After that, we talk about if what constitutes risk has changed over the years or remained the same. We also discuss the point at which taking risks is unwise.

We weren't kidding in our intro about hearing middle-aged men talking about today's youth being "pussies." But is there any truth to the notion that millennials don't take risks?

Then we drag out our imaginations and pretend we have kids. Find out how we'd deal with having kids who are thrilled by taking great risks.

And we wrap it all up with a look to the future -- and whether or not humans will reach a point of maximum risk achieved...or if we will always find new risks to take.

Take a risk and leave a comment if you'd like...we'd love to hear about some of the risks you've taken in life.

Direct download: migs158.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 9:43pm CDT

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 157: Last Seen…Being Strong

Statue of a Strongman - Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 157: Last Seen…Being StrongWhen thinking about strength, most people seem to think about physical strength. We've all seen circus strongmen, female body builders, and even wiry-looking people who can seemingly dead-lift a Yugo.

But strength goes well beyond just physical strength. We've all heard tales of people lost in extreme conditions who only survived because they were mentally strong. Emotional strength is craved as much as physical strength by others.

This weak is all about strength! (<------ See what we did, there? "Weak." That's some STRONG comedy right there. Or maybe lack of sleep...)

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We begin with the first time we ever looked at someone and thought, "Damn, they're strong!" Find out if it was physical, emotional, or mental strength we first witnessed. Then we talk about what comes to mind when someone mentions strength. Next, we discuss what we feel is the most important kind of strength: physical, mental, or emotional. (And we even define what the difference between mental and emotional strength is to us.) Also: Is physical strength even relevant these days?

After all that, we talk about strong people: the strongest person we know (physically), as well as the most mentally and emotionally strong person we know. (Even all-around strength of da human supérieur!)

Find out if we consider ourselves to be strong, and hear how we'd hold up under interrogation, "enhanced" interrogation, and out-and-out torture.

In the homestretch, we chat about our greatest feats of strength in life, and close it all out with the most important kind of strength in today's society.

Feel free to flex your commenting muscles if you desire, and leave your thoughts about strength.

Direct download: migs157.mp3
Category:Pop Culture -- posted at: 9:36pm CDT

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