Gen X Men Gen X Men

Dan and Anthony (sans Derek, who couldn't be there this time around) check back in after a six-month hiatus (life has been very...interesting lately) to talk thankfulness and the possible fate of humanity. They start off with a memorial for Stan Lee, discussing their favorite Marvel characters and Stan's legacy as a modern myth maker.
Then the guys stray a little too far into contemplating death before steering the conversation to more positive territory...literally. They talk about some concepts pertaining to positive psychology and the book A New Reality by the great Jonas Salk, who was most famous for his polio vaccine. Is the current strife in the world just the growing pains before a new epoch of human cooperation, one that will usher in a new set of beliefs for our species? 
We hope you enjoy this episode! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

In honor of 4/20, we have an episode about marijuana and other drugs! We start off with a short discussion about the potential pitfalls of being too PC and the place of humor in society, then launch into our main topic. Our friend Jim joins the smoky shenanigans as a guest host, which is appropriate since he's had a self-described love affair with weed for about 30 years (so he's our resident expert). 
We trace the history of marijuana from the days of our youth through today, as the long dream of legalized weed has started to come true. Then we delve into the harder stuff, especially heroin, which has taken the lives of so many grunge-era musicians. Dan shares his own experiences with heroin use and the road to recovery.
We also talk about the seeming futility of the war on drugs, the possible roots of drug use (as self medication to deal with depression and disenfranchisement), alcohol, and the merits of moderation when it comes to all things in life.
As usual, we use adult language. Take a hit of something if you need to calm your nerves.

The Gen X Men make a triumphant return with a super-sized episode! Dan, Derek, and Anthony were joined by their old friends Jay and Jim to reminisce about their youth, and ruminate in general about what it was like growing up Generation X. The guys are in fine, animated form as they talk about their experiences coming of age in the “good old days” of the late 80’s and early/mid 90’s.
They also delve into their usual questioning of the merits and flaws of Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials. Topics include wondering if Gen X was disproportionately impacted by divorce, getting old and worrying about health (especially since Kevin Smith, one of our icons, had a heart attack), and what kind of parents we have become ourselves.
This was a fun episode, with laughter, bluster, musing, nonsense, epiphanies, rambling, and beer. The usual disclaimer still applies, even more so for this one: we use profanity. Don’t listen if you’re easily triggered by bad words.

The Gen X Men are back and they're all fired up! In this episode, the guys are fed up with 2017 and the status quo, conspiracy theorists, and especially scapegoaters in their creepy little echo chambers. The show might not have high professional polish, but Derek, Anthony, and Dan make up for that with pure passion for change! 
Generation X stands at a critical point in history: do we continue to sit back and just take care of ourselves, or do we become true philanthropists and give of our time, energy, and money in order to become leaders of positive change? Can we overcome our aloofness, cynicism, and bitterness of the Latch Key Kid Generation and lead the world into a better, more just future?
Watch out, 2018. The open-minded among Generation X are coming for you.
Note: We drank a few holiday libations during the recording of this episode. Apologies (sorrynotsorry) for all the raving, ranting, eardrum-busting shouting (watch for volume spikes!), and as usual the profanity! 
 

Is truth dead? Have the 24-hours news cycle and the Internet warped our perceptions so much we can no longer trust, or agree upon, objective facts? There's a war on for reality, with the winner controlling what we are fed through the media, social and otherwise!
The Gen X Men tackle the question of fake news and how everyone We discuss the phenomena of echo chambers, confirmation bias, and gang/mob mentality. 
And, as usual, we ask what Generation X can do about the situation! Is our generation a part of the problem, or is our famous/infamous skepticism just the right tool to sniff out the fakeness? Will we take the initiative to cross the divides of ideology and try to reinvigorate civil discourse?

Does Hollywood have an unholy obsession with remaking old movies these days? 
Are movie studios strip-mining the films Generation X watched in our youth in order to make a quick buck?
Are remakes a sign that film companies are unwilling to take risks on new material, a lack of creativity, or both?
Is pure nostalgia the sole reason we think some films should not be remade, or should some movies be considered universally sacred and untouchable?
The Gen X Men talk about reboots (soft and otherwise), sequels, and prequels. They debate the potential upsides and downsides of remakes: are they more often inferior to their source material? How often are remakes better than the original?
Listen and get in on the debate about Hollywood's movie remake madness!