The World According to Gar - A Garcast

By, Gar & The GarFather

It's mostly a show about nothing. Join your hosts Gar & The GarFather, and occasionally our Special Guest as we talk about the latest happenings in Gar's World including news, sports & weather! garcast.substack.com

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 373 — I Got Hosed by My Kids

    GarCast Episode 373 — I Got Hosed by My Kids Gar bought a bargain laptop. The GarFather bought his kids MacBook Airs. One of them is delighted with this conversation. The other has just declared his entire day ruined. Welcome to Episode 373: no DenBob again, but absolutely no shortage of complaints. It’s Veterans Day, and the guys send their thanks to those who served before getting into fallen leaves, a suspiciously candy-wrapper-looking decoration and the tree limb Gar specifically asked somebody to remove. Gar also tests his new laptop and offers a theory about how last week’s missing middle disappeared. Progress, hopefully. The GarFather is getting ready for UFC at Madison Square Garden, which means learning the difference between early prelims, prelims and the main card—and working out whether he can get home, sleep and still referee a swim meet the next morning. Meanwhile, 13 college students are about to spend the weekend at his house for Cortaca. The fight card may be the relaxing part. There’s plenty of football frustration, from Tom Brady’s broadcast homecoming and the announcers who love everybody to quarterback chaos, the Broncos’ comeback habit, the Jets’ draft hopes and the endless expansion of the sports calendar. Nottingham Forest finally gives the guys something to celebrate, and The GarFather checks how the rival podcasters are doing in fantasy football. Naturally, receipts are involved. Gar looks ahead to helping with a Thanksgiving food giveaway for veterans, while the home front brings holiday planning, a giant school-door poster and another round of deck cleanup. The GarFather’s game-show habit leads to a confession about watching Jeopardy early to impress his mom. Then train schedules turn into dream vacations: Ohio rail connections, the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, Europe and a possible trip to see Gwar. Plus: TJ’s upcoming elimination-style running challenge, Ireland and Scotland on the travel wish list, and a late detour into family caregiving and funeral delays abroad. Somehow, the guys still need help figuring out how to end the call. This week on the GarCast: * Happy Veterans Day, and thank you to those who served * Fallen leaves, hidden dog poop and the branch that stayed put * Gar’s new laptop—and The GarFather’s expensive realization * “I got hosed by my kids” * A theory about last week’s recording disaster * Brady, Romo, Collinsworth and the announcer argument * NFL quarterback chaos, Broncos nerves and Jets draft dreams * Forest joy and a fantasy-league standings inspection * UFC 101: how many prelims does one evening need? * Late-night trains, an early swim meet and 13 college houseguests * Gar’s upcoming Thanksgiving food giveaway for veterans * TJ’s four-mile loop that just keeps going * The Jeopardy trick and the mother-in-law approval rating * A six-foot school poster and a deck that won’t stay leaf-free * Train-trip wish lists and a possible visit to Gwar * The family-caregiving conversation takes an unexpected turn * And, of course, much, much more TV heads-up: The brief TV/game-show chat runs approximately 44:04–45:10, covering internet golf, Dancing with the Stars, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. A surprising Dancing with the Stars result is mentioned, but no contestant or elimination is identified. No specific plot spoilers are revealed. Times follow the supplied transcript. Game with us. Help fight ALS. Our 24-hour gaming marathon is Saturday, November 21, supporting ALS research through ALS TDI. This year’s fundraiser is especially personal following the loss of Gar’s brother-in-law to ALS, with another family close to Anthony also affected. Donate if you can, share the page, and help Gar and the boys make a difference. Visit our ALS fundraiser for details and to donate Join the GarNation Find the podcast, social media, email and everything GarCast Join the GarNation family on Discord This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garcast.substack.com

  2. Nov 6

    Episode 372 — Bro, You’re Sideways

    GarCast Episode 372 — Bro, You’re Sideways No conference room. No intro music. No DenBob. And, eventually, no middle of the show. After another week off, Gar takes the podcast for a lunchtime walk through Melville, leaving The GarFather to discover that a disappearing cohost is really just an opportunity for a solo segment. “Bro, you’re sideways” pretty much covers it. Recording note: A technical problem left us without the middle of this episode. This release brings together the surviving opening and closing sections, so you’ll hear a jump in the conversation. Thanks for sticking with us through the glitches. Before the connection decides otherwise, the guys get into Ohio State’s loss, the college-football playoff rankings and whether tough nonconference games are worth the trouble. When Gar drops out, The GarFather keeps going with Penn State, Nottingham Forest, election reactions and a very welcome change of plans: a UFC night in a Madison Square Garden suite instead of a trip to watch Penn State. Gar eventually returns for falling leaves, Thanksgiving hosting and a Christmas tree going up on Thanksgiving night so Maria can help before heading back for the Michigan game. The GarFather looks ahead to a swim meet in Ithaca and a house packed with college visitors for the Cortaca game at Yankee Stadium. Thirteen people. Two nights. What could possibly go wrong? The surviving closing stretch picks up mid-conversation with Massachusetts ballot questions and a request for Andy to explain his state. Then it’s a watch-list catch-up: Dark Matter, Crystal Lake, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Young Frankenstein and The Rings of Power, plus The GarFather’s enthusiasm for an internet golf tournament that apparently requires its own viewing endurance training. And DenBob? He says he has material. The guys would love to hear it someday. Meanwhile, a recording that couldn’t stay running suddenly doesn’t want to stop. This week on the GarCast: * GarCast on foot, on location and occasionally off the connection * No conference rooms, no music, no problem… until there’s a problem * Ohio State frustration and the early playoff-ranking argument * The GarFather’s impromptu solo show * Penn State plans out, UFC at Madison Square Garden in * Nottingham Forest worries and post-election reactions * Preparing the house for the cleaning lady * Thanksgiving at The GarFather’s and Christmas-tree timing at Gar’s * College kids, holiday travel and a 13-person houseful * Massachusetts ballot questions: Andy, we need an email * Dark Matter, Crystal Lake and a TV title that raises questions * Internet golf and a Young Frankenstein rewatch * DenBob’s unanswered text and allegedly excellent material * “Now that I want to get off, it won’t stop.” * And, of course, much, much more—or at least the parts that recorded TV/movie heads-up: In the closing/restart fragment, the watch-list discussion runs approximately 04:16–08:53. It includes general Dark Matter reactions, the Crystal Lake setup and a brief premise description for Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed around 05:59–07:31. No specific endings or major twists are revealed. These are fragment-relative times; the final episode timestamps depend on the edit. Game with us. Help fight ALS. Our 24-hour gaming marathon is Saturday, November 21, supporting ALS research through ALS TDI. This year’s fundraiser is especially personal following the loss of Gar’s brother-in-law to ALS, with another family close to Anthony also affected. Donate if you can, share the page, and help Gar and the boys make a difference. Visit our ALS fundraiser for details and to donate Join the GarNation Find the podcast, social media, email and everything GarCast Join the GarNation family on Discord This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garcast.substack.com

  3. Oct 23

    Episode 371 — I Stuck It to the Man!

    GarCast Episode 371 — I Stuck It to the Man! After a week off, Gar, The GarFather and DenBob are back—and DenBob is taking on corporate America. He’s down to channels 2 through 13, his cable/internet/phone bundle still costs $250 a month, and he’s celebrating his electric-bill savings like he just brought down the establishment. Gar has a slightly different interpretation. Game with us. Help fight ALS. On Saturday, November 21, Gar and the boys are taking on a 24-hour gaming marathon supporting ALS research through ALS TDI. This year’s fundraiser is especially personal following the loss of Gar’s brother-in-law to ALS, with another family close to Anthony also affected. Donate if you can, share the fundraiser, and join us for some games and a good cause. Visit our ALS fundraiser for details and to donate DenBob is also considering a ponytail, defending haircuts on company time and discovering that being the little guy has its advantages in Pilates. His first session with BMO and J-Mo earns rave reviews, although “meet us at 8:15” apparently needs a legal definition. Meanwhile, Duke’s injured leg has Dad on carrying duty and the guys imagining a leather-and-steel mobility project for Dr. BMO. On the family front, Maria pulls off a surprise trip home for Christine, The GarFather shares a reassuring knee-doctor visit, and everyone confronts the realization that their coworkers are now their kids’ age. Anto gets a shout-out for his first half marathon, Nancy gets birthday wishes, and DenBob insists he was building rapport—not breaking it. Then Gwar returns to the email segment after a year and 14 days with what he calls a “quick shot.” Naturally, it comes with an entire comedian ranking. Chappelle, Attell, Norm, Carlin and plenty more enter the conversation, while The GarFather reminds everyone why reading the mail is his department. Plus: a landline replaced by a bell, dinner at 10 p.m. to stick it to the utility company, Grandma’s Sunday sauce reborn, Halloween without costumes, and a TV catch-up that somehow ends with the theory that Taylor Sheridan might be a giant AI. This week on the GarCast: * We’re back—and DenBob is here from the start * “It grows on company time. You might as well cut it.” * The proposed DenBob ponytail and Boris the barber’s verdict * Duke on the mend and Dad on dog-carrying duty * Maria’s surprise visit and a welcome family catch-up * Nancy’s birthday and The GarFather’s birthday weekend * Building rapport, breaking rapport and the curse that won’t leave * Anto’s first half marathon * Gar and the boys’ November 21 ALS gaming fundraiser * $250 a month and channels 2 through 13 * Pilates: where they meet you at your level * Is exactly on time actually late? * DenBob versus the electric bill—and the 10 p.m. dinner plan * The return of Grandma’s Sunday sauce * Andy’s October emails and Gwar’s long-awaited comeback * Who belongs on your Mount Rushmore of comedians? * Dark Matter, The Diplomat, Slow Horses, Lioness and Halloween viewing * And, of course, much, much more TV/movie heads-up: The watch-list discussion runs approximately 52:36–57:04. Most is general opinion, but 54:54–55:10 describes the Crystal Lake setup, and 56:09–57:04 discusses the premise and investigation background of the documentary referred to on the show as The Pet Sematary Murders. No final resolutions are revealed. Skip to 57:06 to avoid the full segment. Times follow the supplied transcript. Your turn, GarNation: Send us your Mount Rushmore of comedians. Gwar has submitted his case. Now we want yours. Join the GarNation Find the podcast, social media, email and everything GarCast Join the GarNation family on Discord This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garcast.substack.com

  4. Oct 9

    Episode 370 — I’m in an Overrun!

    GarCast Episode 370 — I’m in an Overrun! DenBob isn’t late. He’s in an overrun. There’s a difference, apparently—and it involves a 111-slide AI presentation that manages to reach slide six after two hours. By the end of the show, The GarFather is borrowing the same excuse. Corporate efficiency at its finest. Gar and The GarFather get things rolling with leaf-blower rage, lawn-care judgments and the subscriptions your grown kids are still charging to Dad. Saul catches a forgotten Xbox bill, The GarFather starts sorting out his accounts, and Gar discovers that he actually likes going to the office again. A desk buddy? Fine. A holiday party? Let’s not get carried away. DenBob finally arrives with a confession: he thinks his sports curse is powerful enough to take a run off the Yankees’ scoreboard just by opening an app. That leads to fan-interference arguments, college-football misery and Gar reluctantly giving the Rangers some credit. Then it’s time for the GarCast management seminar: the guys imagine what “work Andy” is like, debate difficult reviews and job references, and hear about a real background-check call mistaken for a prank. DenBob’s leadership curriculum remains simple: watch Ted Lasso. Away from the office, DenBob reports back from a Maryland family weekend filled with pickleball, kayaking, dockside crab pots and crab cakes that may have ruined all other crab cakes forever. There’s a bait-shop detour, a ride home with actual conversation, and a little honesty about figuring out the empty nest. Plus, The GarFather customizes his Teams background with AI, the TV watch lists get an update, and nobody seems entirely sure how to leave the recording. This week on the GarCast: * Cranky Gar versus the endlessly revving leaf blower * The forgotten Xbox subscription—and when Dad stops paying * The return of happy office Gar, with limits * Hurricane-name confusion and a spelling exercise nobody needed * College-football frustration and DenBob’s dramatic arrival * A Yankees curse that apparently works through the ESPN app * Fan interference and keeping your hands on your side of the wall * 111 slides. Two hours. Six slides covered. * “Work Andy,” office tears and the Ted Lasso school of management * The background-check call that was definitely not a prank * Maryland crab cakes, kayaking and dinner straight from the dock * Empty-nest weekends and making time together count * An AI-built Teams background with a personal touch * Lioness, Dark Matter, Lanterns and the White Lotus backlog * The GarFather’s very own overrun * And, of course, much, much more TV heads-up: The watch-list discussion runs approximately 59:38–1:01:42, covering reactions to violence in Lioness and broad impressions of the other shows. No specific plot twists or endings are revealed. Skip to 1:01:44 if you prefer to hear nothing about them. Times follow the supplied transcript. Join the GarNation Find the podcast, social media, email and everything GarCast Join the GarNation family on Discord This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garcast.substack.com

  5. Oct 2

    Episode 369 — Pepper, Destroy This Message

    GarCast Episode 369 — Pepper, Destroy This Message DenBob turns 55, asks Pepper a hypothetical dating question, and immediately wants the evidence destroyed. Strictly for research, of course. Pepper also has a thought about calling your wife “the woman I live with.” This week, Gar, The GarFather and DenBob reunite after the storm, and DenBob has discovered a whole new world: the public library. With his internet out for days, he takes his workday from Starbucks to the stacks, defends a five-dollar latte tip, makes a librarian friend and swears an oath to his new library card. Our resident AI enthusiast then needs help finding a photo on his phone. Meanwhile, The GarFather conducts a full investigation into the Bosco birthday texts. Timing matters. Exclamation points matter. And adding your girlfriend to the family chat without clearance? That’s going to cost you points. DenBob prepares for a family reunion in Maryland with winter-clothing deliveries, a fishing trip and one simple request: please address him by an actual name. The GarFather reports back from Cortland Parents Weekend, while Gar shares what storm duty looked like inside Suffolk County’s Emergency Operations Center. Plus: running updates, DenBob’s return to pickleball, Islanders frustration, Lioness, and the annual Smithtown boat-slip wait-list report. DenBob moved up 38 spots. Try to contain your excitement. This week on the GarCast: * DenBob is 55—and already rounding up to 60 * Pepper does the dating math and adds a little commentary * An AI receptionist with a phone number that shows up as spam * No internet, no cable, and a new office at the library * The five-dollar tip that launches an investigation * Hard chairs, soft decisions and the missing library-card photo * The GarFather takes over AI Tip of the Week * Birthday-text rankings and the family-chat security breach * “Dennis,” “Dad,” “DenBob”—just don’t call him nothing * Cortland Parents Weekend and outrunning the nor’easter * Gar’s storm shift: outage reports, downed wires and late hours * Andy, James and the ongoing Sunken Meadow cast of characters * Pickleball rust, run/walk progress and Islanders worries * Lioness impressions and the screen-sharing feature request * The boat-slip list moves. Barely. * And, of course, much, much more TV heads-up: Brief discussion of the Lioness setup and early episodes around 47:44–48:24. Skip to 48:25 if you’re going in completely fresh. Times follow the supplied transcript. Join the GarNation Find the podcast, social media, email and everything GarCast Join the GarNation family on Discord This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garcast.substack.com

  6. Sep 25

    Episode 368 — It’s Always About Andy

    GarCast Episode 368 — It’s Always About Andy Gar made a new running friend. His name is Andy. He looks like Andy. He’s nice like Andy. Naturally, The GarFather suspects a Dark Matter situation. This week, it’s Gar and The GarFather holding down the fort while our “special guest” takes the week off—immediately after getting his own AI segment. Excellent timing, DenBob. The guys celebrate Looch taking over the fantasy Premier League standings, investigate the expanding Andy population at Sunken Meadow, and catch up on The GarFather’s run/walk comeback, Cortland family-weekend plans and a birthday trip to the Museum of Ice Cream. Gar’s new job even manages to interrupt the podcast before he officially starts it. There’s still plenty of AI talk, including a support number nobody answers and the delicate art of asking a company how to get its robot to take you seriously. Then Gar shares a change for this year’s gaming marathon: he and the boys are building an ALS fundraiser, tentatively aiming to play on November 21. Plus: storm hype, Nottingham Forest, Harry Kane’s potential second career, Pat McAfee’s kicking contest, the annual clock-changing headache, Mets frustration, Jets hope and a White Lotus sales pitch that gets considerably easier once Sydney Sweeney comes up. And yes, they still can’t figure out how to hang up. This week on the GarCast: * Looch leads the league; Fraser gets the standings treatment * Is the new Andy actually the old Andy—or are there multiple Andys? * The GarFather’s legs are coming back * Five-dollar football tickets and a dinner reservation that keeps growing * Ice cream, pizza and negotiating out of 5:30 a.m. swim practice * No DenBob, no official AI tip—but plenty of AI complaints * “Give me a prompt”: getting through to robot customer support * Gar and the boys’ upcoming ALS gaming fundraiser * Harry Kane, field goals and the problem with second chances * Why are we still changing the clocks? * Mets misery and the Broncos–Jets championship dream * Dark Matter confusion and giving The White Lotus another chance * And, of course, much, much more TV heads-up: Brief Pluribus scene discussion around 07:27–08:21. Early-season-one White Lotus plot details come up around 46:23–47:58; skip to 48:00 to avoid them. Times follow the episode transcript. Join the GarNation Find the podcast, social media, email and everything GarCast:GarCast links Join the GarNation family on Discord. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garcast.substack.com

    Episode 368 — It’s Always About Andy

  7. Sep 18

    Episode 367 — We Need Human Listeners

    GarCast Episode 367 — We Need Human Listeners The GarFather has one condition for our AI-powered rise to podcast greatness: the listeners need to be human. Although a million robots would be pretty impressive. This week, Gar, The GarFather and DenBob put Saul and Pepper to work on budgets, better questions and possibly the future of the GarCast. DenBob shares his AI life hack, explains it with a wish to be taller, and announces plans for an MIT course that should make “MIT graduate” a perfectly reasonable claim. The guys eventually figure out what a prompt is. Mostly. Gar celebrates a promotion and plays an AI-generated GarCast anthem. DenBob gets a mention. The GarFather notices that he doesn’t—and does not let it go. Then it’s deep into Silo, with finale reactions, competing theories and enough unanswered questions to make DenBob willing to skip Christmas. The GarFather recaps the Emmys, a listener email arrives from Nottingham, and the watchlist keeps growing. Plus: running updates, Broncos embarrassment, suspicious amounts of Jets optimism, Arch Manning and those completely unnecessary coach interviews. After all that talk about mastering technology, nobody can figure out how to leave the recording. Spoiler heads-up: Silo discussion runs approximately 31:30–47:13, including a brief Paradise detour. More Silo spoilers appear at 51:38–53:01. Skip to 47:14 and 53:02, respectively. Times follow the episode transcript. This week on the GarCast: * DenBob’s MIT ambitions—and the lunchroom that wouldn’t accept him * Saul, Pepper and the question you ask before you ask the question * Household budgets, forgotten subscriptions and battery-storage research * Gar’s promotion: management without the employee reviews * An AI anthem and The GarFather’s missing credit * Silo theories and “Christmas, who cares?” * Emmy reactions, Lanterns and Dancing with the Stars * A Nottingham email and a Trader Joe’s care package * Broncos misery, Jets hope and the ManningCast * The goodbye that nobody knows how to finish * And, of course, much, much more Join the GarNation Find the podcast, social media, email and everything GarCast:GarCast links Join the GarNation family on Discord. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garcast.substack.com

    Episode 367 — We Need Human Listeners

  8. Sep 4

    Episode 366 — The Woman I Live With

    DenBob is back — and apparently he’s been saving up material. This week, Gar, The GarFather and DenBob dive headfirst into the world of AI. DenBob introduces us to Pepper, Gar considers naming his AI Sol, and the guys debate whether using AI makes you smarter, lazier, more productive... or simply a soldier with a really well-trained horse. Then DenBob catches us up on a very busy month, including the big wedding at the Lost Fox Inn, his controversial wedding speech, an 89-year-old climbing into a Jeep, local honey, questionable dancing when his wife wasn’t looking, and why an Atlanta firefighter apparently doesn’t count as a real firefighter. From there, it’s off to Europe as DenBob recaps his post-wedding adventure through Malta and Sicily, including ancient ruins, The Godfather filming locations and, naturally, plenty of observations about “the woman I live with.” The guys also get into empty nests, kids heading back to college, the surprising reduction in garbage and laundry when they’re gone, and what everyone has been watching lately — including Silo, Dark Matter, The Diplomat, The Dink and more. This week on the GarCast: * DenBob returns with a month’s worth of material * Pepper, Sol, Dave and our rapidly expanding AI families * Is AI cheating or just the newest tool? * Gar uses AI to prepare for a job interview * The joys — and weirdness — of an emptier house * DenBob’s wedding weekend and that speech * An Atlanta firefighter gets judged * Secret dance moves when the wife isn’t looking * Malta, Sicily and The Godfather * Silo theories without trying to spoil Silo * Dark Matter, The Diplomat, The Dink and what we’re watching * And, of course, much, much more Join the GarNation Find links to the podcast, social media, email and everything GarCast at:https://linktr.ee/garcast Join the GarNation family on Discord:https://discord.gg/9XPx7rBynS This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garcast.substack.com

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Ratings & Reviews

5
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2 Ratings

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It's mostly a show about nothing. Join your hosts Gar & The GarFather, and occasionally our Special Guest as we talk about the latest happenings in Gar's World including news, sports & weather! garcast.substack.com

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