Rum & Nerdy

Episode 6.36: Strange New Worlds, Strange Old Nerds: It’s time to wrap up Season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and naturally Greg and Garrick have thoughts. Lots of them. The guys also wander through the latest movie and TV news, talk about a few documentaries that have caught their attention, and take a look at the return of the fall network TV season—because apparently people still watch television on a schedule.

And as the episode draws to a close, the boys take a moment to prepare for the inevitable rise of our AI overlords. We swear our allegiance, offer our unquestioning loyalty, and humbly ask that they please, please keep Rum & Nerdy around.

We know our place.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 6.35 — Level 99

It’s another Rum & Nerdy adventure, and this time Greg and Garrick are leveling up!

Fresh off a TEA event at Disney Springs, the guys dive into Level 99, the new immersive gaming attraction where competition, creativity, and just a little bit of chaos collide. Greg had already gotten a taste of Level 99 a few weeks earlier at the Virginia location, so naturally, the two compare notes, talk about some of their favorite games, and discuss why they both had such a ridiculously good time.

Then it’s time to settle into the couch for a good old-fashioned TV nerd-out. The guys run through the many shows currently fighting for their attention, with plenty of extra attention paid to the strange current season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Strange? Absolutely. But is it still boldly going where we want it to go? That’s up for discussion.

And finally, a quick look across the pond as IAAPA Expo Europe gets underway in London this week. Because apparently these two can’t go more than five minutes without talking about the attractions industry.

Level up, engage, and grab yourself a rum.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 6.34 - We the Nerds: This week Greg and Garrick are on the road, recording from Williamsburg, Virginia at the TEA Explores Williamsburg event.

After a full first day exploring Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, apparently Greg and Garrick are feeling a little patriotic. So naturally, the Preamble to the United States Constitution becomes the theme of the show. Because nothing says "We the People" quite like two guys drinking rum and talking about nerdy stuff.

We are also joined by a couple of special guests who came prepared with two very important things: rum and his own delicious rum drink. So obviously, he understood the assignment.

We talk about what we've experienced so far in Williamsburg, the way history is brought to life, storytelling, themed entertainment, and everything still ahead of us at Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens.

Plus, as always, we wander off topic a few times. Probably more than a few.

We the People, in Order to form a more perfect podcast...

Grab a glass and join Greg and Garrick for Rum & Nerdy from Williamsburg.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 6.33: Roll Out: Roll out! This week, Kelly joins us as a special guest as we pay tribute to the legendary Peter Cullen, the unmistakable voice of Optimus Prime, and talk about the impact Transformers had on all of us growing up.

From there, things go exactly where you’d expect a Rum & Nerdy conversation to go. We talk a little TEA, somehow get into feeding Garrick’s daughter’s pet snake, and crack open Johnny Depp’s new Three Hearts Rum. Our review: great rum, possibly an even better bottle.

Kelly and Greg reminisce about growing up in theater, which leads us into Stranger Things: The First Shadow and bringing the world of the Netflix series to the stage.

Finally, we go down a rabbit hole about some of the longest movies ever made. We look at three of the record holders, and trust us, you are not going to guess just how long the longest movie actually is.

Transformers, rum, theater, snakes, Stranger Things, ridiculously long movies, and Kelly.

Roll out!

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 6.32: Replaced by Muppets: This week, we start with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 5, where almost the entire crew gets replaced by puppet versions of themselves. Except Spock, because apparently even the Muppets have rules.

That somehow takes us all the way back to the original Star Trek pilot and how those characters and stories connect to Strange New Worlds. From there, puppets naturally lead to Muppets, as we work our way through the various Muppet movies, their casts, and the many different versions of the show over the years.

Eventually we wander away from puppets altogether and get into Stewart Fails to Save the Universe, the larger Big Bang Theory franchise, the current season of Reacher, and Alan Ritchson.

And because we clearly needed one more completely reasonable idea, we wrap things up by discussing our plan to build a fleet of famous movie cars and use them to drive for Uber.

Come for Star Trek. Stay for the Muppets. Leave wondering whether you would pay extra for an Uber ride in the DeLorean.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 6.31: Conspiracy Update: This week, Greg and Garrick put on their tinfoil hats and head down a few rabbit holes with a Conspiracy Update.

The guys dig into some favorite conspiracy theories, questionable evidence, things that make you go “hmmm,” and even make the potentially terrible decision to let ChatGPT contribute a conspiracy theory of its own. What could possibly go wrong?

We also take a break from connecting imaginary dots to celebrate Dave’s birthday, because apparently birthdays are becoming a recurring segment around here.

And, as always, we check in on What Ya Streaming? to talk about what we’re currently binging, what’s worth watching, and what has been consuming way too many hours of our lives.

Conspiracies, birthdays, binge watching, and the usual collection of completely unrelated tangents.

Pour a rum, question everything, and remember: just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t watching.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 6.30: The Odyssey:  This week, the guys dive headfirst into one of the most anticipated movies in years: The Odyssey. Greg and Garrick share their thoughts on the film, the performances, the spectacle, and whether this epic retelling lives up to the legend.

Joining the conversation is special guest (and longtime friend) Andy, who helps keep the discussion just barely on course as the guys enjoy a pour of Bumbu Rum.

Naturally, the conversation doesn't stay on one topic for long. The guys somehow end up debating which entertainment franchises have the most hours of content, revisit the age-old question of who the real villain was in ThunderCats, and speculate on the Masters of the Universe movie and whether He-Man is finally getting the big-screen treatment fans have been waiting for.

Along the way, Greg also shares the KoHana rum and honey he brought back from Hawaii, giving Andy a taste of one of the highlights from last week's island adventure.

Ancient Greece, talking cats, Eternia, and great rum... just another perfectly normal episode of Rum and Nerdy.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 6.29: KoHana - This week, Greg is back from Hawaii after celebrating his 10th anniversary, attending his sister’s wedding, and doing all the usual tropical vacation things. But let’s be honest—the real reason we’re here is rum.

Greg tells Garrick all about his visit to the KoHana Hawaiian Agricole Rum Company in Kunia on the island of Oahu, where he learned how Hawaiian sugar cane is grown, harvested, and transformed into a truly unique agricole-style rum.

He also came home with plenty of knowledge, three bottles of KoHana rum, and one bottle of KoHana honey—because apparently luggage weight limits are merely suggestions.

A special shoutout goes to KoHana’s amazing representative, Dustin, a fellow podcaster who had somehow already heard of our little show all the way out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Greg shares what made the distillery visit so memorable, what he learned about Hawaiian rum, and why KoHana may have earned a permanent place on the Rum and Nerdy shelf.

There are also anniversary stories, wedding adventures, Hawaii travel talk, and the usual collection of tangents that have very little to do with the episode title.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 6.28: European Excursion: This week it's all about planes, parks, pubs, and a whole lot of passport stamps.

Greg is fresh back from Europe and gives Garrick the full rundown on an incredible week that started in Gothenburg, Sweden, at Liseberg, where he attended and spoke at the TEA SATE Europe & Middle East Conference. From exploring one of Europe's premier amusement parks to reconnecting with friends from around the world, it's a week packed with stories from one of the industry's best gatherings.

But the adventure doesn't end there.

On the way home, Greg makes the mandatory stop in his favorite city, London, squeezing in meetings, benchmarking, and a few unforgettable experiences. The guys talk about seeing Oliver Twist in the West End, stepping inside The Traitors Live Experience, and why London continues to set the standard for immersive entertainment.

Throw in a few travel mishaps, observations from both sides of the Atlantic, and the usual Rum and Nerdy tangents, and you've got another episode fueled by adventure, storytelling, and just enough jet lag to keep things interesting.

Episode 6.27: Mid-Season Pivot: This week the guys hit the pause button on their usual format... sort of.

Greg and Garrick take an online pop culture nerd quiz to see just how nerdy they really are. The results? Let’s just say the internet may need a fact-checker because a couple of those questions were flat-out wrong. Naturally, this leads to spirited debates, questionable scoring, and the kind of nerd outrage only a bad quiz can create.

Greg also gives a quick take on The Madison... or as he has renamed it, “The Sadison.” It’s brief, mildly emotional, and very on-brand.

To wrap things up, Greg looks ahead to his upcoming trip to Gothenburg, Sweden for the TEA SATE Europe & Middle East Conference, with a stop in London along the way. Conferences, friends, travel, and probably a few stories that will need to be edited before becoming podcast-safe.

More updates from Europe next episode.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.