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Episode 6.16: Rum and Loathing in Las Vegas We can’t stop here… this is pool country. This week, Greg and Garrick take the show to Las Vegas, recording in the pool while hanging with Shannon and Dave—because of course that’s how this episode was always going to go. Dave hooks the guys up with VIP access to the Las Vegas 20th Annual Celtic Festival and Highland Games, where things quickly escalate to world records being broken, meat pies being devoured, and a steady flow of Guinness and Irish whiskey keeping the chaos properly fueled. Somewhere between splashes and storytelling, the conversation drifts into what’s ahead, including prep for TEA INSPIRE and the Thea Awards Gala, because even in the middle of Vegas madness… business still sneaks in. It’s part travel log, part poolside ramble, and fully unhinged in all the right ways. Pour something strong. Stay hydrated. And try not to drop your headphones in the water. 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 6.15: Rum and Prejudice This week, things get a little more refined… and then immediately not. Greg and Garrick are joined by Erin, who might be one of the busiest humans alive. She’s building her own hobbit hole (yes, an actual backyard nerdy she-shed), has a book signing on the horizon for her Jane Austen-inspired writing, sings in a Big Band, and somehow still finds time for what feels like 500 other full-time hobbies. The conversation bounces between creativity, fandom, and the kind of passion projects that make you wonder if you’re doing enough with your life… or if Erin is just operating on a different plane of existence. From literary worlds to literal hobbit holes, it’s a mix of elegance, nerdery, and the usual Rum & Nerdy chaos. Pour a rum, grab a book, and try to keep up. 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 6.14: Nerdy PI Cue the theme music… Typhoon Tommy is back. This week’s episode leans into full island vibes as Greg, Garrick, and Tommy talk tiki projects, rum culture, and what it actually means to call something your “favorite” rum—all while sipping on Facundo Paradiso XA like civilized degenerates. From there, things take a hard left into music nerd territory. Greg dives into his Ibanez Artist and Fender Super Champ X2, sparking a broader conversation about guitars, amps, tone chasing, and the very real possibility (threat?) of starting a cover band. As expected, this quickly spirals into random music rabbit holes and questionable setlists. The guys also look ahead to a packed travel schedule, gearing up for TEA INSPIRE and the Gala, with the usual mix of excitement, strategy, and “we should probably plan that” energy. And throughout it all… it’s peak Tommy content. Stories, riffs, sidebars, and whatever else Typhoon Tommy decides to throw into the storm. It’s tiki, tone, travel, and total nonsense. Pour a rum. Put on your shades. And enjoy the ride. 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.

This week, Greg and Garrick almost stay on topic. Kicking things off with a brief dive into Peaky Blinders, the conversation quickly takes a turn when the guys crack open a deck of Chat Pack cards and let fate decide the direction of the episode. What follows is a completely unpredictable mix of questions, answers, side tangents, and the kind of random nonsense that somehow still feels very on-brand. The usual rum takes a back seat this week as the drink of choice is a classic Guinness, proving that sometimes you’ve got to mix things up… even if the conversation goes completely off the rails. No structure. No plan. Just two guys, a stack of questions, and whatever happens next. Pour a pint and see where it goes. 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.

Andy’s back… and somehow we still couldn’t come up with a proper title. This week is exactly what you’d expect when Andy joins the show: a free-flowing, completely unstructured conversation that manages to cover absolutely nothing and somehow everything at the same time. Fueled by pours of Planetary Stiggins’ Fancy, the guys bounce from topic to topic with zero regard for transitions, logic, or staying on point. Along the way, Andy receives a birthday gift, which only adds fuel to the chaos, and we’re treated to an ongoing stream of confidently incorrect nostalgia—where Andy insists things are from the 1980s that are very clearly from the 1990s. The debates are passionate, the facts are questionable, and the laughs are constant. No agenda. No structure. Just Andy, Greg, Garrick, and a whole lot of non sequiturs. Pour a rum and try to keep up. 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.

This week, Greg and Garrick go full Rum Trek, bouncing from real-world travel to deep space and back again. Greg recaps his trip to Baltimore for the Building Museums Conference, sharing highlights, conversations, and a few takeaways from being in the room with industry leaders (even if technically… not in the room). From there, the guys wrap up their thoughts on the standout first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, diving into what worked, what surprised them, and where the broader Star Trek franchise could be headed next. The conversation shifts gears with a look at Rush, their return to touring, and the addition of powerhouse drummer Anika Nilles, sparking a discussion on legacy bands, evolving lineups, and what keeps iconic music alive. To close things out, Greg and Garrick tee up what’s ahead for Rum & Nerdy—including upcoming guests, travel plans to Vegas and beyond, and what listeners can expect in the coming episodes. It’s another globe-trotting, galaxy-hopping, rhythm-driven episode—so pour a rum and engage.

Episode 6.10: Rum in 60 Seconds: This week Greg and Garrick attempt the impossible: keeping anything to 60 seconds. Spoiler alert… it doesn’t work. The conversation jumps from iconic cars in movies to films and documentaries centered on famous musicians, as Greg and Garrick talk about the recent wave of artist-focused movies hitting theaters and streaming. Along the way, the guys also discuss the upcoming return of the original Star Wars to theaters next year, and what it means for fans to experience the film on the big screen again. From there things shift into the business side of entertainment. Greg and Garrick break down the latest rumors and industry chatter around Paramount potentially acquiring Warner Bros., the growing trend of bundled streaming services, and how the media giants seem determined to recreate cable… but with more apps and fewer remotes. Finally, the episode wraps with a look at current events and headlines coming out of the Middle East, and how global events inevitably intersect with media, culture, and the entertainment industry. It’s another fast-moving, slightly chaotic, and thoroughly nerdy conversation with plenty of laughs along the way. Pour yourself a rum and try to keep up. 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 6.09: Rum-Gyver: This week we channel our inner duct-tape-and-paperclip energy with Rum-Gyver, a throwback episode packed with stories that probably should have stayed buried. Garrick’s longtime friend Anthony joins us in studio, all the way from Garrick’s very first theme park job. The result? A wildly unfiltered walk down memory lane filled with Six Flags stories, questionable decisions, and the kind of chaos that only happens when underpaid theme park kids are left unsupervised. We dive into the weird social ecosystems of early park life, where friendships form fast, legends grow faster, and somehow people end up on “the list” for life. Along the way we revisit our musician buddy Tyson, swap stories that get progressively less reliable, and relive the kind of moments that only make sense if you were there… and maybe not even then. Fair warning: this is a long one. A slow, meandering, occasionally hilarious trek through nostalgia, bad memory recall, and just enough rum to keep things interesting. If you ever worked at a theme park, had a job that bonded you through shared trauma, or just enjoy watching us spiral into old stories, this one’s for you. 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.

Rum & Nerdy – Episode 6.08: 11.22.6-Rum: This week we dive into 11.22.63 — the Stephen King time travel story that proves one very important rule: if you try to fix the past, the past will absolutely punch back. We watched it on Netflix, it technically belongs to Hulu, and either way it is peak King energy. Big ideas, emotional swings, and a very clear message that time is less of a river and more of a vindictive bouncer. From there, the conversation does what it always does and drifts into the wasteland. We talk Fallout season 2 hype, a few other shows currently orbiting the watch list, and how modern streaming has basically turned all of us into part-time content archaeologists. Greg also reports back from the Candlelight Concert Series featuring the music of Lord of the Rings, which turns out to be exactly what you think it is: beautiful, nostalgic, and just emotional enough to make you reconsider every life decision that did not involve becoming a ranger of the north. Time travel, nuked futures, Tolkien by candlelight, and the usual conversational chaos. Pour something strong and don’t step on any butterflies. 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 6.07: RumPlane: Andy is back in the co-pilot seat this week as we talk travel, airports, delays, upgrades, and all the strange rituals that come with voluntarily hurling yourself through the sky in a metal tube. Naturally, the conversation quickly descends into references to Airplane! and the Zucker brothers’ particular brand of chaos. There may or may not be repeated jokes about “surely” and absolutely unnecessary dramatic readings of lines that still hold up disturbingly well. We also veer into 1980s SNL territory and make a few completely appropriate Monty Python detours, because once you start quoting absurd comedy, there is no responsible off-ramp. Fueling the discussion was more Brickyard Rum from our friend Mike in Australia, which continues to prove that international friendships are best measured in bottles. As usual, there were more laughs than structure, a few surprisingly thoughtful takes buried between punchlines, and the kind of conversational turbulence you have come to expect. 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 6.06: Rum Trek: Nerdfleet Academy: This week we jump to warp and dig into Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on Paramount+, and spoiler alert—we actually like it. The show tackles some genuinely compelling sci-fi questions, especially how societies evolve over 800 years, with 130 of those in the post-Burn era. That long-view look at cultural reset, institutional memory, and rebuilding after collapse feels very Star Trek, and it’s where the series is at its strongest. That said… let’s talk about programmable matter. We get it. It’s clever. It’s flexible. It can turn into whatever the plot needs this week. And honestly? It’s kind of meh. When everything can become anything, the tech loses its magic—and sometimes its stakes. Give us constraints, buttons, levers, and blinking lights we can argue about. Not everything needs to be space Silly Putty. More importantly, we use this episode to speak up about something we’ve officially had enough of: toxic fandom. Criticism is fair. Debate is healthy. But harassment, review-bombing, and screaming that a franchise is “ruined” every time it tries something new? That’s not fandom—that’s just noise. Sci-fi is supposed to explore empathy, growth, and better futures… so maybe act like it. And while we’re here: bring back Star Wars: The Acolyte. Seriously. Snarky? Absolutely. But we’re dead serious about protecting the space for new stories to exist. Pour a rum, roll your eyes at programmable matter, and join us for a Trek-forward, no-nonsense episode of Rum & 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 6.05: Plus-RUM-bus: This week, the guys dive into Pluribus, the new series from Vince Gilligan starring the always-excellent Rhea Seehorn. We break down the premise, the vibes, the Gilligan fingerprints all over the storytelling—and ask the most important question of all: was this idea quietly lifted from Rick and Morty… or is that just our brains being terminally online? We talk character, tone, world-building, and why Rhea Seehorn continues to be one of the most compelling performers working today. There’s speculation, side-eye, enthusiastic praise, and just enough skepticism to keep things properly Rum & Nerdy. Is Pluribus brilliant? Familiar? Accidentally multiversal? Pour a drink and join us as we try to figure it out—because sometimes the fun isn’t knowing the answer… it’s arguing about it with friends. 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 6.04 -The Rum: In this episode, the guys dive into The Rum, our totally intentional play on Netflix’s The Rip starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, because nothing pairs better with morally questionable characters than a solid pour and strong opinions. We break down the movie’s greatest achievement: making everyone look guilty… but somehow still likable. It’s a masterclass in “We think that person is absolutely guilty, but I’m still rooting for them,” and we unpack all those deliciously messy story beats along the way. Add in some surprisingly solid behind-the-scenes respect (including the stars going out of their way to protect the crew), and there’s more to talk about here than just cool guys doing cool-guy crimes. This is a high-energy, fast-moving episode with plenty of laughs, hot takes, side tangents, and the usual Rum & Nerdy chaos. Grab a drink, embrace the moral ambiguity, and join us for a really fun ride because if everyone’s guilty, no one’s innocent… and that’s half the fun. 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 6.03: Rum World is a continuation from last week, because when you stumble into a fantastic bottle you don’t just move on like a responsible adult you pour another round and pretend it’s “continuity.” This week we keep sipping last episode’s rum, The Privateer Letter of Marque New England Single Cask / Florida Rum Society, and yes, it’s still excellent. Then we shift into Nerd Trivia mode, where Greg comes prepared with a suspicious amount of questions and Garrick is forced to defend his nerd credentials in real time. No pressure, buddy. Just your entire identity on the line. Expect rapid-fire trivia, questionable confidence, a few solid victories, a few brutal misses, and plenty of snark along the way. Grab a drink, play along, and see if you’d survive the gauntlet better than Garrick. 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.

Rum and Nerdy Episode 6.02: Jurassic Rum is here, and we kick things off with an absolute winner The Privateer Letter of Marque New England Single Cask / Florida Rum Society. It was fantastic, and we spend some time digging into why it hit so well. From there, we wrap up the NFL regular season chaos Chiefs out, Green Bay in and talk through what that means heading into the next phase. Then we bounce through the usual Rum and Nerdy grab bag Greg is officially running out of LEGO display space, we talk new shows, home office setups, and the strangely satisfying world of displaying your NFL owner shares. Cheers, and welcome back to Season 6. 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.