Regular listeners already know about GamerDude's love for music, and for TV, when he was growing up. In this episode, he talks about - and plays - 15 of the most memorable TV theme songs that he grew up with.  This is by no means the most definitive or complete list. The songs featured in this episode run the gamut from Saturday morning cartoons to late night television and everything in between. This is just the first in what GamerDude anticipates will be a continuing series of TV Theme Song episodes.

Rather than tell you about the titles of the songs here, you can play a little "name that tune" as you listen to the episode, and reminisce about (or discover for the first time) some of the classic television theme songs from the past.

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

GamerDude talks about why he started running when he was young.  He touches on his days as "the fat kid" and how that initially inspired him, and then talks about what became his "bible" of running, an old book called "The Beginning Runner's Guide." He tells the story about how he was paired up with one of the track team members in high school during gym class (before he lost the weight), and how crushing it was to see that runner finish a lap before GamerDude was half-way around the track. He talks about his first real running shoes, and how he leared that running slowly still counts as "running." He remembers running the track after he graduated high school, and timing himself in the mile.  He talks about training himself for distance running, and how he coached himself to be able to run a six-mile route. And he explains how a six-mile run on a hot July day caused him to remove the six-mile distance from his schedule.  Finally, GamerDude talks about the importance of finding "your thing," and doing it, not only for the physical benefits, but for the mental benefits as well.

In this episode, GamerDude has compiled a number of short stories about various memories he has from growing up, about a wide variety of topics.  He talks about the one time he went sailing in an old school sailboat.  The story about sailing reminded him of the one cruise he and his family went on, and he explains how "fun" the cruise experience was.

GamerDude also talks about a couple random driving tips about driving on the road with tractor trailers that he learned from his dad on a road trip to Ohio. He also talks about discovering the "motorcyclist's salute" when he finally bought a motorcycle.

GamerDude also talks about weddings, and how one of the best weddings he went to was his college roommate's wedding at a church in Ohio.  He compares the simplicity of that wedding to the "destination weddings" and the "catering hall weddings" he has attended or heard about in recent years, and wonders whether one of those over-the-top weddings is actually worth it.

Finally, GamerDude talks about his distaste of critters in the house, from cave crickets to mice, and describes his prowess at using mouse traps.

GamerDude tells the stories about his fascination with Star Trek: The Original Series. He shares his views on the optimisitic future embodied by The Original Series, and why it resonated with him when he watched the show in syndication when he was young. He talks about his admiration for Captain Kirk and the fact that he was a man of action who nevertheless took responsibility for his actions. He explains why a hopeful view of humanity, with all races, religions, creeds and colors working together was so inspiring to him when he was young, and why he still turns to Star Trek as a basis for his continued belief that humanity can better itself, and make the world a better place.

GamerDude celebrates Episode 100 of the podcast with some stories about Thanksgiving. He talks about the family gatherings he had during the holidays, and talks about his first family political battle: trying to graduate from the "kids table" at his grandmother's house. He talks about his grandmother's famous rice ring, her infamous undercooked turkey, and the tasty appetizer she always served (orange sherbet in cranberry juice).

He then spends some time talking about the journey to 100 episodes of Storytime, and how grateful he is for all those who listen around the world. He talks about how thankful he is that so many people take so much time to listen to the podcast, and talks about how interesting it is to see which episodes get the biggest reactions.

He then shares a non-secular Thanksgiving prayer, giving thanks for the important things in life: heat, faces, and eating, before closing with Thanksgiving wishes for everyone.

On "A Very Special Episode" of StoryTime, GamerDude gets very personal about his early life. He shares stories about what it was like to grow up as "the fat kid" in school. He shares stories about how he grew to be that "fat kid," what is was like in school, how it affected him, and how that "fat kid" experience stays with you. He shares the story about how he decided to make the change in his life that allowed him to lose the weight and change his outlook, and he also shares the story of how knowing we're not alone in our struggles makes those struggles easier to handle.

This week's episode is all about TV. In the first part, GamerDude talks about several TV plots that have been re-used and recycled over the years in the various TV series he's watched.  He talks about several different plot points, including how tired he is of the "Falsely Accused" plot, and the "Is Our Hero Dead?" plot. Unless it's a series finale, GamerDude is quite certain that the hero is not dead as a result of the freak explosion, the car crash, or the missing plane.GamerDude also talks about "Mistaken Identities" and "Evil Twins," as well as several others.

In the second part of the episode, GamerDude takes a musical trip through TV, sharing some of his favorite themes from shows in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.  Okay, maybe they're not all "favorite" songs, but all of the themes are quite memorable, quite catchy, and a few are actually quite iconic.  No spoilers! You'll have to listen to hear which 15 theme songs are featured this time!

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

As GamerDude has mentioned numerous times, the way society viewed things, and the way things were when he grew up, was very different than it is now. In this episode, GamerDude talks about how embarrassing it was to have to go into a store and buy "prophylactics," which is what condoms were called when he was a kid. He talks about how he felt guilty and embarrassed about the whole "condom buying experience," and how that was a function of society attaching "shame" to the concept of anything related to sex.

He also remembers finding his dad's cache of "girlie magazines."  Playboy was every young man's fantasy when he was a kid, but just like buying condoms, there was guilt and shame attached to the idea that teenage boys would want to look at naked women.  He talks about how, just like condoms, the adult magazines were kept behind a counter so that you had to ask for them, which by itself, attached a level of embarrassment to the process. He talks about how Playboy tried to legitimize itself with its famous "Interviews," and how various popular authors also wrote articles for it as well. He also talks about other adult magazines, including Penthouse, Cavalier, and several others, and explains how these were one of the few avenoues available for guys who wanted to see nude women.  He also talks about how Stephen King's earliest short stories were published in the men's magazine Cavalier.

GamerDude also talks about going to his first X-rated movie: Debbie Does Dallas. He also talks about how adult movies eventually moved to cable TV, and how you had to watch through the scrambled signal if you couldn't get your parents to pay the additional cost for those adult channels.

As regular listeners of Storytime know, GamerDude is a huge fan of the movies. In this "Best Of" episode, GamerDude has compiled many of the movie tropes he loves to hate.  From the "always present parking space" that's always there for the protagonist, to the "easily exploding car" that so many action movies seem to have, to someone always running upstairs, or onto the roof, to escape pursuit, to the arch-villain's "this is why I'm doing it" speech at the end of the film, GamerDude talks about all of the tropes you can find over and over again in the movies these days.

GamerDude's love for amusement parks was not shared by his parents when he was growing up, so it wasn't until he was on his own that he was able to plan a trip to Disney World. In this episode, he talks about planning his first trip to Disney World. He explains how he spent time in the library, and reading guide books, learning about Disney World, and planning his first "grown up" vacation to Florida. He talks about researching the best way to get there, and the best time to go, and planning the trip accordingly.

He remembers what it was like when he first got to Florida, and how exciting it was to see palm trees all around for the first time. He then recalls what it was like the first time he got to Disney World, and how huge the place is. He talks about the ferry ride across the lagoon to the Magic Kingdom, and seeing the monorail for the first time, and the Contemporary Hotel. He talks about the various rides he remembers at The Magic Kingdom, from the Jungle Cruise to Space Mountain. He remembers riding the Pirates of the Carribean long before Jack Sparrow ever existed, and how different the original ride was from how it is today. 

He also discusses the two parts of Epcot, and how interesting it was.  He talks about the pavilions in the World Showcase and how it felt like taking a walking tour of the world as you wandered from country to country. And he remembers how the nerd in him loved taking the time to explore the various Lands in Epcot, from The Living Seas to The World of Motion, all long before Test Track and Mission to Mars ever existed. And, he remembers how big Michael Jackson's Captain Eo movie (which was exclusive to Epcot) was at the time.

He concludes by talking about how expensive Disney World is now, compared to what it used to be, and how unfortunate it is that so many people are being priced out of a wonderful experience.

GamerDude shares some stories about how he kept busy after school each day.  The "after school routine" included snacks in front of the television, where he discovered Bugs Bunny, Lost in Space, and The Brady Bunch, playing outside with friends, and playing inside when the weather required.  He also learned how to cook, and how to bake, and discovered the unmatched joy of fresh, homemade chocolate chip cookie dough. (Yes, it may be bad for you, but it was SO good!)

GamerDude tells some stories about the memories he has of his grandparents. He remembers his grandfathers Mac and Sam, his grandmothers Iva and Pearl, and he shares his memories of visiting with them.  He talks about how spotty his memories are because he never realized at the time how many stories about life they could have shared, and he explains how this missing family history helped inspire the stories he tells in Storytime.

When he was a kid, GamerDude loved winter.  He talks about how hard it was to go through the long days of school from January 2 through mid-February, and how he longed for the occasional snow day. He remembers riding the bus to school in the snow, and the clank of the snow chains on the road, which made getting to school so much easier than it is now. He talks about the snowball fights they used to have in his neighborhood, and explains why he never took to skiing.  He talks about the winter activities he did enjoy, from skating to sledding, and he talks about riding flying saucers, Flexible Flyers and toboggans down the hills near his home.  And he talks about the snow ramp he and his friends built at the bottom of a hill, and his attempts to photograph the result.

In this episode, GamerDude talks about growing up as someone who worried about every single thing. He worried about what clothes he wore, what kids were going to bully him, which kids were going to mock his lunch box, whether he was going to fail a class, whether he was going to get into trouble, whether he was ever going to college.  He talks about how his mother tried to convince him that it didn't matter what other kids thought, and how hard it is for a kid to accept that.  He then returns to The Bookhouse, the story book series from which his mother read to him as a child, and shares the story of The Three Sillies, by Joseph Jacobs, which is all about unnecessarily worrying about silly things. He then talks about overcoming his tendency to worry, and about how his father's philosophy of never dwelling on "woulda, coulda, shoulda" helped him learn not to worry about things he couldn't control. GamerDude concludes with a little life advice on how to keep your unnecessary worrying to a minimum.

GamerDude developed his sense of humor at a young age as he listened to comedians and comedy albums on his record player as far back as he can remember. He learned the secret of comedy (timing), and learned how to tell a good story, and tell it in a funny way, by listening to some of the old school masters of the craft. He talks about listening to Bill Cosby, who, long before he was convicted of some pretty horrible abuses, was nevertheless a master story teller.  He talks about some of his other favorites, from the rapid-fire one-liners of Henny Youngman and Rodney Dangerfield to the carefully crafted and perfectly timed stories of Bob Newhart and Shelley Berman. He also talks about George Carlin and his evolution from the days of the Hippy Dippy Weatherman to the comic who did the routine about the Seven Words You Can't Say On Television. GamerDude also remembers one of his favorite comedy albums by Albert Brooks - Comedy Minus One. He describes the unique comedy sketch built into the album by Albert Brooks, where the listener would actually perform the sketch with Albert Brooks, and how he spent hours rehearsing the sketch to perform it for his parents.  GamerDude didn't care that it was classic corniness; he just liked the opportunity to "perform" the sketch. (The script for the sketch - and the sketch from the album itself - are available here; you can judge the corniness factor for yourself.)

GamerDude's first memories of being interested in the government and politics date back to the 7th grade. He talks about how the basics of the US government - the three branches (legisltaive, executive and judicial) and their interlocking checks and balances - were the foundation of his "social studies" class in grade school. He talks about how his assignments included identifying his Congressional representatives, and understanding how the government worked, and explains how that led to his interest in politics and the political system.  He talks about the evolution of the Republican and Democratic parties, how and why their philosophies flip-flopped over time, and how that impacted his decision to register to vote. He compares how he believed things worked when he registered to vote with how he discovered them to truly be, and he talks about the necessity for having conscientious representatives in the government working with a government intended to support and protect its citizens. And he does it all in a way that - with luck - won't put you to sleep!

GamerDude grew up in the days before ESPN, sportsradio, and hot takes, and long before the NFL became the behemouth that it is today. When he was a kid, the only highlights he was able to see were featured on This Week In The NFL, a weekly highlight show. That once-a-week show was put together by NFL Films, which was founded by Ed Sabol, and Ed combined presentation, music, and narration in such a way that even the most mundane of games felt like an epic adventure. GamerDude talks about his fandom for the Jets, and the Giants, where NFL Films came from, and how he looked forward to the highlights every week. He talks about the creation of NFL Films, the music it used in the highlight packages, and the voice of the NFL, John Facenda. For folks of a certain age, these are the sounds of the NFL.

From an early age, GamerDude loved to stay up past his bedtime. As early in his life as he can remember, he stayed up late. He loved to get up after his parents went to bed so that he could watch movies on the CBS Late Movie. He remembers sneaking out of bed to watch the movie The Monkees made, Head.  He also remembers making a point to stay up to watch Raquel Welch in her fur bikini in One Million Years B.C. He also talks about his late night viewing habits when he watched Gilbert Gottfried and Rhonda Shear on USA's Up All Night, and talks about some of the classic "B" movies he saw.

He also remembers late nights in college, where the D&D sessions would carry over to the wee hours of the morning.  And he remembers going out to the clubs and literally dancing the night away before finding a 24 hour diner for coffee and donuts.  

He also talks about how being a night owl helped in raising children. Being up late makes the midnight feeding and the 2 a.m. diaper change a little easier.  It also puts you in a better position to worry about the kids being out with friends when you're not already losing sleep over it.

Finally, he talks about night time being his most creative time.  He writes, and thinks, and plans, and problem solves at night because that's when GamerDude believes he's at his best. He doesn't have anything against mornings. It's just that he prefers the night.

Two of GamerDude's passions - movies and music - come together in this episode. He talks about the power of music in the movies, and gives a list of his fifteen (okay, sixteen) favorite, most memorable, most iconic movie theme songs.  No spoilers here - if you want the list, you'll have to listen to it! But, here are a few hints: 1) some of the movies mentioned date back more than 60 years, 2) one of the themes is from a movie GamerDude never even saw, but the theme is so iconic, it made the list, and 3) the composer/conductor John Williams makes up almost a third of the list.  So, sit back, give a listen, and feel free to share your thoughts and comments! (NOTE: This is the remastered version from 10/23/19, cleaning up a couple of production glitches.)

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

In this episode, GamerDude talks about the power of radio and the imagination, and demonstrates how to use it to create images, places, things, and even people, bringing Mister Agador from his Twitch stream to the engineering booth in the process. GamerDude first experienced the power of radio when listening to the broadcasts of the late, great Jean Shepherd, whose stories were the basis for the classic movie A Christmas Story. GamerDude talks about how he would curl up under his covers and listen to Jean's stories, and how those stories influenced him, and his life.  As mentioned in this episode, many of Jean Shepherd's original radio broadcasts are available on YouTube, including A Christmas Story, The Great Indiana Blizzard and Paperboy Stories. He also wrote several books, including The Ferrari in the Bedroom and Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories, both available on Amazon.