Hey, it's only been 6 months! We're back, in a new space, and talking some sh*t. We read a handwritten letter sent from a Jehovah's Witness, talk about the General Conference of the Mormon church, Diddy, Baldwin, buying or selling a house in this economy, the possibility of failure in the U.S., and a couple research topics we will be diving into soon! --- [00:00] Intro [00:40] LDS (Mormon) General Conference [02:35] Baptisms for the Dead [03:28] Divorce in the LDS Church [06:00] Semi-Annual Supe...
May 01, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 53
Do you remember The Fundamentals podcast? Well, we’re back - New name, same great taste! After 4 years we finally sit down to reboot the show, explain the rebranding, where we’ve been, and chat about many topics - aging politicians, aliens, the latest happenings in Scientology and Mormonism, mortality, legacy, the differences in podcasting since we started our show in 2014, as well as the future of it. *Please Note* we recorded this episode at the end of September 2023, before many notable event...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 52
From the early years of the podcast and the hours of off-topic conversations, comes a special collection of our favorite bits from the original Extra Fun series! — From the original episodes in order of appearance : (00:00) : Moynahan v. Monaghan - Tom Brady’s ball scandal, and continually mixing up Bridget Moynahan and Michelle Monaghan - March 2015 (10:56) : Pink Bloosh! - The origin of our affinity for André Blush and Pamela Anderson’s Icelandic strip club - August 2015 (18:26) : The Legend o...
Aug 01, 2021•52 min
As we mentioned in the last episode on Mormonism, Dan & his sister Lisa have started a new podcast called Siblings in Zion! Today we present an episode from that show in which the siblings discuss the LDS practice of 'Patriarchal Blessings'. Check out the links below and subscribe! --- In this episode Dan and Lisa read their super special, *very* unique Patriarchal Blessings (also known as Mormon horoscopes) and dissect them into what is standard Mormon jargon, what is total BS, and what is ...
Nov 10, 2019•51 min
In this season finale (more on that at the end of the episode), Dan's sister Lisa joins us to conclude our series on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She talks about the structure of missionary life bleeding over after she returned, her struggle to conform to the expectations of women in the church, some of the very weird things she used to believe, and the process of learning and accepting the incompatible truths that would lead her to resign her membership and seek a life of he...
Aug 04, 2019•59 min•Season 4Ep. 51
Finally, Dan's sister Lisa joins us to talk about growing up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being baptized by her brother, attending BYU-Idaho, and serving a full-time mission for 18 months before eventually beginning to question the claims of Joseph Smith, the origins of the Book of Mormon, and the history of the church.
Jul 18, 2019•1 hr 24 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Church on Saturday? Jesus Christ: Private Investigator? In 1844, after 'The Great Disappointment' of the Millerite movement, Ellen G. White began having visions. Eventually, she was among the founders of a new christian denomination known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We'll talk about how their beliefs and practices differ significantly from other Christian churches, and what the heck Jesus is doing up there in his heavenly apartment.
Jun 17, 2019•44 min•Season 4Ep. 49
We ponder death and its place as the motive of religion. Yes, of course we talk about Mormonism, and Dan comments on the progress of having more honest communication with his Mormon family.
Jun 09, 2019•17 min•Season 4Ep. 48
In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth in the Vostok 1 spacecraft, becoming the first human being in outer space. He returned to great celebration and lived as a hero in his homeland. That is, until his still mysterious death in 1968 ...
Jun 03, 2019•25 min•Season 4Ep. 47
There are a lot of products out there with the promise of energy, mental focus, and greater performance. Sales of 'energy drinks' generate more than $10 billion annually, but what are you really paying for? What is actually in them? Are they safe? We talk about all this as we taste test a variety of popular brands. Let's rip the lid off it!!! Video Version : https://youtu.be/_brs-_OoHcQ
May 01, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 46
We watch a video entitled Evidences of the Book of Mormon: Complexity ... and we have some things to say. Watch the video version here: https://bit.ly/2PqgDnQ
Apr 24, 2019•42 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. There is a reason for that order. Despite our best efforts and intentions, recycling is not the idyllic process most of us assume it is. Now that China has enacted the 'National Sword' policy, it is even more difficult to carry out. We need to be aware of what is possible for us to do, and how we can maximize our actions within the parameters of the places we live. YouTube : https://youtu.be/JJ9YnzQNd2w https://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/...
Apr 14, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Current political bulls**t, data privacy, the Facebook apocalypse, the Mormon temple in Rome, the idea of inviting Mormon missionaries to speak with us on the show, future president The Rock, and Darren pops a dad boner over fixing appliances! Video version: https://youtu.be/6qpSKwAMUrE
Apr 04, 2019•41 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Darren tells the story of his wife's heroic delivery of their new baby daughter. They say the second one comes faster ... no kidding!
Mar 04, 2019•15 min
Capital Punishment. The Death Penalty. Human Sacrifice. It has been been practiced since antiquity. What was once a more physically brutal and public event has become primarily a medical procedure behind locked doors. We talk about the ethical arguments, the various ways it has been applied throughout history, its current role in the societies that have held on to it, and whether or not it is valuable as a deterrent against the crimes it is used to punish. Also: BLOOD EAGLE. YouTube Channel: htt...
Feb 28, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Season 4Ep. 42
We watch a Scientology propaganda video, compare the Mormon and Scientology churches considering their financial dealings and property holdings, moral relativism, apocalyptic future scenarios, and the imminent arrival of Darren's baby daughter ...
Feb 08, 2019•47 min•Season 4Ep. 41
An abridged history of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; from the birth of Joseph Smith, Jr. to the present day as the church spread from New York to Kirtland, Nauvoo, Salt Lake City, and eventually across the world. Enhanced video version on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2RZPnRw
Jan 28, 2019•59 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Stocks. Bonds. Mutual Funds. Buy! Sell! Whether you let it ride or play it safe, we the people can play the game of business. We talk about the fundamentals of financial investment, how it has changed over time, and how it influences our economy. The Fundamentals of The Stock Market.
Jan 08, 2019•51 min•Season 4Ep. 39
With Darren's second child due any day, we sat down with Dan's dear friend and professional midwife Charli Zarosinski to talk about the fundamentals of midwifery practice, its benefits, misconceptions, and the differences between childbirth at home and hospital. Visit hearthandhomemidwifery.com & listen to Charli's show The Homebirth Midwife Podcast
Dec 28, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Season 4Ep. 38
All of The Fun Men are together, and the tables have turned. This time, Dan takes the lead to present his research and personal history concerning the religion he was born into, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . What was meant as a broader overview ends up being just the beginning ... Further Resources: The History of the Mormons Part 1: https://bit.ly/2Ezx66E Mormon Think: http://mormonthink.com NewNameNoah YouTube: https://bit.ly/2EpoDlI Utah Lighthouse Ministry: http://ut...
Dec 18, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Season 4Ep. 37
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. But, where did he really go? Where did he think he went? Does he deserve all the credit he has accumulated? We're talking about the fundamentals of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.
Dec 04, 2018•55 min•Season 4Ep. 36
We're back! ... mostly! Talking about the expansion of the McCarthy clan ... a precursor to our examination of Mormonism ... rumination on past topics, Infinite Jest, hyenas, Road Rules, COPS, evolution, future episodes, and more ...
Nov 19, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 35
Here we all are, back again. The table is set and the Bloosh™ is loose. We're talkin' horse races, TGIF™, Talkboy™, politics, ThighMaster™, oysters, Transformers™, Unsolved Mysteries™, DACA, Power Rangers™, and more ...
Sep 09, 2017•1 hr 27 min•Season 3Ep. 34
After some curiosity around the DNA testing companies that have sprung up to tell us our ancestry and possibly our fates, our humble and health-conscious hosts stumble into a discussion about nutrition and diet from our perspectives as 'meat-eater' and 'vegan'. Opinions! Documentaries! Facts? --- Originally published September 2017. Remastered July 2025.
Sep 01, 2017•48 min•Season 3Ep. 33
Darren's interest in the emerging issue of Chronic Wasting Disease in deer populations prompted a look at a similar and rare form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (sponge brain) in humans known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Its origins are mysterious, it is typically fatal within a year, and there is no cure ... gulp --- Originally published August 2017. Remastered July 2025.
Aug 15, 2017•45 min•Season 3Ep. 32
A bonus conversation including the sudden death of Darren's coworker, getting his own life insurance, bullshit supplements, overcompensating with caffeine and sugar, the deaths of Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell, and a primer on the topic of the next episode ... --- Originally published August 2017. Remastered May 2025.
Aug 08, 2017•30 min
Heroin. Morphine. Codeine. Oxycodone. Fentanyl. On and on, the list of powerful and dangerous forms of natural opiates and synthetic opioids is long, and they have become a major liability for human beings. We talk about how it all started, what these drugs do, and how we found ourselves in an epidemic of misuse and death. And stats! Oh, do we have stats! The Fundamentals of Opioids. --- Originally published July 2017. Remastered April 2025.
Jul 25, 2017•54 min•Season 3Ep. 31
Everyone has their quirks. We, your humble hosts, certainly have our own neuroses. But, what categorizes behaviors under Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? We talk about various examples of how it manifests, treatments, and our own examples of questionable behaviors. Darren also shares a harrowing story of the last time he really cried ... because it's been a while and he may have one of those psychopath brains ... The Fundamentals of OCD. --- Originally published June 2017. Remastered February 2025...
Jun 20, 2017•58 min•Season 3Ep. 29
In this bonus conversion we talk about corruption in the Catholic Church, Bill Cosby, ISIS, the end times, the omnipotence of God ... it's actually a good time! --- Originally published July 2017. Remastered February 2025.
Jun 01, 2017•30 min•Season 3Ep. 30
As the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S., a stroke kills someone every 4 minutes. And yet, 80% of occurrences are preventable. Special guest Neil Hunt joins us as we discuss the anatomy of a stroke, common causes, prevention, aftermath, as well as his own experience as a healthy 28-year-old suffering a stroke of relatively uncommon circumstance. --- Originally published May 2017. Remastered February 2025.
May 23, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 28
