Stimulated Boredom

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers for the Game of Thrones episode, “The Door.” Whelp, we went from one of the series most uplifting episodes…to easily one of the saddest. Hodor. Hodor. Hodor. Who, me? Oh, nothing. I just have some snow in my eye. Hodor on, Hodor. With tonight’s episode of, “The Door,” season 6 continues to rack up the body count, but none have been as gut-wrenching as the (presumed) loss of poor Hodor. The series also delivered a triple mind-freak dick-punch by revealing the origin of Hodor’s condition, his dreadful demise, and Bran’s responsibility for both. Oh yeah, and the Starks lost another goddamn Direwolf. The podcast crew of Dana, Vanessa and Peter gather once more to discuss and dissect the episode, along with our shared grief at the loss of the Hodorest Hodor who ever Hodored. Tune in as we dissect every detail of this week’s episode, and be sure to send your comments, questions or fan theories to dana (at) stimulated boredom (dot) com, and we will respond to your email on the

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Game of Thrones episode, “Book of the Stranger.” The first three episodes of this season may have focused on ice, but tonight we saw the return ofFIRE in a big way. The Game of Thrones weekly podcast crew of Dana, Vanessa and Peter return to discuss every fiery detail of Season 6, Episode 4: “Book of the Stranger.” So far season 6 has been rather uplifting – relatively speaking – after the joyless black pit that was season 5, and there’s no better example of that then this week’s episode. In fact, season 6 has really upped the pace these last four episodes, as fans have been treated to an assortment of satisfying moments…which, judging by history, probably won’t last long. Daenerys had another showstopping moment this week; plus we finally get a Stark family reunion that many fans have been waiting for since Season 1. We see Sansa reunited with Jon; Theon rejoined with Yara; Margaery consoles Loras; Jorah and Daario find Dany, and even Cersei is (seemingly) joining

Some major Stark family shakeups happen this week on Game of Thrones, and the weekly podcast crew of Dana, Vanessa and Peter are back to discuss every little detail of Season 6, Episode 3: “Oathbreaker.” A Quick Recap: Arya Stark gets her vision back Bran Stark sees his father, Eddard, in action at the Tower of Joy Rickon Stark has returned…phew!…but he’s now in Ramsay’s clutches…shit! Jon Snow fashions his enemies with new neckties and quits the Night’s Watch We may have also caught a glimpse of a major plot point involving the identity of Jon Snow’s parents. In one of the biggest moments of the episode, Bran witnesses a young Ned Stark facing off against legendary swordsman Ser Arthur Dayne, a member of the “Mad King” Aerys Targaryen’s Kingsguard, at the Tower of Joy. According to Dayne, he was instructed by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen (Daenerys and Viserys’ older brother) to guard the tower, where Ned suspects his sister Lyanna is being held after Rhaegar kidnapped her and incited the rebellion that eventua

Warning: This episode contains spoilers fortheGame of Thrones episode, “Home.”Alright folks, you can finally unclench and relax over thefateof Jon Snow. Well, you can try to relax afterthatrepulsive and cringe-inducing scene with Ramsay Bolton andthebaby, but let’s try to process this one thing at a time.The weekly ‘Game of Thrones’ podcastdiscussioncrew of Dana, Vanessa and Peter return this week, as wedelve into,“Home” — Episode 2 of Season 6.A Few Things We Chatted About:Welcome back, Bran. After a year off from the show – andagrowth spurt, evidently – the young psychic Stark (and John Oliver doppelgänger) returnsRamsey Bolton does another horrible thingTyrion Lannister stars in, “How to TrainYourDragons”“What choo talkin’ bout…Hodor?”Remember kids, public urination can be fatalJaime Lannister learns firsthand how creepy religiousfanaticsareCastle Black takes a walk on the Wild(ling) Side“The No Name Girl Formally Known as Arya Stark”ERMAGHERD JON SNOW IS ALIVE AND IT BROKE THE INTERNETS!A lot happened in

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for the Game of Thrones episode, “The Red Woman.” The long-awaited season six premiere of Game of Thrones has finally arrived — and with it one pretty major deviation from the books, a shocking moment that we’re all still processing, and wefinally learn the fate of Jon Snow. On this new weekly Stimulated Boredom podcast series, I’ll be joined by show favorites –Vanessa Gabriel and Peter – as we discuss each new Game of Thrones episode as soon as they air for the most immediate reactions and discussion. We approach each week’s G.o.T episodes from 3 different perspectives — one from someone who has only watched the show (Dana), one who has read some of the books and spoiler-filled Wikis (Vanessa), and from one who has read all of the books and has the potential to ruineverything with their inside knowledge (Peter) — so be prepared for spoilers, however we’ll always try to be careful and take into account those listeners who, like Dana, only know the series from what the w

Warning: This episode contains major spoilers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice On this episode of Stimulated Boredom, I’m joined by recent guest-host Peter, along with Vanessa Gabriel of Girls Gone Geek, as we dive cowl-first into what we loved, liked and disliked aboutBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, including its surprises, adherence to DC Comics continuity, how it did in establishing DC’s larger cinematic universe, some of our biggest unanswered questions, and much more. This episode also answers: What the hell was Bruce Wayne’s weird desert fever dream all about? What exactly was Lex Luthor’s grand plan, anyway? Should we expect the same dark tone in the other planned DC cinematic universe movies? Where has Wonder Woman been since 1918? Did Batman just kill a bunch of dudes? What comic book easter eggs did we catch? So, sit back and enjoy three geeks wax poetic about capes, cowls and lassos!

Warning: This episode contains spoilers, and assumes that you’ve seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Only listen if you’ve seen the movie. To ignore this warning is a path to the Dark Side. Episode VII We Have Seen. Much to Discuss There Is. Peter joins me on this episode of the Stimulated Boredom podcast, as we lovingly discuss and review Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Episode VII is finally here, as we talk about our impressions of the film, and engage in rampant speculation over the unanswered questions that many of you undoubtedly have, including: Who are Rey’s parents? What is Rey’s background, and who is she waiting for on Jakku? Why does Luke’s lightsaber call to Rey? What the hell is up with Supreme Leader Snoke, and why did Star Wars do a crossover with The Lord of the Rings? Why did Ben Solo turn to the Dark Side, and will he ever resolve his grandfather issues? How did Maz Kanata get hold of Luke’s lightsaber, and will she ever get Lasik eye surgery? How many times did the movie make us cry? Why is

It’s certainly been awhile since the last episode of Stimulated Boredom, but the podcast (sort of) makes its triumphant return with this 2.5 hour episode that is so chock full of geeky goodness, you’ll literally feel the atomic wedgie creeping up your butthole every minute that you listen! On this episode of the show I’m joined by my good friend, Peter, as we wax poetic on geek culture and recap all of the nerdy things that has excited us over the last few months. This includes everything from discussion of the new Daredevil series on Netflix, to the latest Batman V Superman trailer and upcoming movie, along with Game of Thrones Season 6 speculation, exciting Comic-Con announcements, Flash on the CW, and Ernest Cline’s latest geek tome, Armada So sit back, relax and experience your virginity growing back. 

  Vanessa Gabriel of Girls Gone Geek returns for a four-peat appearance on the show, as we discuss the ins-and-outs of creating your own successful blog, podcast and posting original content.   Having been content creators since 2005 (me) and 2009 (Vanessa), we have gleaned from and learned a lot of lessons about taking our passions and turning them into viable platforms on the Internet.   From choosing a memorable name to building an audience and promoting your content via social media, we discuss the mistakes we’ve made, our successes, failures, helpful tips & tricks and share our collected wisdom for the benefit of those seeking to do the same.   As is always the case with Vanessa’s appearances on the show, this is an entertaining, informative and organic conversation that we hope will help to stimulate your boredom, while providing some insight and advice that people can immediately apply and benefit from.

Some of you may have noticed a few major changes recently. That’s because I locked myself away for a few days – and have the mason jars full of urine and poor basic hygiene to prove it – redesigning the entire Stimulated Boredom website. The intent of the redesign was to create more of a “news magazine” feel to the site, one which would make it easier to discover content, in addition to better organizing the website as a whole. In this brief update, I introduce some of the changes that were made.

As discussed on the show: How's this for Jesus imagery?    Week of: June 17 - June 24, 2013 Resident comic book experts, Vanessa Gabriel and Erika Peterman of Girls Gone Geek, join me as we discuss and review the new, "Man of Steel"movie! In this 2.5 hour episode we cover everything from the different comic book story arcs that were incorporated into the script, all of our feelings on the movie and Henry Cavill's bare chested Kryptonian nipples. .Be sure to follow and support Girls Gone Geek on Facebook & Twitter As always, enjoy the show!

Girls Gone Geek: (L-R) Erika Peterman, Gail Simone, Vanessa Gabriel Week of: March 18 – March 25, 2013 Vanessa Gabriel of Girls Gone Geek regales us with her latest adventure in cosplay, the thrill of meeting Gail Simone, and a discussion about the challenges that content creators face. It’s been awhile, but the prodigal geek girl returns for another amazing discussion on comic books, cosplay and content creation. :) With Vanessa fresh off of her trip to MegaCon (and mine to SXSW), we also finish out the show with a very interesting discussion between two content creators, including many of the challenges we faced and lessons we learned along the way while building our channels (and audience) up. As always, enjoy the show!

Stay Thirsty My Friends Week of: February 18 – February 25, 2013 The State of the Union address, awkward drinks of water and a review of Dave Grohl’s, “Sound City.” On this week’s episode of the podcast, I discuss a few of my takeaways from the President’s fourth State of the Union. What stood out to me? What is likely to be the legacy of the speech? When did the modern State of the Union become such an exercise in political futility? I also briefly discuss the perils of dehydration on National television while giving your party’s official response and recommend a new rock documentary by Foo Fighters front-man and first-time director, Dave Grohl. Enjoy the show!

Week of: January 28 – February 4, 2013 Stimulated Boredom is back! With the move to Washington DC under our belts, the show gets back into the swing of things by discussing the best ways to increase your social network, influence and footprint. After 8 years of producing and growing a podcast, I have learned a lot of lessons along the way on how to use social media to your benefit; regardless if you are a company, blogger, podcaster or simply someone who has something to say. Many people over the years have asked me to discuss how I grew Stimulated Boredom over the years to the point of attracting thousands of followers, fans and subscribers. It was difficult – with a lot of mistakes made along the way – in addition to the necessity of adapting to a constantly evolving social landscape. In this 2.5 hour show, I lay out my philosophy on the best ways to improve the reach and influence of your social network, while creating and sharing content that connects and is ‘shareable.’ I also plan to follow up th

Week of: November 26 – ??? Synopsis: Stimulated Boredom is moving to Washington DC! In this brief update, I announce some exciting news and how it will affect the podcast over the course of the next few weeks. The show moves closer to the belly of the beast! We are very excited about this change and have a LOT to do over the next couple of weeks, therefore Stimulated Boredom will be taking a brief hiatus as we get packed, moved and settled into our new DC digs. :) I appreciate your patience during this time and am anticipating that I should be able to get back on the mic by the 2nd or 3rd week of December. In the meantime, please feel free to get caught up on any past shows that you might have missed! You can do so viaiTunes or the official SB iPhone and Android apps, in addition to a variety of other options. Thanks again for your support of Stimulated Boredom and for listening to the show…the next time you hear my voice, I will be breathing in the Washington DC air and getting ready for some new and

Four More Years. Week of: November 12 – November 19, 2012 Synopsis: The election is over, President Obama has won a second term and it’s time for a little post-election analysis; including what the next four years may look like and the impending fiscal cliff. That’s it folks! After a year of campaigning, kissing babies, shaking hands, a billion dollars in ads spent, countless stump speeches and a race dubbed ‘one of the closest in recent history,’ it was over much faster than the pundits predicted and was a resounding electoral victory for the President. But what happened? Why were the polls and talking heads so off? Where did the GOP go wrong against an incumbent they swore was so beatable? And how has the country’s demographics shifted in such a way that the White House may effectively end up outside of the Republican party’s reach for a long time unless they adapt and become more inclusive? This week’s show is all about the election and what challenges the President may face in the upcoming fours

Week of: October 22 – October 29, 2012 Synopsis: As we head into the final days of the election, I respond to listener questions relating to exactly what the Electoral College is, its history and how it works, what makes a “battleground state” and a wrap-up of the week in election news. Due to what appears to be a close race, there has been a lot of talk this election cycle of the Electoral College and the math involved in coming up with a strategy that leads to 270 electoral votes…the majority required to win the Presidency. But what exactly is the Electoral College and how does it work? Why was it created in the first place and why is it still used today? Why doesn’t popular vote determine the winner of Presidential elections? I’ve covered this topic numerous times on past shows during previous election years and decided to re-visit it due to the emails and questions that I have been receiving, asking me to answer the questions listed above. I also delve into the strategy that each party pursues to ac

Week of: October 22 – October 29, 2012 Synopsis: A different President Obama showed up to the 2nd debate and Mitt Romney gives birth to another meme. Patrick joins me as we discuss confusing polls, the best moments of the debate and other politicking. At the 2nd Presidential debate, a significantly more assertive (and awake) president Obama showed up and appeared to keep Mitt Romney on his heels for the duration of the evening…leading to some memorable moments and an opponent who was consistently kept on defense and who repeatedly needed to cede his time (that was supposed to be spent answering audience questions) responding to an Obama that was clearly on offense. I am joined by Patrick, as we dissect the debate and some of the more interesting exchanges. We also break down some confusing and inconsistent polling on a micro level, in order to shed some light on why some of the battleground states have consistently remained in the President’s column and why Romney has not be able to break through in som

Week of: October 15 – October 22, 2012 Coming on the heels of a strong and unexpected Romney performance in last week’s first debate against the President, additional pressure was on Vice President Joe Biden to deliver a performance that will either slow down or completely stop Romney’s recent momentum. Did he succeed? Before the VP debate, I posted an article in which I discussed the Top 10 things that people should expect from the first and only sparring between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. In this week’s show, I break down many of those points and which ones were fulfilled, in addition to the effect that it may have heading into the 2nd Presidential debate next Tuesday in New York. In front of an estimated audience of over 51 million people, was Biden able to slow or even stop Romney’s momentum? Did Paul Ryan hurt or help the campaign? What were some of the more memorable exchanges of the evening? All of these questions are answered, in addition to a little fact-checking in this post-debate wrap-up. Bon

Week of: October 8 – October 15, 2012 The first Presidential Debate has come and gone, and it’s time for a little ‘post-game’ wrap-up relating to the candidates’ performance, whether there will be any change in the polls and some fact-checking. Recently I posted an article in which I discussed the likely strategy of both candidates coming into the debate. All in all, my predictions for how Mitt Romney and President Obama would approach the debate was accurate…with the important difference that Romney over-performed, while the President drastically under-performed, resulting in a clear victory for Mitt. However, although Romney won stylistically, my biggest issues were with the grossly negligent moderator of the debate, Jim Lehrer, and the fact that President Obama never unleashed any of the many offensive weapons against his opponent that Romney essentially handed to him on a silver platter that night and over the last few months…a decision that is still beyond my comprehension. The President played def