SYMP Watch: Episode 89 – Cruisin’ for a…sorry, what?

B.S. Rating:

As faithful readers of SM know, there’s nothing we love better than an episode of our favorite podcast.

No, really. Go back and read that sentence again, because we mean it. What could be better than time with the boys and Jana?

Okay, you know we can’t let that stand, because if you’re really faithful readers, you know that there are several things we love more, not the least of which might be a good banana slushy with fresh pineapple and a mango chaser.

And if there’s anything better than that, or better than time with our favorite interwebs show, it might just be time with our favorite interwebs show that isn’t much time, but just enough time.

Episode 89 found Doug, Matt and Jana filming a show that saved the best for first. In fact, we’ll save you thirty minutes by telling you that all the good stuff came in the first 10 minutes of the recording.

Heck, we’ll save you even more time by telling you that all you need to know about #89 is four words: Jingle chosen; Cruise; Interrupted.

However, for a more in-depth recap, read on…

Now that we’ve established that you are the nosy sort that like to read beyond the semi-trite headline, let’s go back to the beginning, just to recount all of the great Matt moments.

Those moments began with his absence. The first 7:27 of the show drew oxygen even without its McGill, as D, J, and J dove right in. (or is that dived in? They got started is what we’re trying to say. Although, if a Christian show were trying to give us the bird, the dove would be it.)

We’ll skip what happened next, because it was the best part. That’s we peeps roll. Snap.

Then Matt made his entrance, and it was at this point we made a mattumental discovery. Are you listening, big guy, because we think we have an answer for your weight issue. Seriously. We’re thinking if you cut back the amount of liquid consumption, after a month you’d probably weigh about 180. Come on, think about it. Water’s heavy, even if it is all pink and purple and that funny reddish pink color that we don’t hava a name for. And just because it’s got the word “diet” in the name doesn’t make the refreshment in those baby-blue cans any lighter either.

Yes, we know Josh had two VW‘s of his own – but doesn’t that just help make our point?

Maybe a quick EVANGAtweet would save you from yourself. Or maybe not.

To save you, dear reader, more headaches, we shall proceed to our favorite moments of this edition of SYMP:

Exact Same Experience We’ve Had When Trying to Describe the Personalities on SYMP

Doug struggles to come up with the word talent.

Andy Walks With Me, Andy Talks With Me

And, obviously, guys named Andy are strangely drawn to Doug and Friends, as two guys named Andy write to the show this week.

We’re Just Happy Sarti Didn’t Assume Her Prayer Posture

Fields mentions a cruise and McGill and Griffin spend the next minute of the show with their hands folded in prayer position. Really.

SYMP Expands Our Vocabulary

Matt contributes hurtlessness. We’re not sure if that’s more pain or less.

That First Seven Minutes

They called it a jingle. Actually, what they were were four audio clips vieing to be the new intro for the show. Here are our opinions of the four contestants:

1. We titled this one, “Iiiiiiiiiit’s time!” as the announcer gave the best intro…if SYMP were a game show. The use of Garageband giggling kids lost several points. (B-)
2. Obviously a white man’s hip-hop, “J-j-just enough” wasn’t. Eliminating the mention of Doug’s friends gained points with Dr. Fields. And us. (B+)
3. “It all starts now” was very nice. We really liked the inclusion of all the things the show tries to do. There would’ve been bonus points if it had mentioned monkeys. (A)
4. The final entrant, and eventual winner, “Voices”, used samples of each of the Four and the old school bell. The bell loses this one points, as does the lack of an Andy-cackle. (A-)

So, yes, we liked #3 more, but we understand how you can be fascinated by the sounds of your own voices. After all, we like what we write.

Now, about all those interruptions…

SYMP Watch: Episode 88 – Podcast (Not-so) Confidential

B.S. Rating:

Josh wipes spit from his eye while Doug checks for it in his Pepsi

Listening intently. We were. Then, um…the, uh, sun…shine – no, it was a noise – yes, a noise…

Okay, so we were distracted by the wires and gizmos on the table, and Griff’s cool rip-off shirt, and the way Fields’ head shines in the lights, and why Jana has so many keys, and wondering if she has bigger arms than Matt, and if Andy were a girl, would he have a really deep man-laugh…

So, we might not have heard everything that was said on this attempt by the SYMP crew at podcasting greatness. We don’t have many notes. But perhaps that was because of the brevity of the show, rather than a breakdown of our observation.

(No, we have no soda machines near our TV to distract us.)

At just over 41 minutes, this episode was, by SYMP Standards, hasty. And yet, tasty.

In our virgin banana daquiri haze, we recollect hearing something about McGill being gone and Brazelton going and how Griffin is writing a book, and Andy once read a book, Jake didn’t pull his weight, and Josh dreams of Michael Phelps in his leg Speedos, and Jana used to dream about Matt…

But then that’s when we woke up and realized that Josh was leaving the room before the podcast was over, so perhaps we should send him prank emails that will end up on the floor of Doug’s car.

And so we might.

But – shh – don’t tell anyone.

SYMP Watch: Episode 87 – Sunk by the Dinghy

BS Rating:

Sarcasm is a tough thing for some people to handle. On the one hand, if done well, it can be very funny. But the essence of sarcasm is that it is communicating a deeper truth in an opposite way and, usually, there is some amount of hostility involved.

Those without a real sense of humor, or those that tend to be overly sensitive or insecure don’t usually like sarcasm. They tend to be more concerned with the underlying hostility than the communicated truth.

On the other hand, there are those that love sarcasm too much. This would be in the same way, we imagine, that someone could love bananas too much. Is that really possible? No, not really. But there are some people that love the humor of sarcasm too much, and they also forget the truth that is being transmitted.

That said, this episode was sarcasm-filled, from the opening box-bop by Jana to the closing bye-byes by the SYMP Four. Whether you like this episode will probably be largely dependent on how you respond to sarcasm.

Of course, we like it.

The Four Amigoes returned to the Purpose Driven Conference Room for Episode 87 in the series, feeling frisky and perhaps a little dinghy. (But we’ll leave that story for Josh to tell.) Armed with cell phones for Matt and Jana, an empty VitaWater for Josh, notes for Doug, a cup of ice to get McGill in trouble, a Snowball for everyone, and a punching box/Love Out Loud set for Sarti, Doug and the Paid-Less-Than-Andy Three flew through 50 minutes of podcast yumminess.

Did we say yumminess? Perhaps in a Kashi sort of way. When it was over, we all felt that, like Matt, we were left with copious amounts of air in our large colon. But satisfied.

Our favorite sound bites from this episode:

• Doug: (talking about Jake, to Jana) “He couldn’t fill your shoes.” (We’re assuming that either Jake has small feet, or Jana has duck-sized flippers.)
• Letter to the SYM gang: “to my four favorite people on a Monday morning”
• Matt (to “poor” Andy): “a shadow makes more than a substance” (Bitter, thy name is McGill)
• Doug (to Matt): “we know you don’t have a legitimate ministry”
• M&M (in a moment of profound clarity): “My attitude towards food is really mentally weak.” (AH! The emperor has no clothes!)
• Fields: “We used to be award-winning” (Don’t despair, Dougie. You’re still getting two banana slugs from us on this one.)
• McGill (describing the effect of denominations): “…innovation squeezed out of you, drop by drop.” (Which is why we declined the invitation to join the United Episcopal Freewill Monkeys of America.)
• McGill, again: “I decided I was being rude.” (And…?)

We could go on and on…much like this episode…but we’re behind again and must catch up…on our sleep…and monkey hygeine…

Episode 88 is right in front of us…

SYMP Watch: Episode 86 – Get Along

We don’t know what it’s like to be drunk.

Okay, there was the incident with the leftover banana juice from monkey communion. And we’re not sure where Jerome goes when he comes back smelling like Aqua Velva.

We’re just guessing that the process of getting totally wasted is a lot like watching our favorite podcast: party atmosphere – check; sipping non-descript beverages from lavendar plastic cups – check; loud, random noises – check; waking up and not remembering where you spent the last hour – check.

It was a guy-party in the podcast pavilion as Doug, Matt, Josh, and Jake sat at the SYMP table for number 86 for the SYMP Nation. (In the background was Andy, who seemed to be conducting his own version of the podcast for the online audience.)

This show was an absolute get-fest, from the opening letter – which asserted that the p-cast with Jana has become, “so much ministry, you won’t have fun listening” – to the closing music – which abruptly cut into the conversation, getting us in the process. In between, McGill, the Prince of Get, was in fine form, but it was the Jake-el who really asserted himself as a up-and-coming getter. As evidence, there was this exchange between the Future of the Church and J-Reezy:

MM: That was the biggest letdown of this podcast.

JR: What? Your humor?

MM: Ha! I’ve been flying like an eagle!

JR: WIth a broken wing.

Awesome. Sarcastic, snarky, and funny.

So, what was the rest of the show about? We don’t really know. But here are a few things of note:

• Table mess. Not back to its former glory, but still…products, wires, cups…mmmmmm….
• Andy’s head. The strangest way to white-balance video we’ve ever seen.
• If you were waiting for the duck to drop from the ceiling, the secret word seemed to be “piss”. Uttered several times, both in the emotional and urinary sense.
• At 19:18 into the podcast, a momentous event – they shut the camera off. We’re guessing it’s because McGill dissolves into uncontrollable laughter, which must have really pissed Fields off.

There were some youth ministry questions (blah, blah, blah), Griff trotted out his new Touch, M&M started talking about YouVersion and technology (which Dr. Doug thought was blah, blah, blah), and there was a short detour into football.

But what really excited us was the new intro contest, which promises an even SHORTER musical intro. (We vote for one that includes chimp noises.)

Here are our favorite sound bits of SYMPle convo from this episode:

• “Why are you still talking?”
• “I’ve been sad many times.”
• “Only homeschool kids use the original earbuds.”
• “Alligator arms? Why isn’t it alligator legs?”

Oo. They’re recording another episode right now! (Too bad. We’re several behind…on to #87!)

SYMP Watch: Episode 85 – Jake-ing Up For Lost Time

B.S. Rating:

The rating could be higher, we don’t dispute that. After all, this entry in the SYMP feed had some of our favorite things:

• Little real youth ministry talk. (We love youth ministry, ministers, and youth. We just get tired when there’s too much real talk about it.)
• Jake. In fact, the less hair he has – and he seems to have less every time we see him – the more Jake-goodness there is.
• A show under 50 minutes. FIFTY. Five. Oh. Wow. We were able to get through the whole show in one sitting. Without naps.

While it’s not one of our favorite things, there was one thing that we’ve grown accustomed to that was missing from this show…and we’re not talking about Josh. (or Jana)

The messy table. It wasn’t. It was tidy, orderly, and missing the assorted items normally occupying it. Yes, the Snowball was there. As were a couple of VitaWaters. And a Doug Big Water. And Doug watch. And papers. Okay, it wasn’t as clean and slick as Andy’s head (which made a brief appearance), but it was tidier than normal.

Untidy would describe McGill’s repeated, and seemingly deliberate, mispronunciation of “Palin”. (If Sarah’s husband shaved his head like Jake or Andy, would it be called a Palin-dome?)

Favorite Quotes:

• Matt: “How can he say limericks suck?”
• McGill, again: “I don’t even know where the Ozarks are.”
• Okay, they’re all M&M: “I’m gamer generation.”
• “Politics is this podcast.”

But this show wasn’t about the quotes, though some were good. It wasn’t about Jake, though he was good, too. (Maybe not 4 stars, like he thought, but good anyway.) It wasn’t about familiar or unfamiliar things.

Because for the almost fifty minutes that we watched our guys, we could only think one thing while we looked at  the snazzy ballcap and Van Dyke (that’s what it is, D., not a goatee) that Dr. Fields was sporting.

When did Magnum P.I. start hosting SYMP?

(Really…have we ever seen them in the same room together?)

SYMP Watch: Episode 84 – Last Week We Would Have Been Sleeping Right Now

B.S. Rating:

We’ve been watching SYMP for so long, we need some help – is the podcast a metaphor for life, or is life a metaphor for the podcast?

After a very long – and refreshing – break from the rigors of the weekly show, the SYMP crew was back in their chairs – though not their own – for number 84 in the series. Back from summer break for the first show of the fall, much like school kids returning from summer vacation, days at the beach, trips to grandma’s house, summer jobs, and sleeping in until noon.

This was exactly like that, because it’s exactly what it was. Doug and Friends were back at the table – shifted one seat to the left – and – much like this post – seemed to be struggling to find their way. Really – if we had nickel for everytime someone yawned, scratched, or looked aimlessly into the ether…well, we probably wouldn’t have a dollar, but we think you get the idea.

Most representative of this was near the end of the episode, DF is giving his all, seriously reading a question from a loyal listener, trying to capture some wisdom from the group…while at the same time, unseen by Dr. Fields because of his intense interest in reading the question – a) Josh yawns, picks up a nearby book and begins leafing through it, b) matt completely disengages, and begins glancing around the room, trying to find something that will interest him, and, c) Jana also zones out, becoming glassy-eyed.

Who hasn’t done THAT about 10 minutes into the first class on the first day back at school?

Well, really, we’re doing that now. So, let’s just give you our favorite moments, observations, and points of interest from this episode, and we’ll close up early and call it a day.

Things We Thought Were Prominent: (You have our permission to use this category the next time you play $25,000 Pyramid)

• The Snowball
• Jana’s soda cup and phone
• Matt’s purple VitaWater
• Doug’s soda can and VitaWater
• Josh’s VitaWater
• What looked like laundry on the table
• Nadeem’s nose
• The life preserver Griff seemed to be wearing under his Treesus.
• McGill’s language
• That Fields spoke softly when he said, “I don’t want my kids to know this”. We’re sure they didn’t hear that, Doug.
• M&M practicing how to reel in a bass with his mike cord

Class dismissed. (We’ll start for real next time…be ready!)

SYMP Watch: Episode 83 – High and Inside

B.S. Rating:

We knew it was going to be a special episode when McGill started with a joke about afterbirth pie.

For the first time in a very long time, the entire SYMP posse was gathered for a session at the big, brown, cluttered table. And what a session it was. Light on prep and substance, heavy on insider tidbits and Andy-shrieks.

It was like having the first staff meeting after Christmas vacation without the boss. Lots of stories, little focus, random asides, silly giggling. In other words, pretty much a typical show.

In fact, we had quite a disagreement over what the title of this post should be. Here are some of our rejected titles for this episode:

• “Simply Insider”
• “Sting Like a Caterpillar”
• “Oxygen Suck with a Saliva Chaser”
• “Who Wants to Be a Brazel-aire?”
• “It’s All About Us”

We would’ve gone with the last title, but only if they had cut out everything but the couple of minutes in the middle where they talked about us. Of course, then they could have earned the last half banana slug in this week’s show rating.

But SYMP isn’t about earning anything. Apparently, working at SB isn’t about earning anything either, unless you’re a senior pastor or whatever it is that Fields is.

As always, we were distracted by the table items. The flash of Brazel’s head at the beginning of the show was startling, but what really had us nervous were all the fluids on the table. Not only did Matt and Josh have bottles of yellow VitaWater, while Jana took care of a pink, but there was an empty pink by Griff, with the rest of the VitaWater case positioned by McGill. Add DF’s soda cup, and we were really glad that Sarti’s water had already broken, otherwise there could have been a VitaFlood.

Time for the stand-out quotes from this episode:

• Jana: “I’m not bitter…I am bitter.”
• Doug: “…green with jealousy”; Matt: “Jealousy is chartreuse.”
• Andy (in a fit of laughter): “ahh….trogolyte…ahhh”
• Andy (feeling the need to update everyone on his personal hygiene): “I’m sweating”
• Griff (asking the question everyone has wondered): “Which is more valuable – a good salary or friendship with Doug?”

Here’s another disagreement we’re having. Perhaps you could help us out. If the SYMP gang were superheroes, like the Fantastic Four or the Justice League, which superhero would each of them be?

Our biggest disagreement at the moment concerns Monsieur Matt. While there have been reasons given for Hellboy, Bucky, and The Sandman – to name a few – we are currently leaning towards Superman. Yes, we know, that might be overdoing it, but M&M’s move in the middle of this episode, when he got serious, leaned back, and took off his glasses – well, it just made us think of Clark Kent, and how he only really gets powerful when he takes off his glasses. Granted, McGill is more “Man of Super Soft Angel Food Cake” than “Man of Steel”, but that’s our opinion for now.

What do you think? Is Fields the real Superman? And is Griff a superhero or sidekick? And is Brazel a superhero friend, or an outcast that is secretly planning the overthrow of the Purpose Driven Cartel?

Whew. We’re sweating, too.

SYMP Watch: Episode 82 – Griff’s Secret Ambition

B.S. Rating:

Doug and Josh teamed up for number eighty-two in the SYMP stream, in what is developing into a buddy-cast, rather than the buddies-cast we’ve had for so long. With missing persons McGill and Sarti tending to budgets and lactation – and we think both could handle either task – D & J were left with multiple VitaWaters to drink, DF’s colorful calendar to review, the pretty Snowball to speak into, and a mystery box to open. It turned out to be an episode that went straight to the heart.

Mercifully, there was very little actual youth ministry in this entry. And the show was shorter than normal. It was as if Pastor Doug looked around and said, “You know, for you, loyal podcast listener, we are shortening the show. Because you are important to us, and we don’t want to waste a single minute of your precious time. Yes, this is your time.”

Several things made our little monkey minds work overtime during the short show. First, there was the off-hand comment by Josh, mentioning a fictitious SYM Finance Conference. We can just imagine DF leading that one, taking youth pastors step by step through budget procedures. As a matter of fact, this is something that always happens…when Doug dreams about what hell would be like.

But we also wondered what other great conferences SYM could host. The SYM Blog Conference. The SYM How to Sell Goats on eBay Conference. The SYM Prayer Posture Conference. The SYM Diet Conference.

Then there was JG’s admission that he was nervous about his upcoming meeting with parents, but that, yes, he would wear pants. Before we knew it, our minds had wandered off into an imaginary conversation…[room becomes dim and picture is all wavy, with strange “thinking” music in the background]

YOUTH SPONSOR: Hey, Josh, it’s time to go.

JG: [dazed] Wha-?

YS: Your meeting. Let’s go!

JG: [moves from behind desk] Okay, I’m ready!

YS: Aaaah!

JG: Oops. Sorry. Let me get my pants back on.

YS: My eyes! They’re burning!

JG: My bad, dude. I was just trying to relax before the meeting.

YS: If you can’t talk about it on the podcast, why were you doing it in your office?

JG: Dude. That’s not it. Someone told me I should picture my audience naked and I wouldn’t be so nervous.

YS: No, man. You’re not supposed to be naked while picturing your audience. You’re supposed to pretend that they are naked.

JG: Oh. That’s gross. Well, anyway, I feel better. Let’s go.

[More weird background music, and we return to us, rubbing our monkey-chins]

Several quotable moments stood out during our 48-plus minutes together. They were:

• Josh: “unless you’re chafing real bad, there’s no reason for spandex” (words to live by)
• Griff: “I was praying I’d get an iPod” (Our Simply Joshin’ Moment of the Week)
• DF: “I’m so text savvy”
• Doug: “How can you miss andy a lot?” (What many of us ask)
• A Georgia Youth Pastor: “discouraged at how my first year has went” (that must leave his junior high English teacher discouraged, too)
• Dr. Fields: “Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific.”

Then our fearless leader got specific and issued a direct challenge to us, the loyal SYM 2.3 billion-strong community. His plea? Somebody award me. Shower accolades upon me. Somebody love me.

We would be offended by such pathetic, shallow, patronizing attempts to manipulate us…if we weren’t simple-minded simians with a desire to love one another. So, in the spirit of Andy, and in the name of the Dougster, the Griff, and McGill’s Holy Canoli, we proudly present…

The First Annual SYMP Awards

Winners will each receive their very own “Andy”, a fake-metallic trophy of a bald guy on a bicycle. Second-place winners each receive a SYM product of their choice. (Really, who’s the winner in that?) And, now [drum roll]…the awards…

Category: Best Belly in a Podcast

Winner: Matt McGill
Runner-up: Jana Sarti
Obviously, Jana’s belly was more important to her, her family, and the life of her new child, but Matt’s is more long-lasting and central to the well-being of our favorite internet fake friends. Matt’s belly is a sign that he truly does “live the life“.

Category: Laugh Most Likely to Cause Podcast Listeners to End Up in a Ditch

Winner: Andy Brazelton
Runner-up: Matt McGill
Surprisingly close call, with honorable mention Jana Sarti making it a three-screech race. (Doug’s little chimp-like “wow” during this episode also drew some votes.)

Category: Best Product Placement in a Podcast

Winner: Doug Fields
Runner-up: A host of others

Okay, so in reality we like those cool BMW movies way better. But this is all about our hero, the saviour of youth ministers everywhere. (A bit much we realize, even if some ask, could he be the messiah?) And no one pitches better than the Man, Doug Fields. We even get thirsty for VitaWater when we read our PD-devotionals. What makes product placements great is that, even when Brazel wants to sell everything, Doug’s always trying to just give it away. This episode’s best placement was for the new Worship Band book. (Hey, kids – use promo code WORSHIPBAND for 10% off, good through the end of July 2008. Tell ’em the Monkeys sent you.)

So, what awards would you give Doug and the Gang? Should there be a Sarcasm Award? And if we were a podcast, would we be nominated? Did you miss Matt? Jana? Andy? Natalie? Jake? The comedy coach? Do you wonder about Andy’s place in this world?

Was there anything else from this episode that stood out? Hmm. We guess it will have to wait for another Dei. (Yeah, we’re insanely jealous, too.)

SYMP Watch: Episode 81 – Simply Paranoid

B.S. Rating:

Doug and Matthew sitting in a tree, K-I-S…

At least it seemed that way when the show started, with only Fields and McGill, two Diet Pepsi’s and a Snowball microphone.

No Josh. No Jana. No Jake. No Andy. No comedy coach (we miss that guy – whatever his name was).

Just the Future of the Church and the Old Guy. And Nadeem.

And it was an okay show.

Then Torrie Fields stopped by. And the show got better. Of course, not because TF said much, but because McGill always gets better with a female Fields in the room. And when Mrs. Doug stopped by, we thought it might get really good. But she stayed off camera. Which was a bummer. We would’ve liked to have seen the hot dress. Cause we’re curious.

Dr. Fields, however, was having some senior moments. No, he wasn’t forgetting anything…that we remember. He was having real senior moments. You know, like when your 90 year old neighbor starts yelling at inanimate objects to “get off my grass” and ends the tirade with “darn kids!”

We’re pretty sure if there had been some scissors handy, DF might have suddenly snapped and gone Kojak, while telling his daughter, “Fine! You like my head? Who loves it now, baby?!”

[Editor’s note: the vote was 3-2 that the previous paragraph didn’t make any sense, but we’re keeping it anyhow.]

We learned alot from this episode, though. (Ha! Just kidding, Big Guy. We know it’s two words.)

Among our favorite bits from number 81:

• M&M (speaking of Brazel’s Twittering): “He found his Twitter voice, and I don’t want to hear it.”
• Doug: “Fake non-verbal”
• T.Fields: “Josh is warmer than Matt”
• McGill: “Dude, this is what you need to do
• McGill: “It would be a mailstorm of mental idiots”

That last one almost became the title of this post. Other possible titles included:

• Our Fake Friends
• Fat People are Dumb
• Twitterholics
• Gentle Political Puppies
• Who Needs Prep?
• WWJD – What Would Josh Do?
• The Plug Cast (This was tied for second, since Dougie not only was plugging products left and right, but he also seems to be jonesing for some hair plugs. Or as Matt suggested, he should Rogaine-up.)

What caught your ear? Did you think DF was a little self-conscious? Were you glad that – unlike the last couple of times – there was no talk of self-pleasuring in this episode? And did you have the same shocked reaction we had when you heard that Torrie sits in Matt’s lap? (“Matt has a lap?!”) Post your comments. We would love to read them.

SYMP Watch: Episode 80 – From Us, Initiated by God

B.S. Rating:

The SYMP boys are together once again for an estrogen-free, three-part episode. Each part had its own strengths and weaknesses.

Part One was a quip-filled, bit-heavy, banter fest, as Matt and Josh tried to one-up each other for Doug’s approval. Many of the bits hit. Some took time to work.

Part Two was the serious segment of the show, dominated by a long discussion on the value of seminary. Zzzz.

Part Three was…intriguing. More on that in a minute.

We hate to get all Biblical on everyone, but do you think McGill has ever read James 1? Or is it possible that the big guy has never seen a mirror? Because it seems that Sir Munchalot has just discovered…hang on to your Hershey bars…that he’s fat!

Um…really? That ranks right up there with “the sky is blue” and “Kobe has an ego” on the Obvious List.

Griff then makes the blatantly false promise to support Big Mac in any weight reducing regimen he should choose. I’m there for ya’. And let’s go to Outback after the show!

As a service to you, dear reader, please enjoy a new feature of SYMP Watch, which will henceforth chronicle our favorite Griff lie from each episode. We call it…

The Simply Joshin’ Moment of the Week

(looking at the preview copy of D’s new book) “I’ll read it this weekend…I can’t wait to read it.”

This has been the Simply Joshin’ Moment of the week.

So what was on the table? Same old stuff…VitaWaters (2), DF’s new book (3), notebook, pen, Snowball, Carls Jr’s cup, wires, paper…

And our favorite quotes from this episode (even Josh got one!)…

• (from a youth leader trying to relate to his adults) “”I don’t know if my leadership is weak or if these people are just jerks” (Maybe the people are weak and he’s a jerk…just sayin’.)
• Matt, endearing himself to every sensitive person – “one person who belongs in the Special Olympics that happened to”
• Josh – “Matt and his bacon-wrapped heart with Slim-Jim’s for veins

Which brings us to our Oliver Stone moment.

With over 13 minutes remaining in the podcast, Dr. Fields took his leave for an important meeting with Pope Rick. (Wouldn’t that be cool to have a Pope Rick? Or Pope Bob. Maybe DF could convert and we’d have Pope Doug. And Cardinal Matt) The story was that the podcast would end, because he had this “important meeting.”

But our suspicious simian minds wonder…was this a setup? Was this really part of Fields’ master plan? He leaves…but conveniently leaves the emails behind. The Dodgeball Brothers are left to answer a question that leads to the assertion – leaders must setup their followers to succeed.

Was that what Doug did by leaving? Showing us that the boys could fly solo? (or duo?)

In the words of the Rotund One, “We should have our own podcast.”

Hmmm.