Podcast #54: Nouveau Bros, Neo, and Islamic Extremists

24 July 27, 2015 by

Keanu-Reeves-aka-Neo-Matrix-mobile-Wallpaper (2)In this episode, the DXPs try to determine whether they are a part of a new-fangled cultural demographic that they eventually conclude is mostly BS (but at times eerily specific and correct in its description of them). We then spend some time on the long past-due topic of Keanu Reeves (you’re welcome), after which we take listener voicemails about agnosticism and whether Cherokees and Catholics can date. We then turn our attention to the deaths of the four U.S. Marines killed by Islamic extremists (or were they just everyday, garden-variety Muslims?), discussing: (1) whether America should retaliate for this attack; (2) whether this attack was retaliation for some other attack we already did; (3) whether that previous attack, for which this attack was retaliation, was itself retaliation for some earlier attack done to us; or (4) whether we should get the hell out of the Middle East altogether and turn the region over to Satan. Jason is biebered by hooliganery, while Christian’s bieber has to do with his twice-annual washing habits.

Also, this is an egg yolk. These are oxen on drugs. Any questions?

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24 Comments (click here to leave a comment)

  1. Jason, I think the term you were looking for was epistemic humility. 🙂 I love you guys.
    Jeremiah

  6. Your caller is right. Keanu Reeves is amazing human being, and should get a lot more attention because of it.

    While most actors will give some token of appreciation to the crew when filming wraps, after the success of The Matrix and its sequels, Reeves gave an estimated $80 million of his $114 million earnings to the special effects and makeup staff.

    http://moviepilot.com/posts/2015/03/31/true-story-of-sad-keanu-and-why-he-is-the-nicest-guy-in-hollywood-2822142?lt_source=external,manual

  9. Parks and Rec was our favorite show while it was on (after the 1st season where they seem too close to the Office which the immediately followed).

  10. Yeah, once it found its groove, it was the best. I liked The Office, but liked Parks & Rec even more. Ron Swanson and Andy Dwyer are two of my favorite characters ever to be on television.

  11. Uniqlo is kind of like Asia’s version of H&M and they have been blowing up in the US.
    Agree with you guys 100% on Keanu Reeves & Kevin Costner — it does seem like once there is a perception fixed on you, it’s very difficult to get people to reëvaluate. The Lake House is a very good movie, Sweet November (Reeves & a young Charlize Theron) is also a good Reeves movie. Part of his “problem” has been the fact that as you guys said, he has rejected the star making machine of Hollywood.

    Tom Cruise though is almost the antithesis of Reeves. Hell, Cruise was the first actor who was really known for being a movie star before being known as an actor. He has been very calculating (as Jason points out, he had a very big splash when he started out with pretty much the sole aim of becoming a star) and that all kind of blew up in his face during the Kidman split (it was news in the US but not to the crazy extent it was down in Australia for obvious reasons) and culminating with his jumping on Oprah’s couch. However, Tom Cruise is charismatic as hell and in person, truly is a star but also makes whomever is around him feel amazing.

    On the issue of how to define agnosticism, it seems like labels only matter to people who have certitude. It just isn’t a part of my daily life and so I don’t spend any kind of time thinking about whether I’m a theist, deist, agnostic, or atheist.

    I used to think the same way about the LA red car but give this a read: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy it is precisely what you guys were talking about with reference to Jared, Costner, and Reeves. Once the popular conception is out there, it’s difficult for things like facts to wade through all the noise.

    The issue with tires is not that they need to be replaced because they run out of air, it’s that thread gets worn down as you drive. The typical, even cheapie, tires nowadays can last an average driver over 30,000 miles. That’s pretty good. Same thing with bulbs, first with the invention of CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) which lasts up to ten years and now the new LED based bulbs which are like twenty or more years, thats practically a lifetime. At least in terms of these sorts of perishable items.

  14. I am pretty well aware of the various protistant beliefs about the end times and I agree that the idea of the rapture is complete bullshit. However, I would be interested to hear what the Catholic perspective is on all of that.

  15. Speaking of actors, have you ever read up on Dolph Lundgren (aka Drago in Rocky IV)? The guy was a Fulbright Scholar with a masters in chemical engineering.

    Also he was the back-to-back European Karate champion, so he totally could have killed Stallone in that ring with his bare hands. Bonus points for playing He-Man AND the Punisher.

  19. That seems pretty staight forward. I’m not sure I agree completely, but its a lot less nuts than most of the things i’ve heard from protistants. Personaly, I’ve become rather convinced by preterism, which is the idea that all, or at least most, biblical prophesy has already been fulfiled. Interestingly enough, I believe it was a Catholic named Luis De Alcazar who first put forword this Idea in the 1500’s. However, most Protistants rejected the idea because it meant that the Pope couldn’t be the anti-Christ.

  20. I’m no expert on end times. However, I don’t think the Catholic view differs that dramatically from what I was taught as a Reformed Presbyterian (amillennial). From what I gather the Catholic position is also amillennial with a little partial preterism thrown in.

    On a side note, I believe that premillennialism was declared a heresy at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD.

    Regardless, I hold to with a very loose hand to both end time and beginning time theological views; it has never been that important to me. I’m agnostic you might say about such things. However, since I’m a Catholic, I affirm and deny whatever it is that I supposed to affirm and deny.

  21. “However, most Protistants rejected the idea because it meant that the Pope couldn’t be the anti-Christ.”

    I laughed out loud at that.

  22. I am curently atending a reformed church, even though I disagree with most of their teachings, and agree that their view on this is pretty simillar. I was more bashing the dispensational view which is taught in most fundimentalist Churches and which seems to have some pretty harmfull efects on the lives of those who believe it.

  24. More suggestions:

    1. No more of this lame “so what do you like” nonsense. Give it some damn pizazz!!! It’s time for beatles and beibers!!! *intro music* *fireworks* *people falling down stairs* *cats having sex* sounds that make me think “YES! Beatles and Beibers!”.

    2. Another segway that let’s me know it’s time to talk about movies. Maybe the sounds of film rolling or a director shouting at people. Maybe even christian bale freaking out on someone. Or, hell, all of the above blended together.

    3. Make Jason do all of this and then crap on his effort. Just to make the fans smile and save a few cats from being kicked after the commute.

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