Dave Remboldt

Uh oh.

They say you can’t meet your heroes…and they’re right. But sometimes you can meet podcasters. Pop Culture Pastor will be at @PlanetComicon all weekend! Come see us at booth 2124 and go home with some sweet FREE swag!

@JoshuaLWatson But also…what is perfection?

Spending the morning thinking about this argument Spinoza gives against the view that God acts for the sake of ends.

One of the best things about the Thundercats was that Lion-O doesn’t automatically become a great leader just because he was supposed to. He had the nobility. He had the Sword of Omens. But he had to grow into it. Leadership isn’t about power, skills, or even a natural gifting. It’s relational. Good leadership isn’t magic or instantaneous. And it definitely isn’t guaranteed just because you were handed the role. The best leaders become worth following over time… By growing into someone people can trust.

(Ahem.) open.spotify.com/episode/4WkBkL…

Some speeches just stick with you forever. It could be the moment or the music swelling in the background. The kind of speech that makes you want to run through a wall, change your life, or at least stand up and cheer. So let’s hear it… What movie or TV speech still fires you up every time you hear it? Bonus points if you drop a gif!

Ted Lasso walked into a situation where a bully wanted to bully him. He didn’t fight back. He said: “Be curious, not judgmental.” Not exactly a mic drop, gotcha moment. It’s a life strategy. In a world that rewards hot takes, curiosity is a superpower. It’s what turns rivals into teammates and anger into understanding. Stories teach us what data can’t. Ted (a fictional football coach from Kansas) cracked open more truth about leadership, empathy, and growth than most MBA programs. So the next time you feel the judgment rising… pause. Get curious instead. About the person. The situation. Yourself. Growth lives on the other side of that pause. 🌱

Over/Under. How many minutes does Darryn Peterson play in the 2nd half.

@OnALighter_Note For me it was Scream. What a rush.

The two most notable times I've had this experience were Se7en and Drive

This week on Watch-alongs, Dave & Cody break down Shrinking Season 3, Episode 3 (“D-Day”)—an episode about being unprepared and honest about where you really are in life. They talk Jimmy and his dad, Brian’s delivery day panic, Sean and Marisol’s messy reunion, Gabby finding her footing again, and Paul finally facing the new reality of his life. Plus: why Bon Iver’s “Speyside” lands so hard in the final scene, and Harrison Ford doing his best work (ever?) New episode is up now. Let us know what stood out to you.

Saturday Morning Cartoons 🥣📺 Remember Dudley Do-Right? He wasn’t cool or smooth. But he kept showing up. Episode after episode, Dudley threw himself into danger, embarrassment, and inconvenience for Nell, all in the name of love. The fascinating thing was: Nell didn’t love him back. But Dudley didn’t get mad. He didn’t hate her. He was still there, every time she needed a helping hand. Dudley taught us that love isn’t something that HAPPENS to you. It’s a choice. It’s an effort. Love stands by. Love sacrifices. Love keeps choosing someone and giving grace, even when it’s awkward, costly, or decidedly uncool. The weird thing is, Dudley was very uncool…but kinda cool. You dig? Anyways, choose love over hate with someone who doesn’t love you back. It’s cool…and rare.

This is officially up to you. Three drafts. Zero mercy. One winner. 👇 Vote now: DAVE / JACKSON / CODY Loser has to admit it next episode. 😏

Everyone has gifts given to them by God, the universe or whatever name you use to refer to something bigger than yourself. You can use them to distance yourself from your fellow humans, or to be more present with them than you could have ever been before.

Dear Roger Goodell…

Look, I have no idea the context of this video. Dude probably totally agitated this. But the irony of 20 of them or so laying the beat down on him and then stalking him to his truck while one of them wears a “Choose Kindness Always” shirt? 😆 #ThisIsUs

I’m pretty sure I listened to Fairweather Johnson by Hootie & The Blowfish more than a healthy amount. @dariusrucker’s voice is like heaven.

🎬🏆 The PCPPCAs are here. We handed out imaginary trophies for the very real pop culture chaos of 2025 — big flops, surprise wins, divisive moments, wholesome heroes, and listener-voted favorites. New episode is live. Links in bio

Some paths choose you.

Just as long as he got home before curfew.

There’s a moment near the end of The Two Towers where everything feels lost. Frodo is exhausted. The road is long. The enemy is everywhere. And for a brief moment, even the hero doesn’t want to go on. That’s when Sam starts talking. He talks about stories…the old ones. The ones filled with danger and darkness. And then Sam says the line that wrecks me every time: “There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.” What’s important here is this: Sam doesn’t minimize the pain. He doesn’t say everything will be okay. He just reminds Frodo that meaning exists inside the struggle…and that struggle is uniquely his. But here’s the thing: Not all of us are called to walk into Mordor. Not all of us are activists, warriors, or world-changers on a grand stage, and that’s okay. Some of us fight for the light by being kind when it’s easier not to be, by showing up faithfully, or by loving all people wherever they’re at. The world doesn’t just need heroes with swords. It needs people who quietly make things brighter in their own corner of it. And that counts…and…if enough of us do it, it works. Peace.