The Rithm (formerly The BlacLife Pod)

After a recap of Bryan's Thanksgiving debacle and a brief debate over apple pie, we get into the latest (stupid) cryptocurrency to cause people financial hardship, the reaction to an insurance CEO being killed, Drake's latest questionable career decision, a brief review of Kendrick Lamar's latest album and we make plans to hold one another accountable for our goals for 2025. All of that plus Alex's tips for getting a price reduction on healthcare, Markus' latest communication snafu, Bryan plans to be Forrest Gump next and much more!

On today's raucous episode, the holidays are upon us! We begin with Alex's Black Friday shopping dilemma before discussing if and how to shop Black Friday deals, why Santa Clause skips some kids' houses, if clutter causes stress, and we compare and contrast our childhood to that of our spoiled kids. All of that plus Markus can't make popcorn, Bryan's elf conspiracy theory and a breakdown of the sports spectacle of the year.

We got together Wednesday evening to  give our unfiltered thoughts on the outcome of the election. Listen at your own risk.

After one final call of action, the election talk ceases and the fun commences. The best live performances we've seen, the qualities needed to see a movie twice in theaters, being late to events, Michael Jackson's patent, Bryan's umbrella mishap, Alex's perfection, Markus' failures, how Bryan became Mr. Wonderful and so many laughs to quell you anxieties about democracy!

With one week to go, we discuss only the issues important to us and compare and contrast whose plans will better serve our needs. All of that plus Alex's precise grocery shopping schedule, Markus loves his wife, and Bryan opens up about the frustrations in caring for elderly folks.

With the election rapidly approaching, we discuss Trump's latest lies and how they are impacting people in hurricane ravaged states. The conversation continues about appealing to people's fear, how we began paying attention to politics, how we decide who to vote for and the dangers of political rhetoric. 

America avoided a prolonged Longshoreman strike last week with side coming to a tentative agreement. We ponder what we would've bought in bulk to avoid an inconveniences as well as the weird impulse purchases we've made in the past. Gen Z doesn't care about condoms. Are they stupid? We discuss the reported (silly) reasons why. All of that plus a major music streaming fraud case, disdain for free shipping minimums, crazy shower habits and why Bryan chose green.

Voting Resources

https://www.vote.org

https://vote.gov

Hu...

We begin with the latest online credit card scams, the best and worst financial tips we've received, and the times we've been scammed. We have incredible updates on a couple of news items from last week, and wonder why Diddy does not have better lawyers. All of that plus Alex explains why nothing is timeless or prophetic, Bryan loses thousands of dollars, big calf energy and surprises living in our food.

It doesn't have to be this way or A Fact of Life

After recapping their shared Olympics experience, the guys delve into Markus health milestone, continue their breakdown of the connections between Project 2025 and Don, and the correct way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. All of that plus the age that aging actually occurs, what we couldn't discuss and Alex swears by organic bananas.

Donald Trump takes questions from Black journalists and proceeds to tell us exactly who he is. We break down how his answers resonated with us as voters, explain why Trump is (or isn't) the greatest president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln and the power of forgiveness. All of that plus Simone Biles is the goat, how Bryan released resentment and Alex delivers a warning to anyone who dares to question his daughter's identity.

After deciding how to proceed with the assassination attempt in light of how the victim is proceeding, we get to the latest internet craze for young men: Jaw Gum. After discussing what it is and how we would handle social pressures and beauty standards if we were teenagers today, we move on to the Heritage foundation's connections to the Republican party as well as our frustrations over political ideologies and how information should be presented. All of that plus a whole lot of laughs, Bryan's wrist weights, Markus' scale issues and Alex believes in humanity.

A 20 year old man tried to kill former President Donald Trump.

Courtrooms were all the rage this week! A man's courtroom Zoom meeting goes viral, American Airlines gets sued for allegedly removing Black men from a flight because they were... Black, and a prominent real estate developer is found guilty of falsifying business records. But the case is a little more serious than that. Alex breaks down the details while Bryan tells stories of when he was discriminated against on various flights while Markus and Alex are always randomly searched. All of that plus people who should not be married, wedding photos, Bryan's latest near death experience, COVID flights, and...

The release of a violent video has Alex wondering about our infatuation with seeing other people's pain.  It also leads to hilarious discussion about getting caught doing stupid stuff on video, the heyday of portable cameras and Bryan's theater days. The guys reveal the good that happened to them this week and another CEO is out of touch regarding work-life balance. All of that plus Bryan's Money Minute, Markus pulls teeth and Alex gets confirmation that his energy is good.

There’s a new study about energy drinks and guess what? They’re bad for you. We discuss our consumption habits and whether or not our experiences mirror the study’s findings. Billionaires are paying a lower tax rate than most of us and Bryan thinks its bullsh*t… kinda. And we wrap up the Drake/Kendrick Lamar battle. All of that plus mother’s who didn’t deserve Mother’s Day, self checkout issues, ungrateful people and breaking news interrupts the closing moments of the show.

Bryan's algorithms have left him in the dark. In lieu of the episode we had planned, the fellas make an executive decision to update Bryan (and you) on everything going on between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.  They focus on the music and breakdown the best lyrics, explain metaphors and punchlines, dissect the timeline of releases, discuss who they think won and if the battle is over. If you haven't been following, this show will give you everything you need to know!

Everything costs too much. Target has hacked the brains of its shoppers with the "Target Effect." Markus won't share his bonus from work. If your spouse wants to try a new recipe but can't cook, do you support them? And Alex has a run in with a homeless person, creating an interesting moral dilemma.

Why do people like Taylor Swift's music? Gen Z would prefer segregated gyms? Larry Fink says we should retire later, but why?  Do you believe in anything enough to light yourself on fire? All of that plus Carl Jung's five pillars of a good life, Alex's gym has a drumline, Bryan's new love of simplicity, Markus might have been a broke boy, crazy news headlines, and plenty of inappropriate jokes.

On today’s jam packed show, J. Cole’s unprecedented apology leads us to examine what disturbs our peace and how to move on your own accord, OJ Simpson’s complicated life leads to an honest discussion regarding dying alone or dying surrounded by loved ones and we discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of a four day work week. All of that plus Bryan’s jump roping skills, Alex’s warning to people disrespecting the deceased and which of us has the best celebrity couple name. 

Alex recaps the long list of lurid accusations against Sean Combs which lead to his homes being raided by Homeland Security, before the fellas discuss how money and power can corrupt people and if wealth would have similar effects on themselves. The fellas get the beehive buzzing while reviewing Beyonce's new album "Cowboy Carter," which leads to hilarious revelations about something each would like to do that no one would expect, a wild March Madness related story on "Last Week In Racism," crazy news headlines, Markus' wife gives him a history lesson, Bryan suddenly loves sand, Alex's Gaye excitement...

California's minimum wage is up.  Fast food prices are up. Home prices are up. Cancer in people under 50 is up. But are they stuck? We break all of that down as only we can, plus the obnoxiousness of storage units, secret sauce, if we’re doing a good job of preventing Cancer, and crazy news headlines. 

On the latest episode of The Rithm, national stories regarding the proposed Tik Tok ban, a confident rendition of the National Anthem, rescheduling marijuana and refined carbs making us ugly, leads to debating the best social media sites, telling your kids the truth about their capabilities, crazy inebriated stories and what makes us unattractive. All of that plus the best donuts, public speaking issues, and Bryan‘s vocal abnormalities. 

On today's wild episode of The Rithm, the upcoming Mike Tyson fight, a Tik Tok internet sleuth and the latest findings regarding Ozempic and other diabetes medications lead to stories about Markus' schoolyard beatdown, why Alex never loses an argument and whether or not Bryan's cravings are actually addictions. All of that plus PNC, creating news stories based on real headlines and a wild question from Reddit.

And no, the title isn't misspelled.

Allow them to introduce themselves!

Wendy's introduces dynamic pricing

Kelloggs introduces cereal for dinner

Microplastics are introduced in placentas

Tik Tok introduces body dysmorphia to the male population.

We tackle those topics plus the best fast food breakfast, plastic habits, giving kids diabetes, skinny Bryan and Big Al, Bryan’s Island murder and whether or not we achieved our goals for the week!

After an extended hiatus, we're back with a new Monday show titled: The Rithm. Every Monday we'll take a look at the serious and silly news stories topping the social media algorithms, add additional insight and see where the stories take us! Hint: Its the hilarious personal stories, honesty and overall fun you've come to expect from us!

For the inaugural episode topics include the AT&T outage, MLB Player's Pants, Brain chips, Beyonce's country jams, and Trump's outreach to voters like us. All of that plus, Markus' tasty dates,  Bryan's Beyonce cluelessness and what ha...

**Daddying with Markus and Alex is available on its own podcast feed. Click here to find it on your platform of choice

On today's show, we dissect a list from parenting.com of 10 phrases you should NOT say to your kids. Naturally, we've said them. Do we agree with the adverse effects suggested in the article? Will we change our ways? Plus, the "Daddy Did That" segment has Markus and Alex trying to deviate from planned outings with their kids.

**Daddying with Markus and Alex is available on its own podcast feed. Click here to find it on your platform of choice

Alex loves when his daughter fails, Markus questions if he shows his children how to persevere and why father's refuse to help their kids on today's show discussing how to build self-confidence in your child. Plus, a "Daddy Did That" segment showing how a father's responsibility isn't only to his kids.

12 Tips for Raising Confident Kids

Instagram: @daddyingpod

Facebook: Daddying with Markus and Alex

**Daddying with Markus and Alex is available on its own podcast feed. Click here to find it on your platform of choice

The average American child spends at least 3 hours per day watching TV, while all types of screen time totals 5-7 hours per day. So for today's show we take a look at ways to reduce screen time, whether or not we comply with these rules, how our kids try to be sneaky with the rules, and Markus ponders whether or not he exposed his kids to video games too early. We also discuss boredom, how...

**Daddying with Markus and Alex is available on its own podcast feed. Click here to find it on your platform of choice

On the inaugural episode of Daddying with Markus and Alex, an Instagram post leads to a discussion on teaching your child body autonomy. The guys go on to dissect each point of the post and decide if they agree or disagree with the ideas, as well as offer personal anecdotes relating to each point. They end the episode with the “Daddy Did That” segment where they celebrate their underappreciated wins for the week.

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After last week’s abrupt ending, Markus decides to share the diagnosis revealed by his bloodwork. This leads to a discussion about our struggles to remain healthy, procrastination and how your health affects the people you love. All of that plus Bryan is an egoist, Markus is going to leave his family and Alex breaks down old vs. older.

On today's hysterical episode, Markus opens up about his recent Doctor's appointment. He reveals his unfortunate diagnosis, how race plays a part in his diagnosis, and the importance of being honest about his health.  All of that plus Bryan races for the Race, potential prostate exam issues and Markus receives his blood test results in real time.

See trigger warning (TW) before listening

The hiatus is over and we're back with a vengeance as we breakdown a variety of (potentially) problematic song lyrics. Are they really that bad? Are they simply a product of their time? Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Miguel, and many others get taken to task for their pen game. All of that plus Bryan almost got taken home against his will, why Markus knows who Tay-Tay is beefing with and Alex understands Biggie's rationale... but should he?.

TW: This episode discusses and alludes to domestic violence, sexual harassment a...

On today's gem-filled episode, Markus recaps his father's day weekend full of self-reflection leading to a raw, revealing conversation about emotional intelligence, self-criticism, and the pressures family life. Also, responsibility exhaustion, frustrating coping mechanisms and taking care of others. All of that plus Markus' kids don't really give him gifts, Bryan falling into holes and Alex's demo recording.

Due to the tragic events at Michigan State University, we decided to re-release the episode we recorded in the wake of the Uvalde mass shooting. While some details obviously differ, the problems and frustration discussed in this episode remain the same: Children are being murdered at school.