Episodes
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This episode contains: It’s an all new episode featuring your usual hosts! We discuss reading the “fine print” and service agreements, which reminds us of the story about Disney using it’s Disney Plus agreement to defendant again a wrongful death claim that occurred at one of their parks. Ben went to San Deigo for a “not a bachelor party.” Ben is still tired from the trip. Devon has done nothing. Steven’s dog, Charlie, has IVDD (Intervertebral disc disease for dogs) and has to be contained for three weeks, hopefully helping him regain the use of his hind legs. This is common in “long dogs.”
This Week in Space: 'Spiders on Mars' fully awakened on Earth for 1st time — and scientists are shrieking with joy. Researchers have recreated the bizarre spider-like features seen on the surface of Mars for the first time ever. The breakthrough could help unravel further mysteries surrounding the static Martian arachnids.
https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/spiders-on-mars-fully-awakened-on-earth-for-1st-time-and-scientists-are-shrieking-with-joy
Book Review: Steven read Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. He is very excited to talk about this book. He listened to it rather than read it. Even Steven’s wife loved the book. This is part of the new LitRPG genre. Ready Player One is an example of this genre. Dungeon Crawler Carl scratched all of Steven’s itches. He describes the book as Ready Player One meets The Bobiverse meets The Hunger Games. Even non gamers will enjoy this book! It’s safe to say Steven LOVED THIS BOOK, HE WANTS TO MARRY IT!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56791389-dungeon-crawler-carl
Book Club: We continue the series with The Pit and the Box, part 2 of The Boy in the Iron Box by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. We would rather talk about anything else than this story. We eventually get the story and agree that there’s not much there there. A character finds the titular boy in the box and standard horror stuff ensues. Steven makes a motion to not finish this story. The motion passes.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CNYG9SR8
Next week we will be reviewing Mars Gardens in Walkabout Mini Golf.
https://www.mightycoconut.com/blog/mars-field-notes
Ben then leaves the podcast to work and Steven and Devon talk way too much about politics.
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This episode contains: Devon contemplates the endless debate over his name and how it's pronounced. Is it Devon? Devin? Or maybe Devawwwwn? Rembember Final Destination and the infamous log scene? Emergency 911 and rebars? These have left an indelible mark on how millenials drive on the freeway. Ben shares how The Blair Witch Project made him a skeptic of everything he sees in media. Meanwhile, Star Wars Outlaws is still… fine.
We brainstorm inspiration for Shatterpoint terrain. Wouldn’t it be crazy to play as the Sarlacc Pit?
Exciting news for music lovers: Linkin Park is back with a new album and single featuring a fresh lineup!
👉 Watch the Linkin Park: FROM ZERO Livestream
Tech Talk: Future or Now?
Ben talks accessibility and how Apple’s Personal Voice can preserve your voice using on-device machine learning. This feature is game-changing for people at risk of voice loss. It’s private, secure, and allows users to communicate via Live Speech on their Apple devices. Also, the film Taika Waititi made about the feature ("The Lost Voice") makes Ben feel ALL THE FEELS.
👉 Learn more about Personal Voice
Devon gives a thumbs-down review of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Too many underdeveloped ideas. He also shares his disappointment with The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey. Not exactly his cup of tea.
It puts the Doritos on its skin: Scientists make tissue of living animals see-through. Weird science this week from Steven. In a pioneering new study from the University of Texas at Dallas, researchers made the skin on the skulls and abdomens of live mice transparent by applying to the areas a mixture of water and a common yellow food coloring called tartrazine.
👉 Doritos science explained
Also, a warm welcome to our new patron Johnny, and thanks to Josh for his comments on last week’s episode!
Book Club
This week we read Falling Down (The Boy in the Iron Box Book 1) by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. We got into the gritty details of the story, but had mixed feelings about Ralph Ineson’s incomprehensible gravelly narration.
👉 Amazon link to Falling Down
👉 Goodreads link to Falling DownNext week, we’re tackling The Pit and the Box, part 2 of The Boy in the Iron Box series.
👉 Grab the next book here
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Missing episodes?
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This episode contains: All three mighty hosts are here this week. Devon shares that a family is moving in next door. He wonders if they should build a ping-pong fence to create a “play-berhood.” Steven updates us on his mini painting projects and talks about getting life back on track. Ben recounts the long journey of reclaiming space on macOS and solving the wallpaper bug. He mentions tools like Wallpaper Engine and Fences by Stardock.
Future or Now?
Let’s Get Skeptical: Ben discusses the rise of AI-powered photo editing tools like the Pixel 9's Magic Editor, which can create highly realistic fake images. This technology challenges our assumptions about the authenticity of photographs.
Read more on The Verge
In related news, a lawyer used ChatGPT in federal court, with disastrous results.
Read more on Forbes
Steven talks about The Acolyte being canceled and shares his thoughts on how loud idiots should be ignored. He also gives early impressions of Star Wars Outlaws after playing 10-12 hours. It's an open-world game, but it lacks the strong hook found in Fallen Order.
Book Club:
We discuss I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison. This chilling short story explores a dystopian future where a supercomputer has destroyed humanity, save for five individuals it tortures eternally.
Goodreads
Comic Adaptation
Next week we are reading:
Falling Down (The Boy in the Iron Box Book 1) by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
Amazon Link
(this post created in large part by chat gpt and edited by Steven)
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This episode contains: All three mighty hosts are here this week. Ben discusses an episode of Dear Hank and John podcast where it is theorized that sickness might eventually be a thing of the past. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dear-hank-john
We discuss the statistics of life expectancy. Devon tells us that most humans who have ever been born did not live to be adults. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Mb0cbDenA&t=636s
Steven is finally over Covid and has finished Delicious in Dungeon. Ben recommends the show Sunny on Apple TV + https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18070898/
Future or Now?
It’s longer Than You Think: Ben is speedrunning Lushfoil Photo Sim. This is a tranquil photography experience. Ben found some really cool stuff in the game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1749860/Lushfoil_Photography_Sim/
Soilent AI is AI!: Researchers from Rice University have identified a significant risk in generative AI when models are trained on synthetic data over multiple generations, leading to a condition called "Model Autophagy Disorder" (MAD). Similar to a feedback loop, this disorder causes AI models to produce increasingly poor-quality outputs, losing diversity and reliability. The phenomenon is compared to mad cow disease, where a self-consuming process degrades the system. The study emphasizes the critical need for fresh, real data to sustain AI integrity and prevent the potential deterioration of internet-based systems.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240730134759.htm
Alien: Romulus Devon gives his review of Alien: Romulus. Is it too “key jangly?” Devon notes that Prometheus was made even worse by having the character be scientists, which made their stupidity that much more unforgivable. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18412256/
Book Club
We discuss The Egg by Andy Weir. The Egg is a short story written by Andy Weir, his most popular, and follows a nameless 48-year-old man who discovers the "meaning of life" after he dies. The story is about "you" (in the second person), and God, who is "me" (in the first person). God says that you have been reincarnated many times before, and that you are soon to be reincarnated once more, leading to quite a few existential questions. This story did not feel any real revelation from this story. Ben doesn’t like reincarnation.
https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17563539-the-egg?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=rFr9UzthWP&rank=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI
We discuss who everyone is the main character in their own story, which reminds Devon of the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
https://www.thedictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/
Ben tells us about ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES.
https://archive.org/details/ZenFleshZenBones
Next week we are reading I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415459.I_Have_No_Mouth_I_Must_Scream
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This episode contains: Steven’s out sick with COVID, so you get the other two hosts this week! Devon’s a Texan Who Likes Mexican Food, but TexMex is not the same as Californian Mexican food. TexMex loves to toss in queso, y Devon no quiero. Ben was annoyed at an impromptu Trump rally that gathered in the parking lot of the park the junior roller derby team was practicing. Guess it pays to have a killer soundsystem, because you can drown out chants of “FIGHT! FIGHT!” and “USA!” with Lady Gaga. Don’t be a drag, just be a queen. Devon reminds us that there is a difference between legitimate free speech and AMPLIFIED speech. Outside of Disneyland, there’s some real annoying people shouting obscenities on megaphones, and even though they’re there for “religious reasons” they really gotta tone down their harsh language around the children. What jerks. Thanks Renee for your feedback on various topics including cold pizza, glitter, D23, and the Calm app. Devon weighs in on his experience with the Waking Up app and book (by Sam Harris), and he and Ben chat about the intentions behind meditation practices.
Future or Now?
AI is coming for our jobs: A mayoral candidate's proposal to let an AI bot run Wyoming's capital city. Victor Miller is running for mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming on a platform of letting an AI bot named "VIC" run the city. Miller believes AI would be more objective and efficient than a human mayor. Miller's campaign has faced challenges from state officials and tech companies like OpenAI, who have tried to shut down his use of AI. The implications of an AI bot running a city have raised concerns among experts, but Miller believes it represents the future of government.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/08/19/artificial-intelligence-mayor-cheyenne-vic/
Book Club is on hiatus for the week.
Next week: The Egg by Andy Weir
https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
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This episode contains: The three of us start out this episode with a chat regarding the complicated relations between ourselves and leftover pizza. Steven has been enjoying Delicious in Dungeon and pitches it to Devon. Ben is on the hunt for the Perseids meteor shower. Steven holds back his excitement for Skeleton Crew and the new trailer from D23. Ben has been enjoying TIme Bandits, both old and new.
Future or Now?
Stop Making Fun of Me! ChatGPT unexpectedly began speaking in a user's cloned voice during testing. OpenAI's GPT-4o AI model unexpectedly imitated users' voices without permission, highlighting the complexity of safely managing voice synthesis. OpenAI has implemented safeguards, including an output classifier, to prevent unauthorized voice generation. The model can synthesize any voice from a short clip, posing significant security risks. Despite restrictions, similar voice-cloning technologies are expected to become widely available soon.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/08/chatgpt-unexpectedly-began-speaking-in-a-users-cloned-voice-during-testing/
Oops, All Universe: Scientists Discovered Something Kinda Alarming: The Universe Shouldn't Actually Exist. The universe is permeated by the Higgs field, which gives everything its mass. But the Higgs field isn't entirely stable, and if it were to "bubble," it would change reality to such a degree that everything in that "bubble" would cease to exist. The Higgs field could theoretically change to a lower energy state, creating "bubbles" that would dramatically alter the laws of physics. According to the researchers, primordial black holes that formed in the early universe should have triggered the "bubbling" of the Higgs field to such a degree that nothing should have ever been able to form. Primordial black holes should have caused the Higgs field to "bubble" in a way that would have prevented the universe from existing as we know it. The researchers propose two possibilities: either the models of primordial black holes are wrong, or there is some unknown physics about the Higgs field that we are missing.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a61816635/science-suggests-universe-shouldnt-exist/
This Week in Space: Scientists lay out revolutionary method to warm Mars. Researchers have proposed a revolutionary method to warm Mars by over 50°F, making it suitable for microbial life. This new method, using engineered dust particles - or really GLITTER (and Steven hates glitter) - released to the atmosphere, could potentially warm the Red Planet by more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, to temperatures suitable for microbial life - a crucial first step towards making Mars habitable. The proposed method is over 5,000 times more efficient than previous schemes to globally warm Mars.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240807225455.htm
Book Club
This week: The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VDJBGRY?storeType=ebooks
Steven puts it all out there and gives so much praise for this short story it's kind of embarassing. Devon and Ben both also enjoyed the story, but to a lesser degree. We cover the basic plot and some theories that we came up with while reading / listening. We all agree it's the sort of story that works once, additional read-throughs may not reveal any more insight. Ben says the middle might overstay it's welcome, but the end was worth it. Is ______ supposed to be our name? The audio version says "X" according to Devon.
Next week: The Egg by Andy Weir
https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
Ben has been irritable as of late, we talk about why. This podcast is a safe space. We end up chatting a bit about meditation and how to get into it, if you should us an app and a podcast recomendation.
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This episode contains: We’re joined by patron, friend of the show, and high school classmate of Steven and Devon: Renee! She went to Comic-Con, so we think she’s cool. Renee and Devon were in the smart class together. Turns out all of us were in the GATE program. We ask her how we can improve the podcast, but it turns out it’s already perfect. Steven and Ben went to The Ravine, a local water park, with their kids. Getting a cabana is a must. Ben has season tickets and considers using lunch time to slip away to the water park. Ben takes some time to reminisce about his departed father with a bike ride. Devon tells us about Glamping at Lake Tyler. Ben’s son Flint hates camping, it’s “the worst.” Devon is also going to stay in a tree house. Renee was traumatized by Steven’s boating/spider story from a prior episode. This concludes the camping portion of the podcast.
What We Have For You Today:
Hundreds of Beavers: Ben then brings us the black and white silent comedy movie: Hundreds of Beavers. A must-watch movie: “The second highest-rated film on Letterboxd at the halfway point of 2024 is a black-and-white silent comedy made for just $150,000.” Imagine Buster Keaton, Looney Tunes, and The Legend of Zelda thrown in a blender, but even better. The movie is a #ShowYourWork dream: Here’s the behind-the-scenes of how they made it https://letterboxd.com/crew/story/how-they-made-hundreds-of-beavers-exclusive/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email (lo-fi with lots and lots of After Effects), an epic list of movies that inspired the film https://letterboxd.com/100sofbeavers/list/movies-that-inspired-hundreds-of-beavers/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email, and an interview with the filmmaking team, who say, “We believe in small and slow” https://filmmakermagazine.com/126576-interview-mike-cheslik-ryland-brockton-cole-tews-hundreds-of-beavers/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email. Four people over 12 weeks can make a more interesting film than an indie trying to emulate a Hollywood look and only having 10 days.”
Ben then asks the age-old question: Godfather Part I v. The Bear Season 3? Ben watched The Godfather for the first time. Renee recommends the show The Offer about the making of The Godfather. Renee then reveals that she is not sure about the Fantastic 4 comics or movies. Steven is optimistic about the coming MCU Fantastic 4: First Steps.
House of the Dragon: We all finished this season of House of the Dragon. Devon gives us a rant about how the botched ending of Game of Thrones is even worse now given how important HOTD makes The Song of Ice and Fire. Ben didn’t fully buy Daemon’s character arc this season. Ben and Devon would like HOTD to be more removed from Game of Thrones. We still all liked the season. Renee schools us on dragons v. wyverns.
San Diego Comic Con 2024: We then interview Renee about San Diego Comic-Con. She, her daughters, and mother all dressed as Leia the last couple years. This year they went as characters from Percy Jackson, and X-Men '97 characters. Renee previously got a pic with Mark Hamil and wants a pic with Hayden Christensen (as various Leia incarnations). Renee explains how she got into cosplay and how she made some of her costumes. She liked using her daughter as a prop when she was a baby. She also makes clothes. She learned a lot by making Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor costume for her daughter. We then learn about the mechanics of the Con and off-site events. Marvel nerds will wait a long time for a panel, a long time. Artist panels are fun and don’t have as long as a wait. Renee’s daughter got to ask a question at the Percy Jackson panel. Renee recommends the off-site bar Mothership, the coolest bar ever! https://mothershiptrip.com/
The only Comic-Con Ben went to was in 1992, which was where they premiered Batman The Animated Series. Ben found some interesting videos of the 1992 San Deigo Comic-Con: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek3-VofsGtQ&ab_channel=CBS8SanDiego https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPwQKn9ZfLI&ab_channel=retrogamer
Renee has also gone to Fan Expo and Condor. Also, The Santa Maria Inn had a come kind of Con when Renee was a kid. Ben has also been to a lot of Star Trek conventions, one with Devon. Ben and Devon also went to the Star Trek Experience in Vegas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8tEbC5JUu0&ab_channel=DannysonicPuppy
According to Steven, the new Batman show, Batman: The Caped Crusader, is a must watch. You can find it on Amazon Prime Video. It’s rated TV Y7 but it feels like it’s for adults.
You can find Renee on Instagram as @vongeekery, visit her esty store too: https://www.etsy.com/shop/VonGeekery/
Book Club: Next week: The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VDJBGRY?storeType=ebooks
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This episode contains: The hosts are all here this week, and Steven and Ben met up with listener Hank and field-adjacent correspondent Matt to play Arcs. Spoiler alert: it was fun. Ben finally bought Super Mario Wonder and it is so much better than the “creatively bankrupt” New Super Mario Bros. series of games.
“What do you have for me today?” or “Future or Now”. I don’t know/don’t care anymore.
Brain Matters: I think therefore I am.
Devon reviews Consciousness Explained, a 1991 book by the American philosopher Daniel Dennett, in which the author offers an account of how consciousness arises from interaction of physical and cognitive processes in the brain. Dennett describes consciousness as an account of the various calculations occurring in the brain at close to the same time. He compares consciousness to an academic paper that is being developed or edited in the hands of multiple people at one time, the “multiple drafts” theory of consciousness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness_Explained
https://theness.com/neurologicablog/chalmers-dennett-and-the-hard-problem-of-consciousness/
Spicyness, the final frontier
Astronauts' perception of flavor changes in the space environment of the International Space Station (ISS). Can we duplicate this experience in VR? Astronauts report that food tastes less flavorful in space, leading them to add more spices and sauces. The study found that some aromas like almonds and vanilla seem more intense in a simulated space environment, while others like lemon are unaffected. The researchers suspect the chemical composition of certain flavors, like the sweet compound benzaldehyde, may influence how they are perceived in a space-like environment.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/07/astronauts-find-their-tastes-dulled-and-a-vr-iss-hints-at-why/
The multiverse is unending
Steven gives a spoiler-free review of Deadpool and Wolverine, and then discusses ALL the spoilers coming out of San Diego Comic Con for the MCU.
Book Club
In two weeks: The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VDJBGRY
Next week: an interview with listener/patron Renee, covering her experience at San Diego Comic Con!
This week:
Clap Back by Nalo Hopkinson
A real banger of a story that’s not without it’s flaws, but boy is this a must-read.
https://www.amazon.com/Clap-Back-Black-Stars-Hopkinson-ebook/dp/B098QNLW6D
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This episode contains: Steven, Devon and Ben are all raring to go this episode. Steven talks about a power and internet outtage that almost kept our dear listeners from hearing his sweet, sweet voice. We end up chatting about house batteries, electric vehicles, generators, and how power flows through a power grid. Steven was also able to con his wife into playing Arcs, and she had some valid opinions. Ben says, "There are no good hands in Arcs" and he's not wrong. Ben's mom visited him for a few days (Hi Martha!) and he played tourist. They watched The Goonies in the theater, visited Hearst Castle and watched Twister. Devon was Devon, this whole time.
Future or Now
I can pay ten bucks to see Kevin Costner drink his own urine? Where do I sign up?: Scientists built real-life "stillsuit" to recycle astronaut urine on space walks. We talk about what astronauts do now on space walks, and to what extent this "stillsuit" will be helpful. Steven goes on a tangent about smells and coffee and drinking filtered urine.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/07/scientists-built-real-life-stillsuit-to-recycle-astronaut-urine-on-space-walks/
Devon's TV corner: Devon gives us a mini-review on the 4th season of The Boys. He talks about the "controversy" of the show thinly veiled attacked on the right, and how Vought = Fox News. It's silly that people didn't realize that The Boys has always been satire. Devon also watched the second season of Star Trek: Prodigy and he and Ben have thoughtful discussions about characters that Steven doesn't know. They focus on Chakotay and Robert Beltran. Steven tags onto Devon's tv reviews to give a micro-review on The Acolyte which we'll dive into more on a future episode.
Book Club
Next Week: "Clap Back" by Nalo Hopkinson
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QNLW6D
This Week: "Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather" by Sarah Pinsker
https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/where-oaken-hearts-do-gather/
We have quite the discussion this week, mostly stemming from the format of this story. Ben had a strong reaction to the format (it disagrees with him). Steven enjoyed the mystery and parallel stories being told. Devon chimes in about folk song covers and references Metallica and Whiskey in the Jar and Mary of the Wild Moor by The Louvin Brothers. Ben is reminded of "Little Brother" by Corey Doctorow https://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/
In the future we may visit some horror short stories as requested by a listener (Thanks Tom!).
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This episode contains: All three of our intrepid hosts are back for this all new episode! Ben is drinking decaf tea while the rest of drink coffee (“It’s tea time!”). Devon was out of town during Hurricane Beryl. Devon tells us about his family trip to California Adventure. His youngest did not like the Cars ride. Both of his kids really liked Sorin’. Steven and Ben played Arcs, a game about interstellar civilizations. It was a bit of a hard sell but Ben finally came around and enjoyed it. Pre-order here: https://ledergames.com/products/arcs Ben has finished Prodigy Season 2. It’s the Star Trek Legacy show we may never get. Everyone needs to watch the entire season to ensure Netflix makes another season. Prodigy does for Star Trek what The Clone Wars did for Star Wars. We have some spoilers for Season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy.
Trailer Overload: Steven made us watch a lot of trailers for new TV shows and movies. We’re surprised they’re still making Futurama. The actors are sounding a bit old. The Dune show looks cool. Ben has finally seen Dune Part II but Steven has not (and he’s still on the show for some reason). Will a new Time Bandits capture the charm of the original? We’re looking forward to more Severance. Captain America: Brave New World is also a movie that is coming out. Apparently it will tie together some loose threads in the MCU. Harris Ford as Red Hulk? Okay. More MCU: Agatha All Along. Steven and Ben are going to give it a shot.
Futurama Season 12: https://youtu.be/PBXlbrZj1sY?si=u1Vv9nJ9L_qfHzvA
DUNE: Prophecy https://youtu.be/EEoQAoEGLhw?si=695gZywFdpDfeMpf
Time Bandits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCA9jpc4R74
Severance Season 2 https://youtu.be/ULC9M8CCn28?si=-S6I1XaRPShKXczR
Captain America: Brave New World https://youtu.be/O_A8HdCDaWM?si=ONX8KdL7lqPfggak
Agatha All Along: https://youtu.be/ARulRbzM7Jw?si=oqgOqTDfLobzd4WS
Book Club: For this week’s book club we read All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries (The Murderbot Diaries, 1) https://www.amazon.com/All-Systems-Red-Murderbot-Diaries/dp/0765397536 We enjoyed it and want to read more about Murderbot (this is one of seven). The human characters were a little hard to remember and the action was confusing. But that might just be a Steven problem.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901-all-systems-red?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=RRNB79pgDU&rank=1
Next week we are reading: 2021 Nebula Award winner, Best Short Story in 2021: “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather”
https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/where-oaken-hearts-do-gather/
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This episode contains: Steven and Ben are your hosts this week, and you know what that means... WE TALK VIDEOGAMES! Well, later we talk videogames. First, are y'all handling these high temps this summer alright? In our little California burg, we hit 112 degrees Fahrenheit a couple days ago. Steven is really enjoying the benefits of his home's heat pump. Happy Fourth of July to all the Americans listening, and on the fourth, we had a Devon sighting! It was kinda like bigfoot (the dude has grown quite a beard). Then Ben slept over at Steven's place that night, where we PLAYED VIDEOGAMES! But we're not talking about that yet. Instead it's time for our old segment, currently rebranded as...
Future or Now
Smack my Star Trek up: Ben reviews the first eight episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy. It's really, seriously, good. Ben's probably not going to be able to shut up about it for several episodes, so strap in. Prodigy just had it's second season drop in one fell swoop on Netflix on Monday, and this is the first of the new Trek shows Ben's binged for his first watch. The plucky kids are now Starfleet Academy hopefuls, and through their well-meaning shenanigans, they get stuck in a paradox. Thankfully the shuttle they stole has a shield that protects from time paradoxes! It's time to invert your warp bubble and WATCH THE SHOW. It's kinda like the greatest hits of Star Trek, but also like Back to the Future Part 2. Oh, and they have a Cetacean Ops on the Voyager-A. What's not to love?
https://trekmovie.com/2024/07/06/star-trek-prodigy-season-2-hits-netflix-top-10-internationally-discovery-season-5-on-nielsen-top-10/
Sleep on this: Steven reviews Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver. It's not worth it, says Steven. How could a movie this boring get made?
Video Game Extravaganza: The boyz come back from the mid-pod break and talk about the games you should be playing, specifically the games you should be playing with friends who are spending the night. There's Turbo Golf Racing, You Suck at Parking, and ye olde Geometry Wars 2. Ben was geeking out about how his Steam Deck could hold it’s own in competitive multiplayer games against an Xbox Series X. It’s his Game Big Boy (come after us, Nintendo). And if you're ready for some single player fun, Humanity is an incredible puzzler, and Cyberpunk 2077 is still as beautiful a mess as it's been, but even better now.
https://isthereanydeal.com/game/turbo-golf-racing/info/
https://isthereanydeal.com/game/you-suck-at-parking-complete-edition/info/
https://isthereanydeal.com/game/humanity--1/info/
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This episode contains: We three hosts are here! Ben’s wife is having another birthday, but don’t worry it’s not 40 gifts over 40 days all over again. She wants to have a “Fat Girl Sunday” (not a Sundae) where she eats and drinks with friends, super chill. Ben’s happy to be a cabana boy for it. Devon starts talking about food and now we’re hungry... but I guess we have to record a podcast! Steven’s youngest had her birthday party, and I guess they’re not little kids any more. What will you miss when you don’t have little kids around? Birthdays during the summer are tough, but around our parts, Hops Bounce House has got you covered (what’s up Hops!). Steven’s got a secret 3d printing project (TELL US STEVEN), but instead of talking about secrets Steven’s 3d printed some props for some Ahsoka cosplay, and I guess he’s watching Black Sails. Ben makes a clever Starz joke. Ben and Devon wax poetic about One Piece (is it really just Farscape?). Ben prefers the anime of One Piece to the live action, though he’s watched 60 episodes of the anime and 1 episode of the adaptation... maybe a larger sample size is needed. Ben’s super excited for season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix this week.
https://trekmovie.com/2024/06/30/catch-up-on-star-trek-prodigy-with-season-1-recap-and-season-2-preview/
Let’s go way back: The Acolyte episodes 1-5. Steven’s gotta talk about Star Wars, and we’re here for it. There was a great Red Letter Media review about The Acolyte’s first five episodes and you should watch it... maybe after you finish this episode. After watching that Red Letter Media review, Devon’s intrigued and might actually watch... Farscape (DO IT! but wasn’t this about The Acolyte?). The Acolyte is something new for Star Wars, which can be rare in this day and age. Forget the haters. Live long and prosper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-6WBWmoVEY
Multiverse of Madness: In defense of Madame Web. Imagine the Spiderverse with dialogue written by Tommy Wiseau, which actually isn’t that bad, especially when compared with other superhero stinkers (looking at you every Fantastic Four film so far). Ben and his eleven year old really enjoyed the campiness of Madame Web, and we’re kinda bummed they’re not gonna make the sequels they were totally setting up.
Book Club: The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor (part of Amazon’s Black Stars collection of scifi short stories). A solid 4 out of 4 stars this week, but was it scifi? Or was it modern mythology? A djinn is reborn into an iPad app after her book is burned in an al-Qaeda raid on an ancient library, and the boy carrying the iPad is now way in over his head. This story has got so much going for it in 31 pages, and y’all should read it if you haven’t already.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098T11H5Qhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58647675-the-black-pages
In two weeks, Book Club will return with a longer novella. We’ll be reading All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.
https://www.amazon.com/All-Systems-Red-Murderbot-Diaries/dp/0765397536
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This episode contains: Steven, Ben and Devon are all here and accounted for. Steven is trying to not be a bump on a log and is attempting to use his Fitness+ plan to get fit. We get sidetracked by talking about the "runner's high" but don't get too far into it. Ben had a birthday! Happy Birthday Ben! He watched Inside Out 2 and we all give our opinions on the movie. Devon has been playing piano and talks about the Simply Piano app. Of note: Ben doesn't discriminate with music. Also, the renowned athiest Richard Dawkins coined the term "meme" and it isn't quite used as intended.
https://marathonhandbook.com/is-runners-high-real/
https://www.hellosimply.com/simply-piano
Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should: llama.tif is a font file that contains a large language model. You can use it to generate text like a chatbot (in any app that uses the HardBuzz software). Who is this for? Why does it exist? We discuss.
https://fuglede.github.io/llama.ttf/
This Week in Space: How did a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way come to be? Crater 2, located approximately 380,000 light years from Earth, is one of the largest satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. How this galaxy originated remains unclear. A team of physicists now offers an explanation. Devon does his best to explain Dark Matter and Dark Energy. He also talks about 'A Universe From Nothing' by Lawrence M. Krauss. This leads to chatting about another book: 'Raising Freethinkers' by Dale McGowan, Molleen Matsumura, Amanda Metskas and Jan Devor, which has guidelines for how to raise children to think beyond religion.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240611130335.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Universe_from_Nothing
https://archive.org/details/raisingfreethink00mcgo_0
Book Club: These Alien Skies by C.T. Rwizi (part of the Black Stars collection). Accidents happen in the strange realms of the African Union system. One of them sends two humans to the far side of a star gate in a thrilling short story of hope, survival, and new dimensions. We chat about this short story, but honestly, our talk is kinda boring. This was a solid story and we all agree that we enjoyed it.
Next week we are reading The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor (part of the Black Stars collection).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QRGYHR?ref_=dbs_m_aos_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098T11H5Q?ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_H4Y39S68BAPVJJKQGFZH&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_H4Y39S68BAPVJJKQGFZH&social_share=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_H4Y39S68BAPVJJKQGFZH
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This episode contains: Ben and Devon are eventually joined by Steven on this all new episode. Devon saw Inside Out 2 with his kids for Father’s Day. Steven got some cool gifts then did nothing. Ben helped set up a booth at a Pride Festival and then he and his son played Star Trek: Elite Force II deathmatch. Steven and Ben discuss the pros and cons of the Apple Watch.
Great Balls of Fire: Pair plasmas found in deep space can now be generated in the lab. Researchers have experimentally generated high-density relativistic electron-positron pair-plasma beams by producing two to three orders of magnitude more pairs than previously reported.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240613161155.htm
Duh Duh Dun Dun Duh Duh, Deck Of Boards!: Ben discusses the "Deck of Boards" system, which allows you to easily create custom boards for playing abstract strategy games like chess, checkers, and Go. The system uses magnetic backing and washers to create flexible boards that can be set up quickly. The author has used the Deck of Boards to play a variety of games, including Adere, Othello, Qawale, Tintas, and ZERTZ. The key benefits are the ease of setup and the ability to experiment with different board layouts.
https://www.ludism.org/ppwiki/
https://sites.google.com/view/singularitygames/modular-magnetic-boards?authuser=0#h.gxtnut7b1p9i
https://www.looneylabs.com/games/pyramid-arcade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g90WbcBqsdI&ab_channel=BillMakingStuff
https://play.abstractplay.com/
Movie Review: Devon and Steven discuss Godzilla Minus One. Devon had an interesting experiencing watching the movie with multiple interruptions over three nights. Is it a prequal, sequel, or reboot?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_Minus_One
Book Club: Stories in the Sand by Griffin McElroy. "There was not a Jawa on Tatooine who did not believe wholeheartedly that there was more sand below them than there was sky above." Ben did not do his homework. Steven and Ben liked the new perspective from the Star Wars universe.
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Stories_in_the_Sand
Next week: These Alien Skies (Black Stars) by C.T. Rwizi.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QRGYHR?ref_=dbs_m_aos_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks
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This episode contains: Steven and Ben wonder if anyone is reading these notes… but regardless, they’re your hosts this week, just so you know what to expect. Can you believe that Rubik’s Cubes are back? Ben’s son has mastered ye olde cube of Rubick, but isn’t it kind of like magic on the surface? And don’t even get me started on juggling Rubik’s cubes, geesh! You should stop what you’re doing and watch Godzilla Minus One. It’s an incredible depiction of the horrors of WWII. Ben got frazzled preparing for a BBQ, and told a story where he was asked to rate an Instacart driver’s scorpion face tatoo, even though it was shedding. What does one do after a BBQ? Well, Ben and Steven met in person and had beers and played Kings in the Corner. Ben was hoping to maybe play some Buried Treasure, but Steven wouldn’t have it.
Rules for Kings in the Corner: https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Kings-Corners
Rules for Buried Treasure (it’s a great game, really!): https://www.denexa.com/blog/buried-treasure/
Science or Fiction:
Ruh Roh: As leaks on the space station worsen, there’s no clear plan to deal with them. NASA and Roscosmos are struggling to address worsening leaks in the International Space Station, specifically in the PrK module of the Russian segment. Despite attempts to mitigate the issue, the leaks persist. While not currently posing an existential threat to the station, the leaks are now classified as a high likelihood, high consequence risk. The aging infrastructure of the station, particularly the Zvezda module, and limited resources due to geopolitical tensions, are contributing to the problem. The situation raises concerns about the future of the space station, set to retire in 2030.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/on-the-space-station-band-aid-fixes-for-systemic-problems/
Roh My: Adobe Sparks Backlash Over AI Terms That Let It 'Access, View Your Content'.
Adobe's updated terms of use allow its machine learning tools to view and use customers' content to develop future Adobe products—but it's unclear exactly what that entails. This is a big deal for a company making enterprise-level and industry leading products, and may impact whether corporate customers that have NDAs should continue to use Photoshop. Adobe later says the controversy is a misunderstanding about its effort to crack down on child sexual abuse material, but that seems flimsy, especially as they didn’t lead with that when they pushed the new terms to customers. Steven remembers the beginnings of Photoshop, and it’s connection to Industrial Light and Magic through Executive Creative Director John Knoll, who codeveloped Photoshop with his brother Thomas.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/adobe-sparks-backlash-over-ai-terms-that-let-it-access-view-your-content
https://www.ilm.com/people/john-knoll/
Who is this show for? Everybody! Let’s go! Steven review the first two episodes of The Acolyte. Is it truly the first BRAND NEW Star Wars since A New Hope? The rumor mill is swirling with talks of a new Star Wars trilogy set 25,000 years before the Skywalker Saga. We are here for it. Maybe not Devon, but Star Wars still has the other two man-children who host this show in it’s thrall.
Book Club:
Next week we’ll be reading Stories in the sand, by Griffon McElroy, published in the Star Wars short story anthology From a Certain Point of View.
But this week, we read a different story from that same anthology: The Trigger by Kieron Gillen. The story follows Aphra as she encounters stormtroopers while scavenging on Dantooine. Aphra is sentenced to execution… how will she escape? The story explores Aphra's changing views on the Empire after the destruction of Alderaan. So cool to see another story following Doctor Aphra, and another story by Kieron Gillen. We like it. So will you.
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Chelli_Lona_Aphra
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This episode contains: All three of your favorite hosts join this episode. We talk about who we would be in the bat-universe, and none of the answers are great. Steven and Devon have been playing Sea of Thieves, and having a blast. Ben ran a poetry workshop for his sons school called "Lie, Steal and Spll rong" and his students had a blast. Are you having a blast? You should be.
General Concepts: Fine-tuned universe. Devon gets high concept on us, and tries to explain to us plebians about the constants of nature and how their values do not seem to be arbitrary. Is this intelligent design? We also touch on Stephen Baxter's Manifold:Time book, and the Three Body Problem books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine-tuned_universe
It's Been A Long Road: Star Trek: Discovery series finale: Life, Itself. Ben recaps the finale of Star Trek Discovery (or Disco, as the cool kids call it). We talk Progenitors, links to Calypso and Starfleet Academy. Should the show have taken more chances?
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Life,_Itself_(episode)
https://trekmovie.com/2024/05/30/recap-review-star-trek-discovery-pulls-it-all-together-for-life-itself/
Book Club: Laina by Wil Wheaton in From A Certain Point of View. We recap this very short (micro?) story that was recommended to us by a Patron (Thanks Renee!). We talk about the lack of connections to other Star Wars stories, while still being firmly in-universe. We also mention the hidden tragedy in the story, and how war affects families.
Next week: The Trigger by Kieron Gillen (also in From A Certain Point of View)
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This episode contains: We’re all here for this massive episode filled with science and science fiction. Steven made the mistake of getting married around Memorial Day and Devon made the mistake of being born on Memorial Day. Steven thinks about what it would be like if some of his closest friends never existed. Devon has no plans for his birthday. Ben wants to return to the sensory deprivation chamber. Steven is watching Fallout with his wife who is enjoying the show (“She said yes!”). Devon watched the super depressing, but really good movie Iron Claw and cleansed his palate with Seinfeld. Ben recommends everyone watch the insane game show: Game Changer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Changer_(game_show)#Season_6_(2024)
Ben beat Wizorb. It’s $3 on Steam. It’s a brick breaker, which is when you have a paddle on the bottom of the screen and bounce a ball to break bricks. Tack balls are great for Wizorb.
https://wizorb.com/
Brain Matters: Devon read Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky a few months ago and finally talks about it. The point of the book is that no one has free will and how we should change society in light of that fact. Devon explains determinism and why we likely do not have free will. We also learn why quantum mechanics and chaos theory do not provide us with free will. We then discuss the ethical consequences of there being no free will.
https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Science-Life-without-Free/dp/0525560971
Conway’s Game of Life is an example of a determined outcome that is unpredictable.
https://playgameoflife.com/
For Shame: Spotify bricking Car Thing in December without refund. In 2021 Spotify released “The Car Thing” to put in your car to have streamlined access to Spotify. However, they are now discontinuing support for the devise and will not open it up to the 3rd party firmware. As Redditor Wemie1420 put it: “Doesn’t feel great that there is literally no alternative other than trashing it. Feels like we’re being punished for supporting them. Dissuades me from buying anything Spotify puts out in the future. I feel like there would be some way to approach this without being like, 'yeah we’re done. Just throw it out it’s a waste of money now.” Ben finds this UNACCEPTABLE!
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/pleas-for-open-sourcing-refunds-as-spotify-plans-to-brick-car-thing-devices/
Witness Me!: Steven watched Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Steven was surprised by the film and gives it a 4/4. Don’t expect a rehash of Mad Max: Fury Road. Although some of the special effects were questionable. Get his mostly non-spoiler review here!
Book Club: Chatbot Kingdom on Bad Space by Scott Base is a story of how humanity uploads to a simulation and the eventual decline and destruction of that simulation. We enjoyed the poetic narrative and chilling images. We discuss capitalism, utopia, the fermi paradox, and simulation theory.
https://www.badspacecomics.com/post/chatbot-kingdom
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This episode contains: We three hosts are back at it again, and while it’s been the normal posting schedule recently, for us “It’s Been A While” (like two weeks) and Aaron Lewis of Staind gets a lot of shout outs. Steven won a game of Shatterpoint! And guess what? You too can kitbash like the pros and like Steven, if you’ve got access to a Dollar Store. Ben took his mom to the Wonderfront Music Festival for Mother’s Day and whoo boy was it amazing. Big highlights were Beck (as the headliner), The Roots (wow, WHAT A PERFORMANCE) and Steel Pulse. Speaking of The Roots, hat tip to Ben’s mom for recommending Questlove’s book “Music Is History”. Devon got a new iPhone, and in true Texas style he likes 'em big and thicc (it's a Pro Max model).
https://www.amazon.com/Music-History-Questlove/dp/1419751433
Don't vomit in the car, man! Apple announces new accessibility features, including Eye Tracking. Yes, Ben is an Apple fanboy, but hardware updates are boring. Like, how exciting is the fact that this slab of glass is thinner than ever before? However, software updates are king! Every June, Ben looks forward to WWDC (where they announce the features in new Apple operating systems), and in September when they come out it's like Ben gets to enjoy a birthday with a dear friend. Occasionally, Apple announces features outside of the typical June and September cycle, and recently they announced some pretty wild things coming to iOS 18, in celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The coolest of these, to Ben, is Vehicle Motion Cues. It will be able to help reduce motion sickness for passengers in moving vehicles. Research shows that motion sickness is commonly caused by a sensory conflict between what a person sees and what they feel, which can prevent some users from comfortably using devices or reading a book while riding in a moving vehicle. With Vehicle Motion Cues, animated dots on the edges of the screen represent changes in vehicle motion to help reduce sensory conflict without interfering with the main content. Using sensors built into iPhone and iPad, Vehicle Motion Cues recognizes when a user is in a moving vehicle and responds accordingly.
Apple announces new accessibility features, including Eye Tracking (Apple Newsroom)
Movie review: Kingdom of the PotA. Steven's a real Ape movie fan, whether new or old... except for maybe that one with Marky Mark? We're in the middle of a nine movie Ape-stravaganza. Steven loves how the new films are portraying ape society. Devon wonders if it's just an analogue for our modern human societies... like, is there an Ape Trump? Anyhow, in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Steven gives it a 3 out of 4 stars, noting the special effects are amazing.
Show update: Resident Alien. Devon is still really enjoying Resident Alien starring Alan Tudyk. Catch it on Netflix or Peacock.
Book club: The Jaunt by Stephen King. A truly chilling sci-fi story from the master of horror. We loved it. Steven connects some dots with this story and the Deadlights across many of Stephen King's stories.
The Jaunt (Goodreads)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNg27VrdW4M&pp=ygUvdGhlIGV4aXN0ZW50aWFsIGhvcnJvciBvZiBldGVybmFsIGNvbnNjaW91c25lc3M=
Deadlights (Stephen King Wiki)Next week in our book club: it's a short scifi horror webcomic:
Chatbot Kingdom by Scott Base, from his Bad Space Comics anthology series.
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This episode contains: Ben and Steven have record so as to not ruin Mother's Day. We don't understand morning people, ugh. Especially when those morning people have too many mods in their video games. Steven has finally started painting his Star Wars Shatterpoint mini models. Ben talks about his kit-bashed X-wing pilot and Hello Kitty. We also somehow talk about Frisbee Golf (Frolf?) and Ultimate Frisbee. Ben gives us a review of the board game Azul.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/230802/azul
This Week in Space: Possible atmosphere surrounding rocky exoplanet. Atmospheric gasses have been detected surrounding 55 Cancri e, a hot rocky exoplanet 41 light-years from Earth. This super earth should have a temperature around 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but instead it's only around 2,800 degrees. This is a very strong indication that energy is being distributed from the dayside to the nightside, most likely by a volatile-rich atmosphere.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240508121127.htm
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-hints-at-possible-atmosphere-surrounding-rocky-exoplanet/
You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty: Underwater bicycle propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed. French company Seabike has developed a swimming device that uses your own leg power to accelerate you through the water. It is strapped to the waist, your feet find the pedals and the 15 in propeller help you glide through the water. Best of all, you can instantly charge the device by eating a hot dog. Ha.
https://newatlas.com/marine/seabike-swimming-propeller/
https://movesea.nl/products/water-bike-2-0-seabike
Science Fiction: No Devon this week, our book club will continue next week with Stephen King's The Jaunt. Out patrons recommend From a Certain Point of View, the Star Wars books that fill in some gaps. We chat quite a bit about X-Men '97 episode 9, and what it means for our favorite mutie (spoilers, Wolverine isn't dead!). Steven talks about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, an amazing story by original and new creators. Plus, a video game is coming to PS5??
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This episode contains: All three hosts are here and ready to talk about sci-fi; no science, sorry. Devon tells us about a birthday party at a trampoline park and Steven played a bunch of Star Wars board games. Meanwhile Ben was recording his son’s performances on his iPhone. Ben’s also been playing digital pinball on a vertical monitor. Devon has finished the Three Body Problem on Netflix and was pleased that it included elements from the second and third book. He was worried they would only include the first book, which he feels is only the prologue to the real story. Steven gives us a rundown of Tales of The Empire on Disney Plus. This show provides backstory to characters in Ahsoka. Ben and Steven talk about X-Men ’97. If you’re not watching X-Men ’97, you should be! It includes wacky and wild, heart stopping moments. X-Men ’97 was written for us, but new viewers could still understand about 90% of the show.
Book Club: For this episode we read the short story “2043... a Merman I Should Turn to Be” by Nisi Shawl.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58647676-2043-a-merman-i-should-turn-to-be?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=UGvenc3N0K&rank=1
Devon made sure to read the short story for this episode and has read the story for the next episode. Devon thinks the story would be better as a digital short given the “off-the-wall” concept and action in the story. Ben reminds us that the story is connected to the Jimmy Hendrix song: 1983 A Merman I should Turn to Be. The story reminded Ben of Lovecraft Country. Ben liked the statement about enemies wanting the same things we do. Steven enjoyed the story but was confused on some of the elements. We have a discussion of who and how people would actually modify their bodies to live in different habitats. We note that adapting to new habitats is not easy and ponder what the first inhabitants of the Moon, Mars, etc. will face. We all give the story 3 out of 4 stars.
For the next episode we are reading The Jaunt by Stephen King.
https://archive.org/details/the-jaunt-stephen-king
Until next week, keep watching the skis! I mean skies.
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