Episoder
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This episode contains: Steven and Ben are handling post-election nerves and how to channel that energy productively. Benâs been comforted by watching New York City newscasts from 1981, which you can find on YouTube. How refreshing it is to see a newscast thatâs not supposed to be entertainment! Stevenâs been focusing on family time and getting to know his nephew. Ben binged the first four episodes of WondLa. Check out the official trailer and see how itâs tracking on Rotten Tomatoes. Steven is picking up some serious I Am Mother vibes from that WondLa trailer. RIP Star Trek guest star (and Candyman himself) Tony Todd, a legend gone too soon. Remember Star Trek: Lower Decks? The 943rd episode just aired (Season 5, Episode 4)! Itâs good! You should watch it! We chat about how the multiverses are going, specifically DC vs Marvel.
Future or Now
Are You Bready For This?: Steven presents a new study that discusses humanâs taste for carby bread and reveals how the duplication of the salivary amylase gene (AMY1) may have occurred over 800,000 years ago, long before agriculture. Wait, bread makes you fat? This gene duplication helped shape human adaptation to starchy foods and led to the wide genetic variation in AMY1 copy number that exists today, influencing how effectively humans digest starch.
Read more about this study on Science Daily.
Today is the greatest day Iâve ever known: Do you miss the social media of yore? The posts and videos that showed our humanity without the editing and gloss? Ben remembers it, and so does Ben Thompson, who wrote a blog post about the prevalence of IMG_#### videos on YouTube. These are relics from between 2009 and 2012 when iPhone and iPod Touch included a âSend to YouTubeâ feature that allowed users to upload videos directly to YouTube from the Photos app. Apple uses the âIMG_XXXXâ naming convention for all images and videos captured on iOS devices, where XXXX is a unique sequence number. Unwitting content creators would then upload their videos on a public site with a barely-searchable name. To this day, there are millions of these videos, and if you search YouTube for âIMG_â and then four random digits, youâll find some one-of-a-kind videos of random strangerâs lives.
Read more and have a warm digital hug on ben-mini.github.io.
Book Club
Since Devonâs not here, weâre skipping book club this week. Next week, weâll be exploring Ray Bradburyâs âThe Crowd,â a haunting look at strange crowd behaviors in urban life. Watch an audiobook of this story on YouTube.
This week, we get into the trailers for some upcoming big Marvel and Star Wars stuff:
Captain America: Brave New World
Thunderbolts
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and a special shoutout to the music featured in the trailer: a Huttese cover of âMajor Tom (Coming Home)â.
Marvel Studios Disney+ D23 2024/25
Do you want to see YouTube more like a classic series of television stations? Check out YTCH.
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This episode contains: Devon kicks things off with a Dr. Pepper Zero, or as we like to call it, âthe creeping death.â Just caffeine jokesâor maybe thereâs something deeper to his love for this soda! Steven, on the other hand, brings us a blast from the past with Department Zero, an RPG he created back in 2013. Imagine a Fantasy Men in Black vibe, complete with dragons, aliens, and magical conspiracies. This world has been brewing in Stevenâs mind for a decade, and it sounds like an adventure for the ages!
Ben poses a question for the tech-minded: how long should a computer last? Steven has a âComputer of Theseusâ filled with endless upgrades, Devon shrugs off the question with work laptops and a trusty gaming rig, while Ben takes a âseparation of concernsâ approach, keeping two laptopsâone for work and one for personal use. On top of that, Ben has a family tradition of passing down old tech. This leads us to a broader discussion about the best ways to keep our tech alive and kicking.
Ben also brings us High Stakes: Las Vegas 2024. Imagine a world where vampires have stolen your blood, and youâre forced to win it back. Are you brave enough to play the card game of your life to recover whatâs yours? This high-stakes adventure invites you to consider just how far youâd go to get your blood back.
FUTURE OR NOWWake Up, Sheeple! Letâs Talk Science and Sci-Fi
In Devonâs Space Report, we delve into a cosmic mystery thatâs puzzling scientists. A massive structure, dubbed âThe Big Ring,â sits 6.9 billion light-years away, defying what we thought we knew about the universe. The Big Ring spans an astounding 1.3 billion light-years and lies near another oddity, the Giant Arc. Ordinarily, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) suggest that structures in space should appear uniform, yet these two anomalies suggest otherwise. Are we seeing evidence of multiple big bangs, the presence of cosmic strings, or could it all just be a cosmic coincidence? Read more about it here.
On a lighter note, Ben gives us his take on Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5. Has Lower Decks finally hit its stride, or does Starfleetâs most comedic ship need a new direction? Ben has thoughts, and fans of the show wonât want to miss them.
Meanwhile, Steven shares a rapid-fire lineup of recent reads, including Red Rising, Annihilation, Fallen Dragon, and his thoughts on Agatha All Alongâs finale. His recommendations cover sci-fi, mystery, and thriller genres, perfect for anyone looking to dive into a new story.
BOOK CLUBThis week, we dive into Isaac Asimovâs âNightfall,â widely regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi stories of all time. Check it out on Goodreads. Written when Asimov was in his twenties, Nightfall tells the story of a planet thatâs continuously illuminated by six sunsâuntil an eclipse plunges it into total darkness once every 2,049 years. When that darkness finally arrives, the population, who has never experienced nightfall, is thrown into chaos. The story explores themes of fear, the unknown, and societal breakdown, offering a compelling read that earned its status as a classic.
As a bonus, we recommend The End of Eternity, another must-read by Asimov. This novel tackles time travel with Asimovâs signature twist and intricate plotting. More on Goodreads.
Next week, weâll be exploring Ray Bradburyâs âThe Crowd,â a haunting look at strange crowd behaviors in urban life. Watch the adaptation here.
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This episode contains: You should live every day like itâs Halloween! We bring this episode to you from the heart of spooky season. Ben tells us about a fan edit of Who Framed Roger Rabbit that includes deleted scenes that they cleaned up using todayâs tech. The movie was way different than the book. Benâs cat says hi to us. Ben attended the inauguration of his counties poet laureate. Ben was on the panel that selected the poet laureate. What makes a good poet laureate? Ben has watched a few episodes of Agatha All Along with his family and the reviews are mixed. The first episode was joyless and not fun. Steven recommends being patient with the show and assures Ben there are satisfying answers later in the show. Steven went apple picking with his family. Also, remember when October was cold? Devon did phone banking for democrats and had some interesting experience. Devon also canât help but go off on the state of the presidential election.
FUTURE OR NOW
Fruit Fly Me to The Moon (Fast-Actin Tinactin): Scientists can reverse brain aging in fruit flies by preventing buildup of a common protein. Buildup of a protein called filamentous actin, or F-actin, in the brain inhibits the removal of cellular wastes, including DNA, lipids, proteins and organelles. The resulting accumulation of waste diminishes neuronal functions and contributes to cognitive decline. By tweaking a few very specific genes in the neurons of aging fruit flies, the researchers prevented F-actin buildup, maintained cellular recycling and extended the healthy lifespan of fruit flies by approximately 30%.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241028164423.htm
Support You Local Theater: Ben when to the Great American Melodrama for the third or fourth time. He saw The Werewolf of Arroyo Grande. Howl did this happen? After a man relocates into Arroyo Grande to start up his nut based fast food restaurant, he discovers that the town is terrorized by a terrible hair raising werewolf! The village of Arroyo Grande must come together to put an end to the canine horror before it's too late! Next year will be the 50th year of the Great American Melodrama.
https://americanmelodrama.com/
BOOK CLUB
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. A short story by Shirley Jackson that was first published in The New Yorker on June 26, 1948. The story describes a fictional small American community that observes an annual tradition known as "the lottery", which is intended to ensure a good harvest and purge the town of bad omens.
We discuss the importance of questioning traditions and scientific thinking. Are there any winners in this lottery? âIn fact, every copy of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery has been checked out from the Springfield public library. Of course the book does not contain any hints on how to win the lottery. It is rather a chilling tale of conformity gone mad.â â Simpsons, Dog of Death, S3Ep19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryr06emUnRw&ab_channel=TimThoughts
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=273395915450826
Next week weâre reading Nightfall by Isaac Asimov. This 1941 short story, written while Asimov was still only in his early twenties, is widely regarded as one of the greatest science-fiction short stories of all time. Indeed, in 1968 the Science Fiction Writers of America voted it the best science fiction short story written before 1965.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightfall_(Asimov_novelette_and_novel)
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This episode contains: A big birthday wish to Martine! Devonâs been glamping, but needed a little more definition to ensure he did it right. This glamp was like a tiny home, with plumbing, a fire pit, and a hot tub too! It was strictly NO KIDS, and had a real beehive theme to it. Since itâs a two-person only sort of deal, if the three podcast hosts wanted to go glamping, Steven and Ben have volunteered to be the two monkeys wearing a trenchcoat (maybe AI can help us with that visual). Stevenâs been walking (for his health, blechh) and listening to books. Whatâs he listening to? Book Six of Dungeon Crawler Carl, and itâs quite a ride. The audiobooks have some exclusive content. Stevenâs also 3D printing a giant Cantina set for the Star Wars miniatures game. Ben has been playing video games, specifically UFO 50: fifty games in one Steam app that are meant to be an alternate universe take on a video game system from the 1980s. Kinda sounds lame except these are all games by six GOAT-level developers who worked for around a decade on them. They work great on the Steam Deck, have incredible game design choices and they also have a compelling meta narrative outside all the games. Check this review if you want to hear some genuine gushing about the game. Ben discusses the game Mortul within UFO 50, but then he surprises EVERYONE by talking about ANOTHER RETRO-INSPIRED VIDEO GAME PLATFORM. WHAAAAT?!?! If you like UFO 50, perhaps youâd be interested in the PICO-8 Fantasy Console (Hint, you may already have it if you bought itch.ioâs Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality). Steven talks a little about a procedurally generated version of DOOM made by AI.
Future or Now: Stevenâs watching Agatha All Along and The Penguin. Is this new tv era for MCU and DCU deeper, more grounded, and maybe better than the films? It comes down to fleshing out the characters better. Devonâs concerned that any new show has to be connected to successful movie franchises (especially if theyâre comic book films) but this is nothing new. Remember Caprica? Ben does. We also have heard opinions but have no experience watching the new Joker movie.
Ben reviews The Wild Robot, and itâs an instant classic. It has the same writer/director as Lilo and Stitch but exists somewhere between a Miyazaki film, classic Disney films (like Bambi) and Becky Chambersâ Monk and Robot books.
Book Club: Weâll announce our next weekâs pick on our Discord. Join our Patreon (even on the free tier) to get access.
This week, we read (or listened to) In the Hills, the Cities from Volume 1 of Clive Barkerâs Books of Blood. Clive Barker weaves together kaiju monster movies with a touch of Socialism in Yugoslavia. Big thanks to Benâs mom for suggesting this story. Is this a mediation on how we humans are just a colony of cells moving through life, screaming incoherently while destroying everything in our path? Didnât work for Devon as well as Ben and Steven, but it makes Ben ponder the big questions:
When do these people die? Is it when they are ejected from the community, or is it earlier? Is it when they give up sentience to be a part of the monster?
What does this mean for us, and the groupthink in our communities, both locally and online? How destructive will our groupthink be?
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This episode contains: Devonâs not having it with Dallas or New Found Glory (NFG), and donât get him started on Paramount canceling Lower Decks. Also, whatâs up with Harry Kim? Devonâs got some honest thoughts about his âshortcomingsâ and how NFG is âpunk for preppy kids.â Itâs all love though, as he and the crew have an âold crusty men talk about old crusty bandsâ moment. Plus, the reality check of the streaming era: no fanfare for new releases, no excitement for music anymore. Whatâs left for us aging punks?
Steven brings up NoFXâs final shows: Did anyone really want this? Punk rock legends bowing outâwhatâs next for the scene?
Future or Now: Ben takes us into the militaryâs latest climate change defense projectâusing oysters to fight hurricanes. Yep, DARPAâs Reefense program is building hybrid reefs combining manmade structures with live oysters to protect coastal military bases. Will it work? Rutgers and the University of Miami are giving it a go. Could this become the future of coastal protection for civilians too?
Learn more about DARPAâs Reefense project
Devon? Well, he's stressing outâwhether itâs dark matter or election results, heâs following it all and itâs not doing him any favors. Can we talk about gravity existing without mass while avoiding existential election dread?
Read more about gravity without mass
Book Club: Next weekâs suggestions courtesy of Benâs mom! Clive Barkerâs Books of Blood series. Weâll be focusing on In the Hills, the Cities from Volume 1 and The Body Politic from Volume 4. Expect the weird and the grotesque in these horror short stories.
Check out the review of In the Hills, the Cities
Also on the table: Eventually weâll be diving into The Langoliers by Stephen King from Four Past Midnight. Thereâs a cool Star Trek reference in there, so you know weâre excited.
Finally, this week weâre revisiting E.M. Forsterâs The Machine Stops. This 1909 classic predicted the tech-dominated world weâd all be living in by 2020. Spoiler: itâs not a happy prediction.
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This episode contains: From deep within the spooky season we bring you an all new episode. Devon learns you have to jump on those bones early. Devon planed to build up his Halloween decoration collection. Ben doesnât know how to say âMegadeth.â We also mention Funko Pop album covers for Iron Maiden. (https://pop-figures.com/franchise/iron-maiden-282) Ben beat Astro Bot, giggling the entire time. Ben also watched the original Dracula film from 1931, available on Amazon Prime Video. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021814/) Devon then recommends the more recent movie, Renfield (2023). Steven is on book 5 of Dungeon Crawler Carl, Devon just finished book 2. Devon is taking a break to read the new Bobiverse book. (https://www.goodreads.com/series/192752-bobiverse)
Future or Now
Ben: NASA is working on a plan to replace its space station, but time is running out. Over the next several months, NASA will finalize a strategy for its operations in low-Earth orbit after 2030. Then, toward the end of next year, the space agency will award contracts to one or more private companies to develop small space stations for which NASA and other space agencies will become customers rather than operators. (https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/10/is-nasas-commercial-space-station-program-doomed/). Would you rather go to a space station orbing Earth, or the Moon? Companies are looking into CLDs: Commercial Low-Earth Destinations. Why are we abandoning the ISS? Itâs old and already has issues, that will only worsen. Also our problematic relationship with Russia.
Devon: Evidence of âNegative Timeâ Found in Quantum Physics Experiment. Physicists showed that photons can seem to exit a material before entering it, revealing observational evidence of negative time. (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/evidence-of-negative-time-found-in-quantum-physics-experiment/) We try to understand this mild blowing experiment and result. (https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.03680)
Steven: Agatha All Along. This is great spooky fun. The main character stays true to who she was in WandaVision. Ben also finished Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Both deal with the Darkhold. Ben also likes Agatha All Along.
Book Club
The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2148). The Pit and the Pendulum, Edgar Allan Poeâs agonizing tale of terror and suspense, was first published in 1842. One of Poeâs many horror stories, The Pit and the Pendulum became famous for its depiction of pure dread. None of us had read this before. Devon was surprised the main character survived. We get side tracked by the Simpsons but eventually talk about the story. Also, âNobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!â Were we actually horrified reading this story? What was the inspiration for writing this story?
The Poet and the Pendulum by Nightwish. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKUS2k35cGQ&ab_channel=_Stargazer_)
The Inquisitor by Kamelot. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaKRRGMUCwg&ab_channel=Khan%2CKamelot%26ARKVideos)
Next Week: E. M. Forster, The Machine Stops (https://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~koehl/Teaching/ECS188/PDF_files/Machine_stops.pdf). Is this the most prophetic story of the twentieth century? Published in 1909 and showing Forsterâs disdain for technological advancement and the way it would make our lives poorer, this story attracted plenty of new readers in 2020 when so many peopleâs lives âwent virtualâ.
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This episode contains: The three spoopiest hosts on this podcast enter the month of October being just... fine? Maybe overwhelmed? Ben was a groomsman for a fancy wedding (or at least a reception, it's a long story) this last weekend, and can we just pause to say how awesome it is that people can keep a friendship alive over decades? Steven's wife is going on a wild bachelorette party cruise and it sounds like A LOT. Meanwhile, we remember the best dog, Charlie, who Steven bid farewell to last Monday. Devon has been just doing his best, nothing to report.
This week in space! AI helps distinguish dark matter from cosmic noise. Only... it doesn't yet? Dark matter, the invisible force holding the universe together, is a subject of intense research. It makes up around 85% of all matter and 27% of the universe's contents. Despite decades of research, the true nature of dark matter remains a mystery. Some scientists believe that dark matter particles may occasionally interact, a phenomenon known as self-interaction. Detecting these interactions would provide crucial insights into dark matter's properties. However, distinguishing between dark matter self-interactions and active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback has been a challenge. Astronomer David Harvey has developed a deep-learning algorithm called Inception, which can untangle complex signals and differentiate between dark matter self-interactions and AGN feedback. Inception achieved an impressive accuracy of 80% under ideal conditions (as in, pre-generated image data, not real photos), indicating its adaptability and reliability for future dark matter research. This AI-based approach could significantly impact our understanding of dark matter and help scientists analyze massive amounts of data from space.
Shadows searching in the night. Let Ben introduce you to Shade Map, a layer on top of Google Maps that lets you visualize shade anywhere in the world, down to the building level, at any date and time of day. It even lets you add buildings so you can visualize what a new construction project will do to the buildings and areas around it. Thereâs a slider that lets you change the time, and the shadows update in real time. Ben recommends using this on desktop. Also, hat tip to Tom for letting us know about Steam and Valve's battle against arbitration fees.
It's not a phase! Research reveals reality of Ice Age teen puberty. New research published in the Journal of Human Evolution reveals that Ice Age teens from 25,000 years ago went through similar puberty stages as modern-day adolescents. Researchers found evidence of puberty stages in the bones of 13 ancient humans between 10 and 20 years old. The study, led by University of Victoria paleoanthropologist April Nowell, found specific markers in the bones that allowed them to assess the progress of adolescence. The technique developed by lead author Mary Lewis from the University of Reading evaluates the mineralization of canines and maturation of bones to identify the stage of puberty reached by the individual at their time of death. The research helps to humanize these teens in a way that simply studying stone tools cannot. Researchers from six institutions collaborated internationally to develop this body of knowledge. This reminds Ben of Saffron teaching neanderthals Cockney slang in episode seven of the Time Bandits television show. Devon informs Ben that Time Bandits didn't get renewed, and the world became a darker place.
Book Club: Next week, we'll be reading some classic horror with Edgar Allen Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. Get in the spirit with this live performance of The Poet and the Pendulum by Nightwish, one of Devon's favorite songs by that band.
This week, it's time to discuss The Remedy by Adam Haslett from the Dark Corners collection. It's so well written! Well, until the ending, that is. Spoiler alert: we did not like this one, so much so that we're going to take a break from these Amazon originals for at least a week. Oh, and find out what you call a werewolf with a YouTube channel.
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This episode contains: Your usual hosts are back at it again, diving into personal updates and some wild topics! Ben is at capacity, juggling directing and editing a school fundraiser ad. Meanwhile, Steven is busy dog-sitting and catching up on Agatha All Along and The Penguin. Ben also shares that his old cat has been diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Devon, well, heâs keeping quiet this week.
The Ultimate Slap Bet: Steven introduces us to the world of slap fighting! We discuss the rise of slap competitions and how it ties into this recent scientific study and the rules from the Power Slap League. Plus, a quick throwback to the chaotic days of Jackassâbecause who can forget?
PS5 Nostalgia: Ben takes us on a trip down memory lane with the PlayStation exclusive Astro Bot. Itâs a love letter to 30 years of PlayStation history, and you can check it out here.
Book Club: Weâre prepping for next weekâs read, The Remedy from the Dark Corners collection. But first, letâs talk mini-golf! We review the new Walkabout Mini Golf Mars course and its unique sci-fi theme. From eerie, isolated landscapes to hints of past civilizations, itâs inspired by the 1972 classic Silent Running. You can read more about the course here.
Dungeon Crawler Carl: Devon is loving Dungeon Crawler Carl, while Stevenâs love for the book is still going strong. Ben hasnât had the chance to dive back into it yet, but weâll keep him in the loop!
Thatâs it for this week! Donât forget to grab a copy of The Remedy for next weekâs book club discussion.
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This episode contains: Itâs an all new episode featuring your usual hosts! We discuss reading the âfine printâ and service agreements, which reminds us of the story about Disney using itâs Disney Plus agreement to defendant again a wrongful death claim that occurred at one of their parks. Ben went to San Deigo for a ânot a bachelor party.â Ben is still tired from the trip. Devon has done nothing. Stevenâs 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 âlong dogs.â
This Week in Space: 'Spiders on Mars' fully awakened on Earth for 1st time â 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 Stevenâs 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 Stevenâs itches. He describes the book as Ready Player One meets The Bobiverse meets The Hunger Games. Even non gamers will enjoy this book! Itâs 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 thereâs 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. Wouldnât 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!
đ Watch the Linkin Park: FROM ZERO Livestream
Tech Talk: Future or Now?
Ben talks accessibility and how Appleâs Personal Voice can preserve your voice using on-device machine learning. This feature is game-changing for people at risk of voice loss. Itâs 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.
đ 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.
đ Doritos science explained
Also, a warm welcome to our new patron Johnny, and thanks to Josh for his comments on last weekâs 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 Inesonâs incomprehensible gravelly narration.
đ Amazon link to Falling Down
đ Goodreads link to Falling DownNext week, weâre tackling The Pit and the Box, part 2 of The Boy in the Iron Box series.
đ Grab the next book here
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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 âplay-berhood.â 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?
Letâs 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?
Itâs 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 âkey jangly?â 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 doesnât 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: Stevenâs out sick with COVID, so you get the other two hosts this week! Devonâs 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 âFIGHT! FIGHT!â and âUSA!â with Lady Gaga. Donât 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, thereâs some real annoying people shouting obscenities on megaphones, and even though theyâre there for âreligious reasonsâ 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: Weâre joined by patron, friend of the show, and high school classmate of Steven and Devon: Renee! She went to Comic-Con, so we think sheâs 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 itâs 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. Benâs son Flint hates camping, itâs âthe worst.â Devon is also going to stay in a tree house. Renee was traumatized by Stevenâs 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: âThe second highest-rated film on Letterboxd at the halfway point of 2024 is a black-and-white silent comedy made for just $150,000.â Imagine Buster Keaton, Looney Tunes, and The Legend of Zelda thrown in a blender, but even better. The movie is a #ShowYourWork dream: Hereâs 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, âWe believe in small and slowâ 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.â
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 didnât fully buy Daemonâs 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 Fosterâs 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 donât have as long as a wait. Reneeâs 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. Itâs rated TV Y7 but it feels like itâs 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 âcreatively bankruptâ New Super Mario Bros. series of games.
âWhat do you have for me today?â or âFuture or Nowâ. I donât know/donât 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 âmultiple draftsâ 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 thatâs not without itâs 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 (âItâs tea time!â). 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 Sorinâ. 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. Itâs 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. Weâre surprised theyâre 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 heâs still on the show for some reason). Will a new Time Bandits capture the charm of the original? Weâre 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 weekâs 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: âWhere Oaken Hearts Do Gatherâ
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 itâs own in competitive multiplayer games against an Xbox Series X. Itâs 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! Benâs wife is having another birthday, but donât worry itâs not 40 gifts over 40 days all over again. She wants to have a âFat Girl Sundayâ (not a Sundae) where she eats and drinks with friends, super chill. Benâs happy to be a cabana boy for it. Devon starts talking about food and now weâre hungry... but I guess we have to record a podcast! Stevenâs youngest had her birthday party, and I guess theyâre not little kids any more. What will you miss when you donât have little kids around? Birthdays during the summer are tough, but around our parts, Hops Bounce House has got you covered (whatâs up Hops!). Stevenâs got a secret 3d printing project (TELL US STEVEN), but instead of talking about secrets Stevenâs 3d printed some props for some Ahsoka cosplay, and I guess heâs 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 heâs watched 60 episodes of the anime and 1 episode of the adaptation... maybe a larger sample size is needed. Benâs 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/
Letâs go way back: The Acolyte episodes 1-5. Stevenâs gotta talk about Star Wars, and weâre here for it. There was a great Red Letter Media review about The Acolyteâs first five episodes and you should watch it... maybe after you finish this episode. After watching that Red Letter Media review, Devonâs intrigued and might actually watch... Farscape (DO IT! but wasnât 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 isnât 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 weâre kinda bummed theyâre not gonna make the sequels they were totally setting up.
Book Club: The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor (part of Amazonâs 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 yâall should read it if you havenât 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. Weâll 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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