Page 5 | The Two Vague Podcast (2024)

Arden is back in the “studio” along with Ben and his lovable pod-cats to discuss the word chaos… a concept that Mango personifies. Predictably the conversation starts with Bash causing an avalanche in the Himalayas and then gains entropic momentum. Ben shares information on his favorite movie True Romance, chaos theory models, the band Luscious Jackson, the Kids in the Hall skit “Jazz Schmazz,” a Flash Gordon “deep cut,” and his work experience with software development. Arden talks about chaos as it relates to his time playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Elden Ring, the band Mr. Bungle, the “hell in space” movie Event Horizon, and the Risk of Rain game franchise.

00:00:20 - Arden is crushing noobs and finding rings; Ben rolled credits on Cult of the Lamb
00:02:35 - Causing avalanches, comprehending the universe, and sharks in Lake Michigan
00:06:00 - Shark tornado, Summer snowstorms in Ohio, and how can chaos be plural?
00:08:35 - The fake mom, Arden shares the etymology of chaos, and hot hail
00:11:00 - The impactful nature of chaos, making life interesting, and a suitcase full of cocaine
00:14:15 - From Dusk Till Dawn, no lap time for Mango, and does chaos make movies better?
00:16:50 - Christopher Nolan movies, and Ben tries to convince Arden to see Tenet
00:20:50 - “Hell in space” movies and games, Ben in a nutshell, and Contra on a quarter
00:25:30 - Looking like a pelvis, Edward Lorenz’s deterministic chaos, and basic science
00:29:05 - The Butterfly Effect, probability warping superpowers, luck, and determining odds
00:33:34 - Models illustrating chaos, Ben doesn’t like Muppets, and Daughters of the Kaos
00:36:40 - Luscious Jackson, Mr Bungle, and Ben reads a bit from Jazz Schmazz
00:42:07 - Arden’s experiences with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
00:45:20 - Proximity chat and Reddit user Crescendummain starts an in game taxi service
00:48:23 - Arden talks about his issues with COD:MW2 and “out of touch” game companies
00:52:55 - Ben’s software development experiences and thoughts on “crunch culture”
00:55:10 - Hate speech in COD:Modern Warfare 2, gender bias today, and GamerGate
00:58:25 - “Actual entropy” and the results of aligning with the Three Fingers in Elden Ring
01:00:50 - A discussion about procedurally and/or randomly generated game content
01:05:00 - Randomization in Risk of Rain, closing wisdom on chaos, and ladder not latter

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For the last episode before the first full week of 2023 Ben is sans co-pilot, but he still has a lot to share. He talks about Boxing Day and memories of his Canada pants before playing a clip of the warmup portion for a forthcoming show featuring returning cohost Paul. Norah joins their conversation while they discuss trivial facts, and midway she (correctly) points out that they are acting like 6th graders. Finally, to wrap it all up Ben talks about rogue-like games, bullet hell shooters, and his current game addiction which is Vampire Survivors.
00:00:21 - Ben buys a gift for himself, Boxing Day, and Ben’s Canada Pants00:03:46 - Facts about Boxing Day and Saint Stephen’s Day, and how people celebrate them00:06:30 - An introduction to a meandering Paul, Norah, and Ben conversational warmup
CLIP starts:00:07:01 - The Zardoz reference in the Rick and Morty episode “Raising Gazorpazorp”
00:10:00 - CORRECTION - Zardoz was directed by John (NOT Richard) Boorman
00:10:58 - Barbarella, Paul’s mom’s favorite band, Huey Lewis, and Ben’s first concert00:12:51 - Calling Norah, filling the brain, Paton Oswalt, and Blade Runner related trivia00:16:11 - Blade Runner memories, and Norah’s mother takes Ben to see Return of the Jedi00:18:40 - Ben talks about Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s movies Orgazmo and BASEketball 00:21:27 - Apple’s “1984” commercial trivia, and acting like kids in 8th grade00:24:25 - The bureaucracy in teaching in Indiana, and surveys about providing services00:27:18 - Paul’s “take your kids to work” story and Norah leaves the conversation00:29:31 - Bathroom break, waiting for Paul, DIY shops, and nobody wants your dumb bear00:31:51 - The Hasbro Pulse “Selfie Series” action figures, and being historically accurate
00:36:21 - History of the rogue-like and Rogue: Exploring the Dungeons of Doom00:39:08 - Distinct characteristic: permanent death and procedurally generated environments00:41:55 - “Bullet curtain” games, Recca or Batsugun, and Ben loves “Muchi Muchi Pork!”00:45:48 - Ben loves Luca Galante’s Vampire Survivors, and some trivia about said game00:49:39 - What words 2VP has in store for Q1 of 2023: Chaos, Trivia, Fit, Art, and Mystery00:51:00 - From the Two Vague Podcast… have a safe and wonderful new year!

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After a refreshing holiday respite, Ben is back with his amazing autistic friend Andrew to talk about his latest creative endeavor. Andrew shares the deets on the contents of and inspiration behind his latest zine, “An Actually Autistic Window on Economics.” After the definition formalities have concluded, the masters of “stream of consciousness” type conversation, Ben and Andrew, talk about EVs, the perils of Twitter, the building blocks of accounting, child labor, instant coffee, TicketMaster, Lucas Pope’s game “Papers Please,” and and the John Hughes classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” They close the show by discussing weather or not the video games industry is recession-proof.
00:00:21 - Chairs, Stools, and the Poang twins start the show!00:03:03 - Pandemic globalization stories and which word is scarier, economy or economics?00:06:40 - The definition of this week’s word, and marketing brushless power master cars00:10:00 - Etymology, ecology, economics, exactly the same amount of cool, and autism00:12:52 - The economics of social media, billionaires making trouble, and Weird Al00:16:15 - Reddit for people with short attention spans, and Andrew’s inspiration for the zine00:19:09 - The discipline of accounting, recognizing your own value, and Scrooge McDuck
FUN FACT: Allen F. Morgenstern coined the phrase “work smarter not harder” in the 1930s.
00:23:11 - Newsies, holding stuff, intangible assets, good will, and humanity00:28:04 - How things move and flow, emotional racketeering, girl scouts, and mayonnaise.00:31:04 - Andrew thinks Folgers bought Seattle’s Best, and Ben’s question about the zine00:34:41 - According to the accounting equation you can have positive equity or Kanye West00:39:02 - Twitter celebrity stories, the good part of social media, and prayers to the algorithm00:42:25 - Taylor Swift tickets, owning the “mechanicals,” leverage, and Bob Dylan00:45:26 - Southwest Airlines, efficiency, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - CME scene @39:2300:47:24 - The Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and timing the path of the movie00:50:14 - A judgement on Daffy Duck’s personality and back to “the Merc”00:53:26 - Pork-bellies, soy, Andrew’s new sticker idea, and Ferris Bueller’s wisdom
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - Ferris’ Beatles monologue @05:2100:55:47 - Favorite -isms, Andrew’s communism example, and missing supplies00:59:51 - Large scale corruption, the trouble with consolidated dictatorships, and FIFA01:03:49 - Ben explains the game Papers, Please (created by Lucas Pope) to Andrew
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - Ben Stein’s second scene @10:4401:06:35 - Ben Stein’s (not Jimmy Kimmel’s) money and accrual basis accounting01:10:01 - Andrew has a message for the listeners, and remembering John Hughes movies01:12:49 - Prepare yourself for Ben’s dramatic reading, too much live, and the deadest pan
01:14:57 - Andrew’s suggestion, and Ben asks, “are video games recession-proof?”01:18:29 - Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon versus Jon Bauman, and closing the show
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To keep up with Andrew’s creative pursuits, check out his website!https://partlyrobot.com/
To buy all of the amazing goodies available at the Partly Robot Industries store, use one of these...https://partlyrobotindustries.bigcartel.com/
bit.ly/economyrobot

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Carl, the coordinator for the Games and Online Harassment Hotline and all-around good guy, joins Ben this week to discuss a word introduced in print by psychologist Edward Tichener in 1909! They talk about their personal stories of processing their emotions, what harassment looks like in the digital age, toxic masculinity, the power video games, and what the hotline is doing to make the online landscape more hospitable for everyone. They close out the show talking about what games Carl has been playing recently.
00:00:50 - Hotline Coordinator Carl (he/him/his) introduces himself and what he does00:02:40 - Feminist Frequency, shoutout to WGG and Jae, 2 men talking, and definitions00:04:45 - Nearly 3 centuries between sympathy and empathy, and Ben’s story about his father00:07:36 - Feelings, empathy can take work and imagination, and connecting with people00:10:19 - Carl’s story about his first experience, and the pros and cons of using labels00:13:43 - Ben’s empathy, sympathy, and compassion Venn diagram00:16:00 - The internet has turned the bullying volume up to 15, and dispelling notions00:17:47 - Using games as an outlet for processing feelings, and Carl’s behavior in cars00:20:15 - “Game type” statistics, and dispelling false assumptions about online harassment00:23:36 - Continuous training for agents relating gaming news and impactful events00:26:17 - Understanding oppression dynamics, and accountability conversations in support00:28:31 - A tricky navigation, fostering a positive online community, and creating resources00:31:14 - The targets of hate raids helped to create a resource for marginalized streamers00:34:53 - Hate raid mitigation, Carl and Ben don’t Twitch, and supporting content creators00:37:54 - What Carl is playing these days…Apex Legends, Grounded, and Overwatch 200:40:30 - Gamers feeling entitled can lead to harassment of players and developers00:43:55 - Acknowledging the potential for empathy, and redefining gender norms00:46:10 - Feelings and expectations about making connections in the gaming industry00:48:00 - The future of gameshotline.org , donate, spread the word, and/or volunteer

About the Games and Online Harassment Hotline (taken from their webpage):“The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is a free, text message-based, confidential emotional support hotline. We created the Hotline specifically for the gaming community. Whether you’re a player, a developer, a streamer, a competitor — any part of this community —we’re here for you, whether that means offering emotional support or finding the referrals and resources that you need.”
Keep up to date with what’s going on at the Games and Online Harassment Hotline by visiting:https://gameshotline.org
PS PLEASE… somebody play Grounded with Carl; you might just make a friend for life!

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Cheyenne joins Ben in the studio this week to discuss intelligence… human, biological, artificial, or otherwise. To get the conversational juices flowing (eew!), they talk about the games they are currently playing: Project Zomboid and Cult of the Lamb. Upon becoming adequately lubricated (again… eew!), they talk about the definition of the word intelligence and the “types” of intelligences. Along with the excessive use of the word dry, other topics of conversation this week include: IQ tests, Mensa meetings, college culture, robot baristas, AI artists, goldfish driving cars, grown brain cells playing Pong, and the game Spore by Maxis.

00:00:21 - “We are your hosts for the Two Vague Podcast this week,” and Cheyenne’s absence
00:01:45 - Project Zomboid by The Indie Stone, a post-apocalyptic SIMS 2, and your COD
00:05:50 - Cult of the Lamb by Massive Monster, and 9 out of 10 doctors recommend…
00:11:28 - A nebulous topic, the definition, a gum condition, and a little dip in the 1900s
00:13:58 - The 9 types of intelligence, our fathers, drinking bleach, and walking into walls
00:17:40 - Intelligence Quotient, Mensa meetings, memory, and knowledge retention
00:22:48 - Changing the (college) academic culture, staying in school, and new experiences
00:25:50 - Splitting hairs, Cheyenne crystalizes, Ben’s attorney, and college degrees
00:28:18 - Artificial intelligence, building robots, computers with feelings, and sentience
00:31:25 - The hypothetical barista, sex robots, and AI communication methods
00:35:20 - Training robot baristas, the moisture content of cappuccinos, and probing questions
00:40:02 - 77 Snickers bars, an AI designing its own body, and fears about automation
00:42:59 - An AI winning an art contest, Ben’s fair pun, and programs being “creative”
00:46:21 - Rules for casual art contests, abstract concepts, and DALL-E’s diversity problems
00:49:05 - Cheyenne’s “Non-binary person in cornfield” as “imagined” by WOMBO’s dream AI
00:51:22 - Teaching goldfish how to drive, and Ben’s imagined future of taxicabs
00:53:50 - Teaching grown mouse and human brain cells how to play Pong (badly)
00:57:26 - Biological computers, augmenting the human brain, and remembering stuff
01:02:25 - Rotting brains, developing skills, dopamine, and games that teach
01:06:21 - Cheyenne explains the game Spore developed by Maxis and released in 2008
01:10:15 - Ben and Cheyenne have different opinions about messing around with asteroids
01:12:59 - Closing thoughts on the word intelligence

Note: The “Non-binary person in cornfield” image from the episode artwork was created (by Cheyenne) using WOMBO’s dream AI. For more information on this AI artist, go to https://www.wombo.art/

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Journalism major Amaya joins Ben this week to discuss our habits… good, bad, and otherwise. While enduring an impromptu cat cuddling session, Amaya shares her struggles with ADHD, her recently discovered haircare regimen, how she expresses herself with social media, her knowledge of astrology, and an interesting tattoo idea. Ben has a few “dad humor” moments, but he also talks about how he approaches changing his own habits, his walking apples, what he learned about the word habit, and his early 20s one time experience with a “gateway drug.” Video Games discussed include: It Takes Two, Moving Out, Overcooked, Knights and Bikes, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Bugsnax, and The Sims.
00:00:25 - Amaya is covered in cats and talking about journalism00:04:00 - Self-expression in the age of social media, delivery via snail, and newspapers00:09:03 - Amaya gets accustomed to being called a zoomer in under a minute, and news00:12:02 - ADHD, depression, anxiety, psychiatry, therapy, and medication00:18:02 - The dictionary definition of the word habit, religious garments, and clothing00:22:12 - Haircare, journaling, tetrahydrocannabinol, pens, and Ben’s one experience00:27:07 - Transitioning habits from bad to good, Ben’s “hot girl walking,” and apples00:29:37 - The importance of releasing emotions, communication, and self-expression00:33:02 - Connecting with partners and developing relationships through playing games00:35:48 - Fun Co-op games: It Takes Two, Overcooked, Moving Out, and Knight and Bikes00:41:22 - Collecting bells in Animal Crossing, and Tom Nook represents “nice capitalism”00:44:49 - A digression in to astrology, Ben learns the word stellium, and deep dish pizza00:49:31 - Ben’s “cat dad” joke, being reincarnated as a cat, and the octopus00:51:46 - Game habits, cleanup before stopping, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild00:54:23 - Ben gives “What’s Good Games” a shoutout, Pokemon, and again with the Bugsnax00:57:05 - A brief summary of Amaya’s video game past, and doing horrible things to Sims01:00:11 - Creating your partner in the Sims, lock up the cats, and closing thoughts

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Norah joins Ben this week to talk about ancient art of food assembly. We do it for fun. We do it to impress. We do it when we are hungry… sometimes. The hosts share their fond memories of family cooking for Christmas gatherings, the cooking shows they watch, the memorable dishes they have prepared, and an assortment of cooking techniques. For the games portion of the show, Norah talks about her experiences with her very first idle game, Hidea and Neowiz’s “Cats & Soup.” Ben talks about a handful of cooking games he has been playing recently: Battle Chef Brigade, “Cook, Serve, Delicious” (2 and 3), Overcooked 2, and Cooking Mama: Cuisine!
00:03:55 - From sitcoms with the most spinoffs to spun foods… Ben’s ill-advised segue00:06:20 - The unsung hero of the kitchen, and Gordon Ramsey’s demeanor with children00:08:53 - Ben’s remembers Norah’s Christmas Eve dinners, and working in restaurants00:10:52 - Norah cooks hasenpfeffer, and remembering “Spinach Stuff” and “Cheap Meat”00:16:15 - Describing dinner, a single person’s best friend, and number of steps00:21:03 - Ben learns the cooking terms chiffonade and macerate00:25:00 - The meal kit trend, and learning about cooking techniques00:27:37 - Norah talks about playing Cats & Soup, and Ben explains what an idle game is00:30:20 - “Less than zen,” in game advertisem*nts, cold soups, and Ben’s favorite soup00:33:26 - The “Food Wars!” manga and anime, and Ben explains Shonen Jump anime00:36:12 - “Foodgasms,” being naked-ish, not a food prude, and the show premise00:41:10 - Iron Chef, cook on cook sabotaging, drama, and Ready… Set… Cook!00:45:22 - Ben talks about his time with the game Battle Chef Brigade00:50:39 - Ben said manure, but meant to say fertilizer00:51:17 - Are cooks, served… delicious too? Are time management games fun?00:56:30 - Overcooked and Overcooked 2… testing the stability of friendships since 201601:01:25 - The Cooking Mama franchise and the failed Gardening Mama games01:07:00 - Closing words of wisdom on the word cook.

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Brittney (Mom / barista / photographer) joins Ben this week to talk about a word that brings her much joy. The two hosts discuss photography past, present, and future. Subjects include: the art of photography, personal connections to photos, baby books, camera technology, Purikura (photo booths), and how we will “record” our memories in the future. Then it’s on to video games. Brittney talks about the ailment that caused her to lose her horses in Minecraft. Ben talks about the games Pokemon Snap, Beyond Good and Evil, Dead Rising, The Bradwell Conspiracy, and NUTS. If you live in Tucson and need a photographer, take a peek at a sampling of Brittney’s (@bjunephotography) portfolio on Instagram!
00:00:51 - An I or a Y?00:04:10 - Use of the word photograph in print, and Brittney’s preliminary thoughts on photos00:06:45 - Storytelling with images, the band Def Leppard, and cassette tapes00:11:40 - The ease of taking pictures today, and the tactile nature of photographs00:15:20 - Using “baby books” for extortion, and being creative with photos00:18:25 - The advantages of using cameras instead of phones, and Ban has lots of nickels00:22:10 - Has Brittney ever wanted to be a photojournalist?00:25:01 - Photographs in black and white, post production editing, and disposable cameras00:28:19 - Ben remembers the Fotomat and waiting weeks for developed photos00:31:45 - Mall photo franchises, photo booths, and Brittney thinks Ben is speaking in tongues00:36:05 - The Purikura phenomenon in Japan, 3D printed images, and Mentos00:41:48 - Pictures and videos in augmented reality, and walking “into” photos00:46:00 - Brittney’s video game experiences past and present, and the silent killer… of horses00:51:16 - Pokemon Snap, the “rail shooter,” Beyond Good & Evil, and zombies in a mall00:54:46 - Photojournalist Frank West and the Dead Rising franchise00:59:07 - Pronouncing “Willamette,” Resident Evil, and zombie speed preferences01:02:27 - Ben talks about his experiences with “a sucky version of Control”01:06:16 - Catching and photographing squirrels on a closed circuit monitor IS the game NUTS01:10:53 - Brittney’s thoughts on photography in video games, and developing photographs01:13:45 - Closing thoughts on the word photo, check out Brittney’s work on Insta!

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This week Ben and Norah are discussing the food we consume to tide us over to our next full meal. Yummy SNACKS! Sprinkled throughout the episode are salty stories and discussions about electric boats, happy hours, ice cream bar diets, snakes, potato salad, and “sleepy chicken.” After Norah reveals her cookie addiction, Ben reveals his Bacon number! Finally, the proverbial cherry(s) on top for a touch of sweetness are conversations about Norah playing Ben Esposito’s Donut County and Ben playing Young Horses’ Bugsnax.
00:00:35 - Norah’s boat trip on the Chicago River, and knocking out the arthritis00:03:37 - River-faring to snack food segue, word of the day calendar, and eating casually00:06:27 - No “walking apples” for Ben in Japan, and sexually attractive people00:09:23 - “Go to” snacks, baby carrots… aren’t, and Norah almost spews00:12:46 - Vegetable trays, Ben’s ice cream bar diet story, and being an ectomorph00:15:45 - Trigger warning: skinny guy complains about the monetary cost of being skinny00:16:49 - Norah’s post-boating experience at the “Adult Snack Machine”00:19:50 - Ben asks what the food items in afternoon tea or high tea are called00:22:25 - Drinks as snacks, in my freezer, served in a paper cup, and portion control00:25:05 - Salty-sweet snacks, and Paula Poundstone’s eating a box of Pop-Tarts bit00:29:24 - Ben’s “Weird-ass Cheese (and Spinach) Quesadilla,” and Telly Savalas00:32:04 - Norah and Ben talk about playing Donut County00:35:55 - Annapurna Interactive, Ben is too excited about his Bacon number, and snakes00:39:24 - Independent game studio Young Horses, and taking photos00:42:10 - Talkin’ bout’ Bugsnax, and opinions on what makes a “kids games”00:45:12 - Eating insects, and Ben explains some Bugsnax game mechanics to Norah00:48:00 - The truth about Bambi… which was based on a book by an Austrian author00:51:59 - Capturing the cheese puff butterfly, and a brief history on game FAQs and guides00:55:55 - Zach "Danger" Brown’s fifty-five thousand dollar potato salad00:57:33 - Memes vs. political cartoons, and the “sleepy chicken” TikTok trend01:00:40.- FDA warnings, the nature of social media communications, and locked goods01:04:20 - Norah and Ben’s parting snack wisdom

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We’ve hit another 30-ish episode milestone, so it’s time for another “cutting room floor” show! This never before heard material is a potpourri of trivia, news discussions, personal stories, and it all starts with a joke from my Aunt! We hope you enjoy the smorgasbord of clips from episodes 33, 35, 43, 48, 50, 53, 54, and 55.
00:00:21 - Starting the clip show with what Ben has been noodling with lately00:03:09 - WHY DO I KEEP CALLING IT DONUT COUNTRY… IT’s DONUT COUNTY!
CLIP #1 - Norah’s joke00:04:10 - Intro00:05:25 - Green tea lemonade and lemon loaf after a “stick in the nose test”00:08:01 - Norah asks Ben if he’s figured out disco yet, and then she tells her joke00:10:20 - Prepare yourself for Ben’s brand of humor, and who should tell specific jokes
CLIP #2 - Bash interrupts00:11:47 - Intro00:14:06 - Various states of undress
CLIPS #3 and #4 - Action hero, character quotes, romantic comedies, and American Psycho00:14:45 - Intro00:17:32 - Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Is James Bond a hero?00:20:59 - Daniel Craig is now Ben’s favorite James Bond00:23:53 - An actual speed round!00:25:56 - Cheyenne and Ben get sidetracked by their favorite romantic comedies.00:29:29 - Back to quotes, Ben’s Phillip Seymour Hoffman callback, and American Psycho00:32:50 - Differences between the book and the movie, and Bono as Satan
CLIP #5 - Basketball coach phrases00:35:18 - Intro00:35:50 - Norah’s brain, and the grade school Bobby Knight equivalent
CLIP #6 - Acting stories and meeting famous people00:38:36 - Intro00:39:59 - Norah is alive and well in them’s mean streets of Chicago00:44:01 - Plays vs films, Ryan knows how to duck, and “hey kids… don’t smoke!”00:47:05 - Exploring the human condition, and Ryan’s tip on memorizing lines00:50:45 - Hanging out on the set of Glee, and working at THE coffee shop00:52:39 - Patti LeBelle is not Darla, and Ben gets confused about the reference
CLIPS #7, 8, and 9 - Chatbots, velcro, plasters, and research00:54:11 - Intro00:55:33 - Chatbots, artificial friends, and becoming human01:00:03 - What if it was a joke? Was it a coverup? Was it a subconscious effort?01:02:10 - The program was Just Shoot Me, and the episode was “The Assistant”01:04:20 - The hook and loop fastener, and the stuff of Paris01:06:20 - Look it up, and do your homework
CLIP #10 - More Warframe, more Valorant, and the importance of story in games.01:08:43 - Intro01:11:00 - Customization of weapons in Warframe, and the Outer Worlds01:13:53 - How different generation’s approach consecutive play01:16:30 - The Warframe in-game economy, and making platinum instead of buying it01:19:45 - John’s PC discipline at college, and is anyone excited about “Skyrim in space?”
CLIP #11 - A case of mistaken identity01:21:55 - Final clip intro and closing the show01:24:09 - That one time Ben attended one of Tracy’s Halloween parties

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Norah’s been watching Cuphead on Netflix and Ben has been playing a number of toon-centric games, so it seems to be fitting that the word is flyswatter. Not really… it’s cartoon! The hosts reminisce about the theater and television cartoons of their youth before moving on to video games. Cartoon oriented video games mentioned include: the Kingdom Hearths franchise, Mane 6’s “Them’s Fightin’ Herds,” and Cuphead.
00:01:00 - This week’s word is one vowel drop away from being a carton00:02:44 - Bell and Howell was a motion picture machinery company based in Wheeling, IL00:04:30 - Norah runs off again, Ben misquotes Porky Pig, and Cuphead00:07:55 - Gin tries to poop, complaining about movie trailers, and possible trailer alternatives00:12:20 - Movie ratings, the funny papers, Walt Kelly’s Pogo Possum, and Mad TV00:16:56 - Terry Gilliams’s shorts, the placement of screens, and political cartoons00:20:07 - The definition segment is delayed by Ben’s National Lampoon’s Vacation reference00:24:53 - The Family Circus was never funny, and the “make Peanuts funny” game00:26:06 - The first animated cartoons from the 1900s00:30:10 - Remembering the flying toaster screensaver, Hardware Wars, and Fantasia00:34:21 - Disney makes back it’s budget and other facts about the 1969 release of Fantasia00:39:01 - Ben summarizes the concept behind the Kingdom Hearts franchise for Norah00:41:51 - Library, Blockbuster, or GameStop?00:44:07 - Norah starts the great “all games have cartoons in them” debate00:47:01 - The ungulates fighting game inspired by My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic00:51:30 - A “band of bronies” receives Hasbro’s cease and desist notification00:54:23 - MLP FIM creator Lauren Faust helps Mane6 with character designs and story00:59:34 - The arcade feel of Cuphead, the Moldenhauer brothers, and the Netflix series01:06:01 - What’s next for Studio MDHR, Sophom*ore jinxes, and the boss battle world record01:08:20 - Norah’s crowd funded potato salad story01:10:22 - Ben talks about donating to charities with Humble Bundle01:13:00 - “Don’t eat all of your money and cartoons!”

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Norah and Ben recommend that you prepare yourself mentally and physically for this week’s topic… adventure! Ben has lots of questions for Norah about her adventures overseas. They discuss a possible forthcoming adventure for each of them… running a bookstore in Scotland! They briefly touch on the meaning of adventure in visual media before moving on to video games. Norah talks about enjoying her time with Broken Age, and Ben explains the origin of the adventure game and how the term Easter egg was coined in video games.
00:00:40 - Caught in Ann’s FOMO undertow, and Netflix’s “The Way of the Househusband”00:05:04 - Cuphead is on Norah’s to watch list, bungie jumping Jesus, and acrophobia00:08:27 - Normal rollercoasters, zip-lining, adventurous eating trends, and snails00:11:57 - Ben thinks if you throw enough butter and garlic on something, it’s delicious00:14:01 - Casu martzu (maggot cheese), and Norah’s falconry experience in Wales00:17:02 - Norah’s Scottland bus tour, NOT kayaking in Wales, and hanging out in Italy00:21:58 - Lasting impressions, and Ben want’s to run a bookstore in Wigtown00:26:08 - Taking the podcast to Scotland, understanding accents, and the human brain00:29:23 - Traveling alone vs traveling with a group, would Norah go on a safari?00:32:52 - Australian animals want to kill you, and going camping 00:35:01 - Vacations as adventures, and definitions of adventure00:40:28 - A discussion about “adventure” movies, and adventures without action 00:45:06 - Alex Vo’s list of essential adventure movies on Rotten Tomatoes00:47:46 - Norah’s first experience with the point and click adventure game Broken Age00:50:37 - Ben’s video game plan for Norah, and confusion about Whispering Rock camp00:53:14 - Duck dragons, and a brief history of the Atari 2600 game Adventure00:55:32 - Atari game programmers, the origins of Activision, and the term Easter egg01:00:17 - Don’t accidentally shoot the invisible swordsman, and other adventures

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