The Two Vague Podcast

Amaya is in the “studio” this week with Ben and the pod-cats.  Amaya and Ben are eager to talk about the topic word and their individual healing journeys, but first, Amaya sets a challenge for herself (for the record the tally was “one hundred percent”=1 and “totally”=4, so only 5 punches were required).  It should go without saying, but as always with these two, there will be a wide assortment of tangents explored including: Michel Gondry movies, medical symbols, bandaids, recreational drug experience stories, and the joys of being single.  To wrap it up, the hosts talk about the unique storytelling in Witch Beam’s 2021 game “Unpacking,” their favorite “comfort food” games, and FLOOR CHICKEN?
 
00:00:21 - Amaya says we’re on a healing journey, and the “hot girl walk”00:02:00 - Hold Amaya accountable by punching yourself, and the definitions of the word heal00:04:20 - Origin of the world heal, Ben ponders, and the first thing Amaya thinks of00:06:41 - Part of the healing arc is finding the new normal, and the origin of the podcast00:09:15 - The ways we manage our stress, the importance of feeling okay, and journaling 00:12:21 - Ben’s sage-like advice about forgiveness, and Amaya doesn’t have a time machine00:14:42 - “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and the concept of erasing memories00:16:50 - Ben takes Amaya down the Michel Gondry rabbit hole  
 
*** Ben would like to apologize to Michel Gondry for calling him Michael; he sincerely apologizes for any undue harm that has befallen Michel’s family as a result of his ignorance.
 
00:19:10 - Ben talks about the curious case of the Caduceus and the Rod of Asclepius 00:21:33 - Different rods… Caduceus, Asclepius, and… OF DEATH!00:23:34 - Using bandaids for attention, imagining getting shot, and the healers of the world00:26:22 - Amaya talks about “The Body Keeps the Score…” by Bessel van der Kolk00:28:31 - Different types of healing, being labeled as an introvert, and conversational burnout00:31:55 - Knowing yourself, being single, social norms, and finding your own stability00:35:54 - Finding comfort in spirituality and hope, and medicinal healing with mushrooms00:38:13 - LSD brain, Timothy Leary, and learning from other people’s drug experiences 00:41:29 - Knowing people struggling with addiction, “Beautiful Boy,” and comedy00:43:27 - Talking about the wonder game “Unpacking” and it’s “narrative” about healing 00:46:29 - The awards won by Unpacking, and how Wren Brier came up with the concept00:49:26 - Minecraft, The Sims, Animal Crossing, and The Last of 1 and 200:52:50 - Amaya’s Rock Band drumming and the healing power of music00:54:01 - Upcoming guest Brian Colburn and his new show My Weekly Mixtape
*** Check out Brian’s show on you favorite podcast services or from the website at https://myweeklymixtape.com/
 
00:58:18 - What the heck is “floor chicken?”01:00:12 - Final thoughts on the word heal 

This special episode represents a new direction that we are going in the future (since our “Only Fans” page didn’t take off like we expected).  Since the pandemic reaction videos have been all the rage, and we’re feeling a little left out, so we are announcing our switch to Two Vague Reactions: audio only reactions to video content!  You can follow along or just listen to us react to stuff!
Amaya joins Ben this week to react to the Death Stranding Director’s Cut trailer.  There’s something for everyone in this video… tar-like goop, packages, Norman Reedus, rain that accelerates time, the song Goliath by Woodkid (which we can’t include in the recording due to copyright), and premature babies in jars!  Following the “whatever is applicable”-along, the hosts will discuss there thoughts and feelings about the video and the game if they have played it.  FUN!
00:00:42 - Prepare for your boat to be rocked!
00:02:12 - START the trailer here00:06:57 - trailer END… let’s talk about it!
00:07:14 - Hideo Kojima’s legacy and what did Amaya think of the trailer?00:09:01 - BBs, BTs, and an acid trip that lasts upwards of 50 hours00:10:15 - The cut scenes explain the story, but they are far too long00:12:00 - Games as art and complaining about the audience00:13:38 - Cetacean stranding and director’s cuts00:16:27 - A difference of opinion about the movies Tenet and Inception00:19:00 - Ben’s Edward Cullen story, and the final opinion! 

This week Ben takes Norah on an adventure with a word she has no interest in, but first Norah talks about three games she tried playing while she was visiting her nephew.  After the pleasantries, Norah fastens her seatbelt and prepares to be bombarded with Ben’s research.  Subjects and diversions include: memories of historical news moments, “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension,” the found footage movie genre, the first found footage film, and the video game designs of Sam Barlow. 
 
00:00:21 - Norah is back from Arizona, and Ben decides that Norah needs a manservant.00:02:42 - Games Ben and Norah played: “Dragon’s Crown,” “Katamari Damacy,” and…00:05:22 - “It Takes Two!”  What does Norah think of when she thinks of video games? 00:07:52 - Ben is proud, Norah swears like a sailor, and THE Sacagawea00:09:21 - Norah’s foot age is 76, Ben thinks he has tiny feet, and “are you nuts?”00:11:13 - The origin of the term footage, movies, sizes, and watching the news00:13:44 - The Space Shuttle Challenger, Apollo 11, actually awesome, and advertising00:17:22 - Memorable news and the declining value of footage and video 00:21:38 - Thought experiments and the found footage movie genre00:24:21 - Concert footage, The Beatles, Peter Jackson, Yoko Ono, and “Cannibal Holocaust”  00:27:32 - A movie summary, Italian exploitation cinema, and Red Brigades terrorism 00:31:17 - Ben shows his gullible side, DVD and Blu-Ray extras, and the watermelon 00:38:18 - British video game designer Sam Barlow and the unique storytelling in “Aisle”00:43:18 - Ben’s thoughts on the 2015 game “Her Story,” written and directed by Sam Barlow00:45:11 - Ben played “Telling Lies,” but he wasn’t impressed and has feedback00:47:56 - “Immortality” from 2022 is Ben’s favorite Sam Barlow / Half Mermaid game00:56:09 - Norah’s final thoughts equals zero, and Ben says check out “Immortality”00:58:45 - Ben gets distracted with talk of pinball machines and dispenses some trivia

Ben is joined by Norah this week, and cooperatively they investigate this week’s word.  Things out a little slow conversationally, but then their on-brand rampant digression kicks in with topics such as television procedurals, the “cozy” genre of mysteries, the movie adaptation of Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka’s black humour thriller novel “Maria Beetle,” Ben’s favorite Chris Columbus movie script, and Scandinavian Noir.  To close out the show, Norah listens intently while Ben talks about some of his favorite mystery themed point and click adventure games and Nintendo DS games from Capcom’s Shu Takumi.  In the final words, Norah includes a book series recommendation (Jutta Profijt’s “Morgue Drawer”), and Ben casually endorses the television series “iZombie.”
00:00:21 - Surf’s up in Chicago, 8AM installations, and what Norah is watching00:04:27 - State of mind, predictability, life things, mysteries of the sexes, and pod people00:07:21 - From digressions to definitions, the death of Raquel Welch, and Ox N. Ford 00:11:00 - Origins of mystery, mysticism, Ben’s personal definition, and the denouement 00:13:40 - Guitars, books, television, movies, and the genre of the Cozy Mystery00:18:18 - Egg preparations, the golden age of detective fiction, and “Abracadaver!”00:21:35 - Movie mystery preferences, cycling streaming services, and greed00:23:57 - Ben talks “Bullet Train” directed by a Brad Pitt / Jean-Claude Van Damme facsimile 00:29:00 - Storytelling preferences for mystery movies, and Norah’s cozy mystery trajectory 00:31:41 - The procedural mystery, character development in television, and realism 00:34:44 - Scandinavian Nior, IKEA, Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys00:38:35 - Enola Holmes, messing with Sherlock Holmes cannon, and Chris Columbus movies00:42:22 - Norah adds one more before moving on to mystery games… questionable meat!
00:43:39 - Correction: “Grim Fandango” was Tim Schaffer’s second game as a project leader
00:46:45 - “Sam & Max Hit the Road,” the largest ball of twine, and other roadside attractions00:49:19 - “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney,” “The Thing” in Arizona, and to-do lists00:52:10 - Ben explains Shu Takumi’s “Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective” to Norah00:55:13 - An interesting Nintendo direct remaster announcement, more trivia, and a step00:57:57 - Starting the wrap-up, a couple of recommendations, and ending mystery

This week, Norah joins Ben to talk about a subjective… subject.  The word is art, so prepare yourself for a more philosophical episode than you're used to.  The hosts share their love of observing, appreciating, making, and talking about art.  Ben tells a few stories, Norah brings her research, and they both drop many artist and architect names.  For details about the episode’s "video game bookends," see below! 
Video games mentioned or discussed (albeit briefly) in this episode include: 
Mahjong Dimensions - by Arkadium
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! - GAME FREAK
The Grand Theft Auto franchise - Rockstar Games
World of Demons - PlatinumGames
Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and Dragon’s Crown - Vanillaware
Jet Set Radio - Smilebit and Sega
The Borderlands franchise - Gearbox Software
00:00:21 - Chicago snowstorms, gauntlets, removable hands, and one big wind tunnel
00:02:30 - What we are playing these days: Mahjong Dimensions and Pocket Card Jockey
00:05:27 - An impromptu endorsement of Apple services and products
00:06:40 - Art according to Oxford Languages, the 13 Bhutanese Arts, and the Art of War
00:10:30 - Subjectivity, relativity, no abbreviations, “art thou,” and ars 
00:12:20 - Personal meanings of the word, Ben’s arts of podcasting, and NFT-like episode titles
00:15:30 - Ben asks, “when you follow a pattern, are you creating art?”
00:17:42 - Norah’s “not normal people” when drawing and painting, and Ben’s modern art 
00:20:46 - Paint by numbers is so much easier with iPads, and representative art philosophy
00:26:28 - Impressionism, art as form, Norah loves Frank Gehry, and noisy mimes
00:33:32 - Architecture of Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe 
00:35:47 - Ben’s Mister 20 / POÄNG chair diversion, and an architect’s furniture designs 
00:38:51 - HEY GRAHAM!  Do you know what would make this podcast better?
00:40:42 - Norah’s experiences at this year’s International Puppet Festival in Chicago
00:43:19 - Bad puppet show criteria, Tony Scott, and thinking about what isn’t art
00:45:51 - Paul’s impressive latte art, art student Dread Scott, and the movie “So Fine”
00:50:38 - The use photorealism and other stylistic choices in video games
00:54:09 - Ben loves Vanillaware Ltd.  games, and talks about the company’s history
00:57:25 - Ben tries to explain hand painted images, RTS games, and pointless teasers 
01:00:01 - “Better Off Ted,” Jabberwocky, and Ben loses his train of thought
01:02:20 - Norah impressed by the art style of “World of Demons”
01:04:28 - The cel shading game art style, ne’er-do-wells, graffiti art, and Jean-Michel Basquiat 
01:08:40 - Perceptions of art, closing thoughts, the art of shame 
If episode graphics are not displayed or supported by your preferred podcast app, you can check them out at www.twovaguepodcast.com .

Joining Ben in the studio this week is Melody… a retired Marine, a student at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, and an amateur bodybuilder in the Women’s Figure Division working toward getting her pro card!  She’s a very busy person, but she was able to make some time to talk to us about this week’s word fit and to educate us about the often misunderstood sport of bodybuilding.  Ben asks some questions that maybe you were afraid to, and he tells an embarrassing first date story.  Melody shares stories about how she and her husband met, how she became interested in the sport through her husband’s preparation to compete in men’s bodybuilding, the importance of finding the right coach, and maybe a little bit about video games at the end. 
00:00:21 - Introducing Melody and talking about what she is doing these days00:02:41 - Fusing spines, mental health, quality of life improvements, and the definition of fit00:04:45 - How the hosts think about fit, and maybe Ben should review the definitions00:06:46 - A skein, a case of mistaken ethnicity, and how Melody met her husband
FUN FACT: a skein is yarn wound into an oblong bundle ready to be used to knit or crochet
00:08:31 - How Melody became interested in bodybuilding, and balancing work/sport/family00:12:04 - Ben’s interest in bodybuilding, differences between NPC and IFBB, and pro cards00:14:40 - Qualifications for “The Olympia” past and present, competition days, and small legs00:18:05 - Ben admits to being a dating moron in his 20s, Diva the gladiator, and confidence00:21:21 - How Melody deals with misconceptions about the sport and body dysmorphia00:24:10 - Bodybuilding in the age of social media, and dealing with bullies as Generation X00:27:33 - Generational perceptions, the importance of a solid coach, and self-coaching00:32:48 - The Women’s Figure Division, differences between divisions, and the X shape00:37:34 - Using Olympia winners as a target, a shoutout to Cyd Gillon, and what is “grainy”00:40:23 - Melody’s future in the Figure Division and her coach’s thoughts on a division change00:43:10 - Ben has questions about performance enhancing drugs in bodybuilding00:47:35 - Bodybuilding choices, myths, addiction, and getting ready for a competition00:50:24 - Ben asks, “do we want to talk about plastic surgery” before talking about it anyway00:52:00 - The benefits of implants during contest preparation, covering muscles, and balance00:55:45 - Five minutes about video games, and Melody’s closing thoughts on the word fit

Paul is back in the studio with Ben this week to talk about his passion for the Moops, which is NOT the sound produced by a cow after making a mistake!  We’re joking, but if you know “the Moops” reference is from the 47th episode of Seinfeld, “The Bubble Boy,” then you are probably very familiar with this week’s word… and a standout at most parties.  To Paul’s delight, the show is liberally peppered with bits of trivia, and there’s a lot to talk about.  Along with the aforementioned  “knowledge nuggets,” topics discussed include: the board game Trivial Pursuit, the “Jeopardy!” game show and it’s current host drama, dictionary facts and differences, bar and handheld device trivia games, and a brief history of (and a sincere outpouring of love for) Jackbox Games!
 
00:00:21 - Ben calls it THE Trivial Pursuit, and Paul addresses Ben’s misconception
00:03:08 - Gameshow aspirations, the computer that could play Jeopardy, and other oddities
00:06:47 - Memorizing things, they don’t support the program, and entomology
00:08:57 - Distracted by kitty love, three roads meeting, the value of trivia, and one more thing
00:11:05 - Dictionary differences, the word literally, the OED, and why buy the cow…
00:13:32 - Ben splits hairs, audience dependence, and little known facts  are cool
00:16:35 - Paul’s passion for trivia, generating interest in topics, and trivia is for everybody
00:20:02 - Trivial Pursuit… trivia, born of Scrabble, a trivia putdown, and troglodytes 
00:23:00 - Ben’s story of gaining respect through trivia, Waiting for Godot, and Ken Jennings
00:27:51 - Cutting out the talking nonsense, and does Ben sound like Ray Romano?
00:29:43 - The host drama, Ken’s friendship with Alex, and be careful what you say
00:33:48 - Sharing the “Jeopardy!” host role, Ken’s podcast “Omnibus,” and NTN trivia
00:36:08 - Ben’s Onyx song reference, automated bar trivia, and Splam11’s trivia nemesis
00:39:41 - Paul’s sports trivia niche, learning facts on Jeopardy, and Jackbox at game nights
00:43:05 - Fortune cookies, Paul’s issue with Trivia Crack, online trivia leagues, and the JCU
00:45:45 - Ben with the trivia league assist, say no to trivia drugs, and Gottleib pinball
00:47:49 - A brief history of (and some trivia about) Jellyvision and Jackbox Games
00:52:05 - Paul’s recent experience with “Trivia Murder Party,” and Jackbox game diversity 
00:54:40 - Fibbage, and a remarkably common yet revolutionary user interface 
00:57:36 - Ben’s experience with the game Tee KO in a What’s Good Games livestream
00:59:47 - Paul’s recent interest in art, “Complete the List” podcast, and closing thoughts

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

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 concert 00:12:51 - Calling Norah, filling the brain, Paton Oswalt, and Blade Runner related trivia 00:16:11 - 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 grade 00:24:25 - 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!

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 autism 00:12:52 - 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 algorithm 00:42:25 - 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 
 

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 labels 00:13:43 - 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 resources 00:31:14 - The targets of hate raids helped to create a resource for marginalized streamers 00:34:53 - 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!

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/

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 journalism 00:04:00 - 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 apples 00:29:37 - The importance of releasing emotions, communication, and self-expression00:33:02 - Connecting with partners and developing relationships through playing games 00:35:48 - 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 pizza 00:49:31 - Ben’s “cat dad” joke, being reincarnated as a cat, and the octopus 00:51:46 - 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

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 children 00:08:53 - 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 macerate 00:25:00 - The meal kit trend, and learning about cooking techniques 00:27:37 - Norah talks about playing Cats & Soup, and Ben explains what an idle game is00:30:20 - “Less than zen,” in game advertisements, 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 premise 00:41:10 - Iron Chef, cook on cook sabotaging, drama, and Ready… Set… Cook!00:45:22 - Ben talks about his time with the game Battle Chef Brigade 00:50:39 - 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. 

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 nickels 00:22:10 - 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 photos 00:31:45 - Mall photo franchises, photo booths, and Brittney thinks Ben is speaking in tongues00:36:05 - The Purikura phenomenon in Japan, 3D printed images, and Mentos 00:41:48 - Pictures and videos in augmented reality, and walking “into” photos 00:46:00 - 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!