web02.fireside.fm Sat, 18 Apr 2026 21:15:12 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Topic Lords - Episodes Tagged with “Strucci” https://topiclords.com/tags/strucci Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Every week, Jim invites different friends to guest on Topic Lords and be excited about whatever they've been fixated on this week. en-us episodic The only place on the internet you can hear topics discussed! Jim Stormdancer Every week, Jim invites different friends to guest on Topic Lords and be excited about whatever they've been fixated on this week. yes Jim Stormdancer jim@goombas.org 249. Singles Night at Whole Foods https://topiclords.com/singles-night-at-whole-foods 4ee3285f-3ff6-4a13-822f-ed3a81454c13 Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Jim Stormdancer full Jim Stormdancer Lords: Ian and Shannon. We discuss remakes of Yojimbo, how to balance character likability with dark comedy, fixing bad movie dialog mixing, and The Chinese Checker Players by Richard Brautigan. 1:02:26 yes Lords: * Ian * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tEaI_bi-i8 * Shannon * https://www.oddityroadshow.com/ * https://www.youtube.com/c/struccimovies Topics: * Official and unofficial remakes of Yojimbo * Danny McBride shows, and how to balance character likability with dark comedy- examples of this done well vs poorly? * I can't fix bad movie dialog mixing for everyone, but I can fix it in my own house * The Chinese Checker Players by Richard Brautigan * http://kempwash.blogspot.com/2011/05/chinese-checker-players-by-richard.html Microtopics: * Songs that signify that this scene or moment is sophisticated. * How to pronounce Debussy. * Southern gothic dark comedy body horror. * A weirdo from Twitter who can't email your employer because he doesn't know who you work for. * The Glass Key's remake family tree. * A drifter samurai coming to a town. * A dude who shows up in town and decides to play all the criminal factions against each other. * The scene where the protagonist sets the bed on fire and jumps out the window. * Escaping from rum runners by convincing them that you've already escaped. * Propping your gun on a cross and using Jesus to pull the trigger. * A sorceress who spends the whole movie topless because it's one of those movies. * Omega Doom starring Rutger Hauer. * A robot who gets stabbed in a bar because the stabber needs to download his memories. * Using a mook as a human shield. * The supporting actor getting a better offer and quitting in between takes. * Where you put the interesting part in your movie. * A hobo who runs two crime syndicates. * The story of two rival vice principals. * Jim's theory for why cringe comedy shouldn't exist. * Where cringe comedy has gone since Seinfeld. * How to make an unlikable protagonist that people don't admire. * Characters who aren't good at anything. * The schlub. * A montage of dad destroying model airplanes with a sledge hammer. * Liking some things about someone while not liking other things. * A monster who is very fun to hang out with. * The character in the show who ends up in Florida. * Marathoning Breaking Bad and Better Call Sail and ending up 40 years old no matter how old you were when you started * Why you might not throw away a sound bar. * Entering the Konami code to enable compression. * What the Clear Voice feature actually does. * Getting really agitated and putting the subtitles on. * Thinking of something interesting to say and then forgetting it. * Which one's the son and which one's the dad? * Ripley vs. Ripley's Believe it or Not. * Lobbying for more mean old lesbians in theatrical productions. * Playing Chinese Checkers with a woman who outlived her husband by 70 years. * Where you were when you realized that it's possible to outlive your spouse by 70 years. * Bowling Alone. * A place to meet people that isn't the play you go to drink or the place where you go to pray. * All your friends who went sober in the last year. * Liquor stores that only sells non-alcoholic products. * Mocktail bars. * Name tags that have different foods on them. * Inappropriate attention in nerd spaces. * Figuring out where you can go with all your sober friends. * Who listens past the first five minutes of a podcast? * AI-driven smell-o-vision. * Searching automated transcripts to find things that people didn't say. * The subtitler writing "knockos" whenever people in The Wire say "narcos" in a Baltimore accent. * Streaming services cutting corners wherever possible in a desperate attempt to become profitable. * Snitching on bootlegers of racist Disney movies. * How to get banned from TikTok. Lords:

Topics:

Microtopics:

  • Songs that signify that this scene or moment is sophisticated.
  • How to pronounce Debussy.
  • Southern gothic dark comedy body horror.
  • A weirdo from Twitter who can't email your employer because he doesn't know who you work for.
  • The Glass Key's remake family tree.
  • A drifter samurai coming to a town.
  • A dude who shows up in town and decides to play all the criminal factions against each other.
  • The scene where the protagonist sets the bed on fire and jumps out the window.
  • Escaping from rum runners by convincing them that you've already escaped.
  • Propping your gun on a cross and using Jesus to pull the trigger.
  • A sorceress who spends the whole movie topless because it's one of those movies.
  • Omega Doom starring Rutger Hauer.
  • A robot who gets stabbed in a bar because the stabber needs to download his memories.
  • Using a mook as a human shield.
  • The supporting actor getting a better offer and quitting in between takes.
  • Where you put the interesting part in your movie.
  • A hobo who runs two crime syndicates.
  • The story of two rival vice principals.
  • Jim's theory for why cringe comedy shouldn't exist.
  • Where cringe comedy has gone since Seinfeld.
  • How to make an unlikable protagonist that people don't admire.
  • Characters who aren't good at anything.
  • The schlub.
  • A montage of dad destroying model airplanes with a sledge hammer.
  • Liking some things about someone while not liking other things.
  • A monster who is very fun to hang out with.
  • The character in the show who ends up in Florida.
  • Marathoning Breaking Bad and Better Call Sail and ending up 40 years old no matter how old you were when you started
  • Why you might not throw away a sound bar.
  • Entering the Konami code to enable compression.
  • What the Clear Voice feature actually does.
  • Getting really agitated and putting the subtitles on.
  • Thinking of something interesting to say and then forgetting it.
  • Which one's the son and which one's the dad?
  • Ripley vs. Ripley's Believe it or Not.
  • Lobbying for more mean old lesbians in theatrical productions.
  • Playing Chinese Checkers with a woman who outlived her husband by 70 years.
  • Where you were when you realized that it's possible to outlive your spouse by 70 years.
  • Bowling Alone.
  • A place to meet people that isn't the play you go to drink or the place where you go to pray.
  • All your friends who went sober in the last year.
  • Liquor stores that only sells non-alcoholic products.
  • Mocktail bars.
  • Name tags that have different foods on them.
  • Inappropriate attention in nerd spaces.
  • Figuring out where you can go with all your sober friends.
  • Who listens past the first five minutes of a podcast?
  • AI-driven smell-o-vision.
  • Searching automated transcripts to find things that people didn't say.
  • The subtitler writing "knockos" whenever people in The Wire say "narcos" in a Baltimore accent.
  • Streaming services cutting corners wherever possible in a desperate attempt to become profitable.
  • Snitching on bootlegers of racist Disney movies.
  • How to get banned from TikTok.

Support Topic Lords

]]> Lords:

Topics:

Microtopics:

  • Songs that signify that this scene or moment is sophisticated.
  • How to pronounce Debussy.
  • Southern gothic dark comedy body horror.
  • A weirdo from Twitter who can't email your employer because he doesn't know who you work for.
  • The Glass Key's remake family tree.
  • A drifter samurai coming to a town.
  • A dude who shows up in town and decides to play all the criminal factions against each other.
  • The scene where the protagonist sets the bed on fire and jumps out the window.
  • Escaping from rum runners by convincing them that you've already escaped.
  • Propping your gun on a cross and using Jesus to pull the trigger.
  • A sorceress who spends the whole movie topless because it's one of those movies.
  • Omega Doom starring Rutger Hauer.
  • A robot who gets stabbed in a bar because the stabber needs to download his memories.
  • Using a mook as a human shield.
  • The supporting actor getting a better offer and quitting in between takes.
  • Where you put the interesting part in your movie.
  • A hobo who runs two crime syndicates.
  • The story of two rival vice principals.
  • Jim's theory for why cringe comedy shouldn't exist.
  • Where cringe comedy has gone since Seinfeld.
  • How to make an unlikable protagonist that people don't admire.
  • Characters who aren't good at anything.
  • The schlub.
  • A montage of dad destroying model airplanes with a sledge hammer.
  • Liking some things about someone while not liking other things.
  • A monster who is very fun to hang out with.
  • The character in the show who ends up in Florida.
  • Marathoning Breaking Bad and Better Call Sail and ending up 40 years old no matter how old you were when you started
  • Why you might not throw away a sound bar.
  • Entering the Konami code to enable compression.
  • What the Clear Voice feature actually does.
  • Getting really agitated and putting the subtitles on.
  • Thinking of something interesting to say and then forgetting it.
  • Which one's the son and which one's the dad?
  • Ripley vs. Ripley's Believe it or Not.
  • Lobbying for more mean old lesbians in theatrical productions.
  • Playing Chinese Checkers with a woman who outlived her husband by 70 years.
  • Where you were when you realized that it's possible to outlive your spouse by 70 years.
  • Bowling Alone.
  • A place to meet people that isn't the play you go to drink or the place where you go to pray.
  • All your friends who went sober in the last year.
  • Liquor stores that only sells non-alcoholic products.
  • Mocktail bars.
  • Name tags that have different foods on them.
  • Inappropriate attention in nerd spaces.
  • Figuring out where you can go with all your sober friends.
  • Who listens past the first five minutes of a podcast?
  • AI-driven smell-o-vision.
  • Searching automated transcripts to find things that people didn't say.
  • The subtitler writing "knockos" whenever people in The Wire say "narcos" in a Baltimore accent.
  • Streaming services cutting corners wherever possible in a desperate attempt to become profitable.
  • Snitching on bootlegers of racist Disney movies.
  • How to get banned from TikTok.

Support Topic Lords

]]> 33. Two-Grass of the Face https://topiclords.com/two-grass-of-the-face 89a34825-7bf3-4b06-bc34-0fa46a1ce8cc Mon, 08 Jun 2020 08:00:00 -0700 Jim Stormdancer full Jim Stormdancer Lords this week: Shannon and Craig. We discuss desirable collaborator attributes, Tok Pisin, TempleOS, our first memories of a computer, faking your own non-existence, whether or not guilty pleasures exist, and daytime soaps somehow producing 250 episodes a year. 59:06 yes Support Topic Lords on Patreon and get episodes a week early! (https://www.patreon.com/topiclords) Lords this week: * Craig was Jim's collaborator on Glittermitten Grove. * @craigtimpany on Twitter. * https://www.mostlytigerproof.com/ * https://pinballheresies.com/ * Shannon does a lot of different stuff! * @plentyofalcoves on Twitter. * Strucci Movies. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh9DnjvObUcvvwrYbJ4-cLQ * Hbomberguy. https://www.youtube.com/user/hbomberguy * Struggle Sessions. http://www.strugglesession.us/ * Critical Bits. https://www.criticalbitcast.com/ Topics: * 2:51 What are the best attributes for a collaborator to have? The worst? * 10:45 Craig's favourite language, Tok Pisin of Papua New Guinea. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tok_Pisin#Vocabulary * 18:17 TempleOS * http://www.codersnotes.com/notes/a-constructive-look-at-templeos/ * TempleOS games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQtLv9GizKM * 31:28 Quill asks: "What's your first memory being exposed to a computer?" * 35:30 Why faking one's non-existence might not be a great career move. * 41:32 Re: media consumption- "there are no guilty pleasures"- do you agree? * 49:26 Did you know that daytime soaps air a new episode every weekday? How is this possible? * Every episode of Passions, on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu1cfjN6h09z6ssQcRwsJ8A/videos?view=0&sort=da&flow=grid Microtopics: * Getting some emails in six weeks. * Tweeting about a book about olives and getting in touch with the author and starting a podcast about olives. * A dumb joke that you are taking very seriously. * Creating one podcast episode per olive cultivar. * Deciding that you'd rather work with people you like than talented people. * The hypothetical coworker who is sufficiently good at their job that you put up with the death of everyone who enters the room with them. * The origin of the 10x programmer myth. * Never having met a 10x programmer, but having met a 10x QA tester. * The 10x singer who sings at 10x the pitch of regular singers. * Noodling vs. deliberate, thoughtful creation. * Whether having rock stars in your rock band is worth all the trashed hotel rooms. * A language derived from Australian sailor slang. * Mouth grass. * Trying to express a technical idea without using technical vocabulary. * The correspondence between the simplicity of vocabulary and the speed of spoken language. * Leaving space for audience participation. * A language that isn't a big compost heap like English. * English 2, where every single word is a swear word. * Making an operating system because God told you to. * Making a new operating system to talk to God because you don't trust MS-DOS. * Whether talking to God has more or less stringent security requirements than a voting machine. * Which mental illnesses make you a better programmer. * Implementing Minesweeper in your new OS in case you get bored talking to God. * The TempleOS indie game scene. * The music video generator Jim is never going to make. * Reconciling how you feel about a mentally ill asshole. * Being very online and really into the N-word. * Everyone loving your forum posts about weird bespoke operating system but being less into your race war posts. * Art and technology paradropped in from an alternate timeline. * Outsider art suspension bridges. * A trash peninsula that no longer has any homeless encampments on it. * Building a castle out of shopping carts and reclaimed concrete. * The text adventure that they named the genre after. * Dad bringing home an Amiga 500 and playing Marble Madness with you. * Accidentally flood-filling the wrong place and getting really upset because you don't know about the undo button. * The cool kid with the advanced Amiga 500 who becomes progressively less cool over time because his dad refuses to get a new computer. * Seeing Doom and realizing that your beloved Amiga is done for, and Commodore going out of business later that year. * Telling journalists that you don't exist when they approach you for an interview. * Backing away from the ARG puzzle you're designing when you realize solving it would involve doxxing yourself. * Building rapport with games journalists, but taking so long to make your next game that they've left the industry. * The impossibility of building a fan following in video games after 2013. * Wearing a ratty fake mustache for your Problematic Jim alter ego. * Lying about how you made the horse talk. * Trying and failing to preserve the mystery by giving a fake mundane answer. * Finding value in a work while still being critical of it. * Becoming the avatar of embarrassing pop music. * Reclaiming "guilty pleasure" to mean something you enjoy by a problematic creator. * Society shaming you more for liking Fall Out Buy than liking a Polanski film. * What it would take to turn the average band into sex pests. * Soap opera production schedules. * Actors playing the same role for sixty years. * Not watching The Simpsons or South Park any more, but figuring that South Park must be holding up better because nobody is posting embarrassing clips of it on Twitter. * Your creative voice ossifying in the 90s and having to write in that voice for the rest of your life. * Remaining in the Garfield mines for the rest of your life when Garfield's legacy of shitposts is already secure. * Hoping that "goodbye" in Tok Pisin is a transliteration of "see you in hell." Support Topic Lords on Patreon and get episodes a week early!

Lords this week:

Topics:

Microtopics:

  • Getting some emails in six weeks.
  • Tweeting about a book about olives and getting in touch with the author and starting a podcast about olives.
  • A dumb joke that you are taking very seriously.
  • Creating one podcast episode per olive cultivar.
  • Deciding that you'd rather work with people you like than talented people.
  • The hypothetical coworker who is sufficiently good at their job that you put up with the death of everyone who enters the room with them.
  • The origin of the 10x programmer myth.
  • Never having met a 10x programmer, but having met a 10x QA tester.
  • The 10x singer who sings at 10x the pitch of regular singers.
  • Noodling vs. deliberate, thoughtful creation.
  • Whether having rock stars in your rock band is worth all the trashed hotel rooms.
  • A language derived from Australian sailor slang.
  • Mouth grass.
  • Trying to express a technical idea without using technical vocabulary.
  • The correspondence between the simplicity of vocabulary and the speed of spoken language.
  • Leaving space for audience participation.
  • A language that isn't a big compost heap like English.
  • English 2, where every single word is a swear word.
  • Making an operating system because God told you to.
  • Making a new operating system to talk to God because you don't trust MS-DOS.
  • Whether talking to God has more or less stringent security requirements than a voting machine.
  • Which mental illnesses make you a better programmer.
  • Implementing Minesweeper in your new OS in case you get bored talking to God.
  • The TempleOS indie game scene.
  • The music video generator Jim is never going to make.
  • Reconciling how you feel about a mentally ill asshole.
  • Being very online and really into the N-word.
  • Everyone loving your forum posts about weird bespoke operating system but being less into your race war posts.
  • Art and technology paradropped in from an alternate timeline.
  • Outsider art suspension bridges.
  • A trash peninsula that no longer has any homeless encampments on it.
  • Building a castle out of shopping carts and reclaimed concrete.
  • The text adventure that they named the genre after.
  • Dad bringing home an Amiga 500 and playing Marble Madness with you.
  • Accidentally flood-filling the wrong place and getting really upset because you don't know about the undo button.
  • The cool kid with the advanced Amiga 500 who becomes progressively less cool over time because his dad refuses to get a new computer.
  • Seeing Doom and realizing that your beloved Amiga is done for, and Commodore going out of business later that year.
  • Telling journalists that you don't exist when they approach you for an interview.
  • Backing away from the ARG puzzle you're designing when you realize solving it would involve doxxing yourself.
  • Building rapport with games journalists, but taking so long to make your next game that they've left the industry.
  • The impossibility of building a fan following in video games after 2013.
  • Wearing a ratty fake mustache for your Problematic Jim alter ego.
  • Lying about how you made the horse talk.
  • Trying and failing to preserve the mystery by giving a fake mundane answer.
  • Finding value in a work while still being critical of it.
  • Becoming the avatar of embarrassing pop music.
  • Reclaiming "guilty pleasure" to mean something you enjoy by a problematic creator.
  • Society shaming you more for liking Fall Out Buy than liking a Polanski film.
  • What it would take to turn the average band into sex pests.
  • Soap opera production schedules.
  • Actors playing the same role for sixty years.
  • Not watching The Simpsons or South Park any more, but figuring that South Park must be holding up better because nobody is posting embarrassing clips of it on Twitter.
  • Your creative voice ossifying in the 90s and having to write in that voice for the rest of your life.
  • Remaining in the Garfield mines for the rest of your life when Garfield's legacy of shitposts is already secure.
  • Hoping that "goodbye" in Tok Pisin is a transliteration of "see you in hell."

Support Topic Lords

]]> Support Topic Lords on Patreon and get episodes a week early!

Lords this week:

Topics:

Microtopics:

  • Getting some emails in six weeks.
  • Tweeting about a book about olives and getting in touch with the author and starting a podcast about olives.
  • A dumb joke that you are taking very seriously.
  • Creating one podcast episode per olive cultivar.
  • Deciding that you'd rather work with people you like than talented people.
  • The hypothetical coworker who is sufficiently good at their job that you put up with the death of everyone who enters the room with them.
  • The origin of the 10x programmer myth.
  • Never having met a 10x programmer, but having met a 10x QA tester.
  • The 10x singer who sings at 10x the pitch of regular singers.
  • Noodling vs. deliberate, thoughtful creation.
  • Whether having rock stars in your rock band is worth all the trashed hotel rooms.
  • A language derived from Australian sailor slang.
  • Mouth grass.
  • Trying to express a technical idea without using technical vocabulary.
  • The correspondence between the simplicity of vocabulary and the speed of spoken language.
  • Leaving space for audience participation.
  • A language that isn't a big compost heap like English.
  • English 2, where every single word is a swear word.
  • Making an operating system because God told you to.
  • Making a new operating system to talk to God because you don't trust MS-DOS.
  • Whether talking to God has more or less stringent security requirements than a voting machine.
  • Which mental illnesses make you a better programmer.
  • Implementing Minesweeper in your new OS in case you get bored talking to God.
  • The TempleOS indie game scene.
  • The music video generator Jim is never going to make.
  • Reconciling how you feel about a mentally ill asshole.
  • Being very online and really into the N-word.
  • Everyone loving your forum posts about weird bespoke operating system but being less into your race war posts.
  • Art and technology paradropped in from an alternate timeline.
  • Outsider art suspension bridges.
  • A trash peninsula that no longer has any homeless encampments on it.
  • Building a castle out of shopping carts and reclaimed concrete.
  • The text adventure that they named the genre after.
  • Dad bringing home an Amiga 500 and playing Marble Madness with you.
  • Accidentally flood-filling the wrong place and getting really upset because you don't know about the undo button.
  • The cool kid with the advanced Amiga 500 who becomes progressively less cool over time because his dad refuses to get a new computer.
  • Seeing Doom and realizing that your beloved Amiga is done for, and Commodore going out of business later that year.
  • Telling journalists that you don't exist when they approach you for an interview.
  • Backing away from the ARG puzzle you're designing when you realize solving it would involve doxxing yourself.
  • Building rapport with games journalists, but taking so long to make your next game that they've left the industry.
  • The impossibility of building a fan following in video games after 2013.
  • Wearing a ratty fake mustache for your Problematic Jim alter ego.
  • Lying about how you made the horse talk.
  • Trying and failing to preserve the mystery by giving a fake mundane answer.
  • Finding value in a work while still being critical of it.
  • Becoming the avatar of embarrassing pop music.
  • Reclaiming "guilty pleasure" to mean something you enjoy by a problematic creator.
  • Society shaming you more for liking Fall Out Buy than liking a Polanski film.
  • What it would take to turn the average band into sex pests.
  • Soap opera production schedules.
  • Actors playing the same role for sixty years.
  • Not watching The Simpsons or South Park any more, but figuring that South Park must be holding up better because nobody is posting embarrassing clips of it on Twitter.
  • Your creative voice ossifying in the 90s and having to write in that voice for the rest of your life.
  • Remaining in the Garfield mines for the rest of your life when Garfield's legacy of shitposts is already secure.
  • Hoping that "goodbye" in Tok Pisin is a transliteration of "see you in hell."

Support Topic Lords

]]> 13. Kurt Cobain Vocaloid https://topiclords.com/kurt-cobain-vocaloid 7ca0ad29-773e-4a33-acb8-c424e0dd2425 Mon, 20 Jan 2020 08:00:00 -0800 Jim Stormdancer full Jim Stormdancer Lords this week: Shannon Strucci and JP LeBreton. We discuss monetizing hobbies vs. just having hobbies, inventing a 5 acre island in the remote south Pacific, level design lessons from Hawaii, the Oakland Athletics adopting "Movin' Like Bernie," fictions containing themselves as a gag, the first time you've tried your favorite foods, and Time Trap and creating mysteries from the outside in. 1:10:14 yes Support Topic Lords on Patreon and get episodes a week early! (https://www.patreon.com/topiclords) Lords: * Shannon Strucci does video essays at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh9DnjvObUcvvwrYbJ4-cLQ and is a film correspondent for http://www.strugglesession.us/ and is a teen superhero on https://www.criticalbitcast.com/ * JP makes stuff at http://vectorpoem.com, especially game tourism mods: http://vectorpoem.com/tourism/ Topics: * 2:43 The pressure to monetize hobbies or perform them for social media vs just having hobbies * 13:25 If you could create a 5 acre island in the middle of the remote south Pacific ocean, what would you use it for? * 17:25 Level design lessons from Hawaii * Goats for hire, preventing wildfires in California. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n56opj5gJhc * Kalij pheasants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C63tykplkhU * 28:30 "The 2012 Oakland Athletics adapted 'Movin' Like Bernie' into their celebration routines after Coco Crisp played the song for third baseman Brandon Inge in the team's clubhouse before a game." * Oakland A's Bernie Lean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJMBmsK5hXc * BOILeR season 2017 playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj5IcL4eAydWVS2hTWFIjB7YFJBwt4D3A * 34:07 Fictions that, as a throwaway gag, exist within their own worlds (Remembrance of the Daleks, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) * Dick Justice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3epcX07t78M * Simlish pop songs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeTlCMqy3jFUUeqNhjiPBO88SU2PXZqI * 46:05 First time you tried your favorite foods? Especially if you first tried them as an adult * Brussels Sprouts are less bitter than they used to be. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/10/30/773457637/from-culinary-dud-to-stud-how-dutch-plant-breeders-built-our-brussels-sprouts-bo * 52:06 Time Trap and creating mysteries from the outside in * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TimeTrap_%28film%29 * A definitive Timeline for Primer: https://unrealitymag.com/at-last-a-definitive-timeline-for-primer/ * The self-lacing Nike MAG. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NimGxU4Qnhk Microtopics: * Being confused by the existence of two separate Shannons. * Video games where nobody bothers you, and arguably that being the whole point of video games. * Doing calligraphy on Twitch. * Doing calligraphy just for yourself and that being way better. * The cost of getting more than one kind of value out of something. * Having an audience and feeling the need to entertain the audience whenever possible. * Finally deciding to get a real job because you have a kid on the way. * Imagining having a job as a programmer and not being happy about it. * Doing creative work in private because you're not good enough to do it publicly. * Producing a complete song in five minutes when it takes five years to make a game. * Always being able to see the geological phenomenon that will take your life one day. * The base of the Sutro Tower basically being a Quake level. * Being shot at as you approach the Sutro Tower. * Seeing Batman's head and knowing which way to go. * DragonCon's failure to produce parchment realm maps. * Hawaii having lava, hostile creatures and good landmarking. * Playing your anime theme song on your phone as you show up at the manga and wall scroll store with your katana. * Having an animated gif that represents your identity. * How to turn Binding of Isaac into an e-sport. * Stupefyingly long TV series lifetimes. * Text-to-speech deepfakes. * Chopping up Garret's voice to create dialog for your Thief fan mission. * Measuring Ian McKellen's voice and sending the data to people who have never heard Ian McKellen so they have plausible deniability. * Living on your own and eating Indian food for the first time. * Discovering a new continent at the Indian buffet. * Not wanting to eat a salad because probably there are bugs in there. * Stepping stones to eating sushi. * Food preferences being heavily shaped by first impressions. * Liking Primer two different ways, ten years apart, and being right both times. * The important lesson being hidden behind the interesting puzzle. * Unsolvable mysteries that haunt you for the rest of your life. * Enclosing a narrative with another narrative. * Assuming the Wii will remain ascendant because it's 1989 and Nintendo dominates your culture. * The story turning to mush when it comes time to actually answer to the question. * The thrill of reactive, improvisational storytelling. * The strength of remaining vague about whether your show is supernatural or not. * Imagining what happens next in a story as a way of enjoying the story. * The nectar that mystery storytelling is trying to extract. Support Topic Lords on Patreon and get episodes a week early!

Lords:

Topics:

Microtopics:

  • Being confused by the existence of two separate Shannons.
  • Video games where nobody bothers you, and arguably that being the whole point of video games.
  • Doing calligraphy on Twitch.
  • Doing calligraphy just for yourself and that being way better.
  • The cost of getting more than one kind of value out of something.
  • Having an audience and feeling the need to entertain the audience whenever possible.
  • Finally deciding to get a real job because you have a kid on the way.
  • Imagining having a job as a programmer and not being happy about it.
  • Doing creative work in private because you're not good enough to do it publicly.
  • Producing a complete song in five minutes when it takes five years to make a game.
  • Always being able to see the geological phenomenon that will take your life one day.
  • The base of the Sutro Tower basically being a Quake level.
  • Being shot at as you approach the Sutro Tower.
  • Seeing Batman's head and knowing which way to go.
  • DragonCon's failure to produce parchment realm maps.
  • Hawaii having lava, hostile creatures and good landmarking.
  • Playing your anime theme song on your phone as you show up at the manga and wall scroll store with your katana.
  • Having an animated gif that represents your identity.
  • How to turn Binding of Isaac into an e-sport.
  • Stupefyingly long TV series lifetimes.
  • Text-to-speech deepfakes.
  • Chopping up Garret's voice to create dialog for your Thief fan mission.
  • Measuring Ian McKellen's voice and sending the data to people who have never heard Ian McKellen so they have plausible deniability.
  • Living on your own and eating Indian food for the first time.
  • Discovering a new continent at the Indian buffet.
  • Not wanting to eat a salad because probably there are bugs in there.
  • Stepping stones to eating sushi.
  • Food preferences being heavily shaped by first impressions.
  • Liking Primer two different ways, ten years apart, and being right both times.
  • The important lesson being hidden behind the interesting puzzle.
  • Unsolvable mysteries that haunt you for the rest of your life.
  • Enclosing a narrative with another narrative.
  • Assuming the Wii will remain ascendant because it's 1989 and Nintendo dominates your culture.
  • The story turning to mush when it comes time to actually answer to the question.
  • The thrill of reactive, improvisational storytelling.
  • The strength of remaining vague about whether your show is supernatural or not.
  • Imagining what happens next in a story as a way of enjoying the story.
  • The nectar that mystery storytelling is trying to extract.

Support Topic Lords

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Lords:

Topics:

Microtopics:

  • Being confused by the existence of two separate Shannons.
  • Video games where nobody bothers you, and arguably that being the whole point of video games.
  • Doing calligraphy on Twitch.
  • Doing calligraphy just for yourself and that being way better.
  • The cost of getting more than one kind of value out of something.
  • Having an audience and feeling the need to entertain the audience whenever possible.
  • Finally deciding to get a real job because you have a kid on the way.
  • Imagining having a job as a programmer and not being happy about it.
  • Doing creative work in private because you're not good enough to do it publicly.
  • Producing a complete song in five minutes when it takes five years to make a game.
  • Always being able to see the geological phenomenon that will take your life one day.
  • The base of the Sutro Tower basically being a Quake level.
  • Being shot at as you approach the Sutro Tower.
  • Seeing Batman's head and knowing which way to go.
  • DragonCon's failure to produce parchment realm maps.
  • Hawaii having lava, hostile creatures and good landmarking.
  • Playing your anime theme song on your phone as you show up at the manga and wall scroll store with your katana.
  • Having an animated gif that represents your identity.
  • How to turn Binding of Isaac into an e-sport.
  • Stupefyingly long TV series lifetimes.
  • Text-to-speech deepfakes.
  • Chopping up Garret's voice to create dialog for your Thief fan mission.
  • Measuring Ian McKellen's voice and sending the data to people who have never heard Ian McKellen so they have plausible deniability.
  • Living on your own and eating Indian food for the first time.
  • Discovering a new continent at the Indian buffet.
  • Not wanting to eat a salad because probably there are bugs in there.
  • Stepping stones to eating sushi.
  • Food preferences being heavily shaped by first impressions.
  • Liking Primer two different ways, ten years apart, and being right both times.
  • The important lesson being hidden behind the interesting puzzle.
  • Unsolvable mysteries that haunt you for the rest of your life.
  • Enclosing a narrative with another narrative.
  • Assuming the Wii will remain ascendant because it's 1989 and Nintendo dominates your culture.
  • The story turning to mush when it comes time to actually answer to the question.
  • The thrill of reactive, improvisational storytelling.
  • The strength of remaining vague about whether your show is supernatural or not.
  • Imagining what happens next in a story as a way of enjoying the story.
  • The nectar that mystery storytelling is trying to extract.

Support Topic Lords

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