99th Episode

Sean Watched Zack Snyder's Justice League. It brought up some ideas about how we talk about movies.

But first, the movie itself. Was it good? What is our history with DC?

The conversation around the movie, however, has devolved (or has always been bad), and it seems like it is because there is a lack of conversation about basic assumptions. 

We talk about basic assumptions, and the role they play in our opinions, yet nobody seems to talk about them. 

Also, some other stuff, and yes, it was a windy day and *someone* doesn't have a wind shield for their microphone. Sorry.

Exploding barbed-wire wrestling makes for a good story, Prized Pig is excellent noisy punk, and Zelda games are fantastic.

Somehow, we end up saying "earhole" a whole lot more than either of us ever wanted.

In addition:
- The rules of wrestling is strange
- Unity is convoluted and impressive
- The virtue of recommendations
- We talk about headphones and earholes waaaay too much
- The Wu-Tang clan is something I don't remember
- Reading of packages not guearanteed
- I thought I was a smart kid, but I guess not
- What's wrong with all the games you have!
- Elder Scrolls vs Fallout -- there is a clear winner

Tune in!

How are we navigating these crazy times in collectibles? We have some thoughts. Also, Paul read Something Is Killing The Children. Sean read X-Men: Grand Design.

We start off with the comics. Something Is Killing The Children, and Paul is all-in. It is a book that kept him awake despite being old! It is a compelling story, and Paul discusses why so.

Next off, X-Men: Grand Design is a rewarding recap of Claremont's tenure on X-Men. It is a whirlwind review with a cool twist. The art is amazing too.

The bulk of our conversation comes back to collecting, as usual, and how we interact with our collections, and how we navigate these increasingly costly waters where everything seems to be collectible.

After all, it is a complicated world. Let's try to stay safe.

We HoXPoX our way around X-Men. We discuss our de-stress techniques. We re-engage with our hobbies. We discuss generations.

Paul and Sean have both had a busy couple of months, so we unwind and discuss some of the things on our mind. Paul is re-read HoXPoX, which gives us a chance to revisit what is great about that series, and why it has so much re-read value. We talk about the way we unwind and relax after work has kept us wound up.

How do we re-engage with our hobbies? How do we keep collecting from being something more than acquiring stuff and stashing it in a box, never to be seen again? Lot's to discuss.

Do you ever feel judgmental about how judgmental other people get? Then we have a nugget of a conversation for you.

And yes, there is some talk about Doritos at the end.

In addition:
- X-Men? Or Ten Men!
- HoXPoX is a certifiably good re-read
- The difference between mystery and meaning
- Locke & Key... NOT a certifiable re-read 
- The trouble with winding down
- Ninjago? Nobody likes Ninjago
- Don't be jealous of my Zartan!
- Collecting vs Acquiring
- How many troop builders is enough?
- Stormtroopers inaccuracy is explained well
- Can you remember the birth of cool (ranch)?
- Caution! Chew your chips!

Enjoy!

We dabble in discussing a few items, as we often do in Smorgasboard episodes. 

We discuss Tomie, since Paul has now read some of that work by Junji Ito. Paul played Nier: Automata, and so he tells us about the virtues of that video game. Last, Sean has been watching Wandavision, and we have a non-spoiler discussion of that show.

In addition to that, we talk about:
- Paul has problems with his streaming stick. 
- Tomie weaponizes infatuation
- Sean likes good shelf
- There are a lot of fancy robots, we discuss two of them
- Dead Androids are not kid appropriate
- Strategy guides are a thing of the past.
- Wandavision is the most comic-book-like show ever

Tune in now!

Game of Thrones. Why is the show compelling? Now that Sean has finished watching, we discuss the show in its entirety, so beware ye spoilers!

What death's are the most memorable? Which are the most satisfying? Why is that even a question? What characters had the best progression throughout the series? How to not be dissatisfied by the ending. 

Also, Paul has some words to say about Run The Jewels.

And in addition:
- Jim Shooter, friend or foe?
- Definitely legend though!
- We have spoilers for Charles Manson
- Paul doesn't believe the hype
- Game of Thrones has terrible stuff
- Why do we like awful things?
- Cat themed Hip-Hop -- You know, for the ladies

Paul and Sean can always talk about X-Men, so they choose ten of their favorites to discuss. Which X-men and X-Women will make the cut? Also, a quick diversion to talk about Cobra Kai and The Toys That Made Us.

We each chose five X-Men characters to discuss, and pruned for overlap, to come up with a list of ten to discuss. We talk about why we like these characters, and why they made the list over other great X-Men characters.

Also, Paul has finally watched Cobra Kai, season 1, so we talk about that! 

Paul and Sean interrogate each other with important questions about comics, music, movies, video games and more. Who will crack under the pressure? Find out!

Also:
- Most collectible comics.
- Guilty pleasures in music featuring Wordburglar and Kelly Clarkson
- DangerDoom and the Gray Album
- Sage Francis blew young Paul's mind
- When you remove Star Wars and Comic book movies, what is left?
- Comedy greats: Old School and Zoolander
- Unique and interesting movies are more enjoyable than nonunique and noninteresting movies
- Why was Brett Hart so great?
- Jack McDoogal never got his chance...
- The Frankensteiner is as dangerous as it sounds
- There have been a lot of memorable shows, but which was the most memorable?  
- Silent Hill and Parasite Eve have one memorable thing in common 
- Flaming Carrot has the best origin of any character
- Madman shows Mike Allred's progression to be the best illustrator
- What is the most important album?

Sean catches up on his progress with Game of Thrones. We talk about streaming services and shows in general, and our wishlist of features. Also, we touch on social media and distraction. Finally, a riff on the difference between acting and performing.

Also:
- Spoilers don't matter when you aren't in tune.
- The show swims in misery to give us surprises
- What shows have you rewatched multiple times?
- Show highlights are the way to go 
- Disconnecting from social media alerts for mental health
- 15 Fantasy leagues is a few too many
- Math proves warranties of poor value 

Thank you for tuning in!

Sean is Finally watching Game of Thrones. Paul is finally watching Mandalorian. We catch up on our TV adventures.

Game of Thrones is quite a dreary show. It is not a happy place. But still, it has some merits, so we discuss. 

Mandalorian is a happy place for Sean, and Paul is catching up, so we discuss some of the merits of that show.

Along the way, we ask if some things work better as TV shows than as movies? Or is this a silly question? Also, how does binging compare with watching something weekly?