Show Notes:  

• Ben and Josh talk about … 
• Intro (0:00-5:18) 
  • Support us on Patreon to get access to a special bonus episode! “Magic in the MCU” 
• Film Theories (5:18-18:06) 
  • Ben’s: Groundhog Day as a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast 
  • Josh’s: Gaston is not the bad guy 
• Bad at Parenting (18:06-25:29) 
  • Elementary School carnivals 
    • “Abraham moment” 
    • Duty/desire conflicts 
• Sonic the Hedgehog (25:29-27:29) 
  • Shovelware: bad licensed games 
• Bad at English (27:29-31:56) 
  • That’s a good “starter for ten” 
  • Reference classic British TV quiz show ‘University Challenge‘; means: “That’s a good start” as an easy one to kick things off 
  • Similar to you or I saying “I’ll take The Wheel of Time for $200, Alex” 
• Bad at Magic: Mastermind Edition (31:56-1:22:17) 
  • Ben’s subject: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 
    • Round 1: 4/5 
    • Round 2: 2/5 
    • Round 3: 1/5 
    • Round 4: 5/5 
    • Final score: 12/20 
  • Josh’s subject: Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 
    • Round 1: 3/5 
    • Round 2: 5/5 
    • Round 3: 5/5 
    • Round 4: 4/5 
    • Final score: 17/20 
• Teaser for next time (1:22:17-end): 
  • Book poll winner: 
    • Legion: The Many Lives of Stephan Leeds by Brandon Sanderson 
    • Read before Episode 15 so you’ll be ready for the conversation! 
• Thanks to our listeners!  
  • Check us out on Facebook 
  • Rate us on iTunes 
  • Bad At Magic on Reddit 
  • Our YouTube Channel 
  • Now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/badatmagic 
  • Tell your friends! 

Show Notes:  

• Ben and Josh talk about pizza, Cyberspace, prison, magic systems in storytelling, and the suitable application of high explosives 
• Intro (0:00-0:42) 
• Bad at Parenting (0:42-6:34) 
  • Carter’s Amazing Jenga move 
• Ben vs. Bureaucracy (6:34-11:57) 
  • Donate to the Chicago Lighthouse 
  • AFCEA Rocky Mountain Cyberspace Symposium 2020 
• Bad at English (11:57-16:14) 
  • Living at Her Majesty’s Pleasure: a ‘legal term of art’ (situational jargon) meaning: in prison 
  • What is the British Commonwealth?? 
• Use of Magic Systems in Storytelling (16:14-1:42:20) 
  • Hard Magic vs. Soft Magic 
  • Brandon Sanderson’s Laws of Magic 
    1. An author’s ability to solve a conflict with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic 
    2. The limitations of a magic system are more interesting than its capabilities 
    3. Expand on what you have already before you add something new 
  • Mysticism 
    • Harry Potter 
      • Josh Recommends: The White Mage Omnibus by Ben Hale ©2013 Ben Hale 
    • Star Wars 
    • Avatar: The Last Airbender 
  • Pseudo-science 
    • Back to the Future 
    • Star Trek (pre JJ Abrams) 
    • The Matrix 
      • Neo takes the blue pill 
    • Edge of Tomorrow 
  • Unexplained phenomena 
    • Groundhog Day 
    • Stranger than Fiction (6 unrelated films by this title!) 
    • Frozen 
      • How Frozen Should Have Ended 
• Teaser for next time (1:42:20-end): 
  • Episode 13.5? Evaluating the magic systems of the… 
    • Marvel Cinematic Universe  
    • Disney Cartoons 
  • Josh builds a new computer – check it out on YouTube
  • Give your vote on our next Book Review on Facebook or Reddit 
    • Ben’s nominations 
      • How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen 
      • Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 
    • Josh’s nominations 
      • The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell 
      • Legion: The Many Lives of Stephan Leeds by Brandon Sanderson 
  • The Bad At Magic version of the British game show Mastermind 
    • Josh: Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 
    • Ben: Come Unto Christ 
• Thanks to our listeners!  
  • Check us out on Facebook 
  • Rate us on iTunes 
  • Bad At Magic on Reddit 
  • Our YouTube Channel 
  • Now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/badatmagic 
  • Tell your friends! 

Show Notes:  

• Ben and Josh talk about birthday parties, jaywalking, insurance settlements, running, Theros Beyond Death, kids and cell phones, and Josh’s time at the United States Air Force Academy 
• Follow up from last time (0:00-14:41) 
• Thanks to our listeners! (14:41-16:46) 
  • Check us out on Facebook 
  • Rate us on iTunes 
  • Bad At Magic on Reddit 
  • Our YouTube Channel 
  • Josh’s Random Thoughts: Essential Adulting Tools 
  • Now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/badatmagic 
  • Tell your friends! 
• Bad at English (16:46-21:22) 
  • “Ask me one on showbiz.”  (female) or “Ask me one on sport.” (male) 
    • Meaning: “I don’t know.” 
  • Possibly from the British game show Mastermind 
    • Josh: Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 
    • Ben: Come Unto Christ 
• Josh’s Drive-thru strategy follow-up (21:22-31:10) 
• Bad at Parenting (31:10-39:09) 
  • Kids and cell phones 
    • Verizon GizmoWatch 
• New Magic set: Theros Beyond Death (39:09-56:28) 
  • Full-art Basic Lands that look like nebulae 
  • Mythology theme 
  • Is Wizards (read: Hasbro) deliberately killing cardboard Magic? 
  • Time Stop 
• Josh’s experience at the United States Air Force Academy (56:28-) 
• Teaser for next time: 
  • Go on Reddit to suggest Fantasy Intellectual Properties (IPs) for Ben and Josh to evaluate according to Sanderson’s Laws of Magic 

Show Notes:  

• Ben and Josh talk bollocks about husbanding, drive throughs, and Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker 
• Shovel Knight vs. Hollow Knight (0:00-2:53) 
• Bad at English (2:53-9:44) 
  • bol·locks /ˈbäləks/ 
    • Noun 
    • VULGAR SLANG•BRITISH 
  1. the testicles. 
  2. used to express contempt, annoyance, or defiance. 
  3. Also: 
     1. Nonsense i.e. “talking bollocks” 
     2. Something good i.e. “the dog’s bollocks” 
     3. Transitive verb e.g. “to bollocks something up” 
     4. To give a “bollocking” means a lecture or chew out 
     5. Term of endearment “Josh, you old bollocks, let’s go get a pint.” 
     6. And more! 
  • US Congress vs. UK Parliament 
• Bad at Husbanding (9:44-27:17) 
  • Josh’s gift-giving-to-Mommy fiasco 
  • Ben’s thoughts on conversing with wives 
    • Ask: “Is this a fixing conversation or an understanding conversation?” 
• Ben and Josh vs. Bureaucracy (27:17-57:14) 
  • Ben’s experience with the Illinois Tollway call center 
    • Woman owes $106,000 in parking fees…where else? Chicago 
  • Josh’s foolproof strategy for not becoming a drive-thru efficiency victim 
    • Kindly and harmlessly decline to pull forward 
    • Just be super-polite and friendly but don’t pull forward 
    • ??? 
    • Profit 
  • Louis CK’s Hertz rental drop-off 
  • Tell us about your experiences in the drive-thru! 
• Thanks to our listeners! (57:14-58:39) 
  • Check us out on Facebook 
  • Rate us on iTunes 
  • Bad At Magic on Reddit 
  • Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel 
  • Josh’s Random Thoughts: How to introduce board games 
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker review (58:39-1:53:35) 
  • **SPOILER ALERT** 
  • Sanderson’s Laws of Magic 
  • Still a better lightsaber battle… 
  • Teaser for next time: 
    • Josh at the US Air Force Academy 

Show Notes:  

• Ben and Josh talk about Christmas gift giving, children’s birthday parties, and holiday gaming with the family 
• Christmas gift giving (0:00-10:23) 
  • Arthur Christmas 
  • Bad at English?: stabilizers = training wheels 
• Bad at Parenting (10:23-38:03) 
  • Giving gifts to 6 kids 
  • Children’s birthday parties 
    • Suggested etiquette for planning children’s birthday parties 
      • No Sundays 
      • Signal whether parents are expected to stay 
      • If so, provide WiFi 
      • Parents don’t have to interact 
      • Gift value range: $10-30 
      • Notice: 1-3 weeks (one if there are no special requirements i.e. costumes) 
• Holiday Gaming (38:03-1:15:53) 
  • Ben’s recommended games 
    • Easy 
      • Blokus 
      • Just One 
    • Medium 
      • Splendor 
      • Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It 
      • [Not Recommended] Exploding Kittens 
    • Hard 
      • [Not Recommended] Trogdor: the board game 
    • Insane 
      • Twilight Imperium (4th Edition) 
      • Magic: The Gathering Online Vintage Cube 
  • Josh’s recommended games 
    • Easy 
      • LCR 
      • Shut the Box 
    • Medium 
      • Hollow Knight 
      • Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening 
      • Pokemon TCG 
    • Hard 
      • Carthage 
      • Magic: the Gathering Arena 
    • Insane 
      • MTGO Vintage Cube 
  • Josh’s article on the 3 flavors of consuming Magic: the Gathering 
• Life (1:15:53-1:25:58) 
  • Andrea + Icy Parking Lots = Donuts 
  • Teasers for next time: 
    • Josh at the US Air Force Academy 
    • Ben vs. Bureaucracy  
    • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker review 
• Thanks to our listeners! (1:25:58-Fin) 
  • Check us out on Facebook! 
  • Rate us on iTunes!  
  • Now on Reddit! 

Show Notes:  

• Ben and Josh talk about Star Wars, Christmas shopping, and the Italian job 
• Disney and Star Wars–too much too fast? (0:00-53:26) 
  • Disney+ ‘s killer app: The Mandalorian 
  • Nintendo Launch Titles 
  • Disney’s Star Wars cinema sins (Josh’s review): 
    • Force Awakens – 2015 – Great – 8/10 (-2 for unnecessary fan service, looking at you random han solo monster scene) 
    • Rogue One – 2016 – 3/10 (storytelling at its worst, +3 for visuals and making storm troopers feel menacing) 
      • Just watch this one scene instead! 
    • Last Jedi – 2017 – Ugh – 1/10 (ruined the rest of the franchise for me, missed opportunity with a Kylo and Rey swap) 
      • Mark Hamill speaking for the fans 
    • Solo – 2018 – 7/10 as a random sci-fi heist movie, 1/10 as star wars canon, utterly forgettable 
  • Turned a beloved franchise into a soulless cash-grab 
  • The Rise of Skywalker – 2019  
  • The Mandalorian – turning things around? 
  • Baby Yoda Memes! 
• Bad at English (53:26-58:43) 
  • pitch up—phrasal verb 
  UK informal 
  to arrive in a place: I was late getting home from work and needed to get my son to dance practice, but didn’t want to pitch up in uniform so I went inside to change. 
• Christmas Shopping (58:43-1:21:35) 
  • The cutting board Josh made for Ben 
  • Alicia’s piecework nativity 
  • The 5 Love Languages — what’s yours?? 
    • receiving gifts, 
    • quality time, 
    • words of affirmation, 
    • acts of service, 
    • and physical touch 
  From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Love_Languages>  
  • The Christmas gift giving rule of 4 story 
    1. Something you want, 
    2. Something you need, 
    3. Something to wear, and 
    4. Something to read. 
• Ben tells the story of the Italian Job (1:21:35-2:28:35) 
  • Ben’s Unit in Italy 
  • Air Force Instruction 34-511 – Disposition of Personal Property and Effects 
  • Bo’s home movies 
• Thanks to our listeners! (2:28:35-Fin) 
  • Check us out on Facebook! 
  • Rate us on iTunes!  
  • Now on Reddit! 

Show Notes:  

• Intro and Leftovers from Episode 7 (0:00-18:35) 
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Movie Fan Trailer 
  • NEW Official Trailer 
  • Oko, Thief of Crowns 
    • Price went back up?!  $50 & out of stock as of 12/2 
• Bad at English (18:35-28:01) 
  • Cockney rhyming slang: “Have a butchers”=Have a look 
  • Ben’s daughter practicing her Wiltshire accent 
• Thankful for Doctors (28:01-47:01) 
  • Josh’s doctor introduces puberty to his 8-year-old 
  • Why Athens 2000 years ago was like Reddit: Acts 17:21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 
  • Ben’s free braces 
• Thanksgiving Dinner (47:01-1:21:33) 
  • Josh thinks having ham at Thanksgiving is un-American 
  • Ben is anti-sweet potatoes 
• Email Limbo (1:21:33-1:34:16) 
  • Ben spoils The Sixth Sense 
  • Josh says, “Everyone is the star of their own life.” 
• Thanks to our listeners! (1:34:16-) 
  • Check us out on Facebook! 
  • Rate us on iTunes!  
  • Now on Reddit! 

Show Notes:  

• Intro (0:00-4:11) 
  • Puffs are “Bad At Magic”! 
• Leftovers from Episode 6 (4:11-8:38) 
  • Bad At Magic Speculation: Oko, Thief of Crowns 
• What it’s like having listeners (8:38-14:38) 
  • The Brick Catapult: the rest of the story 
• Playing games with kids (14:38-34:45) 
  • “Not all screen time is equal.” -Ben 
  • Video games are more than just sitting and staring at a screen 
    • Rock Band 
    • Use Your Words 
    • Kahoot! 
  • Ben’s Dad’s Superpower 
  • Board Games w/ Kids 
    • Go Fish! 
    • Battleship 
    • Monopoly 
    • UNO (for Colorblind!) 
  • “Games are like wine…if you don’t like it, that’s because you haven’t found one that you like.” -Josh 
• Bad At English (34:45-39:42) 
  • Ghee: is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India. It is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. 
  • Britain’s National Dish: Chicken Tikka Masala 
  • The Jeremy Kyle Show 
• Things that annoy people (39:42-1:11:19) 
  • Clicky things like keyboards and pens 
  • Treating your peers like children 
  • Ben’s Leadership Reaction Course PTSD 
  • Josh’s Business Transaction Broker’s communication skills 
• Living With Yourself on Netflix by Timothy Greenberg with Paul Rudd & Aisling Bea (1:11:19-2:06:34) 
  • Wikipedia article with episode summaries written by Ben 
  • Hank Azaria on Mel Blanc 
  • The Sixth Day Trailer 
  • Escape (The Pina Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes 
  • Mise-en-scène 
• Thanks to our listeners! (2:06:34-) 
  • Check us out on Facebook! 
  • Rate us on iTunes!  
  • Now on Reddit!