The Middle School Mind

The Middle School Mind

By The Middle School MindKids & Family
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The Middle School Mind episodes

  • 1.10 Top 5 SNES Games on Switch

    On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, we talk about throwback SNES games that are available on Nintendo Switch Online. Son highlights his Top 5 SNES games available on the Nintendo Switch Online.

    Here’s what we cover on this episode:

    • How to access the SNES games through Nintendo Switch Online
    • Son lists his Top 5 games he plays on the SNES
    • 5. The Peace Keepers (1994)

      • Beat ‘em up arcade game with sweet 80’s music.
      • Son likes to play as Al who looks like Rock and uses a Rocket Launcher
      • 4. Super Mario World (1990)

        • You can hatch and ride Yoshi in this game
        • This game also has the super cape option that lets you fly
        • 3. Super Punch Out (1994)

          • No Mike Tyson
          • Your first fight is again 1-99 Gabby Jay, a grandfatherly figure that no boxing organization should allow to fight professionally
          • 2. Super Tennis (1991)

            • It’s fun to play this tennis game either with a friend or against the CPU
            • We are not that great at this game and the graphics are a slight step up from the Original NES - I guess that’s what makes it Super Tennis
            • Before we list Son’s top SNES game available on the Nintendo Switch Online, we have a few honorable (or dishonorable) mentions:

              • Baseball Simulator 1.000 (1991): You have power up abilities for hitters and pitchers
                • Natsume Championship Wrestling (1994) The game developers must have used a bad wrestling name generator to come up with these characters
                • Demon’s Crest (1994) This game is so intense and Son can’t get past the first series. For 1994, this game has a great story and graphics.
                • 1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)

                  • This is an old time Zelda game, not an open sandbox world like Zelda: Breath of the Wild
                  • Son has invested a lot of time playing this game
                  • Finally, Son has a final SNES game that will only frustrate you. Don’t play this because it’s crazy hard.

                    • Super Ghouls and Ghosts (1991) Eight super difficult levels. You will be frustrated at how hard this game is.
                    • Thank you to all of our listeners! In a future episode, we want to recognize the cities and towns where listeners are finding The Middle School Mind! No, we are not stalking you. We are just curious who is listening to our show and please reach out to us and leave a positive review and feedback!

                      25 min
                    • 1.9 Oculus Quest 2 Update

                      On this episode of The Middle School Mind kids podcast, Son and I provide an update from episode 1.4 Oculus Quest 2…a VR-yyy Special Episode.

                      • Son received an Oculus Quest 2 from his aunts and uncles last Christmas and it’s awesome
                      • Pro Tip #1 - quit out of a game before shutting down the headset. Otherwise, you’ll need to reset the headset
                      • Oculus Quest 2 games covered in this episode:
                        1. Vader Immortal: Episode 1
                        2. Richie’s Plank Experience - son rates is 10/10
                        3. Warhammer 40,000: Battle Sister is really terrifying
                        4. Rec Room - multiplayer game without voice chat and you can play games with friends
                        5. Echo VR - voice chat can be turned off - space and floating mixed with frisbee. Sounds a lot like Quidditch from the Harry Potter universe!
                        6. Job Simulator - not surprisingly, gets boring and tedious, kind of like a real job
                        7. Beat Saber with Panic! At the Disco and Green Day expansion packs
                          • Netflix on the Oculus Quest 2 apps is amazing
                          • Son has another sponsorship plea :)
                          • Like, share and subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes of The Middle School Mind podcast!
                          • 13 min
                          • 1.8 We Got COVID

                            On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son and I talk about our first experience with COVID. We quarantined together in the basement and lived like bachelors. We are doing well and getting back on the road to health. Hope you guys are staying healthy as well!

                            • We got COVID :(
                            • Son tested positive on at-home COVID test then I tested positive with a PCR test at urgent care
                            • Son’s theory is this guy who chose not to wear a mask at a show we attended
                            • What were symptoms?
                              1. Fever with hallucinations
                              2. Runny Nose
                              3. Sore Throat
                              4. Cough
                              5. Chest Pain
                              6. Loss of Taste
                                • What have we been doing with COVID?
                                • Guys’ week out (in the basement)
                                  • The Mandalorian season one and two - what took us so long?!?!
                                  • Super Smash Bros on the Switch
                                  • Fast-fooding it. Check out our previous episode on Son’s favorite fast food places ranked!
                                    • Our local McDonald’s got our orders all wrong
                                    • Portillo’s is still our favorite
                                    • We tried Little Caesar’s pizza and Son like it better than Domino’s. Detroit Style pizza is amazing.
                                    • We’re doing ok because we are vaccinated
                                    • Thanks for all the support! Please subscribe to our podcast and we would appreciate a positive review. You can find The Middle School Mind podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and your favorite podcast platforms!

                                      27 min
                                    • 1.7 Fast Food Places Ranked

                                      On this podcast episode, Son ranks his favorite fast food restaurants that kids can relate to

                                      Here’s Son’s top 13 fast food restaurants from least favorite to favorite:

                                      13. Chipotle-Chips with lime. Ick!

                                      12. Papa John’s-Tastes great but does not sit well with Son’s tummy. He may be lactose intolerant. We should probably get that checked out.

                                      11. McDonald’s-Coming in at #11, this may be pretty controversial for Mickey D’s.

                                      10. Subway-The good: customizable to your tastes. The bad: their sandwiches.

                                      9. Domino’s-Decent pizza and the breadsticks are a favorite.

                                      8. Jimmy John’s-Son gets the Ultimate Porker and Dad gets the Beach Club.

                                      7. Panera Bread-Son loves the mac and cheese and the bread. He can’t have a lot of other items at Panera because of his food allergies. Take a listen to our previous episode on why Food Allergies Bite!

                                      6. Culver’s-Great burgers and son loves the real chicken in their tenders. The cheese curds and frozen custard make this a family favorite.

                                      5. Wendy’s-More flavorful nuggets than McD’s. Son also likes their new breakfast offering Wendy’s launched in the last few years.

                                      4. Taco Bell-The Doritos Locos tacos sound interesting and The Bell’s Freeze frozen drink selection are a summertime favorite.

                                      3. Popeye’s-his one-time experience with the fried chicken was memorable. We talk about the Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich and the craziness it created when it was first introduced.

                                      2. Boston Market-According to Son, Boston Market is everything you want.

                                      1. Portillo’s-Son loves the char-broiled burgers, cheese fries and the chocolate eclair cake.

                                      The Middle School Mind podcast is getting noticed! Feedspot.com listed our podcast #4 in their list of 35 Best Tween podcasts.

                                      37 min
                                    • 1.6 Food Allergies Bite

                                      On this episode, Son talks about his food allergies to certain tree nuts and certain seeds like sesame and sunflower seeds. We talk about what food allergies are, how he manages his food allergies at school, how he keeps himself safe with his Epipen and that one time he was Epipenned years ago at daycare. Finally, we play a quick multiple choice game about food allergies.

                                      In this episode, we talked about:

                                      1. What is a food allergy?

                                      • There are the "Big 8" allergens that companies in the US must report on in food labels. Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
                                      • 2. We go off on a tangent and talk about Soy Butter (we buy Wowbutter at home) versus Peanut Butter sandwiches.

                                        3. Son talks about his food allergies to tree nuts and certain seeds (sesame seeds and sunflower seeds).

                                        4. We talk about managing food allergies when he was in grammar school and challenges sitting at the "peanut-free table".

                                        5. We go off on another tangent reminiscing about Beyblades and its popularity when Son and his friends were in 1st and 2nd grade.

                                        6. We get back on track to talk about how managing food allergies works now in Middle School and how the lunch staff does not have the right training to communicate to kids with allergies.

                                        7. Son talks about when to use an Epipen,  how to use an Epipen and what do do after using an Epipen.

                                        • Epipens are an important part of Son's care plan and can also cost a lot of money. Here are some resources to help you get Epipens at a reduced cost.
                                        • 8. We talk about that horrible experience at daycare when Son was 3 when he was given hummus and had to be Epipenned.

                                          9. We play a quick game. Four multiple choices about allergens in every day foods.

                                          Please note, we are not physicians or properly trained to dispense medical advice. If you have questions about food allergies, please consult a medical professional for advice. For additional information available online, the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) has amazing content.

                                          Thanks for listening to The Middle School Mind podcast! We appreciate your positive feedback and reviews and helps our show be seen by more potential listeners. We are on all the major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and more!

                                          35 min
                                        • 1.5 What I learned from the School Resource Officer

                                          EPISODE DISCLAIMER: Thanks for checking out The Middle School Mind podcast. On this episode, Son and I talk about the School Resource Officer and his experiences with the School Resource Officer this year. In this episode, we talk about topics like substance abuse, alcohol, smoking, staying safe online and other topics. As always, we keep it clean on The Middle School Mind, but parents may want to listen first if you have younger or a more sensitive audience. Thanks and enjoy the episode!

                                          1. Happy New Year from The Middle School Mind podcast. Wishing you all a very safe, healthy and amazing 2022!

                                          2. Who is the School Resource Officer?

                                          3. What I learned about substance abuse from the School Resource Officer

                                          * Reference information about inhalant abuse/whippets.

                                          * More reference information about inhalants - sniffing glue, paint, etc.

                                          * Reference information about underage drinking.

                                          4. What I learned about smoking from the School Resource Officer

                                          * Reference information about smoking and impacts to health.

                                          5. What questions do students have for the School Resource Officer

                                          6. We talk about the Tik Tok trend in late December 2021 that threatened safety in schools and how the School Resource Officer was on site that day

                                          7. The School Resource Officer talks to us about staying safe online and being kind

                                          * Reference information for Online Teen Safety Guide.

                                          * Reference information for Cyberbullying.

                                          * Ways to teach kindness to kids.

                                          8. We play a game: Slang or Not Slang for Street Terms for Marijuana

                                          * Articles we referenced for slang terms for marijuana, heroin and cocaine referenced in the game.


                                          23 min
                                        • 1.4 Oculus Quest 2...a VR-yyy Special Episode

                                          On this episode of The Middle School Mind, we talk about the Oculus Quest 2 VR system and why middle schoolers want this system this holiday season.

                                          Today's show featured:

                                          All I want for Christmas is an Oculus Quest 2

                                          • What is Virtual Reality (VR)?
                                          • What are the popular games for the Oculus Quest?

                                            • Beat Saber - kind of like Guitar Hero meets Fruit Ninja. Billie Eilish has her special edition Beat Saber music pack. If Eminem released a Beat Saber music pack, you would get a great workout.
                                            • Oculus Rift vs. Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Quest 2.
                                            • Blade & Sorcery - may not be for all ages as there may be blood and guts, try it before you buy it if there’s a demo version. Blade & Sorcery is also similar to another VR game called Boneworks.
                                            • Job Simulator. Play as a robot to do these random jobs. Be a store clerk, a chef, an accountant or work at a car wash. Do the work and don't get paid.
                                            • Vader Immortal - a Star Wars inspired game for the Oculus.
                                            • Our regularly scheduled pitch to Mr. Jeff Bezos for sponsorship.
                                            • Games that have no business being made for the Oculus (or any gaming system for that matter)

                                              • Sitting Chair Simulator - hold on to your seats, literally, hold on and have a seat. Sit and don’t be fit.
                                              • Netflix TV Static Screen - imagine watching Netflix over someone’s shoulder on a blurry screen with bad audio.
                                              • Poke Simulator - you are constantly being poked and poking other people.
                                              • Fart Game - you make fart noises and you are rated on how it sounds.
                                              • Quiz Time: We Play "Game Or Not a Game" - which of these games are real VR games and which are made up?

                                                • Moss - Game or Not a Game?
                                                • Oculus Raft - Game or Not a Game?
                                                • Werewolves Within - Game or Not a Game?
                                                • Thumper - Game or Not a Game?
                                                • Bob Ross' A Little Bit of Happy - Game or Not a Game?
                                                • Thanks to all of our listeners. We appreciate your support!

                                                  • The Middle School Mind podcast is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music. Please like, share a positive comment and subscribe to The Middle School Mind podcast!
                                                  • 30 min
                                                  • 1.3 Things That Are Out

                                                    1.3 Things That Are Out Episode Show Notes

                                                    Today's show featured:

                                                    On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son and I are joined by Son's cousin, The Magaladon (aka The Mag, Magz). On this episode, we talk about topics, trends and other things that are out.

                                                    • The Mag started us off and said the use of the word "Lit" tops this list.
                                                    • We devoted all of episode 1.2 to Minecraft and now Son claims that the open-sandbox game is now out.
                                                    • The Mag highlighted Mortal Kombat as a worthy entry to this list. For a game known for its almost-cartoonish violence and iconic Finish Him catchphrase, The Mag thinks Mortal Kombat should be "finished".
                                                    • Son talked about the recent bad haircut trends of bowl cuts as now being out and we wholeheartedly agree.
                                                    • Magz talked about 80's movies with bad dancing as being out.
                                                    • Son is way over the Among Us craze.
                                                    • Baby Shark is well over according to The Magaladon. Here's the link to the Tagalog (Filipino) version of Baby Shark for some international flavor.
                                                    • Honorable mentions go to the slime craze.
                                                    • The last honorable mention goes to Rickrolling and became widely popular to troll and prank others through the internet.
                                                    • The Middle School Mind podcast is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music. Please like, share a positive comment and subscribe to The Middle School Mind podcast!

                                                      For more about us, take a listen to our first episode Hello World! Thanks for your support!

                                                      24 min
                                                    • 1.2 The Minecraft Episode

                                                      On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son and I talk about the open sandbox world of Minecraft.

                                                      In this episode, we talk about:

                                                      * Why Minecraft is so popular

                                                      * Different mobs or characters you can encounter in Minecraft:

                                                      - Creepers

                                                      - Villagers

                                                      - Axolotls

                                                      - Wolf pups getting shoved into Lava (you monster!)

                                                      * Differences in playing Minecraft on different formats (PC, Xbox, Switch, Playstation and mobile)

                                                      * We discover a free online sound board at myinstants.com and have a little fun playing guess the Minecraft sound effect

                                                      Please like, share a positive comment and subscribe to The Middle School Mind podcast! Thanks for your support!

                                                      1/6/2022 EDIT: What a pleasant surprise! The Minecraft episode of The Middle School Mind was featured as one of the 50 Best Minecraft Podcasts in 2021. We checked in at #9! Please take a read. Many thanks to Hrvoje Milakovic, co-owner of Fiction Horizon, a website created by a group of editors that love fiction and everything related to it.

                                                      21 min
                                                    • 1.1 Hello world!

                                                      This is our very first episode of The Middle School Mind podcast. Today we meet our hosts. For safety and anonymity's sake, we won't use our real names. If we happen to flub our lines in any episodes, you may hear us beep our names out.

                                                      Dad is a 40-something marketing professional in the plastics industry. While he likes his job and his team, he likes the idea of retiring well before 65. To help him realize his goal, dad likes to focus on personal finance, developing new income streams and learning about the web, SEO and podcasting.

                                                      Son is an 11-year-old 6th grader at a public school in the Midwest. He has been performing in musical theater and enjoys hamming it up and having fun with his acting friends and improv group. He enjoys school and can talk anyone and everyone's ear off forever...hence, starting his own podcast, The Middle School Mind.

                                                      We both share our home with mom and 13-year-old older sister who may or may not make appearances on the podcast as well.

                                                      1.1 Hello World Show Notes

                                                      Today's show featured:

                                                      • 0:00 Opening theme "One Day Soon" courtesy of Smith The Mister
                                                      • 0:08 Host Introductions
                                                      • 1:18 I am "Sun"
                                                      • 2:04 you're like Neil Armstrong who goes into space and I'm like the guys back in Houston
                                                      • 3:00 What our listeners can expect from The Middle School Mind podcast
                                                      • 6:16 Video game discussion: Cuphead is visually appealing but frustrating as heck
                                                      • 14:20 Video game discussion: Rage quitting is very real.
                                                      • 16:07 Video game discussion: Minecraft makes me rage quit too.
                                                      • 19:39 Video game discussion: What monster would rage quit during Animal Crossing?
                                                      • 20:11 Episode Closing theme "One Day Soon" courtesy of Smith The Mister
                                                      • 21 min

                                                      About The Middle School Mind

                                                      From the publisher's feed

                                                      Welcome to The Middle School Mind Podcast! This podcast gives a voice and an online outlet for my son to talk about (almost) anything and (almost) everything that is on his mind. My son has a variety…

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