You Want Mora?

Just the boys in this episode because Brenda had more important things to do. Did that sound snarky? No snark intended. Good luck, Brenda!

We really work the fiat/Fiat jokes in this one because we talk about the history of U.S. currency. LMK if I’m wrong on any of this. We also talk about corporate pizza, local pizza, fresh hop beers, movies, and books. It’s not always all about money. 

Kyla Scanlon makes economics and finance accessible by making simple short videos that bring the concepts home. Her content plus Kai Ryssdal’s “Marketplace” podcast make for a good econ diet. https://kylascanlon.com/ 

“Exit Party” by Emily St. John Mandel is gripping alternate future sci-fi, written by a master of prose and storytelling. This is a story about people doing the best they can in the world, using two contrasting parallel dystopias: one that is run by a fascist state monitored by a Gestapo-like secret service, the other an anarchic, fractured former United States. I cannot recommend this enough. 

Mollie Elizabeth calls to mind show tunes, dark circuses, and Tim Burtonesque imagery. This song, “Run Rabbit,” is on infinite loop in my brain right now. She makes catchy, unique music with an old-timey flair and pairs it with contemporary Tik Tok style dance. 

“The Dog Stars” is a by-the-numbers post-apocalypse movie. Fun to watch but it won’t change your world. Beautifully shot, though! The Dog Stars - Trailer  

Gross outs, jump scares, a heavy handed bad boss, and an ethically questionable hero add up to a decently entertaining weekday watch. I haven’t seen many Rachel McAdams movies but I’m getting the sense that she’s watchable in just about anything. She definitely is in “Send Help”.  

Ladytron is one of those bands I sorta still follow because they had a song or two that I liked a long time ago. They have a new album out, “Paradises,” and a single “Metaphysica” to support it. The album has sixteen songs on it! That’s a lot of music for the money.

The world is causing anxiety right now, but there are cracks in right wing fascism and reason for hope. Brenda is staying active locally, advocating to keep Olympia schools open. Doug is escaping into books and movies. Smashley is connecting the community around chess. 

“King’s Ransom” by Janet Evanovich isn’t an example of well-written literature but the story is fun enough for a binge and cringe read. “Exit Party” but Emily St. John Mandel is serving as a palette cleanser. More about that next episode. 

“Sacrifice” has gotten bad reviews from critics and the public. If you buy into it, it works towards a surprisingly powerful ending. Also, look who is in it! Anja Taylor Joy, Chris Evans, Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek, John Malkovich, and Charlie XCX. 

Vincent Cassel is also in “The Shrouds.” This one has an open ending that suggests it was borne out of an idea for a series. That is indeed the case for this one. You might like it if you are into Cronenberg body horror. Otherwise, maybe pass on this one. 

Another movie with an ambiguous conclusion is “The Last House.” It’s not just “Jurassic Park in the Suburbs.” This movie might bring back some of those feelings of isolation that reminds you of the pandemic. You’ll have to watch it to see if the ending is too open for you.

Special guests Emmett and Van go over Ted Lasso Season 4 with Doug. Tig Notaro was regrettably unable to join us, but we had a good conversation. If only we could see the show as it would be in Emmett’s mind. If only they had consulted with Van to include some actual women’s futbol. So many missed opportunities! But we will all watch Season 5 and hope they get it right next time.

Sometimes you spin the globe and it lands close to home. Olympia School District is proposing school closures and it’s a hot topic around town. If only we could just print money. We sorta can but…it’s complicated. Let’s talk about that later. Right now, we have to pick our favorite pasta and appreciate Smashley’s quality Tom Hanks impression.   

“Pearl Harbor” is stacked with stars, action, and romance (because you sorta need at least two of those in a war movie?). Word is, “Tora Tora Tora” is more historically accurate but it lacks Ben Affleck.  

Suzzallo is a Seattle-based band featuring Rocky Votolato as the lead singer. I haven’t listed to the whole album, The Quiet Year, but I do rely on the song “River” as a great running motivator.

We check in directly after the Great Columbia Crossing 10K in Astoria, Oregon. Link recap next episode!

Doug, Brenda, and Smashley review a couple of Tom Hanks movies in which he plays Tom Hanks-type characters. We talk a little bit about automated text readers (sometimes called “AI voice” but is it really AI or is it just advanced text to speech?).  BTW, none of these voices are AI. We are actual humans. Or are we? We are. I promise. 

Doug referred to an episode of “This American Life” with two Chat GPTs talking to each other. It was actually Claude, Anthropic’s AI model. The segment, “Escape Claude,” is from an episode in August: TAL - I Know What You Need

Murder mysteries aren’t in the usual rotation but this was a fun, twisty read in the Agatha Christie tradition. “The Ending Writes Itself” by Evelyn Clarke "The Ending Writes Itself" Evelyn Clarke 

Would I still like this song even if it wasn’t in French? Heck yes! It’s a catchy one. Copy Cat - c'est ok  

Velocity’s Out There festival goes into week two. Week one had mind-blowing performances and I’m sure there will be more to come. https://velocitydancecenter.org/out-there-festival-2026/ 

Tom Hanks is a famous actor who is in a lot of movies. Some of them are good. Sleepless in Seattle holds up, although IMO, it would be better with more Seattle scenes. It’s still fun to see the old early 1990’s Seattle: Sleepless in Seattle Trailer 

Dan Brown novels are fun page-turners. The movies? Also fun and don’t put too much pressure on the old noggin: Inferno - Trailer. Also starring Tom Hanks. 

Wishy’s album, “Nature’s Pill,” came out last week. They alternate lead singers. They’re both good but I’m partial to one over the other. Here’s an example of the one I like: Wishy - Covergirl

We spend most of our time in the artgasm, celebrating Nene Royal’s victory on America’s Got Talent. 

Ambre Vallet’s simple pop song “Cette Fille” just came out. It’s a nice song. Ambre Vallet - Cette Fille

The classic “Nine to Five” is sorta funny movie that’s worth watching every 30 years or so: Nine to Five Trailer 

Nene Fest:

Interview clip with Linkin Park: "Unshatter" and performing with Nene Royal 

Nene playing guitar but not stealing the spotlight: Linkin Park and Nene Royal - The Emptiness Machine

Singer reaction clip: Rachel Walker Mason

Recorded in person at Smashley Studios! Brenda is back by unanimous vote amongst the podcast crew. 

Nene’s got talent. You must see this video for maximum intensity. Nene Royal - Seven Nation Army. We will know tonight if she’s a millionaire (or opts for the cash up front)! 

The drummer in the Nene Royal video above is from a band called The Warning. Here they are rocking out on the song Kerosene: The Warning - Kerosene

Smashley found Chelsea Wolfe on KEXP. Not to be confused with Wolf Alice, but I can see them getting along really well. Chelsea Wolfe - Seethe 

It’s salmon watching season! I recommend getting out to Tumwater Falls or the Elwha River to watch them swim upstream. It’s nature at her most magnificent.Here is a song to go with it, by Seattle artist Shelby Natasha: Shelby Natasha - salmon song

Yet another warning about the intersection of tech, biology, and AI. Will we learn? Probably not, but you might as well enjoy a good book while humanity destroys itself: Paul Tremblay - Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep.

We needed to call in an expert for this week to respond to the Federal Open Market Committee’s latest decision on interest rates. Brenda schools Doug and Smashley on economics and the pumpkin in pumpkin spice lattes. 

Caroline Rose gives the fun music, with just a touch of chaos right where the song needs it most. The video captures the mood: Caroline Rose - Calm

Nouvelle Vague transforms songs you might know into beautiful bossa nova. They just released a new one; this time it’s a Depeche Mode song that gets the treatment: Only When I Lose Myself. The results are magic! I’m so happy they are still at it. 

Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s brand of science is accessible and fun. “Take Me To You Leader” is all of that: reasoned, passionate, smart, and easy to understand. You can read this in one or two evenings or over a weekend: Take Me To You Leader

This short workweek is making us a little loopy. We want some good food and distraction from the horrors of the world out there, but recognize that we have responsibilities that go with privilege. 

Whisper Doll calls themselves “the luckiest band in Brooklyn.” Lucky for us, they have an album coming out on October 2nd that promises to be full of that sweet dreampop. The song is here: Whisper Doll - Sunsigns and the album is available for preorder on Bandcamp here: Whisper Doll - Lucky Clover.

Sometimes you need a little distraction from the world out there. The movie May Day is designed for that. It’s a forgettable but fun action film starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. 

The algorithms might be getting to know me. This song from Bleach Lab is some nice shoegaze that fits right into my world: Bleach Lab - Falling. Great listening and perfect outro music.