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Show Notes  Ben and Josh talk about death, parenting, making your mark on the world, and present a new framework for analyzing business priorities they call “Ways of the Realm”.   Intro & Follow-up (0-15:59) What We Did on Our Holiday (UK)  The end of the ‘People I Mostly Admire’ podcast after 5 years  Bad at Parenting (15:59-38:58)  Your Pixel in the Grid (38:58-54:04) Jason’s Supra  Spreadsheets and What I’m Reading (54:04-1:20:55) Spreadsheet discussion on our subreddit  Josh: The Shadow Rising – Robert Jordan  Ben: Paradise Bronx: The Life and Times of New York’s Greatest Borough – Ian Frazier  Feature (1:20:55-end) Medieval Barber Theodoric of York (SNL)  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  The Bad at Magic Disney Baddie Showdown reaches the Semifinals thanks to a sudden-death tiebreak on Patreon, Ben is bad at parenting (again), Josh’s World of Warcraft characters died to his surprising great dismay, and the hosts set their New Year’s resolutions with the now-customary bingo cards.  Intro & Follow-up (0-11:03) Patreon Exclusive Bonus Episode: Ursula vs. Hans  The 2023 British Protest Film “Paint Drying” by Charlie Shackleton  Bad at Parenting & Bad at Science (11:03-39:50) “Yes, Some Children May Have Died From COVID Shots” by Benjamin Mazer  How Monogamous are Humans? By Helen Briggs  The Ubisoft Heist & “What I’m Reading” (39:50-1:13:37) The Ubisoft Heist: EXPLAINED  What I’m reading: Josh: The Dragon Reborn – Robert Jordan  Ben: Empire of the Summer Moon – SC Gwynne  Hardcore WoW  New Year’s Resolutions (1:13:37-end) Make your own!  Hear the story of “The Italian Job” from Ep. 9  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Happy holidays from the Bad at Magic podcast as Ben and Josh revisit last year’s resolutions bingo cards, Josh shares some research on what probably happened to Tiny Tim in the Dickens’ classic, and the guys do a deep dive following Josh’s trip to Walt Disney World.  Intro & Follow-up (0-15:24) Ben’s Old S’mores Tier Chart (start at 44:46)  What’s wrong with Tiny Tim?  New Year’s Bingo Revisited (15:24-35:45)  Bad at Husbanding (35:45-52:57)  Bad at Parenting/Work (52:57-1:16:56) Definition of today’s word/phrase  ChatGPT analysis of the Bad at Magic Podcast  Fleshman Family Vacation to Disney World (1:16:56-end) What I’m Reading: Josh: The Great Hunt – Robert Jordan  Ben: Empire of the Summer Moon – SC Gwynne  Eye of The World leatherbound announcement – Brandon Sanderson  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes Ben and Josh weigh in on the death of the penny, AI in video game development, the evils of social media, and finally a trip to the Emergency Room over the Thanksgiving holiday for Ben prompts the hosts to share their “Murtaugh List”. Intro & Follow-up (0-32:06) US Mint FAQ on the penny being “suspended” PennyArcade Blog: AI in video game production What I’m Reading & Bad at Social Media (32:06-1:20:50) Josh: The Great Hunt – Robert Jordan Ben: Careless People – Sarah Wynn-Williams MUST WATCH: Expensive petroleum!!! Feature (1:20:50-end) The Murtaugh List (How I Met Your Mother) Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live Our YouTube Channel Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/ Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich Transition music by Jarus Rich Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich

Show Notes  Ben and Josh discuss why Elon Musk threatened to buy Hasbro Corporation, office potlucks, fender benders, political thrillers that have come true 30 years later, some revisions that need to be made to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and finally, the new movie on Netflix called ‘A House of Dynamite’ about what could happen if someone launched an Inter-continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).   Intro & Follow-up (0-35:59) Man told employer not to celebrate his birthday. He was awarded $450,000 after unwanted party.  Watch ‘Clear and Present Danger’ on Netflix  Dungeons & Dragons Rolls the Dice With New Rules About Identity  “Why Elon Musk Needs Dungeons & Dragons to Be Racist: The fantastical roots of ‘scientific racism’” By Adam Serwer  The EU’s GDPR turns 10 years old (35:59-58:59) EU plans to ease GDPR laws and AI constraints in major shift – DW – 11/18/2025  What I’m Reading (58:59-1:10:44) Josh: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan  Ben: Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams  Main Segment (1:10:44-end) Watch ‘A House of Dynamite’ on Netflix Watch the trailer (2:11)  What do the 5 levels of DEFense readiness CONdition (DEFCON) mean? Video explanation   Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Ben and Josh tentatively embrace the newest Magic set (Avatar: The Last Airbender) prior to its release, Josh complains about Daylight Savings Time (again), Presidents do (or don’t) catch fainting people standing behind them, the first round of the Bad at Magic Disney Baddie Showdown “sweet 16” wraps up, and the hosts discuss the scandal surrounding Silicon Valley startup Theranos and its CEO Elizabeth Holmes and COO Sunny Balwani.   Intro & Follow-up (0-29:35) Languages most frequently used for web content as of Oct 2025 by share of websites  Avatar: The Last Air Bender | Magic: The Gathering – Universes Beyond  Check out the Disney Baddie Showdown on the Bad at Magic subreddit  Lore Olympus | WEBTOON  Bad at Daylight Savings Time & Hometown Football (29:35-46:53) Obama catches fainting woman  What I’m Reading (46:53-1:08:55) Josh: Slay by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter book #30) Airplane facts with Max  Ben: The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger  Main Segment (1:08:55-end) Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup – John Carreyrou  The guy at your company who does NOTHING  Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes Mad Money Interview, Oct 2015   Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  In this potpourri episode, Josh wrestles with Microsoft Corporation, Ben goes camping on Tatooine, Josh has another fast food disaster, the AWS outage turns smart beds into panini presses (#aboringdystopia), join in on the 2025 Disney Baddie Showdown, and hang in there for the first ever post-credits scene in Podcast history.  Intro & Follow-up (0-27:03) Building the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)  How a U.S. Nuclear Strike Actually Works  This Star Wars-Themed Desert Outpost in Utah Is As Strange As It Sounds – Outside Magazine  SNAP (Food Stamps) runs out of money Nov 1. States are figuring out how to feed millions of people  Bad at tech (27:03-1:08:11) Windows 10 End of Life  2025 Amazon Web Services (AWS) US-EAST-1 outage: “It’s always DNS” …which caused a Luxury Smart Bed malfunction  Disney Baddie Showdown (1:08:11-1:16:26) Check out the Disney Baddie Showdown on our Subreddit  Bad at Drive-Thru (1:16:26-1:32:08)  What I’m Reading (1:32:08-end) READ FOR NEXT TIME: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup – John Carreyrou  Lay’s drastically rebrands after disturbing finding: 42% of consumers didn’t know their chips were made out of potatoes  Enlightenment Now: The Case for reason, science, humanism, and progress (2018)  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Ben responds to the church shooting in Michigan, Josh faces a Halloween costume crisis, Ben starts Year 2 at Hogwarts, Josh has WORDS about the book he’s been reading, and the guys share their thoughts on the brand-new movie Tron: Ares (SPOILER WARNING).   Intro & Follow-up (0-27:25) Church Shooting in Michigan  Bad at Society (27:25-36:08) Vanity Sizing  Bad at Tech (36:08-45:45) Waymo update  Zoox self-driving car  Bad at Business (45:45-53:21) LTT reaction to Saudi Public Investment Fund acquisition of EA Games  Saudi-owned Professional Golf League: LIV Golf  What I’m Reading (53:21-1:16:31) Josh: Ego is the Enemy – Ryan Holiday  The priory of the orange tree – Samantha Shannon  Ben: The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy – David E. Hoffman  Tron: Ares (1:16:31-end) Bad at Magic Ep. 143: The Tron Paradox  Tron: Ares Trailer  AI References: Kurzesagt: AI Slop is Destroying the Internet  Vlog Brothers: The Web is going to die  Weekly Show with Jon Stewart: Computer Scientist Geoffrey Hinton  The AI Prompt that could end the world  We’re not ready for superintelligence  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Josh’s electric car almost burns down his house, Ben gets a “fat guy clap” in the office 5K, the hosts propose a Disney Baddie Showdown (coming soon!), and finally they guys do a retrospective on ‘The Siege’ (1998) starring Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis.   Intro & Follow-up (0-25:27) The SCP Foundation  The back story behind Ben’s friend who has never seen Star Wars  The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer  Bad at Emotional Intelligence (25:27-41:39) And that’sssss bad?  Bad at Fitness (41:39-53:43)  Bad at Technology (53:43-1:12:27) Prius battery replacement video  “Johnny 5 need input.”  Explorers (1985)  Board Game Survivor (1:12:27-1:19:37) Magic: the Gathering Universes Beyond Spider-Man  Feature (1:19:37-end) The Siege (1998) trailer  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Ben goes to Disneyland but not without managing to be bad at parenting, Josh creates an intensity metric for the 3rd of the 5 Love Languages (Quality Time) in their ongoing deep-dive series on the topic, and the hosts lament the unfortunate state of political discourse in the United States.   Intro & Follow-up (0-9:16) Give us all the CLIX (159 in Roman Numerals): Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Die Hard With a Vengeance shoplifting kids   Bad at Parenting (9:16-21:59)  Bad at Love (21:59-49:03) The Five Love Languages  Quality Time B@M Intensity Graphic | Subtypes Graphic  What I’m Reading (49:03-1:03:20) Josh: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman  Ben: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne  Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir  Political Discourse in America (1:03:20-end)  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Josh is bad at Korean, Ben almost dies in a Tesla, and the guys give the full Bad at Magic treatment to Andor, Season 2.   Intro & Follow-up (0-10:33)  Bad at Korean (10:33-22:16) Andy Samberg on KPop Demon Hunters  Bad at Service (22:16-30:17) Josh’s Rule for when to fire your customer  Bad at AI (30:17-41:57) Tesla’s Reverse Summon feature aka Banish  Mark Rober Tesla vs. Looney Tunes wall  Bad at Writing (41:57-56:14) What AI is doing to writing as an evaluative instrument in education  For a student who used AI to write a paper by Joseph Fasano  The Mike Rowe Foundation: MikeRoweWorks.org  What I’m Reading (56:14-1:07:06) Josh: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman  Ben: Having and Being Had by Eula Biss  FUTURE REVIEW: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou  Andor Season 2 (1:07:06-end) Mon Mothma’s Senate Speech  Nemik’s Manifesto  Past BAD AT MAGIC episodes about Andor: Andor Season 1 discussed on Episode 88 – Spoilers for Star Wars Andor  Rogue One discussed on Episode 9 – The Italian Job (12:04-16:20)  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Ben and Josh court several sponsorship opportunities (NOT REALLY), are bad at A LOT of things (more than usual), Josh reads a whole bunch of trashy sci-fi (read: more Dungeon Crawler Carl), and they take on the second leg of the  improvement triangle: rationalization.   Intro & Follow-up (0-8:54) Zaro Aga was probably 97…not 157  SHORT: Old man stopping train  Kava Krave: Amazon.com  Official Website  Bad at Parenting, Husbanding, Fandom, Summer, Talking Speed, Retirement, and Medicine (8:54-24:44)  What I’m Reading (24:44-36:23) Josh: Dungeon Crawler Carl (#2-5) by Matt Dinniman Carl’s Doomsday Scenario  The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook  The Gate of the Feral Gods  The Butcher’s Masquerade  How Microtransactions destroyed Plants vs. Zombies  Main Topic: Rationalization (36:23-end) The Fraud Triangle: Motivation | Rationalization | Opportunity  Episode 49 – Chuffed about Lying in the Military  Next time: Andor, Season 2  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Ben recommends the new Fantastic Four movie (with no spoilers), Josh definitely does not recommend trying to pay down the national debt, Ben gets a new B@M theme wrapped PC, and the hosts give the full Bad at Magic treatment to Dungeon Crawler Carl (book #1) by Matt Dinniman.   Intro & Follow-up (0-6:49) Fantastic Four First Steps  Josh vs. Bureaucracy (6:49-40:01) Pay.gov site where you can “pay down the national debt”   Jerry Seinfeld and Sarah Jessica Parker calculating a tip  My Blue Heaven – Overtipping  The mystery product on Amazon.com  Bad at Tech (40:01-47:20) Ben’s new Falcon Northwest Tiki PC with a Bad at Magic-themed wrap (Facebook) Twitter  Instagram  Dungeon Crawler Carl (47:20-end) Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman But seriously: listen to the EXCELLENT audio book version narrated by Jeff Hays  Dungeon Master (1987)  The EVE Online bank heist  Can you beat Final Fantasy as a white mage?   Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Ben catches up on the hottest summer movies, Josh plays World of Warcraft Classic: Hardcore, the hosts search for their Misogi, and finally it’s time to take a deep dive on MOTIVATION.  Intro & Follow-up (0:00-16:08) Summer 2025 Movie Trailers: Elio  K-Pop Demon Hunters  F1: The Movie  Superman (2025)  Bad at Gaming (16:08-21:14) World of Warcraft Classic: HARDCORE  Bad at Logic (21:14-27:42) UHD vs. HD (LTT)  Josh’s Shower Thoughts (27:42-36:35) The most dangerous building in Manhattan (Veritasium)  Bad at Magic: Hot Ones Edition  The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough  Bad at Japanese & What I’m Reading (36:35-1:21:39) Misogi (禊) is a Japanese Shinto practice of purification, often involving immersing oneself in cold water, like a waterfall or river, to cleanse the body and mind. In modern interpretations, misogi has evolved to represent a personal challenge or “reset” that pushes one’s limits and fosters growth.   What I’m Reading: Josh: Dungeon Crawler Carl (#1) by Matt Dinniman  Ben: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith  Main Segment: Motivation (1:21:39-end) MOTIVATION   Nike Ad: “Horror”  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich 

Show Notes  Josh recounts his 4th of July celebration in small-town Kansas, Ben ponders what the boundaries are of the profession “Fire and Rescue”, and the hosts strongly recommend the new Sony Pictures Animation hit movie on Netflix: K-Pop Demon Hunters.  Intro & Follow-up (0-1:00:42) New earth-like planet 154 light-years away…  The Fermi Paradox  Bad at Magic: Hot Ones Edition  hot sauce challenge, video on YouTube, WATCH THIS  Bad at Trailers & Morality (1:00:42-1:07:04) SPOILER WARNING: PROJECT HAIL MARY Trailer   A new trolley problem  Bad at Society (1:07:04-1:24:43) Texas Floods July 2025  What I’m Reading (1:24:43-1:38:27) Josh: Battle Ground by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #17)  Ben: A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost “Shut Up, Lutz!” -30 Rock  Colin Jost on Weekend Update (SNL)  Board Game Survivor (1:38:27-1:45:44) Dog Park  Legendary: 007  K-Pop Demon Hunters (1:45:44-end) SPOILER WARNING  WATCH IT ON NETFLIX  Chart Topper: Golden by Huntrix  Join in the discussion on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadAtMagicPodcast  Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/badatmagic/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badatmagic/podcasts  Check out our website(s): http://www.badatmagic.live  Our YouTube Channel  Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/badatmagic/  Credits: Bad at Magic Logos by Jonica Rich  Transition music by Jarus Rich  Outro music from Cascading by Ammon Rich