Bad At Magic

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Show Notes

• Ben and Josh mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, argue about unfinished stories, discover the limits of corporate conflict-of-interest rules, and rage against bureaucracy (again). Also the guys finally discuss automated license plate readers (ALPRs), AI-enabled surveillance, and the uncomfortable question of what responsibility comes with the power of knowing too much about people’s movements in public.
• Intro & Follow-up (0-29:02)
  • World Conflict Map (live tracker)
  • “That’s terrorists bro.” (9/11 video)
• Bad at Storytelling (29:02-40:48)
  • Bad Endings vs Good Endings
  • Ain’t Going Down (til the sun comes up) 
  • Finding Forrester (2000)
  • That Thing You Do! (1996)
• Bad at Maps & What I’m Reading (40:48-1:23:13)
  • Josh: Catgirls From Outer Space by Edie Skye & Jacob Holo
    • “This better not awaken anything in me.”
  • Ben: The Time Tax by Annie Lowrey
    • The Ezra Klein Show: The Time Tax
    • Braddock Begs for Money (Cinderella Man, 2005) 
    • …then later returns his benefits to the welfare office
    • “blanket party” for justice when due process fails
• Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) (1:23:13-end)
  • Flock cameras used to investigate a legal abortion
  • AI could kill all humans in next decade, warn experts: but how seriously should we take them?
• 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

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Show Notes

Josh rails against the creeping subscription-ification of everything from printers to cars, while Ben revisits a painful Air Force move that left his family trapped between two bureaucracies. Ben also reckons with his old assumptions after reading Michelle Obama’s Becoming, before we revisit The Lego Movie and discover that its absurdly quotable toy-commercial exterior is hiding a surprisingly thoughtful story about creativity, conformity, and parenting.

• Intro & Follow-up (0-34:48)
  • Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
  • The Nose Fingers Trick
  • John Oliver on “Subscriptions”
• Bad at Tech (34:48-49:46)
  • Apple TV+ shows Josh recommends:
    • Ted Lasso
    • Greyhound
    • Murderbot
  • Disney+ show Ben recommends:
    • Wonder Man
  • Paramount+ show to watch???:
    • Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender 
• Ben vs Bureaucracy (49:46-1:17:32)
  • Ben’s Law (in the United Kingdom)
• What I’m Reading (1:17:32-1:35:44)
  • Josh:
    • The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes
    • Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
  • Ben:
    • Becoming by Michelle Obama
      • An Open Letter to Michelle Obama (1:27:37-1:30:17)
• Feature (1:35:44-end)
  • The Lego Movie – Official Trailer
  • Bump the lightbulb
  • Sexy Bionicles
• 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

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Show Notes

• We start Season 8 with a bang: Ben nearly burns down his house with a new HVAC system and Josh accidentally drinks eight Mai Tais by the pool. We also talk about self-driving Teslas getting wrecked, spoil Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and disagree on the goodness of The Hobbit as it comes to Magic: The Gathering. 
• Intro & Follow-up (0-18:28)
• Bad at Drinking & Car Buying (18:28-43:49)
• Spoilers for Spider-Man (43:49-1:14:55)
  • Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer
• Bad at Dogs & What I’m Reading (1:14:55-1:34:44)
  • Josh – A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
    • The Egg – A Short Story by Andy Weir (Kurzgesagt animation)
  • Ben – Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Board Game Survivor (1:34:44-end)
  • Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit
  • “I hate this. It is revolting!”
• 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

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Show Notes

• The hosts talk AI data center water consumption, July 2026 at the movies (including Spider-Man and The Odyssey), Ben celebrates his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, Josh’s Hardcore WoW character bites the dust, and the guys talk about why we do the things we do. 
• Intro & Follow-up (0-50:15)
  • Practical Engineering: Dam
  • AI and the Enshittification Era w/ Cory Doctorow | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
  • @vancityreynolds and maximumeffort (Denimpool at San Diego Comic Con 2026)
  • This is Wrexham on FX/Disney+
  • John Green on Wrexham AFC
• At the Movies (50:15-1:02:49)
  • The Odyssey
  • Spider-Man Brand New Day [NO SPOILERS]
• Bad at Technology (1:02:49-1:08:23)
  • http://www.badatmagic.live
• Celebrating 50 Years of Marriage and other life events (1:08:23-1:37:17)
• What I’m reading right now (1:37:17-1:42:27)
  • Josh: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman
  • Ben: The New Menopause: Navigating your path through hormonal change with purpose, power, and facts by Mary Claire Haver, M.D.
• Why we do stuff (1:42:27-end)
  • Why do YOU do stuff???
• 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

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Show Notes

• Ben and Josh talk dogs, swearing, World Cup Soccer, Arena Football, Doritos, Menopause, Star Trek Magic Cards, and last, but definitely not least: How AI is transforming our world today–3.5 years after their first brush with ChatGPT v1.0. 
• Intro & Follow-up (0-6:41)
  • UN Resolution 181
• Bad at Sports & Mortgages (6:41-30:22)
  • England vs. France World Cup Highlights (2-min version)
    • 25-min version
  • Arizona Rattlers
  • American Underdog – $100 Touchdown clip
• Bad at Business & What I’m Reading (30:22-50:22)
  • Why no one buys Doritos anymore (Michael Girdley)
  • Josh: The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman
    • The Dog Tags Scene from Saving Private Ryan 
  • Ben: The New Menopause: Navigating your path through hormonal change with purpose, power, and facts by Mary Claire Haver, M.D.
    • The 2002 Womens’ Health Initiative (WHI) Study that Shaped 2 decades of Menopause Care
• Board Game Survivor (50:22-55:25)
  • The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
  • Link to Infographic
• Main Segment: Is AI reshaping our world? (55:25-end)
  • Episode 89 – ChatGPT was WRONG
  • Stanford Study (published 12 May 2026): “Invisible Failures in Human-AI Interactions” by Christopher Potts and Moritz Sudhof
  • Hank Green on the Jevons Paradox
  • Repurposing Jet Engines for Data Centers
  • Nevada cutting off California town’s energy supply to supply data centers
  • US DoE Nuclear Supply Chain Loans
  • Waymo drives through police standoff
  • Worth more than all the farmland in Australia (sketch)
  • If Google Was A Guy (Full Series)
• 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

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Show Notes

• We revisit the joys of the 2026 World Cup, Europe has a lot less air conditioning than the United States, Josh is bad at vacationing across 3 states, Ben talks about why Ukraine is now blanketed in thin plastic wires, and in the first Bad at English in a LONG time: Ben teaches about eggcorns. 
• Intro & Follow-up (0-34:19)
  • The Overlooked Reason Europe Doesn’t Have AC by Thomas Chatterton Williams in The Atlantic
  • Two identical movies, 15 years apart 
• Bad at Vacationing (34:19-1:38:28)
  • DOG LOVER WARNING (@1:29:25-1:38:28)
    • I need to calm down. Everything’s fine. I’m an adult. 
• Bad at Warfare (1:38:28-1:43:47)
  • Plastic Optical Fiber in Ukraine
• Bad at English & What I’m Reading (1:43:47-end)
  • What is an Eggcorn?
  • What I’m Reading:
    • Josh: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
    • Ben: The New Menopause: Navigating your path through hormonal change with purpose, power, and facts by Mary Claire Haver, M.D.
• 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

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Show Notes

• Summary
  • Colin Jost is made the unofficial mascot of the podcast, Josh has to activate the warranty on his month-old earbuds, Ben goes to see the Dungeons and Dragons movie but with the soundtrack played by a full orchestra, the guys sound off on the World cup coming back to North America for the first time since 1994, they examine the phenomenon of “critic-proof” movies, and finally they are decidedly, definitively Bad at Parenting. 
• Intro & Follow-up (0-9:34)
  • The Ultimate Showdown (of Ultimate Destiny)
  • Badger (badger badger badger badger)
  • Smoothed Brown Noise 8-Hours
• Bad at Tech (9:34-17:19)
  • Raycon Fitness Earbuds
• Bad at Dating (17:19-27:21)
  • Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – In Concert
• Bad at Soccer (27:21-44:41)
  • Norway fans rowing chant
  • The Scots drank all the beer in Boston
• Critic-Proof Movies (44:41-53:33)
  • Fans dancing and singing at ‘Michael’ screenings
• What I’m Reading & Board Game Survivor (53:33-1:15:57)
  • Josh: Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
  • Ben: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
    • BBC clip: An Inspector Calls (2015)
  • Magic: the Gathering, Universes Beyond: Marvel Superheroes
• Bad at Parenting (1:15:57-end)
• 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

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Show Notes

• Josh sets the record straight on Keanu’s pay structure for John Wick, quits the INTVL app after one try, and takes his family to the movies 3 times. Ben reads a popular memoir, goes to the movies by himself, and invents 3 new infographics. The guys do a retrospective on the 1983 movie “Mr. Mom” by comparing it to the new Nate Bargatze movie “The Breadwinner”. Also, the first new STAR WARS movie in 7 years!!!
• Intro & Follow-up (0-38:45)
  • INTVL App for gamifying your running
  • Summer movie-fest trailers:
    • The Sheep Detectives
    • Pressure (2026)
    • The Breadwinner
    • Mr. Mom (1983)
• The Mandalorian and Grogu (38:45-1:01:20)
  • SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS END AT ^
  • Official Trailer
• What I’m Reading (1:01:20-1:15:42)
  • Josh: Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
  • Ben: Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden
    • “Was I Married to a Stranger?” -NYT Modern Love Article from June 2023
      • “I sometimes see him from afar in our shared city neighborhood. He looks familiar, his posture and gait, his sandy blonde hair and orange sneakers, and my heart leaps a little at the sight of him. But then I remember he is a stranger, and I walk on.”
• Mr. Mom vs The Breadwinner(1:15:42-end)
• 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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Show Notes

• Josh and Ben do a deep dive on the American cultural practice of “seat saving” at free-to enter events, discuss the new trend of graduates booing commencement speakers who mention AI, and finally they try several claims of Star Wars in the court of B@M opinion. 
• Intro & Follow-up (0-6:06)
  • Denny’s & Masters of the Universe
• Bad at Saving Seats and Booing AI (6:06-53:51)
  • KU Students camping out to get basketball tickets (video)
  • Grads are booing commencement speakers for their AI comments
  • The IT Crowd: Introducing Jen to the Internet
• What I’m Reading & Bad at Magic (53:51-1:02:54)
  • Josh: Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
  • Ben: Future Boy by Michael J. Fox
• Star Wars Small Claims Court (1:02:54-end)
  • The Mandalorian and Grogu Trailer
  • Undercover Boss: Kylo Ren
  • Obi-Wan’s Love Affair
• Next time: 
  • Mr. Mom vs. The Breadwinner
• 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

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Show Notes

• Josh joins the High School band booster club, Ben’s Optometrist “almost served” in the military, the guys recap their trip to MagicCON Vegas 2026, they discuss the “red button or blue button” dilemma, and Ben updates his thesis that the accumulation of risk controls is an uncontrolled risk (AKA “The Tyranny of Zero”).
• Intro & Follow-up (0-9:49)
  • Zorach v. Clauson | 343 U.S. 306 (1952) | Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center
• Vegas 2026 (9:49-40:58)
  • Photo of Josh and Ben at MagicCON
• Bad at Parenting (40:58-49:14)
• Bad at Veteraning (49:14-53:56)
• What I’m Reading (53:56-1:08:37)
  • Josh: Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
  • Ben: All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership by Darcy Lockman
• The Tyranny of Zero (1:08:37-end)
  • Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession
• 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