Bad At Magic – Page 18 – A Podcast about Games, Life, and Other Things…

February 13, 2020August 23, 2026

Episode 13 – Magic in Storytelling

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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 (YouTube video coming soon!)
- 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!

January 30, 2020August 23, 2026

Episode 12 – Ask me one on USAFA

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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 nebuae
- 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

January 16, 2020August 23, 2026

Episode 11 – Star Wars: The Rise of Bollocks

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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 Parliment
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-)
- **SPOILER ALERT**
- Sanderson’s Laws of Magic
- Still a better lightsaber battle…
- Teaser for next time:
  - Josh at the US Air Force Academy

January 2, 2020August 23, 2026

Episode 10 – Happy Birthday

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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 (1-4 players)
    - Just One (3-7 players)
  - 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 (2-4 players)
  - Medium
  - 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)

December 19, 2019August 23, 2026

Episode 9 – The Italian Job

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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)

December 5, 2019August 23, 2026

Episode 8 – Have a Butchers

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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-)

November 21, 2019August 23, 2026

Episode 7 – Living with Yourself

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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
- 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)
Thanks to our listeners! (2:06:34-)

November 7, 2019August 23, 2026

Episode 6 – Mob-handed

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Show Notes:

Intro and Leftovers from Episode 5 (0:00-11:51)
- Daylight Savings Time!
- CGP Grey on DST
- A Better Voting System?
- What would YOU do if you could change something in society that bugs you??
- Mythbusters on Roundabouts
- Switching sides of the road in Sweden (Dagen H)
- Gun laws in Australia
How has Ben never heard the kid hanging off the balcony story? (11:51-15:12)
- Josh’s diaper bag?
Bad at English™ (15:12-20:01)
- Mob-handed, Adjective/adverb, British, informal
  - in a large group, especially in a large, threatening group of people
  - The term mob-handed has most likely been created by analogy with the adverb/adjective single-handed which means ‘done by one person without help from anyone else’.
- A wing staff meeting
What you teach the kids (20:01-34:07)
- Taekwondo vs. Karate
- Girls on the Run.org
Macroeconomics and Magic: the Gathering (34:07-49:02)
Halloween costumes (49:02-58:46)
- Josh’s Bleach Anime Family
- Ben’s Star Butterfly + Mabel & Dipper Pines
- Ben’s Fat Thor
Getting fit (58:46-1:30:08)
- Josh’s fitness tips
  - Use a Calorie counting app to see where you’re at
  - Cut out the empty calories
  - Do a workout you like
  - Friday is pizza day
  - Do “a lot of the things you want and none of the things you don’t want”
- USAF Fitness Test
- 2019 Air Force PT Test Deaths
Blender technology (1:30:08-1:40-28)
- Vitamix Professional ($599!)
- Actual non-stick pan!
Teaser for next time and thank yous (1:40:28-
- Living With Yourself on Netflix
Check us out on Facebook!
Rate us on iTunes!

October 24, 2019August 23, 2026

Episode 5 – House Rules

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Show Notes:

Intro and Leftovers from Episode 4 (0:00-8:49)
- Avril Lavigne is dead conspiracy
- Padme Amidala and Sabé
- Playing Magic with your kids: Do you let your kids win or teach them that life isn’t fair?
More on Parenting! (8:49-27:12)
- Being a parent changes you
- “One of the best parts of having kids is lying to them.” -Josh
- Flat earthers aren’t real
Bad at English (27:12-29:37)
- “Tossed(threw) his teddies (toys) out of the cot (crib)/pram (stroller)”
  - Having a hissy [fossil word] fit
  - Getting aggravated and throwing a tantrum like a baby
House Rules (29:37-1:26:44)
- Ben’s list:
  - #1: don’t play with doors
  - No pillows on the floor
  - “Don’t forget: make good choices”
  - Juice does not go in water bottles
  - “No saying ‘Stop it!'”
- Josh’s List:
  - No phones at the table
  - No locking doors
  - “You get what you get” challenge-response “…and you don’t throw a fit”
  - Chain of command – no doubt who’s in charge at our house (Mom)
- “The older you get, the further into the future you can predict.” -Josh
- Kid in the claw machine
- “Consistency is king.” -Ben
- “Do it right or do it twice.” -Josh’s Dad
Brigham Young University (BYU) Student Housing (1:26:44-1:33:55)
Teasers for next time:
- What to focus on with kids development?
- Getting and staying fit?
Check us out on Facebook!
Rate us on iTunes!

October 10, 2019August 23, 2026

Episode 4 – Scarcity

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Show Notes:

Intro and Leftovers (0:00-13:16)
- Ben gets 500 shares of ODP
- Bank accidentally deposits $120,000 in couple’s account; they spend most of it, then get charged with theft
- In the Year 2000…
- Is Josh “the life of the party” or an introvert?
Bad at English AKA British Word of the Day (13:16-15:21)
- “Crocodile nearest the canoe”
Magic: the Gathering and the player psychographics (15:21-24:21)
- Timmy, Johnny, and Spike by Mark Rosewater – March 2002
  - The basics of the 3 player psychographic profiles
- Timmy, Johnny, and Spike Revisited by Mark Rosewater – March 2006
  - Expanding the definitions and adding Vorthos
Kids and Cell Phones (24:21-33:53)
- South Park: Mr Biggles [WARNING: language]
Avril Lavigne vs. the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (33:53-49:18)
Scarcity: the new science of having less and how it defines our lives (49:24-1:42:50)
- Understanding the Mindset of Scarcity
  - The Focus Dividend: the benefit of scarcity that helps you zero in on the important thing
  - Tunneling: filtering out non-essential things to focus on the scarcity
  - Bandwidth tax: things outside the tunnel that get neglected because of tunneling
  - The University of Minnesota starvation experiment
- Understanding the Impact of Scarcity
  - The Scarcity trap: having scarcity causes you to make bad decisions that perpetuates the scarcity
  - Slack: an abundance that allows you to absorb unexpected shocks to the relevant resource
  - Shock: something unexpected that stresses your resources and causes scarcity
- Applying the lessons of that Understanding
  - Freakonomics was by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, Ben
  - The Strategic Cost of Cumulative Overhead, by Ben Rich on LinkedIn.com
  - Ben’s Home vs. Deployed productivity pie chart from 2011
  - Life is Chores, Highness
Wrap-Up (1:42:50-end)
- Please Like us on Facebook!