Ep 129: Maxton Hall: The World Between Us (Prime Video, 2024)Today we’re discussing the internationally popular young adult contemporary romance series, “Maxton Hall: the World Between Us” (streaming on Prime Video). Inspired by the Mona Kasten novel, “Save Me” and starring Harriet Herbig-Matten and Damien Hardung as socioeconomically- and ideologically-opposed students at the elite preparatory school Maxton Hall, viewers are gifted an enemies-to-lovers narrative with rich-versus-poor stakes. Competently constructed and enjoyable, this series is indicative of the larger movement in media to share women’s stories and focus on female gaze narratives that were absent from the zeitgeist just 30 years ago. We discuss the series and what the series means for a shifting media landscape that serves up more to femme demographics than could have been imagined even one generation earlier. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 21, 202423:18Ep 128: Zombie Survivalism in “Project Zomboid” (Indie Game)Today we’re discussing indie zombie survival horror game, “Project Zomboid” (produced and published by The Indie Stone). Originally built as a Sims mod, this hardcore-difficulty game presents its players with 4 available Kentucky environments in which to attempt survival, using more than a dozen player-character types, and personalizing your playthrough further with good and bad traits. Designed to be unwinnable, Project Zomboid challenges players to test their “zombie apocalypse” strategies against impossible odds. How long could you survive? Who’s on your zombie apocalypse team? And what strip of Kentucky state would be best for post apocalypse survival? Available on Steam and beloved by thousands, join us for a survivalism discussion on indie game “Project Zomboid.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 20, 202420:43Ep 127: Is this a Simulation? Discussing “Sims 4” (EA)Today we’re discussing the iconic video game series, “The Sims,” where players can simulate buckets of lives and lifestyles in a charming, funny, simulated world peopled with NPC characters, fantasy monsters, and magical environments. This game contains resource and emotional management mechanics as well as commercial actions that players use to advance in the game (and maybe to reflect real physical and emotional systems). What is a game? And what can this game teach you about living a better life? Can a simulation serve as practice for navigating your own reality? And who are you when you play a game where you can be anyone or do anything without consequences? We’ll share how we play the game, how popular streamers play, and what different play styles may communicate about your inner world. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 19, 202424:09Ep 126: Is It Good To Be The King? Reviewing “Ren Faire” (HBO Max, 2024)Today we’re talking about the new HBO Max docuseries, “Ren Faire,” which depicts the King Lear / Succession-esque drama at America’s largest renaissance faire, the Texas Renaissance Festival. Directed by Lance Oppenheimer, we follow the founder/mayor/ “king” of this Renaissance Festival town, named George Coulam, who is preparing to retire to focus on finding a romantic partner. His retirement opens up the highest position at the country’s most profitable festival, and three employees are eyeing the throne. The king’s potential successors include a longtime employer-actor, a former elephant trainer, and a family-financed kettle-corn kingpin. Unusual personalities, high ambitions, and this unique subculture coalesce to create an unforgettable, evocatively-filmed documentary experience. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 18, 202423:49Ep 125: The Art of JoyToday we’re talking about the art of joy — where it comes from, how to find it, and whether or not it’s connected to outcome. We’re given scripts to follow and conventions to uphold, but is that recipe one that leads to joy? Will buying everything society tells you to buy make you happy? Did comic book heroes lie to you about what is achievable in the first twenty-five years of your life? And is the culturally-enforced narrative of joy just a complex game meant to pass the time while you toil away creating maximum value for shareholders? Stay tuned to find out! Join us for an earnest discussion of the art of joy from your favorite positivity podcasters. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 14, 202425:09Ep 124: Puppets and Pain with “Eric” (Netflix, 2024)Today we’re discussing the new top 10 Netflix miniseries, “Eric,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffmann, McKinley Blecher III, and Dan Fogler (of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”). Created by Abi Morgan, this is a detective noir that takes place in gritty 1980s-era New York City. Featuring a plot-critical puppet and creeping madness, this family drama is sure to make you go, “Jeeeeezzzz 😬”. We talk family dynamics, broken window theory, and the backdrop of New York’s uniquely apocalyptic 1980s AIDS crisis. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 13, 202422:04Ep 123: PNW Summer MadnessToday we’re discussing summer in the Pacific Northwest — we’ve got boats, boards, and buckets of festivals. It’s three long months of joy, togetherness, and not thinking about general elections. What’s your favorite PNW summer activity? How will you and the gang of your choice be taking advantage of the sun madness? Is death or an indeterminate period of suffering the more terrifying prospect? Like the Marvel series, this period of time is marvelous. No Seattle Freeze, every day is a beach day, and the forests boldly beckon. Shoutout to “Welcome to Nightvale” for influencing the tone of this particular podcast episode. Get into the summer swing of things with us — let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 12, 202422:55Ep 122: Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (and Other Theories) (Netflix, 2024)Today we’re talking about the new top 10 Netflix animated series, “Jurassic World: Chaos Theory.” Following the events of “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous,” this dinosaur action series is a mystery-slash-roadtrip adventure that brings together the campers of Camp Cretaceous who are being potential pursued by the nefarious forces of InGen. Additionally, we share our favorite prehistoric megafauna and megaflora — with thought to the possible applications of modern dinosaur technology, whether for the benefit of the climate or for entertainment venues. Whether you want a world of CO2-sucking megaferns to cool the planet or the organization of an all-Ankylosaurus soccer team, the possibilities presented in Jurassic World: Chaos Theory are endless. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 11, 202426:27Ep 119: Indie Game: “Voices of the Void” (mrdrnose, Itch.io, 2024)Today we are discussing a video game that has been the obsession of the Midday Musings household for over a month, “Voices of the Void.” A free pre-Alpha game available for download on the itch.io PC gaming platform, this SETI simulator/slow horror survival game is created and maintained by one developer, EternityDev (aka Mr.Dr.Nose) and inspired by Signal Simulator, SETI, and the SCP Foundation. With over 23k fans on the “Voices of the Void” Reddit platform, we think it’s worthy of introduction to the wider world. Engrossing, explicitly indie, and reminiscent of so many well-loved internet entities from the current and proto-internet, we are excited to tell you all about the isolated Switzerland SETI station whose weird happenings have had us on the edge of our seats. Available on itch.io, forever in our hearts, join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 05, 202423:05Ep 118: So Tell Me About Bodkin (Netflix, 2024)Today we’re discussing the current top 10 Netflix show, “Bodkin,” a many-layered mystery/offbeat comedy starring Will Forte and Siobhan Cullen. Taking place in the small hamlet of Bodkin in modern day Ireland, this series follows an embattled Guardian journalist, young researcher, and American podcaster in pursuit of a cold case mystery surrounding the Samhain festival 20 years earlier. Unique Bodkin personalities, a sinister town culture, and the off-screen unraveling of the main characters’ lives come together to create a show where nothing is as it seems. Our cohosts share their personal impressions of Ireland as well as marking how far the little island (now Europe’s internet capital) has come since 2012. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodJun 04, 202426:32Ep 117: Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal (2024) Part 2Today we are doing part 2 of 2 on the Netflix’s docuseries, “Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal.” We will be concluding our Ashley Madison series with a discussion of an unconventional couple featured in the docuseries, the supposed discretion of user data on the site, the fallout of the 2015 hack, and what influences people to cheat. We discuss the possible reasons that so many Christian couples were impacted by the Ashley Madison hack. We share issues we’ve encountered as a couple in a decade together and advice we’ve received for managing conflict and dissatisfaction. What are the common pitfalls of conventional marriage? How do you confront issues and can this confrontation head infidelity off at the pass? Or is an unconventional type of coupling the answer? Join us for part 2 of 2 on Netflix’s “Ashley Madison” documentary! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 31, 202423:21Ep 116: Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal (2024) Part 1Today we’re discussing episode 1 of Netflix’s docuseries, “Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal.” This is part 1 of 2, where we will be covering the founding of the site (during the 2000s-era dot-com boom), the marketing and monetization model of the product, and two of the most famous people impacted by the 2015 Ashley Madison leak (Nia and Sam Rader). We’re discussing infidelity as a married couple and the pitfalls of traditional marriage that can lead to affair ideation. Join us for the drama, the digital marketing, and a light-hearted reflection of the Ashley Madison phenomenon! Stay for part 2!!! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 30, 202425:33Ep 115: Cats, Rats, and the Met GalaToday we’re talking about cats, rats, and the Met Gala. We answer the questions, how well traveled is the average cat? Why is New York the global center of ambition and pizza rats? And what even is the Met Gala for? Learn fun facts about bacteria-based pandemics vs. viral-based pandemics, and how cats are relevant to both. Reflect with us on the Legend of Pizza Rat, who lives forever in our hearts but also in the nooks and crannies of the New York City subway. And, finally, get a Google-level education on Anna Wintour’s importance to American fashion as well as the dollar-cost of attending the Met Gala. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 29, 202422:07Ep 114: Real Life Red Flags RetrospectiveToday we’re talking about taking Grim Rabbits’ card game “Red Flags: the Game of Terrible Dates” into the wild and playing it with friends. What is revealed about people in a 6-person game where not everyone knows each other? What secret superpowers do singles have that relationshipped players lack? How do different people confront different dating scenarios based on personality, experience, and preference? We spent 4 hours playing with 6 people and learned loads (about ourselves and others). Join us as we tell the tale of a real life game of Red Flags! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 28, 202423:51Ep 112: Managing ChangeToday we’re talking about change and how to manage it. Are you always operating at max capacity — and does that make change throw you for a loop? How much obligation is too much obligation? And how can you use fun to supplement your energy around getting things done? Special shout-out to Marc from the BoomBox Music podcast for his insight that running at 80% is the zen way to live. Change is life’s only constant and, as it impacts the Midday Musings household, our co-hosts examine the potential ways a person could confront the demands of a shifting life. In a culture that commends giving 100% all-day everyday, we take twenty minutes to discuss more sustainable ways to live. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 23, 202418:34Ep 111: What’s Your Favorite AnimalToday we’re talking about the best, brightest, and most beastly of the animal kingdom! Starting with Stephen’s blind-as-a-bat insights on echolocation, we dovetail into a discussion of which internet animals are most like us (and the people we know). What is the evolutionary story of our favorite aquatic animals? What patriotic animal is not-so-secretly terrifying? Would an elk make a good cult leader? We talk about Stephen’s raw animal magnetism (to other men) and Laura’s tiger-like energy (as long as it’s playing with a ball). Social power, silly tactics, and sonic-based sight are all part of this episode on animals. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 22, 202424:00Ep 109: Red Flags Friday — A Game of Terrible DatesToday we’re celebrating another Red Flags Friday 🚩🚩🚩! Unboxing, once again, Grim Rabbit’s game of terrible dates, we’re investigating two potential dates with one huge white flag and several disruptive red flags. What would you endure if your date allowed you to use their penthouse suite in your favorite city? How much juggling can be tolerated if you can access an endless bag of cheese? Is vigilantism ACTUALLY a white flag (rather than a red flag)? Whether it’s Batman or cheese-man, we’re talking dating dealbreakers and enviable super-qualities. Join us for a thrilling edition of Red Flags Friday! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 17, 202424:18Ep 108: Nature, Technology, and Human Civilization Today we’re talking about nature, technology, and human civilization. Referencing Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden Pond” and History channel’s 2000s-era classic, “Life After People,” we study the Millenial/Gen Z phenomenon of “cottagecore” as a reaction to our vast technological proliferation. What is the nature of nature? How are we like the 19th-century citizens who longed to return to an imagined agrarian utopia? How long would it take ivy, if left un-gardened, to cover the entirety of human civilization? We’re talking the human desire to return to nature, the reclamation of the human world by nature, and what the future looks like if humans and nature form a more symbiotic bond. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 16, 202422:00Ep 106: Strategies for Staying Positive Today we’re sharing our strategies for staying upbeat in the face of inconvenience and crisis. We’ll discuss keeping perspective on hard days and every day, with a special emphasis on detaching your happiness from external outcomes. Mental health hygiene, finding the benefit in negative situations, and allowing your resilience to carry you through expected and unexpected hurtles are among the topics covered in today’s very special episode of Midday Musings. Join us! And if you are listening for a workout, you can Download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538 May 14, 202425:47Ep 105: Entertainment Culture and the TikTok BanToday we’re discussing entertainment media — from movies, to television, to theater, to social media. Delving into nostalgic pieces of media (90s-era cartoon/live-action world crossovers a la “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “Cool World”) and into the contemporary media space that bleeds analog and digital media, Laura and Stephen chart the differences between eras and cultures (British vs. American entertainment traditions). Juilliard, Shakespeare, and the seriousness of unserious artistic disciplines are lovingly considered. What makes an artist a professional? What does culture have to do with it? Is it better to come from a multi-century tradition of professional theater or from a truly democratic tradition of YouTube and vaudeville? Join us for a sweeping discussion of entertainment history and culture!And if you are listening for a workout, you can Download Podbeat FREE in the App Store and add a beat to this podcast!Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more!Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspod Podbeat: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbeat/id1605270538May 10, 202425:31Ep 104: Deep Work and Growth MindsetToday we’re discussing productivity and mindset, with special reference to Cal Newport’s book, “Deep Work.” Our cohosts are talking about routine disruption and how to recover from the light chaos that comes with existing as an adult human in adult society. Focusing on strategies that cultivate deep work and relying on a growth-oriented mindset to help you level up (or just keep up) in modern life, we encourage you to forgive yourself for being distracted and provide suggestions for reducing the distractions that inevitably follow you into adulthood. With heart and humor, we discuss work, growth, and the individual needs of different personalities to reach our productivity goals! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 09, 202424:57Ep 103: Setting BoundariesToday we’re talking about boundaries — how to set them, what to protect by setting them, and how much space it is reasonable to expect from the establishment of boundaries. The co-hosts’ household is currently the epicenter of a territorial dispute between two domestic predators, informing this conversation around healthy boundaries. How does one create relationships that balance intimacy and distance, when one is so used to creating intimate space? How do you relate to people in a way that is both friendly and self-respectful? What is the difference between intimacy and trauma-dumping? Laura and Stephen are getting vulnerable about why they have difficulty with boundary-setting, and offer thoughts to listeners that might inform their own boundaries. Join us for a fun, heartfelt conversation that references therapy, the arts, and the unique challenges of the human condition! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 08, 202422:33Ep 102: Dissecting Disney’s “The Lion King” (1994)Today we’re talking about our favorite Disney movies — “The Lion King” (1994) specifically! On this rainy/sunny midday, our co-hosts begin with a conversation on skin care that dovetails into “The Little Mermaid” (1989) — Laura’s favorite childhood Disney movie, based thematically on “Doctor Faustus” (by Christopher Marlowe). Stephen’s favorite childhood Disney film is “The Lion King,” based broadly on William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy. Our co-hosts analyze this Disney animated classic through the lens of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” rules of monarchal succession, and zoology. How is Nala like and unlike Ophelia? How is Simba’s journey like and unlike Hamlet’s? Why is Scar even at Pride Rock? Full of fun facts for fans of theater, Disney, and large cats, join us for our first Disney dissection! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 07, 202421:43May 7, 2024May 07, 202400:59Ep 101: Reviewing “Everybody Dance” (2022, dir. Dan Watt)Today we are honoring a fan request from Dan Watt and reviewing his film festival-selected, Emmy-nominated documentary, “Everybody Dance.” Steaming currently on Freevee and Tubi, “Everybody Dance” follows the 4-month journey of recital preparation for a very unique ballet studio in Agora Hills, CA. Ballet for All Kids is a nonprofit organization run Bonnie Schlachte aimed at supporting neurotypical, neurodivergent, and differently-abled children as they collaboratively learn discipline and dance techniques under the Schlachte method (pioneered by the founding director of BFAK). With patience and pathos, “Everybody Dance” introduces viewers to the teachers and students of the studio as they prepare for the annual BFAK recital and highlight the importance of making arts accessible to every kid. Fans of heartwarming documentaries and the triumph of the human spirit will be edified and entertained by this 90-minute window into BFAK’s inclusive world of dance. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 03, 202420:03Ep 100: Midday Musings’ 100th Episode CelebrationToday marks our 100th episode!!! Thank you for being here for 6 months of Midday Musings — and thank you for being here now. Stephen and Laura perform a retrospective of their favorite top 5 episodes from 51-100. From a politically charged episode that champions the 4-day workweek to broad analysis of some of the most intellectually chewy media pieces from the last six months, we’re enumerating pod numbers and content contents. Stephen shares his love of the ancient internet, Laura hypes Bioshock’s world and philosophical influences, and so much more. Join us for a 20-minute celebration of this half-year journey we’ve taken together — and look out for an exciting drop from the Midday Musings instagram account!!! 😘 Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 02, 202423:14Ep 99: What’s Your Favorite AfterlifeToday we’re talking about heaven, hell, and other afterlife options. Stephen shares stories of watching, “Hazbin Hotel,” an adult animated musical that takes place south of the earthly realm. Asking questions about morality and offering answers set to melodic beats, this animated series dovetails our cohosts into a deeper discussion of which afterlife is meant for you. What would be your afterlife job? What theology fits your favorite posthumous aesthetic? How does Laura’s Mormon background influence her ideas about death? With concerns about chairs, snacks, sleeping arrangements, and whether Jesus boxes, we share the pros and cons of purgatory, Christian salvation, Pastafarianism, and Ancient Egyptian dog-gods. Join us for a heavenly 20-minute breakdown of possible posthumous posts! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMay 01, 202424:12Ep 98: Summer Plans ☀️Today we’re talking fun-in-the-sun as summer approaches! Whether it is the beach-y days or bonfire nights, the summer season is a reason to celebrate. We chat about 9pm sunsets, state fairs, camping, and national parks — getting fired up and ready to take on the long, long days. In the PNW, residents take aggressive advantage of these short months of sun. What’s your favorite summertime activity? What, to you, constitutes a “hike” (asking for a friend)? Is the sunshine noticeably improving your mental health? Join us for a fun-filled chats-travaganza about outdoor activities, camping conditions, group plans, beach days, and loooooooong summer nights! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 30, 202419:02Ep 97: The Thing About Farm AnimalsToday the sun is out and we’re talking about the cool leisure activities available to you this spring — state fairs and all their attendant pleasures! We’re discussing fair food, artisan crafts, blue ribbon domestic animals, and having a good time. Work hard, leisure hard. We’re sharing our favorite, extreme food options — “food that wouldn’t dare present [themselves] in a restaurant” and our favorite award-seeking 4-H offerings/child’s crafts. “Stardew Valley” and the importance of grange displays are referenced. Carnival rides are braved, despite the risks. And we celebrate the many-splendored farm animals that round out the whole state fair experience. Join us for a spring-themed podcast about one of America’s favorite traditions, the state fair! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 26, 202421:08Ep 96: What’s Your Favorite Apocalypse Today we’re discussing apocalyptic scenarios we’d like to tackle — nuclear wastelands, zombie viruses, alien invasion, climate collapses, and pandemic shutdowns. We share our favorite fictional ends-of-the-world — referencing “Fallout” (2024), “Hunger Games” (by Suzanne Collins), “Station Eleven” (by Emily St. John Mandel), “Severence” (by Ling Ma), “Cold People” (by Tom Rob Smith), “The Leftovers” (2014-2017), and “28 Days Later” (Dir. Danny Boyle, written by Alex Garland). No one wants the world to end (except those pesky apocalypse cults), but which ending is your favorite? And why? What would you be comfortable confronting in a post-civilization context? Whether your favorite apocalypse is biblical or marvelously modern, we’re here for you. Join us for the last podcast you’ll ever need to listen to (just in case)! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 25, 202423:29Ep 95: Aftermath of A24’s “Civil War” (dir. Alex Garland)Today we’re taking a deep look at Alex Garland’s most recent project, “Civil War” (2024, A24 Studios), starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Nick Offerman, and depicting the late stages of a fictitious modern American Civil War. (Special shoutout to Kevin Ryan of the “Tyrants in Training” podcast, who gave us a window into another example of a bad president.) The film, “Civil War,” follows the story of four combat journalists in pursuit of a final interview with the soon-to-be-deposed American president, necessitating travel across the war-torn southeastern states where loyalists and allied insurgent armies clash for control of territory and the civilian cost is evident everywhere. Alex Garland is the author of modern classics such as “28 Days Later,” “Ex Machina,” and “Annihilation,” and “Civil War” is entered into this collection of brilliant speculative fiction with critical and popular acclaim. Stephen (a former member of the military) and Laura (historian and cinephile) provide context, analysis, and additional detail to the chilling film, “Civil War.” Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 24, 202428:19Ep 92: Cultivating Connection with “We're Not Really Strangers”Today we’re unboxing the viral card game, “We’re Not Really Strangers,” an interactive way to get to know people on a deeper level. Using three skillfully crafted levels of game questions, “Perception,” “Connection,” and “Reflection,” Laura and Stephen delve into exchanges designed to deepen the connections between people — from strangers to those with relationships that have lasted for years. Our co-hosts learn new things about each other and get vulnerable in the face of “We’re Not Really Strangers’” probing questions. Childhood dreams, sorely-missed memories, and best days are discussed with candor and sensitivity between a couple who has been together for more than a decade. Join us for a revealing game of “We’re Not Really Strangers.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 18, 202423:20Ep 91: “The Regime” (2024) — Winners, Losers, and Geopolitics in the FinaleToday we’re discussing the final episode of HBO Max’s miniseries “The Regime” (2024), titled “Don’t Yet Rejoice.” Chancellor Elena Vernham’s (played by Kate Winslet) government has fallen to insurgents, Corporal Herbert Zubak (played by Matthias Schoenaerts) is leading them through the back alleys of the capital city, and survival is not assured. Will Tracy’s sweeping 6-episode account of one horrid year in this Central European country terminates with a battle between factions, geopolitical pressures, and the fate of Elena and Zubak hanging tenuously in the balance. Join us for a play-by-play of the thrilling conclusion of “The Regime,” complete with analysis and jokes. Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 17, 202431:54Ep 90: “The Regime” (2024) — Civil War, Denial, and "All Ye Faithful"Today we’re breaking down episode 5 of HBO Max’s miniseries, “The Regime” (2024) starring Kate Winslet and created by Will Tracy. It’s six months into the Central European country’s civil unrest and it’s Christmastime in “All Ye Faithful.” Rebels are at the gate, Chancellor Elena is in denial, and the couple’s therapist is on call — Zubak (played by Matthias Schoenaerts) and Vernham are playing house while the country’s power base is reordered. The stakes are high, the players are manic, and the powder keg of Elena’s regime is lit. Join us for analysis and jokes as we count down to the series’ finale of Kate Winslet’s most recent triumph, “The Regime.” Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 16, 202423:16Ep 89: Less Work, More FunToday we’re discussing the four-day workweek movement that seeks to give Americans a 32-hour standard work schedule as well as the rash of TV series’ adaptations of popular video games. In praise of this glorious potential future, we discuss the history of the labor movement (which brought us from 6 workdays to 5 in the early 20th century) and how we would spend our additional leisure time. Laura reveals her radical political support of the 3-day workweek and reviews Tim Ferris’s famous self-development tome, “The 4-Hour Workweek.” Is entrepreneurship the answer to reducing work hours? What would you do with 4 weekend days per week? How can you have more fun right now? Join us for a laugh-filled Friday discussion of the most delightful political debate of our time — reducing work hours and increasing leisure time for all Americans! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 12, 202419:55Ep 87: Are the British Always EvilToday we’re discussing the British phenomenon in American media — are they villains? Are they romantic leads? Are they action heroes? Discussing everyone from Tom Hiddleston to Cillian Murphy to Trevor Noah, we identify the roles culture allows them to play. Marvel movies and series are referenced, James Bond 007 movies are dissected, and the impact of the Daily Show is discussed with an eye towards the history of the British empire (and everyone they’ve imperialized). It’s the Americans versus the British/British subjects (all in good fun) in this comedy-filled analysis of culture and media. Also, special shoutout to Gerard Butler, Helena Bonham Carter, and Timothee Chalamet as well as reference to Trevor Noah’s book “Born a Crime” and Katie Crouch’s book, “Embassy Wife.” Let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 10, 202418:57Ep 86: Forming FriendshipsToday we’re talking about the basis of strong, meaningful friendships — with the backdrop of Mercury Retrograde. How do you square the circle between introverts and extroverts? What facilitates the formation of close relationships with others and what prevents it? How do you find your tribe? We dig in deep and ask whether people-pleasing is secretly sabotaging your social group, what connects people in the loose, self-deterministic adult friendship world, and is there in fact a hidden key to unlocking close relationships. Laura thinks she knows the answer — let’s get into it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 09, 202421:23Ep 84: How to Have FunThis Thursday is all about fun! When you’re in a rut and droopy from a lack of fun, what can you do? Laura shares her way-too-intense media consumption (“Quiet on Set,” “Zone of Interest,” and “Fantasticland”) and how it’s impacting her mental health, and Stephen offers the succor of coziness. Listening to your heart, relaxing, and diversifying your activities are all discussed as fun alternatives to the doldrums of productivity culture. Join us for a positive chat about improving the fun in your daily life! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 04, 202419:45Ep 83: “The Regime” (2024) — Parsing the Politics of “Midnight Feast”Today we’re taking no (political) prisoners as we discuss “The Regime’s” (2024, created by Will Tracy) fourth episode, “Midnight Feast” in which the Colonel Zubek (Matthias Schoenaerts) and Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) saga continues. Loyalties are tested and “1984” (George Orwell) is heavily referenced as Hugh Grant makes an appearance on this episode as a centrist alternative to Elena’s madcap authoritarianism. Politics of the heart and the mind are compared as both the country and the country’s leader grow wild — what does the future of the regime hold? Join us to discuss! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodApr 03, 202423:51Ep 81: Core Life SkillsToday we’re discussing the stuff of life — optimal sleep strategies, the power of hydration, and solving survival in the modern era. Comparing our Garmin watch “body battery” levels, we commiserate on heavy life demands and suboptimal rest. The television show “Resident Alien” (starring Alan Tudyk) says a human body needs 10 hours of sleep and Laura agrees. How do you sleep that much and that well? Preparation! Additional life strategies are discussed through the lens of “personal supply lines” and we share what we know about living well on limited resources. Special shoutout to “Tank Girl” (1995, dir. Rachel Talalay) for making us appreciate the availability of water. We have fun. Join us! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform for more! Instagram: @middaymusingspod Linktree: https://linktr.ee/middaymusingspodMar 29, 202423:38
