Feature Creep: Built-in Microwave; The Podcast
With a loose focus on design, and a heavy dose of absurdity, we discuss a variety of topics that we hope you will find relevant to your own life. Or, at least you might find them entertaining. Please enjoy.1
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With your consent, of course. ↩︎
Podcast: Monday, Nov 7, 2022
Forced Fun for Everyone
Ned and Meg take a proverbial poop all over forced fun (aka mandatory fun). In this episode we also talk about Meg’s mall-induced pavlovian panic attacks, which stem from a nightmare she can barely remember. As always, we thank you for listening to our weird stuff, and remember to wash your hands, and don’t be a dick.
Podcast: Monday, Oct 31, 2022
Halloween 22, A Visit from the Barf Fairy
Ned and Meg chat about how Meg was a casualty of the Barf Fairy on Halloween morning in the year of oh lord 2022. In light of the fact that it is summer weather in November in Minnesota, we talk about the weather’s effect on Halloween costume viability, lightly discuss costume engineering and contraptions, and whether we favor novel costumes over the classics. Happy Halloween, you halloweenies. Wash your hands, don’t give anyone a disease, pass out candy, and don’t be a dick. Thanks for listening.
Podcast: Monday, Oct 3, 2022
Bookstore
Ned and Meg expound on bookstores past and present. There are 2500 independent bookstores in the US apparently although that seems like a lot. It’s up almost 50% from ten years ago. WOW! We compare the rich experience of book reading to the impoverished experience of e-reading. Plus, card catalogs, lawsuits, illuminated text, Borders vs. Barnes and Noble, little free libraries, murder hobos, and books in bookstores as liminalities within liminalities. Thanks for listening, wash your hands, don’t be a dick.
Podcast: Monday, Sep 26, 2022
Capitalism Ruins Everything it Butts Up Against
Ned and Meg cover a lot of ground in this one! Tune in for discussion of improbable vacuum levitation trains, kids soccer and the monetization of simple joys, wind turbine reiterative technology, beavers and the environment, additive vs subtractive solutions, self-governance, bad solar citizens, brakes both drum and disc, pressure canning, and the glorious return of the design snack. Strap in, wash your hands, don’t be a dick, thanks for listening!
Podcast: Monday, Sep 19, 2022
Designing Dystopia, The Prisoner 3
Ned and Meg talk about the final two episodes of The Prisoner (the American series version) and explore the outrageous design elements present during the grand finale of the series. Check out those stove pipe jeans and turtleneck sweaters! Very mod. Thanks for listening, wash your hands, don’t be a dick.
Podcast: Monday, Sep 12, 2022
Alternative Takes, The Poisoned Carrot
Ned and Meg dissect some common buzzwords and talk about exit strategies, quiet quitting which our generation basically perfected and owns forever, mindshares, toxic positivity, mouthfeel, internauts on the runway, and so many more. If you like people who complain loudly and randomly about pop culture, this is for you. Thanks for listening, Hi Buster, wash your hands, don’t be a dick.
Podcast: Monday, Sep 5, 2022
Designing Dystopia, The Prisoner 2
Ned and Meg continue their discussion of design elements from The Prisoner television show. Why is Number Six in black? Why does everyone in town have a cape and an umbrella? Who pairs pea green walls with camel brown textiles? We compare the Disney-like appearance of the village to Portmeirion and rattle off some other works we feel are derivations of the show. Number two in an ongoing, indefinite installment of conversations about this show in specific, and the umpteenth conversation about dystopias. Thanks for listening, wash your hands, watch The Prisoner, don’t infect anyone with coronavirus.
Podcast: Thursday, Sep 1, 2022
Short, The Prisoner 1
Ned and Meg start to talk about design elements from The Prisoner television show, which is very dystopian in nature and thus sparked another Designing Dystopia installment! Just as we are about to get going, we have to stop, so this one’s a short! Thanks for listening, look for more episodes about this, wash your hands, watch The Prisoner, don’t infect anyone with coronavirus.
Podcast: Monday, Aug 22, 2022
Third Wheel on a Shitty Ice Cream Date
Ned and Meg discuss Ned’s adventures in Germany. We discuss the differences between ice cream and gelato. And then, we get around to THE LINE, which is basically Architectural Menace 2: Electric Boogaloo. Oh, do we have lots to say about that! Thanks for listening, wash your hands, don’t spread deadly germs, don’t be a dick, don’t move to THE LINE, whatever you do.
Podcast: Monday, Aug 8, 2022
Rat Dad
Ned and Meg talk about movie reboots and propose a TMNT offshoot wherein Master Splinter is the focus of the story. Did you know that German TMNT fans are much more discerning than American ones? Is serializing the same story over and over again killing creativity? Does it annoy you to be asked endless questions in headers that are supposed to be informative? Us too! Thanks for listening, hi Buster, wash your hands, don’t be a dick.