Two Vague Ben Cheknis

Special guest Brian, the mastermind behind the “My Weekly Mixtape” podcast, joins Ben this week for an episode steeped in their childhood nostalgia!  The word is mixtape, and the hosts will be talking at length about their experiences and memories making them.  It wouldn’t be the Two Vague Podcast if there wasn’t a diversion or two along the way, but then Ben has a surprise for Brian to close out the show.  They are going to make a MIXTAPE (sort of) composed of a list of memorable arcade games past and present!
00:00:21 - Introducing Brian and his “My Weekly Mixtape” podcast 00:03:05 - Brian and his buddies curated gaming centric mixes for sleepovers00:06:13 - What sorts of shows are coming to MWM, and “musically and edibley”00:09:12 - Teaching the younger viewers(?), tape customizations, and the gift of music 00:12:55 - Efficiency, “measure twice, cut once,” definition of mixtape, history, and statistics00:16:18 - The fragility of cassette tapes, the worst band of all time, and not very becoming 00:17:58 - Ben bought the “Vivid” album 5 times, and home recording was NOT killing music00:20:30 - Ignoring the innuendo in music, rumors in the time before Google, and Zima00:23:44 - A mixology warning from Brian, get off the Zima, and Ben’s mixtapes for purposes00:27:12 - Brian’s fascination with radio, using “deep cuts,” and an album’s track order00:31:45 - Where Ben and Brian developed their love of music, and playing an instrument 00:34:10 - “Hot Cross Buns,” the devil’s instruments, and Brian and Ben’s game preferences00:37:34 - Conflicting opinions on “Space Ace,” the Sega CD, and the ESRB00:40:23 - Nintendo games with the family, the art style of Don Bluth, and Brian’s assignment
00:43:25 - Brian and Ben create a 10 game arcade using the patented(?) MWM approach
 00:43:35 - Game #1 BRIAN - Konami 1988 - The Main Event  00:46:55 - Game #2 BEN - Konami 1987 - Contra 00:48:17 - Game #3 BRIAN - Midway 1997 - NFL Blitz 00:50:40 - Game #4 BEN - Atari 1988 - Cyberball 00:52:03 - Game #5 BRIAN - Nintendo 1984 - Duck Hunt 00:53:42 - Game #6 BEN - Williams 1984 - Turkey Shoot  00:54:45 - Game #7 BRIAN - Devecka Enterprises 1997 - MTV Drumscape  00:57:53 - Game #8 BEN - Bally Midway 1983 - Journey 01:00:52 - Game #9 BRIAN - Namco 2005 - Mario Kart Arcade GP 01:02:10 - Game #10 BEN - Taito 1989 - Night Striker
01:03:05 - Brian and Ben’s closing thoughts on the word mixtape
Check out Brian’s My Weekly Mixtape website for links to his social media offerings, as well as the show’s episodes and Spotify playlists! https://myweeklymixtape.com/

Norah joins Ben this week on a show that is rated V for vague!  They are taking about the word rating for about 83 percent of the show, and they hope that your interest, in this specific case, is very high!  Get it?  After sharing what they have been watching recently, they dive right in to the definition.  Ben explores the nature of MPAA movie ratings, examines their relation to censorship, and provides a couple of examples from two of his favorite movies… Galaxy Quest and Robocop.  Norah recalls her experiences in advertising, drops some Michelin restaurant knowledge, and relays positive vides on the work of Consumer Reports.  Finally, the discussion turns to the US government and how a congressional hearing and the strange game Night Trap helped to shape the ESRB’s video game ratings system. 
 
00:00:21 - Ben tries something new, and Norah saw the “Little Jagged Pill” musical00:03:00 - Ben’s dad joke about mediocrity, and then he apologizes for getting a name wrong00:05:10 - Ben buys a movie to repent and tells Norah about the premise for “Be Kind Rewind”  00:09:25 - The definition according to Ox Ford Languages, yachts, and angry reprimands00:12:45 - Again with the Google N-gram Viewer, and Ben unintentionally tests Norah 00:15:33 - Norah thinks that the definition needs to be simplified, and Ben can’t affords a yacht00:17:54 - Mild censorship and how ratings can control what you read, view, play, etc.00:20:56 - The subjective nature and the sliding scale of ratings systems00:23:07 - From the Hayes Code to the MPAA rating system… is it still censorship?00:26:28 - Bring your lawyer to the movie theater, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization00:28:56 - Example of how the movie industry uses ratings to stifle creativity: “Galaxy Quest”00:31:34 - Robocop, Siskel and Ebert, and Ben’s rendition of the “At the Movies” theme00:36:44 - Norah explains the origin of Michelin star ratings00:39:28 - Consumer Reports, schools, grades, books, and Neilson Ratings00:43:40 - Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, on a scale of 1 to boring, and Norah’s tiny rebellion00:46:30 - Ben’s impression… video games are not always completed before they are reviewed00:49:29 - The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and their classifications 00:51:14 - Atari 2600 pornographic games, cartoon violence, and congressional hearings00:53:21 - Ben explains the convoluted narrative and simple gameplay of Night Trap00:58:43 - The United States 103rd Congress intervenes, and the creation of Night Trap 01:02:28 - Ninja burglars, Vampires, non-reproducible violence, and the 25th Anniversary01:05:17 - One of the worst ranking systems is one that doesn’t take history in to account01:09:05 - Final thoughts… subjectivity, parents, tools, subtle neglect, and individuality01:12:21 - Ben agrees with Norah, a VERY late tangent, and goodbye

Amaya is in the “studio” this week with Ben and the pod-cats.  Amaya and Ben are eager to talk about the topic word and their individual healing journeys, but first, Amaya sets a challenge for herself (for the record the tally was “one hundred percent”=1 and “totally”=4, so only 5 punches were required).  It should go without saying, but as always with these two, there will be a wide assortment of tangents explored including: Michel Gondry movies, medical symbols, bandaids, recreational drug experience stories, and the joys of being single.  To wrap it up, the hosts talk about the unique storytelling in Witch Beam’s 2021 game “Unpacking,” their favorite “comfort food” games, and FLOOR CHICKEN?
 
00:00:21 - Amaya says we’re on a healing journey, and the “hot girl walk”00:02:00 - Hold Amaya accountable by punching yourself, and the definitions of the word heal00:04:20 - Origin of the world heal, Ben ponders, and the first thing Amaya thinks of00:06:41 - Part of the healing arc is finding the new normal, and the origin of the podcast00:09:15 - The ways we manage our stress, the importance of feeling okay, and journaling 00:12:21 - Ben’s sage-like advice about forgiveness, and Amaya doesn’t have a time machine00:14:42 - “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and the concept of erasing memories00:16:50 - Ben takes Amaya down the Michel Gondry rabbit hole  
 
*** Ben would like to apologize to Michel Gondry for calling him Michael; he sincerely apologizes for any undue harm that has befallen Michel’s family as a result of his ignorance.
 
00:19:10 - Ben talks about the curious case of the Caduceus and the Rod of Asclepius 00:21:33 - Different rods… Caduceus, Asclepius, and… OF DEATH!00:23:34 - Using bandaids for attention, imagining getting shot, and the healers of the world00:26:22 - Amaya talks about “The Body Keeps the Score…” by Bessel van der Kolk00:28:31 - Different types of healing, being labeled as an introvert, and conversational burnout00:31:55 - Knowing yourself, being single, social norms, and finding your own stability00:35:54 - Finding comfort in spirituality and hope, and medicinal healing with mushrooms00:38:13 - LSD brain, Timothy Leary, and learning from other people’s drug experiences 00:41:29 - Knowing people struggling with addiction, “Beautiful Boy,” and comedy00:43:27 - Talking about the wonder game “Unpacking” and it’s “narrative” about healing 00:46:29 - The awards won by Unpacking, and how Wren Brier came up with the concept00:49:26 - Minecraft, The Sims, Animal Crossing, and The Last of 1 and 200:52:50 - Amaya’s Rock Band drumming and the healing power of music00:54:01 - Upcoming guest Brian Colburn and his new show My Weekly Mixtape
*** Check out Brian’s show on you favorite podcast services or from the website at https://myweeklymixtape.com/
 
00:58:18 - What the heck is “floor chicken?”01:00:12 - Final thoughts on the word heal 

This special episode represents a new direction that we are going in the future (since our “Only Fans” page didn’t take off like we expected).  Since the pandemic reaction videos have been all the rage, and we’re feeling a little left out, so we are announcing our switch to Two Vague Reactions: audio only reactions to video content!  You can follow along or just listen to us react to stuff!
Amaya joins Ben this week to react to the Death Stranding Director’s Cut trailer.  There’s something for everyone in this video… tar-like goop, packages, Norman Reedus, rain that accelerates time, the song Goliath by Woodkid (which we can’t include in the recording due to copyright), and premature babies in jars!  Following the “whatever is applicable”-along, the hosts will discuss there thoughts and feelings about the video and the game if they have played it.  FUN!
00:00:42 - Prepare for your boat to be rocked!
00:02:12 - START the trailer here00:06:57 - trailer END… let’s talk about it!
00:07:14 - Hideo Kojima’s legacy and what did Amaya think of the trailer?00:09:01 - BBs, BTs, and an acid trip that lasts upwards of 50 hours00:10:15 - The cut scenes explain the story, but they are far too long00:12:00 - Games as art and complaining about the audience00:13:38 - Cetacean stranding and director’s cuts00:16:27 - A difference of opinion about the movies Tenet and Inception00:19:00 - Ben’s Edward Cullen story, and the final opinion! 

This week Ben takes Norah on an adventure with a word she has no interest in, but first Norah talks about three games she tried playing while she was visiting her nephew.  After the pleasantries, Norah fastens her seatbelt and prepares to be bombarded with Ben’s research.  Subjects and diversions include: memories of historical news moments, “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension,” the found footage movie genre, the first found footage film, and the video game designs of Sam Barlow. 
 
00:00:21 - Norah is back from Arizona, and Ben decides that Norah needs a manservant.00:02:42 - Games Ben and Norah played: “Dragon’s Crown,” “Katamari Damacy,” and…00:05:22 - “It Takes Two!”  What does Norah think of when she thinks of video games? 00:07:52 - Ben is proud, Norah swears like a sailor, and THE Sacagawea00:09:21 - Norah’s foot age is 76, Ben thinks he has tiny feet, and “are you nuts?”00:11:13 - The origin of the term footage, movies, sizes, and watching the news00:13:44 - The Space Shuttle Challenger, Apollo 11, actually awesome, and advertising00:17:22 - Memorable news and the declining value of footage and video 00:21:38 - Thought experiments and the found footage movie genre00:24:21 - Concert footage, The Beatles, Peter Jackson, Yoko Ono, and “Cannibal Holocaust”  00:27:32 - A movie summary, Italian exploitation cinema, and Red Brigades terrorism 00:31:17 - Ben shows his gullible side, DVD and Blu-Ray extras, and the watermelon 00:38:18 - British video game designer Sam Barlow and the unique storytelling in “Aisle”00:43:18 - Ben’s thoughts on the 2015 game “Her Story,” written and directed by Sam Barlow00:45:11 - Ben played “Telling Lies,” but he wasn’t impressed and has feedback00:47:56 - “Immortality” from 2022 is Ben’s favorite Sam Barlow / Half Mermaid game00:56:09 - Norah’s final thoughts equals zero, and Ben says check out “Immortality”00:58:45 - Ben gets distracted with talk of pinball machines and dispenses some trivia

Ben is joined by Norah this week, and cooperatively they investigate this week’s word.  Things out a little slow conversationally, but then their on-brand rampant digression kicks in with topics such as television procedurals, the “cozy” genre of mysteries, the movie adaptation of Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka’s black humour thriller novel “Maria Beetle,” Ben’s favorite Chris Columbus movie script, and Scandinavian Noir.  To close out the show, Norah listens intently while Ben talks about some of his favorite mystery themed point and click adventure games and Nintendo DS games from Capcom’s Shu Takumi.  In the final words, Norah includes a book series recommendation (Jutta Profijt’s “Morgue Drawer”), and Ben casually endorses the television series “iZombie.”
00:00:21 - Surf’s up in Chicago, 8AM installations, and what Norah is watching00:04:27 - State of mind, predictability, life things, mysteries of the sexes, and pod people00:07:21 - From digressions to definitions, the death of Raquel Welch, and Ox N. Ford 00:11:00 - Origins of mystery, mysticism, Ben’s personal definition, and the denouement 00:13:40 - Guitars, books, television, movies, and the genre of the Cozy Mystery00:18:18 - Egg preparations, the golden age of detective fiction, and “Abracadaver!”00:21:35 - Movie mystery preferences, cycling streaming services, and greed00:23:57 - Ben talks “Bullet Train” directed by a Brad Pitt / Jean-Claude Van Damme facsimile 00:29:00 - Storytelling preferences for mystery movies, and Norah’s cozy mystery trajectory 00:31:41 - The procedural mystery, character development in television, and realism 00:34:44 - Scandinavian Nior, IKEA, Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys00:38:35 - Enola Holmes, messing with Sherlock Holmes cannon, and Chris Columbus movies00:42:22 - Norah adds one more before moving on to mystery games… questionable meat!
00:43:39 - Correction: “Grim Fandango” was Tim Schaffer’s second game as a project leader
00:46:45 - “Sam & Max Hit the Road,” the largest ball of twine, and other roadside attractions00:49:19 - “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney,” “The Thing” in Arizona, and to-do lists00:52:10 - Ben explains Shu Takumi’s “Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective” to Norah00:55:13 - An interesting Nintendo direct remaster announcement, more trivia, and a step00:57:57 - Starting the wrap-up, a couple of recommendations, and ending mystery