DNA Podcast 101 – Werewolves in Popular Culture

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DNA Podcast 101 - Werewolves in Popular Culture
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In this episode, Rob and Don stalk the werewolf’s place in popular culture, hunting the elusive man who walks like a wolf! Along the way, they explore the history of werewolves in real life and fiction, talk about the origins of werewolves on film, and explore the RPG called Werewolf: The Apocalypse! All this, and more B-movies than you can shake a stick at (fetch boy!), are waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Island of Dr. Moreau
Coyote (the Trickster)
Skinwalkers
Kitsune
The Werewolf of London
Wikipedia entry on Werewolf Fiction
Bisclavret
Peter Stumpp- ‘the Werewolf of Bedburg’
Beast of Gévaudan
Wolfen
The Manitou
The Cat People (1942)
Werewolves on Wheels
The Howling
The Beast Must Die!
An American Werewolf in London
Curse of the Cat People
The Hideous Sun Demon
The She-Creature
Night of the Lepus
Food of the Gods
Prophecy
Phase IV
BUG (film)
Blood Freak
Tom Leher
Werewolf the Apocalypse
Michigan Dogman
The Iranian Angelina Jolie
The Beast of Bray Road
Dog Soldiers
Wolf
Silver Bullet
Ginger Snaps
The Company of Wolves
Monster Squad
Otherkin

DNA Podcast 100 – Failure

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DNA Podcast 100 - Failure
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Picture by ‘ccPixs.com’  www.ccPixs.com

In this, the hundredth episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs, Rob, Don, and Jack sit down to discuss their greatest creative failures. The trio talk about the challenges they’ve faced, what they’ve learned from them, and what failure really means. Along the way, they delve into the power of psychology, marketing, and clowns. Which pretty much sums up this entire episode! Enjoy, and thanks for listening!

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Mysterious Universe
Mutual Audio Network
The Sonic Society
Mark Time Awards
Red Tails Movie
Tuskegee Airman Movie (I was wrong, it predates Red Tails by a decade.)
Ed Wood
Sunk Cost Fallacy
Twin Stars
Biff Straker
Decoder Ring Theatre
Penn and Teller
Penn and Teller Master Class
Understanding Comics
Ali Wong: Anaconda Momma
Terry O’Reilly: Under the Influence Podcast
Influence by Robert Cialdini
The Rule of Reciprocity
Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
Cognitive Dissonance
Red: Living on the Edge Manga
Buckskin Brigades by L. Ron Hubbard
The Joe Rogan Experience
Stan Sakai
Tim Truman
Dave Stevens
Slasher (TV Series)
Criterion Collection

DNA Podcast 099 – Trust Us, We’re Lying

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The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 099 - Trust Us, We're Lying
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In this episode, Don and Rob are joined by Jack Ward to discuss the book Trust Me, I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday and the implications that come with his tell-all book about media manipulation. The three delve into the techniques used by Holiday and media manipulators, how the media hacks human psychology, and why fake news may have always been with us. All this, and the startling truth about the reptilian invasion, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Trust Me, I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday
“You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.” – William Randolph Hurst
Source Amnesia
The Thunderbird Photo
The Backfire Effect
Yellow Journalism
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
James O’Keefe
Andrew Brietbart
D&D Satanic Panic
The Internet Research Agency (Russian Troll Farm)
A Russian Facebook page organized a protest in Texas. A different Russian page launched the counterprotest.
Gawker Media
4-chan
8-chan
Nick Denton
Jezebel
Freakonomics
The Lumiere Brothers
The New York Sun / Benjamin Day
Mutual Audio Network
Scott Adams (Created Dilbert)
Kinda Racist? Try Diet Racism! (Collegehumour)
This Video Will Make You Angry
What is an Influencer?
Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
Quora
Jordan Peterson
The Year 2525
The Congress (film)

DNA Podcast 098 – Vampires in Popular Culture

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DNA Podcast 098 - Vampires in Popular Culture
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In this episode, Don and Rob explore vampires and their place in history and popular culture. The two intrepid stalkers of the night discuss vampire legends, obscure vampire lore, and the history of vampires on film. All this, and Rob’s rant about stupid vampire lords, is waiting to suck your attention in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Dracula
Aswang
Kappa
Penganggulan (Bodyless Malyasian Vampires)
Jiangshi (Chinese Hopping Vampire)
Lich
Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood
The Vampyre by John William Polidori
Carmilla
Elizabeth Bathory
Yuka Kinoshita (YouTube, Japanese eating champion)
Nosferatu (1922)
Dracula (1931)
The Thing from Another World
Who Goes There (short story)
Planet of Blood (Alternate title for this; or this….)
Queen of the Damned
I Am Legend
The Last Man on Earth
Blade: Vampire Hunter
The Lamia
The Daughters of Lilith
‘Salem’s Lot
Fright Night
The Lost Boys
The Vampire Lestat
The Van Helsing Tapes (Actually, “The Dracula Tapes”)
True Blood TV Series
Doctor Spektor
Dark Shadows
Nick Knight / Forever Knight TV Series
Tomb of Dracula Comic
Vampirella
Dracula Eats a Hamburger
The Strain
Van Helsing Movie
Vampire: The Masquerade RPG
Chill RPG: Vampires
Vampire Hunter D
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Twilight
Count Yorga films
Count von Count
2000 AD Werewolf Story
Paranormal Romance

DNA Podcast 097 – Education in Popular Culture with Jack Ward

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DNA Podcast 097 - Education in Popular Culture with Jack Ward
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In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by their favorite teacher Jack Ward to discuss education and how it’s reflected in popular culture. The three explore the roles education plays in society, and how pop culture and education both reflect and change each other. They also discuss the different kinds of movies about teachers and students, and Jack shares a few teaching stories. All this, and Jack’s theory that education is a virus, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Grave Robbing
Andy Hardy
Mad Scientist
Pontypool Changes Everything
Doctor Who
The Wonderful Stories of Professor Kitzel
Ms. Frizzle (The Magic Schoolbus)
Mission Magic
Bill Nye
Dexter’s Lab
Beakman’s World
John Bell’s Mr. Wizzard
Our Gang
Poindexter
Darwood Kaye (aka Waldo, the nerd from Our Gang/ Little Rascals)
Dead Poet’s Society
To Sir With Love
Blackboard Jungle
The Class of 1984
The Class of 1999
Don’t Knock the Rock
Footloose
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Animal House
Revenge of the Nerds
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Rebel Without a Cause
What can be done about violence against elementary school teachers? (CBC article)
Mister D
One Eight Seven (Film with Sam Jackson as Teacher)
Fredrick Douglas
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Bodily Humours

Rob Note: the early women’s fashion magazine which I was referring to at the start was the Gynaeceum, sive Theatrum Mulierum (Theatre of Women, in which are reproduced by engraving the female costumes of all the nations of Europe), printed in 1586. I mistakenly confused it with another publication. My apologies.

DNA Podcast 096 – Rules Heavy and Lite RPGs

August 23, 2019
DiscussionHistoricalPodcast EpisodesUncategorized
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 096 - Rules Heavy and Lite RPGs
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Image result for lasers and feelings

In this episode, Rob and Don are joined by their friend Jack Ward to discuss the difference between Role Playing Games that use detailed rules systems (rules heavy) versus those who use minimalist rules (rules lite) and how each affects gameplay. Along the way, the trio discuss lots of oldschool RPGs, Japanese vs. American RPGs, Console RPGs, and the direction that games are taking in general. All this, and slimes, are waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

What’s New With Phil and Dixie (Sex in D&D Joke)
Soft Sci-fi versus Hard Sci-fi
DNA Making the Biff Straker RPG with Jack Ward
Narrativist RPG
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
Fallout IV
The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen (game)
CHAMPIONS RPG
Star Fleet Battles
Space Opera RPG
Traveller RPG
Star Frontiers RPG
Star Frontiers: Night Hawks
The World of Synnibarr RPG
X Minus 1 – Cold Equations
The Ninja Crusade RPG
Ninja HERO RPG
PC-98
Phantasy Star
Dragon Quest Console RPG
Japanese Dragon Quest Slimes
Chocobo Horsebirds
Elephant bird
Cosmic Patrol RPG
Amazon Women on the Moon
It Came from the Late, Late, Late Show
DNA Horror RPG Episode
Gundam RPG
Vampire the Masquarade
Cartoon Action Hour RPG
Shadowrun 5th Edition
Lasers and Feelings RPG
Love and Justice RPG
Lasers and Feelings Hacks (Holy crap there’s a lot of them)
D20 Modern

DNA Podcast 095 – Fantasy Tropes People Love with Jack Ward

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DNA Podcast 095 - Fantasy Tropes People Love with Jack Ward







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In this episode, Don and Rob are joined by Jack Ward to discuss a recent Reddit survey on fantasy tropes people love. They discuss how people might be misusing the word and idea of tropes, and then go through people’s top choices for fantasy tropes, from the heroic last stand to the plucky young hero, and discuss why each trope is there and people like them so much. All this, and a whole pile of dragons and swords, are waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Reddit Thread on Fantasy Tropes
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Phantom Lady
Trope
TVtropes.org
Bathos (your new word of the episode)
What Writers Should Learn from Wonder Woman (video)
The Hunt for the Wilder People
What We Do in Shadows
The Karate Kid Crane Kick
ARIEL (anime)
Bildungsroman
Horatio Alger
Horatio Hornblower
The Count of Monte Christo
The Count of Monte Christo 2002 Film
Mu (Lost Continent)
Atlantis
The Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis
Indigenous Taiwanese and Maori Are Linked
Dinotopia
Reign of Fire
Laid Back Camp
Bakuman
The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler

New DNA YouTube Channel

July 29, 2019
Uncategorized

At long last, I’ve gotten around to putting the complete collection of DNA episodes (to date) up on YouTube. They’re not annotated with images and clips (sorry, it would be too much to annotate 94 episodes), but they are available for listening and hopefully it will help to find a new audience. Also, if you prefer YouTube as your audio source of choice, or place to comment, we now have you covered!

You can use the link in this post, or the one at the top of the page to check them out.

Rob

DNA Podcast 094 – Gaming Tropes

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DNA Podcast 094 - Gaming Tropes







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In this episode, Rob and Don dig into the concept of tropes and discuss how they connect with tabletop RPG gaming. Few people think about how Hit Points are actually an artificial idea created by games, and how they affect the way we think about games- this is an example of a gaming trope. Don and Rob also discuss many popular games like CHILL, TOON, and TORG, and how these genre-simulating games play on the tropes of other media. All this, and why the DC Heroes RPG was the best game ever, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed

DC HEROES RPG (Mayfair)
Call of Chthulhu RPG
Ninja Crusade
Champions RPG
Villains and Vigilantes
Superworld
Superhero 2044
GURPS:Supers
Chill RPG
Hammer House of Horror
TOON RPG
MAGE RPG
It Came from the Late Late Late Show RPG
TORG
Cabin the Woods (movie)
William Castle (B-Horror Movie maker, Don calls him Frank Castle by accident. Frank is The Punsher, William is the Tingler!)
The Magician’s Podcast #97 – Teller
litRPGs

DNA Podcast 093 – Death to Evil Overlords!

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DNA Podcast 093 - Death to Evil Overlords!







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In this episode, Don listens as Rob goes on a tear about one of his pet peeves- Evil Overlords in Fantasy and Science Fiction. The pair discuss the origins of the Evil Overlord trope, why is exists, and what the problems are with it. Along they way, they discuss “Villains who say Bah!”, the Asian versus western approach to Evil, and how to avoid the Evil Overlord trope. All this, and why Skeletor is the most cuddly Evil Overlord ever, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed

The Wheel of Time
The Way of Kings
Mistborne
Don’t Ask for DC Heroes RPG
Oscorp
The Venture Brothers
The Guild of Calamitous Intent Training Video
Edge of Tomorrow
Marvel Star Wars Comics (Originals)
Rules for Rulers (Video about power)
The Very Complete, Very Extended, Printer Friendly, Evil Overlord List
The Eternals
Journey to the West (the Monkey King)
Ushio and Tora
Starscream
Centurions
Bionic Six
Dungeons and Dragons Ford Commercial
Dungeons and Dragons cartoon Ending Youtube Video
Skeletor