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360 degrees
13 Plays3 months ago
Fallout season 2 spoilers beware
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Transcript
Introduction and Current Mindset
00:00:23
David Isaacs
All right. Hey everyone. It is February 11th at time of recording. I'm here joined by my fellow colleague, co-owner of late stage evolution podcast, certified webmaster. He's a gentleman and a scholar is Brian.
00:00:45
The Big Dog
Well, thank you for that kind introduction, David. I do appreciate that. I don't know if I'll be able to live up to all of that, but doing well, my friend. Just ready to talk to the people. How are you, sir?
00:00:58
David Isaacs
good just uh just chugging along you know it's uh yeah yeah um
00:01:07
The Big Dog
Yeah. last time
Work-Life Balance and Personal Growth
00:01:10
The Big Dog
ah Last time we talked, you're you know kind of buried in some work and Feelings were had, so, you know, how's that going?
00:01:20
David Isaacs
yeah i think it's just um you know, I named the session here 360, but I was thinking of like waxing and waning type and, um,
00:01:33
David Isaacs
You know, with going to therapy and of knowing the nature of work itself, there's a lot of waxing and waning. There's a lot of adaptability to be able to respond to, you know, certain stressors and things are getting fast or, you know, there's some things that you're just not sure about, you haven't looked into and you got to learn really quickly.
00:01:51
The Big Dog
Bye.
00:01:58
David Isaacs
So it really just comes down to perspective. You know, and um there's always things that I could be doing better. There's obviously have my strengths and try to get out of my comfort zone, my comfort zone, generally being the strengths and trying to stay around that.
00:02:20
David Isaacs
But outside of it, it's tougher, you know. Um, but I'm, I'm getting there. <unk>s the good thing about problems happen, you know, they've happened before in the past and you can rely on the people around you for advice.
00:02:36
David Isaacs
And sometimes, you know, it feels like it's coming out too quickly and it's very easy for me, I think to get isolated. So I've been trying not to do that and ask for help when it's needed and For the most part, i've been gotten I've gotten pretty good help with things.
00:02:50
The Big Dog
you
00:02:55
David Isaacs
So, very appreciative of
Financial Stress and Coping Strategies
00:02:58
David Isaacs
that. And, yeah, I mean, I'm still... Workload is what it is. of Obviously, they...
00:03:07
David Isaacs
it's It's good in that sense. I think they see the potential in me and are trying to get me up to speed as quick as possible because, you know, things are happening quickly. And, you know, it's... I just don't want to lose out on... You know, and I feel like I'm stressed out. I'm working too much. i don't have that balance. You know, I think there's things that... I care about and I want to hold on to, you know, being empathetic, wanting to help other people out as much as I can and have those conversations and, you know, look for solutions to problems that we're having. And, um, but there's just not enough time.
00:03:51
David Isaacs
right and uh things that you're working on and what you're expected to accomplish and and all those things i mean there's a lot to there's a lot that i carry with me uh yeah it's it's easy enough to revert back to those old ways but at least i have that sense now to know that you know i'm kind of past that and those
00:04:20
David Isaacs
The certain behaviors or thoughts are comforting. They served a purpose at one time or another, but they're not helpful now, I guess. But when you're really in the thick of it, it's it's hard to kind of tell friend from foe in that sense.
00:04:38
The Big Dog
Yeah, um ah totally I totally get that. i um Well, I mean, I'm glad that you're, you know, you kind of recognize your, you know, your your triggers or, you know, you're recognizing your feelings as you're, you know, you're feeling them. um First step kind of, I've, you know, i always learned from therapy and just, you know,
00:04:59
The Big Dog
talking myself down from a ledge is just, you know, recognizing the feelings that you're feeling, identifying them, you know, being aware of them. It's hard to control them at all at times. least for me, it is. So I'm glad that you're, you're, you know, it seems like you've come, you know, long, long, long way. And I'm glad that you're three, you know, experiencing your three 60, no scope of life. So that's, you know, good.
00:05:26
The Big Dog
um Yeah. was kind of on the, same page just like last like week or two forget last time that we recorded but like i excuse me i um i don't necessarily have financial issues but it was just like kind of two big hits like last week where i i did my taxes and for the first time ever i i owe on my taxes like i think i almost a thousand dollars which is not a large sum of money, but it was just kind of a shock because, you know, my wife and I were, we weren't necessarily planning like huge expenses, but you know, we just got like a vacation that would have been nice just to be able to use that. But, you know, so that happened. And then literally the next day i had to,
00:06:13
The Big Dog
um complete our medical information, or I'm sorry, insurance information, our open enrollment for work because our calendar year for that is March to March.
00:06:24
The Big Dog
Um, and just like every other place, you know, around the, around the country, know, insurance is, is going through the roof. So my, my policy, ah doubled since last year. um they gave me kind of a, it's what you call like a, uh, I,
00:06:44
David Isaacs
HSA or subsidized it or.
00:06:46
The Big Dog
No, it's like a change of circumstance raise. I think that's what it's called. They just help mitigate the cost. It's still, you know, I'm, I guess, you know, quote unquote losing money from my paycheck, you know, not that that's like the actual case, but it's less than what I was making before my raise.
00:07:01
David Isaacs
Yep.
00:07:06
The Big Dog
But you know, it, again, i was just, I'm just like sitting on our couch and I'm just like kind of literally banging my head against the wall. It wasn't like I was like intentionally hurting myself, but I just needed to you know, that was my response to the stimuli or whatever the term is in psychology. i just was not happy. And, um, you know, my, my wife's been working, you know, all sorts of overtime, especially this week with baking and getting catering, you know, cause
00:07:37
The Big Dog
Restaurant business, least in Michigan, and is very slow in January. And, you know, they kind of felt that. And, you know, they've just trying to find new ways to innovate business. Well, it just so happens ah someone one of their old customers came back in has just been ordering. he owns, ah I'm not sure which one exactly, but he owns...
00:07:57
The Big Dog
Smolica weed dispensaries and he's been giving his employees, you know, food and cupcakes and such. So, you know, that that's been helpful, but it's just, you know, added stress onto an already kind of stressful, stressful situation of this. Like we don't necessarily need the money, but we need the money, you know? So I'm just added stress back in too. And then,
00:08:21
The Big Dog
you know, I don't want to be thinking about money while I'm on vacation.
Adulting Challenges: Finances and Stress
00:08:24
The Big Dog
I'm working a couple of days while I'm down in Florida, but I'll spending the rest of the week, you know, just sitting by the pool, really, you know swimming or whatever. Like I plan on doing nothing. This is my, this will be my first vacation in three years, four years, actually. the last one I took was in April of 2022.
00:08:46
The Big Dog
ah Later that month, I got laid off from the mortgage industry. So when I went to a boot camp and our final project would, was taking place while i would have gone on vacation. And then I just was working hard to get into the industry of tech and all that. So this is my first vacation like time. So I'm really looking forward to it, but you know um it's kind of to your point, it's just added variables you know that's kind of had to navigate that I didn't necessarily want to but I unfortunately have to that's that's life no one's gonna be there to pick up the pieces other than yourself so you just kind of kind of champion forward and kind of gone through all the emotions you know sad depression just feeling worthless and i was like it's really not that big of a deal at the end of the day so i kind of just had to do that my own 360 of sorts and it's kind of my own
00:09:29
David Isaacs
you
00:09:40
The Big Dog
own doing but I'm you know aware of that and doing a lot of self-reflection um I'm you know I'm over it
00:09:51
David Isaacs
Yeah. Well, sorry if had to deal with that. And yeah, I hope you have a good time on your vacation. And like you said, it's not exactly that we need the money, but having money get taken away. i mean, no one needs that either.
00:10:09
David Isaacs
So yeah, I definitely understand your frustration and, the you know, being in the moment.
00:10:10
The Big Dog
Right.
00:10:17
David Isaacs
and you know, kind of how you respond to it. Cause yeah, it is, it is messed up for a lot of people, uh, the healthcare industry at large and the healthcare care premiums and all these other variables that get factored into it and having to pay taxes.
00:10:36
David Isaacs
And then once a year having to, you know, put all these documents together to figure out, Oh, I still owe more taxes. Like it's not, fun.
00:10:48
The Big Dog
Yeah, yeah, exactly. You know, and I know that, like, my, how i take money out of my paycheck is, because, you know, I'm claiming to append and so I wasn't, again, we weren't, I wasn't expecting, like, a large return anyway, but, um you know,
00:11:08
The Big Dog
this big, beautiful tax bill that they passed was supposed to be, you know, increased average family household of, you know, return to by a thousand to $2,000. Again, this is what you read.
00:11:18
The Big Dog
I don't put much stock in that because there's ah all sorts of different variables, but you know, having like an extra $500,000 would have been nice. But again, you know, um, I'm not looking like I'm going be destitute because of that. So, um,
00:11:36
The Big Dog
you know, just another thing of life we got to go through.
Learning from Failure and Self-Awareness
00:11:40
The Big Dog
Being an adult sucks, but, you know, I can't go back to being 18 living at my parents' house again. So both mentally and literally, you know,
00:11:49
The Big Dog
um
00:11:53
The Big Dog
things we got to learn from, know, as we always talk about. And um I've been in my one-on-ones at work, you know, just had a lot of chat of just, you know, failing failing or learning by failing, um you know, ah because my boss is basically ah what I'm doing, but with a much larger team, you know, because on my team, it's only me and one or marketing person.
00:12:23
The Big Dog
So, but we also have, ah you know, way less... ah pressure and, and, uh, responsibility than than she does. But, you know, I'm, I'm also in a different industry. So she's been trying to mentor me the best that she can. um but you know, a lot of the, the theme of my one-on-ones lately has been, you know, learning by failing. Unfortunately, we have to, we go through it. And i think that has just kind of been my, ah maybe,
00:12:56
The Big Dog
theme of my life recently and I just kind of all right well now you know how to what to look for and you know what to kind of expect so um it's again sucks but and it is what it is but we just can't emphasize an enough that for it's really beyond and our control we just got to do the best make the best of what we got
00:13:19
David Isaacs
Yeah, I think
00:13:26
David Isaacs
having the ability to be proactive and not really planning for something, like stuff's going to pop up all the time, right?
00:13:36
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:13:36
David Isaacs
But you know in the moment or if it stays, if it's weeks, I feel like I just don't want to lose those parts of myself that I've worked so hard on.
00:13:50
David Isaacs
Um, and it's the same with learning by failing. It's the best way to do it, but it doesn't mean that it's not taxing. I mean, exercise is one of the best ways to stay healthy, but it is taxing getting eight hours of sleep and all these other things that are, you know, a lot harder to do than staying up all night and playing video games and dragging yourself to work and having no real output.
00:14:17
David Isaacs
i mean, maybe that happens every once in a while, but we know, i guess being an adult, you learn that, uh, you the bad decisions, the bad investments that you make in yourself add up over time.
00:14:32
David Isaacs
And so at one point someone's going to come to collect, You know, whether it be your health, your financial situation, or just not being prepared for the inevitable problems.
00:14:48
David Isaacs
stuff that's going to happen. And, uh, yeah, I mean, I'm kind in the same boat learning by failing or it's lot of experimentation when it comes to trying to provide like novel concepts and novel solutions to common problems that people have had that they might not have had enough time to look at or trying to think about things differently.
00:15:12
David Isaacs
And, um, So it is one of the tougher things to have to deal with. And yeah, being an an adult sucks. So I still play video games and watch cartoons and um don't want to.
00:15:28
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:15:30
David Isaacs
That's that's another part of myself. You know, when you step back and realize like, yeah, ah I have the ability to get any video game that I want now. Maybe there is some balance to be had because
00:15:43
The Big Dog
For sure.
00:15:45
David Isaacs
I find myself looking at the Steam store more than playing video games sometimes. I'm like, what I doing? I have, you know, probably 30 games I haven't played before, but it's one of the things that I thought about before too is like, yeah, I mean, being an adult sucks, but, you know, I still have that part of me that's a kid.
00:16:05
David Isaacs
And because i I do have that part of me, I think it plays into, you know, the curiosity that I have about stuff. It plays into, you know, my creativity and trying to fix the problems that other people think are small.
Balancing Life for Mental Well-being
00:16:22
David Isaacs
Um, but that investing in the time and everything, it just kind of leads you to a bigger picture of fixing a bigger problem. And, uh, yeah, I mean, there's always a lot to manage, a lot to balance and, and those things.
00:16:37
David Isaacs
But, uh, like getting to the, I feel like that gratitude aspect too of like, oh, you know, things aren't great right now, but maybe I didn't appreciate when they, they were, because it's just kind of that reality check too.
00:16:40
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:16:54
David Isaacs
When something happens and you're just kind of in that moment, you can't do anything about it. And it's very frustrating. and It's like, Well, one, you know, things have been good for so long and this will pass. We'll get over it.
00:17:08
David Isaacs
And I totally get where you're coming from. i mean, sometimes just in the moment, it's hard to break yourself out.
00:17:17
The Big Dog
Yeah, it's just, you know, it's like rough 24 hours at that point. And only had a couple of days to finish my insurance enrollment. And, you know, my HR person had texted me. She's like, hey, saw you got in, but like, you have any questions? I literally just had said...
00:17:36
David Isaacs
yeah what the fuck
00:17:37
The Big Dog
it well, in a way, yeah I was like, yeah, I'm trying to figure out if I can afford this. And she's like, she did like the typical HR thing. She's like, well, with your recent raise, you should be able to now. And after that, I just like let it go. was like, I like went on like, I know it's not called Obamacare, but healthcare.gov just, you know, to see,
00:17:58
The Big Dog
what prices would be like if we qualified for anything. Spoiler alert, even though I make our family combined, at least on paper, um, makes less than a hundred thousand dollars year combined. Um, we, we didn't qualify for anything. So like it would have been like $600 a month for, like whatever the bronze, which is like the lowest. So, you know, $10,000 deductible and, you know, all this other,
00:18:27
The Big Dog
things that weren't conducive. So, you know, I just stuck to the plan and our network and, you know, just gotta suck it up. So, um, you know, again, it is what it is, but, um, but yeah, but kind back to, I mean, I did escape myself into video games. Like I was, uh, been playing, finally started playing Baldur's Gate,
00:18:50
The Big Dog
three regularly. know it's only been like three or four years now since it's come out, but it's just like the kind of time and dedication that just haven't put into that. So, uh, you know, I did read and this was, gosh, this was had to have been 15 years ago. Like the average gamer, i think it's like in their forties now it's like 41 or something.
00:19:11
The Big Dog
i just looked it up and then it still seems to be true. So i think like video games are kind of just becoming or have become, you know, an escape for, you know, a lot of people, I mean, look at grandpa. I don't know if you're familiar, but there's a battlefield player named grandpa gaming. Like he's, he was a scout sniper in Vietnam and he uses his knowledge to snipe other people in the game. And he's in his seventies now, I think.
00:19:38
The Big Dog
So it just kind of has become that, especially like the last 10 years with like Twitch streaming and all that's, you know, kind of part of the the escape. But, um,
00:19:51
The Big Dog
yeah, we all kind of need that, whether it's working out or, or gaming or, you know, reading a book, even just kind of need like an escape from, you know, whatever is in our life for, even if it's for a few minutes to a couple hours, you know, just the kind of transition, you know, I equate it, but I don't equate it to like, you know, coming home from serving in the military, right? There's always going to be that transitional period. Obviously,
00:20:20
The Big Dog
nowhere near as like drastic of a thing, but you know, like, as we come home from work, you know, and this is what my, um, therapist had told me, like, you know, find your thing and don't make it like some sort of addiction, but you know, like tell your wife, like, Hey, I need like an hour to kind of like turn off from work, you know, de-stress, decompress, um, you know, and,
00:20:47
The Big Dog
And switch off. Like, you go and, you know, take her place with your son because my son's not going anywhere, you know. He's always going to be there and he's asking me to take care
Escapism through Video Games
00:20:57
The Big Dog
of. So, you know, communication, whether it's with your partner or yourself, you know, that's um that's what's about, you know, you got to find a way to just transition from your employment, your if it's our school, and just, like,
00:21:17
The Big Dog
be ready to transition to home because it's two, it's two separate things and those things can't penetrate your walls. So
00:21:26
David Isaacs
It is a ah big thing that I haven't gotten much into, but what you're describing basically is kind of setting those boundaries, right? Between work and personal life and kind of the transition, like you were saying, throughout our days, i mean, we wake up and then we get ready for work and our commute kind of gives us, you know, that time.
00:21:51
David Isaacs
to get into work and kind of like change gears into, you know, work time. Or if you're working from home, it's kind of the same thing. And I've been trying to stick to, you know, kind of the same routine.
00:21:59
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:22:01
David Isaacs
Like if I was going into the office, like, and I get up and i shower in the morning, going to do that same thing at home. Don't always do it. Sometimes I get up later, but it is kind of that routine. I think that helps in that sense of like,
00:22:18
David Isaacs
getting me ready to do my job. And when I'm finished with my job, then I'm getting ready to, ah you know, just not do my job, basically.
00:22:30
David Isaacs
So and to not worry about it.
00:22:30
The Big Dog
Right.
00:22:33
David Isaacs
And yeah, I mean, I haven't, I haven't delved too deep into those boundaries and how to set them up and what works for me and, and those things just because, you know, I'm still of in that period of proving myself and now getting more responsibilities and more visibility and people are, you know, coming and asking me for things and, and all that. So, um,
00:23:01
David Isaacs
Yeah. So it's going to be even harder to kind of set those things up, but I totally get what you're saying is as far as, you know, if it's unwinding, if it's just, you know, that transition during the day to, you know, get out of work mode and now your dad and husband mode and okay, what do we got going on? What we got to take care of like, and It's really about that balance. And I was even talking someone today.
00:23:30
David Isaacs
You bring up like older gamers. Like I remember growing up, my friend's grandpa, you know, he had this this box of like, yeah he was an early adopter to computer games.
00:23:42
David Isaacs
And ah really, it's a memory that stuck with me for a while.
00:23:42
The Big Dog
Hmm.
00:23:46
David Isaacs
because It's just like, you don't see the the boxes of the CD-ROMs that you had to install for different you had four different of them that you had to install to your computer and you had the guides and you had all this, uh, cause that was marketing like store at stores, you know, the artwork on your, on the boxes to get the games.
00:23:59
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:24:10
David Isaacs
That was like a big advertising piece of it and the, how well your manuals were written and all that. So like Baldur's Gate 3, was talking to someone today where I went into the Fallout lore and Fallout 1 came out and the you know developers were going to lose.
00:24:33
David Isaacs
Basically the company was going to go under if they didn't release another game. So then Fallout 2 came out the next year. So like a team of people that banded together to release Fallout 2 and it's considered one of the greatest RPGs of all time.
00:24:45
The Big Dog
Right.
00:24:45
David Isaacs
and Fortunately, didn't win anything because Baldur's Gate 1 came out that year and it won everything. But it's very interesting, like just some of these stories and you see like the early adopters and I know people that I work with that are older now and still playing video
00:24:51
The Big Dog
Yeah, yeah.
TV Shows: Expectations vs. Reality
00:25:02
David Isaacs
games.
00:25:02
David Isaacs
And I think the it really helps with, you know, that adaptability and um getting over like that stubbornness and just getting into something that's like, OK, well, I can.
00:25:16
David Isaacs
maybe I'm not doing the best right now. I could change some things up. Like, let's see if this works and we'll experiment and, and what have you. And then also just the neuroplasticity that comes with it.
00:25:28
David Isaacs
So.
00:25:29
The Big Dog
Yeah, so fun fact about Fallout was that Ron Perlman, the actor, has been doing some sort narration since Fallout 1.
00:25:43
The Big Dog
ah Apparently, according to him, his pay for the first one was $400 and a sandwich. He came in and did a couple lines, they gave him a sandwich, and he left.
00:25:54
The Big Dog
I don't know if that's true or not, but um yeah, he's been... Just like a random fact that he's been with the franchise ah since it began. So.
00:26:08
David Isaacs
And even in the TV show, he's been the narrator for every, in most fallouts.
00:26:11
The Big Dog
What?
00:26:17
David Isaacs
I think there's one that he's not in but yeah, he did a, he was he was the super mutant.
00:26:27
The Big Dog
Yeah. Well, I didn't want to spoil it. If anybody had our listeners hadn't listened to it yet, but I guess it's been out for a week and the series. So a fair game at this point, I'm sure.
00:26:39
David Isaacs
Yeah, yeah, spoiler alert after you've heard it, but
00:26:42
The Big Dog
yeah Right. Yeah. Don't listen to this episode until you watch follow this season too.
00:26:51
David Isaacs
I'll put it in the description, like Fallout Season 2 spoilers, which...
00:26:55
The Big Dog
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Skip, you know, X amount of seconds or minutes or whatever.
00:27:01
David Isaacs
Which is season two, I wouldn't really consider it great. the They kind of kept the same themes, but then the story got like, the story has too many branches and like they need to cut back on it.
00:27:18
David Isaacs
There's like too much that's good.
00:27:18
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:27:20
David Isaacs
And then there's a lot that's just like, i I don't care about this anymore. You're like trying to make it like a video game. Like we're on this quest.
00:27:31
The Big Dog
right
00:27:31
David Isaacs
And that's how it should be like is as much as like the Mandalorian is not. The Mandalorian is basically a video game like they're just on a quest. They need to do something. And the people around are like, well, if you do this for us, then we'll help you with that. And then that's like literally every episode.
00:27:49
The Big Dog
Yeah. for Oh yeah, for sure. um Yeah, I mean, I liked overall season two, but it was definitely, it just had weird pacing, like Not necessarily like... Every episode felt fluid to me, but I guess just like the overall story, like none of the big reveals or anything, like nothing was wrapped up until last two episodes. Like that just felt like... It kind of just felt like a poorly written movie or a poorly cut movie where it's like, oh yeah, I guess we do have to wrap this up at some point. And they're just like, oh, you know, last two episodes.
00:28:23
The Big Dog
um Didn't like that. And, you know, my wife doesn't... um Obviously, she didn't play the video games, so she doesn't really know the lore, so I've had to over-explain things, so she kind of lost interest. She's still going to watch it going forward, but it' was just like, this season's rough. She's like, I don't understand this, and i don't understand that. like, yeah, they didn't... I don't know. it just Some of the things were poorly explained, and like I kind of had to look for elaboration on that. i'm I've been playing since, I mean, three, and I played almost every iteration of it, and
00:28:58
The Big Dog
gone back a lot, but I'm not really necessarily like an expert per se. so Again, I liked it. It was fine.
00:29:08
David Isaacs
Yeah, I've been watching Oneida Seven Kingdoms, which has been very good.
00:29:13
The Big Dog
ah Is episode 5 out? Oh, okay. Okay.
00:29:17
David Isaacs
No, I don't think it's out until Sunday, unfortunately. They released the episode four early because it's the Super Bowl.
00:29:25
The Big Dog
oh okay Yeah, i'm
00:29:30
The Big Dog
I was kind of skeptical of it at first, like the first like 30 seconds and then that one a thing happens and I'm like, all right, I'm i'm hooked. This is ah i like this is different.
00:29:47
David Isaacs
Yeah, it's not season two of House of the Dragon where they spend the entire time talking about going to war.
00:29:53
The Big Dog
Right, yeah, yeah.
00:29:53
David Isaacs
Like, what the fuck, man? Are you kidding me?
00:29:56
The Big Dog
yeah
00:29:56
David Isaacs
Like, this is terrible. This is some, like, you know, splitting hairs, like, trying to... you're taking a You're trying to wring out a towel that just came out of the dryer. Like, there's nothing...
00:30:11
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:30:11
David Isaacs
Nothing coming out of this. It's just people talking about going to war and then you get 15, 10, 15 minute dragon fight. And yeah, like the only redeemable characters are just like out to the pasture.
00:30:27
The Big Dog
I know. And my my coworker slash buddy was like, well, it was all set up, dude. I go, yeah, I get that. But like, they could have done something.
00:30:38
The Big Dog
a little bit more. Like, I've... I actually have read Game of Thrones books. I haven't read the Targaryen, the targarian the ah House of Blood and Fire. I think it's with those particular ones. There's, like, the Queen, and they're, they're like, mini-stories, but um I just felt like they they could have done more. And, know, there's people playing Raider Strike, yadda, yadda, yadda. But it it just...
00:31:02
The Big Dog
It felt like such a huge setup, and if it like doesn't deliver on that, which I'm assuming it will, ah you know I know they're only going four seasons, but it just feels like they kind of shot themselves in the foot with season two.
00:31:18
The Big Dog
um But I do dig Night of the Seven Kingdoms. it's ah It's intriguing enough and doesn't take itself too seriously, which I like.
00:31:28
David Isaacs
Yeah, I mean, it kind of turned on its head because it was just a knight's tale at the beginning.
00:31:33
The Big Dog
Yeah, pretty much.
00:31:34
David Isaacs
But I think that it's one of those things where I didn't know it's what I needed. But taking that universe down to such a smaller scale where you still have things that are happening, like there's still going to be, you know, the causes of these royal houses and whatever, like being represented here. But it's just...
00:31:58
David Isaacs
around a like contest like an old contest jousting and sword fighting and and these other things so it's a bunch of people different characters that are coming together and it's um it's really heartfelt and it's uh has the action that's necessary to be had it's not
00:32:05
The Big Dog
Yeah.
00:32:21
David Isaacs
you know, not to rag on season two of House the Dragon too much, but it's, yeah, like things actually happen and it doesn't have to be large scale, just like keep the story moving forward. Like we are enamored with these characters and the interactions that they've had with each other. It doesn't have to be like, it's very good writing. i know George R.R. Martin's involved. I heard grumblings that,
00:32:47
David Isaacs
They stopped asking for his advice for House of the Dragon season two, not to give George R.R. Martin much credit because I think he has his own faults, but, um you know, he knows how to write a story.
00:32:59
David Isaacs
And now hearing about Baldur's Gate is going to be adapted by HBO and they're not consulting with Larian Studios at all.
Media and Life Lessons
00:33:09
David Isaacs
There's, i want to say some other adaptations coming.
00:33:15
David Isaacs
ahead.
00:33:15
The Big Dog
ah
00:33:17
David Isaacs
go ahead
00:33:17
The Big Dog
Yeah, God of War is that the other big one that I can think of. Oh, and um Warhammer is getting adapted too with Henry Cavill.
00:33:25
David Isaacs
Oh, is that actually going through?
00:33:27
The Big Dog
As far as I'm aware, yeah They just got, I don't know necessarily greenlit, but I know that he's going to be the star of it. I don't i don't know enough about Warhammer to dive into that, but, you know, um yeah, that did.
00:33:44
The Big Dog
I do believe that did get greenlit. Um,
00:33:48
David Isaacs
But it's just when they, you know, you you get into the nitty gritty of things, it's like, it's just so simple. It's so simple. You know? And Fallout had it down for season one. I mean, season two, it had its its own faults and and whatnot. It's still overall good.
00:34:06
David Isaacs
um We went and seen Send Help, the new Sam Raimi film with Dylan O'Brien and Rachel McAdams. It had its faults, but
00:34:14
The Big Dog
Oh, yeah.
00:34:17
David Isaacs
it was you know Sam Raimi. It was thriller comedy. like It was scary was supposed to be scary. It was a lot funnier than it should have been. but like there's yeah i think You're always going to have that, but it comes back to it. It's like it's an adaptation of something.
00:34:34
David Isaacs
like You're not going to be able to appease everyone, but ostri ostracizing like a certain piece of the fandom, whether they're fans of the the video games or, you know, just fans of speaking of God of War, just mythology or a fan of, you know, Dungeons and Dragons or something for Baldur's Gate.
00:34:57
The Big Dog
Yeah, right.
00:34:57
David Isaacs
Like trying to find that balance sometimes hard. The Last of Us season one did it to a T perfectly, you know, and again, season two was adequate.
00:35:10
The Big Dog
Yeah. And now it sounds like with that show specifically, it sounds like, uh, because Neil Druckmann dropped out, uh, I mean, he just dropped off the show. So it sounds like season three is going to be the last of one as a rumor, but, um,
00:35:29
The Big Dog
Yeah, I don't... I'm not sure with that one. um But, yeah, I mean, I like shows like the first season of Fallout, ah Night of Seven Kingdoms. It kind of reminds me of like when Netflix came out with the Marvel shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Because like you had this giant universe um you know with over-the-top action, CGI, you know huge ensemble cast, but... like me personally what i really enjoy is like the old so like nitty-gritty street level shows or or movies like that so that's why i really appreciated like daredevil the punisher luke cage to an extent uh didn't particularly care for iron fist but because i think that the actor was a terrible casting um
00:36:22
The Big Dog
But that's neither here nor there. um But yeah, like when you take like the universe and just kind of have like you know like that... And to like the Mandalorian extent, it kind of just like went back to like the roots of why you know Star Wars or Marvel or or can be good because they have such expansive universes. But you can also kind of tell like these intimate, almost gritty stories um that people can really relate to. like you know um so
00:36:50
David Isaacs
Yeah, we like Gardens of the Galaxy.
00:36:53
The Big Dog
Yeah, exactly.
00:36:54
David Isaacs
It's, you know, you have to have this you have to bring it to the screen and have to have these visionaries that can take one of the afterthoughts of Marvel for a long time and bring it to life.
00:37:09
David Isaacs
And to what you're explaining is kind of like what I look for, not what I look for in books, but I also enjoy, you know, what they call like urban sci-fi. Like it takes place in Chicago. Everything's the same, but there's like one aspect that's different.
00:37:27
David Isaacs
And it's like this one person is kind of thrown into it, you know, and that's ah Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. But most of his books are kind of revolved around that and this like urban sci-fi-esque thing.
00:37:43
David Isaacs
Like the whole world around is, you know, still the same, functions the same, but there's a few aspects that are different. And I, yeah, I agree with you. Like just shrinking down the universe, like, The Mandalorian to an extent.
00:37:56
David Isaacs
It's like he's the Mandalorian and God, Grogu, what a terrible name. But is you know they're just doing like quests and visiting the different planets around star Wars.
00:38:03
The Big Dog
Yeah, right.
00:38:10
David Isaacs
And you get to see the different creatures and everything else. Maybe sometimes, you know, you get those cameos like Sokka Tano or Boba Fett. By God, Boba Fett was terrible, awful, but it's just so easy. And I it's very hard to understand, like where they go wrong with shows like Halo with Boba Fett and some of these other things.
00:38:41
The Big Dog
Well, those two adaptations specifically is they took off the helmet and they talk too much, but that's neither here nor there.
00:38:46
David Isaacs
Yeah.
00:38:52
The Big Dog
Because like Boba Fett's whole lore, you know, or what made him a fan favorite was because he was like, you know, the the mysterious assassin or or i guess bounty hunter in this case where, you know, didn't say much.
00:39:05
The Big Dog
He didn't really know what he looked like. Didn't know his lore. Like he was a mysterious character. And that's what made him so popular over the years and they find out that, you know, without getting into the argument of what a specific, more, a Mandalorian is, um you know, he, he is that, and then you find out more, but they're, you know, more about that.
00:39:25
The Big Dog
And then, so he's still really interesting. And then obviously with the prequels, you find out that he's a clone of his dad. um Again, that was more interesting, but then like this, the minute he became like this bald talking dude, like it was just not interesting.
00:39:44
The Big Dog
And then they like tried, yeah.
00:39:45
David Isaacs
Yeah, the speak was gone.
00:39:47
The Big Dog
Then they tried to like make them into a warlord and i don't know. It was just a mess.
00:39:53
David Isaacs
Right. Anyways, not to get too off topic, but I guess the the the general theme of this session, um kind of what I wanted to talk about is
00:39:57
The Big Dog
Sure. Yeah. Yeah.
00:40:06
David Isaacs
Yeah, I have difficult times not to lose the things about you that are that are difficult to hold on Right.
00:40:19
David Isaacs
With imagine a cast away, I'm out at sea and I've lost Wilson, the volleyball that I've painted and has been my companion.
00:40:19
The Big Dog
Yeah, yeah.
00:40:27
David Isaacs
And sometimes that's my empathy or some of the good habits that are a lot easier to break. than some of the bad habits that are a lot easier to get back into. So, um, and sounds like you've dealt with some of the similar things. And I think a lot of people are dealing with, um, dealing with something similar, whether right, not right now, or maybe in the past or in the future.
00:40:52
David Isaacs
And, uh, so we feel for you and we understand, and I'm sure other people around you do so. ask for help when you can and don't feel too bad about yourself. If you're, know, acting a certain way, you, you get away from yourself. Um, but trying to pull yourself back in is difficult.
00:41:16
David Isaacs
Um, it was just like, you know, kind of find that, find that balance and find that realization that you, you can go back and you're just dealing with some stuff that, uh, you'll get past.
00:41:32
The Big Dog
Yeah. Yeah. Um, it's never going to be the end of the world. You know, there's always going to be something we you'll be able to fix or deal with later. Um, yeah, just, it's always just having a even keel mindset and learning from your your experiences and, um, you know, just,
00:41:55
The Big Dog
ah moving towards a more, i don't want to say perfect, but, ah you know, better yourself and, you know, more empathetic humans. So um I think that's all something we can all agree to strive for, um you know, and in the moment it may suck, but, you know, it'll get easier for you. And I've had to tell myself that a lot recently, but it's a truth, um you know, it,
00:42:22
The Big Dog
Sometimes things in your past will come back, but, you know, ah do we deal with that? We deal with
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
00:42:29
The Big Dog
that as it comes. So always stay positive, of the friends.
00:42:33
David Isaacs
And delete all your subscriptions only by vinyls and CDs.
00:42:38
The Big Dog
Yeah. Make sure your pets are spayed and neutered.
00:42:43
David Isaacs
All right. Well, that's all I had. um Hope it was, we got a little off the rails, but hope it was entertaining for anyone that's made it this far. We thank you.
00:42:54
The Big Dog
Yeah, ah please send us in an email a direct message if on your your disagreements for our takes on certain media. But other than that, yeah, I think we can call it good.
00:43:07
David Isaacs
Alright. Bye, everyone.
00:43:10
The Big Dog
Bye, everyone.