Listener Comments
Comments
65 responses to “Listener Comments”
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[Re: Ep 20:]
Another fine ep from the dynamic S&M duo. (Not that kind of S&M, obviously.)
My piano teacher could tell by the way I shifted my seat on the piano bench that I hadn’t looked at [whatever] piece since the previous week and in fact had no recollection of its having been assigned. I hadn’t the wit to complain about cold hands.
As Paul Simon said:
I’ve just been fakin’ it, fakin’ it
Not really makin’ it
This feeling of fakin’ it
I still haven’t shaken it[A cute nugget about that song that I got from two seconds of trawling the interweb: “The running time of the song was actually 3 minutes and 14 seconds. Radio stations at the time resisted playing songs lasting longer than three minutes, so Paul Simon had the time ‘faked’ to read 2:74 on the label.”]
But srsly, I think that the feeling of fakin’ it is pretty universal and by no means limited to middle-school musicians.
Loved the duet on the Wooster and Jeeves theme. And how ’bout that TRTR theme music, composed by Steve??
Kudos once again, guys. Get home safe.
xoxo-
Thanks as always, Dragonmom. Including but not limited that bit of Paul Simon subterfuge and the shout-out to the TRTR theme (“Blinker”), one of my better tunes, if I do say so myself.
oxox
Steve
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Comment, part 2:
Yet another nice nugget. I eagerly await Phx’s opus. Graphic novel, maybe?xoxo Get home safe
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Haven’t the heart to tell Steve he’s a mutt in this life too. A loveable mutt, to be sure.
There were in fact three Lambchops (they may have spelled their names slightly differently) in our family. All were Bedlington terriers, and they (or at least the first of them) were named after the Shari Lewis puppet, who of course was a lamb, not a dog. The first two were mine and my sister’s, when we were kids, and the third was my sister’s, when she was a grownup. They have all since shuffled off their mortal coils, alas. Good dogs. I don’t think it occurred to me back then, when we were naming the first Lambchop, that it’s rather insensitive to name an animal after the food they might have become under different circumstances. With any luck, neither the dogs nor the puppet understood English.
I have often said—but I’ll say it again here, now—that I want to come back to life as my sister’s dog.
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Yet another wonderful comment, Dragonmom. Much appreciated.
If I wasn’t aware of my canine qualities in this life, before, I is now. Though this comes as no surprise to me. And loveable is good, whether mutt-like or otherwise. I’ll take it.
How might a dog, under any circumstances, become a lamb chop? Our listeners will want to know.
oxox,
Steve-
To answer your question, Steve, it would be necessary to rabbit-hole down into the dark web where *certain restaurateurs* share their secrets. I, for one, do not have the stomach for that particular journey. For me, the conviction–nay, the certain knowledge–that there is such a place, and such a cabal of chefs, is sufficient; that, and a defensive position of [pescatarian/kosher-tinged] vegetarianism.
So now you know.
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Once again, our hosts Steve and Mal have nailed it with their amazing ep on why the lyrebird sings.
Their talk of animals seeking fame (or just to impress potential mates) put me in mind of the opera-singing parrot on YouTube. I wonder whether any potential mate of the feathered diva would be attracted by the aria, or whether, in the manner of Tuppy Glossop, it would screech, “Good God!” I cannot help but think that the YouTube star has wandered far afield from its roots and perhaps been corrupted by its contact with its humans, who exploit the parrot for their own amusement. I have to say, though— it’s a pretty cute parrot.
Our hosts kindly mentioned my crossword puzzling, which, yes, is an obsession of mine, not to say an addiction, and how solving crossword clues helps to expand the way you think. Well, I’ve always said that once you understand that a three-letter synonym for “parrot” is “ape,” you have the key to solving the NYT Crossword. So—a little bit of a parrot call-back, there.
Love “blissed out in the slop.” If I heard that correctly.
I loved Mal’s statement about people seeing a part of their soul reflected in one’s work. I can see where that might indeed be true of Mal’s work. Mal does put all their soul into their wonderful creations. And widespread fame is not necessary for changing the world. We can change a small part of the world for the better, and that is sufficient and beautiful.
Kudos, guys. Love you.
xoxo-
Thanks for another marvelous comment, Dragonmom. Not least because it’s wonderful to be reminded that parrot and ape can mean the same thing. And after all, if there can be a blind seer, why can’t a parrot ape or vice-versa?
Love you back,
Steve
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Hi, Dragonmom here. Appreciating another fine and, like, totally on-brand ep by our hosts Steve and Mal.
You threw out the line “How the f*** does any of this work?” I am reminded of the wonderful bumper sticker (which Steve recently spotted and mentioned to me; I’ve seen it in the past) that asks, How am I driving?
How does an engine even work?
How can a loving God cause so much agony?But enough of philosophy.
As an elementary-school teacher, loved the observation that a 2nd grade teacher learns skills very transferable to most of the ostensible adults that surround one. Just today I had occasion to use my “quiet teacher” voice—the one that strikes terror into the hearts of students—to remark that some of them seemed a little unclear on the concept of keeping their [f***ing] hands to themselves. Gotta love that.
Also appreciated the mention of puzzle-solving as a quick and easy path to the release of endorphins (or, as I like to think of them, endolphins). As our hosts correctly noted, I spend an inordinate percentage of my waking hours doing puzzles. They tend to be satisfying because they have a finite 0’s-and-1’s answer; you either solve them or you don’t. But I also recognize the deeper satisfaction that one gets when one comes upon some cool insight after toying with an idea for a while and maybe writing about it. You guys, our hosts, Steve and Mal, get these insights on the fly, or on the road, as it were, which is quite impressive. Kudos, guys.
Quick shout-out to Steve on his recent birthday! Many happy returns, Mr. Bunn.
I love youse guys. Get home safe.
xoxo-
Another most gratifying comment, Dragonmom. Thank you!
Endolphins, indeed.
Love you back,
Steve (a.k.a. Mr. Bunn)
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Loved the description of Mal’s short-lived career as a haunted-house revenant. Priceless! Especially the backbend. And the rug burns.
I think my own fave moment on Halloween was one unseasonably warm year when I was sitting out on our front steps in my homemade owl mask (more of a helmet, really). The eye-holes were covered by mirrored lenses, so my eyes were not visible. A kid was coming up the front walk towards me. I stayed very still until they were quite near me, and then I swiveled my head owl-like in their direction. They gave quite a jump. So gratifying.
xoxo Keep up the great work, guys!
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Fun story (the owl masked one), NGL, and gratifying that the kid amassed no injuries on the steps. But FWIW I think it’d be a stretch to claim that that — slow — head swivel move qualifies the incident for that-sweet-spot-of-scary status. From the kid’s point of view, anyway.
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Some of the folks filling our echo chambers with crap probably (possibly) believe what they say, some are just trying to make a buck, and some (here’s my personal conspiracy theory, and I strongly suspect it’s true) are agents of foreign nations who are exploiting the public’s susceptibility in order to divide and conquer the US and other democracies without the need for any messy boots-on-the-ground-type invasion. And so far it’s working pretty well, from their point of view.
As WaPo says: “Democracy dies in an echo chamber.” Or words to that effect.
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And some of the folks filling our echo chambers with crap are more local. Take, for example, the new, spineless WaPo. “Democracy dies in darkness, and we oughtta know.”
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Another good episode! Loved that two of my favorite movies were discussed (Napoleon Dynamite and The Big Lebowski). They’re both very comforting films in their own way, and have amazing rewatch value due to their offbeat humor and extremely quotable scripts.
The discussion of conspiracy theories reminded me of an article I read a few years ago about how bad actors design those rabbit holes to pull people down and disconnect them from reality. Very thought-provoking (and scary). I’ll link it here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/qanon-game-plays-believers/2021/05/10/31d8ea46-928b-11eb-a74e-1f4cf89fd948_story.html
As always, I’m looking forward to the next episode!
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Thanks, as always, for the comment, Sam. Most gratifying.
I look forward to reading the article you’ve linked. FWIW, its URL suggests it was published before the Washington Post went (or was forced) down its own rabbit hole, in a manner of speaking.
Cheers,
Steve -
Belated comment on Sam’s comment: The phrase “bad actor” always puts me in mind of Mel Gibson. But I take your meaning.
xo & congrats to you and your nintendo on your upcoming big day!
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Yet another prime TRTR ep.
I have had the experience of noticing a distinct shift in my view of a difficult person (a third grade student, in the case I’m thinking of) as soon as I learned that he had a diagnosis of autism. (And in retrospect, I should have picked up on the clues; so maybe Mal is right about me also being on the spectrum.) Suddenly I was regarding him with compassion rather than annoyance. But I don’t think this would always work. Some people are easier to have compassion for than others, at least for us mortals. This is not something I’m proud of, but there it is.
A question: Who is Janet (around minute 27)?
Kudos, my loves. Keep up the good work, and the safe driving.
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Thanks yet again, Dragonmom. Always good to hear from you.
I, too, am inconsistent when it comes to cutting slack. Some people get the slack, others not so much. If I was really an expert on this subject rather than sort of playing one, or at least the assistant to one, on a podcast, I would probably say something like “That’s normal.” Heck, I’ll say it anyway.
Janet, our imagined prototypical listener, is first conjured up by Mal in Episode 5, Time Ghost, at 6:18 into that ep. As a later episode revealed, “dammit, Janet” is a phrase that is part of the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which may be the reason Mal imagined that is the name of our ur-listener.
Glad I could clear these things up for you.
Much love,
Steve
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“Acknowledge your stupid thoughts . . . . You will make something incredible that will enrich your soul and the soul of everyone who sees it.”
Or hears it.
xoxo-
Good point, Dragonmom, and how kind of you to point it out.
[I now take the liberty of imagining other listeners, as they read your comment, snapping their fingers the way I’m guessing people do at poetry readings in order to indicate approval.]
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Re: Episode 12 – What a treat to hear the mysterious surprise guest!
Weird art and whimsy have again, been mentioned- I’ve always liked Gorey but I’m very excited to hear that I AM him. 30 pounds of jewelry with which to clank around??? Appreciating the ephemeral nature of art??? DOLLS????????? Enjoying Dracula? Come onnnn.
Incidentally, for all the complaining on social media about how, idk, [Random TV Show] could NEVER be made today…I don’t think Gashlycrumb Tinies would be published today. Because book-censoring busybodies fundamentally hate children and do not view them as human beings. I have a special hatred in my heart for those who whine that xyz book is “inappropriate” for children because they can’t ever be exposed to life. I am worried that this trend may have somewhat contributed to the rise in a lack of empathy- in my experience, books that challenge young readers frequently help with…developing empathy. HMMMMMMM.
On a lighter note, aren’t (living) giraffes particularly gay? I think I read that somewhere- that they are frequently, enthusiastically gay. Gaily so, even.
Despite my ranting and raving, I really loved this episode. I loved the previous one, too, but I couldn’t think of anything to comment on.
May your knives be plentiful and safely stored.
LiorP.S. In my apartment, which is full of Irish people, one of our house rules is “NO BRITISH POSITIVITY.”
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How to respond, Lior? One runs out of superlatives. Outstanding comment. [Edit to add: It’s breathtaking!] Thanks.
And lest this reply reek of too much British positivity, this: May your apartment always be full of Irish people. Slainte!
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Re-reading Lior’s comment for the many-th time. Really excellent, dude.
xo
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It was a fun episode going to redacted prime! The discussion of darkness and beauty reminded me of when Mal and I were in a Gothic Literature class in college and were learning about the concept of the sublime (unknowable beauty that’s both awe-inspiring and terrifying). I think in regard to visual art, the piece that captures it best for me is Casper David Friedrich’s painting “Monk by the Sea,” which is still one of my favorites.
Separately, I do agree with Phoenix and Mal that there’s been a disturbing rise in people lacking both critical thinking and empathy. We’re probably long overdue for some new Love & Sincerity movement, but it’s difficult to tell when that rise in counterculture might happen again. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Always exciting to hear new episodes, keep ‘em coming!
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Thanks for that great comment, Sam, including but not limited to that memorable definition of the concept of the sublime. Unknowable beauty that’s both awe-inspiring and terrifying, eh? Whew!
Glad you had fun listening to Ep. 12. We will keep ’em coming.
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[This comment is for Ep. 12: The Ride to Redacted Prime: Darkness, Beauty, Parking. I didn’t see a “comment” button so I’m not sure where this will get filed.]
Another prime ep. Death Sherpas (“Oops!”) made me literally LOL. Phoenix, of course, will be reborn, so death, if it occurs, will not be a biggie. The rest of us—well, I guess we’ll find out.
Yeah, why did you turn left? Noah and I, in the car behind you, were flummoxed.
xoxo
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Thank you for another wonderful comment, Dragonmom. Also for vetting the Ep. 12 page. I’ve now added an extra comment link to that page, to supplement the link to the comments page appearing at the bottom of that ep. page.
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Your Lebaviche (sp?) story reminded me of something my hairdresser told me yesterday. An acquaintance of hers called and said she wanted to visit. The hairdresser said, “This really isn’t a good time for me to have company.” The next thing she knew, the woman’s husband dropped her off at the hairdresser’s house, and he left. This had happened two weeks before, and the woman was still there. The visitor is mildly handicapped, so she doesn’t help with any of the housework, and she doesn’t help pay for groceries. As the hairdresser related this story, I found myself picking up her anger, and really wishing I could talk to the visitor and tell her she can’t do this. My anger just fueled the hairdresser’s anger. Even given my Krishnamurti training, I was no help at all. How would you two have found the joy in this situation, and how would you have handled it?
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Well, Barb, nothing that rates as deep philosophical wisdom in this reply, just couple of modest observations. First, as you undoubtedly have already considered, if that visitor wasn’t invited, your hairdresser is clearly entitled to have told her to leave or to have resented her continued presence if she’d been asked to leave and didn’t leave. Second, to the extent you experienced second-hand anger, as it were — given that the uninvited woman was your hairdresser’s uninvited guest, not your own — seems like you may have been kind of reaching out to take in anger that you needn’t have taken in.
And similarly, to get just a teeny bit philosophical by borrowing profundity from someone else, one further thought: while your anger in this situation may (one may hope) stem from something noble, namely your empathy for your hairdresser, it does also bring to mind a saying attributed to Nelson Mandela, which is often on MY mind these days: Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping it will kill your enemies.
Cheers,
Steve
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[Re: Ep. 11:] Another marvelous ep. I have to say, I experienced some *stress* when you started in on describing me, but I need not have worried, and in hindsight, it was an honor to provide some fodder for the convo. So yeah, no fight, flight etc. necessary, and my discomfort tolerance has adjusted upward a tad or two, which is a good thing.
If you will permit me a small correction to the record: Only one contact lens was opaque. I could still see out of the other one.
Stay gold[en], Pony Boys.
xoxo-
Thanks awfully, Dragonmom.
To the question “Can we all agree that both lenses were opaque?”, then, it appears the answer is “No, we cannot.” Interesting that one lens would have been rendered opaque, presumably by the ambient salt air, and the other not, but we survived so maybe one eye was closer to the sea than the other and that accounts for the discrepancy. It’s also possible that one looked opaque to me but wasn’t really.
In any event, keep on truckin’.
oxox
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How wonderful to revisit and re-savor old delights!
xoxo
Get home safe
N/M-
Thanks, Dragonmom.
oxox,
Dragonspouse
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Mal has an excellent voice and Steve has a marvelous laugh. I’m too impatient and distracted these days (always) to listen to podcasts, but this highlight reel is a treat. You make parenting sound like a worthwhile investment! — though not too many parents and their offspring can produce this kind of verbal two-step. Keep dancing!
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Thanks, Elaine. Your comment is much appreciated.
Can’t resist adding, perhaps inappropriately: better a verbal two-step than an Aztec two-step. (I refer there to the travel-related malady, not the excellent band of the same name. That old band is still going strong and as luck would have it is playing tonight, 7/19/25, at 8 p.m. at The Turning Point in Piermont, NY, a bar where my late great brother Joe used to play many a year ago.)
Cheers,
Steve
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At last! The long-awaited Terpsichorean Ep.
I have found, in my long non-career in art, that the drudgery often overruns the urge to actually create IRL the brilliant work that formed itself in my noggin. Which is why my house, and indeed my life, are littered with the decomposing corpses of stillborn artworks that I abandoned for want of sticktoitiveness when the work got hard and some other beguiling projects beckoned. Occasionally I go back to some of them and do the work to finish them.
But enough about me. I am amused, Steve, that you chose the name “Gary Schwartz” for your wrestling name. Why not Terpsichore?? Or perhaps TurpSickery? Why not RoadKill?
On the subject of “all things are ephemeral,” I invite you to revisit the wonderful essay in the NYT Magazine of 8/21/16 on Michelangelo’s David. Don’t know if this link will work: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/magazine/the-8-21-16-issue.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TU8.iY80.28b6AoRLDR_9&smid=url-share
Love you guys. Get home safe.
xoxoPS LOVED Lior’s comment re “wordpress.”
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Thanks again, Dragonmom. As to the provenance of my (current; subject to change) pro wrestler name, see Ep 7. So many tempting wrestler name alternatives, though. Thanks for that.
FWIW, I think of what you seem to be regarding as clutter (as you may also think of it) as not-yet-masterfully-finished-art.
Love you back. Am home (or at least in office) safe, thanks.
oxox
[Edit to add:]
As to the link you provided to the article about the “David,” a better link more directly to that excellent article — and I will post this link in the Ep. 10 show notes soon — is https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/magazine/davids-ankles-how-imperfections-could-bring-down-the-worlds-most-perfect-statue.html. Just wonderful, and so on point with Ep. 10, and Ep. 5 (Time Ghost), too. Grazie!
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Re: episode 10
YAY the only podcast ever made finally returns! I am pleased and impressed that Steve immediately (correctly) guessed the meaning of terpsichorean purely by etymology. It was also funny to hear you both talk about me. I feel very successfully pandered to. It’s probably ALSO a good time to announce that I’ve decided to take a tap-dancing class. It’s Lior’s time to shine!
WordPress is a bad site builder IMO, but the “wordpress” is definitely a great wrestling move done by a librarian/writing themed wrestler. Maybe they crush their opponent’s head between two giant books?
-Lior
P.S. I thought it was “Laslow’s” hierarchy of needs for an embarrassingly long time because I learned about it orally years and years before reading about it.
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O. M. G. I love this comment. I will respond at greater length ere long, but just wanted to get this post on the boards.
-Steve*
*Not a professional wrestler
[Edit to add:]
It’s probably always a good time to announce that one has decided to take up tap-dancing, and in any case, how appropriate (as I’m sure you realized, Lior) to matters terpsichorean to reveal that news now. Feel free to keep TRTR posted on your tap career.“WordPress” is a wonderful, if bookish, wrestling move name, so thanks for that. (Also, not a bad pro wrestler name, either, IMO. I’ll put it on my luchadorian — not to say terpsichorean — list of possible future handles.)
And one more word, or perhaps some slight pushback, about WordPress: having, since recording Ep. 10, wrestled, I think successfully, with the Dark Angel of WordPress, I’ve grown rather attached to the app. Clunky? Perhaps. Bit of a learning curve there? Definitely. But not, I think, without reward for those willing to grapple with it.
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BRILLIANT.
xoxo
N
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[Re: Ep 9:] Another marvelous ep. I could relate to “doing enough to survive but not going deeply” into something something (sorry, can’t take notes as fast as I used to). Also liked the “just do Step A.” Some of my projects require fairly intricate scaffolding (if that’s the word I want) to avoid gluing something that I’m later gonna wish was not glued in that particular place, or not glued there yet. This induces a fair sight of paralysis. And even so, a lot of deconstruction goes into constructing (not to say construing) my constructions, in the most literal sense possible. So, yeah. Lotta wisdom, plus: *loved* the Frank Oz imitation. Great show notes, too.
I wonder if salsa dancing might be just as effective as basketball.
xoxo
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Muy agradecido para su comments, Dragonmom, como siempre. And speaking of Spanish, one remembers fondly our salsa dancing sessions. Closest I can come to those nowadays, the state of the knee being what it is, would be salsa eating. Not too challenging in the cognitive skills department, and probably doesn’t qualify as exercise, unless one jogs to the fridge in order to acquire said condiment.
Cheers y un gran abrazo, como quien dice,
Steve
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[Re: Ep8] I remember back when we went to college at [redacted] and there was one person who participated in a poetry reading and his work was so politically charged (he was head of one of the socialist groups on campus, coincidentally) that it overpowered the poem entirely. He let the message get in the way of the art. Also, my fiancée went to art school in Europe had similar experiences with some of her professors and classes. People who are overly serious about art are exhausting, and not even being able to comprehend why someone might want to make someone else feel happy is baffling to me.
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Greetings, Sam, and thanks for your comment. Here’s hoping we don’t let the message overwhelm the art, whatever that art may be, in these rides. Also, welcome to that particular bafflement, which is, I think, a good bafflement.
Cheers,
Steve-
Greetings! Hope all is well. I think your conversations are well-balanced when it comes to any message since it’s more freewheeling than politically-driven (puns intended).
Also, since Mal reminded me the last time we spoke, regarding the survey from Ep5:
1. If the person listens to podcasts, then yes.
2. Yes
3. I don’t have an estranged brother, but if I did, then B
4. Yes and yes, hearing your banter and pleasantries is comforting
5. It’s possible, but I suppose if they were that dull, then I wouldn’t remember them anyway-
Thanks for that further comment, Sam, intentional puns and all. As to your Ep. 5 survey responses, glad to hear those, and as to Question 5 in particular: good point. (Comments readers, feel free to scroll waaaayyy down to find the Ep 5 survey questions. Or just navigate to the Ep. 5 episode page itself for shorter scrolling to the same content. Otherwise this most recent exchange will mean nothing to you.)
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[Re: Ep. 8:] Yet another gem from the dynamic duo of Steve & Mal. Takeaway expressions: “trauma-dump” (verb, I believe) and “comfort reptile.” Artistic insights: Well, they abounded, but I particularly liked “The destination must be hidden.” I think this means that you shouldn’t bang the consumer of your art over the noggin with what you’re trying to say. Or maybe even that what you’re trying to say should emerge organically from what you’re in fact saying, and not be all packaged in advance. I liked the way this plays with “Ride to [Redacted]”–the actual LITERAL destination is LITERALLY hidden. Cool. Also liked the positivity re: stupid/dumb/silly art, of which I have made my share. It doesn’t have to be heavy, Ludwig, to be meaningful or to make the world a better place. (I think there was a discussion of this in Catch-22, or some such work that I read long ago when my brain was still capable of retaining stuff. Beethoven vs. Rossini, if memory serves.)
Good job, guys. Kudos, as always. Keep it coming.
xoxo-
Thanks once again for that marvelous and entirely objective comment, Dragonmom. And for the Beethoven vs. Rossini observation. Will mull that one over, and maybe listen to some of both of them in the process of mulling. Though I’d like to think that in this podcast we’re bringing a bit of both — some Beethoven with your Rossini, as it were.
Love,
Steve-
Just looked up the quote. It’s from Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow, not Catch-22. My bad.
“A person feels good listening to Rossini. All you feel like listening to Beethoven is going out and invading Poland.”-
Thomas Pynchon, Beethoven, Rossini. Panic! at the Disco. Lynda Barry. Artist mentions abound in these Ep. 8 comments.
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Random thoughts re: Episode 8
In Steve’s defense: blood on the dance floor, panic! at the disco, fall out boy, and green day are all interchangeable in my brain. I have listened to them all independently and am aware that they are distinct, but my brain will NOT retain this information and never will.
I too love stupid art, although I prefer the term “whimsical.” I’m in my whimsy phase. I can’t be made of stone 24/7. Insert obligatory paragraph about cartoonist Lynda Barry’s book about creativity “What It Is.” I’m re-reading it rn.
Sidenote: I’ve been told cocaine smells like dirt. I also tend to think people are drawn to animals that resemble them on some deep psychological level. I have not tested either hypothesis.
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Thanks for those wonderful, albeit random, thoughts, Lior. I look forward to checking out, in no particular order, Lynda Barry’s book, Blood on the Dance Floor and Green Day, not to mention Panic! at the Disco and Fall Out Boy, and to mulling over the felicitous phrase “I can’t be made of stone 24/7” and people’s attraction to animals that resemble them on some deep psychological level.
Cheers,
Steve
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[Slightly edited:] Episode 7 is my favorite of the ones I’ve heard so far. I like it for its universality. Every thinking, feeling person has at some point in their life felt “otherness.”
I feel I know you pretty well, Steve, our having grown up together since your birth. Thanks to episode 7, I’m getting to know Mal better, since they reveal so much of themselves in this one. I enjoy their intelligence and their sense of humor….
What I enjoy most is seeing the love you two have for one another. What I wouldn’t have given to be loved like that by my father. If I had ever had a child, I would have wanted to share the kind of love with them that comes through in your Podcast.
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Thanks, Barb. So glad you liked Ep. 7 and to have you not only as an aunt but a listener as well!
Much love,
Steve
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[Ep. 7 comment:] Loved this. Mal’s wrap-up at the end was masterful and touching and sweet. All of it was marvelous, really.
I am trying without success to figure out how to write Mal’s name with an umlaut. I can do it in regular word processing but not, alas, in this comment. Even the screen shot did not work.
xoxo
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Thanks as always for your comment, Dragonmom. Glad you liked — “loved,” actually — this Ep. (“Marvelous” is good, too. Much appreciated.)
As to the all-important umlaut issue, a Google search reveals this AI-found advice: “Hold down the Alt key, type the code (e.g., Alt+0228 for ä), and release the Alt key.” Have tried that, to no avail. But giving this AI-found advice a go now (“On iOS and Android, you can tap and hold the corresponding vowel key to see umlaut options, says Lifewire.”): Mäl. On my Mac, success!
For you, being a PC user, maybe this AI-found advice would work: “In Word, you can insert umlauts through the Symbol dialog (Insert > Symbol).” That protocol, as such, is not working for me on my Mac-residing Word, though in my Word program I can still get the umlauted a by doing the tap and hold gambit.
Best of luck in your quest for typographical whätsit.
oxox,
Stëve-
Mäl
(Cut and paste from Word Perfect)
xoxo-
Excëllent!
Also, this exchange has made me realize what my wrestling name should be: The Mäsked Ümläut.
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Episode 5 was only the second episode I found time to hear, the first having been Episode 1. I definitely see an improvement and may decide to go back and listen to the ones I missed, if time permits.
I enjoyed the humor.
Questions: 1. Were you, Steve, reciting Marcus Aurelius from memory? I’m impressed. 2. I never knew “Ozimandius was pronounced Ozimand-ay-us; I’ve always pronounced it Ozimand-ee-us, with the emphasis on the 3rd syllable.
If I had a brother, I doubt we would be estranged. But if we were, and if he suddenly called me, I would not mention the podcast.
Thanks for the photos, which I loved. I never saw the one of Dave Sklar hugging Libby, my mom. I wouldn’t have believed that happened if I hadn’t seen the photo.
I didn’t see a way to complete a survey. Was that just another joke?
‘Bye for now.-
Thanks, Barb. Glad you see an improvement since Ep. 1, and glad you enjoyed the humor. Mal and I have a soft spot in our hearts for Ep. 5, so it’s good to hear it went down well with you. In answer to your questions:
1. Yes.
2. Pronunciations of Ozymandius seem to vary, in my limited experience on that point. My guess is that audio recording post-dated Shelley, so we may never know the definitive answer. Google takes the position that the American pronunciation is aa zuy MAN dee uhs and the British pronuncation is o
zuh MAN dee uhs, but how Google would know is beyond me. In my opinion, it’s a classic potato potahto situation.
Survey completion would be by way of listener comment, for listeners who are so inclined (no obligation there, really). Feel free to scroll through the comments listed on the Comments page for 2 listeners’ survey answers. “Was that just another joke?” you ask. You and all our listeners are the best judges there.
~Steve
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Episode 4, Dragonmom comment on 4/18/25:
Lotta fun, dudes. This ep rocked, and possibly also effed severely. I wouldn’t know.
xoxoOur reply to that comment:.
Thanks, Dragonmom. You raise an interesting metaphysical point: can something rock and eff severely? I’d like to think so…Episode 3 Dragonmom comment on 4/10/25:
A marvelous ep, in which Steve lets Mal finish their sentences. Kudos to everyone involved.TIL that Mal doesn’t make small talk. Or not gladly. It immediately made sense when I heard it, but I would not have been able to articulate it.
Loved the Muppets Movie ref. And the crossbow callback.Follow your bliss, peeps. Eke out some happiness where and when you can.
xoxo from Steve’s lawfully wedded spouse, and Mal’s in-wedlock mom.
Our reply to that comment:
Many thanks for your kind and completely objective comment.oxox,
SteveEpisode 1 Dragonmom comment on 3/30/25:
How awesome is this! A brilliant debut duet (which is not easy to say). Looking forward to many more eps 🙂Sandra jamieson comment on 3/30/25:
Congratulations from Nicky (Nadine’s) former colleague SandraOur reply to that comment:
Thanks, Sandra. Also, wonderful meeting you and Wendy on the visit with Nicky.
~Steve -
Ep. 6 comment: Okay, love the central metaphor of the desire path, and the way you apply it to habits of thinking. I think of that as “the narrative” and “changing the narrative,” although I suspect those terms are part of the same lovely corporatespeak that brings us “wheelhouse” and “bandwidth.” “Desire path” is better because not overused or jargony.
I like to think that the store in which you might shop for that buccaneer on your list would be called “Pirates ‘R’ Us” or possibly “Pirates Arrh Us.”
If you need fart cushions in bulk: [listeners, to find the web page with a very lengthy link that Dragonmom originally posted in this comment, visit https://www.amazon.com/whoopee-cushion/s?k=whoopee+cushion, then scroll to the “12 pack” area]
xoxo
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Thanks, as always, for your wonderful comments, Dragonmom. In reply, these points:
Firstly, I, too, like to think there would be a store names Pirates ‘R’ Us or Pirates Arrh Us, from which you might shop for the buccaneer in your life, or yourself if you are that buccaneer.
Secondly, so funny to learn that fart cushions are ready for the would-be purchaser of same — in bulk, and so handily — via the link you’ve provided.
Thirdly, what a long-ass link that is!
And sixth and lastly (as the Bard also said) — if you watched that manualist performance did you not find it astounding, not to say life-changing? (And if you didn’t watch it, you might want to get on that.)
~Your Co-host, Steve
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Ep. 5 comments:
6 responses to “Episode 5: Time Ghost”
admin Avatar
04/24/2025
admin
This comment just in from Lior Statman. It is being reposted here because the comments block on the original comments page was not functioning properly:1. Yes
2. Yes
3. A) unless he asks. We are not estranged but if we were it would probably be over the deed to the ol family gold mine in yonder hills
4. Yes
5. I suspect so, but I’m not sure. None of my enemies have died yet 🙁Edit
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admin Avatar
04/24/2025
admin
And here is our reply to Lior’s comment:Thanks for taking the survey, Lior! You win the “First Survey Respondent” prize, which is that we will do our best to incorporate any word, phrase or topic suggestion — subject to our standard free-association-rambling-thought-conversational process whereby we discover episode topics on the fly — into our next (possibly Ep. 10) recording session.
Further congrats for your non-estrangement sibling situation and your feeling loved and held. As to Question 5, the dullness surveyed there isn’t limited to enemies, but your answer is duly noted. In any event, feel free to keep us posted if and when you get more data on that point.
~Steve
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Lior Statman Avatar
04/25/2025
Lior Statman
Thank you, Steve! I humbly submit the word “terpsichorean”, as heard from the original Cats musical.-Lior
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admin Avatar
04/25/2025
admin
Thanks again, Lior. “Terpsichorean” will find its way into a TRTR ep. As will “humbly submit.”-Steve
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admin Avatar
04/26/2025
admin
This just in from Dragonmom:Survey answers:
1. Probably (!) not, but that’s more because of my personality, and should not be taken as any kind of judgment on the podcast, which effs severely. I am a card-carrying shy person, and never reveal anything whatsoever until I’ve known a given individual for several decades. And even then, not necessarily.2. Yes. I’m not ashamed of it.
3. N/A (don’t have a brother of any kind)
Feel free to comment in the Ep. 5 comment box why you became estranged from your brother. As if we couldn’t guess.
N/A4. No.
In my 30’s I had four years of therapy (with a wonderful Norwegian psychiatrist named Rolf) to talk about why I did not feel loved or held. I don’t feel like going into all that in this forum or at this late date. Suffice it to say that there were reasons. It is not far off the mark to say that I am merely deficient, so let’s leave it at that.5.
If I did, I have forgotten.OTHER NOTES ON THE EPISODE:
Mal, I apologize for ever calling you illiterate. I honestly don’t remember having done so. I admire the depth and breadth of your learning, not to mention your creativity, imagination and general awesomeness.If anyone ever remembers anything I ever said, it would surprise me. I try to tell my students things such as “The question is more important than the answer.” I don’t think they care or will remember it. But I know Steve will remember the single word “Um” which I uttered—twice—on one occasion in our Trusts and Estates class at law school.
Love you guys. Get home safely.
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admin Avatar
04/26/2025
admin
In reply to Dragonmom:Dear Dragonmom,
Re: your answer to 2: thanks for that.
Re: your answer to 4: we would leave it that, and commiserate of course, except we must add: in this space, as in our hearts, you are loved and held. (With all due respect…)
Re: your answer to 5: Ha.
Re: your Other Notes: Yes indeed. Those 2 ums were not only memorable, they were life-changing.~Steve
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