Game/Life Balance U.S.

Jon returns from Las Vegas (one of his favorite travel destinations) and Cody returns from two weeks in Spain with some travel tips for listeners. Show Notes: * Jon explains what happened last week when his power went out, which abruptly ended last week’s episode * Cody and Jon discuss Jon’s guest appearance on Game/Life Gaiden, an offshoot of the Game/Life Balance brand that he co-hosted with AC of Game/Life Balance Australia * Full Gamer * It’s more like “Half Gamer,” as Cody discusses joining a Free Company in Final Fantasy XIV (which he only started playing a few months ago), but does so in a reasonably accessible way * Jon tells an amusing story about being left behind in a raid while he was watching a cut scene in Final Fantasy XIV * Cody explains why he loves the social aspect of the Free Company (FFXIV’s version of a “guild” as they’re known in other MMORPGs) and tells a similarly humorous story involving Power Rangers poses * Jon and Cody discuss the difficulty of playing online games while around significant others, and how they deal with it * Life Stuff * Despite his regrettable decision to stay at the MGM Grand, Jon claims that this was his favorite trip to Las Vegas out of all the times he’s been over the last several years * Jon discusses “fine dining” in Las Vegas and how going to nice restaurants and visiting nice swimming pools can completely change your view of the city * Someone tried to sell drugs to Jon. HEAR WHAT HAPPENED * Cody and Jon get in a fight over shrimp cocktails in “Old Las Vegas” * More Life Stuff * Cody spent a month in Spain, and if you’re curious about Spain at all, then you should check out his friend’s blog, Sunshine and Siestas, to learn all about the culture and how to travel there * Jon asks Cody about the work culture in Madrid, which is super bizarre because people have dinner really late (around 10 p.m. a lot of the time) yet still show up at work around 9 a.m. the next day in some cases * Not satisfied with just hanging out in Madrid for two weeks, Cody also discusses his favorite parts of visiting Toledo and Sevilla when in Spain (though he didn’t make it to any other countries once he arrived there) * Cody says to check out his Brian Noonan Show podcast for a more comprehensive list of travel tips from his point of view, then spends THIS podcast discussing cool things about Madrid, including their public transit system and Buen Retiro Park * Cody and Jon get in a fight over Final Fantasy XII * Cody shares his UTTERLY TERRIFYING experience at a bus station in Spain after missing a high-speed train and having to take an overnight bus instead * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our

Cody and Jon discuss the fantasy writing workshops, board games, and other geek culture they experienced at the world’s largest gaming convention: Gen Con 2016! Show Notes: * Jon and Cody discuss sharing a hotel room with 12 adult dudes, and how whiskey pouring can complicate sleep sometimes * Cody gives a high-level overview of the writing seminars offered at Gen Con 2016, some of the interesting takeaways from the authors on the panels he attended, and a little background about his writing interests and his first foray into writing a fantasy novel * Jon describes the huge difference between staying at a hotel directly connected to the Indiana Convention Center and staying at a hotel further away during Gen Con * Some of their favorite board games played at Gen Con 2016 were Eldritch Horror, Legends of Andor, and Seasons * Just as Cody and Jon start to pivot to another subject after their Gen Con 2016 talk, A GAME/LIFE BALANCE U.S. FIRST OCCURS! You won’t want to miss this UNIQUE YET CLICK-BAITY EVENT that, like an RKO, came outta nowhere! * Cody plugs BitBash, the indie video game festival that he’s going to attend yet again this year, which you can follow on his Instagram feed at Instagram.com/CodyGough * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org) * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody bit the bullet and started playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, his first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). He and Jon welcome special guest and FFXIV fanatic Brad to talk about the game, MMOs, and more. Show Notes: * Jon tries to trick Brad, this episode’s special guest, into thinking they’re actually going to talk about pro wrestling for an hour * Cody and Jon welcome special guest Brad to the program, since he’s been playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn since its inception and thus knows a ridiculous amount about the game and its extremely unique history * Full Gamer * Jon explains a bit about the massively multiplayer online RPG (MMORPG) genre and typical play styles of its players * Brad explains the history of Final Fantasy XIV and why its initial release was unsuccessful, including graphical limitations and experience point caps * Learn why Square Enix decided to try to re-launch the game and how they listened to fan feedback rather than simply shut it down * Hear about the final days of the “original” release of Final Fantasy XIV, and how a cataclysmic event was coordinated with their server shutdown timeline to create an awesome in-game epic battle that served as an “ending” to the game before it was re-launched * Jon discusses his MMORPG history, including Everquest and World of Warcraft, and how it impacts his view of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, especially considering the social aspect of the games * Brad and Jon agree that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a World of Warcraft “clone” in a way, based on its carrot-on-a-stick adventure/reward system * The biggest differentiation between FFXIV and other MMORPGs from a gameplay perspective is that you can “do everything” and master multiple classes, which is not possible in many other MMOs * Why did neither Cody nor Brad enjoy World of Warcraft when they played a free trial, but they were hooked when they played a similar (to a newcomer) Final Fantasy MMO? * The story in World of Warcraft “is there if you want to engage with it as the player,” but it’s not integral, according to Jon, as opposed to the highly integrated and elaborate story in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn * Brad and Cody discuss some of the amazing puns in the game and the clear care taken to make story elements entertaining and memorable, including Metal Gear Solid references of all things * Everyone gushes about how awesome the soundtrack is, and why you should probably listen to it on YouTube * To add some balance to the conversation, Jon mentions a few features in the game that he didn’t know about until very late in the game, such as unclear quest indicators and other minor “unexplained” systems that make it more difficult to play certain classes due to the fact that it’s a more complicated game than WoW and other MMOs * Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is coming to Xbox One! Cody explains why it took so long, and when it will become available * Brad tells a hilarious story about a raid partner named Arnold Schwarzenegger whom most of the players on his server blocked at some point * Jon briefly discusses Free Companies (FFXIV) versus Guilds (WoW) and Level Sync in FFXIV, and Brad talks about how Level Sync works in later raids and dungeons * Brad talks about the most hardcore raid parties and how they literally schedule their lives around playing FFXIV raids * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!

In this special bite-sized podcast, Cody sits down with Kim Hansen of Signl.fm to discuss her podcasting platform and share some fun stories from her background in the video game industry. Show Notes: * Cody thanks Buzzsprout for letting him use their equipment at Podcast Movement 2016 * Cody introduces Kim Hansen, CEO of Signl.fm, and she talks a bit about Signl.fm and its features (“Twitch for podcasting”) * Learn about how Signl.fm can help with podcast monetization, live streaming and listener engagement, transcription with IBM Watson, and more! * Kim also used to work for Bioware, and has some cool stories about her time working on Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 (in addition to some other cool games that weren’t necessarily ever released) * Fun fact: Mass Effect 2 had the fewest launch bugs of any Bioware property (at the time it was launched) * Kim also tells an awesome story about the Xbox achievements in the first Mass Effect game and helping gamers with strategy * Cody throws some shade at NPR for being ridiculously successful in the world of podcasting, as he learned during the week at Podcast Movement 2016 * Kim also discusses her role in developing the game Everlove: Rose, a narrative game of romance and mystery that was shockingly well-received, for a pretty entertaining reason * What was her favorite part of visiting Chicago? Tune in to find out! * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Jon and Cody discuss their Independence Day weekend, complete with illegal fireworks displays, The Book of Mormon, and the Guns N’ Roses “Not in This Lifetime…” tour. Plus, hear about a bizarre Anime called Belladonna of Sadness and a check-in with Summer Games Done Quick 2016. Show Notes: * Following a raucous Independence Day weekend, Jon and Cody reflect on their feelings about fireworks, which are strangely similar despite Jon being a cranky old man at this point in his life * Life Stuff * Cody saw The Book of Mormon in Chicago, and it was worth every penny * Cody also saw Guns N’ Roses perform at Soldier field on both Friday, July 1, and Sunday, July 3 * Oddities * Cody discusses Belladonna of Sadness, an obscure 1973 Anime with a highly sexual plot that he saw at the very hipster Music Box Theatre in Chicago * Jon discusses Summer Games Done Quick, a charity speedrunning marathon taking place July 3-9, 2016 * Cody will be attending Podcast Movement Chicago 2016, so keep an eye out for him! * Cody will also be co-hosting an upcoming episode of Game/Life Balance Australia, so be sure to follow that show for updates! * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org) * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Jon and Cody discuss the epic tale of the Mighty No. 9 launch, plus other Kickstarter projects they’ve backed in the past. Then, Cody launches into a tangent about the Tremors movie series, Jon talks about Father’s Day, and Cody shares some tips and tricks for booking international travel online. Show Notes: * Jon tells the sad tale of the Mighty No. 9 launch, which underwhelmed and under-delivered in more ways than thought possible * Cody shares his history backing video games on Kickstarter and why he doesn’t closely follow Kickstarter campaigns after he’s funded them (especially after the Mighty No. 9 launch going the way it did after so much hype) * Jon and Cody briefly discuss Exploding Kittens briefly, which is one of the most successful Kickstarter projects of all time * Somehow Cody gets on the topic of Tremors 5, a fifth movie in the Tremors film series that actually happened in 2015 * Cody refuses to let Jon change the subject, instead launching into a brief ranking of every Tremors film, which is relevant to roughly nobody * Life Stuff * Jon wishes himself and the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia a Happy Father’s Day, then talks about how he ate ribs on Father’s Day like he does literally every year that he has ever recorded a podcast with Cody * In addition to patting himself on the back for being an awesome dad, Jon also tells yet another story of how his son is constantly trying to find ways of destroying himself, this time involving a hilarious habit with swimming pools * Cody saw Flight of the Conchords at Millennium Park, and literally refuses to believe that Jon has never heard of them, because that is a stupid thing for him to have never heard of * Jon received the most domestic male gift in history for Father’s Day * More Life Stuff * Cody explains his summer travel plans and what an airline means when it offers a “mystery deal,” which he actually did for the first time * The airline itinerary mystery deal Cody found on Kayak directed him to Vayama, which offered a full 100% refund if he canceled his transaction within one hour of booking his three flights… and it actually worked! * Naturally, Jon argues that Cody probably won’t get his money back, because he’s an awful person. The previous sentence can be read one of two ways, and either are probably accurate * In the end, Cody ended up booking his overseas flights on JustFly, which also had good customer service—so check it out! * Both Cody and Jon lament that they didn’t have a ton of adventures to recount on this episode, but preview an action-packed summer of podcasting coming soon * Cody tries to explain a very complicated but difficult to communicate joke between him and the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia, which involves Costume Quest and gifting video games—leading, naturally, to another argument between him and Jon, whom he feels is just lying at this point (and please note that this sentence can also be read one of two ways) * Learn how to connect with us on the

Cody and Jon played a ton of board games at “Martin-Con” 2016 in Minneapolis, and they have a lot to say about them! Hear them delve into several board game reviews, then review X-Men: Apocalypse and talk a little Jessica Jones on Netflix. Show Notes: * Cody and Jon explain the legacy of “Martin-Con,” the annual tradition of Jon hosting their friends to play a bunch of board games, and how it has grown over the years * A serious discussion of “root brews,” involving mason jars, cans, pints, drafts, and obviously Cody not having literally any idea what he’s talking about (hear also something about blokes) * Cody pitches some ideas for growing Martin-Con in the future, regardless of how Jon feels about it * Cody attempts to open the next segment dramatically, and it goes hilarious wrong * Full Gamer * Board game reviews abound as Cody and Jon discuss several games they played! * Chaos in the Old World: Cody played this game last year, but Jon played it without him this year because he’s a jerk. It’s a good game for advanced gamers, and super fun! It’s also where Jon got his son’s former nickname * Avalon: A Werewolf-like game that Cody and Jon have played about a zillion times, which is extremely accessible to any group of people (Cody even played with his girlfriend’s family last year!) * Last Night On Earth: Jon insists that this game “can be fun,” and Cody completely disagrees. Cody compares it to Eldritch Horror in a way, which he says is a bad thing, while Jon compares it positively and claims it’s a good thing (Jon is obviously wrong) * Roll for the Galaxy: A game that Cody played and Jon didn’t, which means that of course Cody gives it an average review, since he’s super critical of every game ever in this podcast (and also probably not very good at them) * Sheriff of Nottingham: Neither Jon nor Cody actually played this game at Martin-Con, but Jon did “referee” the game and said that everyone had a ton of fun and that it’s super easy and accessible and fun * Citadels: Another game that both Cody and Jon played, it’s another really accessible game but has a deceptively deep strategy element; somehow, Cody won this game, so of course he highly recommends it for basically anyone (especially since it’s a pretty quick game) * Battlestar Galactica: The review of this game is extremely complicated, so you’ll just have to listen to hear what they have to say about it… and there is a lot to say! * Following their foray into board game reviews, Cody and Jon briefly talk X-Men: Apocalypse, which is a movie that they actually feel the same way about, both because of the flow of the film and because of the plot * Jon goes on a random tangent about Jessica Jones, which he saw about half of, and Cody briefly compares and contrasts the first season of both that and Daredevil on Netflix

Jon bares his soul in this riveting episode, featuring his first 5k (did an injury hold him back, or did he run through the burn?) and a terrifying story of parenting that a lot of parents should be able to relate to. Show Notes: * Life Stuff * Jon ran his first 5k—or did he? Hear his exciting tale of how it all went down * To “run through the burn,” or not to run through the burn? That is the everlasting question among athletes! * Joy of Parenting * Jon has a scary parenting story regarding childhood development, which is both educational and provides a rare serious side look at the hosts of Game/Life Balance U.S. (well, mostly Jon) * Cody is headed to Minneapolis for Martin Con this weekend, and really hopes that he and Jon get to stream live to Twitch.TV via Darrel TV * Cody is hype about going to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this week * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org) * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Why is there so much hate surrounding the new Ghostbusters movie, despite the fact that only one trailer has been released? Jon discusses the dark psychology of the Internet, and Cody plays devil’s advocate when it comes to maintaining the integrity of storied franchises. It’s a back-and-forth discussion you won’t want to miss! Show Notes: * Cody talks about the format of Game/Life Balance Australia, plus why they are kind of stealing their format, and also talks about fire tornadoes * Cody and Jon had a fascinating discussion over Google Hangouts regarding the new Ghostbusters film, and launch into a podcast about it with a quote from Jon * Current News * Jon argues that people online are too hyperbolic to have any meaningful discussion * Cody defends people who defend a franchise’s integrity, and how that applies to old Ghostbusters versus new Ghostbusters * Jon asserts that original works can’t “become worse” because a sequel or additional intellectual property in a series is released that is worse * Cody brings Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Indiana Jones, The Matrix, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and other storied franchises into the discussion * The overall quality of certain properties, such as Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, or Lost, can in fact lower the overall perception of something, Cody argues * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org) * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Budweiser wants to change its name for the summer, and Jon thinks it is utterly ridiculous. Then, learn why Cody has Star Fox Zero commitment anxiety following his triumph over The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Plus: Jon’s big birthday was so big, he literally forgets how old he is, and Cody does a quick hit on Captain America: Civil War. Show Notes: * This summer, for a limited time, Budweiser wants to change the name of its beer to… “America” * Cody and Jon search for various things on Google, including what you get when you mix a beer with orange juice, plus the top search results for both America and Europe * Balancing Act * Cody beat The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, talks a little bit about the gameplay and how much he enjoys playing games at 60 frames per second * The first 3 dungeons in the game are great, and then the game opens up to a ridiculous amount… but then there isn’t much left in the last half of the game, at least according to Cody * He discusses how he wrestled with “wanting” to actually play the game versus just wanting to finish it, and how much his sense of accomplishment has actually prevented him from playing Star Fox Zero, which he got the day it was released * Shockingly, Jon sympathizes with Cody’s commitment anxiety over starting to play new video games, and explains that’s why he’s replaying through Final Fantasy XIII right now * Jon explains that time is a precious commodity, and Cody explains how that translates to committing to video games, movies, TV shows, or really anything else, even if it’s purely “entertainment” * Life Stuff * It was Jon’s birthday this week, and he insists that he’s so old, he literally doesn’t know how old he is * He also set up his garden and got really hype about a rototiller, further proving that Jonathan is in fact a 60-year-old man * He also set up the 3 season porch with a TV, both making the room legitimate and forcing him to explain to Cody the concept of a 3 season porch * Cody describes the smell and chill of death emanating from Trump Tower in Chicago * Jon ruins Cody’s life by telling him that Axl Rose is on Twitter, which can’t possibly be true, for the love of all that is holy * Current News * Cody saw Captain America: Civil War, and explains why it was awesome * Jon apparently is lactose intolerant, so Cody gives him a detailed quiz on milkshakes * Fun fact: strawberry milk is a thing that exists! Hear how it is definitely made and definitely not kidding about that * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org) * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

In this very special episode, members of the GonnaGeek Network from across the U.S. join Cody at WGN Radio in Chicago to discuss their podcasting panel at C2E2, nerd convention highlights, what they’ve been watching on Netflix lately, and more. Show Notes: * Jon takes a birthday week off, so Cody welcomes several members of the GonnaGeek Network to the studios at WGN Radio for a podcast featuring several podcasters from across the U.S.! * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody and Jon have a Netflix extravaganza, prompted by Cody’s choice to watch Marvel’s Daredevil Season 1 on Netflix almost exclusively on his cell phone. Hear them discuss everything from Black Mirror to horror movies to various versions of Star Trek, then get Cody’s aggressive thoughts on the newest Hearthstone expansion, Whispers of the Old Gods. Show Notes: * Jon agrees to discuss the podcast only in terms of emoji from now on (Cody does not actually agree to this at any point, but he rolls with it) * Jon gets a text message from THE WEATHER because he is INCREDIBLY RUDE * Balancing Act * Cody explains how the GonnaGeek Network tricked him into wanting to watch geeky TV shows, so he watched the first season of Daredevil on Netflix * For some reason, Cody’s girlfriend doesn’t like mindless excessive violence or superhero things, so Cody decided to watch the entire first season on his phone * Cody and Jon debate which films or shows would be best to watch on a phone versus on a big screen television with a corner tv wall mount, and Chris from the GonnaGeek Network helps Cody remember basically everything in the chat * Massive tangents about Star Trek series and Swimfan@ on Netflix make this basically the most hilarious episode ever… I’m not going to type it all out for you here, just listen and your life will be better, seriously * Jon talks a bit about Black Mirror and some other shows he’s watched lately * Cody nitpicks the first season of Daredevil on Netflix * Cody explains why Heroes is the worst TV show ever made * Current News * Hearthstone released a new expansion, Whispers of the Old Gods, and it has made Cody hate the game even more than he did originally * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org) * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody shares some exciting news coming from Illinois, just in time for the 4/20 “holiday.” Then, Jon discusses his child’s hilarious sleeping habits and his own personal battle with becoming a runner, and Cody shares his favorite hidden gems in the world of video game music arrangements and radio drama podcasts. Show Notes: * Jon accuses Rob from Game/Life Balance Australia of being well-read and cultured, because he reads books * “Buying a bunch of games and not playing them is not nearly as impressive as buying a bunch of books and not reading them” * Jon makes jokes about a book called The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam, which is a callback to Episode 4 of Game/Life Balance Australia * Cody introduced Jon to introduce himself, after Jon introduces himself several times * Current News * This episode was recorded on April 20, also known as 420, also known as marijuana, weed, pot, etc. * Jon complains about the internet on 4/20 because he is butthurt that Reddit wasn’t as fun for one day of his entire life * Cody shares the news that the state of Illinois has even further decriminalized marijuana, taking the state several steps closer to legalizing the substance, at least according to Cody * Joy of Parenting * Jon gives an update on his son’s “big-boy-bed” transition saga, which now involves an elaborate puzzle contraption used to hide a light switch, plus an amazing analogy from Cody that is basically one of the smartest things ever said * Cody also explains how The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD has given him a brilliant idea for making Jon a better parent, because that’s how life works * Life Stuff * Jon talks about training for a 5k, why it’s important to him, and how he feels about running * Cody explains his bizarre super-privileged neurotic mental block that has prevented him from exercising regularly for several months until he discovered testosterone supplements for men which gave him the energy needed * Oddities * Speaking of video game music, Cody discusses Dwelling of Duels, a really awesome video game music web site that people should check out if they like live instrumentation of classic video game tracks * Cody raves about Friend of the Family, the newest member of the GonnaGeek Network, and insists that you check it out * Friend of the Family is one of a handful of shows produced by Strange N Unusual Productions, which produces radio dramas “that embrace the bizarre and spooky with a laugh” * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,

Cody reveals his #1 pet peeve in the entire world, which happens to involve podcasting technical difficulties that occur both before and after this episode’s recording.  Then, Jon explains why he rage uninstalled a mobile game for the first time in his life, and some of the pros and cons of Clash Royale. Show Notes: * Cody visits the bomb dot com, which we aren’t going to link to in our show notes because it’s such an atrocious click-bait website * Jon raises the important question: why isn’t Game/Life Balance Australia this podcast’s “brother show?” “Sister show” doesn’t seem to make sense to him * On a related note, Cody and Jon debate Australian slang, all of which Cody is pretty sure is completely wrong * Cody compares himself to Rob of Game/Life Balance Australia, based on stuff he heard in their third episode * While elaborating on his biggest pet peeve on the planet, Cody makes a brilliant Legend of Zelda analogy, which Jon somehow doesn’t understand fully, even though it’s really genius * Since apparently this episode is in many ways a freeform podcast, somehow the topic of hypersensitivity on college campuses comes up, and Cody either tells or makes up stories about trigger warnings (it’s hard to tell) * Life Stuff (Jon) * Jon explains that he is an infinitely patient person who has never been frustrated at anything in his entire life, yet the mobile game Clash Royale infuriated him so much that he “rage uninstalled” it * Jon starts to explain the minutae of gameplay before Cody cuts him off, because Cody is a better podcaster than he is * Learn why Jon actually thinks the game is quite excellent, but was nevertheless compelled to uninstall it because he was terrible at it and he can’t handle adversity * Cody explains how he makes Hearthstone tolerable by muting his opponents, and why that automatically makes it a better game than stupid Clash Royale which Jon can’t handle because he is weak and I will crush him * Jon explains the term “being on tilt,” which is his first educational contribution to the podcast possibly ever * Life Stuff (Cody) * Cody refuses to make a “Jonathan sandwich,” then throws up in his mouth * After Cody’s girlfriend had family in town over the weekend, including a cat, he is now tempted to get a cat * The most difficult part of living with a cat, in Cody’s mind, is where exactly to put the litterbox, and fortunately/unfortunately for him, his current apartment can actually accommodate one that doesn’t interfere with his universe, mostly because his apartment is really long * Cats as a way to stave of Russians: yay or nay? Cody and Jon discuss * “Cats are really cute and fun, plus it would be, like… a practice run for having a kid” * Cody makes a comment about how expensive it is to have a cat, which Jon immediately misconstrues to mean something it doesn’t, because he enjoys being a contrarian, even if it does end up being humorous * Jon joins Team Cody in trying to convince his sister to not get a dog while living in the city of Chicago, because that is an abysmal and prohibitively expensive idea * To wrap up the cat conversation, Cody explains how his owning a cat could drastically improve ratings and views for their YouTube videos * Current News * Risk of Rain, a multiplayer roguelike platformer which both Jon and Cody really love, is now

Cody describes his experience shopping at recreational Colorado marijuana dispensaries, where recreational marijuana use has been legalized. Learn about the laws and the culture in one of America’s first states to legalize weed! Show Notes: * Jon shows a shred of humanity by wishing Cody a belated happy birthday! * Joy of Parenting * Jon’s son has transitioned from a crib to a bed, and while the proposition was terrifying, the results have been hilarious * Life Stuff * Cody went on “spring break” in Colorado and had a chance to visit a number of recreational marijuana dispensaries * Learn about the regulations in place for legally buying weed in Colorado, the ridiculous variety of products and edibles you can purchase, what the implications are for the state (and its budget), and how it has affected the culture in Colorado * Also don’t miss Cody rave about The Green Solution, which he firmly believes is the future of marijuana in the United States * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org) * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com