Gamers on global politics, activism, and the billionaire class: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 037
Summary: Following Cody’s recent international travels, he and Jon have a frank discussion about global politics, activism, and the billionaire class, including a conversation on why people should approach politics from the perspective of strategy gamers. This mostly non-partisan podcast is full of unique perspectives from a couple of Millennials trying to make sense of it all; don’t miss it!<br> <br> Show Notes:<br> <br> * Cody has “accidentally” become a globetrotter, but Jon has some exciting news about an upcoming trip that came about because he is very good at his job!<br> * Learn about Michelin Stars, and the fact that apparently you can get more than one at a time<br> * The Voice was holding auditions during a trip Jon recently took. So how did he do???<br> * Cultures in Europe vary significantly from country to country, and Cody argues that there is not that kind of diversity in the U.S.; hear why Jon disagrees<br> * Cody discusses Salzburg and explains why it’s like Rockford, and Jon somehow doesn’t equate Mozart with Cheap Trick<br> * Then, hear about Cody’s experience at the World Economic Forum, literally one of the most exclusive events in the world<br> <br> * Cody explains the difference between discourse among billionaires and discourse among the average citizen on Facebook or Twitter, and Jon responds with an argument that both types of conversation don’t have to occur in a mutually exclusive fashion<br> * Circling back to the U.S., Cody talks about watching the Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of State Betsy DeVos, and laments the apparent transparency of political theatre as the “game” that it seems to be today<br> * Jon tries to explain politics and why debates exist, although in today’s political climate, a lot of the meaning and purpose behind it seems to be obscured or even lost, depending on the situation<br> <br> <br> * Bringing the conversation back around to gaming, Cody explains the 2016 presidential election from a “strategy gamer” perspective, and Jon explains how elections are like playing with a good strategy in the board game Twilight Imperium<br> <br> * Cody explains why business leaders at the World Economic Forum gave him hope, but watching the U.S. Senate “debate” a presidential appointment left him feeling that politics is a stupid game and a complete joke in which nothing substantive ever gets accomplished<br> * Jon encourages Cody to “be engaged,” but Cody is jaded about that, too (and for good reason)—with problems that go “up,” not “left or right”<br> <br> <br> * Balancing Act<br> <br> * Cody finished playing Lara Croft GO, which had even more content than he originally realized, and he also recently finished Final Fantasy XV, which he destroyed in his soon-to-be-released review, but has continued playing because some of the post-game content is actually really fun (after 80-some hours of play time)<br> * Jon has been playing a ton of Fallout 4, which he says is huge and massive, but he still doesn’t even know if he likes it or not, and he can’t exactly put his finger on why<br> * Cody briefly mentions the upcoming <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/01/27/final-fantasy-xiv-players-blog-heads-to-tv-in-japan-as-live-action-drama">Final Fantasy XIV TV show</a>, the first live-action television series with a plot centered around a Final Fantasy game, and reminds everyone that FFXIV is probably his favorite Final Fantasy game<br> <br> <br> * Learn how to connect with us on the <a href="http://gonnageek.com" target="_blank">GonnaGeek Network</a>, syndication on <a href="http://wgnplus.com/category/gamelife-balance-u-s/" target="_blank">WGN Plus</a>, our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/unqualifiedpodcast" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>, and more!<br>
