Podcasts about hula hoops

When no one wants your Meat Slingshot, what do you do? Make a better flying disc and name it after a pie plate, naturally. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector and storyteller. I’m Stephen’s sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today’s episode, a word from our sponsor, which is… Well, it’s us, but we’re highlighting ads we’ve written and produced for our clients. So here’s one of those. [ECO Office Ad] Dave Young: Welcome back to the Empire Builders Podcast. Dave Young here with Stephen Semple and today’s topic, Wham-O. It’s from Wham-O. In all the toy stores, I’m trying to think. Slinky wasn’t Wham-O, was it? Stephen Semple: No, Slinky was not Wham-O. Dave Young: Yeah. I’m trying to think of what Wham-O was. Stephen Semple: Frisbee’s. Dave Young: Frisbee’s. Stephen Semple: Hula Hoops. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: All sorts of crap, right? Dave Young: I didn’t realize the Frisbee was a Wham-O product. I mean, I remember the name. I remember the ads and it’s a cool name. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Well, it’s so funny. Wham-O was Frisbee, Hula Hoops, Slip ‘N’ Slide, Super Ball, all of those- Dave Young: Probably lawn darts. Stephen Semple: All of those sorts of things were Wham-O. But what I find funny is before getting on, we were talking about this whole thing of sounds and things like that and communication. And then all of a sudden it’s like, “Oh, we’re going to talk about a company whose name actually has that real kinetic feel of Wham-O.” Dave Young: Mm-hmm. I love a name that is also a sound. And if we have time, I’ll tell you about a client I’m working with that we changed the name of the company to make it a sound. Stephen Semple: Oh, that’s cool. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: That’s awesome. Oh, the other ones that they did, Hacky Sack and Silly Strings was a couple of the other ones. Dave Young: Were they responsible for lawn darts? That’s my question. Stephen Semple: I’m not sure if they’re responsible for lawn darts. So since it didn’t come up- Dave Young: Maybe not. Yeah. Stephen Semple: … I guess probably not. The company started in 1949 out of, basically a lot of these things out, of the garage in South Pasadena. And it was Richard Knerr and Arthur Melin, who are basically two university graduates, started this company. And their first product was a slingshot, was a wooden slingshot made from ash wood. And the name Wham-O was actually inspired by the sound of the slingshot hitting a target. Dave Young: You release it… Yeah. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Yeah. Dave Young: Very satisfying. Stephen Semple: But here’s the funny thing is, it wasn’t originally… The idea behind making it was not actually a toy. They loved training falcons, and it was to train falcons for hunting. Dave Young: A slingshot? Okay. Stephen Semple: They would shoot the meat into the air. They got frustrated that the regular slingshot wouldn’t fire it the way they wanted to do it, so they made their own. Dave Young: So they made a meat slingshot. Stephen Semple: Made a meat slingshot. Dave Young: It turns out there wasn’t a huge market for meat slingshots. So you pivot and put it in the hands of children eventually. Stephen Semple: It’s the 1950s, dude. Dave Young: Uh-huh, that’s right. “You’re going to put an eye out.” Well, somebody already did. Stephen Semple: Be careful with that hamburger you’re firing out. Dave Young: But that was their fault, not ours. Yeah. Those were the days, right? Stephen Semple: Right. Dave Young: When the manufacturer could say, “Well, that’s your fault. You shouldn’t have been an idiot.” Stephen Semple: “What’d you expect a rock to do?” But again, so many businesses, it started with them just solving their own problem. And their own problem was they wanted this thing. But what they found out, they created one that was so good that all of a sudden was like, “Wow,” people became interested in this. Dave Young: It the wrist rocket? Stephen Semple: You know what? I was able to find- Dave Young: I don’t know if that’s the same kind of- Stephen Semple: I wasn’t able to find pictures of the original thing around, because it didn’t do particularly well, but it kind of put them onto a path. Because very quickly they added blow guns and boomerangs. Dave Young: Nice. Stephen Semple: Right? But the whole idea was these types of things. And they get to the stage with these various products. So they’ve got the slingshot, they got the blow gun, they got the boomerang, they got these little niches going on and they’re selling basically $100,000 a year of this stuff. But they’re thinking to themselves, “If we’re going to really make this a business, we need a bigger idea.” And I’m going to say, if you’re going to really make this a business, you need an idea which is not going to put somebody’s eye out. Dave Young: Probably. This is, again, like you said, the 1950s. Stephen Semple: 1950s. Really, no seat belts, like, “Come on now.” Dave Young: The BB gun’s already invented. Stephen Semple: You know, it’s funny, when you think back to how we were with safety and things like that, one of my really fond memories… Now this wouldn’t have been the ’50s, this would be the ’70s, but one of my really fond memories of being a kid was we’d be hauling stuff somewhere and we had this old green wood trailer with oversized tires on it that bounced like crazy when you’re driving down the road. And one of the funnest thing is we would go somewhere and coming home, all the kids would pile into the trailer in the back as we’re driving down the road. Dave Young: You’d be the ballast to hold down the sheets of plywood. Yeah. Well, who needs tie downs when you’ve got 200 pounds of children? Stephen Semple: And the weird thing is, it’s not like anybody thought that was weird. Dave Young: No. Stephen Semple: That was what you do. Dave Young: Yeah. And if you weren’t on the trailer, you were sitting on the edge of a pickup with your back to the road. Stephen Semple: Exactly. Exactly. Anyway, back to Wham-O. They’re needing a bigger idea. And while they’re on the beach, they come across this flying disc called Whirlaway. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: Right? And they decide… They also found another one called Pluto Platter. So it didn’t work. It wasn’t really selling. And so Wham-O, they buy the rights to this. They go, “Look, we’ll buy the rights to this.” They make a few couple of design changes. And Morrison saw this people also tossing these metal pythons, right? Dave Young: Oh, okay. Stephen Semple: And so that was actually where he came up with a little bit of the design change. He kind of looked at that and went, “Oh, this is much better than this Pluto Platter thing.” Dave Young: You drop the edge down and balances itself a little bit better. Stephen Semple: Yeah, yeah. And one of the pie plates they came across, guess what the name of the pie plate was? Dave Young: Frisbee maybe? Stephen Semple: Bingo. Dave Young: Yeah? Okay. Stephen Semple: Frisbee. Dave Young: Okay. So they buy that too or just- Stephen Semple: They just trademarked that because it wasn’t trademarked. So they went and trademarked the Frisbee name. And in the first two years, they sell a million Frisbees. Dave Young: Wow. Stephen Semple: Right? And what they did to promote it, so here’s the really cool idea, they go to university campuses and they also gave it to people and people, guess what, immediately found on university cool ways to do tricks and stuff with the Frisbee. So that then got it going. And look, this was pre social media days. Imagine what you’d be able to do today in terms of demonstrating all this crazy stuff on social media. Dave Young: Well, you’d have to get people off their phone. Stephen Semple: Yeah. But what they have now is they have a way of creating ideas. And what they realized was they had to look for things and just make them better. So they created this open door policy. They would listen to anybody, “Come pitch an idea, we’ll listen.” So the next one was a neighbor had come back from Australia with this bamboo exercise hoop, and you had to use it doing a movement like a hula dancer. Dave Young: Yeah. Okay. Stephen Semple: And so they do a handshake deal. And if it’s a hit, we’re going to give you royalties. And instead they make it out of this lightweight, colorful plastic, and they put little beans inside so that it makes a sound. Dave Young: Absolutely. Stephen Semple: It also has a little bit different feel to it. They took this idea to parks and they demonstrated it. And what am I talking about, Dave? What’s the name of the toy? What’s the name of the toy? Dave Young: Oh, it’s the Hulu Hoop. Yeah. Stephen Semple: Bingo. Yeah, it’s the Hulu Hoop. And in 1958, they launched the Hula Hoop, and it’s the biggest toy fad in history. And I think it still is. Dave Young: Oh yeah, I think. Stephen Semple: I think it still is. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: And they were farming out the product they couldn’t keep up with production. Now, here’s where a little problem happens for them. Remember that handshake deal? If this is a deal, we’re going to pay your royalties? Dave Young: Yeah, yeah. Stephen Semple: They didn’t pay any royalties and they got sued. Dave Young: Shoot. They should have paid the royalties. Stephen Semple: On top of that, knockoffs happened, right? Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Because it was pretty easy to copy and people were making it cheaper. And then by the end of 1958, they actually reported a loss because of so much of this competition going on. Dave Young: Really? Okay. Stephen Semple: Yeah. So they stopped production. They’ve got growing debt. They’ve got a warehouse full of unsold product. So they need to find another hit. Because what they’ve noticed is in their business model is the toy gets hot and then it drops off. So what they suddenly realize is they need to constantly be looking for these new ideas. So Robert Carrier is a guy from the upholstery industry and he came home one day to see his son sliding on the concrete driveway because it was wet. Again, remember, ’50s, right? Dave Young: Sure. Anything to entertain yourself as a kid. Stephen Semple: He takes some Naugahyde, incorporates a hose and holes, and now you’ve got… Dave Young: The Slip ‘N’ Slide. Stephen Semple: Right. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Right. So basically the guys at Wham-O come across this idea and they replace it with vinyl plastic and you’ve got Slip ‘N’ Slide. Dave Young: Yeah, yeah. Stephen Semple: And when they launched Slip ‘N’ Slide, it sold like 3000 units in the first few months. Dave Young: Mm-hmm. Stephen Semple: Right? Another inventor comes and sees them, Norman Stringley, who’s a petrochemical engineer who specializes in rubber, and he makes this really dense, high bouncing ball that could also spin in reverse. Dave Young: Okay. Yeah, the Super Ball. Yeah. Stephen Semple: Bingo, the Super Bowl. Dave Young: Mm-hmm. Stephen Semple: Smash hit, six million sold in 1965 alone. Dave Young: Well, and I think it was just a couple of years before that with the Absent-minded Professor and Flubber. Do you remember Flubber? Stephen Semple: Yeah, right. Dave Young: So that was like Super Ball was having a ball made out of Flubber. Stephen Semple: Yeah. And I don’t know whether this is true or not, but seemingly the whole Super Ball thing was also part of the inspiration for creating the name of the Super Bowl. Dave Young: Really? Stephen Semple: Yeah. And again, this is one of those ones I could not find confirmation of it. It may just be one of those things that’s a great story that now is part of the world out there. Dave Young: Yeah, the zeitgeist. The zeitgeist. Stephen Semple: The zeitgeist, yeah, that’s it. And then in 1959, the Wham-O Bird Ornithopter, which was this aluminum spars and all this other… and brightly painted look like a hawker or an owl. And it was rubber bands. Remember those things, they were rubber band powered? They were about like three bucks and they made 600,000 of those. And then- Dave Young: It was brightly painted so you could see it up in the tree when it got stuck. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: And now you’re like, “Oh shoot.” Stephen Semple: And then they created the Wheelie Bar, which was something that was great for attaching to a swing bicycle. And the air blaster and the bubble thing. One of the things that they just did was they realized they needed to just continually be making new ideas because the cycle for their types of toys, they would go really popular and drop off, really popular, drop off, really popular. In 1969, they did Silly String. Remember Silly String? Dave Young: Sure. Yeah. Stephen Semple: Right? The Hacky Sack in ’83. So just on and on and on and on, they would do these things. And in 1982, I was never able to find the price that Wham-O was sold for, but Wham-O was sold to Kransco Group Companies in ’82. And then in ’94, Mattel bought them. Dave Young: Wow. Stephen Semple: Then in ’97, Wham-O became independent again. Dave Young: Oh, really? Stephen Semple: And then in 2006, they were sold to Cornerstone Overseas Investment Limited for $80 million. Dave Young: Stay tuned. We’re going to wrap up this story and tell you how to apply this lesson to your business right after this. [Using Stories To Sell Ad] Dave Young: Let’s pick up our story where we left off, and trust me you haven’t missed a thing. Stephen Semple: Then in ’97, Wham-O became independent again. Dave Young: Oh, really? Stephen Semple: And then in 2006, they were sold to Cornerstone Overseas Investment Limited for $80 million. So the one thing I can find to put a value to Wham-O was they were bought, they went independent, and then they were sold again for $80 million. So I always like to try to go, “What was this company worth?” Dave Young: Those guys probably left when it got sold the first time, would be my guess. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Dave Young: But here’s my observation of this. These guys weren’t making games. Stephen Semple: Oh, interesting. Dave Young: Hacky Sacks sort of became a game, right? Stephen Semple: Mm-hmm. Dave Young: Because you could play it with several people. You’d have people in a circle all smacking the Hacky Sack. In fact, I have one. I thought it was laying back here. It’s sitting on my desk or around here somewhere in this stuff. Stephen Semple: Cool. Dave Young: But it’s one of the little original leather ones. Stephen Semple: Nice, yeah. Dave Young: But my observation is this is a stretch. Okay? Stephen Semple: Okay. Dave Young: This is just me following a trend. Stephen Semple: Do I need to sit down? Do I need to sit down? Dave Young: No, I don’t think so. I don’t think so. I think, in fact, knowing you as well as I do, I think you’ll jump right on board with this. Stephen Semple: Okay. Dave Young: These guys were making fidget toys. These guys were making things that you could do yourself just by yourself, right? Stephen Semple: With the one exception being- Dave Young: And it’s not necessarily Hula. Stephen Semple: Frisbee would be the one exception, but Hula you could do yourself. All these other things you could do yourself. Dave Young: And people figured out how to make Frisbee golf courses and then you could play that by yourself. Stephen Semple: Oh, that’s true. Oh, that’s true. That’s true. Dave Young: You’re just throwing towards a goal. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: But they didn’t make Frisbee as a game. They made it as an activity. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: So you could say they’re activities, but they were also things that you could just go do this activity and just be outside playing with something and be out on the driveway bouncing your Super Ball or- Stephen Semple: I remember having a Super Ball. They were fun. Dave Young: … holding your Hula Hoop, or shooting at things with the original slingshot. Stephen Semple: With the meat? Dave Young: The meat slinger. They had to quickly have pivoted from that, because I don’t think falconry ever got huge, right? They were looking at things that were just kind of cool. And I say fidget toys because even as we record these things, I have four or five things on my desk that I always have in my hand and I’m always just doing something, right? Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: It keeps my brain focused on this conversation instead of wandering all over the place. Stephen Semple: We just didn’t have the terminology fidget toy, right? Dave Young: Well, here’s the other thing. If you want to take it a step further, ADHD wasn’t known about then. Stephen Semple: Correct. It was around, but we’d had- Dave Young: Sure. Lots of kids with ADHD that needed… Just take your Super Ball outside. You could kill a lot of time goofing off with a Wham-O toy. Stephen Semple: Well, and a great example of that is I was only diagnosed a few years ago as having ADHD. Dave Young: Yeah, same. Mm-hmm. Stephen Semple: So gone through my entire life with it, not knowing… Mind you, if I look close enough, the science were there. Dave Young: Well, sure. Yeah. When I told people, I think mine was almost 10 years ago, but anytime I’d tell somebody like, “Wait, you didn’t know? You didn’t know.” Stephen Semple: No, I was distracted. I didn’t notice. Dave Young: The rest of us knew. “How long have you been having these memory problems?” “For as long as I can remember.” Stephen Semple: So not long. Dave Young: I don’t know. Stephen Semple: But the one thing I want to tie back to on Wham-O, and it’s a great observation that that’s what they were basically creating, is the thing that they noticed very quickly was this was their natural business. Their natural business was you create something, it’s a hit, and it falls off. And they just bought into it. They said, “That’s the nature of this business.” So what you need to do is continually be looking for these new ideas. Dave Young: A new thing. Stephen Semple: So this is reason why we didn’t talk very much about… They literally had this open door policy. If you were an inventor of a toy, you could come see them. And look, they looked at a lot of crap, but at the same time that they knew that they had to constantly be out there, it’s not about, “Oh my God, we’re making all this money from the Hula.” What they learned from the Hula, because it almost killed their business, is they need to be constantly looking for that next idea, that next idea. And it’s not about, “Oh, it’s dropped off. We’ve got to revive this with marketing.” Toy, especially in those days, had this natural cycle that it went through. They bought into, “This is the way it is, so we got to constantly looking for new ideas, fill in that pipeline and creating it. And then also recognizing when this thing drops off, we’ve got to manage that drop off.” I really like the fact that they just really saw their business for what it was and said, “Okay, given that’s what it is, this is how we have to manage things.” Dave Young: Yeah. And honestly, this fits it so well because the inventors are probably… They’re just figuring out something that they enjoyed. Right? Stephen Semple: Bingo. Dave Young: I made this little thing. I made this little thing out of paperclips and look what it does and it’s kind of fun and I think you could take it to the next level. And I think there’s lots of things like that. And so they were filling that need of these inventors who were probably just solving their own little attention problem. Stephen Semple: Well, great. Oh, I discovered my kid was doing this and I did this and they’re now having fun with it and all the neighborhood kids are coming over and doing it. Dave Young: Frisbee was a way to play a game of catch without needing a glove and a ball or pretending you’re playing baseball, right? And so if you weren’t a baseball player, you probably didn’t run around with a glove and baseball anyway. So it was a way to… And most of these toys, you didn’t need anybody else. Stephen Semple: You didn’t need anybody else. Dave Young: Frisbee you did, but it was just a game of catch. Stephen Semple: Right. And also what they recognized was people would very quickly, like with Hula and Frisbee and all these things, people would very quickly figure out their own ways to make it fun and do strange things. Dave Young: Gamify. Stephen Semple: Which then also made it more… People gamified it on their own and will gamify it on their own. Give kids a bunch of stuff, they’ll gamify it. Dave Young: I’m sure it wasn’t too long before there was somebody, the first person in the Guinness Book of World Records for Hula Hoop. Stephen Semple: Oh, for sure. Dave Young: Right? Stephen Semple: Oh, for sure. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Dave Young: Because you just see how long you can do it, you see how many spins you can do it. Stephen Semple: Yeah. And again, the interesting part to me was it didn’t start as, “Hey, we’re making this toy.” It was, “we made this thing,” and then they started to discover that it was fun. It was just fun on their own firing without the falcons and now it’s a toy. Dave Young: Yeah, I love it. I love it. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: The story of Wham-O. Stephen Semple: Wham-O. Dave Young: Wham-O, it’s a sound. Right? I know this is an audio podcast, but just do a Google search for the Wham-O logo, right? It’s a sound. You can hear it when you read it and you can see that it’s in motion, right? Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: All of these things had that in common too. Everything was about motion and something moving, some kind of action. Stephen Semple: Well, the other thing that’s really smart about the Wham-O logo is it’s that it’s colorful. But the other thing is the way they’ve done the Wham-O, if you really look at it carefully, it’s the letters at the beginning are big and it gets smaller, which is kind of how you would say Wham-O, right? Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: If you actually listen to it, the sound drops off. And even the way they drew it, they were drawing upon the common way in which comics convey this. And if you think about it at the time, you would have had also things like Batman with the, “Pow!” Dave Young: Absolutely. Yeah. Stephen Semple: So they were also tying into a popular zeitgeist of communication, which is really brilliant. Dave Young: That probably was also attractive to the same kids. Stephen Semple: Correct. Dave Young: Right? Stephen Semple: Oh yeah, correct. Dave Young: And they would recognize it. They would see the language of the comic book and the logo of Wham-O. Stephen Semple: Bingo. Immediately, mm-hmm. Dave Young: The way it recedes, it’s not that it gets smaller in your brain, it’s that it’s getting farther away. Stephen Semple: No, but that’s what I meant by just trying to explain since we’re on a podcast that the lettering gets smaller. Dave Young: But it gives you that feeling of motion. Stephen Semple: But in our brain… Bingo. Dave Young: Mm-hmm. Stephen Semple: Yes. Yes. Dave Young: So they managed to put sound, color and motion into a static logo. Stephen Semple: Correct. Correct. Dave Young: And that’s a super cool thing to do. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Yeah. Really, really amazing thing to do. Yeah. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Yeah, it was very cool. Very cool. Dave Young: This is a long episode. Do you want to hear about this client I mentioned at the beginning? Stephen Semple: Go ahead, Dave. Dave Young: Short story. And this is a air conditioning client in Tucson, and his company was named Tailored Mechanical. Stephen Semple: Okay. Dave Young: I think he listens to the podcast, so he’s probably going to hear this and go, “Oh my God.” But we’re in the middle of rebranding. And we asked him when he became a client, like, “Are you okay with us recommending a change in the name of the company?” Because Tailored Mechanical doesn’t exactly tell you that they’re an air conditioning repair company, right? I’m not sure what they do if you tell me mechanical, right? They’re not auto mechanics and they don’t fix elevators and things like that. I don’t know. But anyway, his name’s Chris Plunkett and his wife’s name is Scarlett. And so we gave him a couple of new name suggestions, knowing the one that we really wanted him to pick. We gave him one that had air conditioning in the title, just the typical thing. And then we’re like, “I mean, your wife’s name is pretty cool. You could call this company Scarlett. There’s no other air conditioner company named Scarlett. That would be a cool name.But, dude, everybody already just calls you Plunkett because it’s a sound and it’s fun to say. And so that’s the name of your company, Plunkett.” Stephen Semple: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Dave Young: And the logo is like Wham-O, it’s got motion in it. Stephen Semple: Nice. Dave Young: It’s bigger at both ends because there’s a pa-pa. There’s two syllables and they’re both kind of consonants, Plunkett. And so that’s going to be fun and we’re going to have fun with it. Stephen Semple: That will be fun. Dave Young: It’s almost going to feel like a Wham-O kind of a brand, but the whole goal… Remember the whole goal with companies like this is, we just need to make him memorable, right? Stephen Semple: Yes, yes. Dave Young: And anyway, I love the Wham-O story. I love that this is the kind of smart decisions that people can make that closely make their brand memorable. Rememberable is even a better word. It’s not a word. Stephen Semple: Yes. Yes. That’s awesome. That’ll be a fun campaign. Dave Young: Mm-hmm. Stephen Semple: You should send me some of the ads and we should put them in on the podcast. Dave Young: Yeah. I mean, we haven’t even got to that stage yet. We’ve just got the trucks wrapped and people are looking… Stephen Semple: When you’ve got that, send it along. We’ll put them in the podcast. Dave Young: You don’t know what we’re doing to make the trucks also have motion even when they’re sitting still? Stephen Semple: What are you doing? Dave Young: They’ve got the big logo on them and they’re brightly colored. They’re different colors on both sides. And we’ve put NASCAR style numbers on the doors. Stephen Semple: Oh, nice. That’s fun. Dave Young: Big, big numbers. Stephen Semple: That’s fun. Dave Young: And people scratch their heads. It’s like, “Well, it’s just science. Trucks go faster if they have numbers on them. Have you never watched a race?” Stephen Semple: That’s just science. All right, David, that’s fun. That’s fun, man. Dave Young: It’s fun to have a client that lets you do fun things in the aim of creating entertainment, and that’s the currency of attention. Stephen Semple: Yeah, that’s awesome. Dave Young: Thank you, Stephen. Great. Stephen Semple: So much fun. Thanks, David. Dave Young: Thanks for listening to the podcast. Please share us, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave us a big, fat, juicy five star rating and review at Apple Podcasts. And if you’d like to schedule your own 90-minute empire building session, you can do it at empirebuildingprogram.com.

We kick off 2026 by looking back 20 years to 2006. What were we up to, and what were we playing? Plus, a question from the mailbag, and a new collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - Busy January - SupportDiceTower.com 03:07 - 2006 Memories 05:09 - Where Were We In 2006? 18:50 - The Games of 2006 27:44 - Which Games Are We Still Playing? 31:30 - Listener Question: Game Replacement 42:07 - Add to Playlist 47:06 - Galactic Cruise 48:06 - Zooloretto 50:47 - Merry Murdle 53:52 - Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 57:10 - Heroes of Timeline Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

SHOW NOTES: On this show…we are getting back in our hula-hoop as we redirect worry into what we can actually control. Have you ever noticed how worry has a way of making itself very comfortable in your body? Like it doesn't just visit your thoughts, it moves in, rearranges the furniture, and tightens your shoulders while it's at it. I'm not talking about the big, dramatic worries that show up once in a while. I'm talking about the everyday kind. The background noise. The constant mental tabs you keep open that never fully close. What's interesting is how often we don't even call it worry. We call it being responsible. Being prepared. Being a good parent, partner, leader, or friend. We say things like, “I'm just thinking ahead,” or “I just care.” Meanwhile, our bodies are clenched, our minds are racing, and it feels like we're always on standby for something we can't quite name. Here's the picture that kept coming to mind for me. It's like standing in the middle of your own hula-hoop, but spending all your energy reaching outside of it. Trying to manage outcomes, predict reactions, and control situations that aren't actually yours to carry. And the more time we spend out there, the more drained we feel in here. So today, I want to look at worry from a few less popular angles. Not just whether it's helpful or unhelpful, but what it does to us, where it comes from, and what might happen if we gently brought our attention back into our own hula-hoop. Because when we focus on what we can actually work on, something shifts. We don't suddenly stop caring. We just stop carrying what was never ours to hold. Worry has a sneaky way of making itself feel productive. It shows up dressed as responsibility. As preparation. As being on top of things. And because of that, we rarely question it. We just assume that if we stop worrying, something important will slip through the cracks. But here's the thing. Worry isn't the same as action. And it definitely isn't the same as control. CHALLENGE: Notice when worry pulls you outside your hula-hoop. Each time it does, gently bring your attention back to what you can actually work on within yourself. Invest that energy in your growth and trust that you are becoming more capable than you realize. I Know YOU Can Do It!  

We've covered our fair share of pop-culture icons and here is another - Hula-Hoops. They've been around since ancient time in some form or another, but made their name in during the Hoop Boom of the 1950s. Learn all about this popular fad and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you like to hear a wide ranging conversation about the nature of consciousness, art in a world without nuance, and the return of psychedelia? Or would you rather just hear two idiots fight? Well, we have good news for you: you are about to get both my loves...

This time, we continue our discussion of RPGs by suggesting Role Playing Games that share popular boardgaming mechanisms, as well as giving Tom tips for getting a game started. Plus, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - A Story About Mail 02:22 - Eric at PAX Unplugged (inc. Hot Streak) 06:50 - Gift Guides, Dice Tower West and East 08:02 - RPGs for Boardgame Fans (detailed notes below) 37:55 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 43:03 - Fromaggio 48:35 - Gnomic Parlament 52:13 - Carnuta 54:49 - Magic Number 11 56:54 - Insurrect10n -- Julie's Notes Where to go to get core book pdfs? DriveThruRPG https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/  Itch.io https://itch.io/  Cooperative play (yes the overwhelming majority of TTRPGs are cooperative) some extra cooperative leaning  Heckin' Good Doggos https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/405426/heckin-good-doggos  Teatime Adventures https://www.snowbrightstudio.com/teatime-adventures  Dice rolling - Also many many many ttrpgs use dice. Here are some examples D20 - D&D/Pathfinder https://www.dndbeyond.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorCdKoS-xSfI4e05Us81YGA4tHt8CmmaOWNN-9VTcnsAfXS5pBS, https://paizo.com/pathfinder  d100 (percentile): Call of Cthulhu https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-rpg/  Symbol-based dice: FFG Star Wars. https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/starwarsrpg/ , Fudge dice: Fate  https://evilhat.com/product/fate-core-system/    Area control Beak, Feather, & Bone https://possible-worlds-games.itch.io/bfb  Faction/War Song of Ice and Fire RPG http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/101026/A-Song-of-Ice-and-Fire-Roleplaying-A-Game-of-Thrones-Edition  Mutant: Year Zero https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/139453/MUTANT-Year-Zero--Roleplaying-At-The-End-Of-Days  Numenera: Destiny https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/240655/Numenera-Destiny  Coyote and Crow https://www.allplay.com/board-games/coyote-and-crow-the-roleplaying-game/    Action points -  Level Up D&D PbtA  Using Action points Feng Shui https://atlas-games.com/fengshui  C&S: Rebirth  Mythras    Deck builder/Bidding Ok not really but Redigo is "Hand Management"  https://letsplayredigo.com/  Games using a standard deck of cards Castle Falkenstein https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/2370/castle-falkenstein  Games using a custom or proprietary card deck - mostly they are being used instead of dice Dragonlance: Fifth Age https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/186462/dragonlance-fifth-age-dramatic-adventure-game-saga  Clockwork Dominion https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/489608/courier-repacked  My Closest Pick Torg Eternity:A Thousand Faces of Adventure http://torg-gamereference.com/    Pick up and Deliver Solo/journal: Courier https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/489608/courier-repacked   Delivered! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/441018/delivered-a-solo-journaling-rpg  One shot Delivery Dragons https://shardsofblue.itch.io/delivery-dragons   Worker Placement? Become a GM Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

This time, we go fishing for Role Players, linking some popular aspects of RPGs to our favorite boardgames. Plus, our latest collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:47 - Getting Cold 01:45 - Eric at Pax Unplugged 03:47 - Games at Tom's Daughter's Wedding? 05:10 - BGG Con, Dice Tower East, West, Cruise 06:37 - Fishing for Role Players 14:58 - Stat-Heavy Games: Pathfinder ACG, Mage Knight 17:48 - Character Building: Origin Story, Elder Scrolls, Too Many Bonews, Artisans of Splendent Vale 20:12 - Story-Based Character Progression: Call to Adventure, Tales of the Arabian Nights, Near and Far 22:17 - Campaign (Descent) vs. Combat: Wrath of Ashardilon, Wander the Cult of Barnacle Bay, Massive Darkness, Monster Hunter 27:36 - Silly: Dungeon Fighter, Dungeon Quest, Cora Quest, Munchkin, Talisman 30:31 - Exploration: Mansions of Madness, Clank Catacombs 32:57 - Storytelling: Mice and Mystics, Stuffed Fables, Tainted Grail, Oathsworn, Agemonia 35:03 - Video Games: Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Skyrim, GWENT 37:38 - Improvisational Storytelling: Freelancers, Wandering Galaxy, Adventure Party, Aye Dark Overlord, Once Upon a Time 41:22 - Teasing Next Time: RPGs for Boardgamers 42:27 - Rove 46:08 - Night Soil 49:04 - Mezen 52:50 - Gingerbread House 55:37 - Severton 1:00:35 - Spot It Catan Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com Julie's Tales of Myth and Legend Preorder: https://gamefound.com/projects/van-ryder-games/tales-of-myth-and-legend-preorder?refcode=tMZTh1PtbUec1Vko4OGdaw

Are you familiar with the hoops exercise?Today on The Faithful & True Podcast, Dr. Greg Miller is joined by co-founder Debbie Laaser.Listen as they dig deeper into understanding and working from our own hoops.Send us a text

The DU Crew dives into Trade Deadline Hula Hoop (Double Dutch?), Is It Collusion, Expectations Kill Value, & Dynasty Trades

Amy and Darren recalls their weekend adventures at the Betsy in Swords, and a previous encounter they had with Keith Duffy in that very venue before. They also react to the news that Westlife are playing 10 nights at 3Arena - they already have their tickets bought, after a battle with Ticketmaster.Things are getting spooky this week, as Amy prepares to visit a pumpkin patch with Frank and Dixie...but not so much for Darren as he will be at the card show. The couple chat about their Halloween memories, and reveal what trick or treaters will get if they knock on The Conways door this week!Amy and Darren also answer your listener questions. What's the most valuable possession the other person has? And a right brainbuster...Chickatees or Hula Hoops? If you've got questions or topics for Amy and Darren, send them to TheConways@GoLoudNow.com!

School suspensions in Carrigaline - what's going on? Surely there's a better way...Sepsis - would you know the signs that somebody is dangerously ill...Hula hooping on the Jazz Weekend - a first for Cork & lots more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom is stuck in traffic, so Julie and Eric take control to discuss what it takes to setup a booth at Essen. How do you get all that stuff overseas, and how do you minimize what has to come back? And of course, there are Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:45 - Where is Tom? and Julie's Work Trip 03:56 - Dice Tower Cruise and Dice Tower West 05:07 - Moving a Booth to Essen 35:50 - Tiletum: Prospect for Silver 41:20 - I Made You a Mixtape 45:12 - High Tide 50:00 - The Yellow House Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Tom begins by recapping his adventures at the Dice Tower Retreat, and looks forward to the World Series of Boardgaming, before turning to the topic of figuring out what to do with your game collection after you're gone, and why it might be a good idea to make some choices sooner rather than later. Later, we share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, peek into the mailbag, and gather a collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:51 - Tom at the Dice Tower Retreat 02:25 - The World Series of Boardgaming 04:58 - Dice Tower Cruise, Dice Tower West, Spiel 06:03 - Planning for the Future of your Collection 24:58 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:22 - Question: Co-Designer Credit 38:16 - A Place for All My Books 44:04 - Knitting Circle 48:18 - Endangered Rescue: Lemur Leaf Frog 51:21 - The New Year's Nightmare 54:55 - Firefighters on Duty 57:07 - Blood on the Clocktower Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Adult camp?/ The worst trash talk target.     To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/TheJeffWardShow

Tom sits at the small table. Eric's parents make friends on a cruise. Julie travels the country spreading boardgames wherever she goes. We also talk about what surprises await in those little pockets of games in places where you don't expect to find them. We delve into the mailbag for some pertinent questions, and we gather a new crop of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - School Has Started, Dice Tower West, Cruise 02:40 - Eric's Parents on Alaskan Cruise 03:19 - Spiel Plans (Booth 3R315) 05:02 - Game Shelves in Unusual Spots 20:43 - Question: Playing With Bob 29:30 - Question: Storing Games While At College 34:30 - Tag Team 36:52 - Journey to Tir na nOg 41:50 - Cat Sudoku: Summer Festival 44:18 - The Four Doors 47:22 - Regicide Legacy 52:43 - Tenby Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Juli & Caleb's meal train: https://mealtrain.com/mld5k9Want to support what we do? Give today! https://donate.overflow.co/upsettheworld/__________________________________________________________________Come to the Whole Woman Co. x UTW x Register here to stream our free experience:https://brushfire.com/wholewomanco/utwwwco/603899/register?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAae0sDOlAxlB6WupP9x90p6nkoQXeiaCsWeE7trNUZdGIEV3BAPmlaAl67C3-g_aem_Gk6K-ItEKoK4Bt-SRO5Hog__________________________________________________________________Members get Episodes 2 Days early, vlogs, & exclusive STREAMS! Join today! UPSET & ABOVE to unlock all the perks!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqzgGwRrOLH20OIc8bM_VAg/join__________________________________________________________________

Eric starts the show by sharing tales of his European adventures, which leads Tom to share some of our plans for Spiel in October. Then, we discuss the process for adding art to your game. How do you find an artist? How long does it take to draw a picture of a horse? What if the horse is holding a corn dog? Later, we share a tale of horror and a question, and move on to our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Middle of the Year? - School Starting 02:23 - Eric's European Adventure 09:25 - Spiel Plans 12:14 - Art in Games 34:56 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror/Question 46:32 - Sancturary 48:42 - Vantage 56:21 - Bomb Busters 58:37 - Menagerie 1:01:44 - This Game is Killer: Frozen Horror 1:05:12 - Potion Explosion: The 6th Student Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

We are back from Gen Con, and ready to talk about our adventures! We discuss the crowds, the events, and the games we enjoyed, and maybe a little about the food we ate as well. We also share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and share our latest crop of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:46 - Announcements: Dice Tower West and Dice Tower Cruise 01:40 - Gen Con: Crowds and Fans 10:25 - Gen Con: Sales and Sellouts 12:50 - Gen Con: What Did We Buy? 16:20 - Gen Con: Tom's Trends 20:42 - Gen Con: Dice Tower Awards 23:27 - Gen Con: Food 26:36 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 37:25 - Giraffe Raffe 40:13 - Tag Team 43:24 - Oddland 44:50 - At The Gates of Loyang 47:27 - Fliptoons 49:35 - The Four Doors Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

This week Jim gets Bookish, Elton is outraged by dabbing AI, Darren waits for a tow truck and Lee drinks a chilli and gets inappropriate photos of Hula Hoops. Then after a lot of feedback about Ice Cubes War of the Worlds and a Asking For Trouble section that disappears down a 70s and 80s US TV nostalgia rabbit hole, we get to this weeks movie.  This week we review Ridley Scotts sci fi adventure The Martian Media Discussed This Week Bookish - U & Alibi Channel / Now TV Weapons - Theatrical Release Bosch (Season 7) - Amazon Prime Wednesday (Season 2) - Netflix The Martian - Disney+ The Lost Island - In the dim and distant past reserved for old men whistfully remembering a tv show no one heard of. 

Start your weekend right with TGIF, hosted by Charlie Pickering. This show features special guests including TGIF with Claire Hooper, Suren Jayemanne and Danny McGinlayAnd a performance by pianist Josh Cohen ahead of an appearance at next week's BLEACH festival on the Gold Coast.

In den Fünfzigern grassierte auch in Deutschland die Hula-Hoop-Mania. Auch heute noch ist der Reifen beliebt. Umsto erstaunlicher, dass die Physik dahinter nie erforscht wurde - bis jetzt! Die Ergebnisse könnten auch der Robotik dienen. Schmude, Magdalena www.deutschlandfunk.de, Forschung aktuell

Reuning, Arndt www.deutschlandfunk.de, Forschung aktuell

It's time to recap our adventures at Dice Tower East 2025. We discuss the games we played and events we ran, and you also get to hear what Eric and Julie got up to when working at the Dice Tower Booth, which includes brainstorming ways to get Tom to remember the difference between Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:46 - We Didn't See Each Other 01:45 - Gen Con is Around The Corner 03:26 - Dice Tower East: New Space 05:40 - Eric and Julie: How Do You Spend Small Amounts of Free Time? 09:28 - Library Checkouts: My Father's Work, Hot Streak, Bomb Busters, So Clover, Cretaceous Rails, Fromage, River Valley Glassworks, Lord of the Rings Duel, Toy Battle, Castle Combo, Sky Team, SETI, Galactic Cruise 16:26 - Eric and Julie: Favorite Old Game To Teach? - Fearsome Floors, Ra 19:05 - Variety of Games Played: Space Base, Ready Set Bet, My Father's Work (again), Merchant of Venus, Cosmic Encounter 25:33 - Missing Deep Regrets 26:16 - Eric and Julie: Game To Make Tom Play? 28:34 - Events: Parsely, Andrew Bosley Can't Draw, The Hobby 33:28 - Dexterity and Pitchcar 35:51 - Eric and Julie: Helping Tom Remember 37:59 - Giant Jenga and Thank Yous 41:06 - Positano 44:32 - Diatoms 46:41 - Horrified: World of Monsters 50:24 - Peaks 53:02 - Radioactive Bees 55:50 - 13 Leaves Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Today, we discuss our recent travel adventures. Eric has returned from a Ninja Escort Mission and ran into gaming opportunites at every turn. And Tom and Julie have the full scoop on the 50th Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH. Then, we finish the show with a gathering of our latest Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Convention Season - Dice Tower East 01:53 - Playing Only Older Games 04:01 - What We're Doing at Dice Tower East: Parsely, Wits and Wagers 06:48 - Dice Tower Awards at Gen Con 08:11 - Eric's Ninja Escort Adventure 13:22 - Origins with Tom and Julie 14:32 - Origins: Special Events for 50th? 18:28 - Origins: Game Debuts and Exhibit Hall 28:31 - Origins: Board Room and Open Gaming 33:59 - Origins: Tom as Special Guest 35:28 - Origins: Julie's Adventures 38:06 - Origins: Lessons Learned 40:02 - TowerBrix 44:29 - Square One 48:57 - Apothebakery 53:48 - Kabob 57:42 - Orbit 58:59 - How Many What? Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

In this deeply vulnerable episode of Transform Your Life, Teresa and Tonya peel back the layers of weight loss, self-worth, and emotional healing—and reveal the truth many avoid: your mindset is everything.They dive into how negative self-talk, trauma, and toxic environments shaped their early thoughts and behaviors—and how those unchecked thoughts led to decades of emotional eating, binge cycles, and self-sabotage. Teresa opens up about her “aha moment” with a doctor who finally treated her trauma instead of her weight. Tonya shares how small daily mindset shifts helped her escape years of self-blame and negativity.This isn't about diets, workouts, or willpower. It's about reprogramming the beliefs that shape your entire life—and realizing that your weight was never the real issue.

Kent Bressler welcomes Glenna Frey, MSN, APRN-CNS. She has dedicated over 40 years to nephrology nursing, specializing in hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantation. In 2017, she donated a kidney to a stranger at the Cleveland Clinic. The following year, she co-founded Kidney Donor Conversations (KDC), a nonprofit providing education and support for living kidney donation with her daughter, Amanda. Glenna serves as executive director of KDC and frequently presents programs on living kidney donation. She is a member of the American Nephrology Nurses Association and the National Kidney Donation Organization. She volunteers with the National Kidney Foundation and other kidney-focused groups. Her connection to kidney disease and transplantation is deeply personal. Many of her relatives, including her husband Bob, have Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). Bob has undergone dialysis and is now living with his second kidney transplant from a living donor. Her children, Amanda and Sawyer, also have PKD but currently maintain normal kidney function. Glenna is a published author and contributor to several works on kidney donation and nephrology nursing, including In Pursuit of a Better Life: The Ultimate Guide for Finding Living Kidney Donors, Thriving Post Kidney Transplant, and the Nephrology Nursing Journal. Additionally, she served as a reviewer for the 4th edition of Contemporary Nephrology Nursing. She is the author of the book Understanding Living Kidney Donation: The Best Treatment for Kidney Disease, now available on Amazon. Glenna also specializes in holistic therapies, holds a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is a Hula Hoop instructor. She resides in Northwest Ohio with her husband and enjoys time with her cat, chocolate lab, as well as crocheting, and native plant gardening. Glenna's pride and joy are her children, Amanda and Sawyer, and her granddaughter, Zora. For inquiries, contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennafreyrnkidneydonor/ or visit https://www.facebook.com/LivingKidneyDonationBook For more information on Kidney Solutions and to join our supportive community, visit kidneysolutions.org Host: Kent Bressler Producer: Jason Nunez Remember to keep breathing, and don't miss the next amazing episodes of Kent's Kidney Stories!  

Playing with hula hoops is fun. You move your waist backward and forward fast. The hoop spins around and around your waist. It doesn't fall down! Do you know why?搖呼拉圈很好玩，你有好奇過為什麼只要前後搖擺，呼拉圈就會繞著腰旋轉嗎?Click HERE for the full transcript!

This time, Tom gives us an update on his replay of the Catan expansions before we take a big look at small games. What are the pros and cons of games that can fit in your pocket? Also, we share a new Tale of Horror, as well as our latest batch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:03 - Summer: Origins, Dice Tower East, Dice Tower Cruise, Gen Con 05:03 - Catan Update and Chess 07:10 - Small Games 36:41 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 40:06 - Hot Streak 44:22 - Rhymes with Duck 47:08 - Lynx 51:11 - Endeavor: Deep Sea 54:51 - Fate of the Fellowship 58:21 - Tower Up Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Tom, Julie, and Eric run through the nominees for the German Game of the Year awards before focusing on the episode's main topic: box covers. How does what you put on the front of the box attract a particular audience? We also have a tale of horror? as well as a question from the mailbag, and of course our usual assortment of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - Summer is Here? 03:07 - Spiel des Jahres Nominees - Bomb Busters, Flip 7, Krackel Orakel 10:04 - Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominees - Endeavor: Deep Sea, Faraway, Looot 12:03 - Kinderspiel des Jahres Nominees - Cascadia Junior, Le Clan des Souris, Top die Torte 12:53 - Box Covers 31:32 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror? 39:12 - Question: Message to Past Self? 44:11 - Cretaceous Rails 47:59 - Hexpath: Detour Deluxe 50:32 - Fromage 53:44 - Wondrous Creatures 56:33 - Innovation Ultimate 59:46 - Ziggurat Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

This time, Tom gives us an audio tour of the new Dice Tower Studios in Ft. Myers, with tales to tell about the adventurous move. We present a Tale of Amazement and delve into the mailbag, and we close the show with our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:09 - Moving to Ft. Myers 04:51 - The New Studio 23:04 - Tale of Amazement 28:55 - Question: What to do with a whiner? 34:16 - Linkx 37:18 - Primates 41:18 - Deep Regrets 46:33 - Cat Crimes 48:49 - The Ministry of Lost Things: Lint Condition 51:39 - Zenith Questions? Tales of Horror or Amazement? tom@dicetower.com

Welcome to the Strength Connection!I true renaissance woman is the best way to describe Amy Guerrier.Professional Hula-Hooper, clown, top tier high performance coach, and lives full-time on a boat documenting her experiences on her Youtube Channel AbsoBOATely fabulous, Amy is a wealth of knowledge and insight into the power of play, breath, and mindset.Check out more of Amy at:IG: absoboatelyfabulousYT: https://www.youtube.com/@absoboatlyfabulous

This time, Tom shares his adventures in Mexico, and Julie has tales to tell from Greece. Then, we kick of our discussion of video games that feel like board games with Eric's obsession with Blue Prince, before moving on to a bunch of other electronic games, including some that have made the leap to boardgames. We open up the mailbag for a question and Tale of Horror, and break down our Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:57 - Following the Script 01:21 - Announcements: Dice Tower Cruise and East 02:24 - Tom in Mexico 06:27 - Julie in Greece 06:48 - Video Games that Feel Like Board Games 08:05 - Blue Prince 10:42 - Slay the Spire 11:24 - Balatro 16:22 - PS Remote Play 19:26 - Final Fantasy Tactics 21:26 - Citizen Sleeper 22:21 - Sunderfolk 23:35 - Jackbox 24:57 - Telltale Games 26:24 - Making the Jump to Board Games 36:25 - Question/Tale of Boardgaming Horror 44:28 - We Love Cats 46:41 - Ito 49:55 - Donald Duck in Happy Camper 54:51 - The Morrison Game Factory 58:20 - Lynx 59:43 - Camino a Xibabla Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com  

Tom is busy moving the studio, so Julie and Eric invite Robert Geistlinger from Arcane Wonders (and also Julie's husband) to join in a discussion about boardgame production. Where do the materials that go into our games come from? What do you look for in a manufacturer? And why doesn't everybody print their games in Cleveland? And of course, we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:52 - Where's Tom? and Who Is Robert? 03:08 - Announcements: Dice Tower East and Dice Tower Cruise 03:55 - Game Production: Why We're Not Discussing Tariffs 05:27 - Where Does the Material Come From? 11:41 - Where to Start? Price Point or Wish List of Features? 18:35 - How Long Does It Take For The Back-and-forth? 28:05 - What Else Are You Looking For Beyond Price? 37:31 - Why Not Just Make Everything in the US? 49:44 - Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops (a primer) 51:48 - The Case of the Curiously Correct Blueprints 57:23 - Stool Pigeon 1:01:00 - EXIT: The Hunt Through Amsterdam 1:04:26 - Dead Cells 1:06:48 - Stokerverse 1:12:53 - Saw: The Jigsaw Trials Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Today, we focus on what designers should do when they've built a design on an existing game. How much borrowing is too much borrowing? We also look ahead to some upcoming events, share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and run through our latest batch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:49 - Tom's Apology 01:25 - Dice Tower Cruise and Dice Tower East 01:52 - Tom's Catan Update: Seafarers 02:53 - Upcoming: Studio Move, Origins, Greece, College Visits 03:55 - Building Your Game on an Existing Design 32:41 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 39:33 - Roaring 20s 43:42 - Mystery of the Abbey 50:30 - CULTivate 54:42 - Faraway 57:42 - Nocturne 1:01:25 - Wroth Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

We kick off this episode with some chit-chat regarding the moving of Dice Tower HQ, some upcoming events, Tom's efforts to impress the chef at a Japanese restaurant, and the most played games at Dice Tower West. A listener question leads us to discuss the layout of rulebooks and how best to do so. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and close the show with a typical wave of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:53 - Moving the Studio 03:14 - Upcoming Events 03:52 - Tom at Dinner 07:26 - Most Played Games at Dice Tower West 12:50 - Dice Tower East and Dice Tower Cruise 13:23 - Rulebook Layout 36:55 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 45:57 - Catan 6th Edition 52:32 - Bad Apples 58:00 - Sentient 1:01:18 - Monkey Labs 1:03:02 - Ostia 1:05:58 - My Favorite Things Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Do you worry that someone's B.O. will follow you are everywhere? Are you pretty sure that a billion dollars will buy inner peace? Well, those are massive questions for us too, so fire up this episode and let's smell rich and happy together!

Today's debate is a high-energy showdown between two classic playground pastimes – Jump Rope vs. Hula Hoop! Will journalist Jed Kim bounce his way to victory for Team Jump Rope? Or will writer and comedian Andrew Barbato spin circles around the competition for Team Hula Hoop? Head on over to smashboom.org and vote to tell us who YOU think should be crowned the Smash Boom Best!Today's sponsor:Experience Disney's Snow White, only in theaters March 21. Rated PG, parental guidance suggested.Also… do you have your Smarty Pass yet? Get yours today for just $5/month (or $45/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today. As an added bonus, your Smarty Pass will grant you access to a super special debate starring Sanden and Molly!

This time, we are recording in person at Dice Tower West (with some new mics!). We talk specifics about our new-ish venue for DTW, and then get more general with a chat about our convention strategies and planning. The Tale of Boardgaming Horror is one for the ages, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, Hula Hoops, and Crossovers. 00:47 - Dice Tower West: Back at the Westgate 04:20 - Julie's Drive West 08:35 - Eric at APAC 09:41 - Tom at GAMA Expo and The Grand Canyon 13:09 - Hot Games 14:16 - Convention Strategy 33:47 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 39:26 - Critter Kitchen 44:29 - Spooktacular 49:03 - Moon Colony Bloodbath 51:42 - Galaxy Children Explorers 56:09 - Lata Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

How hula hoops stay aloft Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Olivia Pomerenk reveals the physics of hula hooping. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:49] Applied mathematician Olivia Pomerenk talks about the history of hula hooping. •[01:52] Pomerenk explains the fascinating nature of hula hoop motion as well as her own personal experiences with the children's toy. •[02:44] She describes the experimental setup with robotic hula hoopers, as well as the mathematical model that arose from experiments. •[04:44] Pomerenk enumerates the forces needed for successful hula hooping.  •[05:51] She explains how body shape affects hula hooping. •[07:17] She explores potential applications of the findings. •[08:01] Pomerenk discusses the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:44] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Olivia Pomerenk PhD Candidate Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2411588121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook  LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

John tells us about his short-lived career as a rapper and ponders how much protection his book would offer against a would be assassin. Meanwhile, Jonnie changes his rock band's name way too many times and tries in vain to stop a rodent infestation. Plus, a conversation about how God shapes us through pain and disappointment, and why that's actually a good thing. Today's episode is NOT sponsored by Buc-ees: "You stopped here to use the restroom, and then you spent $58 on snacks." FOLLOW Jonnie W.: https://jonniew.com FOLLOW John Driver: https://johndriver.com LISTEN, SUBSCRIBE, SEND MESSAGE, OR SUPPORT at http://talkaboutthatpodcast.com WATCH/SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwjExy_jWIdNvGd28XgF2Dg Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This time, we're talking sports, and how game designers can best emulate them. Plus, Horror, Hula Hoops, Roses, and Thorns. 00:59 - Announcements: Dice Tower West and East 02:04 - Sports Boardgames 20:10 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 25:48 - Charcuterie 30:24 - 1 A.M. Jailbreak 33:07 - Helionox Chronicles 37:47 - Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era 40:38 - Ostia 42:33 - Kingdom Legacy: Feudal Kingdom Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

This time, Eric gives an update on his Middle School Game Night before the gang launches into a discussion of how playing games for tangible prizes changes the vibe at the table. Then, we move on to a Tale of Boardgaming Horror, check the mailbag, and share some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:48 - Announcements: Gamefound, Dice Tower West 02:33 - Update on Eric's Middle School Game Night 03:54 - Raising the Stakes 25:08 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:54 - Question: Boardgaming's Golden Age? 36:24 - Question: Collecting from a Single Franchise? 38:30 - Endeavor Deep Sea 41:45 - Portmanteau 45:21 - Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game 48:58 - The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game 51:19 - Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard 54:54 - Stomp the Plank --- Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Tom complains about the cold before we all discuss forms of Table Talk. What just bends the rules, and what breaks the game? We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, a couple of questions from the mailbag, and some new Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:40 - It's cold in Florida 01:41 - Gamefound - SupportDicetower.com 02:11 - Dice Tower East and West 03:00 - Table Talk 25:07 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:31 - Question: Social Deduction Games (Where Am I, Blood on the Clocktower) 38:38 - Question: Screen Printed Meeples 44:49 - Little Alchemists 46:50 - Star Realms Academy 48:34 - Azul Duel 50:50 - Dr Jeckyl & Mr Hyde vs. Scotland Yard 53:28 - Rajas of the Ganges: Cards and Karma 56:47 - Unstoppable 1:00:07 - Catch the Moon

La tertulia semanal en la que repasamos las últimas noticias de la actualidad científica. En el episodio de hoy: Cara A: -Francis Villatoro en CosmoCaixa (6:30) -Foro Enciende el Cosmos de Fundación CajaCanarias (7:30) -AICAD concede más de 1,200 becas a estudiantes ecuatorianos (27:00) -La levitación del Hula-hoop (30:00) Este episodio continúa en la Cara B. Contertulios: María Ribes, Juan Carlos Gil, Francis Villatoro, Héctor Socas. Imagen de portada realizada con Midjourney. Todos los comentarios vertidos durante la tertulia representan únicamente la opinión de quien los hace... y a veces ni eso

La tertulia semanal en la que repasamos las últimas noticias de la actualidad científica. En el episodio de hoy: Cara B: -La levitación del Hula-hoop (2a parte) () -Psicotrópicos en una vasija del egipcio tolemáico (13:42) -Excitones de partículas de carga fraccionaria (47:47) -Little Red Dots: AGN débiles en z~5 (1:15:02) -Señales de los oyentes () Este episodio es continuación de la Cara A. Contertulios: Juan Carlos Gil, Gastón Giribet, Francis Villatoro, Héctor Socas. Imagen de portada realizada con Midjourney. Todos los comentarios vertidos durante la tertulia representan únicamente la opinión de quien los hace... y a veces ni eso

Scientists investigated how the shape of the human body makes hula hooping possible—and what hips and a waist have to do with it. And, the decision for how to proceed with NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission will fall to the incoming administration.What Makes A Hula Hoop Stay Up?Hula hooping might appear to be a simple physical activity. But there's some complex math and physics at play as the hoop goes around your body, and scientists haven't had a clear understanding of those hidden forces—until now. A team of mathematicians at New York University recently published research into the science of hula hooping in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Flora Lichtman is joined by Olivia Pomerenk, a PhD candidate in mathematics at New York University, and a coauthor of that paper. She talks with Flora about why the motion of hula hooping prevents the hoop from falling down and which body types make for the best hooper.NASA Considers Cheaper, Faster Ways To Retrieve Mars SamplesNASA's Mars Sample Return mission is an ambitious project that aims to use the Perseverance rover to collect Martian rocks, sand, and even gulps of Martian air. Then, through a complicated handoff between different spacecraft, it would ferry those samples to Earth.A 2023 assessment found that the original plan to retrieve the samples would be much more expensive, and take much longer, than initially expected.This week, NASA announced two options for how to cut costs and bring the samples to Earth by the late 2030s. But the agency did not solidify a plan, leaving it to the next administration to sort out around 18 months from now. Is the project on the rocks?To get up to speed on the mission, Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. Jim Bell, professor of earth and space exploration at Arizona State University, and distinguished visiting scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.   Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

On board the Dice Tower Cruise 2025, Tom, Julie, and Eric run through their holiday gaming opportunities. Julie asks how we prefer to to vacation, and we end the show with a bunch of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops that we encountered on the ship. 00:44 - We're on a Ship 01:32 - Holiday Happenings 02:18 - Star Realms Rise of Empire 07:59 - Ito, Jackbox Games 09:28 - Hues and Cues 11:48 - Command of Nature 14:10 - Only Murders in the Building 17:55 - How Do You Vacation? 29:31 - My Father's Work 35:00 - Adventureland 39:38 - Cryptic Nature 41:09 - Beats and Cats 43:41 - Lure 46:20 - Bomb Busters

This time, Eric is looking for advice from Julie and Tom about running a game night at his son's Middle School. How deep a hole has he dug for himself? Plus, a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, a question from the Listener Mailbag, and a bouquet of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:47 - Dice Tower Winter Spectacular 02:24 - Tom's Anniversary Cruise, Audiobooks, and Subtitles 03:52 - 2025 Gamefound Campaign 04:27 - Eric's Middle School Game Night 23:58 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 28:28 - Listener Question: Our Changing Review Perspectives 31:11 - I Am Done (Quick Mention) 37:56 - Point of View 41:05 - The Smurfs Hidden Village 45:17 - Cottage Garden 47:19 - Distilled: Africa and Middle East 50:32 - Penguin Party Questions? Tales of Horror? Send to Tom at tom@dicetower.com.

Tom, Julie, and Eric discuss some Thanksgiving plans before reacting to some recent manufacturing trends in the boardgame industry, from environmentally friendly choices, to the insistance that every game have a custom insert. Our Tale of Boardgaming Horror is a case of mistaken identity, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 01:02 - Shipping in the Game Box 01:45 - Thanksgiving 03:22 - PAX Unplugged and Christmas Videos 04:03 - All the Kickstarters are Delivering At Once 05:53 - Production Trends: Giant Rulebooks 07:33 - Self-Assembled Multi-Layered Boards 11:08 - Puzzle vs. Folded Boards and Other Board Trends 13:23 - Environmentally Friendly Choices: Stickers 15:13 - Bands and Paper Wrap Around Cards 17:18 - Paperboard Inserts 21:09 - Rewood 23:56 - Kallax as a Measure of Size 25:48 - Plastic Inserts 33:56 - Plastic Wrap on Punchboards 35:26 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 41:00 - Lords of Vegas 45:59 - EXIT Advent: The Missing Hollywood Star 48:32 - The Coldest Night 52:26 - Arbolito 55:04 - SETI 58:14 - Kronologic Paris 1920

This time, Tom looks forward to the CMON Expo, while Eric and Julie talk about their plans for PAX Unplugged. We discuss best practices for publishers when they know an expansion is coming. We share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and close the show with a Spooky set of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:58 - Announcements: Dice Tower West, PAX Unplugged 02:55 - Tom at CMON Expo 03:52 - Planning for Expansions 32:00 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 40:28 - Flashback: Lucy 44:08 - Ghosts Can't Draw 48:26 - Cat Horror Costumes 53:27 - Vampire Nights 58:06 - The Thing 1:02:58 - 8-Legged Peacock