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Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
Everyone hail to the Pumpkin Song!
The Halloween show! I always love a good holiday centric show. Unfortunately, this time of year always proves to be crazy busy and I find it rather difficult focus on pumping them out. This year though, I'm really trying to put in the effort to do my little thing here and I managed to do something! Even took an extra day to add in sound bites, which I can't wait to consciously implement next time, rather than surprise it on myself in post-production.
I was going to leave everything a surprise here so you can go in blind, not knowing what to expect. But... nah, you know what, I will leave it a surprise! I will say though that there is no order to these so it's not necessarily a top whatever ranked list. I had fun with talking about them and finding which scenes to use to the sounds (my favorite has to be the second one).
This list is primarily family friendly movies. We don't have a lot of time to sit and watch movies, so when we do, we are all doing it together as a fam. This year though, I was trying to incorporate more mature movies, and even watch some separate with the teen.
To give an update since this is my movie post/show! Here's some movies we've watched between recording the show and actually publishing it. Together the teen and I watched Pitch Black, and Scream. My goodness, I forgot how amazingly campy Scream was lol. As a kid I took it way too seriously, but now? OMG, it's so dumb. Together as a family (with the princess falling asleep) we watched Signs! Of course, the boys thought it was meh and broke my heart. But I'm glad we were able to watch it. Oh! And we finally watched Ghostbusters Frozen Empire! I thought it was super well done! It was a great follow up to Afterlife. As a Ghostbusters fan, I cannot wait for more movies for our current generation. As of this writing, we managed to get through half of A House with a Clock in its Walls. So far it is recommended! Super cool, so far family friendly, haunted house vibe.
Alright! Hope everyone enjoyed!
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
Here is my past Halloween show, as mentioned: Talking with Ken about Living in Salem. And I know I said last year, but yeesh, it's from 2022!! 🤦🏽♂️Download/listen with these links or search for the October 2022 show of The Talking Place wherever you listen to podcasts.
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon
Pocket Casts
Podbean
Be sure to check out my Amazon Store Front! You'll find the Movie List I have curated right here! In there, you'll be able to check out most of the movies I talked about on the show, and if you purchase them using this link, I'll get a small kick back from it! So thank you!
Gaming accountsSteam - The1llusiveMan
Xbox - xThe1llusiveMan
PlayStation - xThe1llusiveMan
Nintendo - The1llusiveMan
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
I opened up an Etsy Shop! https://designingbyknight.etsy.com There are some new fall stickers up along with 5 new sticker sheets that I just started doing. Looking forward to keep adding to the stock!
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Friday Oct 25, 2024
Friday Oct 25, 2024
Still gaming!
Gaming update! Here's an entire show dedicated to what I've been playing. I don't think I play enough to be able to put out a weekly gaming show. But one of these episodes every so often giving updates on whatever it is I've been diving into seems like the best thing to do.
I'm covering everything I've been playing since last Christmas! No no, don't get scared. Good news is that it's not that much haha. I have been playing off and on here and there, but enough to be able to give some thoughts.
Below, you'll find my gaming profiles in case you want to add me! Maybe we could Fortnite it up!
One thing I forgot to mention! Hades! I was very recently playing Hades and put it down to work on some shop stuff. But man, I was having fun with it! It took a long long time but it finally clicked. I'll definitely talk about it during my next show I record.
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
Steam - The1llusiveMan
Xbox - xThe1llusiveMan
PlayStation - xThe1llusiveMan
Nintendo - The1llusiveMan
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
I opened up an Etsy Shop! https://designingbyknight.etsy.com There are some new fall stickers up along with 5 new sticker sheets that I just started doing. Looking forward to keep adding to the stock!
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Friday Oct 18, 2024
Friday Oct 18, 2024
Everything changes with time.
I feel like I could’ve gone on with “primer” episodes for a while. But I wanted to get into nitty gritty of things! Wanted to talk about what I’m playing and what I’m doing and my thoughts about the current state of gaming.
And I barely get into it LOL.
I got distracted, like I do, talking about how my gaming tendencies and habits changed over the years. I went into tangents on Destiny because wooooooooooo boy, Destiny. I could probably write a book about my love/hate relationship with that cursed game, because my goodness do I love it, but bloody hell do I hate it.
ANYWAY, before I get too worked up with that mess, I also talked about gaming subscriptions and basically how I just don’t care about them anymore hahaha.
I felt like I could’ve gone on for longer, but I’m trying really hard to stick to the 30 minute time limit I gave myself. Let me tell you how difficult that is. If you know me, you should reeeeeeally be appreciating my efforts because my mental cutting room floor is FULL!
It’s halloween time, so I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to be talking about in my next shows. I’m more than likely going to jump into more gaming talk, but would love to get into spooky movie season. Maybe top 5 horror and top 5 family movies for halloween? We’ll see!
If you're reading this and you want to send me your favorite movies to watch this time of year, go ahead and give me a call!
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
I opened up an Etsy Shop! https://designingbyknight.etsy.com There are some new fall stickers up along with 5 new sticker sheets that I just started doing. Looking forward to keep adding to the stock!
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Friday Oct 11, 2024
Friday Oct 11, 2024
All work and no play.. maybe.. sometimes.
Maybe eventually I’ll get into actual fun gaming talk lol. Not this week though! I wanted to talk about what I’m playing and doing, but instead it turned into a 20 minute derailment on the mental roadblocks of being a stay at home dad and trying to carve out personal time.
It all needed to come off the chest though. And it’s laying down the foundation for future talks, so it’s not like I’m rambling for no reason.
The need to feel productive, to feel like you’re doing something has always been embedded in me. It’s just that lately - as in the past like 5 or 6 years hahaha - it’s been really hard to completely give into just enjoying myself. I’ll get into playing something and setting time aside for a week or two, but I’ll always have this silent alarm in my mind that goes off reminding me that I need to get off my ass and actually do something with myself.
I don’t know what it is. But I do know that I talked about it for 20 minutes! At least I managed to do one thing. In this episode I said I had a bunch of Instagram posts I wanted to publish. In between recording the episode and getting it out, I managed to do that! So if for some reason you’re listening to this but don’t know about my instagram account, go check it out! It’s family stuff but also nerdy things like movies and gaming. I also got listings up for new sticker sheets on my Etsy shop! So be sure to check those out too, especially with the sale I have going on.
That be that for this week. I have one more episode ready to go so look forward to another one next week! Been crazy with the storm so hopefully I’ll be able to record more after the weekend. I would love to tell you what to expect for the one already recorded but heck if I remember!
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
I opened up an Etsy Shop! https://designingbyknight.etsy.com There are some new fall stickers up along with 5 new sticker sheets that I just started doing. Looking forward to keep adding to the stock!
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Friday Oct 04, 2024
Friday Oct 04, 2024
Changing hobbies like I change my underwear
ALRIGHT! I think I have a system going, so here's the first show out the gate. I KNOW, OK?! I've said it too many times before. But life be crazy, yo! Anyway, I'm trying, and that's the best I could do. Here's to the hopes of putting something out because boy, do I miss it!
What is this show about exactly? Who knows! Hahahaha. I will say though that somewhere between the updating about life and what I want to be doing with my show, I did talk about my book buying hobby and how that has changed over the past few months. It's sad to talk about out loud but I'm glad I said it. It's like hitting the final nail, shutting a wooden box to go store it in a warehouse somewhere. Maybe next to the Ark of the Covenant? Maybe one day I'll put on my hat and go raiding it again. But for now, I just not jones'in for it.
Seriously, you have to give me credit for that one!
Anyway, that be that for this week! I will say, if anything, this show is setting up for the next where I get into other stuff I'm wanting to talk about. And that show, along with this one, will be primers for the other one. And so on. It's almost like I have a plan! Maybe.
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
I opened up an Etsy Shop! https://designingbyknight.etsy.com There are some new fall stickers up along with 5 new sticker sheets that I just started doing. Looking forward to keep adding to the stock!
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Friday May 10, 2024
Friday May 10, 2024
Forever Judging Special Edition Books by their Covers
Another book show! I know, I know, it's like I don't know what else to talk about these days. But hear me out! Or better yet, hear US out.
I'm joined today by Sara, whom you may recall, joined me on a previous show back in December. We knew we wanted to chat again because there's always something to talk about with so many books to be throwing money at.
But we're also joined by someone who is well known in the bookish community. Everyone's favorite Instagram book subscription sleuth, TheAutumnBookReads is chatting with us! See kids, this is what happens when you're not afraid to shoot your shots😂! And before you ask, no, this is not a trick and she is not AI generated lol.
There was a bunch of stuff we talked about and it was a blast! Topics we went over include:
The current state of book subs today
The first book that made us get into this money pit of a hobby
How many books we have in our collections (or "library" as far as Autumn goes)
What subscription would we keep if we could only choose one
And so much more!
I'm happy and proud to be able to have a conversation with these ladies and hopefully we'll be able to do it again in the future!
We discussed a bunch of different books and subs and I tried to have everything linked below. If I missed anything, reach out and let me know and I'll update it.
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
First and foremost, here are all the book subscription boxes I could remember at the time of writing this. If you're really curious, every site has a catalog/past book database where you can see the offerings they've had in the past. If you want to really dive into it and have more questions, the link to the discord is below. Every subscription is going to have a waitlist you have to sign up for, some of which could be as short as a few weeks to as long as 10+ months. So keep that in mind!
Fairyloot (Sara's favorite)
Illumicrate
Owlcrate (My favorite)
The Bookish Box
The Broken Binding
Moonlight Book Box
Eternal Embers
Eternal Embers ONYX (Autumn's favorite)
Mystic Box
Fourth Wing was brought up a lot. So you can find more info on the book itself right here.
If you want to check out all the absolute madness that happened when it first came out, along with the first run copies that were going for over $500 (you know, the one I could've bought for $15 but I cancelled it..) Then go ahead and check that out right here.
And here is Sara's Fourth Wing collection!
Sara mentioned a copy of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan that she just HAD to have, despite it being in Italian, a language that she does not even SPEAK lol. If you want to check out La figlia della dea della luna and see if it's worth it, you can do so here.
Here is Fairyloot's Daughter of the Moon Goddess that got Sara into special edition books.
Here is Fairyloot's Caraval that got Autumn into special edition books.
As well as Owlcrate's The Cruel Prince.
Here's Fairyloot's Babel that got me into special editions.
As well as Illumicrate's Babel. Oh my giddy heart.
Here's The Broken Binding's Andy Weir collection that is the first set of books in their new sci-fi subscription. YES, I'm subscribed and the first book is on its way to me as you read this. I AM EXCITE!
Here is Fairyloot's Fourth Wing from my own instagram.
Moonlight Book Box - This is the subscription Autumn implores you to get on the waitlist for 👀👀
Sara brought up Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare and how superior Illumicrate's version of the book was. Here it is.
Sara's favorite books - The Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix, The Empire Trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts, and The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang.
Sara's favorite special edition books - Illumicrate's Sword Catcher and Fairyloot's Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Both linked to above.
Autumn's favorite book - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Autumn's favorite special edition - PR Special Edition of The Bonds that Tie, and the Mystic Edition of Monsters and Muses.
My favorite book - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My favorite special edition - Fairyloot's The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Lastly! Here is the invite link for the main topic of our conversation, the Fairyboot Discord! Remember, do not be a jerk. Sara WILL cut you.
Fairyboot Discord invite link
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
https://designingbyknight.etsy.com -- Here is my Etsy Sticker Shop! It's leaning more towards bookish centric stickers and bookmarks, but I'm looking to focus on gaming a lot more this year.
Where to Find This Week's Guest
You can follow Sara on Instagram @OldKingdomandBeyond
You can follow Autumn on Instagram @TheAutumnBookReads (she's not very active though, just fyi 😆)
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Friday Apr 26, 2024
Friday Apr 26, 2024
OH LOOK, A MIDLIFE CRISIS, RIGHT ON SCHEDULE
Alright peeps! If I were crazy enough to do seasons on my podcast, I would say this is the beginning of a new one. After sitting on this feed for so long, and much hesitation and skepticism, I'm finally going to try my hand at publicly talking to myself lol.
I get into the details in this episode, but look forward to bi-weekly shows from now on. Heck, maybe even weekly if I plan it right. No music so far, maybe I'll save it for the main show with guests. But for now, here's an intro for what I'm planning.
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
As mentioned, here is the YouTube channel for that dude. It USED to be called Caffeine & Consoles? But at some point he changed it over. I get into my thoughts on the episode so whatever.
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
Also, I opened up an Etsy Shop! https://designingbyknight.etsy.com is it. There's nothing crazy on there yet, but hopefully I'll keep it updated with some cool stuff.
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Friday Apr 12, 2024
Friday Apr 12, 2024
Invoking the right of parley with the Cap'n!
After so many years of listening to each other's shows, our paths have finally crossed! Cap'n Mike has been the host of a handful of popular podcasts since the Xbox 360 era. And now, after a brief 2.5ish year retirement, he's back behind the mic!
During the show we dig into how we're both old farts and have been in the podcast game for a long time. Talking about the way it has changed so much, how we have now adapted and changed compared to how we were when we started. We discuss a few gaming related topics too, in particular the Steam Deck and how it has become my savior.
For all the info on Mike and where to find him and his podcast, check out all the links below!
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
I don't think there were any links?! There were a few handheld gaming devices discussed but if those are things that interest you then I'm fairly certain you already know where to find them. If I listen and hear anything that stands out, I'll update the links below.
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
https://designingbyknight.etsy.com -- Here is my Etsy Sticker Shop! I'm updating it every so often, with various designs spanning books, gaming, and more. Check out my Instagram for the shop over at @designingxknight to see what I have available and what I'm working on!
Where to Find This Week's Guest
On Second Thought with Mike & Matt
Here is Mike's show! The link is to its Linktree where you'll find the best ways to get in contact with the show or to subscribe. Be sure to subscribe so you can listen to the infamous Episode 5 where I'll be joining as a guest.
Mike is also on Twitter (I am still refusing to call it X), you can follow him there @CapnMikeM
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Monday Dec 11, 2023
It's not hoarding if it's pretty books!
This is a show many months in the making! Turns out coordinating a podcast with someone in Australia is not as simple as you would think. But it finally worked out and here we are!
I wanted to talk to Sara because she runs a fairly awesome bookish community that would've been wiped from existence if she didn't raise it from the ashes. And now, it's alive and thriving and about 200 people strong.
In this episode, we're talking about monthly book subscription boxes, special edition books and how they appeal to the collectors in us, and of course, the discord that brings it all together.
Check out below for all the info we discussed! If I missed anything, reach out and let me know and I'll update it.
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
Here are the links where you'll find the top 4 monthly book subscriptions we discussed. If you're really curious, every site has a catalog/past book database where you can see the offerings they've had in the past. If you want to really dive into it and have more questions, the link to the discord is below. Every subscription is going to have a waitlist you have to sign up for, some of which could be as short as a few weeks to as long as 10 months. So keep that in mind!
Fairyloot
Illumicrate
Owlcrate
The Bookish Box
Fourth Wing was brought up a lot. So you can find more info on the book itself right here.
If you want to check out all the absolute madness that happened when it first came out, along with the first run copies that were going for over $500 (you know, the one I could've bought for $15 but I cancelled it..) Then go ahead and check that out right here.
Bonus: Here's a really good round up on all the special editions of Fourth Wing that are out there! (For reference, the 3 that I have are the holiday edition, Waterstones', and Fairyloot's)
And here is Sara's Fourth Wing collection!
Sara mentioned a copy of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan that she just HAD to have, despite it being in Italian, a language that she does not even SPEAK. If you want to check out La figlia della dea della luna and see if it's worth it, you can do so here.
We discussed Sword Catcher by and how superior Illumicrate's version of the book was (the version Sara has) when compared to Fairyloot's version (the one I had). If you want to see the difference, then here is Illumicrate's, and here is Fairyloot's.
Here are our Top 5 Books of the Year! After editing the show, I realized that maybe I should've gone with books that actually came out this year, as oppose to books I've read since some are a few years old. But too late now! Here they are, along with the books that we did not like!
Sara
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (by S.A. Chakraborty)
Bonesmith (by Nicki Pau Preto)
Sword Catcher (by Cassandra Clare)
Divine Rivals (by Rebecca Ross)
Yellowface (by R.F. Kuang)
Silver in the Bone (by Alexandra Bracken) (did not like)
Los
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (by S.A. Chakraborty) (freaking READ IT!)
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking (by T. Kingfisher)
Legends & Lattes (by Travis Baldree)
Fourth Wing (by Rebecca Yarros)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (by V.E. Schwab)
The Jasad Heir (by Sara Hashem) (did not like)
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (by Gabrielle Zevin) (did NOT like)
Lastly! Here is the invite link for the main topic of our conversation, the Fairyboot Discord! Remember, do not be a jerk. Sara WILL cut you.
Fairyboot Discord invite link
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
https://designingbyknight.etsy.com -- Here is my Etsy Sticker Shop! Now updated with holiday designs, bookmarks, and magnets! It's leaning more towards book centric stuff, but I'm looking to focus on gaming a lot more next year.
Where to Find This Week's Guest
You can follow Sara on Instagram @OldKingdomandBeyond
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Friday Sep 01, 2023
FOR ALL, INTO THE STARFIELD
The time is finally upon us! After years of development and hype, fans of Bethesda Game Studios are getting their hands on Starfield! I sit down with Matt (Ve6a5, in Future Monkey lore) and talk about the excitement and expectations we have for the game! He also gives us his impressions on his first hour of play time, discussing space combat, character creation, and more!
As of this episode, Starfield is live with early access that can be granted by purchasing an upgrade or a premium edition. You can play it on release day (September 6th) by purchasing a standard copy on Xbox or PC, or with day one access on Xbox Game Pass.
Stay tuned to future episodes where I'll invite Matt back along with other guests and maybe even some voice mails where we'll follow up with our time spent in the game after a few weeks!
Until next time!
Links and Info Discussed
Starfield main page
Starfield reviews on YouTube
Starfield Metacritic Scores
Check out the EZFM Discord (my home away from home) where we'll have a channel dedicated to Starfield.
The following are Amazon Affiliate links that when clicked on will help me out with a percentage of the purchase! Physical edition of the upgrade comes with a steelbook and other goodies, but you can also purchase it digitally to get early access before it's official September 6th release date!
Starfield standard edition: Xbox | PC
Premium Edition Upgrade: Xbox
Xbox Limited Edition Wireless Headset
Head over to https://themanthechefthedad.com/links/ where you'll find a bunch of different ways to help me out via affiliate links and referrals. Remember, all you have to do is get to Amazon via one of my links for it to register to me.
https://designingbyknight.etsy.com -- Here is my Etsy Sticker Shop! I managed to get it up and going in the time between posting this show and the last one. Go me! Check it out and favorite it to see updates. I'm focusing on more gaming centric designs next.
Where to Find This Week's Guest
3thoughtcreative.com - Is Matt's company he co-founded. Go check it out to see what he and his talented team are capable of. If you're interested in hiring them, they have a contact form on their site.
Contact The Talking Place
If you'd like to contact the show, say hi, all that jazz, you can do so below!
Voicemail - 407.906.TALK
Instagram - @ManChefDad
Email - TalkingPlacePod@gmail.com
If you're looking to join me for an episode, don't be shy and get at me at the above links and we'll chat!