Shows
the Semi-Retired podcast52 | We turned 50 into an 11According to industry statistics, only 11% of podcasts make it to fifty episodes, and 90% never publish more than three episodes before drowning in a raging torrent of abject shame, humiliation, and self-abuse. (We may have made up the part about the torrent.)Founded in August of 2022, the same month the FBI raided Donald Trump's Palm Beach bolthole looking for classified documents he ripped off from the White House on his way out the door, we are now proud members of the elite 11%. In this week's episode, we celebrate our historic Big Five-O by re-living some of Semi-Retired's more...2024-06-0444 min
the Semi-Retired podcast51 | AI is coming. Anybody got a spare swimsuit?Not a day goes by without news about AI making the headlines. From last summer's actor's strike, to AI-assisted documentary film-making, to a recent AI beauty pageant, even AI podcast co-hosts (take note, Richard), there's no telling where this rapidly metastasizing technology will turn up next.In their latest guaranteed100% Grade B+ human-generated episode, the guys take a look at some of the latest AI escapades and wonder aloud: where's it all going?Music and image credits:Tsunami image by Erik Nikolai Halsteinrud from Pixabay Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from Sound...2024-05-0246 min
the Semi-Retired podcast50 | Eclipse 2024: Random notes from under the Path of TotalityOn the eighth day of April 2024, Montreal found itself in an extremely unusual and fortunate position. For the first time in ninety-two years, and the last time for another eighty-two, its citizens were directly underneath the tiny shadow cast on the Earth by the Moon as it passed in front of the Sun AKA the Path of Totality. And if you're hearing the 5th Dimension's shimmering pop hit from 1969, "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" playing inside your head, you're not alone. Although that's astrology, not astronomy, and never the twain shall meet.In this week's double-barrel episode...2024-04-2344 min
the Semi-Retired podcast49 | This week: We boldly go where many have gone beforeIs it even possible to imagine a cultural vocabulary that doesn't include phasers, photon torpedoes, communicators, the bridge, the transporter room, sickbay, beaming down, beaming up, the Enterprise, shuttlecraft, warp engines, dilithium crystals, The Federation, Star Fleet Command, Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans, the neutral zone, Talosians, Andorians, Gorns, Metrons, tribbles, subspace radio and open hailing frequencies? And what about Harcourt Fenton (Harry) Mudd and his mummified wife Stella? What about them?In our opinion, a universe without Star Trek would be like a day without starshine.Music and image credits:Starship Enterprise by...2024-04-1039 min
the Semi-Retired podcast48 | Do you speak newspeak?Sir Winston Churchill (not the guy who ran the Crescent Street pub) described the United States and his own country as being two nations "divided by the same language." The same could be said of the generations, each of which develops its own set of expressions in order to assert its sense of linguistic individuality by infusing their day-to-day conversations with terms, phrases, and metaphors that reflect their life and times.In their latest bad ass pod, hep cats Richard and Dave groove deeply on some of the newspeak jive they've heard recently, and ask themselves where...2024-04-0249 min
the Semi-Retired podcast47 | This was Spinal Tap (warning: this episode goes to 11)Ah, the wretched excesses of late-70s English rock bands with roots in the kaleidoscopic, Swinging London days of the UFO Club, Carnaby Street, Twiggy, Vidal Sassoon, and Sgt. Pepperland. Rob Reiner's first-of-a-kind 1984 'mockumentary' follows fictional hard rock has-beens, Spinal Tap, as they try to get it together for just one more US tour to promote their pungently titled new album, 'Smell the Glove.'Richard and Dave take their love of rock music to 11 this week with a characteristically freeform examination of this riotous masterpiece of cultural satire, in an episode that somehow devolves into fond...2024-03-271h 12
the Semi-Retired podcast46 | Albums that left a mark: Who's NextAfter being stuck in heavy traffic on the outbound T-Can for close to six months, Richard and Dave regrouped to complete production on this fond look at a milestone album in the first installment of a new series titled Albums That Left a Mark. Along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks, The Who rank as one of the key bands that led the British Invasion of the mid 1960s. Originally known as a singles band with hits like I Can't Explain, My Generation--check out their explosive performance of this signature pre-punk snarl of youthful p...2024-03-171h 01
the Semi-Retired podcast45 | Part Two: Stuff that jumped the shark (not us)While trying not to jump any metaphorical sharks themselves (see below), the guys return for the second part of their investigation into this irritating cultural phenomenon. Along the way they identify the one popular movie franchise that jumped the shark, didn't like what it found lurking on the far side, and had the balls to turn around and jump back a full four decades later. Better late than never, we say, sort of like this episode. A few bonus movie reviews are tacked on at the end because, why not?According to Wikipedia: "The idiom...2023-09-2739 min
the Semi-Retired podcast44 | Part One: Stuff that jumped the shark (not us)After a long and largely unplanned summer vacation, the guys are back with an apex predator of a two-parter.On September 20, 1977, something momentous happened. On that last day of the third summer of disco and the second summer of the Son of Sam, Happy Days actor and former water skiing instructor Henry Winkler, AKA "Fonzie" and/or "The Fonz," made history when his character (ostensibly a motorcycle hoodlum from Milwaukee) jumped over a shark while on water skis in Los Angeles. The Fonz did this in response to a challenge to his bravery.According...2023-09-0541 min
the Semi-Retired podcast43 | VR is here: what could possibly go wrong?With the recent release of Apple’s technologically astounding and eye-wateringly expensive Vision Pro virtual reality headset and the threatened release of its far cheaper competitor, Facebook’s Oculus Quest 3, VR may have finally reached early adulthood.Distant progeny of the mid-20th century red plastic View-Master personal stereo viewer, through which children could stare at tiny 3-D images of the Great Pyramid or scenes from The Beverly Hillbillies, today’s VR headsets take advantage of the latest technologies to further free or tether us, depending on your point of view.And while they could be a b...2023-07-1845 min
the Semi-Retired podcast42 | From Planck to Parsec: the madness of measurementsQ: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?A: That depends on which measurement system he/she prefers.Measurements, i.e. specified quantities of a wide variety of 'somethings', are so ingrained in the way we think about the world, that we barely notice their existence. If you've ever rushed out of your underpaid 9-5 job at 5:30PM, got a $75 fine for breaking the 100KMH speed limit on the way home, thereby making you 45 minutes late to pick up the kids from after-school class where they've...2023-07-0432 min
the Semi-Retired podcast41 | All about Saturday morning cartoonsOur parents said our eyes would turn square. We feared the mundanity of household chores would interrupt the magic of the moment. By Richard's own admission, his eyesight was weak and blurred as he crept upstairs and into the light like a stunned mole after each Saturday morning of sustained cartoon absorption. We were in such danger all the time. And loving it.Although we occasionally hyperlink forward to more contemporary animated classics like Watership Down, the Simpsons, Johnny Bravo, Beavis and Butt-head, and Cow and Chicken (while unforgivably overlooking the enlightened genius of SpongeBob SquarePants), this...2023-06-2746 min
the Semi-Retired podcast40 | Musical genres we dig, and some we don'tRichard (now re-christened a Templar-esque 'Ranchard de Valois') and Dave (still just Dave) reveal what kept them from publishing an episode last week before seguing into this week's topic: musical genres they love and musical genres they love less.Under the dual-microscope are the mother ship--rock and roll itself, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, new wave, jazz, so-called protest music, and rap. Brief mentions of 80s hair bands, glam, reggae, and bebop round out the program, punctuated as always by random hyperlinking to anecdotes with varying degrees of relationship to the subject matter at-hand.Music...2023-06-1355 min
the Semi-Retired podcast39 | Expo67: The year the whole world came to MontrealIt was Canada's 100th birthday year. In January, Timothy Leary told the world's youth that it was time to "tune in, turn on, and drop out." Across the Atlantic in Swinging London, the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In San Francisco, people from all across the nation came to the Haight Ashbury district to wear some flowers in their hair and celebrate the Summer of Love. Many would head down the coast to attend the Monterey International Pop Festival where artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and The Who first broke big...2023-05-3041 min
the Semi-Retired podcast38 | Cameras we loveDear Semi-Retired listeners,My humblest apologies for not being here for you last week. Dave was so emotionally fragile over the nightmare surrounding his Crave TV account scrub, that he couldn't hold himself together long enough to record a new episode. Things are better now.Yours, RichardThis week, the guys look back at all the cameras they've loved before. From Richard's 2 1/4-inch honeymoon dream, to Dave's high school sweetheart rangefinder, from TLR to SLR, from roll film to CMOS sensor, and everything in-between, Gearheads: it's time to buckle up. And remember to keep your...2023-05-2342 min
the Semi-Retired podcast37 | Overrated stuff we love to hateIn our humble opinion, popular culture often gives actual culture a bad name. Certain oeuvres and oeuvrists ooze onto the cultural landscape and proceed to suck up an ungodly amount amount of praise and attention that we feel is richly undeserved. There's a veritable mountain range of material to choose from, so we took a nice, thick first cut and proudly serve it up here, expertly seasoned, for your listening pleasure.As added value, Dave rants at length about a horrifying (as yet unresolved) customer experience with Canadian streaming service Crave TV.Music and...2023-05-0946 min
the Semi-Retired podcast36 | All the codes of our lives...Codes, passwords, PINs, logins, credentials, two-factor authentication, encryption and decryption, keychains and resets, are among the more irritating features of modern life. Who would have thought that it all started with the concealment of sensitive information by shaving a servant's head? Or that it might end with quantum computing. (That last part's uncertain, but so is quantum mechanics. Or so they say.) This week, Richard and Dave bisect, trisect, and dissect the realm of information hidden, and not so hidden, and the many ways resourceful humans have tried to hide it.Semi-Retired trivia note: The...2023-05-0242 min
the Semi-Retired podcast35 | We're back! This week we shoot the shit, so you don't have toBack behind the microphones after the week-that-became-a-month off, the guys get their podcasting groove on by talking about what they did on vacation, complete with hyperlinking to topics that have varying degrees of relationship to each other, and what's actually being discussed.We missed you. It's good to be back.Music and image credits: Piggybackers by Jade Masri on Unsplash Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Perforated steel by YuriyC from VectorStock2023-04-251h 10
the Semi-Retired podcast34 | Conclusion: Two atheists and a Christian walk into a bar... A discussion with Sam PiazzaIn the concluding episode of our first three-parter, we delve into issues like good and evil, the existence (or lack thereof) of Satan, the relationship (or lack thereof) between science and faith, and what it would take to convince each of us to change teams. We thank Sam once again for taking the time to sit down and wrangle with us. We all had a lot of fun.Music and image credits:Neist Point Lighthouse by Frank Winkler from Pixabay Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com...2023-03-2129 min
the Semi-Retired podcast33 | Part Two: Two atheists and a Christian walk into a bar... A discussion with Sam PiazzaThe existential voyage continues as Richard, Dave, and their guest Sam Piazza, wrestle with some of life's most enduring and controversial questions. Valiant attempts to breach various walls of belief and conviction are made, but no breakthroughs are achieved. This one was so big we made it our first three-parter, with the concluding episode on-deck for next week.Music and image credits: A compass and the road ahead by Ahmed Zayan on Unsplash Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Maple Leaf by Vectoro Artworks from Vect...2023-03-1535 min
the Semi-Retired podcast32 | Part One: Two atheists and a Christian walk into a bar... A discussion with Sam PiazzaOur sincere apologies for the late release of this episode. Real life gave our finely tuned production schedule a small kick in the ankle. All is well now, and we think it'll have been worth the wait.Two weeks ago we sat down to talk with a young man named Sam Piazza, who was introduced to us by Dave's eldest daughter. Sam is a person of strong Christian faith, whereas we pitched our tents well on the other side of that particular fence many, many years ago. So we thought it would make for some lively and...2023-03-0848 min
the Semi-Retired podcast31 | AI helped make this podcast - with special guest: ChatGPTIs AI coming to recommend our next vegan lunch? Or eat it?This week, Richard and Dave satisfy their simmering hunger for knowledge by cozying up to ChatGPT, the headline-dominating AI language model developed by a company called OpenAI and launched a mere three months ago.In a wide-ranging interview with this flashy new bundle of code, the guys try to get the measure of just what a language model AI is, what it can do for us and what it can't, and wrap up with a Siskel & Ebert-style assessment of where all this might...2023-02-2836 min
the Semi-Retired podcast30 | Part Two: Great photography is all in the headOur two-parter on the creative impulse behind photography concludes with a discussion that ranges from photographers who've influenced us, to favourite photographs we've taken, our thoughts on and approaches to post-processing, the thorny question of titling, equipment we currently use and equipment we'd rush out and buy if money was no object. Which it is.Music and image credits:Fuj and Friends by DaveSemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Maple Leaf by Vectoro Artworks from Vecteezy Perforated steel by YuriyC from VectorStock2023-02-2131 min
the Semi-Retired podcast29 | Part One: Great photography is all in the headThese days almost everybody's packing a very capable high-resolution camera, and nearly two trillion photographs are taken every year. (Note: we still don't have a decent shot of a UFO.)Join the guys as they get back to their photographic roots in the first half of a two-parter that tries to uncover the essence of creative photography. Starting with memories of their first cameras and earliest photographs, they dig into existential questions like: Is Instagram food photography actual photography? Is the ubiquitous smartphone camera truly worthy of that name? And is there a 'cult of sharpness'?2023-02-1438 min
the Semi-Retired podcast28 | Will aliens try to: a) replace us b) help us c) kill us d) eat us e) otherSomeday something's coming From way out beyond the stars To kill us while we stand here It'll store our brains in mason jars.— The Mountain Goats | Lovecraft in Brooklyn 2008No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own. Yet across the gulf of space, … intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. … (But) before...2023-02-0747 min
the Semi-Retired podcast27 | Edward Bernays: Public Influencer No. 1“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.”—Sigmund Freud | Founder of psychoanalysis and uncle of Edward Bernays"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country (America)."—Edward Bernays | “the father of public relations” from his book, Propaganda, 1928Watch a summary of 'Propaganda' by Edward BernaysListen t...2023-01-3134 min
the Semi-Retired podcast26 | Part Two: It seemed so innocent in 1975... then digital overhauled our livesAs they continue to access their collective read-only memory (ROM) at blazingly fast speeds, Richard and Dave unearth more fading snapshots of an old world since replaced by a shiny-binary new one. Re-live the early browser and email wars (which sound a lot more dangerous than they were), the ripping of MP3s (which sounds a lot more bad ass than it was), and the flying of combat flight sims (which definitely sounds a lot more manly than it was).Experience one of the first really big Internet ‘memes’ as discussed in this episodeRichard admi...2023-01-2432 min
the Semi-Retired podcast25 | Part One: It seemed so innocent in 1975... then digital overhauled our livesRealizing they are of a perfect vintage to have experienced the fall of analog and the rise of digital, Richard and Dave decided to swap stories about how the bit, the byte, and the pixel slowly took over their work in the graphic design and graphic arts fields, as well as photography and pretty much everything in-between.If you can remember the days before there was a PC in every pot, you’ll enjoy this trip through the past few decades as someone who lived it, too. If you grew up with an optical mouse firmly in-hand, yo...2023-01-1752 min
the Semi-Retired podcast24 | We know, it's only Rock 'n' Roll... with special guest, KatherineOn this week’s return to our popular rock music series, we welcome special guest, Katherine, a friend and colleague of Dave’s eldest daughter, Alexandra. Kat’s father introduced her to the artists of his (and our) era, many of which she loves. We asked Kat to expand our musical horizons by recommending artists from more recent times, artists we might not have heard of or, if we had, not heard their songs. We listened to her recommendations and the conversation you will hear, which ventured far and wide, blossomed from there...Listen to Kat’s playlist...2023-01-101h 05
the Semi-Retired podcast23 | Hunter S. Thompson: Freak Power in the RockiesThis week, we salute Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, founder of Gonzo Journalism In the February 15, 1973, issue of Rolling Stone, Thompson said: "If I'd written the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people—including me—would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle. Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism."He also wrote: “Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always...2023-01-0358 min
the Semi-Retired podcast22 | Part Two: Movies to darken your holiday seasonTo recap: The dictionary says there are two types of dystopian society, i.e. one in which there is great suffering or injustice:1) Totalitarian - With a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.2) Apocalyptic - In which an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale has taken place.If you thought last week’s episode was bleak, brace yourself for something truly, downright awful this week.And thus draws to a shuddering cl...2022-12-2738 min
the Semi-Retired podcast21 | Part One: Movies to darken your holiday seasonThe dictionary says there are two types of dystopian society, i.e. one in which there is great suffering or injustice:1) Totalitarian - With a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.2) Apocalyptic - In which an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale has taken place.The jury’s out on which we’d prefer to live in, but suffice it to say that both types enflame the imaginations of film-makers on a regular basi...2022-12-201h 12
the Semi-Retired podcast20 | Part Two: Philip K. Dick through the future, darkly“There will come a time when it isn't 'They're spying on me through my phone' anymore. Eventually, it will be 'My phone is spying on me."― Philip K. Dick, American science fiction writer, 1928-1982Writing in the New York Times on October 26, 2022, book critic Molly Young had this to say about PKD: "The best of his work is fueled by nuclear-strength imagination, grand metaphysical and theological explorations, and prescience in matters of technology, marketing, consumerism, media, and ecological catastrophe. Dick picked up on sinister cultural undercurrents the way a cat senses a can of tuna being open...2022-12-1337 min
the Semi-Retired podcast19 | Part One: Philip K. Dick through the future, darkly“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.”― Philip K. Dick, American science fiction writer, 1928-1982Movies made from Philip K. Dick’s books include: Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Adjustment Bureau. The Man in the High Castle, a 1962 Hugo Award winner, was made into an Amazon Prime television series. A groundbreaking writer whose novels and short stories often depict the psychological struggles of characters trapped in illusory environments, PKD's own life was coloured by mental illness, drug abuse, and limited financial success. In the fullness...2022-12-0642 min
the Semi-Retired podcast18 | Part Two: We, for one, welcome our Robot OverlordsRichard and Dave conclude their investigation into the role robots and androids play, and have played, in popular culture. As literature and movies progressed, fascinating and troubling issues about the morality and ethics of creating synthetic life emerged. Meanwhile, tech entrepreneurs traffic in the business of fully equipped synthetic companions. Ew.Semi-Retired website Email us @semi_podcastMusic and image credits: Image of android by Steve Bidmead from Pixabay Robot SFX courtesy of All Sounds on YouTube Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free...2022-11-2934 min
the Semi-Retired podcast17 | Part One: We, for one, welcome our Robot OverlordsIsaac Asimov’s Three Laws of RoboticsThe First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.The Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.The Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.Richard and Dave take a look at the appearances of robots, an...2022-11-2245 min
the Semi-Retired podcast16 | Part Two: No dogs on THESE discs!Richard and Dave conclude their recommendations for record albums that deserve to be listened to from start-to-finish. Richard’s picks span a full half-century while, with one exception, Dave remains badly stuck between 1965 and 1977. In stark contrast to the accursed shrinkflationeers, the Semi-Retired guys serve up a hearty helping of bonus musical musings.Semi-Retired website Email us @semi_podcastMusic and image credits:Image of guy in hoodie by Lee Murry from Pixabay Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by Macr...2022-11-1552 min
the Semi-Retired podcast15 | Part One: No dogs on THESE discs!Some record albums are mere collections of songs. Others transcend that lowly standard, rewarding those who listen to them in one, uninterrupted session. To explore this idea, Richard and Dave each came up with a list of ten albums they feel deserve to be listened to from start-to-finish. In this week’s episode, the guys present the first halves of their lists, while Dave reports on two particularly egregious examples of shrinkflation.Semi-Retired websiteEmail us@semi_podcast Music and image credits:Turntable image by javier dumont from Pixabay Sem...2022-11-0841 min
the Semi-Retired podcast14 | Meet award-winning Canadian photographer Peter McCabeBritish Columbia-born, New Hampshire-raised Peter McCabe brought his newfound love of photography with him when he moved to Montreal, Canada, in 1974. Over the next decade, he photographed a large group of friends and classmates, creating a heartfelt portrait of young people as they grew through their formative years together, near a place called Coolbrooke Park. As a photojournalist, Peter’s work covering the 2006 Dawson College mass shooting incident earned First Place in the Spot News category at the News Photographers Association of Canada Pictures of the Year awards. Join us as Peter recounts some of the highlights (and a fe...2022-11-011h 15
the Semi-Retired podcast13 | Part Two: Movies from off the beaten pathRichard and Dave continue to hack their way through the cinematic undergrowth with a further ten personal favourites (five each). Their choices run the gamut from spine-tingling supernatural horror, to murderous deep state treachery, a dystopian eugenics nightmare, a fateful encounter with modern day pagans, and more. You’ll probably want to listen to this one with the lights on…Semi-Retired websiteEmail us@semi_podcast Music and image credits:Movie theatre image by Pavan K Gireesh on Unsplash Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted...2022-10-2550 min
the Semi-Retired podcast12 | Part One: Movies from off the beaten pathWe all love movies, but does the world really need another review of the Godfather? Or Star Wars? Or Terms of Endearment? We didn’t think so either, so we picked a list of movies we love, from more or less off the beaten path. We’re doing ten this week and ten next week, in no particular order. Put your feet up and dig in!Semi-Retired websiteEmail us@semi_podcast Music and image credits:Dude with popcorn image by Sam Williams from Pixabay Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by...2022-10-1849 min
the Semi-Retired podcast11 | La Jetée: The greatest slideshow you've never seenWhat do you get when you combine French New Wave film-making with gritty black and white photography, dystopian science fiction, and time travel? You get “La Jetée”, a slideshow with narration and music that is No. 50 on the British Film Institute’s list of The 100 Greatest Films of All Time. Join Richard and Dave in a wide-ranging discussion that includes Richard’s discovery of a family connection to an iconic Hollywood villain.Watch La Jetée with English narrationWatch La Jetée with French narrationRead about La Jetée on the IMDbWatch 21...2022-10-1134 min
the Semi-Retired podcast10 | Part Two: (We've got) Toys in the atticIn the conclusion of (We've got) Toys in the attic, Richard and Dave continue their stroll down memory lane. Stops include Monopoly, the Game of Life, tabletop hockey, plastic model kits, Sea-Monkeys and their shady ilk, trading cards, and woodburning kits. Dave recounts a tragic incident in which he destroyed a birthday gift by imitating a TV commercial.Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcastMusic and image credits:Monopoly board game image by LuckyLife11 from PixabaySemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com2022-10-0439 min
the Semi-Retired podcast9 | Part One: (We've got) Toys in the atticIn a time long before personal computers and high-touch parenting, boys played outside with plastic “army men”, firecrackers, lawn darts, and BB guns. This week, Richard and Dave swap stories about the toys and games they grew up with in a chat that ranges from the aforementioned military-themed, to a few artsier and brainier activities. Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcastMusic and image credits:Army Man image by Martijn Hendrikx on UnsplashSemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by...2022-09-2743 min
the Semi-Retired podcast8 | Part Two: JFK, Apollo 11, Flat Earth, 9/11, QAnon, COVID-19, WTF?In the conclusion of “JFK, Apollo 11, Flat Earth, 9/11, QAnon, COVID-19, WTF?”, Richard and Dave discuss September 11, 2001 and its aftermath, ask questions about QAnon and its Canadian Queen, and cover some convoluted COVID-19 confusion. Dave rants about possible evidence of shrinkflation.Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcastMusic and image credits:Conspiracy theorist image by ajr_images from iStockSemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by Macrovector from Vecteezy Maple Leaf image by Vectoro Artworks from VecteezyPerforat...2022-09-2046 min
the Semi-Retired podcast7 | Part One: JFK, Apollo 11, Flat Earth, 9/11, QAnon, COVID-19, WTF?Conspiracy theories are everywhere. And saying that doesn't make us paranoid. In this week’s episode, Richard and Dave delve into some of the most prominent conspiracy theories of the past 60 years and ask themselves why lots of people believe some very outlandish things.Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcastMusic and image credits:Conspiracy theorist image by Marc Dufresne from iStockSemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by Macrovector from Vecteezy Maple Leaf image by Vectoro Artworks from V...2022-09-1347 min
the Semi-Retired podcast6 | This is our home in the universeThe universe, galaxies, stars, planets, moons, atoms. This week, Richard and Dave attempt to explore the infinite in a discussion that ranges from astronomy to cosmology, types of telescopes, the new James Webb Space Telescope, and what makes stars work. Strap yourself in and blast off for the final frontier.Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcastMusic and image credits:Milky Way image by Pexels from PixabaySemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by Macrovector from Vecteezy Mapl...2022-09-0639 min
the Semi-Retired podcast5 | Part Two: We know, it's only Rock 'n' Roll...In the conclusion of “We Know, It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll…”, Richard and Dave continue their epic journey through the green, green fields of rock music bands and trends, good and bad, trade personal stories of musical discovery, and wrap-up with an in-depth discussion about the Fab Four, AKA The Beatles.Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcastMusic and image credits:Drum kit image by StockSnap from PixabaySemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by Macrovector from Vecteezy Ma...2022-08-3059 min
the Semi-Retired podcast4 | Part One: We know, it's only Rock 'n' Roll...For many of us who grew up in the 1970s, rock music was more than just the soundtrack to our lives. Richard and Dave discuss the engrossing world of local radio stations, concerts, album artwork, listening to entire albums after school (on-purpose), different musical trends, and, of course, the bands. Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcast Music and image credits:Guitar image by obBilder from PixabaySemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by Macrovector from Vecteezy Maple Leaf i...2022-08-231h 05
the Semi-Retired podcast3 | We really, really want to believeAre we alone? Is anybody out there? Or are “they” already here? After a couple of quiet decades, UFOs are back in the news. From The Roswell Incident to Chariots of the Gods, from The Wow! Signal to The Phoenix Lights, Richard and Dave travel great distances in search of the truth.Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcast The rabbit hole beckons...Chariots of the Gods (film)Unidentified Flying ObjectFoo FighterRoswell incidentArea 51Grey alienVillage of the Damned (1960 film)B...2022-08-1658 min
the Semi-Retired podcast2 | Severance cuts deep on Apple TV+What if you could sever the connection between the person you are at work, and the person you are when you leave the office? And neither of you would know the other existed. Would you do it? Richard and Dave discuss the Apple TV+ series, Severance.Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcast Music and image credits:Twins image by Pretty Sleepy Art from PixabaySemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by Macrovector from Vecteezy Maple Leaf image...2022-08-0832 min
the Semi-Retired podcast0 | Introducing Semi-RetiredHosts Richard and Dave give you a sense of what to expect (it's definitely not retirement advice) from Semi-Retired each Tuesday.Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcast Music and image credits:Semi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from SoundCloud Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Microphone image by Macrovector from Vecteezy Maple Leaf image by Vectoro Artworks from VecteezyPerforated steel image by YuriyC from VectorStock2022-08-0200 min
the Semi-Retired podcast1 | Did Google create a sentient AI?sen·tient / ˈsen(t)SH(ē)əntadjective: 1. able to perceive or feel things2. finely sensitive in perception or feeling3. awareRichard and Dave discuss the recent news that a Google engineer was put on leave after claiming a chatbot AI he had worked on had become sentient. A 5000-word interview with LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) is available online here. Semi-Retired website Email us@semi_podcast Music and image credits:AI image by 0fjd125gk87 from PixabaySemi-Retired “flipz” theme by tubebackr from Soun...2022-08-0237 min