My Favorite Obscure Stories About Heroes

This week on the podcast we talked about superpowers. This concept always amazes and fascinates me. I love reading stories and watching shows about superheroes. Some of the most popular shows and movies today are about superheroes and I love them, especially Marvel Superheroes. X-Men, to be exact. While popular, Marvel superheroes are not my favorite superhero stories. I prefer some of the everyday stories about heroes not necessarily wearing capes.

My favorite obscure TV shows about heroes:
The Gifted: Remember this show? It exists in the X-Men universe. It’s about two parents who go on the run after discovering their children have mutant abilities. The show aired for two seasons on Fox and I was enthralled by it. I enjoyed the everyman aspect of the father (played by Stephen Moyer) discovering that he had mutant children in a world where mutants are hated. The concept applies to real life where anything different than the normal is generally hated. I felt like the show was canceled too soon, and I found both seasons to be enjoyable.

Heroes: Heroes is, and always will be, one of my favorite superhero shows. The show is about ordinary people who discover they have extraordinary abilities told in a comic book style. Some of my favorite characters include Syler (the villain turned hero), Peter (the hero with all of the abilities), Claire (the strong cheerleader), and Hiro (the man who could stop time). This show, in my opinion, emulates the rise and fall of good television and the pressures of some stories to remain popular after they have outplayed their popularity. It also represents how a show cannot bounce back from unfortunate events. Altogether, the show boasted five seasons aired on NBC including a short-lived reboot series. The fate of this show was purely circumstantial, and I believe that it could have been a longer-lived show if the second season hadn’t been a victim of the 2007-08 Writers’ Guild of America Strike.

Alphas: Alphas is a superhero/crime drama that follows a group of individuals with superhuman abilities as they investigate the crimes of other “Alphas.” This show aired on the Syfy network and only lasted two seasons as well, despite having a great cast led by David Strathairn. Unfortunately, as with the cast of a lot of TV shows that I like, the show was a victim of the second season rating slump after starting strong. What I liked the most about the show was that it was action-packed and the superhero element wasn’t at the forefront of the story as the main characters worked for the department of defense and aimed to take down terrorists.

My favorite obscure movies about heroes:
Push: Push is a 2009 movie about ordinary people with superhuman abilities banding together against a government agency seeking to enslave them to create super soldiers. In my opinion, this movie does not get the credit it deserves. It also boasts an all-star cast including pre-Captain America Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning. The film didn’t do well at the box office and it earned a B movie rating, but I still enjoy watching it. This is another low-budget wasted potential project that let the backstory and character development fall through the cracks in the editing process. 

Chronicle: Chronicle was a beautifully filmed found footage movie following three Seattle seniors (including Michael B. Jordan) who gain telekinetic powers from an unknown object. They begin to chronicle their rise to superherodom until one of the three boys begins to use his powers for evil. What I like most about this movie is that it shows the dark side of having superpowers and flirts with the thin line between good and evil with a single act.

The Watchmen: This is another film that shows the dark side of having superpowers. This movie is set in the alternate historical year 1985 and follows the second generation of superheroes called The Watchmen during a time when it is illegal to be a superhero (or vigilante). The movie was beautifully filmed and features one of my favorite actors, Jeffery Dean Morgan. Although the film didn’t get much credit for the masterpiece that it is, it did spawn a TV show that aired on HBO and lasted one season.

My favorite obscure book series about heroes:
The Darkest Minds: The Darkest Minds is a young adult series by Alexandra Bracken about a group of children who develop psychic powers. The children were rounded up by the government and placed in rehabilitation camps. The story centers on Ruby, who can control people, which makes her one of “the darkest minds.” Ruby escapes from the camp with the aid of a group that seeks to advocate for psychic children, but at the same time, use them for political reasons. The series follows Ruby as she runs from the government and tries to free her fellow teens from rehabilitation camps. I enjoy this story because it takes a different perspective on unwilling superheroes and illuminates the struggle a teenager goes through to be seen and heard in a world that takes teenage voices for granted. In 2018, a movie version of the first book in the series hit the theaters to bad reviews and criticism.

Dark Visions: This is one of my favorite young adult series by L.J. Smith. The series follows a group of teenagers living in an institute for psychic abilities. As the series progresses, the teenagers learn that the institute only exists to use the teens’ psychic abilities as weapons for unnamed corporations. The story centers on Kaitlyn, who can see the future. Kaitlyn and the other members of the institute escape and join with allies to help defeat the institute and their army of dark psychics. The first book in the series was the first of many books I read by L.J. Smith and it quickly became a favorite series of mine. The series features a cast of characters from many interesting backgrounds and perspectives and focuses on the dark side of human experimentation.

Dirk and Steele: “The Dirk and Steele” series is an adult romance series by Marjorie M. Liu. The series follows a supernatural detective agency called Dirk and Steele and its various members with hidden supernatural abilities as they navigate the modern world in hopes to make it a better place. Each book in the series focuses on a different character, and as the series unfolds, the secrets of Dirk and Steele unfold as well. I like this series because it perfectly mixes science fiction, fantasy, and romance. Each book has a powerful storyline and a unique perspective from the main character.

Stories about heroes, villains, and vigilantes continue to fascinate me, especially the obscure ones that sometimes fall through the cracks. I want to hear from our readers. What are your favorite superhero movies, books, or tv shows? Do you like mainstream superhero stories or obscure ones like I do? Let’s continue the conversation below.

My Secret Superpower

This week on the podcast, Christen asked the question, “What would be your superpower?” I had a few answers that I thought would be handy skills, but, in the end, we seemed to find some reason why all of them might be a bit dangerous. As we discussed, there’s always the potential for someone to exploit those powers and use them in nefarious ways, and even if you only meant to do good, there is still the chance that interference with the “natural order” of things could have dire consequences. It’s a lot to think about, and I’m not sure I have the brain capacity right now to care. I’ve had an extremely difficult time dealing with some personal issues these past few weeks (more on that at a later date), and I would rather spend this time focusing on the one superpower that we all have – the power of positivity.

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have all the luck? How someone could be at the end of their rope and then, suddenly, some crazy twist of fate spins things around and they are back on top again? Rhonda Byrne believes she knows the secret. In her 2006 movie, “The Secret”, Byrne tells readers about The Law of Attraction, a philosophical belief that whatever you think, whether positive or negative, that is what will come into your life. I sat down to watch the movie a few months ago as part of a One Little Word prompt, and I was inspired to begin working on manifesting some of that positivity in my own life.

The concept is nothing new. As I read Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth”, he told readers again and again that negative thoughts are born by the ego.  Destroy the ego, and you are left with gratitude. Gratitude is merely acknowledging the abundance that is already in your life. “Abundance comes only to those who already have it,” Tolle writes, going on to quote Jesus who said, “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Mark 4:25) Jesus also said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)

To bring this abundance into my life, I started with scripting, which is basically just writing down the things you want to happen as though they already have, but only in the most positive terms. Have you ever been prompted to write a letter from your future self touting all the good things in your life that have come to pass? That’s scripting. I’ve been asked to do it countless times by high school and college English teachers, and even by trainers and life coaches, but I never gave it much thought. This time, however, I set out with sincere intentions to manifest some good in my life; I thought long and hard about what I would write and exactly how I would write it. It was a long process that first time, lengthened a bit by my decision to fashion an attractive scripting journal out of a boring composition book.

I took a cue from Christen, starting my scripting journal by first setting out my intentions for the book. If my words were going to be a vehicle for change in my life, I needed to make sure they did no harm. I also wrote my scripts from a perspective of gratitude and belief. If I believe the things I write will come to pass, then I should be grateful for them. I was also very specific about the things I wanted to manifest, and I tried to make sure I touched on every aspect of my life, including health, finances, family, friends, career, and marriage. I’ve added to the journal periodically, sometimes pasting in a graphic, other times writing out my ideal daily schedule, or even listing out my goals for the month as a “win list” as though I had already accomplished them. 

I must say, I think scripting has worked. I’ve made tremendous progress toward my goals, and I’ve felt quite empowered by my new sense of self-confidence and positive attitude. This new attitude has helped me stay rooted in my power word for this year, “now”, and has been especially helpful in dealing with the unexpected personal upheaval I mentioned earlier. Where before, I might have spent this time looking at all the negative consequences of these changes or wasting time feeling sorry for myself, I am now catching myself in those negative thoughts and “flipping the script”. I try to focus on maintaining a positive attitude and acceptance of what “is”, while also looking at the lessons I can learn and realizing that while I may not be able to control everything, I can certainly control how I react to it. And while I did shed more than just a few tears, I’ve been able to stay rooted in the present and have not devolved into self-pity, anger, or anguish. It is what it is, and earlier today, when I reviewed those previous scripts I wrote, I realized that every single one of them was still possible. That gives me hope, and hope is a product of positive thinking. If that’s not a superpower, I don’t know what is.

Have you tried scripting? Do you believe in the power of positive thinking? I’d love to hear about your experience. Comment below, or join the conversation over on the MMC Chat Facebook group.

 

Heard it on the Podcast - August 31, 2022

 

 

Did you miss a link we mentioned on the podcast? Here's a quick post we'll do every Wednesday to share any links or information from the podcast. We'll also keep a running post on the "Links from the Podcast" tab so you can refer back to any previous episode. Here's the links for this week:

31-AUG-2022

S2E36: What's Your Superpower?

• Heroes:  https://www.nbc.com/heroes/about
• X-Men:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Men
• DC.com: The official home of DC:  https://www.dc.com
• Marvel Universe: https://www.marvel.com
• The Highlander:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_(film)
• "I'm a Potato" TikTok video:  https://youtu.be/D3USghFDKA0

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Special thanks to the following:

Creative Audio Tech

Music and sound design, recording gear, consulting

Red Door Studios

Gear rental

Rimshot Graphix

Logo design

  

How to Easily Become an Evil Villain with Superpowers

This week on the podcast we are discussing superpowers and which superpower we would like to have.  I want to preface this with the fact that each time we record a podcast, it is 100% organic and free flowing discussion. This conversation was a great example of how we might have an idea about how the topic will go, but then it takes a turn in another direction. We have fun and have good laughs for the most part on the podcast. Sometimes we do have some heart to hearts and get to the root of issues and emotions, too. This time, we thought the conversation would be lighthearted since we are talking about fictitious superpowers, but after the recording was over, we each felt that the conversation took a darker turn than we had anticipated.

I can say that I was probably the main reason for the pessimistic point of view. I tend to view scenarios from many points of view, and not just pessimistically. I am often a realist, but I can stretch the boundaries. I don’t really see myself as an optimistic person, even though many people tell me that I have a bubbly personality. I can understand the outcomes, but still hope for the best. I can get really dark sometimes though. I enjoy the macabre, dystopian, and surreal elements of society, fiction, and in our cultural diversity. 

After some thought on the discussion, I realized that I would not be a good person if I had a superpower. I may start off as sweet bubbly Christen, but I would inevitably use my powers for evil, or wrongdoing, even if that was not my intention. It is not that I find enjoyment in being evil, it just became very evident to me that having superpowers would allow me to use people for personal gain. 

My first thought was that it would be great to have a superpower where I could make people do my chores for me. Most of the superpowers that I wished to employ were ones that used people’s free will, or took their power from them. I had never thought of myself as evil or cruel, however, envisioning myself using obedience manipulation, whether it is for simple tasks like folding my laundry or something more sinister, is quite evil as it is a form of slavery. If you know me then you will understand that my vivid imagination is running wild and keeping me up at night in thoughts about this. Seeing that darker side of myself made me sick to my stomach, and I have been quite rattled by my revelation.  Why couldn’t I be simple and enjoy a superpower that allowed me to swim underwater, or change the color of fabric with touch of my finger? There is more to this that I would like to explore; some call it shadow work. That is where you delve deep into your psyche and deconstruct your negative thoughts (among other things). I think that we should venture into this discussion more at another time. 

My comfort has been knowing that I did recognize that tendency is wrong and I am able to learn from that. I can only imagine that someone who does not have the ability to look introspectively at themselves in that way would be susceptible to becoming an evil villain. Maybe my real superpower is knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do the right thing. 

Video Games: Are They a Beneficial Stress Reliever or a Dangerous Addiction?

 

In the podcast, I talked about my family’s love for gaming of all kinds, but one of the things I really wanted to talk about never came up in the conversation because we simply ran out of time. Video game addiction is a growing concern worldwide, and has (I believe) afflicted my own family. 

According to a 2021 report by the Entertainment Software Association, 227 million Americans play video games at least weekly. That’s ⅔ of all adults and as many as ¾ of children and adolescents under the age of 18. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) estimates that more than 160 million adults play internet games, and 97% of children and adolescents aged 2-17 play at least one hour a day. In 2020, consumers spent upwards of $57 billion on gaming, more than 27% higher than in 2019, and it is rising, largely due to the global pandemic. Projections for 2023 are more than $217 billion.

Most gamers report that playing games bring joy to their lives (90%), and often claim that they are inspirational (79%), help with mental stimulation (87%), and relieve stress (87%). In fact, video games are credited with helping people stay connected with family and friends during the pandemic (53%), and many parents (66%) claimed it helped their children make the transition to distance learning. In fact, video games are linked to increased attention span and visuospatial skills, and, according to the APA, can improve cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, mood resilience, motivation, social skills, and overall well-being.

Unfortunately, there is also a darker side to gaming. In an article posted by the Mayo Clinic, Edward Luker, L.P.C. describes how too much screen time of any kind can cause a surfeit of problems like poor sleep or insomnia, behavioral problems, loss of social skills, eye strain, neck and back problems, anxiety, depression, obesity, and difficulties with work or school. This is due, in part, to the way our brains process and react to sensory input. In the case of video games, our brains interpret this input as if it is happening to us – as if it were real.

“While playing a video game, the person's brain processes the scenario as if it were real. If the game depicts a dangerous or violent situation, the gamer's body reacts accordingly. This "fight-or-flight response" to that perceived danger is triggered by exposure to intense stimulation and violence in the game. Excessive video game use can lead to the brain being revved up in a constant state of hyperarousal.”

In time, this hyperarousal can become an addiction. Whenever we experience pleasure or hyperarousal, our brain releases dopamine. With repeated occurrence, the brain comes to associate the dopamine with the activity, so that we then have an increased desire to repeat the activity again and again. The more we experience the behavior, the more dopamine is released, and thus the more we are driven to want to repeat it.

So, how do we know if it is an addiction? According to Luker, it becomes an addiction when a person is no longer able to control their activity and it damages their health and relationships. Some symptoms and signs of a potential video game addiction include: 

• Intense urges to play that block other thoughts

• Cutting down social or recreational activities in favor of video games

• Continuing to play even though it is causing problems in life (work, school responsibilities)

• Mood changes like depression, irritability, increased anger, poor tolerance, or aggression

• Poor hygiene, lack of self-care, reduced exercise

• Impaired attention in other areas, procrastination, and/or neglect of other tasks

• Fatigue

• Lying about the amount of time spent playing games

• Game-related spending beyond what you can afford

• Conflicts with family over video game use

MRI and PET scans of video gamers show more dopamine in the ventral striatum – the motivation and reward region of the brain. The patterns are similar to those found in gambling addiction. Video gaming has also been associated with other structural and functional brain changes, including attention, cognitive control, cognitive workload, impulsivity, and more. All of this leads to poorer mental health and less impulse control. Even worse, those with ADHD, depression, anxiety, and low social skills are most at risk. It’s not hard to see how it can happen.

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that I believed video gaming addiction had affected my family, and although I feel it would be a breach of their privacy to name them, I can tell you a little bit about how it has affected someone I love very much. This person learned to play video games at a very young age and was quite proficient at it. A friend of the family shared professional knowledge explaining how very young children (under the age of 5) actually developed video gaming and computing skills in the language center of the brain. This was supposed to be a good thing, so the parents of this toddler allowed the gaming to continue throughout the child’s life. This family member grew to be an excellent student with a high IQ and continued on to college and a bachelor’s degree in a very challenging scientific field. There were a few hiccups along the way, but nothing really to worry about except maybe a little too much time spent playing online video games. After college came a good job with excellent pay and an apartment in another city, but with that independence came fewer people to answer to and more time to play video games. And then the global pandemic happened. Our family watched as this bright individual with a promising future became debilitated by depression to the point of not showing up for work, not answering phone calls, and not participating in family gatherings. When confronted about it, there is always a handy excuse and plenty of denial about the excess of gaming. It is all very reminiscent of other family members with addictive personalities – a common hereditary trait in this particular family line. It’s all very sad, because while alcohol and drug addiction are recognized by society as true disorders, there’s still a lot of disagreement about video gaming, and for most people, it’s probably completely harmless.

I probably could have become addicted to video games, too. In the early days of Nintendo and computer gaming, my husband and I would spend hours playing various games. Some of the hardest to set aside were the simulation-type games like SimCity, SimFarm, and SimAnt, where there were no “levels” to master or “bosses” to kill, and thus no natural “stopping” point. We both loved to play, but with only one computer, we had to take turns, and the “turns” kept getting longer and longer. We eventually settled on using what sci-fi author Larry Niven called a “droud timer”, allowing only short, 20-30 minutes windows of play before handing the controls over. The timer kept us honest, and the technique kept us from extending our use in search of more dopamine. Eventually, we moved on to other things, and it never was an issue. Little did we know that this kind of timed exposure is actually a common therapy for gaming addictions.

Where do we draw the line? How do we manage our video gaming so as to reap the most benefits in attention, visuospatial and cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, mood resilience, motivation, social skills, and overall well-being without it disrupting our lives or leaving us isolated, anxious, depressed, or dysfunctional? And how do we help those who are struggling with these issues? 

Let us know what you think by commenting below or joining the Facebook conversation on our MMC Chat group.

This game is cooler than it looks!

Hey everyone, in light of our discussion on the podcast this week, I thought I would share one of my favorite mobile app games - Evony: The Kings Return. I actually stumbled across this game while I was playing a free game on my phone, and an advertisement came up to play a different game. This game ad showed a character trying to get to a pile of treasure and you have to pull the pin to solve the puzzle. I was intrigued because I enjoy solving puzzles. 

The funny part is that I downloaded the game, played a few of the puzzles and then realized that the game was far more involved than just simple puzzles. Other people who play the game often joke in the game forums that they only joined the game for the puzzles, but they stayed because they got hooked on the part of the game that is not advertised. Now that I’ve been playing the game for almost three years, I hardly even bother with the puzzles.

The premise of the game is that each player represents a historical monarchy or dynasty. A castle and everything within its walls are at the player's command. Level up by upgrading the castle and the various buildings within your castle. Upgrading increases powerfulness. Players from all over the world join in on a server and share a large map where everyone’s castle is placed randomly on the map. Players can join an alliance and team up to increase their overall power. There are monsters, bosses, and other keeps that can be attacked on the map. A player's resources increase by harvesting from resource tiles, stealing them from other players, and by gaining them as loot from attacking bosses and monsters. Quests, daily activities, and special events can be completed during gameplay to gain other special resources. Players use the resources to increase the capacity of their castle by upgrading the castle and buildings within it, training troops, building traps, and researching in the academy.  By increasing the  power level, the player also increases their ability to successfully attack higher level monsters, bosses and other keeps on the map.

There are three features that I really like about this game that make it even better, and they have nothing to do with the puzzles.

Join an Alliance and interact with others:
Evony is not just for killing bosses and attacking other players. While in gameplay, players can network with other players and talk in the chat forums within the game. Although one could play the game alone and do just fine, adding the element of teamwork and friendship makes the game more enjoyable. In order for the alliance to be successful there must be structure, order, and leadership as well as team players. Players can send other game members mail messages, private chats, recorded audio, pictures, and links to outside websites. Alliances will typically have players from all over the world, so it is easy to learn about other cultures while having fun together. The game will translate just about any language, so anyone can play without worry of any language barriers. In my Alliance, we have sent each other pictures of what we’re having for dinner, we’ve shared our photographs of our dogs, and we’ve all shared in our troubled times. This game was definitely something that helped me get through COVID lockdown; I could connect with people without having to look at all the negativity on Facebook and other social media platforms. We were all stuck at home together, playing our game, to keep ourselves busy. The players in my alliance kept me company when there was a snowstorm and I lost power intermittently for several days. Several of the game members checked in on me to make sure that I was OK.

Team up and fight in a server war:
Another cool thing about this game is that it hosts server wars. Every other weekend from Friday through Sunday each server will go against an opposing server. Teaming up with your enemies to fight another enemy is not an easy task, but the winning server will advance in server rankings. Within the game platform, there are over 200 servers with thousands of people playing on each server, therefore there are many players and different personality types. Every server war is a separate challenge because each server may have their own war tactics. Some servers have not learned to play as a team and will lose more often than win. The server wars take massive coordination, as there could be anywhere from 500 - 1000 people playing at any given time. During the server war, a player can teleport their castle onto another server's map and attack the monsters, bosses and other players for server war points. There are other types of battles going on simultaneously, like a throne war, and challenges to gather the most resources within a 24 hour period etc. In the end, the winning server receives rewards, and the losing server receives punishments, like slower military marches.

Customize your General to your liking:
Another one of my favorite features of this game is the individualization within the game. Unlike games like Farmville where the player grows crops and clicks to harvest them only to grow more crops, continually doing the same act over and over again, there are some elements of this game that allow the player to customize their game play. For example, players can recruit and collect historical generals like Queen Boudica, Li Jing, or Winfield Scott. The generals lead the troops to battle and guard the keep. The player can create armor for the generals and modify their skills as well as train an elemental, such as a dragon, to fight alongside them. The complexity of the general enhancements really allows the player to strategize and use their resources wisely. In order to enhance a general, upgrade skills, or place better armor, the player will have to spend resources that have been acquired from fighting battles. 

I am glad that I decided to go ahead and check out Evony and give it a try. The puzzles looked like fun, and yes, I did get the old bait-and-switch, but I am okay with that. I have made friends, won challenges, and been a part of leadership opportunities that I would not have been able to partake in without the gameplay. 

Have you ever been tricked into downloading a game only to find out that it was not what the ad portrayed it as? Are there any similar strategy games that you like to play on your mobile device? Be sure to check out our extensive list of games that we enjoy on our Heard it on the Podcast post. 

Heard it on the Podcast - The GreenMan Cruise

 

25-AUG-2022

Hey there! This is Cindy, and in case you missed it, Modern Musings and my travel agency, Crafty Neighbor Travel, have partnered with Arthur Graye, owner of The GreenMan Studios to present a GreenMan Holistic cruise. We are very excited about this collaboration and we hope you'll consider joining us for a fun and exciting metaphysical cruise. If you'd like more details, click the link below to go to the cruise website, and don't forget to come out to the GreenMan Holistic Faire this weekend!

👉👉Get More Info About the Cruise👈👈

The GreenMan Holistic Faire

Sponsored by Events @ Sneaky Petes

August 27th & 28th

11:00 AM-6PM

Sneaky Petes

2 Eagle Point Road

Lewisville, Tx 75077

And don't forget to visit 

The GreenMan Studios

771 East Southlake Blvd Suite 130

SOUTHLAKE, Texas 76092

(214) 631-9917

arthurgraye@thegreenmanstudios.com

Heard it on the Podcast - August 24, 2022

 

 

Did you miss a link we mentioned on the podcast? Here's a quick post we'll do every Wednesday to share any links or information from the podcast. We'll also keep a running post on the "Links from the Podcast" tab so you can refer back to any previous episode. Here's the links for this week:

24-AUG-2022

S2E35: What's Your Favorite Game?

Here are some of the games we mentioned on the podcast. You should be able to search them on your favorite search engine. We tried to remember them all, but if we missed one, please let us know!

Name	Type	Link
Black Jack	Card Game
Bridge	Card Game
Can You Escape	Video Game - Mobile
Cards Against Humanity	Card Game - Specialty Deck
Clash of Clans	Video Game - Mobile
Clue	Board Game
Cosmic Encounters	Board Game
Deal or No Deal	Game Show
Dominoes	Tiles
Dominoes: Mexican Train	Tiles
Dungeon	Board Game
Elite	Video Game - Computer
Evony	Video Game - Mobile
Family Feud	Game Show
Farkle/Rats Ass	Dice
Farmville	Video Game - Facebook
Firefly	Board Game
Freeplay	Arcade Games
Gardens of Time	Video Game - Facebook
Hand and Foot	Card Game
Jeopardy	Game Show
Joking Hazard	Card Game - Specialty Deck
Legend of Zelda	Video Game - Console
Let’s Make a Deal	Game Show
Magic the Gathering	Card Game - Specialty Deck
Nerts	Card Game	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerts
NTN Trivia	Multiplayer Online Trivia
Parcheese	Board Game
Pinochle	Card Game	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinochle
Pokemon	Card Game - Specialty Deck
Pokemon Go	Video Game - Mobile
Poker	Card Game
Settlers of Catan	Board Game
Sim City	Video Game - Computer
Spoons	Card Game
Texas Hold ‘em	Card Game
Texas Pinball Festival	Arcade Games
The Price is Right	Game Show
The Wall	Game Show
Ticket to Ride	Board Game
Traveller	Roll Playing
Trivial Pursuit	Board Game
Wahoo	Board Game
Wheel of Fortune	Game Show
Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?	Game Show
Who Wants to be a Millionaire	Game Show
Word Brain	Video Game - Mobile
Words with Friends	Video Game - Mobile
Yahtzee	Dice

Oh, and the game Christen was trying to think of at the end of the podcast was Kings in the Corner.