Made me think of:

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Hope Lyman stays in Pinball-- have him to thank for Tommy and BM66, the only modern machines in my collection at the moment. Fingers crossed!

Also, that live facebook video of Steve walking into JJP rated seeeeeriously high on the cringe/awkwardness meter, oof.

First time listening to a Silverball Chronicles and really, really enjoyed this one— makes me want to pick up a copy of Tilt and check out those bonus features..

… and George Gomez just gets more of my respect the more I learn about him. What a great dude.

The Dr. Phil impression was tough to listen to (sorry Zach, haha), but I totally get calling out PNPMP's comments about Ken Cromwell. Ken's one of those guys who just doesn't deserve having shade thrown his way. Especially over something as petty as the timing of his vacation, and who gets to interview Steve Ritchie "first." (Dude's been interviewed a hundred times already anyway, maybe chill out a little.)

IMO Zach's on defense here, and the PNPMP guys 'started it' with their tactlessness. (If you listen to 2:30 to 4:30 or so of the July '21 PNPMP podcast, it's dripping with self importance and misplaced indignance.)

Haha, you can *hear* the goat shirt through the screen.

Those Brad Albright designs are pretty sweet!

Releasing the Kraken in Pittsburgh today!

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Dennis was in a particularly good mood for this one! Sounded like he was buzzing off a couple Natty’s (in the Styrofoam).

I know this is just friendly banter (and I've never even played a Rollergames so I probably shouldn't even offer an opinion) but the magnet integration with Godzilla seems a lot more dynamic than magnets I've seen in games to date.

It's pretty sweet when you make a shot to the building and it comes back around that mini loop, passes the magnet without fully sticking, and flicks up the left outer orbit briefly before it drops back down towards the upper flipper. That "feels" totally different than the "normal" scenario where the magnet is grabbed and held for a few seconds and dropped.

I guess by virtue of the magnet being off of the ball path (under a plastic, between shots) it allows the magnet to influence the ball more often without fully grabbing it.. and the "swinging" motion is a lot more interesting than the ball just freezing directly over a magnet that might be out in the open somewhere.

Unsolicited opinion: I’m very for this.

This stuff about more distributors is pretty mind boggling if true.

A little scary to think about how this might impact secondary market pricing on new machines, if "your friendly neighborhood distributor" has their allotment lowered/limited. Also introduces a lot of anxiety for folks who are sitting on preorder/wait lists.

On a separate note, is it possible at all that the expanded distributorship is in anticipation of improving supply chains or an expansion of the plant floor to support more lines? Maybe "looking for more distributors" is an early indicator for increased production throughput at Stern? Hard to understand why they'd be expanding distributorship otherwise, especially with so many distributors sitting on lengthy waitlists already.

Re: Latest episode of Triple Drain

Travis, you may pronounce a few words weird… but as long as you don’t pronounce “frustrating” as “fustrating” like a certain banned-from-pinside podcast host who thinks pretty highly of himself, you’re doing just fine.

You might not want to listen.. but.. would you….

Watch?

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Re: the Mandalorian Premiums delayed from December.. historically, when Stern delays from one planned run (Dec) to another planned run (Feb), do they increase the total size of the later run to acommodate, or are there some unlucky pre-order spots that get shuffled off that later run?

Example:

Dec Run = 50 Units
Feb Run = 150 Units

In this scenario, do they anticipate the February Run still only being 150 units, or would it grow to 200?

Asking for a friend (that friend is me).

Got it— thanks for clarifying! And also thanks for putting those production updates in every week, idk why nobody else disseminates that info like you guys do.

Note: I’m about as relieved about the February production as Dennis was entertained by the Spinning Cannolis. That is to say, “very.”

Nominating blueberryjohnson and benheck for a biweekly or monthly update and vent session regarding deeproot's legal proceedings. Blueberryjohnson obviously contributing any substantive update material with Ben providing color commentary and adult language.

Guests: @CrazyLevi, @Scandell, @mr68, @wcbrandes, @TreyBo69, etc.

Some title options in priority order:

Retro Atomic Ponzi Adventureland
True Crime Pinball Podcast
Making a Muellerer
Deeproot Debauchery

On my mind because I listened to it again yesterday:

Just Another Pinball Podcast Episode #30: Deadpool Breakdown w/ George Gomez & Tanio Klyce

Would be my pick for podcast episode of the year. Probably one of the most interesting and well paced interviews out there (regardless of the year, even). joelbob , Since there are no annual awards for that category, please accept this meaningless token as your reward.

(Cash Value: N/A)

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I know you said cruise control, but...

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Does this decrease the likelihood of a business rebranding to Poof'N'Out Pinball?

R U POOF N OUT?

It does help me as a FlipNOut customer to hear this stuff on TPS so I don't have to send as many annoying emails to Zach asking for updates... But, to be fair, these updates also indirectly help out folks who have orders in with other distributors. Most dealers aren't as communicative as Zach, so the nuggets of production info dropped on TPS still have value to non-FlipNOut customers. A lot of those updates end up getting shared here on pinside or elsewhere (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/what-is-on-the-line-at-stern-pinball-delays).

Broken record moment for myself here: Stern should publish production update info "as-is" on their website rather than relying on their distributor network to do so. Otherwise you get situations like this where one distributor is proactive about communicating it and others aren't. Then you have consumers running around with conflicting information and getting mad about it. If manufacturers were more transparent/communicative, there wouldn't be a vacuum of production information for Zach to fill. Imagine how many more screaming goats we would get to hear with all that extra time!

I have to admit I was nervous about an Insanity Falls co-host (like making eye contact with someone in a library holding a super soaker) but it seemed to work!

Love his art too, but each time he flies off the handle on social media it puts me a step closer towards selling my signed/framed BM66 Movie Poster. I just don't think "plays well with others" is on his report card, as good as his art is. Kind of feels like a "don't meet your heroes" situation unfortunately.

Same; here is my obligatory "thanks for the entertainment, hope you keep it going after your break" post!

Awesome work Joel! You and Matt Morrison have the "conversational interview" format nailed. Great stuff.

Also, Keith saying they don't put levels on the lab whitewoods... ?!?!?!

Also also, "Shoot the Wamps" guy being Toho Canon is hysterical.

Re-listened to this section (starts at 1:00:00) and it seemed pretty objective and honest to me. Joel's generally really positive on everything, and even says several times that he doesn't enjoy being negative. He owns a TNA (Spooky) and has said many times that it's one of his favorite games ever. He also clearly reserved his judgment until he had an opportunity to play it (despite knowing how his cohosts feel about it). All signs of objectivity if you ask me.

He's probably too nice of a guy to defend himself but, imo, suggesting his opinion is based on handouts (or lack thereof) from manufacturers... that's more of an affront than his "review" of Halloween is.

That whole section of the podcast is about how approachable/understandable games are, and what players (casual and experienced) are drawn to or find enjoyable.

These guys are allowed to have their opinions without being labeled as shills.

Have you listened to anything else this guy has put out into the pinball community? None of this applies.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/halloween-owners-threadhes-coming-home/page/84#post-6823968
You came in here fired up because of this (misleading) post in the Halloween owner's club. It compromised your ability to be objective about the content of the episode, and now you're doubling down on what you *think* the intent of it was. You're projecting your larger frustrations (with non-owners' generally unfavorable opinions of Halloween) onto a single person, and that's why a handful of people are now speaking up in defense.

Knapp_Arcade , has anyone ever told you your voice sounds like that of a younger (and less bored) Jamie Hyneman?
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**The surgeon general cautions you not to make a drinking game where you take a drink every time Travis says “meta.”

Not at all a tournament guy but did enjoy the bite size strategy guides for each game. Pretty cool idea, gang!

Production schedule updates resulting in earlier delivery of Deadpool Premiums to people with my first and last name will DEFINITELY earn TPS a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.

Computer engineer weighing in here, just wanted to highlight how much I enjoyed the "Fopto" portmanteau.

And to think Joel was able to achieve Pinball Villain status without a single visual aid...

Realtalk: The playfield is only ~45" (including apron, flippers, backpanel, etc). A few inches is a big deal (heh), even if it feels nitpicky to focus on semantics.

Further realtalk: generalization is going to ruffle feathers in any niche hobby. Pinball is no exception. I totally understand where Gerry is coming from with his statements, but also understand why they'd raise Zach's hackles. Maybe a safer statement would have been "Hey, a LOT of key mechs/shots tend to be on the back third of the playfield." Maybe the statement shouldn't have been taken so literally on TPS either, though. Agree to disagree, maybe?

Oof, bold take! I thought it was one of the more unique story arcs in the MCU, which was refreshing. Movie really stands on its own, even though some might say it was just a nostalgic "fan service" movie. I do agree that Dr. Strange's lackadaisical attitude and recklessness seemed pretty out of character, but I guess you have to suspend some of your disbelief if you want to establish an interesting premise.

FWIW, I thought Andrew Garfield was paid a lot of respect. He had a nice big emotional payoff, carried a lot of the comic relief throughout the second half of the movie, was featured prominently in the action, etc.

PS, Steve Ritchie's spirit animal is a Walrus. Case closed.

PPS, not at all surprised that blueberryjohnson is a great podcast cohost!

Re: TI-83 calculator games.

There was a pretty popular one in circulation when my older brothers were in high school, basically a drug-trade simulator. I don’t recall ever getting to play it but I do remember it being particularly taboo at the Catholic high school we all went to. Probably the most controversial thing to hit calculators since “8008135.”

https://www.wired.com/story/history-drug-wars-calculator-game/amp

When I made it to high school it was pretty much just Tetris, a 4-game combo thing called “PuzzPack,” and trying to graph the weirdest equation of a line possible using the plot function.

Edit: I was obviously VERY cool in high school.

Dig the format, gang! Already a big fan of the "TPN Late Night" format for streams/VODs, so it makes sense that it works well for this also.

If it's not a nightmare to edit the video, I'd vote for continuing the format!

TPS Milestone Episode 150: Live From the Flip N Out Above Ground Pool.
Tagline: "Mics Above Water, Pool Above Ground"

This last picture is giving me the uncontrollable urge to say some generic nonsense phrase like "Uh oh, here comes trouble!"

Another good reason to unsubscribe might be:

"Kaneda pronounces "Frustrating" as "Fustrating," which is inexcusable."

This clip of Dennis laughing hysterically will be perfect for his villain origin story/documentary in a few years.

Gotta be Mustang rethemed to "Ford Pinto."

If we (hypothetically) wanted our "money back" for podcast episodes that don't meet our standards, is there some kind of reverse-Patreon out there to dole out monthly reparations?

[/s]

Whatever they're paying you, I'll do it for double!

Pretty big Elton John fan here-- Wife and I saw him in both Louisville and San Antonio on this farewell tour. Also watched his "Live from Dodger Stadium" show last night on Disney+.

I think the energy and punchiness of his performance can be lost in the studio recordings. Same is true of his band, which are a big piece of the sound. As cliche as it is to say, the live performances are far more impressive than, say, a studio recording of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” With some crowd noise and well mixed audio I think it could be pretty awesome. Maybe not sky-high energy levels like some other musicians, but there's definitely something there. More so than the Beatles, imo.

I'd be very interested (and perhaps more importantly, my wife would be very interested) in an Elton John pin.

Some decent tracks for a pinball machine: Philadelphia Freedom, Honky Cat, Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), Pinball Wizard (obviously), The Bitch is Back, the second half of Funeral for A Friend, Bennie and the Jets, Take Me to the Pilot, Crocodile Rock, Sad Songs (Say So Much), etc.

Note: There's also a lot of good LCD content from his shows from the 70s to now, as well as a pretty solid documentary/dramatization of his career (Rocketman) starring Taron Egerton. Lots of stuff in that movie would be ripe for LCD integration since it is, by design, pretty over-the-top.

I’m a weird dude, sure... but I don’t think I’m “that” weird! I’m sure there are others like me, in the middle of the “Elton John / Pinball” Venn diagram… but I dunno how populated that space is.

I think the higher volume market would be “non-pinball” fans of Elton John with money to burn.

Wish I would have nominated “Post Hot Cocoa Tom Graf” for best podcaster.

Awesome stuff joelbob -- thanks for putting the time into making these in-depth interviews happen!

Great news on that Jack Danger / Tanyo Klyce team-up. I know Jack is a huge fan of deadpool so hopefully Tanyo and him can recreate some of that special sauce on Jack's cornerstone.

I'd much rather hear a handful of patreon plugs (giving me an opportunity to throw a couple bucks at a podcast I want to support) than hear a bunch of advertisements for things I give zero shits about.

I dunno if anyone here ever listens to any podcasts on the iHeartRadio network, but they're notoriously bad about the frequency, duration, and repetition of their ad spots. This is nothing, by comparison, and it at least directly supports the folks making your commute or workday more bearable.

[Joking]
Sounds like maybe you need to change the brakes on your complaint-mobile, because nothing’s stoppin’ that thing!11!!one11!
[/Joking]

Stern should be making a monthly patreon contribution to TPS for disseminating their production schedule to the consumers, to be honest.

Side note: I'd be more inclined to contribute the $10 if you were still a scrappy youtube channel or an indie podcast that I wanted to motivate, but I get the impression you're doing okay these days... and I've got a couple 529 plans I probably ought to be showing that love instead. Doesn't bother me that you're doing the patreon thing, though-- I appreciate y'all regardless!

I guess in this context, I used "indie" to mean a podcast that is probably on the fence about whether they should continue spending time churning out episodes, or a couple guys that could use the extra cash to buy better microphones or editing software, etc.

I didn't mean to discourage anyone from patreon-izing you guys, so I'll shut up now-- You guys do great work, I just personally prefer to target the "little guys" when it comes to patreon-age. That doesn't mean I fault you for the decision to solicit patreon donors.

Edit: did I just implicitly admit that I'd rank an indie podcast as "more deserving of my money" than my own childrens' college funds? It appears so... damn

This is a great point— I think I’ve projected the GoFundMe mindset unfairly onto Patreon, just because that’s how I liked to think of it or how I’ve rationalized patreon-age in the past for other podcasts.

In fairness, as far as dissenting opinions on Pinside go, most of this has been pretty respectful and tame criticism.

Refer to the first couple pages of this thread for the standard of “obnoxious pile-on.”

Opinion: PantherCityPins voiced his thoughts here in a pretty honest and level-headed way, after supporting the podcast and network for several years (check his posts in the thread). The first time he has an opinion you guys disagree with, you feel the need to sarcastically reduce his viewpoint with stuff like this? I'd be peacing out too.

The optics/messaging for the patreon rollout for TPS weren't the greatest, and that's fine-- whatever, water under the bridge. But the way the criticism is being responded to over the last couple pages is really disappointing. :/

I don't follow what you mean here-- how prolific Kaneda has been with his podcasting doesn't really have anything to do with how people are allowed to react to him... If you listen to 3 or 4 episodes of a podcast like his, you start to get a pretty good feel for his character... it doesn't magically get better 800 episodes later.

You don't get a certificate and a new personality in the mail, as far as I know.

Sure. In the Coen Brothers’ cult classic film “The Big Lebowski,” Walter (John Goodman) is a friend and bowling teammate of main character Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski.

Throughout the movie Walter refuses to let small issues go, exacerbates the situations he’s involved in, and flies off the handle with inopportune temper tantrums. The quote from Walter, “Calmer’n you are,” is ironic in the movie because Walter is at almost no point in the movie “calm,” and certainly not calmer than the Dude, who generally abides.

I’m saying for somebody who has repeatedly stated that he doesn’t give a a shit, you sure don’t let that stop you from being routinely negative and abrasive in this thread. It reminded me of Walter claiming to be calm, hence the reference.

The picture was a little more concise, sorry.

Somewhere out there, in a cave deep beneath the earth’s inhospitable surface, behind 6 feet of poured concrete, rebar, and internet anonymity… a klaxon issues a shrill “unacceptable civility” alarm in PoMC’s impenetrable bunker of self-importance and entitlement.