Rabbit Holes

“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 so...

As 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...

Realizing 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 enj...

On 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 thei...

This 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...

To 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...

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. The jury’s out on which we’d p...

“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, 1928-1982 Writing 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,...

“ Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. ” ― Philip K. Dick, American science fiction writer, 1928-1982 Movies 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...

Richard 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_podcast...

Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics The 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 Seco...

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_p...

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 particular...

British 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...

Richard 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 webs...

We 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 website Email us @semi_podcast   Music and image credits: Dude...

What 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 connectio...

In 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_p...

In 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_podcast Music and image...

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_podcast Music and image credits: Conspiracy theorist image by ajr_images...

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_podcast Music and image credits: Conspiracy theorist image by Marc Dufresne from iStoc...

The 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_podcast Music and image credits: Milky Way image by P...

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_podcast Music and image credits: Drum kit image by StockSnap...

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...

Are 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 Fly...