Decode Podcast

The boys pre-talk Tolkien

Decode dune episode 36

Decode: Dune -episode 35 That was my mother and you are my brother

The boys talk about some of the possibly pre-Islamic Chechen roots of taking possession of a fallen enemy's wife (as it is forbidden in Islam) as it pertains to sietch tradition of Paul inheriting Jamis' woman.    They also discuss Tibetan traditions around not disturbing the recent dead.   A little side talk to discuss Mike's wedding day.    Mike is also "eh" on the negativity associated with the Wild Jihad.

Decode: Dune episode 34 - Fenring as Skesis

We give you ways to score free beer at SoCal Ren Faire/ Mike’s wedding on 4/30, basically 3 months ago Back in Dune we’re on Geidi Prime where Baron is having a 1 on 1 with Fenring, Feyd throws some hear at Fenring’s wife and then kills a slave in gladiatorial combat. 

Decode: Dune episode 33- Kramerica Industries

After Paul bests Jamis they attend his funeral and he is presented with a giant bag of Jamis' water that reminds Mike of Kramer's Oil Bladder system.  We learn that the Fremen have 10 million gallons of water in 1 location and have several hundred or thousand of these locations.  Random abandoned plotline: Jessica is Paul's enemy thing.  

Decode Dune: episode 32- KnIfe fight!

Well holy hell we're finally back. Big time nostra(?) Culpa. We recorded 3 eps in late March but then Jeff misplaced the recordings and in late April Mike got married and Jeff served as minister for it so it was a crazy month. No real excuse for May. Anyway we've already pre-recorded 2 more eps and a special hot take episode coming soon. Mike is taking over as master of recordings also. In this ep we start on 379 and Paul and Jamis have a knife fight!

Decode: Dune episode 31- Flirting with Death

Jessica has bested Stilgar and now she needs a place in the tribe. As Stilgar's woman or something else?  Paul has his first heroic dose of Spice. Based on a comment Stilgar makes to Jessica, the boys dissect and discuss the concept of men finding combat with women sexual.  Mike is not impressed with Paul's prescience; it seems like the options were clear before we even found it.

Decode: Dune episode 30- Genocide Olympics

The boys are back with more Dune coverage.  Jessica and Paul run into Stilgar and Jamis, Jessica dominaes Stilgar with the "weirding way" but doesn't know the way of the desert. Chani negs Paul.  On the editorial side we discuss how close to an event like a genocide do you need to be for it to resonate, why Mike thinks Frank kind of fails to deliver the villian in the next book, Dune Messiah.  

Decode: Dune episode 29- The Birds of The World GatherDecode: Dune episode 29- The Birds of The World Gather

The boys are psyched to finally be back on Dune the book after a long interruption with Dune movie and Foundation on Apple TV. Also, back to having quality audio. Sorry the last 2 eps sounded like shit. NEVER AGAIN

Decode: Foundation on AppleTV episode 8

The boys talk ep 8 of FOundation on Apple TV.    Next 3 episodes are back to Dune book-we promise!  Already recorded

Decode: Foundation on AppleTV episode 7

We're back with coverage of episode 7 of Foundation on AppleTV.   For those of y'all mostly here for DUNE we PROMISE we're getting back to it in our next recording session and will do some more Dune book content before revisiting Foundation the show.  That may be the next episode or 2 episodes from now as we recorded 2 together on 1/23.  

Decode: Foundation on AppleTv episode 6

The boys talk about sleeping habits, drinking, Marx and episode 6 of Foundation on Appletv

Decode: Foundation on AppleTV episode 5

Happy new year! It's 2022 and we're back with an episode watchthrough of Foundation on AppleTV episode 5.    In this ep, Bing Bong and Island Boys has become part of the middle aged white male vocabulary.      

Decode: Foundation on AppleTV- episode 4 watch-through

The boys watch ep 4 of Foundation on AppleTV and discuss it  BING BONG

Decode: Foundation on Apple TV- ep 3 watch through

The boys watch ep 3 of Foundation and talk through it.  What more needs to be said? You're already here and you know they're funny and insightful- just listen!

Decode: Foundation on Apple TV- ep 2 watch through

Hot-ish off the heels of the Dune movie watch-through commentary, the boys decided to do the same with episode 2 of Apple TV's adaptation of Foundation.  Our hot take is that as a book reader ep 2 was a real stinker. However upon separating oneself from the book the episode, and show stand on their own pretty decently. What do you think of our watch throughs? Feedback welcome.

Decode: Dune- Decode: Dune- Dune movie watch-through commentary part 3

The boys finish this special Dune movie watch through.    We've started doing the same with Foundation on Apple Tv. What do you think?    Should we?  

Decode: Dune- Dune movie watch-through commentary part 2

The boys continue their watch-through from around 53 min in! 

Decode: Dune- Dune 2021 Movie watch-through commentary part 1

Fire up your HBO Max and grab your popcorn because the boys are watching Dune (with the audio filtered out) and making comments along the way.  You are invited to watch and listen along with us.     This was an idea proposed by co-host Jeff and definitely something new. We think this is a cool episode and would love to hear your feedback on doing more of this.  We WILL be formally reviewing other Dune media but should we do the watch-through?     This episode covers the first 55 minu...

Decode: Dune- Kinda Sorta Dune movie review

Well they made a Dune movie and we saw it. Here’s our first take recorded on Sunday 10/24 after Mike saw it on Saturday night and Jeff apparently saw it “100 times” between its Thursday release on HBO Max and our recording.    The first 18 minutes we discuss where we’re coming from in terms of seeing movies/shows based on books we’ve read (or the opposite- Mike says movie/show first is a great way to avoid disappointment), the importance of recording and posting a reaction ASAP, what we ...

Decode: Dune episode 024- Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

  The boys are back with a two chapter banger.    We see some leadership from both Gurney and the smuggler Tuek (we previously met at the dinner party) when Tuek saves Gurney and his men.    In the next chapter we’re still out in the desert camping with Paul and Jessica. They misuse the thumper from the fremkit and we run into    Next episode is likely a review of the DUNE MOVIE!

Decode: Dune episode 023- The artist respects the silence that serves as the foundation of creativity

  Again apologies for releasing 2 Foundation eps in a row. Now you're going to get 2 Dune episodes in a row.    Harkonnens gonna "woo" Thufir to serve the Harkonnens but also poison him. Seems foolish to think he'd ever truly be loyal to Harkonnens. Dated writing and plotting.    Next chapter: Paul and Jessica still camping. Paul makes a mistake and they need to do some McGuyver shit to solve it. Jeff proposes it's quicksand fetishry at work here.    Jessica reasserts herself a...

Decode: Foundation on AppleTV episode 001- They did a 9/11

So Apple done released the first two episodes of Foundation on AppleTV and we're here to dive in.  The show may pull items from books later in the series but the show is VERY different than Foundation the book; Kleon of the Entun clones, a Gaal Dornick backstory, a space bridge instead of an elevator to the surface, a massive terrorist attack and more!    We talk about it all.     Hot Takes: making Gaal’s home planet “exotic” by comparison to the center of the empire, and less “hay...

Decode: Foundation episode 003- Entropy is a Bad Religion song

The boys discuss part 2 of Foundation in its entirety starting from the end and working their way back: The Foundation encyclopedia project is fugazi and Hari Seldon sent 100k people to Terminus to start a new empire. Terminus has nuclear power and the warlike neighboring kingdom of anacreon does not, giving them a great advantage.   In the ep the boys wax philosophical on entropy and the relation of prescience in both Foundation and Dune.  Jeff recommends a tv show.  Mike says he wishes t...

Decode: Dune Episode 022: Bring them in and let them evolve

The boys are back on Dune and this is a big, meaty chapter and episode:  Paul speaks as Duke for the first time to someone beneath him (Kynes) and flexes his new power and abilities, Kynes and Paul make a “cool de la” deal to black mail the emperor, thus beginning the Atreides “desert power”,  bells for Duncan RIP.     The boys also get a little philosophical and talk about artificial intelligence.  For the anti-fanboys: This chapter is a good example of some of the misogynistic crit...

Decode: Foundation- episode 002: The factions are the characters

The boys are back to finish part 1 of Foundation. Seldon predicts the fall of the empire within 300 years and a 30k dark age. If he can do his encyclopedia project he can shorten it to 1k. He and crew are exiled to exactly where he wanted to go.   In the latter part we discuss covering this book differently than Dune and the reasons behind it. We think we can knock out Foundation in abour 6 episodes. Are you a Dune fan that has joined us for this? Let us know what you think. If you came ...

Decode: Dune episode 021: Paul and Jessica go camping; what's a water decision?

We’re now in Dune Book 2: Muad Dib!    It’s a rare 2 chapter episode: in Chapter 1 of Book 2, Paul and Jessica are still out in the stilltent recovering from the attack on their home, the death of Leto and Paul’s early onset prescience, including the revelation that Jessica is the Baron Harkonnen’s daughter and consequently, Paul is “half Harkonnen, Half Atreides”.     The boys discuss nature vs nurture and that the idea here is sure they both have Harkonnen genes, but they are “cult...

Decode: Foundation episode 001: How you gonna keep em down on the farm?

  The boys dive into Foundation and talk about the people, sights, sounds, and smells of Trantor the capital of the Galactic Empire as well as meet some important fellows: Hari Seldond and Gaal    Show notes:    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Ya_Gonna_Keep_%27em_Down_on_the_Farm_(After_They%27ve_Seen_Paree)%3F   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking     Please note: if you listened to episode 000 the first ten minutes of this episode is the same.

Decode: Foundation episode 000- Intro to Foundation

The boys are super excited to start their reading of isaac Asimov’s seminal work “Foundation”.  This 10 min snippet is a nice state of the union of where Decode Podcast is going -  that we’re going to cover Foundation and Dune every other episode.  Worry not Dune fans, we already have Dune Book 2 episodes in the can!  This is also the first ten minutes of Decode: Foundation Episode 001, coming out soon!     Same with Dune, spoilers are on, but as we haven’t read the book or series in its...

Special Dune movie cast discussion!

In light of the Dune movie's official trailer being released a few weeks back, the boys embark on an intended two part discussion of the trailer.  In part 1, we cover our takes on the cast according to their characters. You might be surprised by our takes.   Teaser hot take: Jason Mamoa as Duncan is "fine" if Denis Villeneuve only wants to cover Dune, and Dune Messiah but his casting is going to really be a problem if they make it to God Emperor of Dune and beyond...

Episode 020: End of Book One

We’ve arrived at the final chapter of Book 1 of Dune.  Paul and Jessica are alone in the desert with their stilltent as Duncan Idaho, the surprise rescuer in the ornithopter, goes looking for any survivors he can help.    Paul has a coming of age moment where he puts together the dual mentat and Bene Gesserit training he’s been under his whole life. That he’s a part of an agenda but can choose his own path. Also, that he is addicted to spice and essentially stranded on Arrakis.     M...

Episode 019: Bells for Yueh and Leto

In this episode the boys squeeze in two very short chapters: the flashback of Yueh putting the pack in the thopter for Paul and Jessica, his death, and then Leto's death via poison tooth along with Harkonnen attack on Arrakeen.    Mike talks a little Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and how to tell the accent of an Azeri formerly on the Armenian side of the border. Jeff tells a story about his dad in Vietnam.    The hosts question whether there are hand lasguns or are all lasguns heavy ar...

Episode 018: Friendly, likable, good looking guys always lose

Paul and Jessica take a ride in an ornithopter with some Harkonnen goons. Paul uses the voice for the first time and kicks a man to death.     Though we’re definitely a book-first podcast we discuss how the Yueh plot is gonna be wack in a 2021 film.  Are they really going to run with it or change the story a touch?     Jeff revisits the idea that tough times don’t really make tough people on a mass scale.     Ep links:  Brightness falls: https://www.amazon.com/Brightness-Falls...

Episode 017: The weakest member of the team

With the chapter covered here being very short (where Yueh replaces Leto’s tooth with the poison implant) the hosts talk about non-Dune stuff for the first 20 minutes including topics like:  The sucide of Jeffrey Epstein vs John McAfee Jeff’s family history in Germany and Michigan Mike’s family history of coming from Greece during the Greek Civil War Jeff is competing in upcoming jiu jitsu tournaments and dares you to challenge him A shout out to our patreon Edgar and his business @...

Episode 016: The angry chimpanzee speaks

  Episodes 14,15, and 16 were all recorded on the same day. Do we seem diminished by the end? Let us know. In fact, Mike renews his call to listeners to DM the IG or Facebook group about literally anything.   Duncan shows up drunk and the boys discuss the actor playing Duncan in the 2021 movie, Jason Mamoa in general.   Jessica and Thufir finally have it out about who is the traitor as well as the *real* pecking order of the Atreides organization.  The oft-discussed Bene Gesserit pow...

Episode 015: Setting the table pun for a dinner party

Coming in hot off the Scott Ross conversation, we dive into the Chapter of Dune where Jessica hosts a dinner party with the power brokers of Arrakis in Arakeen, we learn some disgusting Harkonnen traditions, Leto acts awkwardly like a man whose time is marked; Ned Stark-like in his poorly playing the game.     Mike makes a general plea to our audience all over the world to please DM the Instagram handle or join our facebook community and message him pretty much anything.  Jeff further ...

Episode 014: Spice is worm poop

We’re back after too long of a break interviewing Masters of Literature candidate and 10th Planet Ventura owner Scott Ross.    We cover the Monomyth/ the Hero's Journey as espoused in Joseph Campbell's "Hero With a Thousand Faces" which was itself heavily influenced by Jungian psychology.    We also talk a lot about the Bene Gesserit Missionaria Protectiva by way of a discussion regarding previous attempts at changing history or using myth to control populations. Some excellent examp...

Episode 013: The New Boss Not Same as the Old Boss

The boys agree that they're going to limit the jiu jitsu, BUT when people knife fight in the book we're going to talk about grappling and military strategy.    Jeff introduces the main influence on the Fremen: sabres of paradise.   Strong convo about the aspects of pooping in stillsuits.    And then the chapter: Paul and Leto go on a field trip with Liet Kynes to see spice harvesting in action,  worm comes, all goes wrong and Leto makes a strong leadership call.    Links: h...

Episode 012: Aesthetics Over Morals

Episode 11: Withholding in a relationship- not the best.

This has been foreshadowed before but we learn not only has the Missionaria Protectiva foreshadowed someone *like* Jessica showing up on Arrakis, but also the son of a Bene Gesserit- in this case, Paul. He is the Mahdi.    Then the hosts sidetrack hard on polish black metal: "Tale of two batushkas: batushka and faketushka" and civil forfeiture...but it's pretty awesome    This is a good episode to repeat the request for feedback: too much sidetracking? If we did 2 chapters in an hour...

Episode 010: Tactics for the beginners. Logistics for the experts

Mazel Tov to Decode: Dune for making to episode 10!  Apparently most podcasts call it quits before ep 10 and we already have eps 11 and 12 recorded. Booyakasha.    The chapter we cover today is a big, hairy one where we get a deep dive into the equipment, methodology and operations involved in Spice Harvesting.  We also meet Stilgar and get a sense of Fremen machismo, leadership and honor culture. We also see Leto’s leadership style in action in some surprising and possibly disappointing...

Episode 009: Associates that never talk to the Don

"If you're  a CEO or manager and you're saying 'I got to be me' then you're basically Michael Scott."   Leto hears about the attempt on Paul's life and while pissed, holds it together for his meeting with Gurney wherein he has Gurney entertain and recruit skilled spice workers who are otherwise about to leave Arrakis.   The guys discuss the escalation of conflict/violence and why it's better to control than escalate.  No biting allowed.    Mike shares a story about someone trying...

Episode 008: Lady Jessica and the Secret Garden

Jessica discovers a secret garden in the house as well as a note from a fellow Bene Gesserit informing her there is a traitor amongst them. Paul comes in from his recent near-death experience and starts to show signs of out-growing his relationship with Jessica. He’s becoming his own man and has a sense of what needs to be done. Mike sings the Bruce Springsteen song Secret Garden from the Jerry Maguire soundtrack and talks about unlocking intimacy with women. Jeff talks about the book The ...

Reaction to Fremen Combat Analysis Episode Reaction Spit Session

We shared the Tim Cartmell Fremen Combat Analysis episode to a few Dune fan groups on Facebook and Reddit and were pretty surprised by the reactions...not the arguments that we got it all wrong but the comments that this analysis wasn’t necessary. That the Fremen “just did it”. Or that the still suits provided all the protection.   So we did a producer-less/not gonna edit mini-ep about "reactions to the reactions" of our Tim Cartmell bonus episode re: training to be lethal in the desert e...

Fremen Combat Analysis with Martial Arts Expert Tim Cartmell

Please note: This was an episode intended to be a Patreon subscriber-only episode that we decided to release publicly for free in hopes of seeking feedback - We’re eager to build a following in general but also patrons on Patreon- is this the sort of content you would pay $5 a month to get every week or every other week? If so, why? If you’d like something different- what kind of things?   If you support any creators on patreon- who and why? What do you love about their work?    We’re no...

Episode 007:   Actually True and Worthy of Critique

In chapter 8 Paul has a close encounter with a Hunter Seeker manned by a Harkonnen loyal and meant to kill him He uses his Bene Gesserit training to make it out alive, as well as the life of Shadout Mapes who now owes him a “water debt”.  Mike starts episode quoting Ricky Martin livin la vida loca Hunter Seeker deep dive!!! It’s a drone!   The boys discuss being part of the Joe Rogan-Chapo Trap House coaching tree Jeff goes off on Kilos vs Pounds, old math vs new math, and the concept...

Episode 006: We Deal With the Idiots

Yueh and Jessica chat in chapter 7 and we're left with a future of Jessica accusing Thufir and Thufir accusing Jessica.  Jeff goes hard on Yueh again, but in this case in a profound way inspired by the leadership coaching he gets paid the big bucks to do for C-level execs of multi-million dollar companies.  In fact, this episode like so many others, isn't just about Dune: it's a must listen to anyone interested in business environments, leadership, how to hire the right people, how to st...

Episode 005: Where Did You Hide the Talent?

We’re finally on Dune!  Moving 25,000 years in the future is like moving today; boxes, who gets what bedroom, decisions where to hang things, and disagreements.  In this episode, Mike briefly revisits chapter 6 briefly to mention that Leto informs Paul that he’s been groomed to be a Mentat and we otherwise get right to it:   We break down psychologist David Kantor’s concept of structural dynamics from his book “Reading the Room.” Leto uses “closed power” when talking with Jessica about wh...

Episode 004:  Paul, so much potential... but that cupcake looks f’in delicious

Our first episode recorded since we released episode 1, we have listeners and they are talking to us on social media!  Find us on IG and Facebook by searching our name- we have a page and a social group!   We do a quick shout-out to them and dive into Chapters 5 and 6.   In chapter 5, Yueh gives Paul a tiny copy of the OC Bible. It’s been mentioned previously albeit briefly. Here we dive a bit deeper regarding religion in the time of space travel, The OC Bible, and the history of the Gui...

Episode 003: The Slow Blade Penetrates

In episode 3 we stick to chapter four- it’s a big one in that it introduces a lot of the theories of leadership and government that Frank Herbert sought to critique, as well as introduces the form of combat that will be prevalent in the Dune Universe and life of Paul Atreides. Furthermore, it pushes the important fact that unlike Caladan, planet Arrakis itself is a character in Dune.  An enemy, in fact.      Some highlights:   Mike mis-pronounces Muad Dib early on yikes! - please forgiv...