Attic Aficionados

Tom Reflects On Attic Aficionados [September 7, 2022] Sep 07, 2022

Connor went to a wedding and took a nuclear vacation. Tom gives an update about his travels. While he was away he came to a realization associated with the podcast which will no doubt produce some new and insightful bits of audio.

24. Concluding Season Two [April 22, 2018] Apr 22, 2018

Connor went to a wedding and took a nuclear vacation. Tom gives an update about his travels. While he was away he came to a realization associated with the podcast which will no doubt produce some new and insightful bits of audio.

23. Military Importance [March 4, 2018] Mar 04, 2018

Tom asks about Connor's garden update. This digresses in some discussion about tomatoes with a cameo from corn. Connor wants to know about some miniatures Tom had painted in the past week and why the World Wars are important to Tom. Connor asks for some Australian war history. They digress into Osprey books and plastic models.

22. Oh My Cod [February 25, 2018] Feb 25, 2018

Connor is experiencing historic flooding. Tom explains prototypes in model railroading and they explore archetypes. Tom bas been discovering audio books and finding strange physical books based on this. Connor has a classical bent and they explore the Romans as town builders and road builders. Connor talks about his experiences after college and touring Lenten fish fries (worth checking out https://codeforpittsburgh.github.io/fishfrymap/ to see). The conclude discussing industrial noise.

21. Randomly Acquired Armies [February 10, 2018] Feb 10, 2018

Connor is injured. The aficionados discuss dragons. Connor kicks off a discussion about armies and how to acquire them. Connor wants to talk about vastly giant creatures. Tom explores the universality of the dragon myths. What about megalopolis places? Connor buys luggage online. Tom talks about his garden and Connor's garden building.

20. Why Miniatures? [February 3, 2018] Feb 03, 2018

Connor talks a little bit about his artistic vision for the podcast. Tom wants to deep dive into miniatures. What makes them special? Why would you want to collect them? Metal vs plastic - which material is better. Before they conclude the podcast, the aficionados spend a little time rapping about redwoods.

19. Digging A Little Deeper [January 27, 2018] Jan 27, 2018

Connor has just returned from Austin. What does Connor like to cook and eat? Connor shouts out Golbinoid Games who publishes Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future. Tom talks about Kevin Siembieda's Rift, a gaming system big enough for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Robotech, with a shout out to Erick Wujcik's Mutants Down Under. Mech technology hasn't been explored enough. Tom discusses Konflikt 47 and steampunk mechs and Connor talks about Aliens. They both discuss Space Hulk and Dark Star: H. R. Giger's World. Rural habitations - there are just so many. To conclude the aficionados discuss the enigma of Baden-Powell. (Rakan Muda is the Malaysian youth movement Tom mentions briefly.)

18. Welcome to Second Edition [January 20, 2018] Jan 20, 2018

Tom kicks of second season of Attic Aficionados with new co-host Connor Sites-Bowen. Connor introduces himself and Tom wants a deeper dive into Connor's Dungeons and Dragons experiences. Discussions move to industrial wastelands and Connor's home in Pittsburgh. Connor was a scout and Tom was a scout only very briefly but scouting as a movement is still very important. They explore wilderness survival exercises and how it all goes back to Vietnam. Who misses out from local industries when they come and go? They conclude discussing a curious herb that is slowing coming into medical status in Pennsylvania versus other things which are semi and fully legal in Pennsylvania.

Special 1. Corgis and Catapults [November 26, 2017] Nov 26, 2017

Aaron introduces his connection to the podcast. Tom asks about GI Joe. They explore various board games. Tom compares and contrasts legal box gifts - clearly one was more appropriate. How did Aaron rate NJ Toy Con 2017? Tom laments Christmas lights and how his rarely last more than three seasons. Tom has certain experiences on eBay and Aaron has distinctly different experiences. They discuss how useful a pet is for social networking. Tom raises why specific hobby stores sometimes miss service.

17. The Mean Streets of Sunnyvale [October 28, 2017] Oct 28, 2017

Bran is still enjoying the delicious spoils from his evening. But the podcast must go on. How about extreme sports? They explore swimming and starting fires. Brandon wants a recipe from Tom (aka Dr Pepper) that doesn't have peppers. Bran wants Tom's thoughts on the boundaries of our knowledge. Is there anything left to be said about Halloween candy? Maybe. Brandon wants to know about Tom's Masters of the Universe experiences. The final topic has a special cameo from an aficionado wife.

16. Just Panther [October 21, 2017] Oct 21, 2017

The aficionados finish a topic from last week's recording relating to clothing in Australia and fall into tasty treats. Rituals are important. Bran has model railroad questions. How about smoked meats? Seafoods continue the orgy of food. Bran wants some sports news from Tom... yeah. Tom wants to know about Bran's latest toy. Bran wants to know what might interest Tom at the toy convention.

15. Hard Drive Recovery [October 15, 2017] Oct 15, 2017

The renovations are over for Brandon, now all that is left it mending the relationship with the listeners. Halloween decorations are topical. Tom wants to know more about Brandon's composition process. Similarly Tom wants more information on Brandon's cooking interest without talking about squirrels again. They digress into Bran's time in Italy. Tom has been assembling a box of artifacts to take on his road trip to meet Brandon. Webby Peppers will be passed on to the listeners next year. Tom introduces his birthday weekend initially featuring Jackie Chan. They digress into Snowfall and Kevin Smith films. Tom has a few locations to discuss for when he gets to West Chester. Sadly Brandon doesn't like cigars. Tom has trouble identifying two different groups in the community. Tom talks a little bit about his game in a round-about fashion mourning the dead first. Bran is fantasizing about figures but he really wants to talk about hard drive recovery. If that topic was too dry for you, the aficionados explore horror movies and then finally they dismember Snowtown before the podcast plug is pulled by an unusual participant.

14. Coal Mining Filth [September 2, 2017] Sep 02, 2017

There is a 50 degree F difference between Tom's recording temperatures and Bran's recording temperatures. Tom shouts out a couple of listeners. What's Brandon's opinion of bar-cades? Halloween candy and Christmas gifts round out the listener selection. Brandon wants to know about writing games for iOS. The aficionados swap Autumnal traditions and talk about new releases. Bran has a football pool. Who will meet at the Super Bowl? Tom manages to accidentally offend Brandon most unintentionally. The aficionados explore recent food. The Dave Smith Weekly stuff moves into Dave Smith questions. Tom provides a list of films he's interested in seeing in upcoming months. Brandon wanted to know about Tom's music. Napoleon Dynamite provides a memory for Tom. Tom wants to talk about the Australian drinking culture.

13. Fabio Was So Good on the Sopranos [August 26, 2017] Aug 26, 2017

Bran has been cooking for a large family group. Tom wants recipe information. Listeners want more PB and J, well at least some did. Milk appears to be just as worthy a discussion. Australia didn't have convenience stores like America. Japanese animation is kinda meh. No food is surprisingly deep and introspective for this recording. How about some films that made you cry? David Smith's movie recommendation and book recommendation also creates movie recommendations. Let's talk conventions. What are the strategies? How about meeting people there? Road trips are a strangely political topic. A funny thing happened in the office this week. How about house guests? Tom wants to know about paint-balling. How did the aficionados meet there significant others? Tom briefly gives a pretty good impression of Mark 'Chopper' Read. Tom wants to know if Bran uses videos to trigger memories. With time running out Tom runs through two last topics.

12. Brazilian Babes Know The Way to San Jose [August 19, 2017] Aug 19, 2017

The show begins with an unboxing or two. Tom ask about the PB and J assembly. Tom wants to know more about Van Damme movies of note. Strange food related questions dominate the early part of the recording. Listener Bruce Canopy seems to be stalking the aficionados. Carmine provides a number of diverse topics with pet peeves creating some digressions. Mike Black asks particularly dark questions. Never be well around Brandon. There's never enough time for adolescent miscreant topics but a model railroading question takes some priority. Dave Smith has a particularly violent question. Tom's questions go very quickly leaving a series of Vegas related topics from Brandon.

11. Question Number Six [August 5, 2017] Aug 05, 2017

Tom wants to know about Brandon's cats. Brandon is stumped by the first listener question. School stories arrive thick and fast. The aficionados discuss what they would do with a celebrity for a day. Youtube shows Tom meeting the Queen. Book, album, movie, TV show: the desert island question. Claw games are heroin. How do the aficionados binge watch. The Dave Smith hour beings with a question that Tom takes to honey bait. Barry Lyndon is discussed at length. Fragrances and fishing: what's not to love? AM radio is worthy so is local television. Tom provides a list. Tom's topics start with professions. They talk about fascinating older people stories. They digress into the conditions of a death row last meal. Can they resolve a favorite shoe? NASA scientists are the cause of Brandon's skepticism. VCRs are inextricably connected to Tasmania for Tom. Tom refuses to end the show without Brandon's 1990s crush and Brandon demands Webby Peppery satisfaction.

Listener Chat: Derek Stutsman on the 1980s Arcade Cabinets [July 31, 2017] Jul 31, 2017

Friend, co-worker and Attic Aficionados listener, Derek Stutsman, talks about arcade cabinets through history and his love of finding and restoring cabinets to their original glory. If you want to be on a listener chat reach out to Tom via Facebook or Twitter, both links can be found at http://www.atticaficionados.com

10: Hacking Confrontational French [July 29, 2017] Jul 29, 2017

Brandon has experienced DVD problems. Tom wants to dig deep into Brandon's love of winter. They talk about dead musicians and making electric guitars. Tom reads an iTunes review and talks about the locations of the aficionados. Halloween costumes and inappropriate costumes in general - quite a topic. They explore Transformers. eBay history brings back fond purchasing memories and some curious ones too. Brandon loves GoPro and they both have non-sports cards. Of course the aficionados remember their first comic books but the ads were better. Car toys and transforming robots in general provide some things to discuss. Top five lists creates some interesting discussions. Bad vacations - this seems to be a Tom only topic. Horror was invented at the Leicester YMCA (from a prior podcast of Tom's for more on this https://vimeo.com/119685001 music and videos added by the listener who asked the question). Dave Smith's picks of the week digress rapidly when Bran recommends a prequel to the Hunger Games. Compliments time returns followed by recipes of note. Best advice ever given and the best advice ever received provides reaffirmation. What are the good professions to be? Brandon offers some topics that can only produce future digressions.

9: Less Salty, More Malty, Like Guano [July 22, 2017] Jul 22, 2017

Brandon is doing an unboxing from a few weeks ago. Tom seeks Brandon's council on hunting lodges and beach houses on the East Coast. Tom references a track which is actually called Quintillions Beam. Dave Smith wants his movie recommendations and the aficionados deliver. They also digress into book recommendations. Beating video games is a hard thing to recall. They go through music associated with memories and fast food places. Vegemite, that is all. Bran rates malls and Tom wants something deeper. Life memories are early. Brandon has childhood pranks and Tom just has a pranking dog. What does it take to be number one in Mortal Combat? Choose your own adventures are just life it would seem. Tom wants to know more about Bran's pickup truck(s). Why dumpster dive for silk screens? The quality of sausage is really important. Brandon wants more information on the miniatures sent to him. Leftovers are a life and death topic. There has been substantial innovation in the field of rubber band guns. They conclude with displaying trains, army surplus and dodging heat seeking missiles. There is a small treat at the end.

8: Attic Clear Out and Hoarding Advice [July 8, 2017] Jul 08, 2017

Brandon has his attic amongst him. Tom has been doing some work in his attic too. The figure cases are ready for filming. Check out the FB group or Tom's Barbalet Youtube channel for more footage. Tom will be attending a train convention in Mahwah NJ in September 2018. Brandon wants some hoarding advice from Tom. Dangerous stuff. Brandon fields some listener questions on the N64. They discuss 1980s candy. Tom wants to know about the closure on the Jersey beaches. How about the GI Joe aircraft carrier? They discuss concerts. Best and worst second hand finds? The crew discusses time travel and top five movies in rapid fire. Bodily functions dominate the embarrassing moments. Tom's paranormal experiences are all Scooby-Doo-esque. Tom recommends the Dwarvenaut movie on Dwarvenforge. They again return to hoarding rules that Tom fails to live by. Childhood heroes and biographical movies provide some meat for discussion. Gift cards, Cool Whip and Mad magazine must be discussed. They both have defined their lives with failed hobbies. Tom outlines his dinner plan and the Webby Peppers continue to provide curious discourse. The recording concludes with Cut Killer's interpolation about the police.

Supporting Audio for 8: William Gaines [July 8, 2017] Jul 08, 2017

Mad magazine creator William Gaines interviewed in 1983. The Comics Journal #81, Gary Groth and Dwight R. Decker.

7: Casting the 1980s [June 17, 2017] Jun 17, 2017

Hiding stuff in stores for future purchases kicks off the show topics. Physical purchases versus online? Ice-cream favorites? When everything gets worse in popular culture? How do you deal with criticism? Can the aficionados cast a 1980s movie? Brandon provides a surprising answer on King of Kong. Tom needs Wikipedia to remember Nolan Bushnell. Brandon drops his video game idea which turns out to be represented in classic board game form. Tom needs to give an honorable mention to Blood Bowl and introduces this to Brandon. They lament the length of time to start playing a game. Favorite sodas? How about buying pets? Tom gives listener Paul's topics rapid fire. They discuss Webby Peppers.

6: Basil Department [May 20, 2017] May 20, 2017

Tom gets a parcel which needs to be unwrapped. Onion Eye provides a number of topics this week including bootleg toys, thrift store finds and old kung fu movies. Adam Czarski asks about early computer games. Tom talks about how early miscreant computer texts could lead to your friends being paralyzed by a childhood hero. Jeremey Salazar asks the aficionados about wrestling. Brandon wants know what Tom thought of Rambo. Brandon has to run but there's plenty more to be recorded next week.

5: It's A Seminal World After All [May 13, 2017] May 13, 2017

Tom is soldiering through allergies. They tackle some listener questions including an experience of this is your house on crack relating to bass music. Brandon recommends corked baseball bats as a topic and Wikipedia is better than memory it would seem. So many bad mob movies but more an excuse to talk about HBO shows and multiple Martins. Brandon suggests favorite birds and it digresses accordingly. There's a new part of the recording and it's called Compliments Time. Brandon needs to know how any train store owner could hate his humble cohost. Tom floats the topic of building boats. Brandon ponders why buying model rail track at Christmas could be so expensive. After a brief interlude of the zombie apocalypse and computer games, they return to board games and war-games in general. Tom wants to talk about Disneyland as a psychedelic experience.

Special: Trip into Tom's Attic [May 6, 2017] May 06, 2017

Tom introduces his attic in an attempt to find items of interest and a particular gold leafed book which remains allusive. He is able to find a couple of items of specific interest to the podcast but mainly he has trouble breathing and finds a bunch of old books he probably should have donated to charity a long time ago.

4: Asparagus [May 6, 2017] May 06, 2017

Brandon starts the recording by unwrapping a gift from Disneyland that ticks two and a half Attic Aficionados boxes but it depends on the cost of a burger it would seem. How about a favorite color? They explore building of forts in particular beach forts. Kitchen-Aid attachments are very important. Tom digresses into how he has lost all his power in a particular room in the house and delivered cakes to rich mafioso in Las Vegas. Brandon liked Tom's interlude and they explore Serious Lee Fine and 2Deep. Tom talks about Schmuck Quest and his UFO simulator. Brandon wants to know about bowling alleys, bowling and curiously printer drivers. Xcode is good for a number of things. The Deer Hunter wasn't filmed in Scranton. The end of the recording is musical and macabre as promised.

3: Magpies and Hybrid Peppers [April 15, 2017] Apr 15, 2017

They start the podcast with Brandon unboxing a package from Tom. Here's a spoiler - it's not clothes pins or Vietnam-era rations. Tom raises the two kinds of collector - the aesthetic collector and the complete set collector. Brandon explores the many uses for tennis courts. They discuss sea glass in many forms. The diving of magpies merits some analysis. Rugby is not Australian Rules and it requires very particular selective breeding. Tom is not too passionate about cricket but recommends Mike Tyson set to a beat. Brandon wants to know about Sunny D. There is a fuzzy distinction between horror, action and Schwarzenegger films. Tom describes Time Tunnel Toys to Brandon.

2: Merman Mulligatawny [April 8, 2017] Apr 08, 2017

Brandon explains Merman's many forms. They digress into where action figures go to die and other obsessive hobbies. Brandon offers an explanation of the first three Rocky films. Tom is fascinated about Italian-American-ness. Brandon asks about Casino and Tom talks about living in Vegas. They digress into Italian food. Brandon floats a favorite utensil. They talk soups of the world and East Coast rap. Brandon is a sandwich traditionalist. This podcast is not sponsored by Subway. Legos are the Porche of children's toys. Christmas decorations and prototype trees abound.

1: Turntables From Afar [April 1, 2017] Apr 01, 2017

Tom ate some Vietnam era ration gum and they explore the gum sold with baseball cards. Brandon wants to know more about the rations and they share a love of paper mold. They discuss Rogue One and Tom provides a small narration about seeing films in Australia. AT-ATs are at their best in the Empire Strikes Back. Brandon didn't like the Ewoks. Brandon raises the Predator and Tom talks about the impact these iconic action movies had on his early development. Brandon brings up the topic of scratch and sniff stickers. Tom notes that the commercial cannabis industry is the new scratch and sniff sticker market and the place to sample these particular sticker smells is at the Art of Rap concert circa 2015. Brandon reflects on the wisdom of Easy-E.

0: Ocean City, Carbon Monoxide and Violins [March 25, 2017] Mar 25, 2017

Brandon introduces the recording with the boardwalk at Ocean City circa 1987. Tom offers their connections through Dungeons and Dragons. They discuss the smell of Masters of the Universe. Tom references the film, Marwencol (without naming it specifically). The attic is a familiar experience although Tom's attic has a slightly more toxic form. Carbon monoxide will kill us all. The distinctions between 8mm and VHS is an extended discussion. The recording concludes with a discussion about accidental instrument purchases and destruction.

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