INFLUENCE

There's no shortage of dating horror stories on social media. But dating in your later years — after a divorce, death, or other major life change — can be especially daunting. And while apps and services can take the friction out of finding a match, they can also be incredibly overwhelming, and often don't cater to those 60 and older.That's where Peggy Wolman steps in. She's a professional matchmaker with a focus on helping people find love later in life. She and her husband Richard work with clients to navigate the social media norms they may not be used to, and set the right expectations and goals for modern dating among the older set.Alli and Jen talk with Peggy and Richard about the challenges and surprises older singles encounter when it's time to make a Tinder profile, why ghosting isn't always horrible, and navigating gender stereotypes on a first date.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adult content in video games is nothing new. Big budget franchises like Mass Effect and The Witcher series are noted for their character romances and sexy scenes. But in those games, sex is not the main attraction. It’s about gameplay and story. On the other side of the coin, Steam is awash in adult games featuring anime-inspired characters in various sexual situations. The gameplay is presumably nothing to write home about, but merely a vehicle for porn.Enter: Subverse. This sci-fi/RPG/porn ’em up has raised more than $2 million on Kickstarter, ranking it among the 20 most-funded video games ever on the platform. Subverse is a rare breed that its developers tout as a true gameplay experience with very explicit sexual content. And 58,000 backers might indicate a very under-served market. Alli and Jen talk with Kristoff, the game’s senior producer, about the vision for Subverse and the studio’s journey from dabbling in Machinima porn to developing a full-fledged game. We also go back in time to learn about some of the sexually explicit video games made for the Atari 2600 in the early ’80s.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Murray is known to millions of fans as "The 8-Bit Guy." His YouTube channel covers the gamut of computers, consumer electronics, and gaming consoles from the golden age of pixel art and command line operating systems: the '70s, '80s, and early '90s. His detailed tear-downs, restorations, and explanations of vintage technology have drawn a huge community of enthusiasts — and not just the stereotypical "middle aged geek." People of all ages and backgrounds flock to Murray's convention booths (and even his home!) to snag an autograph from the retro guru. Alli and Jen chat with Murray about his roots in computer repair, the evolution of tech, the excitement of restoring a Commodore 64, the design challenges of old-school programming, and the community that's formed around his channel.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bird watching probably conjures images of an old, retired guy sporting binoculars behind his country home. But Jason Ward is rapidly dispelling that stereotype. He's been an avid birder since his childhood growing up in The Bronx, NY, and has brought his passion to social media. His #TrickyBirdID Twitter threads challenge people to snap photos of unknown neighborhood birds so the global community of birders can identify them. His enthusiasm led him to make the popular webseries Birds of North America with Topic, where viewers can follow Ward on his adventures in urban birding. The beautiful and informative show proves that cities are in fact a great place for bird watchers, and that the hobby is an accessible way for everyone to reconnect with nature, regardless of class, color, or location. Alli and Jen talk to Ward about his love of birds, his journey from enthusiast to science communicator, his trepidation about making a show, and the modern tech that makes bird watching in 2019 so much fun.Birds of North America has returned for a second season (June 9), and Ward will also be speaking and sharing bird songs at Topic Talks at the Skirball Center in New York City on June 22.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Death is a difficult topic no matter how you slice it, but cultivating a healthier outlook on end-of-life issues can have profound effects on families when they encounter loss. That's the mission of Death Cafe. It's a self-described "social franchise" — a set of ideals that can be replicated in small groups around the world. It's not a support group, but a way to get people talking about death in a productive manner. After all, it's a social and personal issue that everyone will face at some point in their lives. The IRL groups have spread far and wide thanks to the power of the Internet. Alli and Jen speak with Megan Mooney, an end-of-life and hospice care specialist who has hosted Death Cafes for more than 6 years. Mooney discusses the personal journey that led her to this work, and the power of online and offline communities when it comes to coping with mortality.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an age where nearly all information is a Google or Wiki search away, it's easy to forget that real, first-hand experiences of what the world used to be like are right in our own families and communities. That's the mission of the subreddit r/AskOldPeople. It's a place for members of one generation to get perspective from those who came before. The result has been some deep conversations about politics, personal finance, technology, and the timeless personal wisdom you just can't get from the news or a textbook. Alli and Jen speak to GetOffMyLawn, a moderator who curated some of the best conversations the subreddit has to offer.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nextdoor is the social network that connects people based on neighborhoods, rather than friend networks or common interests. Getting to know your IRL neighbors sure seems like a good idea. But at times, it combines the two worst things about social media: relative anonymity and real-world consequences. The platform is home to countless petty squabbles and strange behavior that reveal the absurdity of modern life, and the insanity of the people who live two houses down. The most ridiculous posts are lovingly collected by @BestOfNextdoor, a Twitter and Facebook account run by Jenn Takahashi. It features hilarious neighborhood drama, bizarre phenomena ("Did any of you leave a potato in my garden?"), and misguided souls who insist on using Nextdoor to score hookups. Alli and Jen talk with Takahashi about her favorite Nextdoor posts of all time, why people are so weird, and what the company thinks of her social commentary.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a box of treasure worth millions somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, and a global online (and IRL) community is devoted to the search. The treasure was hidden by Forrest Fenn, a collector of antiquities and nature lover, who — after cancer threatened his life in the '80s — decided to have some fun with the wealth he'd accumulated. He wrote a poem full of cryptic, geographic clues that are now a worldwide obsession. And while Fenn says seekers have gotten close, no one has uncovered the real fortune ... yet. Entire families have uprooted their lives to join the hunt, and a fervent online community deciphers clues and poses new theories daily. Alli and Jen talk with Dal Neitzel, who documents the treasure hunt extensively online, and has become a key resource for all things Fenn. Neitzel shares his stories about meeting Fenn, the most plausible cartographic theories, the risks of treasure hunting (some seekers have died), and the scammers who try to trick Fenn out of his hidden fortunes.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For thousands of years, God has communicated with humanity via dusty tomes, prophets, and the occasional miracle. But it's 2019, and the Internet is way more efficient for reaching the flock. That's why God has spent the last few years amassing followers on Facebook and Twitter, and smiting hypocrites and blasphemers (aka trolls) with his digital wrath. And if you've noticed that He's a little less about fire and brimstone, and more about calling bullshit on modern religion, you're not wrong. Alli and Jen have an intimate and exclusive conversation with The Almighty about His new social media strategy, His role in American politics, Jesus, the conservatives who keep putting words in His mouth, dick pics, and his new podcast, The God Show.Follow The Lord Thy God: https://twitter.com/thegoodgodabovehttps://www.facebook.com/TheGoodLordAbovehttps://www.patreon.com/thegodshowSupport 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When fantasy TV shows need an alien or elf to speak a fictional language, most writers make up a few foreign-sounding words to pad the script and move on. But that won't cut it when it comes to Game of Thrones, a show with details as deep as its fandom. So when George R. R. Martin and the show's producers needed to build complete, functional languages for Dothraki riders and Valyrian-speaking slavers, they turned to real-life linguist and "conlanger" David J. Peterson. He transformed a handful of phrases from Martin's books into the grammatically complete languages we hear on HBO today. Alli and Jen chat with Peterson (mostly in English!) about his love of languages, the process of building them from scratch, infusing fictional languages with fictional culture, his email correspondence with George R. R. Martin, and how the complexities of producing TV's most ambitious show affected his phonetic and linguistic choices — including a little-known error in season 8!Alli and Jen also speak with a Game of Thrones super fan who is currently learning High Valyrian from the language app Duolingo, which has more than 800,000 users actively learning the fictional language.Minor spoiler warning: While mostly focused on linguistics, this episode contains general discussions of characters, cultures, and events in Game of Thrones.Special thanks to Michelle Jaworski.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices