Distractible Podcast: “Who Want Million?”

Episode Date: February 28, 2025
Hosts: Mark Fischbach, Wade Barnes, and Bob Muyskens

Episode Overview

In this playful, chaotic, and rule-bending episode of Distractible, the trio dives into stories of everyday mishaps and the joys of not-so-smart moments. The hosts reflect on past live shows, share random life updates (including hardware, weather, and Shakira’s health), and ultimately embark on a game-show style battle through the real “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” million-dollar questions. As ever, their competition is full of jokes, friendly subterfuge, evolving house rules, and a heavy dose of unpredictability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catchup, Tools, and Weather Woes

• Bob’s Workshop Updates:
  Bob details recent acquisitions for his tool collection (Ryobi tools, jigsaws, brad nailers, storage bins for “fasteners”), his interest in building cabinets, and the ongoing (annoying) Ohio winter.

  “It’s just, you know, feathering my nest, which is what all good woodworkers do before they start actually touching wood or building anything.” — Bob (06:47)

• Wade’s New Gadget:
  Wade reveals he bought a Worx Nitro 40V electric snow shovel, explaining his reluctance to get gas-powered equipment for rare snows.

  “People were like, you know, there’s an in between… there’s an electric shovel. And I was like, electric shovel.” — Wade (08:32)

• AI and Broadcast Backgrounds:
  Jokes about using AI art as virtual backgrounds and the padded-room aesthetic.

2. Health, Shakira, and Past Touring Woes

• Checking on Shakira:
  Wade follows Shakira’s recovery after illness forced her to cancel a show, drawing a parallel to the hosts’ own canceled performance in Amsterdam due to sickness.
• Amsterdam Show Story:
  Mark recounts being desperately ill (“coughing up horrifying green slime”) before a live show, the venue doctor’s dismissive “sounds fine to me,” and how Ethan ended up in a wheelchair after a dance battle.

  “I took a picture of what I had coughed up …clearly bronchitis or something similar… and the doctor comes in, listens to both me and Ethan breathing… ‘Sounds fine to me.’” — Mark (11:32)

• Dangers of Live Performance:
  The trio reminisces about accidents on tour: Ethan getting (softly) kicked in the face by Mark, Tyler’s knee injury.

3. International Rivalries and Sports

• Bizarre Hockey Antics:
  Bob shares the latest about the NHL Four Nations Face Off—Canada booing the U.S. national anthem, leading to unprecedented brawls at the start of a hockey game (three consecutive fights).

  “It started with three consecutive fights… America went on to win, which is just embarrassing. Isn’t hockey like Canada’s thing?” — Bob (15:35) Mark and Wade riff on Canada as a “historical nemesis,” with snark about international relations, and sidetracks into Harry Potter meets Rocky references.

4. Tech Talk: CNC Machines & Making Things

• Mark’s CNC Machine Obsession:
  Mark explains the appeal of CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines for metal fabrication—how it’s a leap up from handling wood/plastics, and how it’ll enable him to build/repair custom parts:

  “Once you get into metal you need higher thresholds of both tooling and accuracy… you can literally make that part again.” — Mark (19:13)

• Axis Explanations:
  Bob clarifies 3-axis vs. 5-axis machines (“five-axis literally means you can make just about anything, which is very cool”).
• Potential Uses:
  They discuss mounting camera accessories, prop-building, and the possibilities of home metalworking.

5. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The Distractible Game

Setting the Stage

• Mark assumes the role of quizmaster, presenting every real million-dollar question ever asked on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
• Rules are adapted for the group, including custom lifelines (two phone-a-friends, two 50:50s, one flex).

Notable Game Highlights & Quotes

• Lifeline Chaos and Coin Flip Decisions:
  • Wade immediately uses his Phone a Friend—calls Mark, who’s reading the answers.
  • Bob phones his dad for presidential trivia; dad answers “Richard Nixon” with instant confidence.
• Memorable Answers & Instincts:
  • Wade (correctly): “My gut told me to go with Dutch… But I’m gonna trust my gut and say Dutch.” (37:40)
  • Bob (on the less-famous Gettysburg Address speech): Uses a fake phone call with “Jem” who answers confidently—another layer of absurdity.
• Jethro Tull Winning the Grammy:

  “Who the hell is Jethro Tull?” — Mark (32:37)

• Francis Bacon’s Unusual Death:

  “God, I hope it’s Francis Bacon chicken.” — Bob (44:35)

Rule Lawyering & The Wheel

• Multiple meta discussions about fairness, inventing new “unfairness” coinflip rules to potentially overturn point tallies.
• Points are now distributed not only by right answers, but by being “most locked in,” “bent the most rules without breaking them,” and spins on a wheel that seemingly controls the universe of the podcast.
• The precise absurdity of scoring is highlighted in end-game coinflips and “unfairness” rules, where even the hosts are confused but giggling.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | 06:11 | “I got some bins to store my fasteners, which cool guys call screws. It’s fasteners.” | Bob | | 11:38 | “He listens to both me and Ethan breathing. And… I can hear his breath. Rattling outside…I don’t need the stethoscope…” | Mark | | 15:35 | “First ever hockey game I’ve seen that started with three consecutive fights…” | Bob | | 19:13 | “Metal fabrication is a threshold of production that is hard to meet…once you get into metal…” | Mark | | 32:37 | “Who the hell is Jethro Tull?” | Mark | | 37:40 | “My gut told me to go with Dutch… But I’m gonna trust my gut and say Dutch.” | Wade | | 44:35 | “God, I hope it’s Francis Bacon chicken.” | Bob |

Game Segment Timestamps and Questions

| Segment | Game Event/Discussion | Timestamp | |---------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | 24:22 | Game introduction, Mark as host, reviews rules | 24:22-26:37 | | 29:00 | Coin toss to determine first contestant | 29:00-29:12 | | 29:12 | First Question: Grammy Award, Wade uses phone-a-friend | 29:12-33:22 | | 34:00 | Bob phones his dad for the “Laugh-In” President trivia | 34:00-36:41 | | 37:15 | Anne Frank’s diary language (“Dutch”) | 37:15-38:22 | | 42:19 | First timed million-dollar question—Oval Office drink buttons | 42:19-43:23 | | 44:35 | “Which great thinker… died after stuffing a chicken with snow?” | 44:35-45:47 | | 47:12 | “Which First Lady was a 9th generation descendant of Pocahontas?” | 47:12-47:44 | | 49:35 | Predecessor’s speech to Gettysburg address—Bob’s “phone a friend” | 49:35-51:45 | | 54:12 | “Nephilococcygia is the practice of doing what?” | 54:12-56:23 | | 57:28 | “Drinker’s Dictionary—synonyms for drunkenness” | 57:28-59:02 | | 61:43 | Fairness coin flip: rule chaos | 61:43-62:03 | | 66:49 | Final scores and determination of winner | 66:49-68:34 | | 69:32 | Loser & winner speeches, sign-off | 69:32-end |

The Endgame—Points, Wheels, and Winner

• Rule Bending: The second half devolves into wheel spins, losers’ speeches, and coining new award categories on the fly (“Bent the most rules without breaking them”).
• It All Comes Down to Chance: Through spins, coinflips, and convoluted fairness logic, the victory ultimately goes to Wade, who “schemed” his way through coinflips and wheel luck.

  “Don’t call it a comeback… I’m just happy to be a part of such a great episode.” — Wade (68:34)

• Bob’s Loser Speech:

  “It is outrageous that I lost… but I’m gonna lose with dignity and only make one dead dad joke, apparently. Dignity.” (70:09)

Final Thoughts and Takeaways

• Distractible’s Brand of Chaos:
  The episode is a perfect microcosm of the show: friends ribbing one another, bending their own rules, interspersing life updates, and mining trivia and nostalgia for laughs.
• Memorable Moments:
  From AI backgrounds, tool obsessions, recounting disastrous tour events, and making up eligibility rules on the fly, the group’s camaraderie and cleverness shine.
• Wheel Decides All:
  No matter the logic or skill involved, ultimately, in the world of Distractible, fortune (or farce) spins the fate of its participants.

For new listeners:
This episode encapsulates Distractible’s irreverent tone, with plenty of rapid shifts between game-show antics and genuine banter—perfect for those who enjoy friendly chaos and never the same rules twice.