Stolen Lobsters, Burnt Cornbread, & Anxious Roombas

Hello and welcome to this episode of The Wayward Dragons Podcast!

Life Updates

• Holidays: Kelsey’s holiday was marred by resident deaths at her workplace (a care facility), which she found emotionally draining. Johnny’s holiday was low-key, but he suffered a minor injury while cooking cornbread for New Year’s—he burned his hand on a cast-iron skillet after the oven temperature sensor malfunctioned

News & Pop Culture

• "Gachiakuta": Rated as the #1 anime of 2025 by Teen Vogue. Johnny described the premise: a boy is thrown into a "pit" for criminals where he discovers he has superpowers to fight trash beasts
• "One Piece": They discussed the "Egg Island" (Egghead) arc. Johnny noted that the creator, Eiichiro Oda, stated the anime would stop airing weekly to preserve quality and avoid burnout, moving to a seasonal format
• "The Apothecary Diaries": Mentioned as a top contender and nominated for Anime of the Year
• Screen Time Study: A Singapore study linked high infant screen time to increased anxiety in teenagers
• New Dog Breeds: The American Kennel Club added three new breeds, including the Brittany Spaniel and American Teddy Roosevelt Terrier
• "Zootopia 2": Surpassed "Frozen" as the top-grossing Disney animated film
• Neuralink: Elon Musk announced plans for high-volume, automated brain implant surgeries by 2026
• Weird Crime: $400,000 worth of lobster was stolen en route to Costco, and thieves in Germany drilled into a bank vault to steal $300 million.
• Penny Funeral: A "mock funeral" for the penny was held at the Lincoln Memorial after the U.S. stopped minting them

Reviews & Recommendations

• Books:
• "Evil in Me" by Brom: Johnny’s "Book of the Year." A horror/punk novel set in the 80s about a delinquent girl named Ruby Tucker who gets possessed by a demon via a ring and has to bring about the apocalypse. He praised the heavy punk music influence
• "The Midnight Library": Kelsey’s first favorite read of the year. She described it as a heavy but uplifting "It's a Wonderful Life"-style story about a woman exploring alternative lives after a suicide attempt
• "In the Lives of Puppets" by T.J. Klune: Kelsey’s funniest read, described as "Robots meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." She highlighted the anxious Roomba character (Rambo) and the nurse robot (Nurse Ratched)
• "When Women Were Dragons": Kelsey found this book disappointing, noting it lacked a plot and read too much like an autobiography, despite the interesting premise of 1950s women turning into dragons
• Movies/TV:
• "The Long Walk": Johnny highly recommended this 2025 movie adaptation of the Stephen King novel. He described it as a dystopia where 50 young men must walk without stopping until only one survives. He praised the psychological depth and acting
• "Supernatural": The hosts expressed frustration with the series finale, feeling it was unnecessary and emotional damage for the fans
• "The Reckoning": They watched this documentary featuring 50 Cent

2026 Resolutions & Tarot Reading

• Johnny: Aims to read one book a week (52 total) and listen to a different music genre every week of the year (starting with European Pop).
• Kelsey: A joint resolution with her husband to be consistent—specifically with the gym, yoga, cooking at home, and using her new adjustable loom to knit a blanket.
• Johnny pulled the Ace of Wands (signifying new potential, inspiration, and passion projects).
• Kelsey pulled the Page of Pentacles (signifying ambition, diligence, and laying foundations for the future).

We are also happy to announce that we will be beginning our book club! We will be starting The DiscWorld Series by Terry Pratchett! We are moving to book 5, Sourcery (we are reading in publication order).

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