It's another mid-week installment of Lunch Break, and we're officially back at it. Today, we took a deep dive into the post-Stranger Things careers of the cast, from Millie Bobby Brown’s latest Netflix projects to Sadie Sink's potential leap into the MCU as a "Disney princess". We also had our minds blown discovering Joe Keery's (aka Steve Harrington) extensive musical career as DJO, which has us ready to re-watch the whole series with fresh eyes. Between discussing Finn Wolfhard's indie-pop albums and David Harbour's upcoming role in Creature Commandos, we got real about our own creative struggles. One of us is diving headfirst into music production, grappling with the technical steepness of MIDI and the delicate balance of bass, drums, and synths. We also vented about the modern "tornado fire" of workplace tech disasters, the absolute run-around of car repairs, and the bizarre moment when an AI tried to convince us that hot dogs are actually dumplings.

We’re officially in the year of the "Chicken Jockey" meme, though we’re pretty sure it’s a shame it peaked so early in 2025. We dive deep into the absolute misery of living in an "edging culture," where we're stuck waiting years for the Steam Machine, GTA VI, and ketchup-flavored Doritos that never seem to arrive. Between surviving a 70-degree temperature drop that turned the world into a tundra and debating the merits of pre-marinated bourbon salmon, we’re convinced we’re trapped in a Star Trek-style time loop. We also ponder the mystery of 50 bullet casings appearing outside our office and debate the "formula" for turning our gaming streams into narrated stories. From the confusion of "Friday Light" work shifts to brute-forcing our way through a 40K audiobook for the seventh time, come hang out with us as we wonder if anything is real—except for the birds.

We’re back for our daily 15-minute escape from the "cubicle sea" to recap a surprisingly busy Christmas week at the office. This episode, we’re dissecting the maintenance nightmare of a wasp-infested hot tub and the absolute struggle of trying to understand Warhammer 40K lore as a beginner. We also get into the "induced demand" of emergency services, share an original song about a Buzz Ball Christmas tree, and vent about a coworker whose messages are just a chaotic novel of ellipses and contradictions. From weird military Hogwarts dreams to the "healthy lifestyle triangle," we're just trying to stay awake and avoid throwing our bosses through a wall.

It’s Monday and it is absolutely freezing outside, so we’re hunkering down and discussing our new holiday tradition: the Buzz Ball Christmas tree. We dive into some questionable "medical advice" about bone density, the sudden ubiquity of ball-shaped cocktails, and whether an avocado seed is actually just a giant bone. We’re also spiraling into the "infinite waiting room" of pop culture, obsessing over the agonizingly slow updates on the Steam Machine, the new Knights of the Old Republic teaser, and our desperate race to finish Stranger Things before the new episodes drop. Join us as we weigh the pros and cons of PlayStation vs. Xbox joystick layouts.

We're spending our lunch break discussing Fallout 4's Far Harbor and Nuka World DLCs, grappling with the complexities of overly-engineered timer plugs for our space heater, and getting deep into culinary and botanical debates like: Is bread a fruit? Find out how we achieved a peaceful ending in Far Harbor (only to undo it later) and our quest for the perfect Beanie Weenies recipe to share at a holiday gathering! We also cover the week's weather, and the woes of thin shirts and competitive old video game communities.

We get into an intense discussion about a conspiracy that RAM prices are being intentionally driven up by companies like Micron to force consumers into subscription-based cloud computing, which is a terrifying thought for the future of personal electronics! On a lighter note, we talk about the frustratingly foggy yet fun Fallout 4: Far Harbor DLC, playing the hack-and-slash platformer Soak Song, and the slow grind of the RuneScape idle game. Plus, we celebrate submitting a gigantic project at work and our dinner plans for Texas de Brazil.

This week, we're diving into the ongoing console debate, talking about the upcoming Xbox Prime, which we find confusing, and contrasting it with the appealing interface of the Steam Machine. We reminisce about the underrated classic Wii U and the satisfying RPG-style story of the superhero game Dispatch. On a more personal note, one of us is having a rough week due to a persistent and Thanksgiving-threatening case of constipation, complete with talk of body weight, laxatives, and worrying scenarios about intestinal knots. We also discuss John's delicious sweet potato pie, a strange cat sighting at work, and the wild world of Western TV shows that Tommy's Grandpa enjoys, like The Rifleman.

We dive into our week, which included playing a lot of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and the overhauled crime system, contemplating the release of the Steam Machine and the anxiety of pre-ordering, and finally passing a stressful four-hour practical test at work despite software issues and misleading documentation. The conversation covers games like Assassin's Creed Black Flag along with a look into developing a new episodic gaming series. Also discussed: making chicken and egg salad, wild dreams, and the frustrating process of upgrading podcast equipment.