The Works

Are you tired of entering your phone number for all of these "loyalty" programs? How did those ever even start? The modern day may have seemed to start with flyer miles. But what about the green stamp books? Did you know they reward program started in ancient Egypt? What about the earliest ones here in the States in the 1700's? Seems like today's programs have a lot of pay-to-play-to-get-discounts feel to them instead of a reward system. Do today's programs buy YOUR loyalty or is it just an annoying step to save 5%? Would you skip the step to stay out of the data collection loop? Join us for a "Special Clubs" discussion on this episode of The Works.

As we navigate social media/podcast space, can you game they system by a clever title? Does a trending word help get listens? Did you know that Area 51 just had a round of earthquakes? Did alien technology cause it? We also discuss when people give you advice. What was the best advice you were given? Join us for a myriad of topics in true ADHD fashion on the "Gaming The System" episode of The Works.

With Millenials and GenZ finding alternative work or choosing to work part time, Social Security is DOOMED. The pool of workers entering retirement is larger that the generations working and contributing. Even with Social Security, many folks will still have to find their "second career" after retirement. What drives the need for a next phase of work? Were you laid off? Is your job now obsolete? Are you retiring? What type of job or career would you chose? Join us for a discussion of why "Social Security is Doomed" on this episode of The Works.

Do you remember the "Generic" brand from years ago? It was a simple white label with bold black lettering. Nothing screamed that you were frugal more than that! Now, we have store brands that are supposed to be the same as named brand...but secretly are not. For example, PopTarts....there is no equal!!! Join us for a discussion of "Off Brand" on this episode of The Works.

What are some jobs today that you never imagined would be jobs? Younger generations want to be influencers or content creators. Will a college education be required for "jobs" that are created in the future? Are you considered gainfully employed as a content creator? How are you paid? What happens to social security if the newer generation isn't paying into the system as boomers and Gen X retire? There are some people that are STILL paying on their student loans and aren't working in their chosen profession. Join us for an employment conversation on "Hot For Teacher" episode of The Works.

Are there things you do that you just now realized are a bit quirky or eccentric? Ok...maybe they are just weird or annoying! Do you pee in the shower? Do you stop the microwave at 1 second to avoid the excessive beeping? Do you sniff the milk before pouring, even though the expiration date is still in the future? Do you rearrange the dishwasher after each dish? We have all had that "oh no" moment when we realize we do something different! Also, what is your favorite joke? Join us for "Those things we do...LOL!" on this episode of The Works.

What is your favorite part of vacation travel? What is the worst part? We just got back from a road trip to Ohio to visit family, and, boy, were the roads BAD! However, the food and family were good! Do you embrace local cuisine? Have you ever had Cincinnati chili? Or, when traveling, do you go with the familiar? Are you team beach or mountains or snow or travel abroad? Join us for a fun travel discussion on the "Hit The Road" episode of The Works.

What are the categories of A.I. (artificial intelligence) being used? Do you actively use A.I.? Some people use A.I. to help them write a papers or to summarize some research. Others use it to create artwork and logos. It is getting harder to differentiate A.I. images/videos from real images. Do we embrace or do we encourage caution? Join us for a lively discussion about artificial intelligence on this "A.I. ... Schmay-I" episode of The Works.

Still no winners in our hot sauce giveaway! We decided to make it easier with making the music montage have extended samples. Guess the correct song title in the correct order in this 8 song music montage. Email guesses to [email protected]((hot sauces brought to you from MadeInMaidenNC.com))

What was the 1st video game you ever played? Did you ever go to a game arcade back in the day? How can Legend of Zelda be 40 years old? Video games and how we play them have changed over the decades. Games have been played on computers, gaming systems, handheld devices, phones and even on streaming services. Do you still play? Join us for a discussion about video games on this "Pac-Man Fever" episode of The Works.((still no winners in the song montage give-away...check out the episode "Extended Music Montage" for an extended version of the montage! Email your guesses to [email protected]))

There have been many wonderful musicians that are now eligible for the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame! What qualities should they possess? What are the qualifications? Who is missing from the list? Join us for a discussion for this "Hall Of Wonder" episode of The Works.https://rockhall.com/2026-nominees/

As GenXers, there were certain things growing up that just invoked fears or concerns. Missing kids were on milk cartons, and it seemed as though knowing how to get out of quicksand was important! What were YOU afraid of that you realize now isn't a thing? What was the millenial "thing"? What worried the boomers? Join us for a discussion of "Irrational Fears" on this episode of The Works.

What is your favorite convenience store? Is it because it is truly convenient or does it feature certain niceties such as great food or coffee? Great bathrooms? Cheaper gas? We are team Buccees! However, Kwik Trip has beat out the former favorite of WaWa. What makes these stores so popular? Join us for a discussion of stores in "That's Convenient" episode of The Works.

Do you hear me...do you care? (Missing Persons song) What are you listening to? Do you recall K-Tel records that were sung by "The Original Artists"? Napster? How amazing is it that we can all share conversations with the world through podcasts! There was even a Golden Globes category honoring the medium. What do top podcasts have in common? Join us for a podcast discussion of "Do You Hear Me..." on this episode of The Works.

The food industry is a multi billion dollar industry. We watch celebrity chefs and various cooking shows. How many celebrity chef positions are there truly? Even if you don't know how to cook, you can partake in good food with meal solutions delivered for a subscription. We...love...FOOD! Join us for a lively discussion of "Food For Thought" on this episode of The Works.

Back in the day, when we listened to RADIO, they always had give aways. You could be the 10th caller that knew the phrase that pays. Did you win any give aways or promotions? What was the weirdest that you heard? We have decided to reward you listeners by doing TWO GIVE AWAYS! The first three correct answers on each will get a free bottle of MadeInMaidenNC.com hot sauce. Join us for details of our "Give Away" on this episode of The Works. (( Send your answers to [email protected]))

What are the advantages of crypto currency and what is it all about? Considering it is not based on a tangible asset, is it cheaper to produce than currency? What about the price of electricity to mine crypto? Is crypto currency stable enough for you to invest? Join us for a "Cryptic" discussion on this episode of The Works.

So very tired of being so very tired! The sleep industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and people are obsessed with getting a good night sleep. Did you know that the standard line of getting 8 hours of sleep started during the industrial revolution? What is a sleep study? If you go to a hammer store, you walk out with a hammer...why are we surprised that if you do a sleep study you walk out with a c-pap? Join us for a lively discussion of "Catching Z's" on this episode of The Works.

Let's talk about the pet industry! Are designer cross breeds like the labradoodle worth the money or are they just a mutt? Which animals would you consider for a house pet? Pot-bellied pig? House pony? Just cats and dogs? Gourmet pet food and pet insurance are trending. Join us for a discussion about pets in this "Pet Peeve" episode of The Works.

Do your favorite things change over time? What was your favorite backyard game? (Was it inappropriately named?) What are your top 3 favorite foods? Do you have a favorite Olympic sport (past or present)? Join us for the whimsical musings of Jim and Dianne in this "Favorite Things" episode of The Works.

Let's talk about sports today and how do we create elite athletes. We no longer have sports in schools, everyone gets a trophy, and we pay to play instead of trying out. Do coaches get better results with fear and intimidation or being understanding? One way of coaching may be great for one kid and terrifying for another. Join us for a discussion of "Participation Trophy" on this episode of The Works.

What if you could "stitch" together digital photos from the same time and location to give you a larger "view" of an event? That is the basics of PhotoFracking. We are mining the information in photo meta data. Join us for a discussion of media standards and how this proposed technology could help in investigations on "PhotoFracking" episode of The Works.

Are we experiencing global warming? Or Global cooling? Or is it just climate change? What do we really know about the state of our environment. Did covid help our environment when we all stayed home? Nope. Methane gas went up. Every 20 or so years since 1890, news outlets have reported the next ice age is upon us or the glaciers are melting and the reports kept flipping. Join us for a lively discussion of "Anti-climatic" in this episode of The Works.https://longreads.com/.../in-1975-newsweek-predicted-a.../https://www.cato.org/.../global-warming-apocalypses-didnt...https://scienceline.org/2017/04/ice-age-never-happened/http://www.alienbasecamp.com/agw/quotes.htm

So, technology seems to be helpful at times, a bother at others, and sometimes feels like BIG BROTHER! For solving crimes, triggered surveillance feels like a good thing. Then we discover that there are "recordings" that can be recovered that we didn't pay to save. How does the whole Nest/Ring surveillance thing work? Let's discuss how technology can be a "Big Bother (or Big Brother?)" in this episode of The Works.

What do you use social media for? Do you consider podcasts to be social media? People use social media for personal accounts and for businesses. Has social media helped or hurt our society? Join us for a discussion of "Social Media" on this episode of The Works.

Who could have imagined that Cartman from South Park had the food pyramid correct! The revised food pyramid has been released and it is opposite to what it was. How is it decided? Do lobbyist influence the outcome? Join us for a discussion on "The Food Pyramid" on this episode of The Works.

What makes what you believe into a "conspiracy"? Is it if you are in the minority? Is it when it is disproven information? Is the government controlling weather? Did people land on the moon? Join us for a discussion of "Conspiracy Theories" on this episode of The Works.

Based on some feedback from friends, we trapse along some favorite central Ohio childhood memories of shenanigans. We didn't intend to be vandals. And, it is amazing what stories EVERY kid repeated. When you turned your bike upside down, pedaled the wheel, touched a spoke...you were making what? Ice cream! Duh! Join us for a discussion of "Central Ohio Memories" on this episode of The Works.

What is the fascination with murder shows/documentaries/podcasts? Is it that we want to help solve? Are we trying to understand why someone could possibly commit these heinous crimes? How is technology playing a part? Join us for our discussion of "Killer Shows" on this episode of The Works.

Why is it that you have to have a catchy way to say things at work? Instead of saying you want to think about something some more, you say "put a pin in it". Let a topic "marinade". How frustrating! Join us for our "Corporate Speak" discussion on this episode of The Works.

Did y'all watch this year's Grammy Awards? Has the different ways we discover music change what we like or does it hinder us? How do you find your music? What did you think of the performances? And, let's talk about all those categories. Best song vs best record vs best album vs best performance.....clear as mud, right? Join us for "Grammy (or whammy)?" discussion on this episode of The Works.

With all of these incredible weather events, what do you do on a good old-fashioned snow day? Is there still such a thing when kids have "remote learning" days? What was your favorite thing to do on a snow day? Was what you ate or drank part of that experience? Join us on this cold day to discuss "Snow Day" on this episode of The Works.

Does the way we watch television vary by the generation? Think back on the days of broadcast television, the TV Guide, and then how exciting cable tv was. We are dating ourselves by defining it as television instead of watching "content". Today we can watch on broadcast tv/cable/streaming. However, we are also entertained by YouTube/TikTok/podcasts. Join us for a discussion on our watching preferences and see if it falls along a generation divide on this "Boob Tube" episode on The Works.

When Gen Z says it's "Generational", they mean it is awesome or legendary. But, what is a generation? Who defines the time span? What should be included? Did you know that we only started defining them in 1991? Join us for a lively discussion on generations on this episode of The Works!https://www.thoughtco.com/names-of-generations-1435472