Mike and Ting make an indie game tier list. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Book Club UNDERTALE Release Trailer (YouTube) Undertale The Witness HER STORY Firewatch Minit Celeste Chinese Parents on Steam Zachtronics | TIS-100 Zachtronics | Eliza Untitled Goose Game Outer Wilds - Mobius Digital Disco Elysium T…

Mike and Ting talk about cruise ship holidays. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Indie Tier List. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat MSC Virtuosa - The new cruise ship I Took The First Cruise Since The COVID Cruising Shutdown (YouTube) Bez (dancer) - Wikipedia Haugesund…

Mike and Ting talk about The Case of the Golden Idol. Contains SPOILERS for The Case of the Golden Idol! Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is The Case of the Golden Idol? The Case of the Golden Idol OST: 1 - The Watching Eye | Composed by Kyle Misko (2022) (YouTube) The Case of the Golden Idol - Metacriti…

Mike and Ting talk about the Paris Olympics and Disney forcing arbitration in a wrongful death case. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for The Case of the Golden Idol. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat An ambitious Olympics opening ceremony showboats French culture on the Seine River An Olymp…

Mike and Ting talk about Animal Well. Contains SPOILERS for Animal Well! Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is Animal Well? ANIMAL WELL BIGMODE The Promo Campaign for Animal Well (YouTube) Shrek - Ogres are like Onions (Blu-Ray 1080p) English [scene] (YouTube) What The Heck Is A 'MetroidBrainia'? Introduci…

Mike and Ting talk about Inside Out 2 and dumb Prime Day purchases. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Animal Well. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Inside Out 2 (2024) - IMDb Inside Out (2015) - IMDb Bing Bong | Inside Out Wiki Inside Out 2 Makes No Sense (YouTube) Anxiety | Inside Out W…

Mike and Ting talk about Balatro. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is Balatro? Jester - Wikipedia Balatro A 127,076x Multiplier to the Moon! | Balatro | Road to 100% #18 (YouTube) The Making of Balatro (feat. LocalThunk) - Dear Dwyery #01 (YouTube) Big two - Wikipedia “Balatro is the first Deckbuilder I …

Mike and Ting talk about pretending to work while watching inspirational Jonathan Blow videos. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Balatro. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Last month, Wells Fargo reportedly fired over a dozen employees for using tools that fake productivity at work Nvidia…

Mike and Ting talk about Helldivers 2. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is Helldivers 2? Helldivers 2 Main Theme - "A Cup Of Liber-Tea" (YouTube) Helldivers 2 - Metacritic Sony demands PSN accounts for Helldivers 2 PC players, and it’s not going well | Ars Technica Map Shows All Countries Where Helldiver…

Mike and Ting talk about Count Binface, keyboards and GPT-4o. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Helldivers 2. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Shark Week - Wikipedia Is the World Really Falling Apart, or Does It Just Feel That Way? - The New York Times Count Binface invades Westminster i…

Mike and Ting talk about the Triple-I Initiative, the Switch Indie World Showcase, what they've been playing, and some rapid fire news. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Triple-I The Triple-i Initiative 2024: A New Gaming Showcase (YouTube) Slay the Spire 2 Officially Announced, Won't be in Unity Why there are…

Mike and Ting talk about Udio, deepfakes and the AI Pin. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Triple-I, Switch Indies and Now Playing. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Udio | Dune the Broadway Musical, Showtunes, Soundtrack by BobbyB Udio, the Mysterious GPT Update, and Infinite Attention (…

Mike and Ting talk about Cookie Clicker. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is Cookie Clicker? Hover (YouTube) Cookie Clicker DashNet | creating video games | Patreon Cow Clicker - Wikipedia #Gamelab2018 - Jon Blow's Design decisions on creating Jai a new language for game programmers (YouTube) Incremental…

Mike and Ting talk about oversized phones and Inside Out 2. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Cookie Clicker. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Does the iPhone 15 Pro Max bend and crack easily? Consumer Reports says no - 9to5Mac Hands-on with the Apple Watch Ultra: It's not too big. | Mas…

Mike and Ting talk about Hogwarts Legacy. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is Hogwarts Legacy? Hogwarts Legacy Official Soundtrack | Full Album | 4K (YouTube) Hogwarts Legacy controversy explained | GamesRadar+ Hogwarts Legacy has officially cleared Zelda as 2023’s best-selling game worldwide | VGC Hogwa…

Mike and Ting talk about pineapple for breakfast, salt in tea and more revenge bedtime procrastination. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Hogwarts Legacy. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Bienvenue à Londres City - Le Relais De Venise English Breakfast Society recommends swapping tomato …

This is my last show for Rti, but I am keeping the show going on a new feed! If you want to keep listening to the show, you can find it at https://shows.acast.com/the-strait-up-podcast Today on the show I have a very special guest, Mike Chinoy. Mike was the first head of CNN's Beijing Bureau which opened in 1987, and led the coverage of important e…

Mike and Ting talk about the games and hardware they're looking forward to in 2024. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Looking Forward Palworld | Early Access Launch Trailer | Pocketpair (YouTube) Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Ubisoft (US) Palworld sells 1 million copies in just 8 hours, and the servers ar…

Mike and Ting talk about the Clicks keyboard, the Rabbit r1 and streaming service ads. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for 2024 Look Forward. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat BlackBerry - Wikipedia Clicks for iPhone Founders Edition Rick and Morty: Jerry's playing (YouTube) Rabbit Introduc…

Most people are probably aware that Taiwan has an aging population. In fact, Taiwan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world. According to the National Development Council, Taiwan’s fertility rate in 2022 was 0.87. That makes it either the lowest or nearly lowest in the entire world, with similar rates to South Korea, Hong Kong, and Puerto Ri…

Mike and Ting look back on 2023. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Year in Review Undertale - Snowdin Remix (YouTube) Russian invasion of Ukraine - Wikipedia 2023 Israel–Hamas war - Wikipedia Mask-wearing no longer mandatory on public transport from Feb 13, as Singapore steps down COVID-19 restrictions - CNA T…

Mike and Ting talk about Spotify Wrapped, cruise holidays and Pictionary vs AI. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for 2023 Wrap Up. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat The Stand Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A …

Today we tackle an issue that is unavoidable if one lives in Taiwan, which is road safety. And I don’t just mean road safety for drivers on the road, but also for pedestrians on the sidewalk. However as you will discover in this episode, Taiwan often lacks sidewalks on many roads. Roads in Taiwan thus must share their narrow spaces among pedestrian…

Mike, Ting and Mike (@msdq) from Xdrive Megabox (@xdrivemegabox) talk about Baldur's Gate 3. Contains SPOILERS for Baldur's Gate 3! Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Background 01 Baldur's Gate 3 Original Soundtrack - Main Theme Part I (YouTube) Baldur's Gate 3 - Metacritic Baldur's Gate 3 Proves Modern Gaming…

Mike and Ting talk about the Inside Out 2 teaser trailer, the Humane Ai Pin and buying an Apple Watch. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Baldur's Gate 3. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Inside Out 2 | Teaser Trailer (YouTube) Inside Out (2015) - IMDb Rule 34 - Wikipedia How to Tell Whet…

Today, I am very honored to have on the show Alicia Kearns, Chairperson of the U.K. House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. Alicia’s committee released a report a few weeks back which contained some very strong language regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty and how the U.K. government should handle the Taiwan issue moving forward. We talk about that a…

Today I bring you another episode focusing on what is, on its face at least, a domestic issue in Taiwan, but I bring it to you with a comparative international perspective. That issue is Taiwan’s minimum wage, and why is it so low compared to other developed countries? My guest today is Roy Ngerng, a researcher and writer who has worked on issues s…

Mike and Ting talk about the Microsoft leaks, Switch 2 rumours and Unity runtime fee debacle. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Microsoft Leaks First-Look Xbox Series X Gameplay on Inside Xbox (YouTube) Microsoft leaked its own Xbox documents, court says - The Verge Read the full unredacted email where Microso…

Mike and Ting talk about the latest horrible Fitbit app update and cruise ship buffets. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Micro Leaks, Switch 2 and United Against Unity. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Fitbit fans aren’t happy about the official app’s redesign – here’s why | TechRadar S…

Hello and welcome to the Strait Up Podcast, a show about international affairs with a focus on East Asia and of course Taiwan. That focus on Taiwan will be much tighter in the next several episodes including today, as I take a look at several issues that affect Taiwan, but which have an international component. And today, that topic is Taiwan’s upc…

Mike and Ting talk about the The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Contains SPOILERS for Tears of the Kingdom! Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: World Title - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom OST (YouTube) Regional Phenomena best order in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Polygon Archaic Warm Greaves…

Mike and Ting talk about the iPhone 15 and Chrome's new "Privacy Sandbox". NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Part 2. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Eat the rich - Wikipedia Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Wikipedia Apple Event - September 12 (Y…

Today I bring you a conversation with Ian Chong, associate professor at the National University of Singapore and Nonresident Scholar at Carnegie China, which is part of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC. Ian’s research has focused on topics such as the international relations of Northeast and Southeast Asia, and import…

In the 2022 U.S. National Security Strategy, the U.S. refers to China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge.” Certainly, the confrontation between the two sides has played out on numerous fronts, most notably regarding Taiwan. But is America taking its diplomatic rhetoric and policy changes too far in attempting to address the cha…

Mike and Ting talk about Diablo 4. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is Diablo 4? Diablo IV | Original Soundtrack (YouTube) Diablo (series) - Wikipedia Dungeon Siege - Wikipedia Diablo 3 - BlizzCon 2008 Panel - Runes in Action (YouTube) Berlin Interpretation - RogueBasin All Altar of Lilith maps and locat…

Mike and Ting talk about X and lazy girl jobs. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Diablo 4. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat I was wrong, you can totally have a single letter domain name 🤷‍♂️ Single-letter second-level domain - Wikipedia Elon Musk: Twitter rebrands as X and kills off blue…

Hello, welcome to the Strait Up Podcast, the show where we talk about international affairs with a focus on East Asia and of course Taiwan. I’m your host Chris Gorin, coming to you from Taipei, Taiwan. Obviously, there are now and always have been significant political tensions between China and Taiwan. But what about people-to-people relations and…

Mike and Ting talk about the games announced this summer. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Starfield Starfield Official Gameplay Trailer (YouTube) Interstellar (2014) - IMDb Physicist who inspired Interstellar spills the backstory—and the scene that makes him cringe | Science Starfield Direct – Gameplay Deep …

Mike and Ting talk about the Reddit, Twitter and Threads. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Not E3 2023. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Virgin Atlantic How Reddit crushed the biggest protest in its history - The Verge Twitter limits the number of tweets users can read amid extended out…

Well, today we have a very special guest indeed. My guest is none other than Richard Bush. Bush has had a long and storied career. Bush served as the chairman and managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the unofficial US embassy in Taiwan, from 1997-2002. He is currently a nonresident senior fellow in the Center for East Asia P…

Hello and welcome to the Strait Up Podcast, the show about international affairs with a focus on East Asia and of course Taiwan. Tensions between the United States and China have been at historic highs recently. Taiwan is of course at the center of much of the tension. But how do other countries who have relations with both China and the United Sta…

Mike and Ting talk about the The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. No story spoilers! Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is Tears of the Kingdom? The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Official Trailer #3 (YouTube) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Switch Reviews - Metacritic The Hous…

Mike and Ting talk about the Apple Vision Pro. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Part 1. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat Dark pattern - Wikipedia Introducing Apple Vision Pro (YouTube) Meta Quest Pro VR headset price drops to $999 - The Verge …

This week, I bring you the last of my interviews conducted during a recent trip to Washington DC. This time we have the President of FAPA (Formosan Association for Public Affairs) Minze Chien (簡明子). FAPA is a DC-based organization whose mission is to educate US policymakers about Taiwan, with the goal of establishing official diplomatic relations b…

This week, we have another interview recorded during a recent trip to Washington DC. This time, we have Russell Hsiao, executive director of the Global Taiwan Institute, a DC-based think tank focusing exclusively on Taiwan related issues and research. Russell is also a senior fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, and adjunct fellow at Pacific Forum. …

This weekend, the G7 meeting will be held in Hiroshima, Japan. In light of that, in this episode of the podcast I bring you another interview with a top expert in Japanese security policy, this time we have Yuki Tatsumi of the Stimson Center in Washington DC. This is another in this podcast's DC series of interviews conducted in person during a rec…

Mike and Ting talk about Noita. Contains SPOILERS for Noita! Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: What is Noita? Noita - Early Access Launch Date Trailer (Out Now!) (YouTube) Noita for PC Reviews - Metacritic Nolla Games' Noita Forgets The Fun of Roguelikes | Cultured Vultures Roguelike - Wikipedia Breaking Conve…

Mike fails to fly, Ting quits TikTok and they've both watched the Mario movie. NOTE: this is the pre-episode warm up chat for Noita. Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club Show Notes: Pre-Chat King Charles and Queen Camilla crowned in historic Coronation - BBC News Lufthansa TikTok Pedicure - Wikipedia First Amendment audits -…

As tensions have heated up in the Taiwan Strait the past several years, public conversations about Taiwan, its defense and the various scenarios arising from a military conflict remain focused on the militaries of China, the US, and Taiwan. However, one topic which is of great interest to me is how other neighboring countries would get involved. Ja…

In our premiere episode, host Chris Gorin has a conversation with Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house of the Czech parliament) Markéta Pekarová Adamová. This conversation was recorded just after her return from her trip to Taiwan where she led a delegation of more than 150 people from government, academia, and business. She discusses wh…