In this episode of A-Squared Ramblers, hosts Alex and Adriana bounce from cozy cold-weather debates to high-speed finish lines. Adriana recounts a family visit from Japan that somehow spiraled into an argument over whether she’s truly a “winter girl,” complete with her unapologetic love for snow shoveling, dreary days, and all things Snowmizer. The conversation drifts into shared nostalgia for stop-motion animation, Tim Burton’s signature style, and quirky creations like Pokémon Concierge, Wallace & Gromit, and Lego cooking videos.
From there, they dive into the evolving realism of AI - from glass fruit cutting videos to voice cloning - and discuss the blurry lines between what’s real and what’s convincingly fabricated. Adriana shares a fascinating story about a specially trained dog that helps its owner distinguish hallucinations from reality, leading to a wider reflection on perception and truth.
Then, Alex takes the mic for big personal news: setting a new personal record at a Franklin, Kentucky 5K. He breaks down the race route, competitive mindset, training approach, and even a friendly rivalry that fueled his final sprint. The pair compare race stats, marvel at standout performances across age groups - including a 70-year-old who clocked a jaw-dropping 24:45 - and talk about balancing conditioning with maintaining muscle mass. They wrap with a look ahead to potential future races, training tweaks, and why Alex is likely sticking with the 5K distance for now. From stop-motion nostalgia and AI deepfakes to competitive finish-line sprints, this episode blends lighthearted banter, personal wins, and thought-provoking tangents in true A-Squared Ramblers fashion.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com