Life in the digital age is complicated. The old etiquette rules just don't apply. Can I show YouTube videos at a dinner party? Can I text a prom invitation? Can I use a coupon coupon for my share of the check? You need a guide. Oh, yes. Or maybe two? Absolutely not. Slate's tech columnist Farhad Manjou and Dear Prudence Advice columnist Emily Yafi come together for the first time to bring you an essential new podcast.

It just feels chinty to me, but this is a new world.

Oh, I totally disagree, Emily.

Manners for the Digital Age, starting Monday on the Slate Daily podcast.

The following podcast contains explicit language.

The Slate Culture Gab Fest is brought to you by Starbucks.

With over 87,000 drink combination, Starbucks makes your signature espresso just the way you wanted.

Create yours at my Starbucks Signature.com.

I'm Julia Turner, and this is the Slate Culture Gab Fest.

Daddy, can I keep this Dyerwolf edition?

It's Wednesday, April 20th, 2011, and on today's program,

we're going to talk about HBO's new fantasy series Game of Thrones, Will Ferrell's guest turn on the American office, and the new documentary about the New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, Bill Cunningham, New York. Joining me today is Slate's film critic, Dana Stevens. Hi, Dana. Hey, Julia. And for our first two segments, we'll be joined by Slate Culture Blogger, Nina Shen Ristogi. Hi, Nina. Hi, Julia. I'm so glad you're here. I'm excited. We invited Nina on especially to talk to us about Game of Thrones because, although we were all excited to view this new mega expensive HBO show to varying degrees, Neither Dana nor I is a fantasy buff on the

order of Nina. So we wanted someone to, a proper fantasy buff to fact check our response to this show.

So Nina, we should throw to a clip early on here so people can get a sense of the sonorous tones in which this epic show is conducted.

But give us, give our listeners a brief overview.

What's the series that this is based on and why are fans so excited about it coming to TV?

So the show Game of Thrones is based on a series of books by the writer George R.R. Martin called A Song of Ice and Fire.

And a Game of Thrones is the name of the first book in that series. And basically, it is a sort of sprawling, epic fantasy about the dynastic struggles over a country called the Seven Kingdoms. And it's set in a sort of quasi-medieval world

that somewhat resembles medieval Europe of our world.

Lord Edard Stark, I would name you the hand of the king.

The king called on me to serve him.

All of the power is yours.

...