Hardly Focused

Blake Jennings and Heather Jones from the podcast KEEP ME YOUNG join Jack and Zach for this installment of Hardly Focused! Blake and Heather reminisce about how they met, and what lead them to start a successful show. They're also celebrating 50 episodes together! Also discussed in this episode: As he did for Blake, Zach recounts for Heather the time he tried to take a selfie with Jinx Maze. Jack...

These are strange times indeed. Nidal Hasan, the gunman behind the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, is on death row and will be executed by firing squad. If that isn't extreme enough, "Secretary of War" Pete Hegseth says Hasan's execution will be broadcast live. Jack and Mike discuss this bold move, and question if America is truly great yet. Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: Former Jeopar...

It's a mental health installment of Hardly Focused! Jack is an angry man, and is seeking help. A lifelong client himself, Nate educates Jack on cognitive behavioral therapy, and how he might benefit from it. FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE! https://hardlyfocused.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack and Becky have an existential crisis over being elder millennials attending rock and/or roll concerts. As they observe, Olivia Rodrigo's crowd consists of the mothers chaperoning their kids while yearning to be at a Taking Back Sunday show, while Taking Back Sunday's audience should consider scheduling their colonoscopies. Getting old is fun! Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused:...

Artificial intelligence continues to take over pretty much everything, but not without the occasional hiccup. Jack and Becky discuss the "actress" Tilly Norwood, an English AI model that glitches out mid-interview with Piers Morgan and begins to speak Chinese. Really though, is an AI glitch necessary to make Piers Morgan look bad? Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: Local restaurants...

Massachusetts is home to several high-profile court cases. From Karen Read, to Brian Walshe, and now Lindsay Clancy, the trial of whom has the attention of the Commonwealth and beyond. Jack and Mike are joined by a special guest - Mike's wife, Sara! - to discuss the Clancy case, with Jack getting input from this program's resident parents. Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: "Profess...

The "extended look" preview of Grand Theft Auto VI is here, and it's beautiful. Of course, this big reveal was not without portions of the game leaking over the past week. Jack and Nate geek out over how great GTA VI looks, and make a list of things to do across Vice City! Also discussed in this episode: It's one gut punch after another, as Jack and Nate remember Hayden Panettiere, Dolly Parton, T...

Patricia Inga Bogart - AKA QueenPiB - joins Jack and Zach for this festive installment of Hardly Focused! Being a streamer herself, PiB talks with Jack and Zach about the controversy over Amazon using Twitch content to train AI models. Jack also shares PiB's frustration over Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Game Gear and its frustratingly high difficulty. FOLLOW QueenPiB! https://playitbogart.com...

Break out the tinfoil hats! Jack and Mike talk about the next entry in the Elder Scrolls series, for clues have been given about its subtitle and/or location. This is what happens when a game gets announced a decade too early! Also discussed in this installment of Hardly Focused: Grand Theft Auto VI will be shown off in detail in a Netflix presentation. The upcoming season of the Fallout show may...

All eyes in Massachusetts are on the Lindsay Clancy trial. Acc and Jack discuss the background of the case, and the possible outcomes. Lindsay's not the only psychosis-sufferer in the news, as Perez Hilton's horrifying TikTok livestream defines a clear line of desensitization. Also discussed in this episode of The Acc and Jack Show: The William Gibson version of Alien 3 reigns supreme. The new sea...

Remember Myspace? Jack and Zach reminisce about the good ol' days of 2005, when customizing a Myspace profile provided invaluable skills in coding web pages. Myspace is apparently being revived, again - and if this attempt doesn't work, the current owners will just try again. Also discussed in this episode: Jack is losing sleep thanks to Halo: Campaign Evolved. Jared Leto is accused of sexual misc...

Seattle radio legend BJ Shea joins Jack and Zach in this installment of Hardly Focused! BJ discusses his career in radio, including his monumental run in morning drive on KISW and later succeeding Danny Bonaduce(!) across the street at KZOK. Jack, Zach, and BJ also dive into geekdom, with BJ being a MASSIVE tabletop gamer! Follow BJ Shea on Facebook and Instagram! Follow Hardly Focused! https://ha...

Much to Zach's chagrin but Jack's delightful, this installment of Hardly Focused stinks! Literally. People are panicking over the "diarrhea parasite," and it seems that Taco Bell's lettuce is to blame. Take Dr. Drew's advice, and don't worry about it! Also discussed in this episode: Canada is on fire, and it's turning Boston's skies yellow. Jack prefers gaming in 4K quality mode over 60 FPS perfor...

From January 22, 2026: Blake Jennings from the podcast Keep Me Young joins Jack and Zach for this installment of Hardly Focused! From video games to music to theater, there are laughs and non-sequiturs aplenty. It's safe to say Blake adapts to the Hardly Focused insanity with the greatest of ease! Discussed during this episode of Hardly Focused: Jack and Zach learn about Blake's background and beg...

In this episode of Hardly Focused, Jack, Mike, and Nate pour one out for physical media. Beginning in 2028, Sony is going digital-only, and will no longer release new PlayStation games on disc. Of course, the internet is up-in-arms over the news, with pitchforks out and pirate hats on. Also discussed: Tim Heidecker hosts his first episode of InfoWars, and does a great Alex Jones impression. Noah K...

The marketing blitz for Grand Theft Auto VI is in full swing! Because it's 2026, it would be highly unusual if this was without controversy. Acc and Jack discuss everything related to GTA, from the franchise's history, to the unbelievable weight of expectation, to how the ever-increasing price of consoles may affect the game's launch. Also discussed in this episode of The Acc and Jack Show: Sonic...

An example of why this podcast is called "Hardly Focused" - a discussion about Faith No More reuniting turns into reminiscing about The Great Mighty Poo from the Nintendo 64 game Conker's Bad Fur Day. Jack and Nate try their best, but staying on-topic remains a regular struggle. Hey, at least Mike Patton and the boys are back together! Also in this installment of Hardly Focused: What does one form...

With the various fests and showcases underway, Acc and Jack have a lot of gaming news to cover! Alien Isolation 2 exists, Cuphead is getting TWO sequels, and one of the best Zelda entries is getting a full-blown remake. Which game will excite Acc to finally use his Switch 2? Will Jack ever make a dent in his backlog? Also discussed in this episode of The Acc and Jack Show: Acc recounts a stinky ex...

To what lengths should one go to recover their incredibly expensive LEGO collection? Jack and Nicole dive head-first into the Bricks and Minifigs saga. While more information has come out since their discussion, there's a lot to unpack - theft, arrests, lawsuits, and a hilarious response from Patreon's CEO. Also, Jack and Nicole discuss the catastrophe that is Great American State Fair. As of reco...

For worse or for worse, the artificial intelligence takeover continues! Jack and Nate discuss a company that's experimenting with AI-powered radio stations, complete with digital on-air presenters. Nobody can make a horrific natural disaster sound jubilant like a computerized DJ! Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: Sick man Jack recaps this podcast's recent surge in social media vide...

It's a sad day in America, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert approaches the end of the world. Jack shares for Mike and Becky his thoughts about the program and franchise, as well as its penultimate episode. Becky and Jack also recap their visit to the Ed Sullivan Theater last year to attend a taping of show. Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: "Homerpalooza" - arguably one of the...

It's a Nintendo-heavy installment of Hardly Focused! In one corner, Becky is deep into collecting Pokémon cards, while learning from Jack the ins and outs of the franchise. In the other corner, Nate and Jack are cautiously optimistic about the newly-announced Star Fox game on Switch 2. How many times can a single game be reimagined? Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: Nate is indulgi...

"I think my frontal lobe finally developed." That's the realization Jack finally has while regaling to Acc his fourth-ever play through of Portal 2. As a personal rule, Jack only plays Portal 2 once every five years, but this most recent jaunt was much faster than he was anticipating. Is this what getting old feels like? Also discussed in this episode of The Acc and Jack Show: The Pitt's second se...

It's the tail-end of tax season in the United States, with the deadline to file having already passed. Jack shares for Zach and Becky a list of things Americans are most likely to spend their tax refund on. That's IF they receive a refund; Uncle Sam isn't making it easy this year! Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: Zach shares his trip to California, and surprises Becky with a big l...

Believe it or not, there are actually some "old man yells at cloud" opinions out there that today's generation agrees with. Jack, Mike, and Nate go through the list of annoyances folks of all ages can align on. Surprisingly, "listening to Hardly Focused at full volume in public" is not on it - and probably not recommended. Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: Michael J. Fox is not dea...