Critical Nonsense

What is the best way for you to use the hours of the day?  This week, Jess and Aaron talk about sleepiness, international travel, school start times, physical harmony, empathy, and small talk. They don’t talk about kākāpōs.  references  The New York Times: What’s Your Sleep Type?   Morningness-Eveningness Questionaire [PDF]   BBC: The forgotten medieval habit of 'two sleeps'   Timeshifter jet lag...

How are you using your relationships to discover yourself?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about the Johari Window, observation, employee reviews, dudes not knowing about dudes, blind spots, and centipedes. They don’t talk about Professor Joseph Harrington at Wharton.  references  Johari Window   Human Relations Training News: 1961 published article on Johari Window  

What is the best use of writing?  This week, Jess, Joey, and Aaron talk about organizing mental chaos, description, recall, process vs. idea, songwriters, and formal logic.  references  Billie Eilish on Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend   Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis   Explosions in the Sky The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place   Go With Elmo Lovano: Why Linda Perry Gave ‘Beautiful’ to Christina Aguilera   The...

How do you identify with your instincts?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about storking, gut instincts, the Ship of Theseus, entity, background signal processing, and birds. They don’t talk about Uptown Girls .  references  The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes  Six Thinking Hats   Ship of Theseus   Haggis  

What are you looking forward to during the new summer of Silliness?  This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about Scary Movie 6, Street Fighter, existential dread, edge lords, Dave Chappelle, and 702. They don’t talk about NASCAR.  references  Hey Dude   Scary Movie 6   Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood   Charo   Street Fighter   Norm Macdonald in Back From He...

What happens when something you liked becomes Important?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about "Mr. Brightside", Nirvana, Adam Duritz, Owl City, and ennui. They don’t talk about  Keisha Cole .  references  Glorious Indie Rock and Roll   "God Only Knows"   "Mr. Brightside"   Grantland:  "The Loneliness of the Alt-Rock Anniversary"   Apple Insider:  Apple's iOS 7 sounds crafted by Owl City creator Ad...

What happens if the Internet dies?  This week, Joey, Jess, and Aaron talk about One Internet, Poob, attribution, destinations, AI Porn, and knowlege creation. They don’t talk about  Fela Kuti .  references  Dead Internet theory   "You can watch it on Poob."   The New York Times:  Anthropic’s Restraint Is a Terrifying Warning Sign   District 9   Great Firewall   What Is a Splinternet? And Why You S...

When was the last time you felt destabilized in a safe environment?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about dad jokes, child entertainment strategies, comedy, silliness support, two-legged stools, and butt pats. They don’t talk about  Sô Yamamura .  references  Sure looks strange to me.   Journal of Experimental Child Psychology:  How fathers and mothers make their children laugh: Associations with t...

When is it okay to hate the player, not the game?  This week, Jess and Aaron talk about The Traitors, Chevy Chase, Kobe Bryant, villainy, Timothée Chalamet, and Omarosa vs. New York. They don’t talk about the late, the great, The Diabolical  Biz Markie .  references  Wagon Wheel Watusi   The Traitors   I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not   Kobe Bryant   Omarosa  vs.  New York   The Original HBIMFC   Ma...

How should we learn beyond school?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about framing work as learning, human observation, vocational training, osmotic learning, pen and paper, and the wheel. They don’t talk about  Simple Machines Records .  references  You're only 16, Joey, you don't have a rep yet.   Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath on How Screen Time Hurts Kids' Cognitive Development   Osmosis Jones   Deutsc...

What fictional characters should we be shipping today?  This week, Aaron and Jess talk about soap, fan fiction, Back to the Future, ensemble shows, reading the book vs. seeing the movie, and reimagined universes. They don’t talk about  Such Great Heights .  references  Spirk   The Traitors   Who Framed Roger Rabbit   Kate McKinnon Gets Weird While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones   The New York Times...

Who can I say "I love you" to?  This week, Jess and Joey talk about expressions of love, social and gender dynamics, rejection, promiscuous love giving, monoliths, and Bad Bunny. They don’t talk about the  Pixies  or  Deee-Lite .  references  Eight Types of Love in Greek Philosophy   Taj Mahal  

What's to come in 2026?  This week, Wild Prognostications returns! Jess, Aaron, and Joey make their predictions for the new year, discussing privacy as luxury [3:28], the romance resurgence [4:28], Avengers Doomsday flopping [13:29], paper as a smart signal [16:35], bird pets [18:31], medical research breakthroughs [24:51], and an existential AI employment crisis [27:42]. They don't put respect on...

What you doing and what you sharing?  This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about battle rap, knitting, crochet, LitRPG, world building, and not finishing. They don’t talk about Fraggle Rock.  references  Dungeon Crawler Carl  by Matt Dinniman  Another Dimension of Us  by Mike Albo  Pretty Pretty Boys  from  The Hazard and Somerset Mysteries  by Gregory Ashe  The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virt...

When is the right time to actually?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about corrections, status, intent, virtue, asymmetric information, and confidence intervals. They don’t talk about Thomas Brodie-Sangster.  references  Bear Grylls   Patroclus  

How far would you be willing to go to experiment with your health?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about peptides, biohacking, Silicon Valley libertarian culture, Bryan Johnson, exercise, and salt. They don’t talk about The Gelflings.  references  Confirmations Department:  Yes, Tears for Fears   Vectorculture: Not For Human Consumption   Peptide   Mounjaro   Wired:  Bryan Johnson Is Going to Die  ...

Why do we keep using short-form video?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about dopamine culture, friction, flow state, floating, smoking, and green juice. They don’t talk about cannolis.  references  American Psychological Association:  Feeds, Feelings, and Focus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Cognitive and Mental Health Correlates of Short-Form Video Use   Designing Friction  ...

How do you dress for success?  This week, Aaron and Joey talk about fashion plates, professionalism, drag, archetyping, navigating differences, and respect. They don’t talk about Rufio.  references  Fashion plate   Professionalism as a Racial Construct   Economic Policy Institute:  The CROWN Act   Paris is Burning   Underground ball culture   Everyday Feminism:  You Call It Professionalism; I Call...

This week, Aaron, Jess and Joey revisit their 2025 prognogs from  Episode 296 . They talk about the micro social media surge, cynicism, platform madness, informed styling, blockbusters, weaponized compliance, non-apocalyptic runaway AI moments, and our AI overlords. They don’t talk about eggprogs.  references  If I ruled the world ...   People:  Bob Mackie Says 'People Were Horrified' by Cher's 'N...

What does your Zero Farts Land future look like?  This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about fucks. And farts.  references  Empire:  Jamie Lee Curtis Is Done Compromising – And She’s Not Slowing Down   George Wallace  (not  George Wallace )  Kenan Thompson on We Might Be Drunk with Normand and Morril   Janelle James on Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend   The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck  by Mark Ma...

How do you strategy?  This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Elliott Kalan, the School of Let's Figure It Out, emotional distance from work, working in teams, meandering, and strategy that bleeds. They don’t talk about  Jamesy P .  references  Pure Moods   Joke Farming: How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense  by Elliott Kalan  99% Invisible Podcast Episode 646: Interview with Elliott Kalan   Correct...

Why do we expect the worst?  This week, Aaron and Jess talk about simple solutions, Karen moments, assuming malice, Thanos, Falkland's Law, and lemmings. They don’t talk about the famous former power forward for the Boston Celtics or the Hamburger Peddler's rhyming buddy.  references  Corrections Department:  Camila Cabello "I'll Be Home for [Quizmois]"   Glee's  Kevin McHale   Kevin McHale on the...

How has technology made us less sure of ourselves?  This week, Jess and Joey talk about technological change, Christmas cards, scraping, phone numbers, friendships, and FaceTime. They don’t talk about beepers.  references  Ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop   Rolodex   propinquity   Don't lose that number, Jenny   Sternberg’s Triangular Theory and The 8 Types of Love   Mr. Postman   Desiigner "LOD Freestyle"  

Is it better to generalize or to specialize?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about polymaths, running, functional fitness, idea people, curiosity, and Starship Troopers. They don’t talk about dilettantes.  references  Specialization is for insects.   Stardew Valley   Forbes:  Going Pi-Shaped: How To Prepare For The Work Of The Future   129 Ways to Get a Life   Robert A. Heinlein  

Are there actually interesting life innovations that are coming out of the content creation boom?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about homemade pop tarts, learning letters, the power of song, TikTok, mastering movements, and apple dumplings. They don’t talk about  Action Bronson .  references  The recipe is the sooonnggg.   cool.missp:  ABCs Turn Up   EBITDA   What Are Popovers And What Do They Ta...