It's Pretty OK

This week, the discussion turns to haircuts. How do you find a barber you feel comfortable trusting to styling your hair? Do you bring pictures to the barbershop as a guide? And do you want your shop to be more of a hangout spot or a quiet place to get a fresh cut? As always, Pierce apologizes. Sean shouts out a great album from 2018 that he finally caught up on. And one is poured out for David Be...

Max is back, so this week, the gang unpacks the Seinfeld episode “The Limo.” What happens when Jerry and George pretend to be different people in order to catch a limo ride back from the airport? Listen and find out! MUSIC: “Greasy Spoon” - Birdgangs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Max is out, but Kevin tags in to talk about the “player empowerment era.” NBA players are holding more sway than ever before in determining their situations. What set the table for this, and where should the other sports go from here? MUSIC: “Paralysed” - Nilüfer Yanya Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking about CBD. You’ve seen it everywhere, in everything from lattes to lip balms, dog treats to vape cartridges. But is it actually effective, or is it all marketing hype. Come to think of it, what do you actually know about CBD? And what’s keeping you from learning more about it? MUSIC “Cissy Strut” - The Meters ADDITIONAL MATERIAL CBD is everywhere. But is it a scam? (...

We’re firmly planted in tomato sandwich season, but this week, the gang is talking about #vanlife. What possesses certain people to convert passenger vans into roving residences? How does that relate to the “tiny house” trend? And what does the Britpop band Pulp have to do with any of that? MUSIC: “Common People” - Pulp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the guys celebrate the USWNT’s World Cup victory, argue over the value of “doing nothing,” apologize for wardrobe choices, and recommend immersing yourself in history when you get the chance. MUSIC: “Cadaver Sniffing Dog” - The Mountain Goats Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, a recent Slate Money segment sparks a conversation about independent bookstores. How are they managing to compete in the age of Amazon, and when is it maybe a good idea to forgo maximum efficiency and slow things down a bit? MUSIC: “SUN RA” - Jamila Woods ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Slate Money : “The Tweak a Little Harder Edition” ( Slate ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

This week, Sean and Pierce are talking about drafts. No, not first drafts or cold draft beers. These are sports drafts, which are excellent for teams and their fans. But are drafts maybe bad for players? They examine who benefits from the draft system and what could be done as an alternative to empower young players while still preserving the joyful insanity of the NBA offseason. MUSIC: “Fake Empi...

This week, Max’s new transportation habit starts a conversation about the dockless bike/scooter craze. What problem are they trying to solve? Whatever happened to just walking places? Why is Sean such a grumpy old asshole? And who’s that whimpering in the background? (It’s special guest/co-host Harriet the dog, that’s who!) MUSIC: “Scream“ - Stef Chura ( Note : Sean incorrectly identified her labe...

It’s getting to be summertime, so summer reading is the topic. We all seem to enjoy reading and the summer, so what was it about combining the two that caused so much dread for our adolescent selves? MUSIC: “Right Place Wrong Time” - Dr. John / “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” - Geto Boys Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the discussion turns to perhaps Max’s favorite activity of any given week: bar trivia. Why is it such a ubiquitous way for young folks to spend their time? And is Pierce too competitive for it to be fun? MUSIC: “Old Man” - Stella Donnelly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking about movie theater etiquette. Why does it seem like it’s getting worse? MUSIC: “Capacity” - Charly Bliss Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Game of Thrones has finally reached its much-anticipated end, but we talked about the show last week, so we’re not going to do that again. Instead, we’re talking endings…namely, why we’re so invested in them. MUSIC: “Harmony Hall” - Vampire Weekend Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's only one episode left of Game of Thrones, but it's possible you missed that in the storm of criticism about the way that the eighth season has unfolded. This week, the gang digs into that criticism, the fan-theory economy, whether showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss deserve the flak they're getting, and whether this phenomenon is amplified by Game of Thrones's unique circumstances (FI...

This week, the gang is talking about two hot new companies offering alternatives to the hamburger: Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Beyond makes the first plant-based burger to be sold in the meat section of grocery stores, while Burger King will be serving Impossible Whoppers in all its stores by the end of the year. So naturally, we had to do some taste testing. MUSIC "Dylan Thomas" - Better Ob...

NPR’s refusal to use the word bullshit when quoting the president’s response to Robert Mueller’s report sparks a discussion of censorship that touches all the bases: America’s Puritan roots, the PMRC hearings of 1985 , Grand Theft Auto 3 , the importance of active parenting, and why you should be pro-information. MUSIC: “APESHIT” - THE CARTERS ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Was the PMRC censorship in disgui...

This week, the guys talk about instant replay in sports, Pierce apologizes for a situation with a coworker, and Sean shouts out a GQ article about the iconic garment of country music: the Nudie suit. MUSIC: “Red Bull & Hennessy” - Jenny Lewis ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The Battle for the Heart of the Great American Nudie Suit ( GQ ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is together, watching the Masters and Chelsea-Liverpool from Pierce’s couch while they talk about hats. Are baseball caps part of the archetypal “American uniform?” Should there be unwritten societal rules about when one can wear a knit winter hat? And of course, are fedoras ever acceptable to wear in public (or in private, for that matter)? MUSIC: “Old Town Road - Remix (feat....

VIRGINIA WON VIRGINIA WON VIRGINIA WON Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of our system, let’s get to this week’s topic: side hustles. What’s the difference between a side hustle and a second job? Are there particular kinds of things that lend themselves well to side hustles? Is there a risk to starting to make money from one of your hobbies? And do you even need to be making money for it to be...

This week, Max tells Pierce and Sean about his experience at the PAX East gaming convention in Boston. What goes on at a gaming convention? Who goes? And perhaps most importantly, how does it smell ? Oh, and VIRGINIA IS IN THE FINAL FOUR! As always, Pierce apologizes. And Sean shouts out Us and a DC-area business for music lovers. MUSIC: I Got 5 On It” - Luniz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

This week, Kevin and the gang are in Richmond discussing the cashless revolution. Why is it happening? Are there other financial priorities that we should be dealing with first? Who’s impacted most by it? And is Philadelphia right to try to put a stop to it? MUSIC “The Woodpile” - Frightened Rabbit ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Philadelphia Is First U.S. City to Ban Cashless Stores ( Wall Street Journal - p...

The gang takes a rare turn into current events this week to discuss the college admissions scandal that’s gripping the nation. Are these actions surprising because they’re illegal or just a logical (over)extension of parents’ desire for their kids to go to prestigious colleges? How will college athletics programs’ involvement affect real student athletes? And how low do you have to be to fake a di...

Maybe you’ve heard of the full English breakfast. You’ve probably heard of a continental breakfast. And you’ve undoubtedly heard a million different people give a million different answers about what you should eat for breakfast. But what’s an “American breakfast?” And how did we get to the point where people’s thoughts about the morning meal are so all over the place? MUSIC: “Black Coffee in Bed”...

This week, the guys are digging into the nostalgia surrounding the ‘80s songs you inevitably hear in bars, in movies, on TV, on the radio, and basically everywhere else. Why is Journey the band from the 1980s that has persisted so strongly in our culture, and what might eventually knock them off the pedestal? MUSIC “Purple Rain” - Prince ADDITIONAL MATERIAL The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s (Pitchf...

This week, the gang is talking about AirPods. Are they functional? What about practical? And does buying them make you part of a cult? MUSIC: “Breathless on DVD” - Antarctigo Vespucci ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Do AirPods Make You Look Rich? These Millennials Think So ( Wall Street Journal - paywalled) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.