It's Pretty OK

This week, Sean had to go to a mall, which sparks a discussion about the mall’s place in (particularly suburban) society and how both online shopping and the coronavirus have upset the apple cart. MUSIC: “Rearview” - Beach Bunny Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It sure seems like pickup trucks are getting bigger . So the gang talks about the gigantic automobiles and what leads people to buy them. MUSIC: “Clean Kill” - Coriky ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The Minimalist Schedule: Pac-12 Edition (Banner Society) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the news that seemingly half of the Miami Marlins organization has contracted the coronavirus and the team voted to still play – not to mention probably the most infamous order of hot wings in NBA history – has the gang talking about the return of sports. Big surprise: Sean turns into an angry curmudgeon. MUSIC: “Wedding Singer” - Modern Baseball Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

This week, the gang is talking about a Slate Money podcast episode that touches on Robinhood the “app that’s gamifying the stock market.” Is this maybe somehow a replacement for sports gambling during the pandemic? Or is it part of a broader trend? Pierce apologizes as usual, and Max closes the show with a TV recommendation. MUSIC: “Be Afraid” - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Q...

This week, the gang talks about the wasteland that is social media in the age of COVID-19…or maybe just in the age of social media. What purpose does it serve while we’re all (theoretically) inside keeping ourselves and other safe? And would we maybe all just be better off if we logged out for a while – or forever? MUSIC: “Local Radio” - Bad Moves ADDITIONAL MATERIAL The End of the Road: BackStory...

This week, a video showcasing an alternate approach to multiplying sparks a long conversation about whether we spend too much time in elementary school on long division and “big multiplication.” Oh, and Sean gets real upset about efficiency. MUSIC: “Kyoto” - Phoebe Bridgers ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Russian Multiplication: A Different Way to Multiply (kottke.org) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

This week, the gang talks about the war between the blue bubbles and the green bubbles. Why is there iPhone vs. Android/Mac vs. PC tribalism? Or is that whole idea maybe a little overblown? MUSIC: “Radiation Vibe” - Kay Hanley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking about what happens when things go back to “normal” after the coronavirus pandemic. Will you feel comfortable going back to work or school? And what happens to the “open office plan,” which is built around removing barriers between coworkers and fostering in-person communication? MUSIC: “Describe” - Perfume Genius Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

This week, with the Fourth of July holiday approaching, the gang is talking about something you might find yourself enjoying with friends and family: the hot dog. How do you prefer your hot dogs? What about other sausage-type things? And what makes the hot dog the most quintessentially American food to ever exist? MUSIC: “4th of July, Philadelphia (SANDY)” - Cymbals Eat Guitars Hosted on Acast. Se...

This week, the gang is back to discuss book clubs. What is it that brings people together to talk about things that they’ve read? And why do you maybe not want to have a book club with your closest friends? MUSIC: “Hyper Enough” - Superchunk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is not Ep. 226. George Floyd, like so many other Black people before him, was killed by a police officer, and that’s just more important than whatever four privileged white guys who live on the Eastern seaboard have to say about beer or sports or whatever it is we would have talked about. Instead, we’ve been compiling a list of resources for those of you who want to support, or just to take s...

The holiday weekend has the gang talking about pyrotechnics – specifically, fireworks. Why are they seemingly such an integral part of childhood (depending on where you grew up)? And is there anywhere better to get them than South Carolina? (No, there isn’t.) MUSIC: “Let There Be Rock” - Drive-By Truckers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking about beer again – specifically, the trend of craft breweries producing low-calorie, low-alcohol beers. Where did this new breed of beers come from? How are they different from, say, Michelob Ultra? And why does so much of the marketing involve runners? MUSIC: “Listening” - Ratboys Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking about passing the time during a global pandemic that’s got everyone stranded inside. How do you choose something to read/watch/play/do during this time – and how is that different from how you’d be doing it under normal circumstances? MUSIC: “Fire” - Waxahatchee ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The 50 Best Contemporary Novels Over 500 Pages (Literary Hub) Hosted on Acast. See ac...

This week, an article in Wired has inspired some strong reactions, so obviously the gang is going to talk about that article and how we think about productivity during the Great Quarantine™️. MUSIC: “Morbid Stuff” - PUP ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Productivity is Not Working (Wired) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Pierce has sent his beloved coffee grinder for repairs, so the gang talks tinkering. What’s changed since the era of working on your car in the garage? And are there things you can fix yourself that you don’t even realize? MUSIC: “Learn to Fly” - Foo Fighters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking about “funemployment,” that time between when you leave one job and when you start another. Or is it time after you graduate from college when you don’t really care about whether or not you have a job yet? They discuss what the term means and why people get so excited for a time without a job. MUSIC: “Angel from Montgomery” - John Prine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

This week, as the quarantine continues, Sean has a new activity: scrolling through a near-infinite feed of TikTok videos: cute animals, dumb pranks, and something called “social media challenges”? That’s what the gang is talking about this week. MUSIC: No music, just audio from TikTok videos Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the quarantine is maybe starting to get to the gang, so they talk about how lots of new people are joining Pierce in the bread-making game…and naming their sourdough starters, houseplants, and other things. MUSIC: “All Kinds of Time” - Fountains of Wayne Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as the quarantine continues, the gang talks about one of the ways that Kevin and Max (and a whole bunch of other people) are occupying themselves during the era of social distancing – Animal Crossing: New Horizons . How did we get here? And what TV show is the game most like? MUSIC: “It’s a Trip!” - Joywave Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as states around the country order the close of non-essential businesses, the gang talks about what makes a business “essential” – and why that’s not necessarily the same in every state. MUSIC: “The Steps” - Haim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is the first of many quarantine pods, and the gang is talking about a way that people can maintain their connections even during periods of enforced isolation: the virtual happy hour. MUSIC: “Expectations” - Katie Pruitt ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The Linkstravaganza on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Okay, so I know we’re not a current events podcast. But the coronavirus has taken over basically everything, so why not lean in? This week, the gang discusses the impact that the pandemic is going to have on sports. What are games played in fanless stadiums going to be like? And how many times can Sean go back and forth about whether or not he’s intrigued by them? MUSIC: “Television” – Shagwüf Hos...

This week, a Vox article based on an essay in The Cut gets the gang talking about carrying stuff around. What do you put in a tote bag? And is a tote bag ever more than just a tote bag? MUSIC: “Scream” - Loucey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang talks bowling. With things like bougie-fied workwear, axe-throwing, etc., is bowling missing out on its revival moment? Or, as is so often the case, are we the problem? MUSIC: “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” - Kenny Rogers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.