It's Pretty OK

This week, Pierce, Kevin and Max talk about the different places that people choose to live. Why do young people flock to urban centers? And when they eventually leave, how do they choose where to go? MUSIC: “The Suburbs” - Arcade Fire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang finally sits down to talk about the Astros sign-stealing scandal (and the Nike Vaporfly/Alphafly shoe controversy). Where is the line where good old-fashioned gamesmanship crosses over into distasteful cheating? Then, as always, Pierce apologizes, and Sean closes the show by saying something about the Miami Heat that turned out not to actually happen (we recorded this one a few...

This week, Kevin joins the show…as a host? Could this be the start of something new and wonderful? Maybe! But first, the gang is discussing an article in The Guardian about weekend loneliness , which everyone on the pod seems to have maybe experienced in some form or fashion. MUSIC: “Piano Man” - Billy Joel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s fitness…but fancier Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking about personality quizzes. Some are serious enough that they get used in the business world, some are silly enough that they tell you what cheese you are, but either way, there’s about a gazillion of them out there. MUSIC: “Personality Crisis” - New York Dolls Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is losing your wallet maybe less consequential than it used to be? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Kevin joins Sean and Pierce to discuss a topic of great import and much seriousness: What makes a good chip? MUSIC: “Seventeen” - Sharon Van Etten Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, a blog post by tech thinker Anil Dash gets the gang talking about closed systems on the internet—ecosystems like Instagram that want to keep you within their own walls instead of letting you bounce around the rest of the web. Who benefits from closed systems? And are we operating within systems that we don’t even realize? MUSIC: “Chatroom” - Charly Bliss ADDITIONAL MATERIAL “Link In Bio...

The gang completes its transition into “a Slate Money meta-pod” this week, digging into the idea of “cloud kitchens”—warehouse kitchens designed to be rented by delivery-only restaurants. Can they have a rational discussion about this new approach to foodservice? Or will it just devolve into Sean being a curmudgeon and complaining about the app-ification of modern life? Better tune in to find out....

Thanksgiving did a number on people’s travel schedules, but never fear, Pierce and Kevin met up to discuss their fascination with crossword puzzles. MUSIC: “Midnight City” - M83 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may recall, way back about 100 episodes ago, that we did a pod on online dating. Two years later, with everyone who was on that podcast now in a relationship (3/4 of which started online!), we thought it would be good to revisit that conversation and see how our perspectives have changed. MUSIC: “Shut Up Kiss Me” - Angel Olsen ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Proverbs for the Modern Dating World (Human Pa...

And pick some new ones to go to Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Sean is buried under a mountain of schoolwork, so Max and Pierce are talking about mountains and forests and other things that you might find in…national parks! MUSIC: “Time We Had” - The Mother Hips Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pierce was recently given a not-insignificant amount of power in society—he was on a jury in a criminal proceeding—so naturally, we had to ask him about it. MUSIC: “Sweaty Lake” - Active Bird Community Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, with it maybe kind of sort of finally starting to think about getting a little bit colder outside, the gang talks about our beloved fall/winter foods. Not PSLs or other fall food fads —we’re talking about comfort food classics. MUSIC: “Not” - Big Thief Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the topic of discussion is TSA PreCheck, that magical system that allows pretty much anyone with $85 and no criminal record to bypass most of the security procedures that “normal people” have to go through at the airport. How can something simultaneously be so great and so terrible? MUSIC: “The Knife” - Maggie Rogers ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The best $80 I ever spent: TSA PreCheck (Vox); TS...

This week, Pierce has a conundrum: The Nationals are on the verge of a World Series appearance…but he’s not that psyched about it because he feels like the organization doesn’t deserve success. So he and Sean talk about “enlightened fandom” and the conundrum of rooting for your team to fail. MUSIC: “Jager Yoga” - CSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the discussion turns to the apps that exist to make our lives easier—and what they do to the way we use our social time. MUSIC: “Teenage Wasteland” - Wussy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the guys are talking about the cult of the tech CEO. Who are these guys, and why are they seemingly so revered in society? MUSIC: “Ronin” / “Remember to Breathe” - Sturgill Simpson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang responds to a Wall Street Journal op-ed about the value of certain college majors. They even did research for this one (although admittedly not enough to look into the author’s college major… philosophy! ), so strap in… MUSIC: “Dancing in the Dark” - Lucy Dacus ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Is Majoring in English Worth It? ( The Wall Street Journal - paywalled) Hosted on Acast. See acas...

Are young people hard of hearing? Because it seems like they’re using subtitles an awful lot these days. That’s what the gang is talking about this week. MUSIC: “Just What I Needed” - The Cars (RIP Ric Ocasek) ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Don’t Be Caged In (It’s Pretty OK) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re in your 20s and you don’t have anything from IKEA, do you even have furniture? This week, the gang talks about why the Swedish giant’s furniture is so ubiquitous, war stories from trying to assemble POANG chairs and various HEMNES products, and how IKEA is like a casino. MUSIC: “If She Ever Leaves Me” - The Highwomen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the Popeyes chicken sandwich to pumpkin spice everything, food fads are the topic this week…except for when Sean basically turns it into a rant about corporate Twitter accounts. He tries to redeem himself at the end by celebrating Megan Greenwell’s outstanding Deadspin exit letter. MUSIC: “Peace Out” - Jay Som ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The Adults In The Room (Deadspin) Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

Sean’s an idiot and forgot to post the pod yesterday, so you had to wait an extra day for our sweet, sweet thoughts on Andrew Luck’s unexpected retirement. Blame him and shame him, then hear what the gang has to say. MUSIC: “Confusion in the Marketplace” - The Hold Steady Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is talking wristwear. Does anyone else under the age of 30 besides Pierce and Sean still wear a plain old time-telling watch? And what’s the allure of smartwatches that are largely an extension of the phones we’re already carrying around in our pockets? MUSIC: “The Joke” - Brandi Carlile Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.