Critical Nonsense

What is actually worth waiting in line for?  This week, Jess and Joey talk about froyo, pacing, theme parks, the TSA, the corruption of the Lightning Pass, and underwear. They don’t talk about line dancing.  references  Corrections Department: Gerry Rafferty   Plato's Allegory of the Cave  

What should I be affraid of, the robot or the people?  This week, Jess and Joey talk about AI != robots, human extinction, Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, biological weapons, societal collapse, neuroticism, and increased persistence. They don’t talk about happy things.  references  corporeal   AI 2027   AI Expert Tells Bernie: “The Humans will be Discarded”   The AI Researcher Who Just Quit Anth...

What happens when everybody loves something and you don’t?  This week, Joey and Jess talk about sci-fi, curation, Rotten Tomatoes, autobiographical characters, leaving room for surprises, and fame. They don’t talk about Sweet Pickles books.  references  Hyperion by Dan Simmons  The Expanse series   Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke  Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky  Dungeon Crawler Carl by Mat...

Is listening to a book the same thing as reading it? If so, why? And if not, why not?  This week, Jess and Joey talk about audiobooks, purity testing, locked-in mode, ADHD, lectures, and celestial orbs. They don’t talk about Mychal Threats .  references  Reading Rainbow   Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke  Matt Dinniman   Variety: Peacock Gives Series Order to ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ TV Series From S...

How do you know if something's going to be good to eat by looking at it?  This week, Jess and Joey talk about grilling, cheesesteaks, coffee, the burden of knowledge, authenticity, and mangoes. They don’t talk about Drunken shrimp.  references  Air Bud   Smithsonian: Why Did Van Halen Demand Concert Venues Remove Brown M&M’s From the Menu?   NYT Cooking: Bowen Yang Teaches Matt Rogers How to C...

When is there too much branding?  This week, Aaron, Jess, and Joey talk about Arctic Glacier, private equity, Bala Cynwyd, apps, Sonic pellets, and water ice. They don’t talk about Redd Foxx.  references  Zootropolis 2   Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania   How to Make Clear Ice at Home   What Exactly Is Philadelphia's Beloved Water Ice?  

When is a review worthwhile?  This week, Aaron and Joey talk about IGN, reviews as entertainment, trust and authority, tribunals, and RuPaul's Drag Race. They don’t talk NHL '98.  references  Grape Lady   Crimson Desert   MOUSE: P.I. For Hire   saros roguelike   Wikipedia: IGN   IGN Reviews   American's Test Kitchen The Best Non-Stick Skillets (Subscription Req'd)  NPR Podcast: Pop Culture Happy H...

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...