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.
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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.
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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.
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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 Birdman's name.
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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.
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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 Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
ACOTAR aka A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
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.
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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 Gelfling.
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Confirmations Department: Yes, Tears for Fears
Food & Wine: Morton vs. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: What’s the Difference?
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.
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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.
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Economic Policy Institute: The CROWN Act
Everyday Feminism: You Call It Professionalism; I Call It Oppression in a Three-Piece Suit
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.
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America's Test Kitchen: How to Make the Absolute Best Eggnog
Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend Podcast: Conan Blames Jason Bateman For His Dad's Death
The New York Times: Gonzo Fans Have Made ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ Into a Global Blockbuster
Bloomberg: OpenAI's Nvidia, AMD Deals Boost $1 Trillion AI Boom With Circular Deals
The Food Lab: How to Roast the Best Potatoes of Your Life (paywall)
What does your Zero Farts Land future look like?
This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about fucks. And farts.
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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.
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Joke Farming: How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense by Elliott Kalan
99% Invisible Podcast Episode 646: Interview with Elliott Kalan
Corrections Department: Les has never ever ever heard, touched, or even seen a copy of Pure Moods and now fears his colleagues do not understand him at all.
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.
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Corrections Department: Camila Cabello "I'll Be Home for [Quizmois]"
Glee's Kevin McHale
Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein
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.
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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.
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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.
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How many other things do we have that we think of as imprecise but are actually pretty precise and agreed upon?
This week, Joey and Jess talk about box plots, New York neighborhood names, Australian colloquialisms, measurement language, baking, and square roots. They don’t talk about The Smiths.
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The New York Times: An Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods
The Journal of Neuroscience: Distinct Contributions of the Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia to Arithmetic Procedures
What if we've become less willing to sacrifice our pawns to take the queen?
This week, Jess and Joey talk about Ezra Klein, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Obama, game theory, defaulting to passion, and nuclear weapons. They don’t talk about David Lightman.
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What's in your notes?
This week, Aaron and Jess talk about internet chalk, bottle lining, the Pantry Challenge, gold bars, word clothes, and golden milk. They don’t talk about Gold Bond powder.
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Paris is Burning trailer
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell