152! Hitting the Breaks and Hanukkah Retail

How do we take a break? And why is the average American retailer so bad at Hanukkah? [26:29]

This week, Joey, Jess and Aaron talk about the feeling of wasted opportunity, the down-shift, accounting for transitional time, Hanukkah ignorance, the secularization of holidays, and uniquely designed menorahs. They don’t talk about HAIM and/or Adam Sandler.

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150! Dads and Holding Companies Accountable

What do we want from a dad? And how should companies be held accountable? [44:37]

This week, special guest Chandler Saunders joins Joey and Jess to talk about paternity leave, movie dads, inputs and outputs, legal backlash, collateral consequences, and unchecked systems. Sadly, they don’t talk about Sade.

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149! Release the Gift Pressure Valve

What is a celebration without gifts?

This week, Aaron, Jess, and Joey talk about ongoing gift lists, gift paralysis, better wish lists, the curiosity of good gift-giving, "leaving room," and The Instant Present. They don’t talk about the sweet stamp suite available at USPS right now: Star Wars? Mon Stars?

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148! The Digital Vigilante Tax and The Privilege of Mediocrity

When it comes to digital vigilanteism, what ultimate wages will we have to pay? And how do you feel about mediocrity? [25:37]

This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about rousing public attention, the celebrity amplification effect, the undercurrent of distrust in justice, the fear of being medium, a refrain of the Impressionist problem, and wrestling with workism. They don’t talk about what are party pants.

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147! "Spooky Season" and Halloween Costumes

How come we're now calling this time of year "Spooky Season"? And what makes a Halloween costume special? [29:44]

This week, special guest and SYLVAIN Halloween expert Xahra Gilbert joins Joey and Jess to talk about candy corn, Cuffing Season, Fill-in-the-Blank Season, Halloween costumes, recognizability vs. the exclusive club of getting it, and facial contouring. Thankfully, they don’t talk about Korn.

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146! Relinquishing Power Redux

How do we teach each other how to relinquish our power?

This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess return to topic of relinquishing power from Critical Nonsense Episode 124 and talk about DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), loss aversion vs. creation, collective amplification, looking beyond recruiting, allyship, and collaboration. They don’t talk about Aaron's dentist.

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145! Feelings About Institutions and Baby Names

What does it say about us that we have this love/hate relationships with institutions but never want to follow through disrupting them? And how do we all figure out the same rules for naming things at the exact same time? [29:29]

This week, Jess and Aaron talk about Ozy, sparkling water, astrophysics, the current rules of naming, creating and erasing tethers, and Black names. They don’t talk about what baby names nerf herders prefer.

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144! Being All-In and the Future of Cities

Why do we need to be 100% in on everything? And what do you want the future of cities to be? [22:19]

This week, Joey and Jess talk about social media likes, consumed-content as identity, Ryan Reynolds, urban density, crisis-inspired city experimentation, and Retrofuturism. They don’t talk about how much more Michael likes semifreddos than he does whole Fredos.

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143! The Replication Crisis and Childhood Obsessions

How should we be viewing research in a world where social scientists are going through a replication crisis? And what do our childhood favorites reveal about us today as adults? [32:57]

This week, Joey and Aaron talk about evaluating research, truthiness, Game of Thrones, intense interest, dinosaurs, and persistent preferences. They don’t talk about Diplo.

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142! Etiquette and Holiday Decorating

Do we even need etiquette anymore? And what are the rules around decorating for the holidays? [28:25]

This week, special guest Hannah Jegart joins Jess and Joey to talk about conscientiousness vs. responsibility, policing behavior, who makes the rules, wreaths, self-designated holidays, and decorating indoors. They talk a lot about soup, but they don’t talk about what's wrong with the soup!

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141! Looking Back at Yourself and Neuroprints

How do you check in on your journey? And is the external presentation of our processing a photo negative of our neuroprint? [27:30]

This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about the naiveté of youth, old journals, showing grace toward yourself, Artificial Intelligence, people as patterns, and neuroscience. They don’t talk about whether the late U.S. Army Brigadier General John Thompson had a sister or cousin or close friend named Tammy, and why in the wacky Critical Nonsense universe a gun might be named after her instead of him.

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140! Boundaries and the Creator Economy's Impact

Can we talk about boundaries? And what is the solo-creator economy doing to us? [27:42]

This week, Joey, Aaron, and Jess talk about the limits of the entrepreneurial mindset, yo-yo thinking, figuring out and articulating your needs, influencers, the mirage of individualism, and the myth of meritocracy. They don’t talk about the next great cicada influencer, Lil Brood X.

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139! Teenage Girl Power and Sharing Names

Why do we have such a tough time trusting the teenage girl's opinion? And why do we have to go to extremes around differentiating between people with the same name? [27:33]

This week, Cutie Corner returns! Special guests Nora "Not No-No" Mestrich and Ash "Jean" Casper join Jess "Jessie" Vander to talk about One Direction, the power of teenage girls and their feelings, shared commonality, nicknames, the SYLVAIN Katie/Cate Conundrum, and the flexibility of middle names. They don’t talk about *bleep*, *bleep* or mother*bleeping* *bleep*.

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138! The Politics of Hello and Changing Faces

What are the hidden politics of Hello? And what are the faces that we've lost in COVID? [24:24]

This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about hollow statements, emotional synchronization, bro energy, putting on faces, responsibilities and expectations, and monogamy. They don’t talk about how pineapples come from shrubs, not trees.

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137! Competition and Life Lessons

What is the state of competition in our culture today? And what are some life lessons that everybody needs to know? [29:18]

This week, Joey, Jess, and Aaron talk about sports as allegory, the shifting restaurant review scale, Sha'carri Richardson, casual wedding attire, packing extra underwear, and pit stains. They don’t talk about Earthships.

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136! Falling for New Things and Our Communities

Why do people fall in love with new things in their 30s? And what communities are you a part of? [19:53]

This week, special guest Hannah Jegart, Joey, and Jess talk about Regina-George-ing on MacroBars, playing the recorder, syncing up having babies, the ritual head nod of community, fellowship, and getting invited to a stranger's seder table. They don’t talk about how sorry we are for breaking the uke-transition-tradition. doo-doo-doo-doooo... doo-doo-doo-doooooo... doot. There.

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135! The Fresh Blerds of Bel-Air and Perpetual Cringe

Who was Carlton Banks foolin'? And why does "cringe" never go away? [32:07]

This week, Aaron, Joey and Jess talk about sitcom pilots, the multitudes of Blackness, blerds, the cringe and shame parfait, lacking valuable perspective, and ... body chocolate? They don’t talk about Berhana and his clever, non-cringy ode to Janet Hubert.

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134! The Story of Us and Fringe Theory

How do we decide who gets to craft the story of us? And what is the weirdest fringe thing that you have personally encountered? [36:54]

This week, special guest Osei Kwakye joins Joey and Jess to talk about The 1619 Project, cultural literacy, the Cold War and civil rights, experimental archeology, meat glue, and the counter-fringe. Sadly, they don’t talk about Bronies.

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133! Organizational Purpose and Phsychedelic Healing

What might change if companies freaked out about their employees' transgressions against them before they went public? And why are we still missing the point with psychedelics? [34:49]

This week, special guest Meron Medhanie joins Joey and Jess to talk about internal activism and accountability, nap pods, organizational sensory systems, the therapeutic aspects of psychedelics, Western and pop culture perceptions of drugs, and recreation vs. treatment. They don’t talk about A$AP Rocky.

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