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. references Like Ra-i-ain NYT's DealBook: Balancing Honesty and Optimism in Silicon Valley The New York Times: Let Me Tell You What It Was Like to Work at Ozy Revisiting previous episodes of Critical Nonsense, including Episode 119 on institutions, Episode 103 on Joey wanting to fix things, and Episode 139 on sharing names. The Science of Sameness The Lindy effect A brief history of black names, from Perlie to Latasha Salon: What's up with black names, anyway? Insider: 'Distinctively Black names' still get fewer callbacks for job applications BBC: Does a baby's name affect its chances in life? 

Critical Nonsense

145! Feelings About Institutions and Baby Names

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. references Dudes Posting Their W’s Revisiting Critical Nonsense #121, when we last talked about Tressie McMillan Cottom and thick conversations California passes SB8 to fight the state's housing crisis Answers With Joe: NEOM: City Of The Future or $600 Billion Stunt? More from Joe: How Tall Can We Build? Squamish Nation's Hong Kong-density housing development The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 More about Retrofuturism Critical Nonsense Sound Engineer and Extraordinary Gentleman Alex Contell's Grain documentary CN Ice Cream Division is smitten on Smitten Semifreddo 

144! Being All-In and the Future of Cities

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. references Vox on the replication crisis Maesters? Live Science: Trains, Dolls and Dinosaurs: Why Do Kids Get Obsessed? 

143! The Replication Crisis and Childhood Obsessions

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! references Whatever tomorrow brings, Brandon Boyd will be there. Emily Post Etiquette, a family business since 1922 "Symbology" is indeed a word. Do you remember the ... er ... 25th of December? Boys becoming men, men becoming wolves Where's the Spoon? A-ha! 

142! Etiquette and Holiday Decorating

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. references Get Mortified A Twitter portal into Joey's Brainhole Bot thoughts on the dead The San Francisco Chronicle and Today Explained podcast on Project December and the Jessica Simulation. The Matrix 4: Resurrections trailer The Fibonacci Sequence In case you, too, feel like a bird ... 

141! Looking Back at Yourself and Neuroprints

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. references An Internet Person's Office Neighbor's Door Policy Isaiah Berlin's Positive and Negative Liberty Gary Shteyngart's Super Sad True Love Story Reply All podcast revisits Paris Hilton. You're Wrong About podcast tackles Cancel Culture. Jon Ronson's So You've Been Publicly Shamed The Eye of Sauron Q Score Bella Poarch Ray Vaughn + L.A. Leakers = BARS Keep doing what you do, Mark Rober. 

140! Boundaries and the Creator Economy's Impact

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 , or mother . references NME: Phoebe Bridgers: “Hating The 1975, I feel, is sexist” The non-Nora Mestrich version of "Kyoto" Yes, this is the actual name: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Sesame Place in Pennsylvania (not New Jersey) Apropos of nothing: "Jessie's Girl" 

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*. references NME: Phoebe Bridgers: “Hating The 1975, I feel, is sexist” The non-Nora Mestrich version of "Kyoto" Yes, this is the actual name: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Sesame Place in Pennsylvania (not New Jersey) Apropos of nothing: "Jessie's Girl" 

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. references Critical Nonsense on YouTube "Picture it ..." A Beginner's Guide to Bro-Speak The New Yorker: An Epic Takedown of Élite Brospeak Washington Post: The strange and lonely transformation of first-time mothers in the pandemic The Atlantic: Becoming a parent during the pandemic was the hardest thing I’ve ever done Esther Perel talks about monogamy and rethinking infidelity The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Freedoms in Sex and Love by Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton Rolling Stone: ‘The Ethical Slut’: Inside America’s Growing Acceptance of Polyamory NYT Opinion (video): 'Normal' Was Not Working For Everyone — And We're Dreading Its Return 

138! The Politics of Hello and Changing Faces

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. references The most important thing to know about peachicks Jesse Owens at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 Diarrhea at the Slip-N-Slide: "The network is washing its hands of this." Sha'carri vs. Jamaica Gold Chuck Klosterman: But What If We're Wrong? Tom Daley and Matty Lee: "We are Olympic champions!" 

137! Competition and Life Lessons

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. references New Scientist: "The 7 Primes of Life" Adam Curtis documentaries: check out this one or this one, says Hannah The Atlantic: "Why Millennial Leftists Have Made a BBC Filmmaker a Cult Hero" In you care for a refresh on Dunbar's Number Theory "YOUR RECORDER COMMUNITY" 

136! Falling for New Things and Our Communities

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. references Whatchu talkin' about, Willis? Spinning an Olympic yarn The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion "Will ... you ... marry ... m—" What makes one a blerd? Three Black Haflings, a blerdy D&D podcast The Infamous Carlton Dance "Cringe" according to Urban Dictionary "Hardos" according to Urban Dictionary I wish that I knew what I know now, but also, who wants to know? By the way, never underestimate the greatness of OG Aunt Viv 

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

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. references The New York Times: The 1619 Project The Atlantic on the late Professor E.D. Hirsch Jr. and cultural literacy Dorothea Lange’s famous Depression-era photo "Migrant Mother" Fox's Fringe Taras Grescoe's Easter Island statue tweet More than you ever wanted to know about meat glue 

134! The Story of Us and Fringe Theory

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. references Our latest off-white paper: Encoding Organizational Purpose The Daily podcast on Julia Bond protesting Adidas, her own employer Newsweek: Twitter Thread About Acid Trip Sparks Internet Backlash Timothy Leary and Ram Dass Netflix's The Mind, Explained What specific "acid" is in acid? Psychonauts Frozen grapes are actually little healthy popsicle balls, and they taste exactly like whatever heaven is supposed to taste like. 

133! Organizational Purpose and Phsychedelic Healing

High-low brow conversations about culture, science, and tech. With hosts Joey Camire, Aaron Powers, and executive producer/nerd herder Jess Vander.