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
• Mary Lou Retton
• Battlestar Galactica Board Game
• Flavor Flav

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
• Deutsche Welle: Back to basics: Sweden aims to de-digitalize youth
• Taqi ad-Din Muhammad ibn Ma'ruf
• Did a turkish man invent a steam engine 200 years before the industrial revolution and only made it to spin doner kebab?

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: Why an A.I. Video of Tom Cruise Battling Brad Pitt Spooked Hollywood
• Kenny G
• God of War: Sons of Sparta

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 Birdman's name.

references

• California Privacy Protection Agency
• Remarkable Tablet

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 Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
• Critical Nonsense Bookclub
• LitRPG
• R. A. Salvatore
• 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.

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
• Food & Wine: Morton vs. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: What’s the Difference?
• Solid Wiggles