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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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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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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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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• "Drogba (Joanna)", where Afro B wonders why Joanna is playing him like Didier Drogba, the superstar soccer/football player and mega-icon from Afro B's home country, Côte d'Ivoire.
• Aaron in Quartz: We need antiheroes in the boardroom to spark progress in the workplace
• Psychology Today: What Is Loss Aversion?
• Forbes: How Diversity And Innovation Drive Great Cultures In The Future Of Work
• McKinsey's report on women in the workplace
• Harper's Bazaar: The Diversity and Inclusion Industry Has Lost Its Way
• Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova

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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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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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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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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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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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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