Today, Amanda and Julia jump into a topic making headlines: billionaires going to space. Are these men really competing with each other, or is the media just assigning and old narrative to a new decade? (It's probably both).  Every billionaire we discuss has a different motivation for space exploration, but what's their responsibility in wealth inequality? Does it make sense to pour so much capital into private space exploration when people on the ground can't afford healthcare? Through the lens of global wealth disparity, Bezos's cowboy rocket ship adventure feels like an affront to those who need help now, unable to wait until we've established Mars colonies and satellite communities.

This week, Amanda and Julia craft a love letter to the city of New York as Julia prepares to move away. They discuss Betty and How To with John Wilson, dissecting the way New York itself functions as an entire character in both series. From the invincible feeling of being a 20-something skateboard chick in NYC to the dry humor of John Wilson's documentation of everything (EVERY. THING.) New York is, they reflect on the gritty, the gruff, and the good-natured people who call New York home. Where else can you get yelled at by the bodega lady two seconds before watching a stranger help someone carry a stroller up the subway stairs?

In this episode, Amanda and Julia use the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to engage in content they both enjoy: Amanda's love for international sports (and the Olympics themselves) and Julia's love for ancient Greek history. Together, they examine the Olympics from the sports included to the gender disparities between events through the historical lens of what the Olympics were like when they began.

Today, Amanda and Julia discuss the way Americans consume alcohol. Do we drink too much, or is our cyclical binge-abstain relationship with alcohol just dysfunctional? After a quick history lesson, they discuss the most common treatment for alcohol use disorder: Alcoholics Anonymous. Addiction is a mental illness, not a choice or a moral failing, but are we treating addiction the right way? What combination of medication, therapy, and group processing leads American people to a healthier relationship with alcohol? Amanda and Julia break down misinformation, stigma, and misconceptions.

Today, Amanda and Julia interview tarot reader and astrology student Aaron Harris. Aaron covers how he got interested in tarot and magical wellness, as well as how he thinks it overlaps with (and differs from) organized religion. Afterwards, Amanda and Julia share their personal experiences with tarot, psychics, and mysticism. They deep dive into the intersection between nontraditional values and the far right, from Q Anon to Woo-Anon, vaccine hesitancy, and more. Tune in to hear about the ways class, mental health, and power structures affect and inform new age spirituality.

Today, Amanda and Julia unpack the femme fatale.  From the early 40s silver screen to modern media, the cat-like archetype represents male fear of female freedom and power. An independent woman who cares about success, money, and sex (and will do anything she needs to do to get them) with little regard for family, children, or traditional women's roles creeps into an unsuspecting man's life bringing death, destruction, and dark romance. The cultural implication warns:  when women break traditional gender roles and step into power, death and chaos ensue. Why are we so tolerant of men's bad behavior, only to vilify women?

In this episode, Amanda and Julia take a deep look into the way we treat our world-class athletes. What's the next step when mental health concerns are met with fines, angry fans, and league-wide blowback? And how do we mitigate the use of substances for self care that are also flagged by anti-doping agencies? Sports is a profession usually reserved for young people, and the standards we hold them to might be unfair--or impossible--given that their brains are still developing. When mental health is a global issue, it's more important than ever to fight our cultural paradigms and humanize the athletes we know and admire, even if it's at the expense of the sports media industry.

The restaurant industry is back - mostly. In this episode Amanda and Julia discuss their top 5 favorite restaurants and dining experiences. From Oakland to Brooklyn, the restaurants on this list span the country. Amanda and Julia share their opinions on what makes a restaurant special and what makes a particular dining experience stand out. They also take a look at restaurants through the lens of having worked in the industry. And after a year and a half of take-out, what’s it going to take for restaurants to fully bounce back?

Twin films are two movies released in the same year covering very similar, if not the same, topics. While Shiva Baby and Sugar Daddy approach the question of why so many young women opt to use sites like Seeking Arrangements to become sugar babies very differently, the release of both films reveals a cultural preoccupation with youth, money, and sex. Is being a sugar baby considered sex work, or does it merely serve to emphasize the transactional nature of traditional, heteronormative relationships?  Despite age of consent laws in every state, men still seek women who are notably younger than they are, sometimes outside of the realm of legal consent. We expect this from men, but we're surprised when it goes the other way. While we're concerned with protecting young women, our culture also fixates on why women and girls don't report abuse immediately and what they stand to gain from a false accusation.

Climate change is a real and pressing issue that's already affecting us and the world as a whole. In this episode Amanda and Julia ponder the question of whether or not it is ethical to have children despite knowing the dangers of climate change. The carbon footprint of people in developed nations far outweighs the footprint of individuals in developing nations. And developing nations often take the brunt of the negative effects of a changing climate. How should we feel about bringing children into an unstable world and a climate migration crisis that has already begun? At the same time, populations are decreasing globally, with potential dramatic effects on economies and work forces. Then Amanda and Julia break down some of the reasons people are choosing to have less children.