It's Pretty OK

This week, the gang is talking about two hot new companies offering alternatives to the hamburger: Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Beyond makes the first plant-based burger to be sold in the meat section of grocery stores, while Burger King will be serving Impossible Whoppers in all its stores by the end of the year. So naturally, we had to do some taste testing.

MUSIC

"Dylan Thomas" - Better Oblivion Community Center

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Your Questions About Food and Climate Change, Answered (The New York Times)

Plate and the Planet (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NPR’s refusal to use the word bullshit when quoting the president’s response to Robert Mueller’s report sparks a discussion of censorship that touches all the bases: America’s Puritan roots, the PMRC hearings of 1985, Grand Theft Auto 3, the importance of active parenting, and why you should be pro-information.

MUSIC: “APESHIT” - THE CARTERS

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Was the PMRC censorship in disguise? (Stuff You Should Know)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the guys talk about instant replay in sports, Pierce apologizes for a situation with a coworker, and Sean shouts out a GQ article about the iconic garment of country music: the Nudie suit.

MUSIC: “Red Bull & Hennessy” - Jenny Lewis

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The Battle for the Heart of the Great American Nudie Suit (GQ)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang is together, watching the Masters and Chelsea-Liverpool from Pierce’s couch while they talk about hats. Are baseball caps part of the archetypal “American uniform?” Should there be unwritten societal rules about when one can wear a knit winter hat? And of course, are fedoras ever acceptable to wear in public (or in private, for that matter)?

MUSIC: “Old Town Road - Remix (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus)” - Lil Nas X

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

VIRGINIA WON VIRGINIA WON VIRGINIA WON

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of our system, let’s get to this week’s topic: side hustles. What’s the difference between a side hustle and a second job? Are there particular kinds of things that lend themselves well to side hustles? Is there a risk to starting to make money from one of your hobbies? And do you even need to be making money for it to be a side hustle?

MUSIC: “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” - Alex Lahey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Max tells Pierce and Sean about his experience at the PAX East gaming convention in Boston. What goes on at a gaming convention? Who goes? And perhaps most importantly, how does it smell?

Oh, and VIRGINIA IS IN THE FINAL FOUR!

As always, Pierce apologizes. And Sean shouts out Us and a DC-area business for music lovers.

MUSIC: I Got 5 On It” - Luniz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Kevin and the gang are in Richmond discussing the cashless revolution. Why is it happening? Are there other financial priorities that we should be dealing with first? Who’s impacted most by it? And is Philadelphia right to try to put a stop to it?

MUSIC

“The Woodpile” - Frightened Rabbit

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Philadelphia Is First U.S. City to Ban Cashless Stores (Wall Street Journal - paywall)

I'm an American living in Sweden. Here's why I came to embrace the higher taxes. (Vox)

A Celebration Of The Songs Of Scott Hutchison Live at Rough Trade NYC (Soundcloud)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gang takes a rare turn into current events this week to discuss the college admissions scandal that’s gripping the nation. Are these actions surprising because they’re illegal or just a logical (over)extension of parents’ desire for their kids to go to prestigious colleges? How will college athletics programs’ involvement affect real student athletes? And how low do you have to be to fake a disability to get accommodations on the SAT?

MUSIC: “Money in the Way” - 2 Chainz

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The most reprehensible part of the admissions scandal: faking disability accommodations (Vox)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maybe you’ve heard of the full English breakfast. You’ve probably heard of a continental breakfast. And you’ve undoubtedly heard a million different people give a million different answers about what you should eat for breakfast. But what’s an “American breakfast?” And how did we get to the point where people’s thoughts about the morning meal are so all over the place?

MUSIC: “Black Coffee in Bed” - Squeeze

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the guys are digging into the nostalgia surrounding the ‘80s songs you inevitably hear in bars, in movies, on TV, on the radio, and basically everywhere else. Why is Journey the band from the 1980s that has persisted so strongly in our culture, and what might eventually knock them off the pedestal?

MUSIC

“Purple Rain” - Prince

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s (Pitchfork)

The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s (Pitchfork)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.