Guest: Rachel

On this historic (and historical) episode of the NoZone Layer, Major’s sister joins the discussion as we take a look at some of the strangest, most unhinged, and otherwise off-kilter monarchs throughout the ages. We explore the antics of such personages as a king who believed himself to be made of glass, to a ruler who stole Winston Churchill’s pocketwatch, to a dictator who had a bad habit of throwing his enemies out of helicopters. And they say it’s no fun being king! Also featured are our own fictional kingdoms and how we would rule them, scary Halloween costumes for adults with real life worries, and what kind of musical playlist would be appropriate for an orgy.

Articles:grunge.com- Kings Who Were Really Weird Peopletoptenz- Top 10 Strangest MonarchsHistory— The Strange Case of Emperor Norton I of the United States Encyclopedia Britannica- Biography of Pinochet

Guest: Jules

I scream, you scream, we all unleash a primeval, bloodcurdling howl of insatiable hunger for… ICE CREAM! Yes, ladies and gents, it’s a sweet treat extravaganza on this here ninth episode of the NZL as we are joined by Willy Wonka intern Jules to delve into the weirdest ice cream flavors around the world, explore the history of the frozen delicacy, and discuss some recent ice-cream-related events (who knew there was such a thing as a crooked ice cream accountant?). Also featured are why we’d be great guests at Xi Jinping’s birthday party, whether or not our fictional ice cream shop would be better than Jeni’s (wha-pow!), and the reveal that Major can actually do a pretty good Peter Griffin impression (but only for like five seconds).

Articles:Mentalfloss- 12 Strange-But-Real Ice Cream FlavorsUSA Today 10Best- The long, strange tale of ice cream in AmericaNYT- 34 Ice Cream Trucks Towed in Midtown ‘Operation Meltdown’ CNN- Xi gets Russian ice cream from 'best and bosom friend' Putin for his birthday

Guest: Ryan (@flyingblindphotos)

It’s a marathon of matrimonial madness as we dive in to all things wedding-related on this eighth episode of the NoZone Layer. We examine unusual weddings around the world, talk over the matrimonial ceremonies of the insanely rich, and swap stories about our own experiences at getting-hitched get-togethers. We also discuss our plans for XTREME BUNGEE JUMPING FUNERALS and discover that Ryan would actually be the most tyrannical wedding planner you could ever imagine.

Articles:Lolwot - 19 Strange And Outrageous Wedding DressesOddee- 9 Most Unusual WeddingsVox- Weddings of the 0.01 Percent Brides- What Millennial Guests Love and Hate Most About Weddings

Plagued by technical difficulties and buffeted on all sides by a howling gale of fans demanding new content, Major hastily cobbles together a "bonus minizone" episode from an old recording he and Gordo did last year. This episode is neither informative nor educational, and will most likely leave you with fewer brain cells than you had before you started. Still, enjoy some silly improv as Gordo tries to get Major to perform the mental gymnastics of working his way through morally questionable scenarios. (We apologize to any gym teachers, Taco Bell aficionados, or scarecrows who might be listening.)

Guest: Conan

After an extended hiatus due to circumstances beyond our control (never going to try to see Eve 6 again), the NoZone Layer returns with a topic that we swore up and down that we were never going to cover: drones. Yes, the one subject that Gordo has been banned from talking about within our friend group is finally broached, and despite Gordo's best efforts to make the discussion as uninformative and unhelpful as possible, our guest's knowledge and expertise surrounding the little flying machines makes this one of the most legitimately educational episodes of the podcast so far. Gross, right? We also discuss the cuteness factor of Ziploc bags, our idea for a drone racing bar, and the permitted ceiling heights of bar mitzvah venues as dictated by the Torah.

Articles:Listverse- 10 Crazy Things Drones Are Being Used For Right NowDroneGuru- 7 Most Exciting Drone Business OpportunitiesThe Telegraph- Pointing the way: how medical drones are saving lives in Africa

Guest: Elena (elenapanyard.com)

On this episode of the No Zone Layer, we realize that we may or may not already be running low on words that rhyme with zone, and therefore come up with a hastily cobbled-together topic that we can pass off as an episode. Yes, it’s the No Postpone Zone, all about the dreaded—and, for many including ourselves, all too familiar—experience of procrastination. We also consider what each of us would be the patron saint of, work on our tongue twister skills, and compose a jingle to help our audience through times of procrastination, all across the nation, no matter your location.

Articles:CareerAddict- Top 10 Most Famous Procrastinators in the WorldBored Panda- 335 Hilarious Posts About Procrastination You Probably Shouldn’t Be Reading Right Nowverywellmind- The Psychology Behind Why We Wait Until the Last Minute to Do Things

Guest: Mo

 

The fifth episode of the NoZone Layer finds us examining exclusive clubs, secret societies, and other unusual/bizarre/niche organizations that allow people to feel like they're not so alone. We also discuss Goofy's married life, smart people named Bill, and our idea for a City Scouts club (complete with cool badges) that teaches young adults how to successfully navigate urban life.

 

Articles:

Thrillist - These Are the Private Clubs We Actually Want to Join

Weirdworm - The World's 10 Most Weirdly Exclusive Clubs

Guest: Adam

 

On this here fourth episode of the NoZone Layer, we get tah talkin’ about This Thing of Ours, see? The Family, the Outfit, the folks who give ya a concrete bath at the bottom of the Hudson/Chicago/preferred river of your choice. Yessirree, bub, it’s the mob. We take a look at some of the families currently in power, talk through popular mob slang, and examine the structure of the mafia through the analogy of a certain chain restaurant venue. We also give each other gangster names and come up with a killer recipe for chicken parmesan.

 

Articles:

The Telegraph- The five New York mafia families

About the Mafia- New York Mafia 2018: Who’s up, who’s down, who’s the strongest

mafiatrickster.tripod.com- Mafia Slang

Buzzfeed- 7 Alarming Facts About How British Hitmen Really Work

ABC 7 Chicago- With top Chicago mob boss dead, Outfit looks for new blood

Guest: Ashley

 

On this episode of the NoZone Layer, we get deep in the zone (sorry) by talking about relationships and sex. The topics we explore include what makes a man “hawt,” the horniest countries in the world, dumb sexting ideas, and how animals like to get it on. Also featured: Gordo trying to explain why cotton candy is the sexiest food there is.

 

Articles:

Huffington Post- 11 Things That Instantly Make a Man Hot

Salon- The 12 most sexually satisfied countries in the world

PairedLife- 100+ Sexting Examples to Turn a Guy On by Text

Bustle- 7 Animal Species With Crazy Sex Lives That Will Make Yours Seem Ultra-Tame

Guest: Eric

 

On our second episode, we discuss all things music and sound. We consider the various practical (or impractical!) applications of sound, why having perfect pitch is like having best friends that NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE (according to one insufferable Redditor), and the current state of mumble rap and other genres of music. We also take our girlfriends to the whiskey farm and create some homemade bass drops.

 

Articles:

Listverse- 10 Crazy Things You Can Do With Sound

Reddit- The truth about perfect pitch (warning: contains insufferable pretension)