346! Hating the Player

When was the last time you felt destabilized in a safe environment? This week, Joey and Jess talk about dad jokes, child entertainment strategies, comedy, silliness support, two-legged stools, and butt pats. They don’t talk about Sô Yamamura. references Sure looks strange to me. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology: How fathers and mothers make their children laugh: Associations with the security of parent-child attachment relationships by Sabrina Schmiedel, Jean-François Bureau, Jessica Turgeon, Audrey-Ann Deneault, and Ariane J. Gauthier Benign violation theory NPR: Bowen Yang invited Tina Fey onto his podcast. He's still dwelling on what she said The Giggles Are Coming by Christopher Eliopoulos Tactile Communication, Cooperation, and Performance: An Ethological Study of the NBA by Michael W. Kraus, Cassy Huang, and Dacher Keltner Steve Nash – high fives, fist bumps, and pats on the backside 

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 

Why do we keep using short-form video? This week, Joey and Jess talk about dopamine culture, friction, flow state, floating, smoking, and green juice. They don’t talk about cannolis. references American Psychological Association: Feeds, Feelings, and Focus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Cognitive and Mental Health Correlates of Short-Form Video Use Designing Friction Bad UX World Cup The Perfect Date Picker Soy Boy Face / Soyjak Canelé