Why don’t more bars serve beer in pitchers? How do you pick a song for karaoke? What does the word “home” mean to you?
Those questions range from silly to serious, but if you’ve ever pondered the answers to all three in a single day, you’re not alone. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, crack a 40, or anything in between, and join the gang here at It’s Pretty OK as we attempt to answer these questions and many more. We promise it won’t be boring.
Hosted by Pierce Bishop, Max Handler, Kevin Linger and Sean McGoey, and (very loosely) produced/edited/mixed by Sean McGoey. Logo design by Jack Costello.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, a video showcasing an alternate approach to multiplying sparks a long conversation about whether we spend too much time in elementary school on long division and “big multiplication.” Oh, and Sean gets real upset about efficiency. MUSIC: “Kyoto” - Phoebe Bridgers ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Russian Multiplication: A Different Way to Multiply (kottke.org) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, the gang talks about the war between the blue bubbles and the green bubbles. Why is there iPhone vs. Android/Mac vs. PC tribalism? Or is that whole idea maybe a little overblown? MUSIC: “Radiation Vibe” - Kay Hanley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, the gang is talking about what happens when things go back to “normal” after the coronavirus pandemic. Will you feel comfortable going back to work or school? And what happens to the “open office plan,” which is built around removing barriers between coworkers and fostering in-person communication? MUSIC: “Describe” - Perfume Genius Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, with the Fourth of July holiday approaching, the gang is talking about something you might find yourself enjoying with friends and family: the hot dog. How do you prefer your hot dogs? What about other sausage-type things? And what makes the hot dog the most quintessentially American food to ever exist? MUSIC: “4th of July, Philadelphia (SANDY)” - Cymbals Eat Guitars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, the gang is back to discuss book clubs. What is it that brings people together to talk about things that they’ve read? And why do you maybe not want to have a book club with your closest friends? MUSIC: “Hyper Enough” - Superchunk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is not Ep. 226. George Floyd, like so many other Black people before him, was killed by a police officer, and that’s just more important than whatever four privileged white guys who live on the Eastern seaboard have to say about beer or sports or whatever it is we would have talked about. Instead, we’ve been compiling a list of resources for those of you who want to support, or just to take some time to learn more about an experience that’s not your own. You can find that here . Hosted on A...
The holiday weekend has the gang talking about pyrotechnics – specifically, fireworks. Why are they seemingly such an integral part of childhood (depending on where you grew up)? And is there anywhere better to get them than South Carolina? (No, there isn’t.) MUSIC: “Let There Be Rock” - Drive-By Truckers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, the gang is talking about beer again – specifically, the trend of craft breweries producing low-calorie, low-alcohol beers. Where did this new breed of beers come from? How are they different from, say, Michelob Ultra? And why does so much of the marketing involve runners? MUSIC: “Listening” - Ratboys Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, the gang is talking about passing the time during a global pandemic that’s got everyone stranded inside. How do you choose something to read/watch/play/do during this time – and how is that different from how you’d be doing it under normal circumstances? MUSIC: “Fire” - Waxahatchee ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The 50 Best Contemporary Novels Over 500 Pages (Literary Hub) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, an article in Wired has inspired some strong reactions, so obviously the gang is going to talk about that article and how we think about productivity during the Great Quarantine™️. MUSIC: “Morbid Stuff” - PUP ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Productivity is Not Working (Wired) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, Pierce has sent his beloved coffee grinder for repairs, so the gang talks tinkering. What’s changed since the era of working on your car in the garage? And are there things you can fix yourself that you don’t even realize? MUSIC: “Learn to Fly” - Foo Fighters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, the gang is talking about “funemployment,” that time between when you leave one job and when you start another. Or is it time after you graduate from college when you don’t really care about whether or not you have a job yet? They discuss what the term means and why people get so excited for a time without a job. MUSIC: “Angel from Montgomery” - John Prine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, as the quarantine continues, Sean has a new activity: scrolling through a near-infinite feed of TikTok videos: cute animals, dumb pranks, and something called “social media challenges”? That’s what the gang is talking about this week. MUSIC: No music, just audio from TikTok videos Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, the quarantine is maybe starting to get to the gang, so they talk about how lots of new people are joining Pierce in the bread-making game…and naming their sourdough starters, houseplants, and other things. MUSIC: “All Kinds of Time” - Fountains of Wayne Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, as the quarantine continues, the gang talks about one of the ways that Kevin and Max (and a whole bunch of other people) are occupying themselves during the era of social distancing – Animal Crossing: New Horizons . How did we get here? And what TV show is the game most like? MUSIC: “It’s a Trip!” - Joywave Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, as states around the country order the close of non-essential businesses, the gang talks about what makes a business “essential” – and why that’s not necessarily the same in every state. MUSIC: “The Steps” - Haim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week is the first of many quarantine pods, and the gang is talking about a way that people can maintain their connections even during periods of enforced isolation: the virtual happy hour. MUSIC: “Expectations” - Katie Pruitt ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: The Linkstravaganza on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Okay, so I know we’re not a current events podcast. But the coronavirus has taken over basically everything, so why not lean in? This week, the gang discusses the impact that the pandemic is going to have on sports. What are games played in fanless stadiums going to be like? And how many times can Sean go back and forth about whether or not he’s intrigued by them? MUSIC: “Television” – Shagwüf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, a Vox article based on an essay in The Cut gets the gang talking about carrying stuff around. What do you put in a tote bag? And is a tote bag ever more than just a tote bag? MUSIC: “Scream” - Loucey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, the gang talks bowling. With things like bougie-fied workwear, axe-throwing, etc., is bowling missing out on its revival moment? Or, as is so often the case, are we the problem? MUSIC: “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” - Kenny Rogers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, Pierce, Kevin and Max talk about the different places that people choose to live. Why do young people flock to urban centers? And when they eventually leave, how do they choose where to go? MUSIC: “The Suburbs” - Arcade Fire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, the gang finally sits down to talk about the Astros sign-stealing scandal (and the Nike Vaporfly/Alphafly shoe controversy). Where is the line where good old-fashioned gamesmanship crosses over into distasteful cheating? Then, as always, Pierce apologizes, and Sean closes the show by saying something about the Miami Heat that turned out not to actually happen (we recorded this one a few days early, on the day of the NBA trade deadline). So, you know, that. MUSIC: “Festival Song” - Jef...
This week, Kevin joins the show…as a host? Could this be the start of something new and wonderful? Maybe! But first, the gang is discussing an article in The Guardian about weekend loneliness , which everyone on the pod seems to have maybe experienced in some form or fashion. MUSIC: “Piano Man” - Billy Joel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
It’s fitness…but fancier Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, the gang is talking about personality quizzes. Some are serious enough that they get used in the business world, some are silly enough that they tell you what cheese you are, but either way, there’s about a gazillion of them out there. MUSIC: “Personality Crisis” - New York Dolls Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is losing your wallet maybe less consequential than it used to be? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, Kevin joins Sean and Pierce to discuss a topic of great import and much seriousness: What makes a good chip? MUSIC: “Seventeen” - Sharon Van Etten Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, a blog post by tech thinker Anil Dash gets the gang talking about closed systems on the internet—ecosystems like Instagram that want to keep you within their own walls instead of letting you bounce around the rest of the web. Who benefits from closed systems? And are we operating within systems that we don’t even realize? MUSIC: “Chatroom” - Charly Bliss ADDITIONAL MATERIAL “Link In Bio” is a slow knife (Anil Dash) “Link in Bio” Is the Worst Thing About Instagram (The Ringer) Hosted o...
The gang completes its transition into “a Slate Money meta-pod” this week, digging into the idea of “cloud kitchens”—warehouse kitchens designed to be rented by delivery-only restaurants. Can they have a rational discussion about this new approach to foodservice? Or will it just devolve into Sean being a curmudgeon and complaining about the app-ification of modern life? Better tune in to find out. MUSIC: “No Future Three: Escape from No Future” - Titus Andronicus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Thanksgiving did a number on people’s travel schedules, but never fear, Pierce and Kevin met up to discuss their fascination with crossword puzzles. MUSIC: “Midnight City” - M83 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
