Ned and Meg have a semi-absurdist conversation about a new thing we invented, sort of. We talk about traditional reliquaries, which are gorgeous mini buildings with gross old bones in them. We revisit the Joy of Melancholy. We discuss the colossal, ubiquitous failure represented by flip flops. Ned expounds on the benefits of a turf lawn, and how regular lawns are just vessels for disappointment, which brings us full circle to our topic title. Enjoy the disappointment with us! Thanks, wash your hands, keep wearing a mask, don’t be a dick.

Ned and Meg and Lauren talk about metals, like steel and it’s even cooler friend nitinol. We also talk about how a philosophy is more than an incoherent jumble of opinions, and how Ned’s job is basically just arguing semantics all day (some guys have all the luck). Lauren talks shared meaning, Meg complains a bunch, and we expound on the virtues of the MN State Fair. As forever, thanks for listening, and wash your hands and get the shots and wear a mask anyway and be nice.

Dana and Ned and Meg and Lauren discuss the pain avoidance cycle and adapting to discomfort, patterns of behavior, how kinks are more common than not, how great Ted Lasso is, and how annoying some plot devices are. We ask who among us can stand to rewatch something they’ve seen before, and Dana gives us a plethora of excellent reading suggestions. Thank you for listening to us, and for washing your hands and getting the shots and wearing a mask maybe still because it ain’t over til it’s over, kids!

Ned and Meg and Lauren talk about the differences between art and design, both of which we love. We also discuss girding loins, medieval torture devices, Jemaine Clement, whose god is it anyway, American tangents, lexical ambiguity, and the Great Buffalo Sentence which some of us had just talked about the other day and some of us were totally ignorant of! Baader-Meinhof! Thanks as always for joining us, and wash your hands and get the shots and don’t be a dick!

Ned and Meg and Lauren talk about the possibility of Meg having new neighbors to the West and what she’s prepared to do to ensure that only people she likes will buy the house for sale. Ned and Lauren offer moral support. Wash your hands, wear a mask, get yer shots, don’t be a dick! Thanks for listening.

Ned and Meg and Lauren and Ben from Bisexual Orgies listen to Ned recount a harrowing tale of high seas adventure and high drama aboard a dysfunctional vessel and a dysfunctional captain to match. Sail with us and learn about Ned’s indomitable spirit. Wash your hands, wear a mask, get yer shots, don't be a dick, thanks for listening.

Meg tells Ned and Lauren the story of Buyer’s Remorse, which leads to discussion about Lauren’s work as a sexuality educator. Sex ed and sexuality education are different, and we bet you didn’t know that. See? You learn so much with us. Listen to the whole thing! As always, thank you and wash your hands and get the shots and don’t be a dick.

Ned, Meg, and Lauren converse about the relationship between art and money, art successes and failures, creating art with others and making lots of art in lots of ways. Wash your hands, get the shot, don't be a dick, thanks for listening.

Ned and Meg chat on Mother’s Day about how much caffeine makes us psychotic. Meg gets hyperactive depression and Ned has been rabbit-holing an espresso machine and we’re both in a love/hate relationship with coffee beverages. We discuss Ned’s coffee science and dosing schedule. We talk about chasing the high that Ned got at Cafe Madeleine where one may obtain either the best or the worst espresso, depending. We dive into coffee mythology, dissect the merits of espresso machines, and we humbly suggest James Hoffman’s YouTube coffee videos. Wash your hands, wear a mask, get your shots, do all the things, don’t be a dick. Thanks for listening!

Ned and Meg discuss more digital gobbledigook and cryptography, but this time it’s in the context of art! Jim Sanborn made a trio of sculptures that utilize cryptographic puzzles, one of which is called Kryptos, and it lives outside the CIA headquarters in Langley, VA. Three of the puzzles included in the Kryptos sculpture are solved, but the fourth remains elusive. We also discuss old cars, steganography, and Elonka Dunin who is a rad lady who solves puzzles, including the first three in Kryptos. Thanks for listening. Now go get your shots, wash your hands, wash your face, wash your underwear. Be nice.