Pros And Cons

As the borough at the top of the city, geographically and in many other ways, The Bronx has been home to a lot of greatness. From the music (birthplace of hip hop) to the sports (Yankees) and much more, there’s no shortage of impact from BX legends. Of course, there are some downsides too – from one of the lesser beaches in NYC to it being not the best for cross-borough transportation. Kev and Jack talk about their experience in The Bronx while growing up, some favorite spots, and part of what makes the borough truly one-of-a-kind.

From a deck of cards to birthday cards to sports cards, there are many different purposes that those rectangular little objects can have. Jack and Kev talk about experiences and thoughts on examples such as playing cards with poker, business cards in a digital age, activity-based and more social modern card games, traditional greeting cards you find at the local pharmacy, character-based fictional ones like Pokémon, sports editions with athletes, and a mix of others.

One of the top streaming services made a name and content pivot this past week. HBO Max is now just "Max" on its own, as part of their merger with Discovery under WarnerMedia, HBO’s parent company. The switch has already led to a lot of push back, confusion, and light controversy. Kev and Jack talk about what the different changes are, how this impacts the HBO brand going forward, and if Max will be as good or not anymore.

As a sometimes annoying but ultimately beneficial part of life, people have different relationships to how much they exercise, which they do, and where they do it all. Jack and Kev talk about some of the variations – from the classic parts of a routine like push ups or crunches, to more cardio-based activities like running or swimming. Which are fun, which look dumb? Which are beneficial, which feel pointless?

An artist of many talents, Tyler is one of the most prolific and extensive people making things today. While he's most known for his music, he's also created lanes in areas like clothing, TV, a festival, and more. In celebration of the 200th episode of this show, Kev and Jack talk about T and seeing his evolution over the past 15 years, the stages of his discography, and how he's been an inspiration.

In a new series of breaking down the latest music releases, Jack and Kev discuss projects that have dropped this year so far. Covering 20 albums in 34 mins, this edition features smaller and bigger artists including Dreamville, Navy Blue, Kali Uchis, 6LACK, Jordan Ward, Lil Yachty, Tennis, Karol G, boygenius, Lana Del Rey, and more. Connected post with links to the different albums mentioned: https://www.cesspoolnetwork.com/pros-and-cons-notes/the-rotation-vol-1

Depending on the traditions you have or what your interests are, festivals can take a mix of forms. Kev and Jack talk about what they associate with the term, what are the limits of when the format fits or not, and explore more modern examples. Including discussing music festivals (Coachella, Lollapalooza, etc), film festivals (Sundance, Cannes, etc), those that combine a mix (SXSW), and even a bigger outlier of sports events (Super Bowl, World Cup, etc). However you interpret it, one thing that can be agreed on is festivals are meant to be a celebration. That being said, that doesn't mean they don't have their downsides.

The New York Yankees haven't won a championship since 2009, almost a decade and a half at this point. Following up on Aaron Judge's 62-homer spectacular run, the team re-signed him back to a major contract. They also made a couple of additions (like Carlos Rodon, one of the top pitching free agents of the offseason). However, the team is mostly similar to before. Can this be the year they turn it around and get by the Astros in the playoffs? Jack and Kev talk about where the team stands going into the season, from the lineup to the pitching arms.

As a very practical item, there are many different styles and forms that bags can be. Kev and Jack break down some of the different types – from the school days (backpacks, string bags, rolling bags) to the travel bags (duffle bags, luggage situations) to the everyday bags (plastic back in the day to now, reusable, tote bags, IKEA's classic blue bag) to Kev's take on one that's been teased since the teaser of this show (fanny packs).

In this new series around things to watch at home, anything might be explored from shows to movies to YouTube to sports and anything else. In the first edition, Jack and Kev discuss some of the things they saw over the past year – and some that they're deciding whether or not to watch still. Including series like Euphoria, Atlanta, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Bear, Abbott Elementary, and more. Or movies like Top Gun, Avatar, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Menu, Bones & All, The Fabelmans, All Quiet on the Western Front, and more. Or sports events like the recent Super Bowl LVII and '23 Australian Open. 

While it can be glorified or dramatized excessively in movies, rain is usually more of an inconvenience than anything else. You have to be more careful about what clothes/shoes you wear, carry an umbrella around if you want to stay dry, and it can limit your choice of options for the day ahead. That all being said, rain can sometimes have its advantages as well. Kev and Jack talk about the different sides and the recent nonstop rain that just hit California for almost a month.

A decade ago, one of the best selling and most beloved video games – The Last of Us – was released to the world. Now, its new adaptation airing on HBO is following up on that success. Just like the game, it's breaking records like being HBO's second-most watched series premiere in more than a decade and the viewers are only continuing to grow each week. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic U.S. and has a mass infection, though it pre-dates our own pandemic. Jack and Kev talk about both the game itself and if the adaptation is successful so far.

Choosing a symbol, typeface, figure, or shape to represent what you or your company stands for is not an easy decision. Besides the name in itself, a logo can be a major part of how a brand/company or individual presents themselves to the world. Kev and Jack talk about what can make a logo successful or not before looking at examples in areas including sports, food, cars, video games, movies/TV, and clothes.

Now an annual tradition, it’s that time of the year to pick out the biggest highlight and disappointment albums of the year. Jack and Kev break down their personal Top 5 cons and Top 5 pros that came out in 2022.  For personal Top Songs playlists, see below:  Jack - https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/js-2022-top-tier/pl.u-76oNGdyuNXoq7b Kev - https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/2022-joints/pl.u-kv9lbZDtW4BpeW

As the biggest international sport, the World Cup is always a highly-watched event. Plus, since it only happens every four years, it makes the stakes even more intense and makes winning it that much more difficult and special. With legends like Messi and Ronaldo taking on their last ever tournament this year, but with newcomers trying to disrupt history, it's an even further elevated competition. Kev and Jack talk about the futbol/soccer debate, experience with the sport to play or watch, how the World Cup has evolved, and this year's 2022 tournament in Qatar.

With the takeover of digital and online culture, magazines have taken a bit of a back seat. But, they're not fully dead yet. From some of the bigger names still out there to small indie niche publications, there's issues being circulated. Some are just the low quality tabloid ones, but others hold it down with real art book level quality. Jack and Kev talk about their experience with magazines growing up, creating their own photo mag (Ludique), where they see the state of the industry now, and kick around some ideas.

After the first Pros and Cons edition of the Gift Guide last year, this time there are some new limitations: only items that are too expensive for what they should be worth. But even though that's an auto-con, Kev and Jack each pick out some clothes and accessories that fit the bill as pros – outside of the price – from kicks to sweaters to things for the home. To view the images of what's mentioned: www.cesspoolnetwork.com/pros-and-cons-notes/overpriced-gift-guide-2023

Since the last episode at the end of August, there were two main things that happened. One was the homestretch of the home run chase of Aaron Judge, who eventually broke Roger Maris’ record of 61 for both the AL and franchise records. The other was the playoffs, which after an initial bye-round came a win in the division series and then a brutal loss (as a sweep) in the championship series. Jack and Kev talk about the highs and lows of it all, how the season was in general, and a glimpse into the offseason with Judge becoming a free agent.

Especially in big cities with millions of people, most rely completely on public transport to get around. From buses to trains, it’ll (sometimes) bring you where you need to go, and at what can be a more affordable price. But, at what cost to your time/journey? Kev and Jack talk about their experiences with it in places such as NYC, LA, DR, SF, and across the world.

From the GameCube and Wii on the console side to the Game Boy and Switch on the handheld end, Nintendo has made their mark in the video game world over the years. Jack and Kev talk about their experiences with different systems, which have been some of the best and worst, and how Nintendo compares to other gaming companies like PlayStation or XBOX.