Jon and Mike talk about recent trips to liverpool and Milan, hate listening to podcasts like “the Joe Rogan Experience”, Mike’s new job in the property management industry, and how it feels to listen to recordings of yourself.  They then examine some ideas about change, how and why people are resistant to it, and how integral it is to the way we perceive the world.  Following this conversation they break down generational change, what kinds of beliefs become entrenched in people after adolescence, and how this has growing importance due to potential changes to technology, demographics and lifespans.  They close with a discussion of how power is shifting into the hands of much older people and how, if we develop technologies to extend life spans substantially, we’ll see even more drastic shifts in power and authority.

Mike has been having a lot of great days lately.  Jon and Mike discuss what makes for a good day and how to keep your momentum and good energy.  They argue about commuting, and car ownership, then explore what makes a city nice to live in.  After that they delve into their opinions on how Halloween compares to their favorite holidays, and what it’s like to celebrate American holidays while living abroad.

After a summer break Mike and Jon return to discuss their travels in Peru, California, and Ireland, new jobs, settling into a new city and country, the American educational system, how we learn, the distinctions between skills and knowledge, how society deals with failure, life long learning, and a some recommended reading.

Mike and Jon discuss some new gadgets they’ve bought, how to get money out of China $500 at a time, Jon’s long path toward personal development and organization, the value of tracking how we spend time, how to assess goals and measure success, a trip to South Korea, Jon’s total lack of punctuality, Mike’s tooth infection, dental insurance, medical insurance, and how and why insurance is structured like it is.

Mike and Jon touch on: fitness and stretching, traveling from China to Peru, and some of their pet peeves.  They then go in depth on an archeological breakthrough regarding the origins of humans in the Americas and discuss the types of information they consume and how they think about the news media.

Mike and Jon Introduce themselves and While We’re On The Subject. They then discuss China and break down its ethnic makeup, how it compares with Korea, and how the very diverse people of China interact with a regime that often doesn’t relate to them all too well.