[Intro audio: “There is a Dark Place,” by Tom Rosenthal]
Jordan (00:29):
Hi, I’m Jordan.
Lex:
And I’m Lex.
Jordan (00:28):
You sure are.
Lex:
Sorry, my tongue got caught in my mouth. Does that ever happen to you? Where you start to talk and your mouth won’t move.
Jordan:
Definitely been there a lot of times. I just take it as a hint from the universe that the filter that should have stopped those words failed. And this is my saving grace, second chance. But you were trying to say your name, so I don’t think it’s the same thing.
Lex:
Probably not.
Jordan:
Glad we got there eventually though.
Lex:
And also, that’d be bad news if that’s the signal the universe is sending me when this is an audio medium that does require me to speak a fair amount. So should we try it again or do we roll with this take and just hope it works?
Jordan (01:23):
Let’s just roll with it. We’re rolling with it today.
Lex:
Okay. That’s the vibe. Fast and loose. Love it.
Jordan:
If you haven’t figured it out already, this is a podcast about ADHD done by two people who have ADHD. You might know us as Or, Learn Parkour. And here we are. In our studio, in our glamorous, spacious studio space that is not a repurposed coat closet that is not really, really sweaty.
Lex:
Repurposed is a very generous term to use, given that there are coats in here with us.
Jordan:
Multipurposed?
Lex:
Yeah, sure. Multipurpose.
Jordan:
Yeah. Multipurpose.
Lex:
Yeah. Yeah. So this is a podcast about ADHD and we both have it.
Jordan:
We sure do.
Lex:
It definitely totally doesn’t affect our everyday lives and doesn’t have any impact on, say, our productivity or how we interact with the world or I don’t know.
Jordan:
How we think, how we feel about ourselves, how we process information.
Lex:
How we react.
Jordan:
So normal.
Lex:
Totally fine.
Jordan:
Absolutely great. I’m doing so good. How are you doing Lex?
Lex:
You know, I feel like I could have a few more screens going in front of me to reach, you know, what do they call it? Oh yeah, that’s what our episode’s about. It’s optimum arousal. Yeah. So not that kind of arousal, thank God.
Jordan:
I’m still asexual. Sorry.
Lex:
I mean, you know what, not to yuck any yums, there’s whole industries just for you.
Jordan:
I thought you were gonna just say there’s hole.
Lex:
No, that was, what, two episodes ago? Last episode?
Jordan:
I think that was last episode.
Lex:
Yeah, that was last episode.
Jordan:
So that one was for y’all. This one is for a different kind of arousal.
Lex:
Yeah. It’s optimum arousal. I don’t know if it’s really the best reason to use the term arousal, but there’s enough information on that chicken bone of knowledge. You know, there’s enough meat, information, meat that we figured we’d talk about it a little bit because, wouldn’t you know it, optimum arousal is something that is talked about in relation to people who have ADHD.
Jordan (04:18):
It sure is.
Lex:
Not always, but often enough that it’s, you know, why not talk about it. Right?
Jordan:
Here we are talking about it.
Lex:
People ask me like, hey, do you think you’ll ever run out of content? Probably, but not yet. One of my friends recently said to me no, no, it’s okay. I kind of like your stream of consciousness after I apologized for just speaking out my stream of consciousness.
Jordan:
Sounds like a good friend.
Lex:
Yeah. Well, yeah. Yeah, obvi. But also.
Jordan:
There’s a lot of sauce that we put on these chicken bones of information, so they are extra filling. How about that? How is that?
Lex:
No, I think I was kind of hoping you would tell me where I was going with what I was saying cuz I had a plot. I had a point A to point B to C, and I think my brain maybe tried to cut through B, go straight from A to C.
Jordan (05:20):
A little pit stop for slurpees in there somewhere. I know. I feel you.
Lex:
Yeah. So I’m also just, I can feel a bead of sweat dripping down my face right now. So it’s a little disconcerting.
Jordan:
Well, let’s rock this one out so that we don’t get fried. How’s that?
Lex:
Yeah. Yeah. Thank you.
Jordan:
We’re in it now.
Lex:
We sure are. All right. Well, so, okay. Optimum arousal.
Jordan:
What is it?
Lex:
Okay, you’re asking me. Great.
Jordan:
I can also give it a go if you would like.
Lex:
Yeah. Okay. So optimum arousal is, according to the first answer on Google, a psychological construct referring to a level of mental stimulation at which physical performance, learning, or temporary feelings of wellbeing are maximized. It can also be described as the degree of energy release and the intensity of readiness.
Jordan (06:17):
Wow. Intensity of readiness sounds intense.
Lex:
Yeah. Basically, from what I understand, that’s a really amped up, fancy scientific way to say you have to have just the right amount of sensory input to operate.
Jordan:
Yeah, that’s a great definition of it. It’s worth noting, I think, that the idea of readiness and optimum arousal is something that can be applied to all brains, but I think it’s particularly relevant with ADHD because, by and large, a lot of the studies they’ve done around it have pointed out that ADHD people probably have a higher level of arousal needed to get into that good, funky space. And also it’s a tool to have when you are not in that space, instead of just going like, I can’t do the thing, I can’t do the thing. Why can’t I do the thing? And just digging yourself a hole to lay in until the end of time, which I know is tempting. I get it. But then you can go, Oh, I just need a little more juice. So, yeah.
Lex:
Yeah. And it’s also super worth noting that the entire concept of optimum arousal is like a measurement of that energy and preparedness, right? But that energy and preparedness is based on, surprise, your productivity. And so the way that that’s measured is pretty inherently capitalistic in nature. Yeah. So I feel like it’s interesting to think about like, oh, the optimum arousal is the level you need to reach so that you can do things. And it’s like, well, why do you need me to do things?
Jordan:
It’s a very valid question.
Lex:
You know? And, granted, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do things, right. I’m pretty pro do stuff. ‘Cause I think that things are fun and life is to be enjoyed if you’re gonna be here. So I find that fun, but I also very much appreciate not doing a fucking thing, right. So sometimes I’m like, I don’t want to be optimally aroused today. Do you know what I mean? No one rouse me.
Jordan:
No one rouse me. Sounds like Charles Dickens.
Lex:
But for real. You know what I mean?
Jordan:
Yeah. I think that’s a very valid point and something that I hope we are cognizant of in all of our discussions here. Cuz I think that that’s a big ADHD thing. In general, ADHD people are problematic, I would say, especially in talking about children because they are doing something I don’t want them to do and not doing the thing I want them to do. So, I’m not a parent and I am no longer a child. I’m a child of someone, but I am not a child in the fact that I’m sort of an adult.
Lex:
You’re an adult. Your brain is fully developed.
Jordan:
Yes. And so I get to make a lot more of those choices on my own. I am still under a fair amount of expectation to do certain things, but I think that it is worth having as a tool to make the best choice for you because, at least the experience that I can say that I have is, when I am under that arousal level and having a hard time doing things, the thing that I’m struggling to do is even decide what I wanna do. So no, mayhaps I am not doing a productive task, capital P, capital T, but I am also not resting or enjoying an activity that has no output or really doing anything but being in a fog.
Lex (10:40):
I have no idea what that’s like. And as I just stare dead-eyed at Jordan in the studio. Sorry. I realized I was just listening. Do you know what I mean? And then I was like, I feel like I’m looking at Jordan like I wanna murder them.
Jordan:
You know, we’ve lived together for long enough now that that is your right by law. And I’m so glad. I’m glad.
Lex:
That’d be a wild choice to keep living with you if I felt that way.
Jordan:
That’s fair. I feel like there might be a lot of mileage in a True Crime podcast about a podcast if you murdered me.
Lex:
Oh, isn’t that one of the primary antagonists did in Only Murders in the Building?
Jordan (11:31):
That’s also true. That’s also true.
Lex:
Podcast about a podcast murder.
Jordan:
Oh, it’s so meta.
Lex:
Some reason, it’s Tina Faye.
Jordan:
So does Tina play Faye. Good God. Does Tina play Faye you? Does Tina Faye play you?
Lex:
Huh?
Jordan:
We’ve gone too far. Now I’m talking about the screen adaption of the podcast about my murder.
Lex:
This is beyond meta, but you know what? Now we just need to take it to the Don’t Worry, Darling level and get the press involved. Get our real personal lives in here.
Jordan:
The last thing I was seen doing is just spitting on one of my coworkers.
Lex:
Oh my God. Catch me just completely dissociating and astral projecting at the next family dinner party or some shit. The next person to ask how my job’s going, right? My eyes just roll into the back of my head. For some reason I get to have headphones. I’m assuming there is a reason for that, that they all got.
Jordan:
I think it was a translator.
Lex:
Got it. ‘Cause I was like. No judgment, not knocking it, just the fact that he had headphones on while doing that.
Jordan:
No, it was just plugged into his Walkman the whole time.
Lex:
That’s what I was like, what are you listening to?
Jordan:
This whole thing is happening in the background and he’s just like.
Lex:
And then all of a sudden Harry’s Styles spits in your lap. Except for, I don’t think he actually did. No, I don’t think so. ‘Cause watching the video, I feel like it looks like just a trick of the light, of the angle of the camera. But a lot of people have guessed that Harry Styles was making a dick joke at Chris Pine cuz Chris Pine had his sunglasses right here. And apparently Mr. Styles is sometimes like a stereotypical British guy who was one of the lads in private school.
Jordan:
Just a lad, huh?
Lex:
Just a lad. And so a bunch of British people were like, I feel like he was probably, sorry, I feel like he was probably making a dick joke. Talking about his knob and bollocks. You know, he’s gonna have a wank at the Venice Film Festival. Right cheeky, innit? He likes headphones on, listening to some erotic audio.
Jordan:
I think there’s, I mean, obviously I’m not the expert here, but I would hazard to guess that there’s nothing less erotic than the way you just said the word erotic.
Lex:
That’s like when people talk about British accents being sexy and I’m like, no hate. Right? All the love, well, some of the love to my British friends across the pond. But some of y’all, I feel like people who think that a British accent is sexy have only heard, I don’t know, Hugh Grant talk. You know what I mean? Like Emma Watson.
Jordan:
But there is such a linguistically fascinating range of accents.
Lex:
For such a small little island.
Jordan:
I mean, I guess what else is there to do there if you’re definitely not having sex?
Lex:
I mean, they are because they have just somehow populated the entire fucking globe. Us included. Let’s just say you’re not gonna get me optimally aroused with one of these accents, are you now?
Jordan (16:02):
That’d probably be pretty distracting in D&D, which is when I know I hear that accent most.
Lex:
Yeah. Sometimes it’s just easier to do a bit of a Liverpool accent. Or some sort of Midlands, you know. It’s easy to put on some Peaky Blinders beforehand. Or the Junior Bake Off just to watch that one kid Will who just had that funny.
Jordan:
I don’t know what it is about kids with accents in general.
Lex:
But kids with British accents and not just kids with British accents, but kids with fucking Midlands to Liverpool to Northern Yorkshire, Geordie accent. That shit is so funny. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. ‘Cause I know we have listeners from the UK, I’m sorry.
Jordan:
Y’all are wonderful. Thanks for listening. Sorry for the slander.
Lex:
Sorry for the slander. And sorry for my own awful contributions. Attempts on yield queen’s English. Which, what? Oh, well, well, well, for legal reasons.
Jordan:
I would like to be in an Irish pub right now just because I miss them. Not because of the elaborate hearty celebrations that I know are happening.
Lex:
Yeah. Yeah. I’m assuming it’s not quite the same as good ol’ Maggie.
Jordan:
No, not as much.
Lex:
But well, yeah, anyways, for legal reasons, I’m terribly sorry for England’s loss. My sincere condolences.
Jordan:
Godspeed. Salutations. Pomp and circumstance.
Lex:
Best wishes.
Lex:
Thoughts and prayers.
Jordan:
Thoughts and prayers.
Lex:
Thoughts and prayers from a yank to y’all. Thoughts and prayers. Thoughts and prayers. What? Okay. Listen, we have a lot of fucked up accents here too. But at least we have a geographical excuse for it.
Jordan:
That’s true.
Lex:
Our country’s fucking massive.
Jordan:
It is. It is. And I know both you and I have moved about it a fair amount.
Lex:
I’ve moved about it a fair amount, yeah.
Jordan (18:42):
We sure did. We’re close to Canada now. And real fun.
Lex:
You say we’re close to Canada now. You grew up in Washington, close to Canada. I grew up in Michigan, close to Canada. We’ve been close to Canada the entire goddamn time.
Jordan:
Canada’s always been there for us.
Lex:
In fact, this is the furthest I’ve been from Canada, arguably.
Jordan:
To be honest, I have no idea how far we are from Canada right now. Like mileage.
Lex:
Well, there’s states between us and Canada. You can’t just get, well, nope. Because you still have to pass through Michigan or Wisconsin waters. I was thinking, cuz if you took Lake Michigan, this is nonsense. Okay. Fucking A. So optimum arousal.
Jordan:
Is the level of stimulation at which you are not under stimulated or overstimulated.
Lex:
You’re like Goldilocks, but for your brain, your brain is Goldilocks. And when Goldilocks finds that just right spot, whether it be in a completely silent white room or with nature sounds in the background only. Or with three different screens all playing different scenes from the same episode of Naruto. I don’t know, whatever butters your biscuits.
Jordan:
For me, personally, it’s the right level of Spotify music that sounds like music I like, but I haven’t heard it before so I don’t know the lyrics to sing along and nothing touching my feet. Those are the big two elements of just right for me.
Lex (20:48):
Okay. Okay. Cool. That’s just a sweet spot for you generally, or to do what? To work?
Jordan:
Yes. To work. That’s a fair question to ask.
Lex:
Cool. I know that I was like, hey, so this is in the context of working and then I was like, in the context of what?
Jordan:
No, that’s fair. We’re trying to abolish the assumption that this is for a capitalist productive purpose. So it’s really on me for assuming that you would assume.
Lex:
Yeah. So I mean, technically we probably have all different types of optimum arousals.
Jordan:
And because we all react to input differently. Even if somehow there were a quantitative measure of how stimulating any given sensation was, even if we were at the same quantitative level, we’d be different qualitatively, you know, a scratchy sweatshirt might be a five for you, it might be an eleven for me.
Lex (21:50):
Got it. Cool. Yeah. Different strokes, different strokes for different folks.
Jordan:
Great. So what do we do with that information? How can knowing about optimum arousal help you choose to do or not to do? That is the question.
Lex:
How can it help you choose to do or not to do?
Jordan:
Yes.
Lex:
I mean, optimum arousal can give your senses context. Right?
Jordan:
Ooh, I like that.
Lex:
Like optimum arousal. Let’s talk about it this way. Right. Optimal arousal for bedtime. For me, I need to have white noise of some kind. I need to have some layers of either nature or city noise. Like a fan, just some level of low humanity hum, right? I need it to be cold and I need to have enough weight on me to feel safe. Like I’m being held, right? And once I’ve reached the sensory ideal and oh, you know, throw in visually, some pimple popping videos and then I’m on my way to dreamland.
Jordan:
That sounds really nice.
Lex:
Right. So I feel like it can give your body context. Cuz we’re all just a weird meat suit that’s got electric stuff kind of pumping through it. And a little squiggle spaghetti thing up top that’s like, hey, you want to get some work done? You want to take a nap? You wanna do XYZ thing? Well you gotta be in the right space for it.
Jordan:
I have needs and I’m not gonna tell you what they are.
Lex:
Yeah. So I feel like it’s kind of a trial and error, right? Some of us might not necessarily realize. And I feel like a big way that at least in the context of optimum arousal in terms of productivity and working, for me, I just need really loud music. Either in my headphones or loud enough that I can have a loud noise to drown out everything else. And then I can focus on my screen usually. Right. Cause it’s just the age we’re in, or book or whatever. But speaking in terms of productivity, I feel like we find out what’s not optimum pretty easily. Does that seem, I feel like, while it is trial and error to figure out what the optimum settings are, I feel like we all kind of figure it out pretty quickly. Just because when something makes a sensory impact that’s negative, your body remembers that.
Jordan:
Oh for sure. And that is just as helpful, useful, valuable information as what is the right thing. Every step gets you somewhere.
Lex:
Exactly.
Jordan:
I dunno what kind of bullshit cross stitch pillow advice that was.
Lex:
Well it’s, you know, a very fun quirky turn on the phrase of, you know, anywhere is walking distance if you try hard enough.
Jordan:
I’ve never heard that one before.
Lex:
Really? Well my uncle Dave used to say it all the time.
Jordan:
Interesting.
Lex (25:26):
‘Cause you know, people be like, hey, is that within walking distance? And you’re like, A, very subjective question. I have no idea what your idea of walkable is, but B, anywhere’s traversable if you are able to traverse.
Jordan:
Even the ocean if you’re a vampire. I feel like there’s a part of the vampire mythos where they can, cuz they don’t have to breathe so they could just walk along the bottom of the ocean.
Lex:
Interesting. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard that in relation to vampire mythos and lore, but there’s so much out there. So who the fuck knows.
Jordan:
It’s also entirely possible that I just fever dreamed that at some point,
Lex:
I mean, I think that’s a thing they talk about in Twilight, now that I’m thinking about it. Well ‘cause they have all those scenes where Bella wants to go cliff diving and I don’t know. I think there’s the whole thing about because they’re dead, they don’t actually need to breathe. But for some reason I was like, have you confused the story of Jesus with vampires?
Jordan:
Or Jesus. That’s helpful advice. Anywhere’s within walking distance if you’re Jesus.
Lex:
Yeah. Well hey, anywhere’s within walking distance if you got Jesus cuz those footprints in the sand, you know.
Jordan:
He’ll just carry you. Someone’s still doing the walking. It still counts.
Lex:
I just imagined because like whenever I was told that as a kid, right? Or saw that sign like on a pin cushion or on a cross stitch or a pillow case. I was always imagining a piggyback ride cuz I was not imagining a cradle. I was imagining either a piggyback ride situation or a Shrek fireman carry situation. And then it becomes a question of that’d be so rough because you’re like, okay, this alleged, depending on your belief system and worldviews, this the alleged savior of humans is carrying me and that’s helpful, but it is a fireman’s carry and I do have IBS and so my bowels hurt a little bit. So it becomes a fear of what if I fart next to Christ’s head? Or what if, because my head is near the buttocks of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, what if he farts on my head? I mean, do you think those farts would smell good or not? This is what the ancient church elders actually argued about. ‘Cause I was like, haha, this is kind of funny. And then I remembered that they literally argued about how many angels could fit on the head of a pin.
Jordan:
Yeah. I feel like, does Jesus fart is a Sunday school question for sure, that absolutely gets asked. And I don’t know the answer to it.
Lex:
I mean, fully God, fully man.
Jordan:
Yeah. No answers there.
Lex:
Do his farts smell good?
Jordan:
That’s another question I have no answer for.
Lex:
You know what? We’ll see, I guess.
Jordan:
We’ll see. And I would like to know too if Jesus would know you have IBS. ‘Cause he knows everything because Jesus, the God part. So I feel like he would not pick you up like that, comfortably.
Lex (28:49):
What would you prefer?
Jordan:
I know I’m a piggyback bitch myself.
Lex:
I don’t know how I feel about piggyback. I mean, I think if I had all the options in the world, this doesn’t really seem all that dignified, but I would absolutely go for the shoulder sit.
Jordan:
I didn’t even consider that.
Lex:
Like, yeah, come on, Jesus. Carry me with your big lumber arms.
Jordan:
Lumber arms. Yeah.
Lex:
Woodworking.
Jordan:
Carpentry.
Lex:
Carpentry. I was like, what the fuck was he? It was a whole song. Several songs about how he was a carpenter and a cross maker. Anyways, this is a fun, weird little biblical side.
Jordan:
I memorized so many bible verses to go to Silverwood.
Lex:
Only to now all these years later.
Jordan:
Not remember them.
Lex:
And to really only be wondering about whether or not the big man’s farts would smell good or not.
Jordan (29:43):
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Lex:
Yeah. That’s true.
Jordan:
Well that was certainly an intellectually stimulating conversation.
Lex:
Was it an intellectually arousing conversation?
Jordan:
Yes.
Lex:
I don’t mean that in the weird way. I’m trying to tie it back.
Jordan:
No, I know that. I know you don’t.
Lex
To the title of the episode. But I realize now asking you that about Jesus, I regret bringing up Sunday school. I think you brought up Sunday school.
Jordan:
But another significant struggle of the early church, if I remember correctly, not early church, probably.
Lex:
Wait, sorry. What was the struggle?
Jordan:
Nuns married Jesus all the time. That’s their thing, isn’t it?
Lex:
Well, I mean, if you think about it, your faith is supposed to be like a marriage to Christ and the church is supposed to be married to God. And a marriage is supposed to reflect the marriage you have faith with. You know, I regret this. I would like to continue without talking about church because my head is.
Jordan:
That’s okay. We can move on. You know, what makes something a stimulating thought or activity? Do you wanna dry or do you want me to just go with it?
Lex:
My brain was overwhelmed with the options of things that I could say.
Jordan:
Ah, well if I can walk down this path with you together. I was gonna say things that give your brain dopamine. How would you feel about bouncing on over to the Dopamine Trampoline? No, you’re good. I thought we were gonna say it in unison. I was like, all right. That’s fun.
Lex:
Yeah, I started cuz I thought, I don’t know. I just started talking.
Jordan:
No, you’re good.
Lex:
There’s a bead of sweat going down my jugular.
Jordan (31:22):
It’s a podcast. Talking is usually the correct choice. You’re great. To the Dopamine Trampoline, da da da.
Lex:
Doo doo.
Jordan:
Hell yeah. Trampoline, tramp, trampoline.
Lex:
I think just the to the Dopamine Trampoline made me feel like I was being welcomed into a world by Tom Hanks in a conductor cap.
Jordan:
Thank you?
Lex:
Oh yeah, great. Dopamine Trampoline. The place where we jump to usually, but sometimes by train, I guess. It’s a place where we talk about things that are giving our brain dopamine or have given our brain dopamine in the past, et cetera. Sometimes they’re short and sweet, sometimes they’re a little long winded. But either way it’s a fun time. It’s a fun time. It’s where the dopamine just really pops off. And you’re a captive audience that has to, I mean, you don’t have to, I guess you could stop the podcast, but like, what are you gonna do?
Jordan (32:24):
We’d appreciate if you didn’t.
Lex:
Yeah. We’d appreciate if you didn’t and we’re the ones making the podcast. And so it’s like, hey, why don’t we just add a segment where we talk about stuff that we like. Nice. Classic.
Jordan:
Yeah. And we do always like to hear what yours are. On Twitter. We’re on the internet. Tell us what your Dopamine Trampoline is. But first we’re gonna tell you what ours are. What were you gonna say?
Lex:
Oh, I was just saying and we love to hear when we have them in common.
Jordan:
Yes. Absolutely.
Lex:
Always a weird one. Always a fun time.
Jordan:
It is, it is. Do you wanna go first or do you want me to take it away?
Lex:
Oh, you take it away. Cause I’m pulling the stuff up.
Jordan:
Yeah. Yeah. So my Dopamine Trampoline this week is a show called Luna Park. I’m not a huge TV person. There’s a couple shows I follow, but I don’t tend to get so into TV shows I can’t stop them, except this show. This is the first show I’ve actually binged in a while. But I watched all of it in two days, which is a lot because the episodes are an hour, hour and a half each. It’s wild. But it’s on Netflix. It’s an Italian show, which I would like to think is even more impressive cuz I had to actually look at the screen the whole time.
Lex:
Yeah. Watching shows that aren’t in your native language is like a double challenge. It’s like, I was already gonna have the subtitles on for my own tongue. Now you want me to do more?
Jordan:
You want me to do what?
Lex (34:09):
Yeah, exactly. But it’s super worth doing anyways in my opinion. But it is a brain workout.
Jordan:
It is. Well, and hey, there’s another example of optimum arousal is, if you are watching slash listening to a TV show and doing another hand task at the same time cuz it gives you a little bit of input to do both. It’s great. Taking it back. So Luna Park is about a young woman who comes from a family that runs a traveling circus carnival in Rome in the 1960s. So just fun to watch, fun to look at, fun costumes. I’m a nerd for that shit.
Lex:
Oh yeah. No, I mean, it’s a great premise already. As soon as you, I mean, for me personally, as soon as you add anything circus related, I don’t know what it is. Latent Alice in Wonderland. I don’t know.
Jordan:
It’s inherently whimsical.
Lex:
It is. It’s very fun.
Jordan:
It is. And just visually always interesting. But it is, as you already know, a delight to watch. It starts out with this woman pickpocketing a guy who turns out to be the fiance of this incredibly rich young woman, just comes from money family. Her dad is some higher-up in the Italian government. We’re just not gonna ask what he was doing during World War II. But that kind of kicks those two women off into a story where the rich young woman is trying to find this long lost twin that she has that disappeared when she was one. The dad, apparently through his weird government connections, found out that this twin had died, but was paying a private investigator to pretend to be investigating it so their mom wouldn’t get too depressed and die.
Lex (36:21):
Okay. Totally chill way to cope with your problems, bud.
Jordan:
Yeah. Everyone is doing really great and being very responsible and reasonable in this show.
Lex:
Well, I mean, that makes great TV.
Jordan:
Totally. And to make matters even more fun, while she’s trying to find her sister, this woman from the carnival may or may not have information about that. It’s hard to say. She, in having these interactions with these people and this element of, oh, I am hard-working for my money. I come from a working, traveling family, but these people are so stupid rich. I don’t wanna be anywhere near them. She ends up near them anyways. And ends up having this romance with the fiance’s brother. Who is a photographer journalist who finds out that a famous actor may or may not have murdered somebody. But that famous actor is the rich girl’s, younger brother’s mentor because the younger brother wants to be a TV actor. And all the while, the fiance’s parents are apparently communists. And so the rich dad has to bug their apartment and do all these weird government things to keep getting information about his daughter. It’s a hot mess.
Lex:
Good Lord.
Jordan:
And not an insignificant amount of the show happens on carnival rides.
Lex:
Good Lord. Okay. All right.
Jordan:
It is wild.
Lex:
I mean, I can see why that would get all of the dopamine receptors going. There’s a lot happening.
Jordan:
There’s so much happening. And every single episode ends on a cliffhanger, which is not unusual, but it is the most dun, dun, dun, dramatic cliffhangers.
Lex:
Well, it’s a circus show.
Jordan:
It’s a circus soap opera in the sixties. It’s incredible.
Lex:
That’s amazing.
Jordan:
I will say, fair warning to everyone out there, there is only one season of it out right now. It does end on a massive cliffhanger. And they have not confirmed if there will be a season two or not. So watch at your own risk. But it is very fun.
Lex:
And consider this our vote to not cancel it.
Jordan:
Please don’t cancel it, Netflix.
Lex:
Consider it our vote to renew it for once, for once. Renew a show.
Jordan:
Luna Park. Luna Park.
Lex:
And if you’re gonna do that, can you also throw in Teenage Bounty Hunters?
Jordan:
Teenage Bounty Hunters. Teenage Bounty Hunters.
Lex:
Please.
Jordan:
That was a good show.
Lex:
For real. Please.
Jordan:
I miss that show so much.
Lex:
So good. Hell yeah, bro. Thanks for sharing that.
Jordan:
Thank you for sharing that moment with me. What do you got this week?
Lex (39:25):
Little bit of a snoozier vibe. I’d like you to pretend you’re a young person, not necessarily human, but a thing called a spirit scout. You are sent out on your first solo mission to an island, where allegedly there’s maybe one or two ghosts that you are supposed to help move on and pass on to the other life. It’s your first solo mission, you’re bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and you’re ready to give this new life a try.
Jordan:
Ready to scout some spirits, it sounds like.
Lex:
Turns out Cozy Grove, the island that you have been sent to, is not mildly haunted. It’s incredibly haunted.
Jordan:
Whoa.
Lex:
There’s dozens of ghosts.
Jordan:
That’s so many ghosts.
Lex:
That need your help and you can’t help them. Because in the game, Cozy Grove, that’s the objective. You’re a little spirit scout that has been incorrectly sent to the wrong island for your first mission. And because of the mechanics of the way the world and lore works, once you’ve been sent out, you can’t come back until you’ve completed your mission. And so you’re stuck there and you have to help these dozens of ghosts. And so you’re on this island that is devoid of color. And then it turns out, the more you help these ghosts, the more they give you materials that you can give to your campfire that will spread light and love and friendship.
Jordan:
Oh my gosh.
Lex:
And color to the world.
Jordan:
That’s incredibly dear.
Lex:
And did I mention the ghosts are bears?
Jordan:
What?
Lex:
Yeah. A lot of people have been raving about this game for a while now. It’s called Cozy Grove. I finally was able to get it on my Nintendo Switch, and I am loving it. It’s purposefully very slow moving. You can only really do so much each day, and it’s based on real time. So it’s like a life management sim, you know? Similar to Stardew Valley, you know. Yeah. You know, the type of game. But it’s really sweet. Really, really cute animation and artwork. And I’m just really enjoying it. I’m enjoying getting to know the characters because, you know, you’re learning about these ghosts who have been haunting this island for who knows how long. And, you know, some of them have been there for so long that they can’t even remember. And you have to help them remember. It’s very sweet. But like a lot of games that deal with haunting and death, Spirit Fair is another one that comes to mind, there are some very bittersweet moments. Right. But mostly I’m just so delighted and the sounds are very soothing. It moves very, I like how fluid the movement is with the controls. So that’s been bringing me a lot of dopamine lately. Yeah. I just love these little ghost bears. They’re so cute.
Jordan:
Yeah. I have to ask if, they’re bears, is this island a forest environment or what kind of bear habitat are we talking here?
Lex:
Well, so that’s the thing, right, you’re a spirit scout. So you’re a scout. So it’s camping centric.
Jordan:
Camping centric, scout based, bear heavy. That’s the shit I like to hear.
Lex:
Yeah. It’s pretty great.
Jordan:
That sounds wonderful. Yeah. I’ve already convinced more than one person to play it and I hope that they’ve also been enjoying it or else I’ve led them astray or else.
Jordan (43:00):
Well, that sounds great.
Lex:
Yeah. So I’m really enjoying that. It’s given me a lot of dopamine. Yeah. Thanks for letting me tell you about these cute little ghost bears.
Jordan:
Anytime. I am delighted to hear about them. So that’s my second Dopamine Trampoline, is hearing you talk about Cozy Grove.
Lex:
Yeah, no problem. I’ll show you later.
Jordan:
Yeah, I would love that. Yeah. Well, let’s wrap this ding dang thing up so I can see these bears. You need to see some ghost bears?
Lex:
Yeah. All right.
Jordan:
Shall we?
Lex:
Yeah.
Jordan:
This has been Or, Learn Parkour from Wholehearted Production Company.
Lex:
You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts. Most other places that cool people find their podcasts.
Jordan:
Special thanks to Krizia Perito for our cover art design. You can find her at Petalhop. That’s P-E-T-A-L-H-O-P on Instagram, Twitter, and Etsy.
Lex (43:51):
Thank you as well to Tom Rosenthal for our intro and outro song. There is a Dark Place off of the album Keep a Private Room Behind the Shop.
Jordan:
You can follow us on the sosh meeds @orlearnparkour on Twitter @wearewpc on Instagram @orlearnparkour on TikTok as well, if I remember correctly. And of course, on our website at wearewpc.com.
Lex:
Yeah, we’re trying to do the Tok.
Jordan:
We’re trying to do the Tok. We’ve got a video lined up. There is one in the drafts.
Lex:
Yeah. Yeah.
Jordan:
There might be more.
Lex:
Hopefully more. We’ll get there.
Jordan:
Yeah. There’ll be more.
Lex:
Yeah. We’re on the Tok. But you can find links to all those in our episode description.
Jordan:
If you enjoy this podcast and wanna hear more, now is a great time to click, follow, subscribe, whatever the deal is on your podcatcher of choice. We would appreciate that very much. And if you wanna start a podcast of your own, click the Buzzsprout affiliate link in, you guessed it, our episode description or Linktree if you’re on our Instagram. You get a great little deal to start a podcast hosted by Buzzsprout. We get a little bit of money to keep the lights on. It’s hunky dory.
Lex:
It’s all good. You could also support the show the good old fashioned way. Word of mouth. Share us with your friends, your coworkers, your family, your enemies. Someone random on the street. I don’t know. Or if you’re feeling real saucy, give us some money. We got a Ko-fi. You can find that in our Linktree. One last thing before we get going for real. I am super excited. I got a new job. But because of that, things are a little chaotic and messy and my brain is very focused on that right now. And so we are gonna take a little, little teeny little breaky break and we will be back by Halloween, our fave holiday. Ooh. But we are gonna be taking just another little breaky break just to catch our breath, figure out this new schedule. See how everything fits together. And find a way to do this consistently so that we can be consistent-ish.
Jordan:
Keep doing parkour.
Lex:
Ish.
Jordan:
Keep hanging out.
Lex:
Ish, ish. Yeah. I was like, come out every other Monday ish.
Jordan:
Yes. Yep. Yeah. Yep, yep, yep. So we’ll be on a little hiatus, but like we said, we got some Tiktoks queued up. I’ll be around. I’m on Twitter too, too much. So I almost just said not gone, just forgotten. I don’t think that’s the right phrase.
Lex:
No. But you know, we’re gonna be gone, but hopefully you won’t forget us.
Jordan:
Gone but not forgotten. That’s what it is. Right, right, right.
Lex:
Yeah. But we’ll be back.
Jordan:
You can’t get rid of us that easy.
Lex:
Yeah. You can’t kill me with anything that the world has to offer that I’m aware of.
Jordan:
Only the Mamma Mia van.
Lex:
Yeah. Okay. On that note.
Jordan:
I’m Jordan
Lex:
I’m Lex.
Jordan:
And this has been Or, Learn Parkour. We’ll see ya around Halloween. Bye.