Kyle Simmons is one of my best friends. I refer to him as my favorite “sparring partner” because we spend a lot of time doing what appears to be arguing with each other, when in reality, we’re just having a discussion. I realize that sounds like walking in on your parents yelling at each other and they try to placate you by telling you they’re “just having a discussion.” But in our case, it’s true, and it’s not always fun for everyone else we’re with.

During one particularly intense session in 2005 or so, Kyle and I argued about the acting merits of Dakota Fanning that has reached somewhat mythological status among the people who know us. I don’t remember exactly why we had such a boner for this topic, but it’s a discussion that lasted roughly six months off and on.

There are a few reasons we do this. The first is that I fancy myself a smart guy, and Kyle is one of the smartest people I know. He’s not only smart, he’s able to contextualize and present his points with remarkable clarity and tough-to-argue logic. Second, we met during undergrad at Colorado State, and then plowed ahead into graduate school immediately following our first graduation, so we’re on roughly equal educational footing. Third, it’s just fun.

That’s why I think you’ll enjoy this episode – it’s two smart guys talking about (among other things): why criticism of Millennials is misdirected and dumb, our political ideology, why Kyle plans no longer to support the NFL, how a liberal arts degree actually helps you in the finance industry, what it’s actually like to live in Utah, and our disagreement over the merits of the HBO show The Newsroom.

This episode is packed! So make sure you follow Kyle on Twitter – he’s got a very well-curated feed filled with interesting links to stuff you might not find on your own – and then download this episode at the Jon of All Trades homepage, get it on iTunes, or stream it on Stitcher.

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