In this week’s much delayed Hyperfocus Bonus, Esme is out with a stomach bug, and Marcus details his heroic efforts tending to his sickly wife and daughter. He also proposes a simple solution for freeing up some of the federal funding needed to create a better health care system.

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While the future is unknown, one thing seems pretty clear - 2026 is going to be a weird, wild, and, quite possibly, very stupid year. To help them manage their own anxious feelings about the near future, Marcus and Esme decided to practice some “positive anticipation” strategies in an effort to have some things to look forward to in 2026. They also share some tips and tricks that can help you identify your own list of things to look forward to this year.

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Sources for this episode include:

• Vilhauer, Jennice. “Finding Joy: How Positive Anticipation Boosts Your Happiness.” Psychology Today, 25 Oct. 2024, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-forward/202405/finding-joy-how-positive-anticipation-boosts-your-happiness.
• Vilhauer, Jennice. “Finding Joy: How Positive Anticipation Boosts Your Happiness.” Psychology Today, 25 Oct. 2024, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-forward/202405/finding-joy-how-positive-anticipation-boosts-your-happiness.

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• Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

In this week's episode, Marcus and Esme celebrate the holiday season by replaying a holiday -themed fan favorite from earlier in the year (episode 9: Gratitude, but not in a woo-woo kind of way). They also share some updates and issue a few corrections related to last Friday’s episode. Are the updates related to biker-gang activity in Delco during the 70s? There’s only one way to find out.

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• Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Marcus and Esme pay tribute to Rob Reiner. They discuss how unfortunate it is that we often don’t take time to appreciate the impact some artists have on us while they’re still alive, and they reflect upon how the peak of Reiner’s career aligned so perfectly with their formative years.

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It’s time for another Movie Night! Marcus and Esme, having recently rewatched the romantic-ish comedy Punch-Drunk Love (2002), sit down to discuss its depiction of mental illness and social anxiety. They also attempt to answer the question, “What happens when a fancy pants director (Paul Thomas Anderson – Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, One Battle After Another) joins forces with an actor (Adam Sandler) who, at the time, seemed better suited to roles that required him to scream gibberish at Bradley Whitford and get into a fist fight with Bob Barker?” Not to give too much away, but . . . the answer is a really good depiction of what it feels like to live with chronic anxiety.

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• Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Marcus and Esme bemoan the time management and merchandising requirements imposed upon them by a seasonal decorative item. Marcus explains how having a BA in English often interferes with one’s ability to just enjoy things, and Esme shares a few more examples of sanity-saving content she turns to when the news gets too heavy.

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• Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

In this week's episode, Marcus and Esme revisit the male loneliness epidemic from a very unique angle. What if men didn’t have to choose between “traditional” and “positive” masculinity. What if the solution to developing a healthy identity is to simply be . . . weird? From the dangers of the manosphere to the radicalization path algorithms push young men down, they explore why weirdness—unique passions, abilities, and character traits—can be a powerful shield. Backed by science, creativity research, and even relationship studies, Marcus and Esme explore how being different isn’t a drawback but a strength. And yes, they’ll talk about why embracing weirdness doesn’t mean giving up on human connection.

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Sources for this episode include:

• Karlton Jahmal. “I’ve Seen Friends and Family Members Get Swooped Up by the Manosphere, and As a Liberal Man, I Hate It but See the Allure.” BuzzFeed, 3 Dec. 2025, https://www.buzzfeed.com/karltonjahmal/how-the-manosphere-seduces-men.
• Khazan, Olga. “The Perks of Being a Weirdo: How Not Fitting In Can Lead to Creative Thinking.” The Atlantic, Apr. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/04/the-perks-of-being-a-weirdo/606778/.
• Hornsey, Matthew J., Richard Wellauer, Jason C. McIntyre, and Fiona Kate Barlow. “A Critical Test of the Assumption That Men Prefer Conformist Women and Women Prefer Nonconformist Men.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 41, no. 6, June 2015, pp. 755–768. SAGE Publications, doi:10.1177/0146167215577366.

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Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Esme takes a victory lap as she describes how she has recently demonstrated mastery over many neurodivergent people’s greatest foe: time itself. Then, Marcus is relieved to learn Debbie Harry is okay, but is embarrassed to see how she is depicted in a random AI slop video.

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Our theme music

• Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp