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- [00:01]
A
Audio for sleep by hatch. Hello and good evening, everybody. I'm Josh, and this is the nightly from Hatch, where your late night thoughts go to rest. It is so nice to be here with you this evening. I have a caller coming up soon. But first, I wanted to tell you kind of what I've been up to lately, which is I've mentioned a bunch that my wife and I have moved into a new apartment. And one of the really nice things about it is that we've had a chance for the first time in a long time to set things just the way we want them, which is so nice. Like, we really had gotten nested into our old apartment. It was, like, kind of full to their rafters with just, like, the stuff we brought in. And we didn't think too hard about getting rid of anything. And so it just was kind of like we were living amidst, I would say, charitably proof of a life rich with friendship and art. And to put it a little more negatively, it was a little cluttery. We had. Specifically, we had three coffee tables in an apartment that needed one coffee table, probably Max. We're talking one couch that we used ever. And then there was one coffee table in my. Or not my. The office that we share that we didn't really need there. It just, like, became a, like, way station for stuff. And because there was the table, we didn't think too much about getting rid of the stuff. And then there was another coffee table, which was our favorite one, but it was, like, off to the side. And that also became like, oh. When my wife works in book publishing, she's a book critic, she's an author, and so she gets new books in the mail by the probably, like, half dozen a day in heavy volume times. And that became, like, we would put new books there, and if I ordered a record off of Bandcamp or something that would go there. So it just became like, every surface on the apartment became like a little museum to one or both of our interests. And it's been, like, a really worthwhile and rewarding experience. And I don't say that sarcastically or falsely. I don't think it's unfair to say that neither of us is, like, a professional level designer. So even just thinking about, like, what kinds of furniture are there that could fit here? So I'm, like, pretty psyched. We ordered, like, a big trunk, like a nice wooden trunk for the foot of our bed. Bed. And that's where we're going to put our linens, because you don't have a linen closet. In the new place. And it just feels, like, so nice to solve a problem of, like, we got so many blankets and towels and we lost our little place next to the laundry to put them and to go, like, wait a minute. We've been just heaping up Rubbermaid containers and cardboard boxes still with that stuff in it at the foot of the bed. And I bet there's an artful solution. And we figured it out. So I'm like, really? I'm kind of soaring off of that feeling. And like, hopefully we, you know, we measured and everything, so hopefully it's the right size and fits and looks nice in the bedroom. But, like, that is a great excitement, which is. I don't want to talk too much or think too much about what that means for, like, my total washedness, like, my 100% over the hill status. But I am really delighted. So that's what's been on my mind lately is this trunk and getting rid of two coffee tables and just, wow, that feels amazing. It feels better to me than going to a music festival would at this point in my life. So right now I am going to bring in our caller. I want to hear what's on their mind. I'm so excited. These chats have been so fun. And so without further ado, it is my pleasure to welcome. Welcome to the show. Charlie. Charlie, thanks so much for being here.
- [04:55]
B
Hey, Josh, where are you calling from? I am in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- [05:02]
A
Excellent. You know, one of my favorite things about that part of New Jersey, and obviously, like, because there are those, like, really nice cities that are along the Hudson river, right? And one of my favorite things, I don't know if you feel this way, is Frank Sinatra are performing the song New York, New York. And it's like, start spreading the news. I'm leaving today. And it's like, man, you're moving from Hoboken to Manhattan. You can see where you're moving from where you currently live.
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B
Yeah, it's. But leaving Hoboken is a big thing.
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A
That's true. Okay.
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B
A lot of people don't. A lot of people just totally agree ever.
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A
As someone who's from the Boston area, I think a lot of people really put down roots where they're from. I mean, I guess with Boston itself, there's college students that come through. But where I'm from, there's a lot of people that are like, this is where I grew up, and I'm gonna move maybe two towns over. Cause there was a house or an apartment I could move into when I Needed to. And that's where I am. And I think that's like a lovely way to be. But you're right. I should give Frank Sinatra more credit for moving across the river.
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B
I mean, I. I think Sinatra gets enough credit. I don't think we need to.
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A
You know, I. Yeah, I don't think there's a dearth of, you know, I think we'll have to get a few more generations down the line before, like Gen Alpha kids are making TikToks. Like, people don't remember this guy, but he had a beautiful voice and blue eyes and like fan cams of Frank Sinatra. So, Charlie, what has been on your mind? What do you. What are you calling in to chat about?
- [06:46]
B
So I was in London in March for. I went there for a hold study show because I'm a man of a certain age and that's just what we do.
- [06:59]
A
I was, I started the show talking about how excited I am for a new trunk to put towels and sheets in. So, like, I think we are of a similar age.
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B
Yeah, yeah, definitely. But it was the first time I told someone that I was from Jersey and they actually thought the island when I was.
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A
Interesting. Because you were in a greater. That was the closest Jersey.
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B
Yeah. So leaving out the new. That was Jersey to them.
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A
Right.
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B
It made me think about all of the towns and states over here that are named New Blank. And I will often run a list in my head about whether or not the new one should just be Jersey, you know, as opposed to New Jersey. Whether or not the, I guess, like the New World version has outshined the town that it's named after. And I think we should change things accordingly when it has been.
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A
Okay, So I love this plan. I do think if you are. So you're saying, Are you saying like New Jersey specifically? If New Jersey has eclipsed the Isle of Jersey, New Jersey gets to be Jersey and you can say that anywhere in the world. And then the Isle of Jersey, you have to call it that. Or Old Jersey.
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B
Yeah, like Island Jersey. Old Jersey, Island Jersey, East Jersey. I don't know. But it has to have a modifier
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A
Euro Jersey like we did with the Disney's. Yeah, totally. I think this is a really tremendous idea. Have you started, like enumerating this list of like. Like, where do you put New Hampshire? Which is the premier Hampshire? Ours or the.
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B
The British New Hampshire? New Hampshire is a good one. I think Hampshire, the county in England is still done more culturally than our New Hampshire.
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A
Our Newer Hampshire. Sure.
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B
Like Southampton is in Hampshire. Southampton was Almost in the Premier League, if they didn't cheat this past year, New Hampshire has never had a professional sports team in any of the main leagues. Thus Hampshire is the real one.
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A
I like this. I think that's a fair adjudication. I will say. I think there's a weird wrinkle that we have a New Hampshire and it. Excuse me. Excuse me. And it is the Granite State, and Granite is so old. So we really are working on a lot of levels temporarily here.
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B
Did New Hampshire have the old man in the mountain, or is that Vermont?
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A
Yep, it's New Hampshire. So for listeners who don't know, do you want to explain the old man in the mountain?
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B
It was a mountain that kind of looked like an old man.
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A
Yep.
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B
In the way, like, it was carved. And I like on profile. Like the profile of an old guy.
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A
Yes.
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B
And I think part of it fell off at some point.
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A
Yeah, that's right. I think it is no longer even casually old man looking. I think the passing resemblance has. Has deteriorated as, like, some of the rock face has crumbled.
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B
Yeah, but that's. Yeah. So they're old and new. That's funny.
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A
Yeah. Okay, so we're gonna take credit for the American. Jersey gets to be Jersey. The UK gets to keep Hampshire. Are there other. Okay, so, I mean, like, this is a tricky one, right, Because I grew up in New England, but I still think England has us.
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B
I mean, it depends, you know, what you want to argue. No, I'm kidding. Yeah, no, New England is still New England.
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A
You're not going to find a bigger booster of New England than me. But I think just historically, in terms of both culture and atrocity, you have to hand it to England. Prime England classic.
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B
Yeah, yeah. England gets a nod there, I think. I think New Orleans is an interesting one. That is really interesting because Orleans isn't, you know, it's like a hundred and thirty thousand, one hundred fifty thousand. It's not a huge city in France. It's not that important. But, you know, it has a history of, I think, from like 300. You know, it's very, very old. Yeah, very. Like, it's done a lot where our New Orleans, you know, it's fun, it has cool cultural moments. I love it. But, yeah, I don't know if it's had, like, a lasting enough impression yet on the world to get, like, the nod.
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A
I'll even say this about New Orleans, which I think really, to me, this is a salient point. Is that new? Hardly, to me, sometimes feels like a reference to Orleans. Like New Orleans, almost like, especially because of the kind of, you know, the authentic and pseudo authentic pronunciations of, like, Nolans is like. It feels like it is almost one word in a way that, like, New Mexico does not. Where you go, oh, yeah, we. There's, like, political reasons why that is no longer Mexico and why it is New Mexico now.
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B
Yeah. Well. Which I also think is funny because they're both, you know, Jersey sounds, you know, English enough so it's the same language, but you know, Orleans and New Orleans and, you know, Mexico and not Nuevo Mexico for New Mexico. It's a weird mishmash, like, linguistically also, but New Mexico gets to keep Mexico. New Mexico hasn't done anything, or that doesn't count.
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A
Yeah, we've got. We've got Vince Gilligan's TV shows. We've got Green Chili's. But. Yeah. And I think it, frankly, would be rude after the way. Excuse me. After the way New Mexico was acquired to be like, not only are we New Mexico, that is Mexico, and you've
- [13:45]
B
got to change your name, it would probably be very American to do it that way.
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A
But, yes, I know. I feel like it's more in the case of, like, succession or homage that. That qualifies.
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B
Yes.
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A
That this rule qualifies. Totally amazing. Are there other towns that you think about in cities that are, like, really on the bubble for you?
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B
New Brunswick is a Jersey one. That's very weird to me because. Because it's named after somewhere in Germany. Brunswick, Germany. But I. I don't think anyone knows that.
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A
Yeah.
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B
Really cares about either of them on, like, a broader, you know, in a broader stance. So I don't even know what to call it.
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A
They could both be Brunswick, and I don't think people would even feel like there's competition.
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B
Yeah, I think it would be fine. I think. I think that's part of it where, you know, you don't want to name the town after too famous of a town anyways. Like, totally.
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A
Right.
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B
London, Ontario. Makes no sense.
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A
Which is so funny because we have a Paris, Texas. Right. But it's not New Paris. And it's like, Paris, Texas, you're getting your butt kicked across the board by. By old Paris.
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B
Yeah. But I feel like. Have you ever heard it called Paris? It's always Paris, Texas.
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A
Paris, Texas. Sure. Or at the same with Athens, Georgia.
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B
Yeah. I think we've modified it without the new.
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A
Interesting. Okay.
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B
On those. Which I haven't considered until just now.
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A
No, it's all right. I. I think you're right, though, that when it's when you don't have a new. Modifying it, you can specifying like, this is the American one, this is in the American south. Helps. Okay, so what about cities and towns that have just taken old? Like old Saybrook, Connecticut?
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B
I mean, I think the thing in general is I think new and old should be not just indicative of the time, but of how much it matters. So if something started off as old. Well, I'm sorry, old. Which one were you using?
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A
Saybrook.
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B
Saybrook. I don't know. Regular Saybrook. So they could just be saved.
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A
Okay.
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B
But if they wanted to add the old to make it older, make it sound like it has more gravitas. I. I don't know. I guess that's fine.
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A
But I've got a pitch for you.
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B
Yeah?
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A
Because I do think. I think new and old. Right. Are like. It doesn't. I understand the ethos of what you're suggesting. Excuse me? What you're suggesting. But I think there's something that's left out. Because if we're talking about significance, new, new versus old, or the. The thing itself unmodified versus the new version of that doesn't always get the point across. I think the. The least culturally significant of any of these should. We should append. Lil. So it's like, oh, we've got Jersey, which is New Jersey, the state. And then in. In the uk, there's Lil Jersey.
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B
See, I love this. I agree with this. But I don't want. I don't know. I feel with the way America is viewed these days, I feel like it's mean for me to call it Little Jersey.
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A
Sure.
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B
When I think Jersey's, you know, probably very nice.
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A
Totally. But then the other way to go is New Jersey is now Big Jersey.
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B
Oh, wait, hold on. Now, see, if any Lil has a big at it. I think I'm into it.
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A
Okay.
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B
So for Big Jersey instead of just Jersey, I would support Little Jersey.
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A
Okay. I also think that New Jersey is kind of the perfect example for this because I do think calling New Jersey Big Jersey feels to the people in my life who are from New Jersey like, the way they've always thought of it.
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B
I mean. Yes. Yes. 100. That's why. That's why I think it's funny that Jersey as a new. Sorry, it gets so confusing. New Jersey is one of the only news that ever refers to itself without the new.
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A
Totally.
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B
You know, you would never say you're from York, you know, or I'm from Hampshire.
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A
Yeah, totally.
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B
Yeah. But I think Big Jersey would really get Our ethos. Probably better.
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A
Yeah. I think it really captures the spirit of the place. And then. Wait, there's an. Cause I think it's so funny to think about it. Cause there's the legend of, like, the Jersey Devil. Like, kind of a cryptid. Yeah. That, like, kind of roams the New Jersey wilderness. And nobody says the New Jersey Devil. They say the Jersey Devil. And in Jersey, across the Atlantic Ocean, if you're like, oh, is that the Jersey Devil? They'd be like, you mean my impish friend Alistair? He's so charming.
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B
Oh, he's probably a devil. He might be a little devil.
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A
He might have some devilish qualities.
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B
Yeah, you'd have to have a little something to get the nickname right.
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A
Exactly. Alistaired the Jersey Devil. And like, well, what does he do? And they're like, oh, boy. He played all these pranks at university. He would switch my left and my right sock when I wasn't looking.
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B
Yeah. You know.
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A
Yeah.
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B
Sounds like an Alice.
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A
I think this is really good. Do you have any other geographic. As long as I have you, before I let you go, do you have any other important geographical theories you'd like to get off your chest and out into the airs? And to the other listeners,
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B
that's so much. No, this is really the only one I've been fixated on.
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A
Cool. And do you have. Are there. Is there a new or an old that you. Other than Jersey, that you have a specific affection for that you'd like to shout out?
- [20:22]
B
Oh. Oh. I used to live near New Lenox, Illinois.
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A
Okay.
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B
And it was terrible.
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A
Okay.
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B
I don't know other Lennox, but I can tell you that it is a better place.
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A
Right on. So to New Lennox, Illinois. I'm sorry, but you have not been approved to become premium Lennox Lennox solo. Thank you. I'm glad we did such a rundown. Charlie, this was such a wonderful conversation. I appreciate you calling in. I want to wish you and you and yours a lovely good night.
- [21:02]
B
Thank you so much. I've really enjoyed talking about this dumb little thing I think about too much.
- [21:08]
A
Hey, it was really my pleasure to learn your theory and to explore it with you here on the nightly.
- [21:14]
B
Thank you. Good night.
- [21:16]
A
Good night. That was so fun. What a silly theory. And like, that is one of my favorite things to do. Like, that really had some, like, nice slumber party energy of, like, someone unspooling their theory of how the world works and asking questions and figuring out how to. How to really make it a complete way of looking at things. If you have olds or news or littles or bigs in your life that you want to talk about Geographically, I would love to hear about them. Or if you have your own own little fixation that you want to want to chat about on the nightly, I would love to hear that too. So please call in and leave a voicemail at 904-nightly. That's 904-644-4859. Or send a voice memo or an email to the nightlyatch Co. That's thenightlyatch co. Always. I love to hear from you and our other hosts do too. It is so much fun to get to like hear what's on your mind and not just have it be a one way street. And you know about my furniture situation maybe more than you'd intended. So thank you so much for listening. I think I'm going to say goodnight before I get out of here. I'm gonna say goodnight to all the people of my homeland of New England and all the people of my wife's homeland of New Jersey. So good night to them and good night to you. Sa. To learn more about our phone free light and audio experience, head to Hatch Co. You can also follow us at Hatch Podcasts.