Is Juggling Harder Than Performing Open Heart Surgery?

Summary

Podcast Summary:

The Nightly | Hatch Podcasts
Episode: Is Juggling Harder Than Performing Open Heart Surgery?
Date: March 10, 2026
Hosts: Jacquis & Josh

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Episode Overview

In this cozy, late-night pop culture wind-down, Jacquis and Josh transform their recurring “Pillow Fort” conversations into a whimsical debate: Is juggling tougher than open-heart surgery? The episode unfolds into playful discussions about work-life rhythms as entertainers, improbable business pitches, and the existential threat of the “overly good bowler.” The hosts trade inventive, hilarious bad business ideas, riff on the social nature of gambling and bowling, and champion the kind of convivial, inclusive energy listeners seek for bedtime comfort.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rhythm of Entertainer Work Life

[00:51-02:30]

• Both Jacquis and Josh discuss the unpredictability of creative work—periods of downtime interrupted by an “everything all at once” rush.
• Jacquis: “I can’t imagine going back to a 9-to-5 job... our lifestyle is—we work hard and then sometimes we are not doing anything, and then all of a sudden we’re hit with, you have everything to do” (00:51).
• Both hosts recognize the “0 to 100” pace and muse about whether constant busyness would be easier to manage.

2. Juggling vs. Open-Heart Surgery Debate

[02:34-05:11]

• The heart of the episode’s title—can juggling multiple balls be as hard as heart surgery?
• Jacquis: “To me, juggling four balls is just as impressive as open heart surgery. I know... some medical professionals... will say what I'm about to say is blasphemous.” (02:44)
• Josh and Jacquis both admit their juggling skills are minimal, reinforcing the comic, relatable tone.
• Josh: “I learned... we had to learn a skill for a book report in school... the fundamentals... still with me. My hands are just better at being hands than they were when I was ten.” (04:18)

3. The Bad Business Idea Game

[05:20-14:28]

• They challenge each other to pitch “bad” business inventions the world doesn’t need but might secretly want.
• Josh goes first with a new take on social gambling.

Josh's Pitch: The “Brick Casino”/“Mortar”/“Casinoo”

[05:56-14:28]

• Blends the idea of the “Brick” (a device to disable apps/social media) with an old-school casino vibe.
• The “casino” forces people to disable sports betting apps and place bets in-person, turning gambling into a social event with old-fashioned ATM withdrawals and a slightly intimidating “guy” at the counter.
• Pointed satirical touches: “You have to take out money from an ATM and bring it to a guy who you’re worried might beat you up” (07:15) and “Their shirt is like, the exact same size as their torso. So it’s always kind of bulgy” (09:20).
• Focuses on social connection: “My hypothesis is being around people is better for you than not being around people” (10:00).
• Titles brainstormed: “The Mortar” and “Casinoo—because it’s social. That O is not alone. The O’s are bros” (14:12-14:19).
• They riff on male loneliness and how communal gambling could combat it, while also emphasizing it’s for everyone.
• Memorable Quote:

  Josh: “I love this idea. Now, can you re-explain what the brick aspect of it is?” (08:05)

Jacquis' Pitch: The “Handicap Lane” Bowling Alley

[14:32-20:41]

• Bowling’s greatest flaw, Jacquis argues, is the “person that’s too good at bowling.”
• Jacquis: “That’s like bringing your own rim to the basketball court... Get out of here.” (16:38)
• Solution: Create a specialty lane that detects high skill and deploys obstacles (weighted balls, blinding lights, spinning mirrors, air gusts to the eyes, even lanes that incline to return the ball if bowled too softly) to “handicap” the overachievers.
• Dubbed “the Handicap Lane”—a golfing-style handicap, not disability—and priced at $150 for two hours.
• Jacquis: “Everybody happy because you have brought it down to their level... It’s called the handicap lane... to handicap people who are too good at bowling.” (18:58)
• Invokes the fun of mini-golf’s obstacles: “What if the lane, it’s opening and closing and you have to jump the ball over it now.” (20:11)
• The fun is both in leveling the competition and watching the good bowler squirm.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jacquis:

  “Juggling four balls is just as impressive as open-heart surgery.” (02:44)

• Josh:

  “My hands are just better at being hands than they were when I was ten.” (04:18)

• Josh:

  “You’re not on your phone. You’re gambling. You’re watching the game together. We’re bringing back hanging out with the boys, or the girls, or the they/thems. Right?” (08:10)

• Jacquis:

  “That O is not alone. The O’s are bros.” (14:13-14:19)

• Josh:

  “I think we’re going to be business moguls by this time next year. Me and you, buddy. J and J. J and J businesses.” (20:53)

• Jacquis (on bowling):

  “Nothing more fun than watching people who are prickly get knocked down a couple pegs. This is fun for everybody.” (19:41)

• Josh:

  “There’s not enough obstacles in bowling. We’ve got the gutters. But what if the lane, it’s opening and closing and you have to jump the ball over it now, like, right?” (20:11)

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Important Timestamps

• [00:51–02:30] — Entertainer lives: rhythms and chaos
• [02:34–05:11] — “Is juggling harder than heart surgery?” debate
• [05:20–14:28] — Bad business idea: The “Brick Casino” and its evolution
• [14:32–20:41] — Bad business idea: “Handicap Lane” for overly skilled bowlers
• [20:53–21:43] — Wrap-up, business mogul jokes, and bedtime vibes

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Tone & Takeaway

In classic “Pillow Fort” style, Jacquis and Josh deliver cozy banter, playful speculation, and sincere takes on social connection—peppered with good-natured absurdity and affectionate teasing. Their tone is light, laugh-out-loud funny, and warmly inclusive. Listeners are encouraged to contribute their own “bad business ideas,” making every episode feel like a group hang—the ultimate antidote to insomnia and doomscrolling.

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Call to Action

Listeners are invited to share their own wild business ideas and feedback at [e-mail].

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Transcript

[A]

Hello.

[B]

You're about to drift into an episode of the Nightly, a podcast designed to help you unwind and relax. For the full phone free immersive light experience, visit Hatch Co. Enjoy. Good evening. Hello. Hello. I'm Jacquis.

[A]

And I'm Josh. Welcome to the Nightly from Hatch, a slumber party for pop culture lovers.

[B]

Hello, Josh.

[A]

Hi, Jacquis. How are you this evening?

[B]

You know, I'm fantastic.

[A]

I'm glad to hear it. What's new with you? It's been a little while since we've caught up.

[B]

What's going on with me? I'm. As people who have listened to our conversations in Pillow Ford may know, I am a working entertainer. And so I'm. I'm in the middle of work. Um, and yeah, it's so funny because I can't imagine, like, going back to a 9 to 5 job. And I'm not saying anything is wrong with it at all. It's just like, I haven't done that in a long time. So that feels so busy to me and feels so, like, like, so time consuming. But our lifestyle is. We work hard and then sometimes we aren't. We are not doing anything, and then all of a sudden we're hit with. You have everything to do.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And like, that is also. And are you in that mode? And like, sometimes I'm like, maybe it would be better if I always had something to do. So that way when it gets super busy, it doesn't feel so crazy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because it go from like 0 to 100 way too often.

[A]

I also feel like when I'm in periods where I have a very steady job, whether that, I mean, especially when it is in entertainment, like when I was in writers rooms more consistently, there were certain things I would have loved to have been able to say yes to, but I just kind of had to say no. I'm sorry, I can't do that. I have to be at work. But when I'm fully freelance and kind of piecing it all together between various different opportunities, I definitely just kind of say yes to everything until it's like juggling full chaos.

[B]

All the plates. All the plates are spinning.

[A]

All the plates.

[B]

I'm gonna try that one day, just spinning real plates and just see how it feels.

[A]

I know. Oh, I bet I'd be really bad at it. I bet I'd end up with a lot of shards very quickly.

[B]

I would be so bad at it. I tried to juggle. I wonder, do we. I know there are some people out there listening that juggle I don't know how you do it, man. Like, you look at to me, and I know there are going to be some medical professionals that will say what I'm about to say is blasphemous. But to me, juggling four balls is just as impressive as open heart surgery.

[A]

I love this tape. This is good. This is a powerful opinion.

[B]

It is. And I just said to me, I know, like, to some people, like, jugglers are like, no, but to me, because, like, I have such a lack of ability to do it, and it seems so impossible that it seems just as impossible to me to do that as open heart surgery.

[A]

To do open heart surgery. Yeah. Can you do three balls?

[B]

No, I can't. Is. Can you?

[A]

I can do three.

[B]

You can do three balls? I can do three balls. I think I can do three balls very poorly, where, like, I'm not really juggling, but you're kind of keeping them going. Barely. Like two are in the hand, one is up, and I'm dropping it a couple of times, but I can probably complete a loop or two of three balls at once.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And it still looks bad.

[A]

Yeah. That's very funny to be able to do it a little bit in the way that people are like, nah, I'm not impressed by that joke.

[B]

Don't go do some open heart surgery, man.

[A]

There's no way this guy could do open heart surger. Amazing. That's so funny. Yeah, I can do it a little. I learned. We had to learn a skill for a book report in school. We had to do a report on acquiring a new skill. And I was very bad. I think I just got, like, I could do it a couple of times, maybe in front of the class, and then I didn't do it for a while, and then kind of picked it up maybe in high school and was like, oh, the fundamentals of it are still with me. And my hands are just better at being hands than they were when I was 10.

[B]

That's funny. That's funny.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Well, listen, we figured out some stuff about us that we are. I'm at least just as close to doing open heart surgery as juggling four balls. And for you, maybe that's six balls. Maybe that's six balls.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

Yeah, that's it. Well, you know, speaking of. Have baked ideas.

[A]

Love this.

[B]

I'm wondering if maybe there are some business ideas or inventions that we feel are desperately needed in the world. And by desperately, I mean not at all. And I want to see if we can bring those to the table and let's see if we can pitch them and think that each other's ideas should be also created. How's that sound?

[A]

I think this is a great idea.

[B]

Let's do some bad business. You want to go first?

[A]

I would love to go first. I have a pretty bad idea for a business in that it is just a worse idea for an existing business that makes it slightly less good. Okay, so this is called the Brick Casino. So you know about casinos. Obviously, that's something we know.

[B]

I know the casino. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, great. This is a great start. So do you know about the brick device that people are getting that disables. So if listener. Okay, great. If listeners don't know there's a device called the Brick that people are purchasing and they are using it and you tap your phone to it and it disables social media apps generally, and then you leave the house is how it happens. And those apps cannot be RE enabled, obviously, like emergency stuff still works, but they won't be RE enabled until you tap it on the brick again. So I'm combining those two things because I think we've made sports gambling too easy.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

And so I think we've got to do it back to old school. So just a small, unpleasant room where you go and you tap your phone and you can't do it on your phone. You've got to gamble old school. And you can bet on the same stuff, but you have to take out money from an ATM and bring it to a guy who you're worried might beat you up.

[B]

Yeah, he might jump you.

[A]

Yeah, he could jump you. And then when you're ready to leave, you tap your phone and it's active again. But no online betting happens.

[B]

I love that. This is a great idea, actually. I love this.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

And there is something, like, scary and it makes you think twice about going to a physical place and being reckless. Now, I know some people don't have that, but I do. You know, like if I'm on my phone, for instance, and I can just spend money willy nilly, but if I go to somebody who's a little, like, shady, they got a pistol on them. Like, I feel a little weary about spending money when a pistol is in the room. I think that's important. I love this idea now.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Can you re explain to me what the brick aspect of it is again? Like, what does that.

[A]

So this is the thing. There's a couple parts of it I don't. This is like a new business, so I don't know if it lets Me do away with the old businesses because there's a lot of those that I would be like, get them out of here. So this is a way to, like, not just we're replacing this other thing, but also, in my opinion, one of the things about sports betting that people do on their own is that it's not a social activity. And I think, like, to make it social, you're not on your phone. You're gambling. You're watching the game together. We're bringing back. Hanging out with the boys or the girls or the they. Thems. Right. You're getting together, you're having snacks, maybe having some beverages. You're present, watching the game, you're yelling. You're not just kind of on your phone looking for various bets to hit. And you're not. I think it also takes you a little bit away from that because you can't go, okay, this player scored. And now a new bet is available to me based on new projections. You have to go up to the person behind the thing, and they've got, like, a baseball bat that they're tapping against their hand.

[B]

They're big. Their head is a little smaller than their body.

[A]

That's right. Their shirt is, like, the exact same size as their torso. So it's always kind of bulgy. And then they are. And so you have to place the bet with them from, like, a menu of bets. You can't just like, oh, my phone. Updated with a million different things that can take my money.

[B]

I love that. The crux of this idea is that gambling, famously, is better for you if you're around people.

[A]

That's the hypothesis I have had. I haven't done any clinical trials or studies, but I do think. I think I get.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

My hypothesis is being around people is better for you than not being around people.

[B]

Okay, so this is a social app more than like a gambling.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. It's kind of. It's like a platonic hinge. Yeah. You're just coming together with other people who are kind of degenerates.

[B]

Yeah. And, like, the social activity that you're doing is betting on sports.

[A]

That's right. And, you know, people say there's a male loneliness crisis. This is. We gotta get. We gotta get the guys together.

[B]

Right. I love this. I love this. See, like. And that's the thing I love about it too, is because, you know, it's pitched as one thing, but then we start to see, like, no, this goes deeper. This. This is solving, like, toxic masculinity. This is Solving male loneliness. And also, I want to be clear, like, women be gambling too, for sure. And everybody, you know, the gentle ladies and the ladies being gambling, baby, you know, I get it. I get it.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

But. But sports betting typically falls in the, like, male aspect of it. Skews male.

[A]

I bet it skews proportionally male. Yeah.

[B]

And I love. Like, I've never horse bet it before. Have you ever horse betted before?

[A]

Oh, I have. Two years ago. I was in Louisville during the Kentucky Derby. Or. No, I'm sorry. I was in Kentucky, but not in Louisville. But they. Everything was derby centric. Cause I was still in Kentucky. And so we went to this, like, you know, this kind of gnarly casino where people, I think, were smoking inside still. And I picked the winner. But. And because I was. Because I had to leave town the next day and I had left the. The casino by the time the. The bet hit. I gave it to my friend that I was with, and my two friends went out to dinner with my. I put down 10 bucks or whatever and won like 60 or something like that. And it felt great.

[B]

That feels good. I've never done this. I've never.

[A]

Yeah, it felt amazing.

[B]

I've never done it. And I think, like, I would have more fun doing it if I was like, there at the track, watching, totally happening right in front of me, as opposed to just like on my couch. And then I gotta stay in the house. I gotta stay in the house and what? Cause I gotta watch the horse race and, you know, so I don't want to go nowhere. I get this. I love this idea. How much would this cost to like, have this brick? And what are we calling it? Because you just call. Because it's based off the brick. So I wanna know what the name of it is and how much you're thinking this cost.

[A]

So I guess if it's a whole building. Oh, it's the whole building and.

[B]

Oh, yeah, the whole building. I missed that aspect of it. I thought, like, it was just like it was a device on your phone. And it made you go into any casino to go like.

[A]

No, no, this is the place. So it's like its own casino that's a little dingy. And it's just. It's more like a bedding window. And there's, you know, snacks and ambiance and stuff. But it is. You bring your phone there and you tap it, like in the door frame. So maybe. Cause they already have the brick. This casino is called the mortar.

[B]

All right, now this changes Things. Because this becomes a very expensive endeavor for me to be social. Because if this is not in my city, I gotta get on a plane or a train. That's true. Or in an automobile. And I gotta get to this place.

[A]

So we'll start, I guess, where I am, because that's the easiest place for me to go to work.

[B]

Then we'll start there, Right? Okay.

[A]

But then we're scaling up, we're branching

[B]

out, and eventually you'll have one in every state.

[A]

I mean, I've got a team of lobbyists that are, you know. Cause there's some places you can't even do it on your phone. And I've got a guy going to the state house going, you know, this is really good for the young men, socializing.

[B]

Okay. All right. And it's free to go into. It's free to go into.

[A]

Free, of course. Free to go into. Parking's free.

[B]

I love that. I think you should. Here's what I think you should call it. Casino with two O's instead of one.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

Yeah. Because it's social. That O is not alone.

[A]

Yeah. The O's are bros.

[B]

The O's are bros.

[A]

Jakees, do you have a bad business idea that you'd like to share?

[B]

I do. I do have a bad business idea I would love to share. And mine is also not necessarily a product, but it is almost like a revamping. And we'll do this one lane at a time. Cause this is gonna be a business that takes place in bowling alleys across America before we go international. And it is based on the theory that I have that I firmly believe. What are the things that make bowling fun when we go out with our friends? One. Camaraderie, socializing.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

Beer, food, whatever. The sounds, the lights, the little screens, all of that. But the number one thing that makes bowling fun is the competition. And the competition of bowling is enhanced when you as an individual are trying to out bowl your fellow friend. And like, sometimes you're really good at bowling that day. Sometimes you're not good at bowling that day. But there's always one person that can ruin the whole day. And it is that person that's too good at bowling.

[A]

I couldn't agree more. That is a big problem with bowling.

[B]

That one person who is just like, man, you ain't even, like, a partner of this.

[A]

I thought we agreed this is basically a game of chance for us.

[B]

Like, can I get past 100 today? And I'm. I'm not a bad bowler. Like, at my best like, the best bowling I can ever do, I can probably get like 170. The worst bowling I can do. I'll probably get like 60, 70, you know? So, like, I can range, right? And that's the fun of it for me.

[A]

So you. Have you ever. You had it where you show up and you're like, this guy's got his own shoes.

[B]

You got your own bowling ball. And, like, I appreciate that if you're not that good because. Because that's delusion, and we love delusion. But when you are actually good and you got your own song. Get up out of here, man. Get up. That's like bringing your own ram to the basketball court. Like, get out of here.

[A]

You're ruining the night.

[B]

So, okay, my business idea.

[A]

I cannot wait to hear how you

[B]

control for this is we have a lane that is weighted to make sure that one person cannot be better than 150. Tell me more. And this lane is kind of like Mission Impossible style. It has a lot of things. If you walk up to the bowling, it has. You know, bowling alleys have cameras on the lanes, right? Cause they got a sensor and everything. So if you walk up and you hit that form your foot go behind the other foot all nice, and you curve it. Your thumb don't go in the thumb hole. It detects it. It detects it. And it starts to automatically make your bowling lane harder for you by multiple things. First thing, once your ball goes in, it puts, like, added weight onto the bowling ball you get. So it makes it heavier for you. And it does things like, it bright. It shines a bright light in your eyes as you come up. Right? Okay, the lanes. There's a mirror on the pins, and it starts to spin. So it makes the pins look like. I don't know where the pins are.

[A]

Oh, that's good.

[B]

You know what I'm saying? Also, like, right as you about to, like. Cause you know, everybody bowling, if you bowling and somebody is bowling on the side of you, you're supposed to let them wait. You're supposed to, like, wait for them. Like, on this one, as you walking up, it blows air in your eyes, right? Just from each side, like, and it's like, ugh. Like, right as you get into your form.

[A]

Like a glaucoma test.

[B]

Glaucoma test, exactly. It just does. And it only does it for you because, like, you the one that needs to be knocked down. And it makes everybody happy because you have brought it down to their level, right? And they are laughing like, it's joyous like, they get to watch you do this. And it's just a retrofitted lane. Like, that is specifically, like. It's called the handicap lane. And I don't mean handicap as far as disability. I mean handicap is like a golf handicap, the handicap lane. And it is to handicap people who are too good at bowling.

[A]

This is such a good idea.

[B]

And we'll do this. We'll do this for $150.

[A]

Okay. And you. So I. And I think this is a great. A great amount. Right? Because you. Because you're. If you're good at bowling, you're not paying for this. It's all your friends chipping in, maybe without even your knowledge to make this happen to you.

[B]

Exactly. Yeah. Like, you get this lane. You get this lane for two hours for $150.

[A]

That's great. And I think in every group, almost every group I've ever bowled with, I've needed this for someone.

[B]

And then it's fun, too. Cause you get to watch them be messed with, and then hopefully they're good sports about it. And if they not, that's even more fun. Cause there's nothing more fun than watching people who are prickly get knocked down a couple pegs. This is fun for everybody.

[A]

And I honestly, it has kind. It takes the fun of bowling and adds some of the fun of mini golf, which is like obstacles.

[B]

Yes, yes.

[A]

There's not enough obstacles in bowling. We've got the gutters.

[B]

Sure, you got the gutters, but that's not, you know, that's not a big. That's a minor obstacle.

[A]

Yeah, but what if the lane, it's opening and closing and you have to jump the ball over it now, like, right.

[B]

As if you. Too good. As soon as your ball gets to those second pins, lane inclines a little bit. So if you didn't bowl hard enough, that ball may come right back, hit you in your ankles. Now you can't walk up to the line.

[A]

I would go there probably once a week just to watch other people.

[B]

It would be so fun. Yeah. So this is my business. I would like 100% of the money.

[A]

You deserve it. This is your idea. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Oh, well, thank you.

[A]

Thank you. Thank you for sharing that with me. God, I feel exhilarated.

[B]

Two great ideas.

[A]

I think we're going to be business moguls by this time next year.

[B]

Me and you, buddy. J and J. J and J businesses.

[A]

I love it. I love these ideas so much. I would love to bring them to life. Listeners, if you have any thoughts for our businesses. Please write in email us at thenightlyatch. Co. We want to hear your ideas. Or if you have your own bad business ide, maybe we'll share them with other listeners. So please write in the nightlyatch. Co. We're open to entertaining new partnerships for J and J businesses.

[B]

Josh this was beautiful. And honestly, this is kind of the perfect note to turn in and have some sweet dreams. So I'm gonna go ahead and shut it on down.

[A]

I'm gonna do the same. I'm just gonna close my eyes and envision bowling pins being smoothly knock down and drift away to sleep. Good night, Jackies.

[B]

Good night, Josh. Sam. To learn more about our phone free light and audio experience, head to Hatch Co. You can also follow us at Hatch Podcasts.