We are excited to share this very special bonus episode featuring our trip to Tijuana and the border wall with the non-profit group Al Otro Lado. If you'd rather watch the full video version of this episode, tap here. Al Otro Lado is a bi-national organization that provides free legal and humanitarian aid to immigrants, deportees, and separated families. Thanks to the leadership of Jesse Thorn and his wife, Theresa Thorn, and especially to all of our listeners, we were able to raise over $400,000 to support Al Otro Lado’s humanitarian and legal efforts. Join us as we travel to their headquarters in Tijuana to see their good work in action, meet the staff who make it possible, and meet some of the people who have benefited from Al Otro Lado’s work.

We recorded this episode at Friendship Park, which is located on the water in Tijuana next to the border wall. We hope you listen to our powerful conversation with Nicole Ramos, Director of the Border Rights Project at Al Otro Lado, and Cassandra Lopez, Director of Litigation at Al Otro Lado, who work in San Diego and Tijuana to advance the rights of all immigrants, refugees, and deportees, on both sides of the border. We know this is a departure from our usual content, but we believe in this powerful work and wanted to share it with you, our listeners.

Learn More about Al Otro Lado and donate to support their work at: AlOtroLado.org

Follow Al Otro Lado on Instagram here
Support Baraka’s GoFundMe here
Support Baraka’s Music and Merch at linktr.ee/frankiejaxnomad

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Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!

Erich brings the case against his wife, Allison. When they first started dating, they had a tradition called the "safety kiss." If they were driving anywhere, they would check their seatbelts, secure the dogs, and then kiss each other for safety.

They are now expecting their first child. Erich wants to reinstitute the Safety Kiss tradition. But Allison is opposed! She doesn’t want to teach her child to be fearful and superstitious. Also: when she kisses Erich, she burps. Who’s right? Who’s wrong?

Thanks to reddit user u/fille_philadelphie for naming this week’s case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun!

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Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!

Is Butter Pecan ice cream for old people? Or is it a flavor for all ages? It's time to clear the docket of all your coldest Ice Cream Queries. Is it okay to lie to a restaurant and tell them it’s your birthday to get free dessert? What should you do when your spouse and kids eat all your vegan ice cream - even though you buy them dairy ice cream too? What’s the best way to eat an ice cream sandwich? Plus, we get into the history of vanilla (yes, it’s a flavor!), chocolate-covered bugs in ice cream (good, actually), and break down the various niche ice cream orders of Judge Hodgman’s native New England.

But first, we start our episode with our experience going to Mexico with our friends at Al Otro Lado, and how they work to improve the lives of migrants on both sides of our border. Ready yourselves for the brain freeze, and take a big scoop out of this episode of the Judge John Hodgman Podcast!

NIGHT COURT is coming to the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA on June 11th! That’s TOMORROW! So grab those tickets, New Englanders, this is YOUR chance to experience the all-new live show from Judge John Hodgman at a venue near you. Get your tickets here!

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Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!

Dying to see Judge John Hodgman live? We have the episode for you! We’re flashing it back to our live show, ROAD COURT in Los Angeles. Join Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn for the most unhinged, off-the-cuff, wild live show - that also dispenses pure, unadulterated JUSTICE. We are excited to release this never-before-seen episode from our bonus feed to all of our listeners.

NIGHT COURT is coming to the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA on June 11th! That’s right, New Englanders, you have a chance to experience the all-new live show from Judge John Hodgman at a venue near you. Get your tickets here: https://coolidge.org/events/judge-john-hodgman-night-court

Thanks to reddit user u/zabraxuss for naming this week’s case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun!

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Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!

It's the Members Only May Mailbag! This month, our favorite nostalgic commercials, the correct way to organize bookshelves with a partner, go-to summer jams and so much more in the mailbag!

Not a member yet? You can become a member TODAY at maximumfun.org/join. Just $5 a month gets you immediate access to the full episode and our entire library of bonus content.

And thank you to all of our members for keeping this show going!

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Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!

Trish flushes soup down the toilet! But her friend, Marlow, wants to stop Trish from ever flushing food ever again. Trish says this is a perfectly reasonable way to dispose of soup! Who’s right? Who’s wrong?

NIGHT COURT is coming to the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA on June 11th!

Have a dispute that you can’t settle? No dispute is too small for the honorable Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn! Submit your cases directly to the court at: maximumfun.org/jjho

Thanks to reddit user u/ironymaiden_ for naming this week’s case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at maximumfun.reddit.com!

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Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!

Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn are clearing the docket this week with guest star Rachel Reid, author of the Game Changers romance novel series that spawned the viral television sensation, HEATED RIVALRY!

Rachel joins us in passing judgement on all things romance-tok, like: what’s a better trope, friends to lovers or enemies to lovers? What’s the weirdest romance-novel trope she’s ever read? And what’s a good entry-level romance novel to convince your judgemental book group? Also, Rachel shares what it was like to “come out” as a romance novelist to her parents, her favorite young adult book series (hint: it was for kids who love responsibility), and which famous major-league hockey players have brought up HEATED RIVALRY to her in real life. Plus: a sneak preview of the next book in her Game Changers series!

NIGHT COURT is coming to the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA on June 11th!

To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun!

Have a dispute that you can’t settle? No dispute is too small for the honorable Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn! Submit your cases directly to the court at: maximumfun.org/jjho

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Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!

Ben and Grayson have a weekly movie night with their friend group. When the movie ends, the group watches odd videos they discover on the internet.

This extra viewing has led both Ben and Grayson down a public television rabbit hole. Ben found the Pennsylvania public television game show THE PENNSYLVANIA GAME. He says it’s a perfect public television quiz show. But, Grayson says the game play in the Keystone State is weak. The Maine PBS show SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW MAINE is a much better game show. Who’s right? Who’s wrong?

Thanks to reddit user u/TurduckenEverest for naming this week’s case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun!

Have a dispute that you can’t settle? No dispute is too small for the honorable Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn! Submit your cases directly to the court at: maximumfun.org/jjho

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Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!