What's That Smell?

Pete chronicles the perils of feeling anything at all while Tommy exercises his inner Lawnmower Man daemons. Links & NotesThis week's tune: A Second Without Your Love by John Coggins

Pete chronicles the perils of feeling anything at all while Tommy exercises his inner Lawnmower Man daemons. Links & Notes This week’s tune: A Second Without Your Love by John Coggins

Pete expounds on the long-running perils of railroad tie tag while Tommy and Foster come to a pandemic impasse. Links & Notes This week’s tune: Life Hacks by FASSounds How Tag Became a Professional Sport - Vox Media

Pete expounds on the long-running perils of railroad tie tag while Tommy and Foster come to a pandemic impasse. Links & NotesThis week's tune: Life Hacks by FASSoundsHow Tag Became a Professional Sport - Vox Media

Pete helps a listener find a friend in time while Tommy is generally sorry.Links & NotesThis week's tune: Keepin' Up by ikoliksBecome a Registered What's That Smell? Panic Pal and support the production of season 5 today!

Pete helps a listener find a friend in time while Tommy is generally sorry. Links & Notes This week’s tune: Keepin’ Up by ikoliks

Pete uses his big brain to think again... and again and again while Tommy fights for the right to recline.Links & NotesThis week's tune: Mini Me by WEARETHEGOOD

Pete uses his big brain to think again... and again and again while Tommy fights for the right to recline. Links & Notes This week’s tune: Mini Me by WEARETHEGOOD

Introducing Shocktato. Also, Tommy struggles with tube time overload and Pete finds solace in escape.Links & NotesThis week's tune: Zombie Funk by Steve Poloni

Introducing Shocktato. Also, Tommy struggles with tube time overload and Pete finds solace in escape. Links & Notes This week’s tune: Zombie Funk by Steve Poloni

Don't drive while listening to this episode. Also, Tommy helps a listener get back … at everyone … at once. And Pete just hopes this will never, ever, ever end. Links & NotesThis week's tune: It Blows My Mind by Assaf Ayalon

Don’t drive while listening to this episode. Also, Tommy helps a listener get back … at everyone … at once. And Pete just hopes this will never, ever, ever end. Links & Notes This week’s tune: It Blows My Mind by Assaf Ayalon

Kickstart your back-ups, Sheriff Woody is loose. Tommy's terrified of Little Tommy 2 while Pete should just give up and stop wearing pants to meetings.Links & NotesThis weeks tune: Flutes Will Chill by Kicktracks‘Breaking News' — Radiolab

Kickstart your back-ups, Sheriff Woody is loose. Tommy’s terrified of Little Tommy 2 while Pete should just give up and stop wearing pants to meetings. Links & Notes This weeks tune: Flutes Will Chill by Kicktracks ‘Breaking News’ — Radiolab

Clean your glasses. Watch out for the ghouls under your bed. Stay out of the metropolitan water delivery businessLinks & NotesThis weeks tune: The No Show Blues by Ben BostickI Didn't Clean My Glasses for a Week and then I Put them Under a Microscope — Vlogbrothers

Clean your glasses. Watch out for the ghouls under your bed. Stay out of the metropolitan water delivery business Links & Notes This weeks tune: The No Show Blues by Ben Bostick I Didn't Clean My Glasses for a Week and then I Put them Under a Microscope — Vlogbrothers

AI lookin' out for us. Pete helps a listener feel free in the chair while Tommy is on the hunt for Dr. Puff-n-stuff. Links & NotesThis weeks tune: Belong to You by Denitia

AI lookin’ out for us. Pete helps a listener feel free in the chair while Tommy is on the hunt for Dr. Puff-n-stuff. Links & Notes This weeks tune: Belong to You by Denitia

At First Citiwide Bank of Anxiety, we live... where you live. Season six of What's That Smell? will begin on August 31, 2021. Special thanks to Mandy Kaplan, Jeremy Klavens, Justine Huxley, Tara Sands, Everett Jaeger, and Justin Jaeger for their support and participation as our trailer voice cast. They are officially the best.

How do you funny? We welcome this first episode back of season six with a journey to HuRL, University of Colorado's Humor Research Laboratory. We're both graduates of University of Colorado and, just so we're clear, no one ever introduced us to the Humor Research Laboratory, or this show might be funnier. How funny? Check out this passage from the team's website:The Humor Research Lab (aka HuRL) at the University of Colorado Boulder is dedicated to the scientific study of humor, its antecedents, and its consequences. The lab's theoretical and methodological base is in the interdisciplinary fields of emotion and judgment and decision making, with an emphasis in social and cognitive psychology.BWAHAHHAHHAHHAHHAHAaaaa... We're ROLLING over here. That just SCREAMS that these people know how to funny, and they funny hard.We walk through the Humor Styles Questionnaire created by University of Western Ontario psychology researcher Rod Martin which proposes to help us figure out how Tom funnys, and while we're at it learn that he believes if you don't talk about your funny that you don't have to feel any shame when you admit that you funny good. Wow... this paragraph sure came off the rails. Anyhow, you can check out a demo of the Humor Styles Questionnaire yourself here. Fear of the Absent HandiesTom is struggling with the handies. No, you pervs, it's actually rooted deep in highschool shop class and manifests today in his inability to be handy around the house. And thanks to advertising and images of traditional masculinity, there's a heavy dose of immasculation in this bit as we regale one another with stories of household destruction. Along the way, Pete makes a joke about the catalog scene in Fight Club that might be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it podcast moment. But that does a disservice to a great film so go watch the scene here.If you want to see what handyman Andy Hinds has to say, check out his piece in The Atlantic, "What Being a Handyman Has Taught Me About Male Insecurity."The Sharpest TipOlesja Schemjakowa gave an extraordinary tip on a $23 bill in a coffee shop in Switzerland. You don't have to be so extravigant when you become a What's That Smell? Panic Pal.Listener SubmissionPete takes on a listener submission that hits us where we live: fear of restaurant server authority. Along the way, Dr. Dodge gives us a tour of big "T"/little "t" trauma, a way to frame significant traumatic experiences in our lives against the smaller traumatic experiences that can manifest in fear, rage, and anxiety over time.Want to hear YOUR anxiety on the show? Submit it here!This Week's Tune!We've got a little hip-hop gem from Teo Laza called Hope I Feel Better. Find it in Apple Music or Spotify.

How do you funny? We welcome this first episode back of season six with a journey to HuRL, University of Colorado's Humor Research Laboratory. We're both graduates of University of Colorado and, just so we're clear, no one ever introduced us to the Humor Research Laboratory, or this show might be funnier. How funny? Check out this passage from the team's website: The Humor Research Lab (aka HuRL) at the University of Colorado Boulder is dedicated to the scientific study of humor, its antecedents, and its consequences. The lab's theoretical and methodological base is in the interdisciplinary fields of emotion and judgment and decision making, with an emphasis in social and cognitive psychology. BWAHAHHAHHAHHAHHAHAaaaa... We're ROLLING over here. That just SCREAMS that these people know how to funny, and they funny hard. We walk through the Humor Styles Questionnaire created by University of Western Ontario psychology researcher Rod Martin which proposes to help us figure out how Tom funnys, and while we're at it learn that he believes if you don't talk about your funny that you don't have to feel any shame when you admit that you funny good. Wow... this paragraph sure came off the rails. Anyhow, you can check out a demo of the Humor Styles Questionnaire yourself here. Fear of the Absent Handies Tom is struggling with the handies. No, you pervs, it's actually rooted deep in highschool shop class and manifests today in his inability to be handy around the house. And thanks to advertising and images of traditional masculinity, there's a heavy dose of immasculation in this bit as we regale one another with stories of household destruction. Along the way, Pete makes a joke about the catalog scene in Fight Club that might be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it podcast moment. But that does a disservice to a great film so go watch the scene here. If you want to see what handyman Andy Hinds has to say, check out his piece in The Atlantic, "What Being a Handyman Has Taught Me About Male Insecurity." The Sharpest Tip Olesja Schemjakowa gave an extraordinary tip on a $23 bill in a coffee shop in Switzerland. You don't have to be so extravigant when you become a What's That Smell? Panic Pal. Listener Submission Pete takes on a listener submission that hits us where we live: fear of restaurant server authority. Along the way, Dr. Dodge gives us a tour of big "T"/little "t" trauma, a way to frame significant traumatic experiences in our lives against the smaller traumatic experiences that can manifest in fear, rage, and anxiety over time. Want to hear YOUR anxiety on the show? Submit it here! This Week's Tune! We've got a little hip-hop gem from Teo Laza called Hope I Feel Better. Find it in Apple Music or Spotify.

The Nose Knows AnxietyGet ready, because VistaGen Therapeutics (a pharma company straight out of a Michael Crichton book), is on the verge of helping you out of your social anxiety with the same tech used to fight your pollen allergy. Right now it's called PH94B, so we're not talking about one of those sexy-sexy Sunday morning TV ad names quite yet, but it's coming... and we're here for it.Beware the things we're handing downPete's getting itchy about passing his anxiety on to his kids. Oh, wait, wrong tense. Pete has gotten itchy BECAUSE he passed his anxiety on to his kids? Well, that might be debatable, but the fear of it is very much present so we're talking all about this very special kind of inheritance this week. Thankfully, the Child Mind Institute has some thoughts, which is great because apparently this fear is causing some people to avoid actually having children. Oh, and if you do have kids, read this about two very special words: Be Careful.SupportA history of compression sockinettes won't keep you from becoming a What's That Smell? Panic Pal.The ThirteensTommy talks 13s this week thanks to a listener submission and along the way we listen to a great tune from Les Brown, Triskaidekaphobia. While you're listening, we take a world tour of superstitious numbers. Every country seems to have one, but none have such a great song, we imagine. This week's tune is Coming Back Home from WEARETHEGOOD and Scootie Wop. You can check it out by following our playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.

The Nose Knows Anxiety Get ready, because VistaGen Therapeutics (a pharma company straight out of a Michael Crichton book), is on the verge of helping you out of your social anxiety with the same tech used to fight your pollen allergy. Right now it's called PH94B, so we're not talking about one of those sexy-sexy Sunday morning TV ad names quite yet, but it's coming... and we're here for it. Beware the things we're handing down Pete's getting itchy about passing his anxiety on to his kids. Oh, wait, wrong tense. Pete has gotten itchy BECAUSE he passed his anxiety on to his kids? Well, that might be debatable, but the fear of it is very much present so we're talking all about this very special kind of inheritance this week. Thankfully, the Child Mind Institute has some thoughts, which is great because apparently this fear is causing some people to avoid actually having children. Oh, and if you do have kids, read this about two very special words: Be Careful. Support A history of compression sockinettes won't keep you from becoming a What's That Smell? Panic Pal. The Thirteens Tommy talks 13s this week thanks to a listener submission and along the way we listen to a great tune from Les Brown, Triskaidekaphobia. While you're listening, we take a world tour of superstitious numbers. Every country seems to have one, but none have such a great song, we imagine. This week's tune is Coming Back Home from WEARETHEGOOD and Scootie Wop. You can check it out by following our playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.

Hey, you... how's your crypto? A real roller coaster, huh? Prolly want a guy like Mr. White Hat on your side. Also, maybe, don't use crypto if you want to fight the anxiety. Tom did a little traveling a few weeks back and the trip was fine. Oh, wait. No it wasn't. The friends were nice but the trip itself was a damned nightmare of travel anxiety. This week, he shares some good times in the Austin airport, an epic exercise in friendliness and frustration, and the real reason he was anxious: reports of unruly passengers. You don't have to look too far for details. Caitlin Gibson wrote a backgrounder on it back in 2016 for the WaPo: Passengers behaving badly: The real reason we freak out on planes. 2016 Since then, things have only gotten worse, with nearly 4,000 reports and 600 under active investigation by the FAA this year so far. Thankfully, the Federal Aviation Administration has finally come out of hiding and released... a PSA: You Don't Want Your Pilots Distracted: Unruly Behavior Doesn't Fly (YouTube). You should watch it. It's horrifying. Or don't, we get it. Pete takes on a listener submission that hits home. We're talking about Aquaphobia, the specific phobia that describes people with a fear of water. In this case: "People suffer aquaphobia in many ways and may experience it even though they realize the water in an ocean, a river, or even a bathtub poses no imminent threat. They may avoid such activities as boating and swimming, or they may avoid swimming in the deep ocean despite having mastered basic swimming skills. This anxiety commonly extends to getting wet or splashed with water when it is unexpected, or being pushed or thrown into a body of water." The academics behind "Aquaphobia: Causes, Symptoms and Ways of Overcoming It for Future Well-Being" share some data and their observations on causes behind the anxiety. The problem is that this fear causes people to avoid learning to, or becoming proficient swimmers. And when they avoid becoming proficient swimmers and they're unexpectedly submerged in water, they have a predictably high chance of drowning. We need to fix that. Or maybe Paul Lennon of the Adult Aquaphobia Swim Center in Glendale, California will have something to say about it. We'll talk about him in this episode, along with some of his compatriots doing the work of helping adults live with the fear AND become great swimmers in the process. And we talk about Simone Biles, too, because air sense is closely related to Pete's probably invented phrase water sense, which you're free to use yourself after you listen to this episode and learn what it means. This Week's Tune! Is it too on the nose that we bring you Sinking by Jane & the Boy this week? You be the judge. Find it in Apple Music or Spotify.

Hey, you... how's your crypto? A real roller coaster, huh? Prolly want a guy like Mr. White Hat on your side. Also, maybe, don't use crypto if you want to fight the anxiety.Tom did a little traveling a few weeks back and the trip was fine. Oh, wait. No it wasn't. The friends were nice but the trip itself was a damned nightmare of travel anxiety. This week, he shares some good times in the Austin airport, an epic exercise in friendliness and frustration, and the real reason he was anxious: reports of unruly passengers. You don't have to look too far for details. Caitlin Gibson wrote a backgrounder on it back in 2016 for the WaPo: Passengers behaving badly: The real reason we freak out on planes. 2016 Since then, things have only gotten worse, with nearly 4,000 reports and 600 under active investigation by the FAA this year so far.Thankfully, the Federal Aviation Administration has finally come out of hiding and released... a PSA: You Don't Want Your Pilots Distracted: Unruly Behavior Doesn't Fly (YouTube). You should watch it. It's horrifying. Or don't, we get it. Pete takes on a listener submission that hits home. We're talking about Aquaphobia, the specific phobia that describes people with a fear of water. In this case: "People suffer aquaphobia in many ways and may experience it even though they realize the water in an ocean, a river, or even a bathtub poses no imminent threat. They may avoid such activities as boating and swimming, or they may avoid swimming in the deep ocean despite having mastered basic swimming skills. This anxiety commonly extends to getting wet or splashed with water when it is unexpected, or being pushed or thrown into a body of water."The academics behind "Aquaphobia: Causes, Symptoms and Ways of Overcoming It for Future Well-Being" share some data and their observations on causes behind the anxiety.The problem is that this fear causes people to avoid learning to, or becoming proficient swimmers. And when they avoid becoming proficient swimmers and they're unexpectedly submerged in water, they have a predictably high chance of drowning. We need to fix that. Or maybe Paul Lennon of the Adult Aquaphobia Swim Center in Glendale, California will have something to say about it. We'll talk about him in this episode, along with some of his compatriots doing the work of helping adults live with the fear AND become great swimmers in the process. And we talk about Simone Biles, too, because air sense is closely related to Pete's probably invented phrase water sense, which you're free to use yourself after you listen to this episode and learn what it means. This Week's Tune!Is it too on the nose that we bring you Sinking by Jane & the Boy this week? You be the judge. Find it in Apple Music or Spotify.

It's another big week here at what's that smell? HQ. First and foremost, AND by popular demand, we've finally created bespoke playlists of the music of this show. The Music of What's That Smell?You might (but you'd be forgiven if you didn't) know that we source all our music from the fine artists and catalog at Artlist. But that's a subscription service for creators and not terribly convenient if you just want to jam out a bit. Thankfully, the artists we have selected for our show also have released their music in Spotify and Apple Music. We built the playlist of as many of the tracks as we could (60+!) and will keep it up as we go. Just follow the playlist on your platform of choice and shuffle away!SpotifyApple MusicDo you have the Sugies?It's true: if we had our way, we'd all be referring to hypoglycemia as the "Sugies". But we don't have our way so we'll just have to adapt to words. This week, Pete takes a closer look at the connection between hypoglycemia and mental health. Wait, what? Pete, surely you're mistaken. How could there be a connection between low blood sugar and mental health?See, that's what Pete thought, too, at first. Then he started looking at some of the research, like Prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety in a diabetes clinic population, and found out that smarties have been calling out about the connection for decades. The issue for us, though, is more specific: if you have both a tendency for low blood sugar, hypoglycemia, or diabetes AND you live with anxiety and depression, since the symptoms overlap between the conditions, how do you know you're having one or the other, and what can you do about it when you're right in the middle of a storm?Russo-PepsicoWe found this story about Pepsi, vodka, and the Russian Navy that is just too good not to talk about on the show this week.EmojimergencyOur listener submission is pretty contagious so hang on for your keyboards. Are you using emoji correctly? Did you, like our dear listener, just ask your boss for a raise, and tell him you're sorry about the loss of his loved one, while at the same time pledging your love to a K-Pop boy band? That's the level of severity of this week's emojimergency... it's a ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰

It's another big week here at What's That Smell? HQ. First and foremost, AND by popular demand, we've finally created bespoke playlists of the music of this show. The Music of What's That Smell? You might (but you'd be forgiven if you didn't) know that we source all our music from the fine artists and catalog at Artlist. But that's a subscription service for creators and not terribly convenient if you just want to jam out a bit. Thankfully, the artists we have selected for our show also have released their music in Spotify and Apple Music. We built the playlist of as many of the tracks as we could (60+!) and will keep it up as we go. Just follow the playlist on your platform of choice and shuffle away! Spotify Apple Music Do you have the Sugies? It's true: if we had our way, we'd all be referring to hypoglycemia as the "Sugies". But we don't have our way so we'll just have to adapt to words. This week, Pete takes a closer look at the connection between hypoglycemia and mental health. Wait, what? Pete, surely you're mistaken. How could there be a connection between low blood sugar and mental health? See, that's what Pete thought, too, at first. Then he started looking at some of the research, like Prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety in a diabetes clinic population, and found out that smarties have been calling out about the connection for decades. The issue for us, though, is more specific: if you have both a tendency for low blood sugar, hypoglycemia, or diabetes AND you live with anxiety and depression, since the symptoms overlap between the conditions, how do you know you're having one or the other, and what can you do about it when you're right in the middle of a storm? Russo-Pepsico We found this story about Pepsi, vodka, and the Russian Navy that is just too good not to talk about on the show this week. Emojimergency Our listener submission is pretty contagious so hang on for your keyboards. Are you using emoji correctly? Did you, like our dear listener, just ask your boss for a raise, and tell him you're sorry about the loss of his loved one, while at the same time pledging your love to a K-Pop boy band? That's the level of severity of this week's emojimergency... it's a ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰

If you were a member last season, this may come as old news to you, so hang on while I get a little housekeeping out of the way. See, we stumbled on these sauces from the REDACTED Company and while Tommy was busy talking about how they gave him anxiety, Pete discovered that this was not in fact a simple SauceAccident, it was just a single representative of a whole line of condiments that represent the whole of SauceTrocity suffered upon us, the consumers. It became a running gag, albeit a dumb one, and we fell in love with it. The gag. Not the Sauces. The Sauces? How could we know if we would fall in love with them? We'd never tasted them. We sat on our podcast bouncy balls and made jokes at their expense, but never had the SaucePerience to back those jokes up. So, in a member-only episode from last summer, we held a taste test of the sauces from REDACTED Company and their line of REDACTEDSauce condiments. Our experience is what you'll be listening to this week. But why a rebroadcast, you ask, especially of a subject and sound so disgusting? Because we need you to know what you're getting when you become an official PanicPal and Certified Best Friend of the show. It's this sort of hard culinary investigation that sets What's That Smell? apart from all the other sometimes-funny podcasts about humans and their anxieties. In closing, if you like it, if you're intrigued by our brand of tasting, we encourage you to become a PanicPal and get your own bespoke podcast feed that includes episodes like this one which the public never hears. Until next year... when desperation rears it's ugly, stupid head. To everyone who has already joined the club, thank you for helping us keep the lights on and loving what we are able to do with this show. You're the absolute best.

If you were a member last season, this may come as old news to you, so hang on while I get a little housekeeping out of the way. See, we stumbled on these sauces from the REDACTED Company and while Tommy was busy talking about how they gave him anxiety, Pete discovered that this was not in fact a simple SauceAccident, it was just a single representative of a whole line of condiments that represent the whole of SauceTrocity suffered upon us, the consumers. It became a running gag, albeit a dumb one, and we fell in love with it. The gag. Not the Sauces. The Sauces? How could we know if we would fall in love with them? We'd never tasted them. We sat on our podcast bouncy balls and made jokes at their expense, but never had the SaucePerience to back those jokes up. So, in a member-only episode from last summer, we held a taste test of the sauces from REDACTED Company and their line of REDACTEDSauce condiments. Our experience is what you'll be listening to this week. But why a rebroadcast, you ask, especially of a subject and sound so disgusting? Because we need you to know what you're getting when you become an official PanicPal and Certified Best Friend of the show. It's this sort of hard culinary investigation that sets What's That Smell? apart from all the other sometimes-funny podcasts about humans and their anxieties. In closing, if you like it, if you're intrigued by our brand of tasting, we encourage you to become a PanicPal and get your own bespoke podcast feed that includes episodes like this one which the public never hears. Until next year... when desperation rears it's ugly, stupid head. To everyone who has already joined the club, thank you for helping us keep the lights on and loving what we are able to do with this show. You're the absolute best.

Ok, look. We can't control what our parents called us when we were kids. We can't control the fact that those things are so deeply ingrained in our families that they still call us those things to this very day. We absolutely CAN control whether or not we talk about them on a sometimes-funny podcast for everyone to hear, but we lack the self control to stop ourselves from doing it. Please be gentle. Heavy show. Very heavy.Pete's helping a listener with a sort of existential dread this week that might have you noodling about it yourselves. Let's say you're sitting in a chair. Take away the chair and what happens? You fall. What if there was no floor to stop you? No ground? No crust on this planet of ours? You just keep falling. It's the fear of gravity on the show this week, and it's a doozy. No, DATphagia.So, it was an easy joke. Tommy's dealing with some very real swallowing issues and hot on the heels of that big nickname reveal, he's decided to process in real time on the show. So, it's Dysphagia day, everybody! Along the way, we visit a little fashion cafe in New York that marks one of the great business failures in food. Oh, I spoiled the surprise there. See, this was a terrific idea that paired super models and fine dining! Terrific, we tell you... Positively GANGbusters. How'd it turn out? You'll have to listen in to learn!

Ok, look. We can't control what our parents called us when we were kids. We can't control the fact that those things are so deeply ingrained in our families that they still call us those things to this very day. We absolutely CAN control whether or not we talk about them on a sometimes-funny podcast for everyone to hear, but we lack the self control to stop ourselves from doing it. Please be gentle. Heavy show. Very heavy. Pete's helping a listener with a sort of existential dread this week that might have you noodling about it yourselves. Let's say you're sitting in a chair. Take away the chair and what happens? You fall. What if there was no floor to stop you? No ground? No crust on this planet of ours? You just keep falling. It's the fear of gravity on the show this week, and it's a doozy. No, DATphagia. So, it was an easy joke. Tommy's dealing with some very real swallowing issues and hot on the heels of that big nickname reveal, he's decided to process in real time on the show. So, it's Dysphagia day, everybody! Along the way, we visit a little fashion cafe in New York that marks one of the great business failures in food. Oh, I spoiled the surprise there. See, this was a terrific idea that paired super models and fine dining! Terrific, we tell you... Positively GANGbusters. How'd it turn out? You'll have to listen in to learn!

We don't love making this a gendered conversation but sometimes we just can't help it. It turns out that women might just be able to smell fear. We don't love it, that we might keep doing stupid stuff because we can't smell the danger in it, and so we've decided that we all need to hang around more women in our lives. Sorry ladies. We promise we'll be quiet. We just need your nasal insights. Gross. Sorry. Dem BonesThis whole show is really about bones. We didn't plan it that way… just happened. We start with Pete's hips. Oh, did you hear that? That little voice in your head? Listen carefully… it just said, “This podcast was inspired by Pete's hips…” You'll never hear THAT again. In any case, Pete dug into research that connects stress and anxiety to joint pain. It turns out, when your body is under constant emotional stress, it's also under chemical stress. And THAT's bad for your bones. Learn more from in Association of Stress-Related Disorders With Subsequent Autoimmune Disease. You can learn more from the kind specialists at University of Maryland Spine Center as they blog eloquently in: Why Does Stress and Anxiety Cause Joint Pain?We pivot from joint stress on the bones to what happens when Tommy tries to eat them. The bones, that is. He's a real meat-hound, but as it turns out, sucking the meat off of bones gives him real trouble, and he's not alone. The word is cartilogenophobia and rest assured, he's going to really bite into this one.Coober PedyCoober Pedy is a small town that sits in the middle of South Australia, about an hour north of Adelaide. It's hot there — it can hit the 120s in the summer — and with climate change, it's only getting hotter. And still, 1,800 people consisting of over 50 nationalities call this slice of the Outback home. And of all the homes in Coober Pedy, more than 60% of them are underground. Here are a few fantastic vids and resources to check out:This is the town where people live underground - Coober PedyLife against the odds in Australia's underground townWelcome to Coober Pedy, the world's strangest town • The Telegraph

We don't love making this a gendered conversation but sometimes we just can't help it. It turns out that women might just be able to smell fear. We don't love it, that we might keep doing stupid stuff because we can't smell the danger in it, and so we've decided that we all need to hang around more women in our lives. Sorry ladies. We promise we'll be quiet. We just need your nasal insights. Gross. Sorry. Dem Bones This whole show is really about bones. We didn't plan it that way… just happened. We start with Pete's hips. Oh, did you hear that? That little voice in your head? Listen carefully… it just said, “This podcast was inspired by Pete's hips…” You'll never hear THAT again. In any case, Pete dug into research that connects stress and anxiety to joint pain. It turns out, when your body is under constant emotional stress, it's also under chemical stress. And THAT's bad for your bones. Learn more from in Association of Stress-Related Disorders With Subsequent Autoimmune Disease. You can learn more from the kind specialists at University of Maryland Spine Center as they blog eloquently in: Why Does Stress and Anxiety Cause Joint Pain? We pivot from joint stress on the bones to what happens when Tommy tries to eat them. The bones, that is. He's a real meat-hound, but as it turns out, sucking the meat off of bones gives him real trouble, and he's not alone. The word is cartilogenophobia and rest assured, he's going to really bite into this one. Coober Pedy Coober Pedy is a small town that sits in the middle of South Australia, about an hour north of Adelaide. It's hot there — it can hit the 120s in the summer — and with climate change, it's only getting hotter. And still, 1,800 people consisting of over 50 nationalities call this slice of the Outback home. And of all the homes in Coober Pedy, more than 60% of them are underground. Here are a few fantastic vids and resources to check out: This is the town where people live underground - Coober Pedy Life against the odds in Australia's underground town Welcome to Coober Pedy, the world's strangest town • The Telegraph

We've never had guests on the show. It always seemed risky… like they might call us out on how dumb we look or… sound… or… are. So we held off. But in some backchannel somewhere, we got to talk about the persistent anxiety that comes with putting on this podcast — and all the other podcasts we do, along with the assorted general creative work our so-called friends put out into the world. How crazy could we possibly be? Have we LOOKED outside? What are we thinking!!So, we pitched our friends Mandy Kaplan, and Mandy Fabian. They are, together, The Mandys, and they share their own podcast: MandCave. They have been performers all their lives and somehow were never talked out of it by their own inner lizard voices. Mandy Kaplan co-wrote and starred in the movie 30 Nights, (yes, the same 30 Nights that our own Tommy directed), and Mandy Fabian is just wrapping up her own feature, Jess Plus None, and is in pre-production of her next film. Both women are incredibly talented comedians, writers, musicians, and all-around performers and they bring us lessons of overcoming performance anxiety they've learned in their work that we believe you can apply specifically to your work… if you are a bank teller. This episode will likely not resonate with those working in any other field. After you listen to this episode, we hope you'll support these two by immediately subscribing to their hilarious podcast, watching their movies, washing their cars, you know… whatever needs doing. Thanks all!

We've never had guests on the show. It always seemed risky… like they might call us out on how dumb we look or… sound… or… are. So we held off. But in some backchannel somewhere, we got to talk about the persistent anxiety that comes with putting on this podcast — and all the other podcasts we do, along with the assorted general creative work our so-called friends put out into the world. How crazy could we possibly be? Have we LOOKED outside? What are we thinking!! So, we pitched our friends Mandy Kaplan, and Mandy Fabian. They are, together, The Mandys, and they share their own podcast: MandCave. They have been performers all their lives and somehow were never talked out of it by their own inner lizard voices. Mandy Kaplan co-wrote and starred in the movie 30 Nights, (yes, the same 30 Nights that our own Tommy directed), and Mandy Fabian is just wrapping up her own feature, Jess Plus None, and is in pre-production of her next film. Both women are incredibly talented comedians, writers, musicians, and all-around performers and they bring us lessons of overcoming performance anxiety they've learned in their work that we believe you can apply specifically to your work… if you are a bank teller. This episode will likely not resonate with those working in any other field. After you listen to this episode, we hope you'll support these two by immediately subscribing to their hilarious podcast, watching their movies, washing their cars, you know… whatever needs doing. Thanks all!

We have glimpsed the future of saucy-sauce and it is drinky-drink. This episode marks the beginning of our exploration of alternative packaging and compositions of alcohol and while we are only able to offer a tease this week, we will absolutely return to this.This is another one of those personal episodes for Pete, having just sent his oldest off to college. It's a process millions and millions of families go through every year, and yet the grief that accompanies the experience, and the fear and anxiety that comes with realizing all your efforts to teach are done, well that's worth talking about a little bit. So, we do that today. Oh, and we also take on eel fishing a little bit.We take a tour down the cholera-stress streets of London in the mid-1850s, which is a super-fun classic What's That Smell? Guided Meditation!Finally, Tom explores the micro-universe with a listener submission asking us about lice anxiety. If you've had kids, you've probably been faced with a lice scare. Pete doesn't handle it well and may shave and wax his entire body on this episode. He does have a book recommendation, though: I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong. If you're interested in pushing on your assumptions of what makes you you, check out this book.This week's tune is I Think I Like It by Basic featuring Black GryphOn. It's already in the playlist in Apple Music and Spotify.

We have glimpsed the future of saucy-sauce and it is drinky-drink. This episode marks the beginning of our exploration of alternative packaging and compositions of alcohol and while we are only able to offer a tease this week, we will absolutely return to this. This is another one of those personal episodes for Pete, having just sent his oldest off to college. It's a process millions and millions of families go through every year, and yet the grief that accompanies the experience, and the fear and anxiety that comes with realizing all your efforts to teach are done, well that's worth talking about a little bit. So, we do that today. Oh, and we also take on eel fishing a little bit. We take a tour down the cholera-stress streets of London in the mid-1850s, which is a super-fun classic What's That Smell? Guided Meditation! Finally, Tom explores the micro-universe with a listener submission asking us about lice anxiety. If you've had kids, you've probably been faced with a lice scare. Pete doesn't handle it well and may shave and wax his entire body on this episode. He does have a book recommendation, though: I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong. If you're interested in pushing on your assumptions of what makes you you, check out this book. This week's tune is I Think I Like It by Basic featuring Black GryphOn. It's already in the playlist in Apple Music and Spotify.

First, let's get this out of the way: Panic attacks are no fun, and dangerous behind the wheel. So, if anything we say to ANYone is particularly triggering in the moment, while we hope you don't have to turn the show off, we encourage you to do just that and make sure you're in a safe place to ride it out. Our general rule of thumb: It's only fun to laugh about it when you're not actively going through it. We get it, trust us, we get it. All that said, have you seen the world today? Yeah, it can be easy to feel the overwhelm of division and conflict. That's today's listener submission, and if ever there was one that we relate to, it's this one. Glass House? We'd like you to meet First Stone!This gives us the opportunity to introduce judgementalism, which it still a bit of a loose concept we're adapting to our own purposes. Think of it this way: if social anxiety is the fear of being judged by others, judgmentalism would be the fear of our inability to live without judging others. And in times such as these, when we're overwhelmed by the grief of division, it's sure easy to close the door and pretend those whose positions don't align with ours don't actually exist. But, if we don't find a way to engage, how do we find our way to understanding? Get down, and stay down: Anesthephobia and YouTommy just had a procedure and got to thinking about anesthesia. So, he dug into a bit of the history of anesthesia and learned some interesting things. Beyond some charming old timey language, it turns out people are far more fearful of going under than the data suggests they should be. But what fun is an anxiety if it's rational? No fun. No fun at all. As ever, thanks for hanging out with us this week on the show. We're getting closer to the end of our member season — just three more main season episodes left! If you haven't had a chance to visit [whatsthatsmell.net][site] and pledge your support, just know that we love you for listening, and also that this is in part how we pay for our shoes, so to speak, so every bit of support from listeners like you is a massive help in keeping things humming along. Thank you. This week's tune is Ain't Looking Back by Richard Farrell. It's already in the playlist in Apple Music and Spotify.

First, let's get this out of the way: Panic attacks are no fun, and dangerous behind the wheel. So, if anything we say to ANYone is particularly triggering in the moment, while we hope you don't have to turn the show off, we encourage you to do just that and make sure you're in a safe place to ride it out. Our general rule of thumb: It's only fun to laugh about it when you're not actively going through it. We get it, trust us, we get it. All that said, have you seen the world today? Yeah, it can be easy to feel the overwhelm of division and conflict. That's today's listener submission, and if ever there was one that we relate to, it's this one. Glass House? We'd like you to meet First Stone! This gives us the opportunity to introduce judgementalism, which it still a bit of a loose concept we're adapting to our own purposes. Think of it this way: if social anxiety is the fear of being judged by others, judgmentalism would be the fear of our inability to live without judging others. And in times such as these, when we're overwhelmed by the grief of division, it's sure easy to close the door and pretend those whose positions don't align with ours don't actually exist. But, if we don't find a way to engage, how do we find our way to understanding? Get down, and stay down: Anesthephobia and You Tommy just had a procedure and got to thinking about anesthesia. So, he dug into a bit of the history of anesthesia and learned some interesting things. Beyond some charming old timey language, it turns out people are far more fearful of going under than the data suggests they should be. But what fun is an anxiety if it's rational? No fun. No fun at all. As ever, thanks for hanging out with us this week on the show. We're getting closer to the end of our member season — just three more main season episodes left! If you haven't had a chance to visit [whatsthatsmell.net][site] and pledge your support, just know that we love you for listening, and also that this is in part how we pay for our shoes, so to speak, so every bit of support from listeners like you is a massive help in keeping things humming along. Thank you. This week's tune is Ain't Looking Back by Richard Farrell. It's already in the playlist in Apple Music and Spotify.

It's OK everyone, robots are here to support you and care for you and make your life better. Also, robot dogs can shoot you and those dogs are made by a company called SWORD and none of that is a joke except for the part about robots taking care of you. Sorry. There are apparently rules for such a thing.In other news, a listener writes in to talk about online dating. That isn't a whole lot easier than the whole gun dog robot. But we're here to help so Tom does the noble research to clear up the confusion and anxiety that can stem from building online relationships... and all the ghosting that goes with it sometimes, too.We all hope he does a good job with it because today's the day for Tom's performance review and Pete's up for the job. We just hope he has some good ideas for performance improvement without caring just too much.

It's OK everyone, robots are here to support you and care for you and make your life better. Also, robot dogs can shoot you and those dogs are made by a company called SWORD and none of that is a joke except for the part about robots taking care of you. Sorry. There are apparently rules for such a thing. In other news, a listener writes in to talk about online dating. That isn't a whole lot easier than the whole gun dog robot. But we're here to help so Tom does the noble research to clear up the confusion and anxiety that can stem from building online relationships... and all the ghosting that goes with it sometimes, too. We all hope he does a good job with it because today's the day for Tom's performance review and Pete's up for the job. We just hope he has some good ideas for performance improvement without caring just too much.

Hey! Guess what, everybody? Following up on a prior week's episode in which we discovered that drone dog snipers exist at the whims of their human handlers, turns out that airborne drones need no such things as human handlers to do their business. A United Nations report says just that about a March 2020 attack in Libya. Great job, robots… taking another human job. Tom brings a personal anxiety that, as it turns out, crushes both of us: Networking. The Muse has some tips on getting through the muck and maybe learning to love it. Spoiler, we don't, yet, but we're open to trying. Mostly Pete just goes into boss mode and eats business cards. Our beloved listener submission comes from an email address that reads, “Iworry@mymomlistens.tothis.” That should give you something of an idea of the nature of the story to tell. Wait… as I'm writing this… no, no it won't. It's about scars, or oulinophobia, fear of scars, specifically. But it turns out there's a lot more at work under the surface.

Hey! Guess what, everybody? Following up on a prior week's episode in which we discovered that drone dog snipers exist at the whims of their human handlers, turns out that airborne drones need no such things as human handlers to do their business. A United Nations report says just that about a March 2020 attack in Libya. Great job, robots… taking another human job. Tom brings a personal anxiety that, as it turns out, crushes both of us: Networking. The Muse has some tips on getting through the muck and maybe learning to love it. Spoiler, we don't, yet, but we're open to trying. Mostly Pete just goes into boss mode and eats business cards. Our beloved listener submission comes from an email address that reads, “Iworry@mymomlistens.tothis.” That should give you something of an idea of the nature of the story to tell. Wait… as I'm writing this… no, no it won't. It's about scars, or oulinophobia, fear of scars, specifically. But it turns out there's a lot more at work under the surface.

We're not coming down on either side of the meat debate, but we do have a study that confirms if you're not eating it, you might want to get on board with the high-protein train. We bring you: Meat and mental health: A meta-analysis of meat consumption, depression, and anxiety.Tommy brings the soft stuff this week with a discussion of what it means to be vulnerable as a man, and we relive that sweet sweet experience of the first time our dads cried in front of us. … Hi, dads!Pete brings tales of sorrow and break-up… in our favorite bands. Wait, hear us out: turns out fandom can bring out the same chemical goodies that tie us to our significant others, family, and dear friends. How we handle those break-ups mirrors how we move through the grief of losing the target of our cultural appreciation, too.ß

We're not coming down on either side of the meat debate, but we do have a study that confirms if you're not eating it, you might want to get on board with the high-protein train. We bring you: Meat and mental health: A meta-analysis of meat consumption, depression, and anxiety. Tommy brings the soft stuff this week with a discussion of what it means to be vulnerable as a man, and we relive that sweet sweet experience of the first time our dads cried in front of us. … Hi, dads! Pete brings tales of sorrow and break-up… in our favorite bands. Wait, hear us out: turns out fandom can bring out the same chemical goodies that tie us to our significant others, family, and dear friends. How we handle those break-ups mirrors how we move through the grief of losing the target of our cultural appreciation, too.

Life is hard. That's why it's time to let go! Come on down to WTS Island: The Hottest Haven on Earth... While Earth Still Exists!As always, we have some amazing people to thank for lending their voices to our dumb ideas in these trailers. Please, please, please go learn more about the works of Mandy Kaplan, Justine Huxley, and Ramon De Ocampo. They're all transcendent writers and actors, and they never ask us what they're doing this for... they just trust us and say yes. They are amazing, and we owe them so much.  

Welcome to season seven of the marginally-funny anxiety podcast, What's That Smell? This week, we have an unwelcome review of our post-COVID survival status because, you know, it's important to check in on such things. Then, we dig into demodex folliculorum, which is not, as you might imagine, a spell taught at Hogwarts, but it should be. Instead, demodex is the stuff of nightmares fueling Pete's anxiety this week, and every week, and just you wait for it. But we open with Tommy's favorite: The robots are coming, and they sound like your dead grandmother, RIP.

There's a problem with white bears and Tommy wants to help you through it this week. Don't worry, surely, when he's done, there won't be anything in your head. Tommy's focused on his dreams this week, while Pete struggles with a re-do of this, the first lost episode of the season. Don't worry, this one is so much better than the last, and while it does discuss the rightly horrific study of people who stowaway in the wheel wells of airplanes, it only does so tangentially. 

We begin with a new feature here on WTS: The Reddit Quiz. Think you can do better that Tommy in identifying the anxiety based only on the comments left on a Reddit post about it? Good luck! From there, we dig into the perils of technology and getting older. We've got a few resources for you, like this one from MOAA on how you might overcome technophobia. And if you're not feeling bad enough about your own age and relationship with technology when we're done with you, you'll be thrilled to learn about Arachibutyrophobia thanks to the submission of a devoted listener.  

What if you threw a party and no one showed, AND you didn't have your phone? Pete's taking on Nomophobia this week, so get your charging cables ready. Tommy is taking on the scourge of all fears straight from a listener: What happens when no one comes to your party?Oh, by the way, go clean yourself.

Have you found your one thing? Probably not, but let's not feel too bad about it. This week's listener submission asks us to find purpose in our lives. But the listener clearly hasn't heard much of this podcast or they'd know we're not the right audience for that question. Tommy tells us all about a walkabout wedding and a scavenger hunt that makes for an unprecedented seven-season callback to an earlier episode about learning to walk with your eyes open!

Our listener submission asks us to peel back the relationship we have with our therapists... and then question it in a way that makes us question all the relationships we have with everyone ever. So, we're doing great. Also, a bit of a follow-up anxiety now that we've had a recent brush with anesthesia.

This week's listener submission invites you challenge your fear of the sticky stuff with Pittakionophobia proving that scratch N Sniff is no laughing matter. And Tom takes you inside the Void with the scariest thing he's ever lived through ever, ever, ever, amen. 

Tommy remembers just how much he wants to forget, while Pete brings a reminder that we are all fungible resources. It's actually a conversation that celebrates one of Tom's biggest personal gaffs, as he remembers it, while once again walking around a wedding. Are we more afraid of everyone else remembering our foibles, or of being forgotten ourselves?But seriously, the deepfake podcast future is here. Just head over to Podcast.ai and close your eyes as you press play. It won't be long before you let go of the oddities and start to see these things as legit. That, friends, is scary. 

Let us start with a case of the debunkies: No, depressed people aren't apparently more realistic than us normos.From there, friends, we look to the skies. Tom takes us back through X-Files history while looking at the current appropriations budget and finds people are finally taking this whole alien thing more seriously. Is that a great thing? Here's a little ditty covering that angle for you academic journal fans. For his part, Pete talks through a listener submission that mixes the highest levels of academic achievement with Game of Thrones. Everything is going to be fine. 

Tommy knows how important it is not to speak for women or those identifying as women. What better place to challenge that understanding than this dumb anxiety podcast? That's why this week he's going to take on high heel culture, and the double-standards shoes imply, all while likely offending everyone involved of any gender identification at all, wearing everything from slippers to Uggs. Pete, on the other hand, shows up ready to recite all the shows in which he's talked about memory, in an effort to build a case that his own memory is suffering, but forgets everything anyway, so who cares?Oh, and while you're forgetting stuff, Tommy wants you to go read this: From bad to worse: Avoidance coping with stress increases conspiracy beliefs.

We start with a quick review of why it's important to secure your accounts, not post nudes of yourself, and never answer to threats that sound like a robot version of Jack Bauer. From there, it's time to move into the main course of Tommy's continuing relationship with Oscars the Slap, a demented mummy, and Pete's problem with the job outlook, thanks to a listener submission.

Today, we're taking on anti-intellectualism, and in the process we probably say some things that will frustrate people. Like, for example, the mayor of Utah. But in all fairness, he might have done it to himself. From there, Pete helps out a listener dealing with calls for chronic happiness. That's right, it's the most depressing stuff you've ever heard about the happies. 

Oh. The humanity. Welcome to Season 8. 

Welcome to the rollercoaster ride that is the inaugural episode of WTS Presents: All the Feelings, where we're tackling the big, scary, exhilarating, and occasionally refrigerator-filled world of change. Today we're serving up a cocktail of emotion, with a dash of humor, a sprinkle of sarcasm, and a generous dose of poetry.First, we dive into the treacherous waters of domain names, where one wrong move can have you sharing an acronym with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms — talk about an unexpected change! We then wade through the murky depths of metathesiophobia, a fear of change that's as tricky to navigate as the word is to pronounce. Tommy opens up about his personal journey of moving apartments in Los Angeles, a tale that involves an Indiana Jones fridge, a soundtrack of weekly car crashes, and a superintendent who's a little too fond of mold. But fear not, this tale of change has a happy ending, complete with a new home, a life-changing freedom from metal plates, and the four-legged love of Tommy's life, Foster. Who knew change could be so…furry?From there, we set sail on a historical journey that takes us from the days when travel was all about the destination, to the birth of the SS Norway — the ship that flipped the cruise industry on its head. This rusty old relic transformed into a floating city, sparking a revolution that forever changed our perspective of big boats. It's safe to say that journeying across the ocean has never been the same.Pete's fascinated by the Hedonic Treadmill. No, it's not the latest fitness frenzy, but a psychological concept that explains why we always return to a baseline level of happiness. It's like we're all hamsters in a wheel, constantly running but never really getting anywhere. We debunk some common myths about happiness. According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, a renowned psychology professor, tying your happiness to specific events — like getting married or striking it rich — won't make you permanently happy. Finally, we offer a sonnet by Rainer Maria Rilke, who reminds us to embrace change, even if it feels like we're shattering into pieces.So there you have it, folks! Change can be scary, exciting, and sometimes it even comes with a free fridge. But hey, if we can survive this episode, we can survive anything.Links & NotesThe Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and FirearmsShare your Feelings! Send us a note here!

Embarrassment. We've all been there. Basking in that warm inner glow that rosies our cheeks, moistens our pits, and sullies our relationships. But why, embarrassment? Why, over the long arc of evolutionary history, do you still darken our emotional doorsteps? Do you think you're saving us from yon beasties by bringing the public shame? We think not. Pete and Tommy truck in some meticulously well-charted waters this week, and in so doing, Pete gets flummoxed and Tommy finds Biblical levels of embarrassment. Great thanks to our feeling friends for writing in! Don't forget to get your stories in for future episodes, too!

Joy is way more than just being happy - it's an ongoing state of deep delight in the stuff you care about most. Researchers say joy comes from living your values, connecting with others, and being your best self. We say those researchers aren't thinking creatively enough about how to use joy as a weapon. Are we learning the wrong lessons this season? Oh well. That party gets even better with close relationships. A famous 80-year study shows your bonds with others have more impact on health and happiness than money or fame. Close friends keep you satisfied even when you're decrepit and falling apart in old age. Loneliness kills you faster than smoking or boozing too much. So grab your besties and get all kinds of joyful!

Welcome to our exploration of the wild world of Regression. Picture this: a third-grader, furious at a kid named Joe, ends up slapping him instead of throwing a punch, leading to a spectacle worthy of schoolyard folklore. Or picture a child, under 10, attempting to stage an epic battle between Optimus Prime and Snake Eyes with a candle and a bedspread, resulting in a somewhat less epic fire. And let's not forget about the classic romantic attempt to steal a first kiss while the love interest is on a swing, only to end up with a face-smashing instead of a heart-melting moment. These cringe-worthy memories serve as the perfect segue into the concept of regression, where stressful situations send us spiraling back to our less sophisticated selves. This can result in anything from temper tantrums and baby talk to the desire for comfort objects and an alarming inability to perform self-care. The triggers are plentiful, covering everything from poor coping skills and medical issues like delirium to psychiatric disorders like psychosis. Along the way, we get a visit from Dr. Dodge, the ATF Therapist in Residence (of his own house) who helps us understand just how the brain works at such a young age, why we get wired the way we do from childhood experiences, and offers a dose of meditation that can ease the effort to regress and understand ourself. Plus, we have a Revolutionary escape and a classic game of ATF Regression Rewind!

Welcome to another episode of the global sensation All The Feelings, where we dive into the wacky world of emotions, and today, we're talking about pride. Not the fabulous, rainbow-colored kind (though we love that too), but the emotion of pride.Pride isn't just a one-size-fits-all emotion. No, it's got layers, like an onion or a particularly tricky lasagna. You've got your authentic pride, the good twin. That's all about feeling accomplished, confident, and victorious. You know, like when you finally assemble that IKEA bookcase, and it doesn't collapse within five minutes under its own weight.But then, there's the other one—the Draco to your Harry, the Scar to your Mufasa, the hubristic pride. Suddenly, you're not just a cook, you're Gordon Ramsay. You're not just fit, you're a Schwarzenegger. You're not just smart, you're Einstein. You get the picture.We're digging deep on pride, and along the way, we've got a little Dickinson, a little Shelley, and a dose of Internet history so old it's yesterday.

This week's episode of ATF has us looking at the psychology of Doubt. Along the way, the long long way, we hit on self-efficacy - our belief in our own abilities to accomplish goals. That's thanks to that old sea dog, Albert Bandura, and he has lots more to share. In this week's harrowing tale, Tommy shares a story of youthful doubt and dangerous games. Tune in for more insights on self-belief and some classic dad jokes! Really good ones! Jokes that Tommy, in spite of his disdain of them, should be used by you, fair audience, with abandon!Believing in ourselves sounds simple, but self-efficacy takes practice. This week's show explores how we can build self-belief through modeling others, feedback, participating outside our comfort zone and taking agency over decisions. With the right mindset and support, we can overcome obstacles in health, academics and even phobias. Doubt may creep in, but Tommy's story shows we can laugh in its dumb face. As old pop-pop himself always said, living with doubt takes a village… and a podcast.

Well hot diggity dog, it's Pete and Tommy back at it again with another riveting episode of "All The Feelings." This week your duo tackle the touchy topic of "Belonging." Things start innocently enough with Tommy guiding Pete through a WTS classic guided meditation. With juice! But the real juice is in the stuff they have long taken for granted. The fellas dove deep into the dicey dynamics of belonging - from pyramid schemes to pizza parlor conspiracies. They covered all the bases, even shouting out to good ol' Triangle McGee (aka Maslow) for his Hierarchy of Needs. Just wait till they get rolling on imagined communities and mass manipulation. KNEE-SLAPPING GOOD TIMES y'all!Don't forget ... visit allthefeelings.fun and become a feeling friend today!

You don't need an application... you're in the club already, right? It's CLUB STRESS! And this week, your club counselors, Tommy and Pete, will share in disturbing detail just how much your annual club dues are costing you.We delve into how stress is like that overbearing ship captain in a patented ATF guided meditation. Spoiler: The ship doesn't make it. See, chronic stress can make your brain do some really funky stuff. From shrinking parts of it to making other parts hyperactive, it's like a weird, science-y episode of "Honey I Shrunk the Brain."But don't worry, we won't leave you hanging in this stress-induced chaos. We'll also discuss how you can fight back with exercise, the secret weapon against stress. And yes, we'll be putting your knowledge to the test with a fun, interactive quiz. (Hint: "Sitting on the couch" is not exercise.)Plus, we've got the latest research on how exercise can trigger your body's "feel-good" hormones, improve your mood, and help you sleep better. So buckle up for a journey through the body under stress, where you'll laugh, learn, and maybe even do a push-up or two. Because, in the end, the best way to handle stress is to face it with a smile (and a good pair of running shoes).

Pete and Tommy are dancing with the green-eyed monster as they take a walk down memory lane with their experiences with Jealousy.Hey... Jealousy? What's the deal? Why all the harsh feelings? What's the skinny on you making us feel so gross and paranoid? Well, turns out there's a new “gate” on the horizon and jealousy's evolutionary history has a report. Meanwhile, we're finally solving the mystery of the difference between jealousy and envy (maybe), and we have a report from our African field office with an extraordinary act of jealousy-busting empathy.

What does it mean to be an optimist? What is it like to look at the world and see not just hope, but possibility?Yeah, we don't know either. I guess we'll never know.KIDDING... kidding, of course. But here's the interesting thing: It turns out optimism is much more complicated than we ever imagined -- and it's precisely because it is so much more than just being blindly good-natured all the time.So this week, Tommy brings you a story of the dark side of optimism, one that ends in a crushing, embarrassing blow to his ego, and his back. And Pete comes with scales and stuff. It's like math, and he talks about it with the same level of understanding that he brings to his math studies. That is to say, you might have to work extra hard to understand what the hell he is talking about.Also, there's a chance he brings up "Building Information Modeling" but fails to mention that he's actually talking about "Building Information Modeling" as he is talking about it.But don't worry: the punchline of this whole episode is that the world isn't as bad as it seems and, in spite of all the "messaging" out there, humanity is low-key kicking ass right now if you know where to look.Bonus round: Carl Sagan drops the mic on this episode.

Fear not, dear listener! This spooky episode of All the Feelings will have you shaking in your boots with harrowing tales of terror! Pete gets real about his deep-seated fear of angering the public. One wrong move and an angry mob might show up at his door, which he traces to the totally rational experience of watching his news anchor dad navigate turbulent times. Oh, also he lived through Misery... in a theater. Nothing like watching a live ankle crushing to stoke the fear vibe.But get this - fear apparently has an evolutionary purpose. Prey creatures needed it to avoid predators. And for early humans, it promoted group cooperation. Whatever, evolution.After debating whether fear or terror would be scarier if personified as a Greek god, the ghoulish hosts share nostalgic frights from their childhood. Here's a riddle: What's more terrifying than a ghost looking for his lost arm? The real estate disclosure laws around haunted houses.By the end of this episode, you'll be sleeping with one eye open. But you'll also have insight into irrational fears that linger from our past. As Tommy's therapist says, just because something scared us as kids doesn't mean it still applies. That's old fear. Time to move on.So grab a night light and cozy up Uncle Petey and Tommy McGoo for an episode guaranteed to under-deliver. It's the ATF promise!

It's the big finale of our eighth season and we're going out with a curiosity: Transcendence. We kick things off with a good-natured debate about our podcast's unique episode numbering, likely a coping mechanism for our collective lack of understanding of the topic.Eventually, we get somewhere, though where that is happens to be unique to each of us. It turns out that Transcendence is a word that conjures emotions of “beyond” differently for us. For Tommy, the secret is in The Zipper, a risky carnival ride that illuminates his understanding of transcendence in spite of all warnings otherwise. For Pete, it's about shedding baggage. We hope, dear listener, that this season has made for a fun exploration of our shared humanity. We've been thrilled by reports of listener groups popping up and hope to see those continue into next season. Between now and then, this show moves to a monthly schedule with abbreviated episodes in the public feed, and full member bonus episodes for Feeling Friends. We hope you'll consider joining us on this break before we come back for next season's exploration of The Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues. It's gonna be weird. 

Welcome to the first of our member bonus episodes for season 8 of All the Feelings! Thanks for hanging around, the whole lot of you. May this brief checkin bring you some holiday chuckles, two potential grotesqueries, and a textile mystery. 

We're popping the top on dips this month and diving into the best and the worst of the creamy concoctions. We're talking bean dips. We're talking creamy spinach dips. We're talking Ranch. We're talking cheeses. We're talking all the things that get jammed into jars and cans, ready for you to crack open this year... or many years in the future. Guest Mandy Kaplan is back, creeping out of the neon-lit protection of the Mandcave. You should go subscribe to her show, too! Right here on TruStory FM!

Stuck on finding the perfect birthday present for your loved ones? We're here to help! First, we're dishing on the word nerds' selections for "words of the year" - from "rizz" to "hallucinations," it's a vocabulary rollercoaster! Also, dive into the wild world of VR with us as Pete helps Tommy embrace the Vision Pro life, goggle dirt and all.Links & NotesOscarsSelected Words of the YearMerriam-WebsterOxford DictionariesCambridge DictionaryDictionary.comAmerican Dialect SocietyCasey Neistat's Apple Vision Pro Review

We're back with favorite guest Mandy Kaplan with another dish of consumable delights and this month we're putting lip to bottle in a survey of sweet and regrettably savory fizzy sodas. For those looking to join, here's the master list:1) MOXIE2) SPRECHER ROOT BEER3) KEY LIME PIE4) RAMUNE GRAPE5) SEAL YA LATER6) BUFFALO WING7) SLIME LICKERThese come from fantastic Rocket Fizz stores in Beaverton and LA and we're thrilled to have had the support of their managers and owners in picking this line-up… even if we didn't love them all! 

Sodas and TikTok and Forced Nostalgia? What more do you want for our final season break episode? Don't answer that question. Tom also introduces his new pastime: murderboards. We hit a reunion of too many years, and we recommend you all watch the Three-Body Problem, but mostly first, you should read the books, which will make you feel small. Happy day!

They're playing with us. They're making us dance like marionettes. They're the seven deadly sins and the seven heavenly virtues and Pete and Tommy are going to see what makes them think they're so special this season.

In the season 9 premiere of All The Feelings, Tommy Metz III and Pete Wright dive into the world of sins and virtues, starting with the deadly sin of sloth. But what exactly is sloth? Is it simply laziness, or is there more to this centuries-old concept?We begin with a whimsical journey through the history of the seven deadly sins, from the early Egyptian and Greek interpretations to the more extensive list developed by hard-working Christian theologians. Shockingly, sloth originally had a more spiritual meaning, referring to neglect of one's religious duties rather than just physical laziness.As we explore the modern implications of sloth, we ponder whether our capitalist society has bastardized the concept. In a world that glorifies hustle culture and constant productivity, is taking a break to read a book or play a video game really a sin? Again, shocking: engaging in fulfilling activities, whether spiritual or not, is crucial for our well-being and sense of purpose.So, is Tommy a slothful person? Does Pete secretly wish to become a nocturnal elf, crafting shoes and living off Patreon donations? Tune in to find out and join the conversation about sins, virtues, and everything in between.Links & NotesCBS Sunday Morning segment on the benefits of laziness by Susan SpencerResearch on sloth and emotional well-being by various institutions, including:Institute for LivingCenter for Well-Being ScienceOxford Center for Emotions and Affective Neuroscience ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

This week on Sins and Virtues, Pete and Tommy tackle the tricky topic of charity. Tommy kicks things off by sharing his guilt-ridden relationship with modern charity because who would he be if he didn't? Things take a personal turn toward Charity Shame Street when money isn't enough. Also, don't get scammed. It's super important to research charities to ensure donations aren't just lining the pockets of John Cena impersonators.Pete gives a shout-out to the value of local, hands-on charity work, like serving up oatmeal at community organizations. The hosts can't help but imagine the endless requests for more oatmeal and eggs that come with such noble deeds. More eggs, please, indeed.Digging into the historical roots of charity, Pete uncovers its origins in ancient religious beliefs and obligations, from sacrificial offerings to good old-fashioned tithing. People, nobody needs you to kill a goat for good anymore. Just go on a Fun Run. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Pete and Tommy get frisky this week as they explore the lascivious legends of lust. From the origins of French kissing to the complex nature of desire, they dive deep into this often misunderstood and stigmatized sin.How is lust both a positive and negative force, depending on the context and the individuals involved? Why does it have such a stupidly gendered history and rich tapestry of societal shame? Because the people who made up that shame weren't having enough sex.Join in as they navigate the ups and downs of this passionate feeling, offering ins and outs of insights along the way. And, in case you missed it, we wrote ups and downs and ins and outs in the same sentence. You're welcome. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

This week Pete and Tommy dive into the totally and completely grounded world of humility. Why is humility so often misunderstood as self-deprecation? What is it about the cultural and historical shifts in how these concepts are perceived that makes being truly humble so hard?We begin with a JOURNEY THROUGH TIME (cue the echo), examining how ancient Greek society valued pride over humility and how this perspective flipped with the rise of Christianity. They delve into the role of Jesus Christ's crucifixion in redefining humility as a virtue (which was a BIG DEAL (echo again)), pondering how this transformation occurred so swiftly and profoundly. We also explore secular perspectives, highlighting David Hume's emphasis on modesty and intellectual humility.Plus, we have another segment of our one-segment gameshow about how we can possibly "eat humble pie" and Pete tries not to humblebrag but he's just terrible at it … at … not … doing it. Whatever. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

In this episode of Sins and Virtues, we're tackling the fiery emotion of Wrath. Join Pete and Tommy as they delve into the history and psychology behind this powerful emotion, exploring its destructive potential and its surprising presence in pop culture.From ancient Greek philosophers to modern-day action heroes, the guys examine how wrath has been perceived and portrayed throughout history. They discuss the cathartic appeal of violent media, questioning whether indulging in fictional fury actually influences real-world aggression.Tommy shares a personal anecdote about experiencing wrath while driving, particularly the phenomenon of the "beep back." This leads to a thought-provoking discussion about the triggers and consequences of road rage, and whether a little tire-deflating superpower might come in handy sometimes (hypothetically speaking, of course).Tune in for a captivating conversation that explores the multifaceted nature of wrath, its potential for both harm and entertainment, and the delicate balance between righteous anger and destructive rage. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

This week on Sins and Virtues, Pete and Tommy tackle the surprisingly complex concept of Chastity. While often considered a virtue, Pete makes a compelling case for its inclusion in the pantheon of deadly sins.The episode takes a deep dive into the history of chastity belts, revealing a surprising truth: they were likely never actually used in medieval times. Instead, they seem to have originated as a sort of inside joke that later gained a life of its own, becoming a symbol of male control over women's sexuality. However, in a delightful twist, modern interpretations of chastity devices have emerged, flipping the script and empowering women within certain communities.The conversation then shifts to the historical influence of the church on perceptions of chastity. From vows of celibacy to linking female "hysteria" with a lack of chastity, the episode explores how religious dogma has often been used to control and restrict sexual freedom. Tommy raises a thought-provoking question: can we discuss chastity today without getting bogged down by outdated dogmas?Pete and Tommy wrap up the episode by acknowledging the complexities of discussing chastity in a modern context. They emphasize the importance of personal choice and freedom, encouraging listeners to form their own opinions on this multifaceted concept. Join them next time for another thought-provoking exploration of sins and virtues! ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

This week on All the Feelings: Sins & Virtues, Tommy and Pete explore the sin of gluttony, exploring its historical and cultural evolution. From its origins as a necessary caution against overconsumption in times of scarcity to its modern-day manifestation in our capitalist society, gluttony takes on new and surprising forms.Our insatiable appetite for more than just food has led to a culture of excess, where instant gratification and the pursuit of profit often come at the expense of our planet and future generations. But can we really blame ourselves? Amazon's ability to deliver our every whim overnight has warped our perception of normal. Maybe that has something to do with it? We'll never know.And speaking of insatiable appetites, Tommy confesses to a gluttonous indulgence of his own: negative fantasies. He's been gorging on imagined slights and criticisms, experiencing what he calls "daymares." Tune in as Tommy and Pete try to unravel the root of these anxieties and explore the ways in which our thoughts can consume us if we're not careful. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

This week on All the Feelings: Sins & Virtues, Tommy and Pete tackle the weighty topic of diligence. It all starts with a seemingly simple question: what does it mean to work hard? But as the duo delves into the nuances of global work cultures, things take a philosophical turn.From the "Huguo Shenshan" spirit of Taiwan's tech industry to the "karoshi" phenomenon in Japan, Tommy and Pete explore how diligence can be both a source of national pride and a potential path to burnout. They ponder the meaning of a "good day's work" in a world where some find fulfillment in building tangible things, while others navigate the abstract world of finance.You might just find yourself questioning your own relationship with diligence - and maybe even yearning for a siesta. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

This week on All the Feelings: Sins & Virtues, Tommy and Pete tackle the tricky duo of jealousy and pride. With a season planned around the seven deadly sins and seven heavenly virtues, the hosts find themselves two episodes short. Their clever solution? A clip show featuring highlights from their previous discussions on envy and pride, cleverly disguised as a thematic pairing.The episode dives deep into the nuances of envy and jealousy, dissecting their differences and exploring their evolutionary roots. You'll be treated to a replay of a past humorous attempt to define these often-confusing emotions, complete with an on-topic bit about Cain and Abel. They also revisit their discussion on the evolutionary basis of jealousy, exploring its role in mate-guarding and the fascinating differences in how it manifests in men and women.Beyond the clip show format, the episode offers fresh insights as well. Tommy teaches the world of daredevil Robert Oberacker's jet ski that one time it met Niagara Falls.So, if you're curious about the fine line between envy and jealousy, the dangers of unchecked pride, or simply enjoy a good clip show with a twist, tune in to All the Feelings: Sins & Virtues. Just be prepared for some mathematical mishaps, anthropological deep dives, and a healthy dose of shenanigans. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Pete and Tom tackle Temperance in this episode of All the Feelings, and boy, do they have some!They dive deep into the history of temperance, from its philosophical roots with Aristotle to the rise of the temperance movement in the US. Expect a hilarious exploration of how "don't get drunk" somehow led to women's suffrage (thanks, Dave!), the surprising connection between the temperance movement and other social reforms, and a healthy dose of skepticism about moral crusades. Plus, Pete shares a truly horrifying story about his grandfather and a urologist at a golf club that you won't want to miss. So, get ready for prohibition, civic know-how, urinary health and everything in between, plus "Temper Temper," the game show that tests your knowledge of prohibition! ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Pete and Tommy tackle the sticky subject of greed in this episode of All the Feelings. They dive deep into everything from the biblical definition of this cardinal sin to its complicated relationship with modern capitalism. They wrestle with their own consumerist tendencies (hello, new iPhone!), explore the psychology of materialism, and manage to connect greed to Tommy's impressive DVD collection without breaking much of a sweat. Plus, Tommy's childhood trick-or-treating story might just make you rethink your Halloween candy strategy. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Pete and Tommy are back for a two-fer! This time they're tackling not one, but two of the heavenly virtues: kindness and patience.Join them as they explore what these virtues really mean, from navigating grocery store lines to reflecting on the DNC (dated references and all!). They dive deep into the idea of mindful patience, even touching on the ancient practice of Vipassana. Tom tries to cultivate more patience in his daily life, and they both ponder how kindness and patience (or the lack thereof) play out in modern culture, including a half-assed takedown of that Pepsi commercial. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

What happens when the relentless march of capitalism collides with our deepest, most primal cravings? This week, Pete, Tommy, and Mandy plunge headfirst into a bizarre experiment that straddles the line between genius and madness: the world of branded iced coffees. Forget your artisanal pour-over; we're talking Twinkie, Ding-Dong, Twix, and Snickers-flavored lattes. It's a flavor profile that defies logic, a sensory experience that raises profound questions about the nature of taste itself. Are these just clever chemical concoctions masquerading as nostalgia? Or is there something more sinister at play?The trio grapples with this existential beverage crisis, dissecting each sip with the fervor of a forensic team examining a crime scene. Tommy, a self-proclaimed "non-sweethead," finds himself in a battle of wills against the saccharine onslaught, while Pete, ever the pragmatist, seeks the elusive balance between coffee and candy. Mandy, the instigator of this caffeinated chaos, navigates the treacherous terrain of artificial flavors with a mix of morbid curiosity and genuine delight.As they navigate the perplexing world of branded beverages, the group stumbles upon a surprising revelation: the true nature of "Twinkie" flavor. Is it a tangible ingredient or a carefully crafted illusion? It's a question that leads them down a rabbit hole of food science and corporate intrigue, forcing us to confront the unsettling reality of what we consume.Links & NotesMake Me a Nerd (Mandy's podcast) ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Is it possible for a canned cocktail, once opened, to retain its fizz for an entire summer? This isn't a question typically pondered in the hallowed halls of academia, but it's precisely the kind of delightful mystery that unravels in this episode of All the Feelings. Pete and Tommy embark on a conversational odyssey that spans the spectrum of human experience, from the surprisingly complex world of condiments to the existential angst of a cherished New Year's Eve tradition.But if you're reading this, you're not getting the whole thing! Our supporting Feeling Friends get the full score because they visited allthefeelings.fun and signed up to support us, get their own private member feed of our complete archive, and help us keep food on the table and shoes on our feet. See, you might go to work and make money and then eat because your boss pays you. Feeling Friends are OUR boss. You want to be someone's boss, right? It'll be fun! And thank you in advance for your bossiness!   ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Oh, hello! This week on All The Feelings, we embark on yet another emotional rollercoaster, but this time, instead of spiraling into the depths of raw human emotion, we spiral into something far more terrifying: the crushing realization that we are allegedly adults and should know things.Of course, the rest of this member bonus episode is for our Feeling Friends. Want to hear the whole thing? Just head over to AllTheFeelings.fun and become an official member! Then you'll get your own personal podcast feed with all the goods and extended editions and you'll help us keep making this show season after season after season. Thank you!Links & NotesSubmit your adulting stories! It's just one click to this handy form!Stay strong, feeling friends. We're all barely holding it together. ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Our brave hosts embark on a journey through the Tabanero Hot Sauce Challenge, a sadistic gauntlet of increasingly ferocious condiments that culminates in something ominously named Dragon's Breath, which sounds less like a food product and more like something that should require a hazmat suit and a government permit.Links & NotesMake Me a Nerd (Mandy's podcast) ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

KOFF-N: It's not a choice. It's a podcast.Introducing KOFF-N — a proudly non-FDA-evaluated experience brought to you by the minds behind All The Feelings. Side effects include nostalgia, regret, adult acne, a deep yearning for your high school metabolism, and a compulsive need to ask, “normal blood pressure for my age.”This week, Pete and Tommy unveil ADULTING: a season-long exploration of what happens when you crest the hill of youth… and keep rolling. Think of it as a guided tour through the existential landscaping of middle life — featuring emotional potholes, financial sinkholes, and the occasional oddly comforting cul-de-sac of acceptance.Whether you're Googling, “why does my knee do that” or rethinking every decision you made in your twenties, this season is for you.Welcome to All The Feelings: Season 10 – ADULTING.

Welcome to Season 10 of All the Feelings, where your hosts Pete Wright and Tommy Metz III take you on a guided tour of that weird liminal space between “I should know better by now” and “Why does filling out a W-2 feel like a personality test written by Kafka?”In this premiere episode, the subject is Money, starting with the slow-burning crisis of homeownership. Tommy—staunch apartment loyalist and occasional demon extractor—wonders if owning property is still the pinnacle of adult success, or just another gatekeeping tradition propped up by 1940s mortgage policy and peer pressure from ghosts. Pete, long-time homeowner and accidental handyman, walks us through the real cost of grass, siding, and painting things that no landlord will pay for.Then, it's Tax Time: the annual gauntlet where America's adults cosplay as accountants and hope they don't accidentally confess to fraud. If you've ever had to Google “What is MAGI?” and gotten answers involving sorcery or the Nativity, this episode is for you. Pete recounts his annual ritual of fiscal shame and digital form-filling dread, and Tommy offers a scathing comparison between the IRS and the HOV lane—both of which function primarily through fear.Along the way, we explore the emotional toll of systems that are designed to be opaque, the quiet panic of feeling unqualified to do basic grown-up things, and why the true cost of adulthood might just be your confidence. Spoiler: No one really knows what they're doing. Even Einstein.

Welcome to All the Feelings: Adulting, where fitness isn't about abs, it's about survival—and emotional support comes with a side of pepperoni.In this episode, Pete confronts a lifelong love-hate relationship with exercise (spoiler: mostly hate) and shares how working with a trainer finally reframed strength as energy storage, not just punishment. Protein becomes more than a punchline—it's a power-up. Tommy, meanwhile, peels back the anxious layers of adult health care avoidance and delivers a heartfelt, hilarious exploration of iatrophobia—the very real fear of doctors. From raccoon-infested crawl spaces to gym myths, shame spirals to colonoscopy bragging rights, this episode is probably not your way to health, strength, and medical care in adulthood.Bonus: historical sexism, magical poop, and the emotional complexity of car snacks. Welcome to adulthood.Links & NotesBecome a Feeling FriendThe infamous Bicycle Face panic of 1895Don't for Women on Bicycles, 1895 ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Making friends as an adult is hard. Like, trying-to-fix-a-leaky-faucet-with-a-pear hard. This week, Pete and Tommy dive into the emotional absurdity of adult relationships—why it's so difficult to make new friends when you're older, and why you still feel bad about that one friend you accidentally ghosted in during the Regan presidency.Tommy explores the paradox of adult friendship logistics (spoiler: it involves trivia nights and at least one emotional support podcast), while Pete unpacks the slow, awkward fade of the friendships we didn't mean to lose but also didn't exactly fight to keep. Plus: a deeply educational detour through ancient Roman memory-erasure rituals and the definitive game show you didn't know your dating app history prepared you for—What's App'nin?So whether you're out there desperately trying to make a new friend or quietly mourning the group text that went dark, this one's for you. You're not alone. Unless you are. In which case… welcome.Links & NotesBecome a Feeling Friend ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

This week on All the Feelings: Adulting, Pete and Tommy explore the emotional rollercoaster of civic duty—that grown-up responsibility that makes you feel both powerful and powerless, often at the same time. Pete recounts his surprisingly moving journey from accidentally running for office (yes, really) to wielding his democratic paddle in precinct committee meetings that felt like Parks and Rec meets Newhart, with just a dash of intergalactic colonization thrown in for fun.We kick things off with a signature All the Feelings guided meditation, designed to soothe your soul and slowly reveal your complicity in the collapse of public institutions. Then Tommy takes us on a whirlwind tour of his lifelong, unfulfilled dream of serving on a jury—a civic fantasy frequently interrupted by mistrials, celebrity impersonators, and the birth of Occupy Wall Street.It's an episode about participation, paperwork, powerlessness, and the strangely intoxicating scent of a freshly unsealed ballot. And in the end, it's a reminder that real change often starts not in Washington, but in a library basement that smells like Folgers.Become a Feeling Friend!Help us keep the precinct weird: allthefeelings.funGet early access, bonus content, stickers, and the satisfaction of supporting emotional democracy for only $35 a year. (Or just vote Pete back into office. Either works.) ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Ever started a fight in your head, won it spectacularly, only to realize the other person didn't even show up to the battlefield? Welcome to adulthood, where conflict is less about actual shouting and more about side-eyeing someone into oblivion while whispering “I'm fine” with enough passive-aggression to wilt a cactus.In this episode, Pete and Tommy wade into the murky, tepid waters of grown-up conflict—armed only with podcast-sponsored razors, psychological aphorisms, and a deep, festering resentment for group texts. From Hanlon's Razor (“Maybe they're not evil, just an idiot”) to the Cold War of Thermostat Settings, they explore why modern fights are quieter, pettier, and increasingly fought through emoji avoidance and artfully delayed email replies.Tommy investigates the ancient science museum exhibit that accidentally gave him an emotional breakthrough (shoutout, Exploratorium), while Pete reveals he spent years treating a perfectly lovely human as his secret archnemesis. They tackle imaginary nemeses, real micro-aggressions, and that one Ralph's employee who doesn't know they're the final boss in your personal hero's journey.Also: the War of the Bucket. Yes, an actual war. Over an actual bucket. Two Italian city-states. Thirty thousand troops. And one wooden container that still hangs in a death-sentence room like a medieval mic drop. Because adult conflict, like medieval conflict, is never about the thing—it's about the bucket.So guard your emotional buckets, find peace in the possibility that no one is thinking about you at all (liberating!), and if you must fight… maybe don't do it in a podcast.Become a Feeling Friend!Help us keep the precinct weird: allthefeelings.funGet early access, bonus content, stickers, and the satisfaction of supporting emotional democracy for only $35 a year. (Or just vote Pete back into office. Either works.) ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

Today's episode is a tale of two archetypes: the Productivity Power User who color-codes their calendar like it's a Kandinsky painting… and the Procrastinating Professor Slayer who tells himself he'll fix it tomorrow—which, incidentally, is always today when it arrives. Pete, whose relationship with task management involves quad-wielding to-do apps like a productivity warlock, faces off with Tommy, who uses his iPhone calendar like a grocery list taped to a parking meter.Together, they dismantle performative productivity (spoiler: it's emotional self-gaslighting with better fonts), unpack procrastination as an anxiety-fueled death spiral in a trench coat, and lovingly roast each other's ritualistic self-sabotage. There's a chilling tale of Franz Ferdinand, a beeper, and the exact moment the world spiraled into World War I. And if that doesn't scream “calendar hygiene matters,” then friend, you might already be scheduling your next collapse.This episode has everything: analog clock superiority, digital tool delusion, ADHD-fueled shame spirals, the dopamine hit of “not today,” and possibly the best joke ever made about lawn maintenance. It's not just a podcast episode. It's a panic productivity intervention disguised as comedy. You're welcome. Become a Feeling Friend!Help us keep the precinct weird: allthefeelings.funGet early access, bonus content, stickers, and the satisfaction of supporting emotional democracy for only $35 a year. (Or just vote Pete back into office. Either works.) ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.