On a Phletch Phaves Phryday we celebrate Phyllis Fletcher's second anniversary of being a Ten with the episode that hooked her: the TBTL obituary for Tom Magliozzi of Car Talk. Meredith, Mike and Phyllis connect the dots of the Car Talk Talk to reveal its subtext and elevate it as a pivotal moment in TBTL history, unbeknownst as it was to Tens back in 2014. In an LRB Bonus Track we hear the radio story Luke helped Phyllis produce as an intern, about racism that happens on the phone. It's histori...
Nov 04, 2016•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 166
¡Bienvenidos a Stumpton! Slip into your hospital footie socks, pour yourself some coconut water, and visit Bobby, Meredith and Mike at the San Juan Salsa Bar for your latest, healthiest, watermelon-colored TBTL Week in Review (and your gratis Big Papi tortilla chips). We’re a little afraid of trying to fire our layabout unioncats, and a lot afraid of getting our hair wet. But at least we ain’t afraid of no hipster girl in a jumpsuit. When you’re done with this, make sure to check out the latest ...
Oct 31, 2016•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 165
Horticulturalist, freelance writer/editor and one-time Soul Patrol DJ Michelle Sutton joins Bobby and Meredith for an Upstate New York whistle-stop nostalgia, House Bunny Fun Facts!® and a look back to the time in 2008 Luke interviewed Jen, and they felt all the feels. (As if you didn’t love Jen enough already.) Remember to vote for LRB in King 5’s Best of Western Washington contest , use Ladyflash by the Go! Team for all of your music bed needs, and not to buy, sell or process anything . This e...
Oct 28, 2016•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 164
Pop the prosecco and call in your lap sandwich: Mike, Meredith and Ann are hitting pause on TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles marathon for your latest TBTL Week in Review. Who needs salad when we’ve got hot browser cookies? Who needs a hit investigative podcast when we’ve got Jesus Creek and awkward neighbor boy talk? And who needs Katie Nolan when we’ve got Andrew’s garbage anxiety? It just doesn’t matter! It just doesn’t matter! Oh, can you pick us up at the airport? … Bring your microphone....
Oct 24, 2016•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 163
The ghosts and goblins have come out to play, because it’s Halloween at the LRB! Ann and Christy are here to give their opinions on scary movies, share their personal Halloween experiences, and examine the Halloweens of TBTLs past. Whether you dress up as a punk rocker, a cowgirl, a Roman soldier or Dorcas the Seamstress, there’s something for everybody, including Luke’s childhood encounter with a witch, Sean’s Balls of Fury ™, Fort Wayne holiday decorating tips from Jen, and Andrew’s indignatio...
Oct 21, 2016•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 162
Bobby, Ann and Mike dive stump-first into the deep end of the soon-to-be-winterized pool that is the last week of TBTL. We start by searing our hot takes off in several inches olive (but thankfully not sesame) oil, and then slow cook our commentary for several hours in our trusty past-due Crock-Pot®. Mike defends the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bobby doles out wedding DJ advice, and Ann keeps her frustration at a steady simmer. Overall, it’s a tender but fatty episode, with some overpriced powder fil...
Oct 17, 2016•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 161
Oscars for everybody! Ann and Christy are joined by Kansas Ten and pop culture enthusiast Katherine Damman to talk Gilmore Girls, whether Luke could have gone wild in Branson, MO and what the heck throwed rolls are. Then we listen back to the early, early days of TBTL, when Jen Flash Andrews and KIRO movie critic Tom Tangney discuss the year’s crop of Oscar nominees, as well as their own yin and yang movie-watching sensibilities. Things we learn: Jen has an unfortunate track record of getting ki...
Oct 14, 2016•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 160
It’s been a graphic week on TBTL, and Mike, Meredith and Ann are ready to talk about (among other things) persistent cat pee, a “destroyed” bathroom at a baby shower, and (cough) mayonnaise. Andrew’s upset because Professor Bananas has turned his closet into her personal ammonia-scented paradise, Luke is upset because his dreams of a first class upgrade were crushed, and we’re upset because Luke’s financial mismanagement led to the temporary closure of the TBTL email accounts. In today’s LRB Sci...
Oct 10, 2016•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 159
There’s nothing better than a great origin story. For her October Phlashback, Phyllis Fletcher takes Mike and Bobby back to the day Luke shared with the world the note left on his backward-facing car in the maritime village of Port Townsend, WA, that brought a colorful addition to the TBTL lexicon. And while we have her, Phyllis kindly takes the boys (who have two journalism degrees and zero journalism jobs between them) through how her awesome day job works. Our own notable parking stories incl...
Oct 07, 2016•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 158
Here! Here! (Hear? Hear?) Mike is back, and fills Bobby, Meredith and the Wagoneers in on where he’s been the last month or so before we recap the latest week of TBTL. It’s actually a pretty heavy story, but have no fear: It’s balanced out by personified pets, Uncle Ike’s $2 bills, grievances with Iceland, a prescription for a glass of cranberry juice, and a call to stop body-shaming giant pandas. (Especially on the bamboo casting couch.)
Oct 03, 2016•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 157
Ann Lundholm is flanked by TBTL line-of-succession members Phyllis Fletcher and Stu the StuBot Neuman at Black Sheep Coal Fired Pizza in St. Paul for a meta look back at times TBTL has taped live in restaurants. (Insert Kelly O drop here.) Over beers and a half No. 4 (Meatball, Ricotta & Garlic) / half No. 5 (Fennel Sausage, Hot Salami, Onion & Cracked Green Olives) pie, the gang breaks down the spectrum of embarrassment from Luke to Andrew, builds an impassioned defense of Arby’s (excep...
Sep 30, 2016•39 min•Ep. 156
Bobby, Ann and Meredith are tangled up in lanyard talk as they recap TBTL’s week at (or at least adjacent to) the PRPD conference in Phoenix, and it seems no amount of Alaska Board Room soup or nearly nude hotel room T25 is going to give Luke or Andrew Bill Murray-level confidence. Also, Ann recommends the movie Breach, Christy asks us to tell you about Jesus Creek Mysteries , and we all agree FedEx is the worst. This episode also includes a preview of our upcoming Friday show featuring Phyllis ...
Sep 26, 2016•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 155
Live from the Trans Am Room at the Motor Court Motel , ChiTen pastry chef Brigid “Gabriella” Schabes flanks Meredith “Mercedes” Mahan and Bobby “Should Have Been Ann” Pape for a plethora of topics from pie crusts and biscuit tips to a TBTL clip from 2008 about lady bits. In 2016 we still may not agree on how to pronounce menstruation, but at least we’re all on the same page about Gillian Anderson and left-handed smoke-shifters. And pie. We all love pie. This episode features a clip from December...
Sep 23, 2016•49 min•Ep. 154
Between the start of Bundt Cake Month in Stickabutter Studios, and a football/birthday party about to start in the Mahan Banquet Center, Ann and Meredith kick off our latest TBTL Week in Review by making Bobby hungry. Appetites, however, are quickly lost thanks to talk about Trump, toilets and the Five-Second Rule—just in time to avoid eating Din Tai Fung leftovers, hotel room coffee and a big bag of Dick’s. But since we don’t want Misha Collins or flea market “Hue” Jackman to think we’re fat, w...
Sep 19, 2016•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 153
The nights are getting cool, the leaves are starting to turn, and that means it’s time for us to head back to school. Christy and Ann are back at it again with the monthly clip show, ready to take a deep dive into the school experiences of Luke, Jen and Andrew, as well as hash out a few of our own educational grievances. We listen in disbelief to some Jesus Creek horror stories, reminisce about school lunches (or the lack thereof), shake our heads at some true “Oh, Andrew” moments, and giggle ov...
Sep 16, 2016•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 152
Bobby, Meredith and Ann order their custom LRB sportball jerseys, steal that bag of hot Duke’s sausages that wouldn’t scan, and take a call from “Microsoft” about the “virus” on their “computer” in your latest TBTL Week in Review. We’re all a little rough from the free in-flight champagne, but it’s all good because we can tell who the king is based on the size of his candy bar, and Angela Lansbury seems to have a lot going on in the lifestyle department. This week’s hot takes will go down smooth...
Sep 12, 2016•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 151
Grab your 7-11 bananas, don your ripped t-shirt from 1979 and hit the ‘down’ button on the elevator: it’s time for all you sneaky snakes to slither out for some smokes and make some questionable life decisions. This week, Mike and Ann are joined by TBTL ‘B-list celebrity’ and public radio pledge drive lover Shanna Gratton Demke to talk about receiving pizza in the mail, the joys of life in Texas, and Six Degrees of North Dakotans. Then we go back in time to the TBTL Chicago live show where the i...
Sep 09, 2016•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 150
Startled from falling asleep to Teletubbies again? Join Ann, Mike and Bobby in Ann’s Therapy Corner, where an A is an F, a C is and A, and watching the TV in your Fiero is no problem because you’ve got a police escort from the stadium direct to your impractically hip hotel. So drown your picnic FOMO in forest Eggos and Augustus Gloop fantasies. Plus, Mike likely screwed some ESL students working on their US citizenship in the late ‘80s, and Ann quit her night job and bought a purple Shark. Becau...
Sep 05, 2016•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 149
Grab your travel mug of white wine and your fresh-ass backpack, because it’s time to follow Meredith, Bobby and Phyllis Fletcher back to September 2008 for a two-clip phlashback that will make you love Jen and Jason more than you already do. (If that’s possible.) Jason commits a fashion faux pas, Jen abides, and we all learn valuable lessons. Plus, our own drinking-on-the-job stories, hot takes on the abysmal state of public schools, and one of us was recently touched inappropriately at a semi-p...
Sep 02, 2016•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 148
String cheese wrappers? Check. Authentic teriyaki? Check. Blend of 11 secret herbs and spices? Check. Enough alcohol to float 1500 Michiganders to Canada? Check. We’re ready for another round of TBTL: The Week That Was. In this episode, Mike, Ann and Meredith talk about, among other things, the extreme hotness of Justin Trudeau, why no one feels sorry for Nick Denton, and how to learn to look at yourself in pictures without dying inside. Plus, we hear all the dirty details from last Friday’s Tex...
Aug 29, 2016•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 147
Ann and Christy are joined by PRO-fessional podcaster Naomi Hillyard to talk about TBTL picnics past and future, the evergreen strangeness of Randy Quaid, and drinking The Kraken at the TBTL Summer Slam 2 Electric Boogaloo. Then we head back to 2010 for a clip where Luke (and Jen, by way of Skype) visit Sean’s apartment to check out what’s in his fridge, get the story on a dispute with his upstairs neighbor, and discuss Tila Tequila’s unfortunate treatment at the Gathering of the Juggalos. Addit...
Aug 26, 2016•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 146
Luke’s back! Luke’s back! And look what he brought us: some peach Fresca, a vacation “beard” and a Bay Kitty (Kittens! Inspired by kittens!)! Last week’s TBTL was chock full of news and notes, and Mike, Meredith and Ann are ready to cover it all. On the docket for discussion: Luke’s relief that he’s been eating the low-carb almonds, Andrew’s chances of qualifying for the Popsicle®-eating Olympics, and whether “Brian Latke” is a dummy or just dumb (can’t he be both?). Over on the LRB front, Mike’...
Aug 22, 2016•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 145
It’s time to rinse and spit, as Christy and Ann get together to conduct an examination of the dental experiences of TBTL hosts past and present. We’ll hear the epic story of ol’ Barnacle Mouth Burbank, wonder where Jen gets her impressive supply of prescription drugs, and ponder what those poky gum test numbers Andrew’s so proud of actually mean. Plus, the only radio show that considers it good content to have its producer come to work high as a kite, and the best (or worst?) lies to tell your h...
Aug 19, 2016•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 144
Our vagabond friend may not have been able to score us any whiskey, but Meredith, Bobby and Ann have loaded up on Sucrets®-flavored slushies cut on the dais, and are ready to recap your latest week of TBTL. Together, we find out that StuBot has a great radio voice, Sean DeTore has a conveniently located Dumpster, and Aaron Roden is “woke,” whatever that means. Plus, misadventures in music, fertility talk where the rubber hits the road, and the story of how the Salieri of Software got her groof b...
Aug 15, 2016•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 143
Straight from Papa Q’s English No. 1 Playlist, Mike pours salt in his FOMO wounds by coaching Team LRB—Christy, Jeremy*, Bobby and Meredith—through the HolmesGetsWise All Around, including Freestyle Dive Bowling, the Hotel Room Bundle Dash, and the highly anticipated Triathlon of Cake. Plus, medal ceremonies for Wedding Toast Synchronized Drinking, a 5-year-old’s flawless floor routine, and one host’s breakout success in High Fencing. Note: Things do get a little emotional, and as a result, the ...
Aug 12, 2016•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 142
Clear your Monday, because Mike, Ann and Bobby have won the raffle* and the neighborhood pool is ours for the day. Luke is on vacation, and according to Andrew’s caffeine intake, everything on the TBTL lot must go! Plus, Vieves’ job is awesome, Sean’s terrariums are suspect, and the Aryan Mason’s hobby is indefensible. So put your arms under your shoulders, chug some garbage milk, and keep your Shrek-like hands out of your small, small mouth, because there aren’t any locks on the studio doors, a...
Aug 08, 2016•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 141
Phyllis Fletcher joins Mike for a one on one episode where they play and discuss a clip from the radio days in 2008. Luke has his HS girlfriend on to talk about the proms they attended, then Jen tells the story of the bizarre junior/senior banquet at Jesus Creek. Then Phyllis and Mike swap stories about their own prom experiences. Also, Christy's future in Seattle politics is discussed.
Aug 05, 2016•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 140
Break out your 90’s fashion, rev up your awesome minivan, and refresh your knowledge of speed stacking as Mike and Ann are joined by special guest co-host and Texas firecracker Hillary Livingston Butler for this week’s TBTL Week in Review. We’re defending suburbia, trying to remain calm about alphabetical picnic details, and shaking our heads over Luke’s continued ability to avoid completing his Thrive process. We also learn new and interesting things about all three of our hosts, although Mike’...
Aug 01, 2016•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 139
Hop in your New Dodge and turn up your podcatcher—Meredith, Bobby and special guest Stu the StuBot Newman (#10imperfectsips) present selections from a special summer jamz (with a z) playlist sure to make you the coolest kid at the Hector Community Pool. One thing is for sure: This is NOT your Grandpappy Walsh’s Song of the Summer. All of the songs featured on today’s show (plus many more we didn’t have time to talk about) are available on our LRB Summerjamz Spotify playlist ....
Jul 29, 2016•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 138
Get that Don’t Be Radicchio™ Salad ready and don’t forget the side of freshly over-crisped cheese crisps—this week’s LRB Week in Review is sure to work up an appetite. Bobby, Meredith and Mike try to remember who used which towel, pick up some sweet moves from a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man (that they may or may not think is on fire), and learn to never get in a feud with a man who writes revenge raps for a (small portion of his, we hope) living. Plus: Tangent TV talk, a stupid ...
Jul 25, 2016•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 137
