This week, we have a conversation between contributor Matt Ruby and his guest, Adam Strauss, the award winning performer behind the one-person shows The Mushroom Cure and The Uncertainty Principle. They discuss Adam’s exploration of psychotropic substances for the purpose of treating his OCD and the ways those experiences led to his shows. We’re also joined by Jacqueline Sooler to discuss the recently released movie, I, Tonya, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, and Sebastian Stan. Along the way we’ll also hear from Radio Dispatch's John Knefel with his thoughts on how language used to describe President Trump and his actions -- as well as those of his allies -- obscures certain truths and result in false equivalencies that tilt the political landscape. We’ll also hear from a man named David, who shares memories of his grandfather. And we’ll take a listen to a performance by the self-described “holler roots band from Maine” known as The Ghost of Paul Revere from their just-released BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:28 - START /// Adam Strauss and ‘The Mushroom Cure’ w/ Matt Ruby

03:14 - Originals of show / OCD, etc.

05:25 - Benefits of OCD / perfectionism in comedy / productive channels

06:29 - Therapy + meds / psychedelics as OCD treatment

09:48 - “OCD about meditation”

12:40 - Mushrooms / cactus / bad taste = little door

17:26 - Brain chemistry

19:08 - Research chemicals / mescaline + synthetic psychedelics

22:36 - Would you have tried these even if you didn’t have OCD? / bad trips

27:00 - Integration / what actually worked? / acceptance of anxiety

30:37 - Deciding to turn the experiences into a show

31:20 - Critical reaction

32:56 - Other helpful things (yoga, etc.)

33:47 - Ayahuasca

40:22 - Power posing / defensive crouch of a New Yorker

41:37 - Advice for others with OCD /// END

43:59 - 1st Person: David // Remembering His Grandfather

47:24 - Movie Review: ‘I, Tonya’ w/ Jacqueline Soller

49:18 - Movie Chat: ‘I, Tonya’ (spoiler alert)

64:46 - John Knefel // Sanitizing Trump

67:34 - “As We Know” (BTR Live Studio, 2017) - The Ghost Of Paul Revere

70:50 - Outro / Credits

71:35 - Finish.