Your brothers have been having a rough time getting back into the swing of things at school given all the stuff teachers have to deal with right now, especially those of us who teach in Florida. So this week, we're talking about the ways teachers have been maligned over the last few years, how that's helping stoke the fires of the nationwide teacher shortage, and how these wild, new laws are impacting both our desire to stay in the profession and our ability to do our jobs and do them well. Don't worry, even though all of that is pretty heavy, we're still laughing about it, as usual. It's a very candid conversation, and one we're sure you'll want to hear!

You've seen 'em on the streets of your favorite cities. You've heard people talking about them. Maybe you've even had a few friends who said "Goodbye" to all this capitalist bullshit and joined ranks with other people just like them. This week, we're talking about all things gutter punk: the music, the style, and, especially, the CULTURE. We explore some of the main particularities of the gutter/crust punk lifestyle, and we discuss the philosophical origins of some of their most important values. Of course, we make a lot jokes about this "totally normal" society we are all forced to live in along the way.

This week, we did something we've been meaning to do for y'all for a while. It's a little bit of a surprise so we won't give too much away here, but let's just say things get very vulnerable and a little goofy (as always). If you've ever wondered about some of our deepest and most intimate thoughts on our lives and how we live, this is the episode for you.

You read that correctly, folks. This week, we're stone lifting and bench pressing our way through the history of one of the most niche and mysterious sports in the world: the Strongman competition. In this episode, we get into some of the lore surrounding Strongman's history, the ancient roots of the sport, what it's like now, and the back stories of some of the most famous Strongmen and strength performers in all of written history. We know this one's a long one, but that's because there was simply much more to talk about in regards to this topic than we could've ever expected. Come (metaphorically) carry some heavy shit with us!

You can probably already tell from the title, but we'll just tell you anyways: this week, we're talking all about survivalism and prepping. No, not the kind you're thinking of...the kind where people believe the world is going to end (soon) and do everything in their power to get prepared to live in a post-apocalyptic future. We get into some of the specific orientations survivalists have in terms of what they're prepping for, a brief history of survivalism and prepping as we know it, and why the idea of it bothers us so goddamn much. This is episode is packed with what we know will be new-to-you information and, of course, tons of goofs.

This week, we're going around the world with just the clothes on our backs and one change of underwear and socks. That's right, folks, we're talking about the worldwide phenomenon known as backpacking. In this episode, we get into the very early history of backpacking as a concept, how backpacking has evolved since then, and what backpacking looks like now. Along the way, we discuss some of the problems inherent with this kind of travel and goof on some of the cultural features that have become characteristic of this popular hobby.

In the newest installment of our series "From Where We're From," we're exploring the history and culture of Wilton Manors, FL, A.K.A the gayest island in the world. We dive deep into some basic facts about Wilton Manors, its history, and how it became the little haven for LGBTQ people that is today. Along the way, we discuss some of what's missing in the historical record on Wilton Manors and why it's important that we fix it. Whether you're from South Florida or not, this episode has a little something for everyone, and as usual, lots of goofs in between.

You read that correctly...we're back again with another deep dive on animals. This time, we're talkin' American Literature's favorite creature: the sperm whale. In the episode, we talk sperm whale basics and why such a large industry was built around the mysterious substance they carry in their heads. We also get into Herman Melville's relationship with these illustrious creatures and how much better they are than us (humans). We got a few good puns and a whole lot of whale goofs, but you'll still walk away approximately 17% smarter after listening!

This week, your brothers aren't teaching...they're getting taught! That's right. For the first time in the history of this podcast, we have a special guest: our brother-in-teaching and Mobile Suit Gundam enthusiast, Mark Sturdivant! In this episode, Mark teaches us all about the somewhat underground craze that is Mobile Suit Gundam model kit production. He gives us a brief history of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise and helps us understand why these kits are growing in popularity. Since we have no prior knowledge of this whatsoever, we also ask Mark a lot of questions about the kits and what makes him keep coming back for more. This was a real learning journey for your brothers, and we're sure it'll be one for you, too!

It's our 20th episode (!!!!), so we thought we'd go big for y'all. This week, we took on a topic that's a little bit of a point of contention for your favorite brothers: the work of M. Night Shyamalan.  We ranked our top 5 Shyamalan films, and then, in this episode, we discuss our rankings and broke down why we made those choices. Overall, Brendan has a hard time really buying what Shyamalan is selling (for good reasons), while Stef is a bit more forgiving and is all-in on Shyamalan and the worlds he tries to construct in his films. It definitely doesn't get as heated as some may think, but it's not NOT heated, you know?