When Damon Monday was a kid, he got a black eye on picture day, his mom's van was stolen the day after Christmas ( with all presents inside), and he was a member of an unsanctioned garage fight club. Somehow he survived, but not with becoming a trained synchronized swimmer. More episodes at gladpod.com

Watch the video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAQgw7nn6uM

In this episode of Glad You’re Here, we are heading to the shores of Block Island for some wild coming-of-age tales and 90s New England nostalgia with comedian Ben Smith.

When Ben Smith was a kid, he was the "good student" with a driver’s permit who took the fall for his brother’s $300 car crashes, a resident of an island so small it only has one intersection, and the son of a Harvard-educated journalist who doubled as a local nudist. From navigating a town filled with "inbred deer" to throwing legendary "Smithfest" ragers while his dad was away at nudist colonies, Ben’s upbringing was a hilarious and heartfelt mix of chaos and community. Somehow he survived the pressure of being the island’s class clown, eventually turning a tragic family eulogy into his very first stand-up set.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Island Life & Beater Cars: Growing up in a town of 80 people where joyrides end in deer bounties and totaled Toyotas.

• Eccentric Family Dynamics: The legacy of Ben’s father, Robert L. Smith—a privacy expert who marched with MLK and wrote the encyclopedia definition of "privacy."

• Comedy in the Darkest Times: Finding the "high" of performance during his brother’s funeral and the absurdity of grief.

• Smithfest & High School Legacies: Throwing the "Project X" of Rhode Island and the glory of high school slapboxing matches.

• Coming of Age: The vulnerability of leaving the island at 15 and the "tradition" of the morning-after-Halloween candy pancakes.
  
  More episodes at gladpod.com
  
  Watch the video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdULOP3OlIQ
  
  Topics & Keywords for Search: childhood stories, 90s nostalgia, growing up in Rhode Island, funny memories, storytelling podcast, Block Island stories, small town childhood, sibling stories, coming of age, comedy interview, Ben Smith, family dynamics, 90s memories, childhood trouble.

It's here the annual headlines podcast. Pam finds the most ridiculous real headlines and some fake ones, and challenges Alex to figure out which are legit.

Please note: we lost some headlines due to technical difficulties. We thought when we recorded this that we didn't lose anything (you'll hear about it halfway through) but we did actually lose a few headline questions! Sorry!

For the board members - Pam will be in the discord now.

When Jason Horton was a kid, SWAT raided his high school, he had a gun pulled on him over his girlfriend, and he made money selling stuff he stole from work on eBay. Somehow, he survived long enough to make it to the first Lollapalooza. More episodes at gladpod.com

Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/Y8uDyEtfbS4

When Bethany Michaels was a kid, she loved Orlando Bloom, her neighbor was saved from a lawn mower explosion, and her sister defused a bomb their dad built in the basement. (He’s in jail now) Somehow Bethany survived, sadly, her Orlando Bloom posters did not. More episodes at gladpod.com

Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/U9rEZZuY6Z0

When Ivan Salas was a kid he was suspended for impersonating the principal, his music teacher bummed cigarettes off him, and his pizza was stolen at knife point. Somehow Ivan survived it all, only to be sent to the ER for a freak sledding accident. More episodes at gladpod.com

Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/Hbf4HTp0SnY

This episode is bonus content available exclusively to our Patreon backers.

Listen as Alex is joined by his wife Pam to tell a life update. They discuss Pam's childhood, and what happened at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Board Members - Pam will be in the discord now. Thanks for being patient!

This episode is bonus content available exclusively to our Patreon backers.

When Pippa Spindel was a kid she was monitored by secret service, competed in poop competitions, and had camp counselors time her make-out sessions. Somehow she survived and lived to poop another day. More episodes at gladpod.com

Watch the video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na0qvOCI9uc

When Tyler Strauss was a kid, his pep rally got so wild it made it on Fox News, and he tripped acid on birthright, and his teacher made sweet love to a cow. Somehow he survived—only to get pranked out of $1000 by his dad. More episodes at gladpod.com

Watch the video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSsxCU3XoOg