No regular Patch this week—but for good reason. We’re gearing up for our Patch 150 Livestream, happening Tuesday, September 10 at 8pm (AEST) on YouTube.

Expect some Patchwork trivia, lots of nostalgia, and plenty of technical difficulties. It’s part episode, part celebration, and all Patchwork.

Pop it in your calendar, jump on our socials for the link, and come join us live—you might even need to cancel your dinner plans.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We begin with Josh’s so-called “worst idea ever”: a heated debate about monitor timeout settings that morphs into a discussion about energy saving, screen burn, and whether you can feel your password in your fingers. Then Dion unveils a mysterious crack on his phone’s screen protector—but can’t recall how it happened. Josh is appalled. Christian is strangely sympathetic.

Later, we find ourselves in a crowded venue with Josh, hyper-aware he’s blocking a walkway but too polite to say anything. Do you instinctively manage group positioning in public spaces, or would you rather blend in and suffer silently?

Finally, Dion tries to eat a chip. But how loud is too loud? We ask: can you tell how noisy your own chewing is? Do you pace your bites? Would you buy concert-proof lolly wrappers?

Plus: silent ten-pin bowling, mismatched perceptions of sporting ability, and a surprise theory about crowd flow and height.

Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork

For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Dion back on the mic, we begin by questioning his curious choice to take place his call in another room but on speaker. This quickly turns into a debate about phone etiquette, hands-free habits, and whether Dion’s long-standing fear of mobile radiation is paranoia or just good prep. We also examine the strange acoustics of speaker mics, the performance of whispering taxi drivers, and the phone-in-bra technique favoured by certain mums.

Next, we tackle the strange panic that sets in when a rogue soccer ball rolls your way at the park. Josh recounts a high-pressure moment in Princes Park where he had to choose between a casual pass or a full-blown toe-bash. Do you prioritise style or accuracy? Should you stick to the sport’s rules when returning the ball? And is there a small part of all of us that hopes we’ll be immediately recruited?

Finally, we chew over one of life’s most quietly stressful conundrums: where do you throw away chewing gum when there’s no bin around? Flick it, wrap it, or pocket it for later disposal?

Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork

For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From coughing fits to crusty sourdoughs, this episode is made entirely of scraps - old notes, fleeting thoughts, and the kinds of ponderings that once felt too small, too odd, or too unworthy to make the cut. But today, they shine.

In this rapid-fire, patchwork-style patch, we discuss:

• The weird intimacy of bringing a list of topics to dinner
• Why Christian thinks fridges have made us forget the meaning of "fresh"
• Is putting found items higher really helping the original owner?
• Emojis vs. "haha" - which carries more social weight?
• Nonno throws out a brand new phone, but keeps 1997 soft drinks
• The stress of coughing while trying to finish a story
• Walking past a housemate: acknowledge? ignore? perform?
• The violent pain of sourdough and how to eat it safely
• “Myriad” reasons to hate people who know they're using “myriad” correctly

So grab your blunt knife, lift that lost glove to eye level, and join us as we stitch together a new patch - out of scraps.

Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork

For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christian finally gets his ear pierced — but what does it mean to permanently alter your body? Is it self-expression, a longing for transformation, or simply an overdue homage to a bodybuilding uncle from childhood? Meanwhile, Josh is quietly seething at his neighbours who refuse to bring their bins in — but is it really about the bins, or about the unspoken social contract we all silently agree to uphold?

When is it okay to make a fuss? Why do some people seem completely unaware of the space they take up in the world? And is there such a thing as a “gateway piercing”? We also ask: do we secretly believe there’s virtue in pain? Are people with spatial awareness just more evolved? And at what age does it become acceptable to accept candy from a stranger?

Whether you’re lying down clutching your partner’s hand before a piercing, or gently nudging your neighbour toward a more aesthetically cohesive streetscape — join us as we sew a new patch into our quilt of friendship.

Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork

For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Dion away, Christian and Josh settle in for a two-hander that begins with Christian’s recent holiday — and the logistical challenge of who would feed the cats. Christian reveals he enlisted six different friends (including Josh) and provided an extensive PDF detailing every aspect of Moe and Gus’s care. We unpack the line between thoughtful preparation and over-engineering. Is it helpful or excessive to include things like backstories, indexes, and optional enrichment activities? Should you instruct friends to “play with the cats”? And why do pets seem to get more detailed care notes than actual children?

We also explore how people interpret instructions differently and what makes a favour feel like a burden versus a shared act of community. Is it overkill to create a video walkthrough of how to reach your lockbox? Or is it actually a kindness?

Later, we shift into kitchen territory to tackle one surprisingly divisive question: should you stir your drinks with a fork or a spoon? Christian swears by the fork for Metamucil, Josh agrees (in this one case), and the debate expands. Does the utensil depend on the drink? Should we be rinsing and reusing, or are we just transferring wet teaspoons into dry coffee jars?

Along the way, we challenge the usefulness of whisks, praise the versatility of silicon spatulas, and call for an overhaul of salad tongs — especially when time spent tonging for capsicum might be socially judged.

Also in this patch: talcum powder confusion, Pyrex nostalgia, and a cat who may now have a job.

Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork

For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We begin this patch with Josh recounting a recent trip to the Great Australian Beer Spectacular and Dion arriving at the wrong venue, shitting himself. Which kicks off a discussion about lateness, accountability, and how best to communicate when you're running behind. Should you send an ETA, or photographic proof of your position? Is sharing a live location too passive? And do you owe other people in the queue an explanation when a friend joins you at the front?

Christian posits whether his favourite ice cream flavour should be buried at the bottom of a cone, and whether we should be given more agency when ordering ice-cream - from scoop order to portion size. Christian also shares his short-lived stint as an ice cream attendant.

We also consider when it’s acceptable for Josh to trust a student dentist with the care of his teeth, and where we draw the line between acceptable cost-cutting and unnecessary risk. 

And what actually defines a “professional”? Is it skill, training, pay, or just human with a pair of scissors?

Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork

For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you answer a phone call from someone you know? Christian insists on full name protocol, Josh still lives in landline times, and Dion’s trying to avoid getting deepfaked by AI. We discuss phone etiquette, voicemail anxiety, and the emotional scars of group chats that never end.

Then it’s off to Plenty Gorge, where Christian wears sensible activewear and Josh casually turns up in jeans. We question what counts as a hike, how many hills justify a sweat, and whether bringing water on a “walk” is ever truly necessary.

From there, it’s bags, where Josh’s military-grade backpack becomes the fourth guest on the show!

Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork

For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Patchwork Explains mini-patch, Christian and Josh sit down to chat about how to cast a formal vote in the 2025 Australian Federal Election. If you've ever wondered how preferential voting actually works and what voting above or below the line for the Senate actually means, then listen on!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christian’s car is on empty, Josh’s brain is on husk, and Dion thinks a mouse has a mortgage.

Christian kicks things off by pushing his car well past the fuel light, trusting the mysterious dot-dot-dot to get him home. Josh prefers a more conservative two-thirds–full approach, and Dion shares his experience of running out of petrol almost within reach of the bowser. We compare our refuelling habits, quietly question each other’s life choices, and try to remember what side the fuel cap is on.

Things then shift to mice. Dion’s convinced they have homes. Josh wonders where they go to sleep, and Christian’s interested in what spiders are doing with all their neatly wrapped flies. We also touch on skirting board secrets and psyllium husk.

Finally, we introduce you to our very own large language model, PatchGPT.

With very special guests Elon Husk and Snap Rat.

Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook to see clips from the show: linktr.ee/welcometopatchwork

For a couple of dollars a month you can sign up to our Patreon page and get a bonus Patch every off week! Check out: www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/welcometopatchwork

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.