Podcast newsletters are best when there’s actual news to report. That’s what makes today’s edition so exciting. 

Hello, by the way! Andrew, here, from TBTL. I hope this email finds you well.

As you might have heard on today’s inaugural episode of the TBTL Community Calendar, there are a lot of upcoming opportunities for Tens to hang out with other Tens! As is the case with most TBTL projects, Luke and I can take no credit for coordinating these fun times. But if you’re into book clubs, card exchanges, volunteer opportunities or just grabbing a beer with some friends you might not have met yet, check out these happenings:

TBTL  VALEN-TENS CARD SWAP
Our pal Jami in Mississippi is coordinating the TBTL Valentine’s Day Card Exchange this year! If you want to sign-up to send and receive some cheery notes with your fellow listeners, sign up here! (And let’s keep the cards clean. Yes, I’m talking to you, Jon Sklaroff.) Sign-up by Sunday, January 26th to get in on the Valen-Tens action. 

SEATTLE-AREA MEETUPS 
Our friend Krista in Eastlake wants you to know about three upcoming meetups in the Seattle/Everett/Tacoma area. Here are the details on those dates. If you have any questions, you can email Krista directly here.

Everett
Thursday January 23rd (6pm-8pm)
Scuttlebutt brewing (the restaurant on Craftsman way, not the taproom)

Tacoma
Saturday February 1st (4pm-6pm)
7 Seas Brewing on Jefferson avenue

Seattle
Sunday February 9th (4pm-6pm)
Stoup brewing Capitol Hill

VOLUNTEER WITH FELLOW TENS
Annie is organizing an opportunity to volunteer with other listeners at Food Lifeline in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood on Saturday, March 1. Annie says:

“Around Thanksgiving, there was some chatter about Tens wanting to do some informal meet ups in 2025 and someone wondered if there was a way to combine it with some sort of volunteer activity. I offered to organize a day where Tens could volunteer as a group at Food Lifeline. Come hangout with fellow Tens and give back to the greater Seattle community by volunteering at Food Lifeline in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood on March 1. From 9–11 am. We’ll sort and repack nutritious food to feed our neighbors who may be experiencing food insecurity. You must sign up in advance via Food Lifeline’s volunteer program. There are 20 spots and volunteers must be 10 or older.”

If you have any questions, reach out to Annie directly here. 

TBTL BOOK CLUB
Cecilia has been organizing a TBTL Book Club for quite some time now, and you can join the next meetup via Zoom! Here’s a note from Cecilia:

“Please let the Tens know that the next book for the TBTL Book Club will be nonfiction best-seller James by Percival Everett so our Friendos have time to reserve it from their local library. The next meeting will be Sunday, March 9. We’ll decide on a meeting time when we get closer to the date, but we usually meet in the afternoon. Tens can get updates or discuss what they’re reading now in the #bookclub Slack channel or join the TBTL sTens Book Club private Facebook group. We’ll post the Zoom meeting link once we can synchronize our schedules.”

There you have it! Many opportunities to help cure global loneliness, as we like to say in these parts. Huge thanks to all the listeners involved in setting these events up. You’re all, quite literally, the best. 

Have a great weekend, everyone! Luke and I will talk to you on Monday. 

-- Andrew

Hey Dummies

Music For Your Weekend

Andrew: Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez

At the ripe age of 48, I try not to feel too much shame about my music choices. I like some good stuff, I like some bad stuff, and I know that there’s a lot of great stuff I’ve never heard before. But there’s a certain kind of embarrassment I feel when I fall in love with a song, only to learn it was a SUPER POPULAR RADIO HIT FOUR YEARS AGO! Like, do you guys all already know about this song? Have you all been bopping to this modern,  KIXI-esque banger without me? Why does nobody tell me about these things? So good!

Listener Jake In Chicago: Little Acorns by The White Stripes

All the talk this week of Anchorman (and which Midwest Newsmen were the inspiration) reminded me of another great appearance of Mort Crim in another piece of media I was obsessed with as a teen. Mort Crim does the intro on The White Stripes song "Little Acorns" off 2003's top tier album Elephant. Cool song from a cool band off a cool album.

Ten Of The Week

What’s your name and where do you live? 
Mike Duncan. Columbia, SC.

When did you start listening to TBTL? How did you find the show?
A friend recommended the show to me in 2015. I listened to one episode and didn't really like it, but I enjoyed seeing the funny show titles in my feed, so I never unsubscribed. Gave it a shot again in 2020 and I've been hooked ever since.

How would your friends describe you?
Not as funny as he thinks he is.

What was your favorite cereal when you were a kid? Is it still your fav? 
As a kid, it was Kix. Now I'm more of a Cinnamon Chex guy.

What food do you love to eat the most of?
Tofu.

What’s the best or worst nickname you ever had?
Recently, for no reason I can discern, a coworker started calling me Ice Man, and I like that quite a lot.

If you could play one song on TBTL, what would it be?
Checking Up by Adult Mom.

What’s a special skill that you have?
I'm pretty good at Alpha Guess.

What’s a skill you *wish* you had?
I wish I could play the tin whistle.

If you were driving down the street and you saw Luke and Andrew on the sidewalk, what would you yell at them as you drove past?
“Eat a bagel!”

Can other Tens find you on social media? If so, how?
Nope, sorry.

Hey, it’s Andrew here again. Just a reminder that you can find our Ten of the Week form here! If you’ve never been a TOTW before  (or if it’s been a really, really long time) fill out our little questionnaire. And check out our Ten of the Week archive here!

This Week On TBTL

#4379 All The Zerg Down
Monday, January 13
A conversation about drones leads to a conversation about Tom Brady which somehow leads to a conversation about the plight of humanity. It’s definitely a weird show for a Monday. Plus, Luke got lasered in the sky on his way to San Diego yesterday. 

#4380 Hacking The Koosh
Tuesday, January 14
Luke helps Andrew de-Zuckerberg his life. They also discuss Luke’s obsession with military machines in San Diego, Andrew’s fear of heights, and online reviews of the now-defunct Moose Mcgillicuddy's

#4381 Mr. Steal Your Soup
Wednesday, January 15
Luke finally explains why he is in a knock-out, drag-out fight with his favorite airline. He and Andrew also listen-in on a 1971 phone conversation between Bob Dylan and the man who has spent decades harassing him. 

#4382 Round Pizza Option
Thursday, January 16
Luke and Andrew review such films as A Real Pain, The Darjeeling Limited, and the documentary Dig. They also pay tribute to the life and brilliance of Bob Uecker before turning their attention to a hyper-local conversation about the bars and erstwhile restaurants in a 3 block radius of Greenwood.

#4383 Blazing Sandworms
Friday, January 17
Luke and Andrew remember the life and work of the inimitable David Lynch, who passed away this week. They also introduce a new, cutting-edge podcast segment called The TBTL Community Calendar! (Watch out, local AM radio!)