The Nightly

Josh Gondelman talks with Caller Savannah about why her friends' pets never quite charm her through a screen, her cat Daisy's medieval-gremlin face, and the case for giving every pet its own dating profile.What You'll Hear:A Pug With a Bruiser Attitude: Josh opens with stories about his pug Maggie, who adores every human she meets but turns surprisingly scrappy around bigger dogs.The Trouble With Pet Photos: Savannah calls in to explain why it's so hard to fall for a friend's pet through a screen, especially when a chronic illness keeps more of her friendships online than in person.A Case for Pet Dating Profiles: Together they dream up a delightfully specific idea, complete with favorite snacks and walking routes, for getting to know a pet's true personality before you meet.CHAPTERS:00:00 Josh on pugs, cats, and photogenic pets02:07 Welcome, Caller Savannah!03:00 Why pet photos just don't hit the same06:00 Dreaming up a pet dating website09:00 Maggie the bruiser meets a baby14:00 Goodnights for literally everyone

Matt Bragg talks with journalist Lindsay Crouse about the guilt of dreading a workout, the zebrafish who know when to stop fighting the tide, and why quitting might be the bravest thing you do all year.What You'll Hear:The Run You Don't Have to Love: Matt revisits a caller's confession about dreading her workouts, and Lindsay explains why forcing yourself through something that drains you isn't always discipline.What Zebrafish Know About Giving Up: Lindsay shares the oddly comforting science of built-in futility counters, and why humans seem to be the one species that ignores them.A Coin Toss and the Regret That Follows: A surprising study on people who let chance decide whether to quit, and why it's usually inaction, not action, that we regret by the end.CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome to Sunday's deep dive on quitting01:10 Lindsay Crouse joins The Nightly02:57 Should you push through a run you hate08:34 The zebrafish who know when to stop fighting11:36 A coin toss and the regret of staying too long17:57 Micro-quitting and decluttering your yes20:11 Good nights

Matt Bragg talks with caller Tony about his stand-up comedy class, the humbling art of never being the hero of your own joke, and his personal campaign to get more average-looking people on stage.What You'll Hear:The Pressure of Cheap Tickets: Matt opens with a funny gripe about how comedians get zero grace compared to a nil-nil football match nobody complains about.A Finance Guy Finds His Bubble Bursting: Tony explains why a buttoned-up securities license and a stand-up comedy class turned out to be the perfect odd couple.Why the Joke Only Works If You're the Fool: Tony shares the lesson that changed his writing forever, and Matt makes the case for letting more average-looking people have the mic.CHAPTERS:00:00 Comedy tickets versus football tickets01:53 Tony calls in about his comedy class05:00 Inside the three levels of the course08:04 Bursting the buttoned-up corporate bubble15:28 The secret rule: never be the hero17:42 The case for more average-looking comedians

Josh Gondelman talks with Caller Lindsay about mistaking empathy for weakness, the guilt of delegating too little or too much, and why she deserves an hour lunch break just like everyone else. What You'll Hear:A Boston Kid Full-Circle Moment: Josh opens with a sweet airport run-in with the mom of two former preschool students, and what it felt like to be greeted in a classic Bostonian way.Is Empathy a Weakness?: Lindsay, a mom of two, opens up about feeling burned by her own openness and wondering if being trusting makes her a pushover.Give Yourself Grace: Josh and Lindsay dig into delegating without guilt, why self-care can feel selfish (but isn't!), and how to stop narrating a rough day as proof you're failing.CHAPTERS:00:00 Josh's Boston airport reunion02:49 Welcome, Caller Lindsay!04:26 Empathy: strength or weakness?10:48 Learning to let go of control17:43 A hard morning drop-off25:42 Good nights

Greta Johnsen talks with caller Dave about his 1,019-day chess streak, his first wobbly zipper on a hand-sewn leather wallet, and why being merely amiable at guitar might be the whole point.What You'll Hear:Too Many Hobbies, Not Enough Time: Dave admits he's mid a whole bunch of projects at once, and he and Greta debate whether that's a wonderful problem to have or a recipe for chaos.Chess, Wordle, and a Very Loyal Duolingo Streak: From a chess.com streak over a thousand days long to a mother-in-law's daily Wordle as proof of life, they swap notes on the small rituals that quietly hold a day together.When Hobbies Turn Into Homework: They get into a new book called The Case for Quitting and wonder when chasing mastery stops feeling fun and starts feeling like just another job.CHAPTERS:00:00 Fall knitting and hobby talk01:46 Caller Dave says hello02:32 Mired in a pile of hobbies07:58 A 1,019-day chess streak14:11 The case for quitting17:42 A new leather crafting phase

Matt Bragg talks with caller Hannah about her long-standing hatred of running, the truth behind getting "toned," and why strength training might be the better path to aging well.What You'll Hear:A Health Coach Who Hates Running: Hannah confesses she's spent a decade avoiding the very activity everyone assumes she loves, and explains why the step mill somehow beats it.Five Non-Negotiables for Feeling Good: Hannah breaks down her simple formula for sleep, strength, movement, food, and consistency, no crash diets required.Finding Your Why: Matt and Hannah dig into the real motivation behind lasting change, from health pensions to progress photos.CHAPTERS:00:00 Matt weighs combat sports against a running comeback02:07 Hannah admits she hates running05:22 The Army cadence that fixed his pace10:45 Hannah's five non-negotiables16:00 Atomic Habits and the identity switch23:10 Good night to a very patient personal trainer

Josh Gondelman talks with Caller Brian about his eight-year tradition of full-sleeve fake tattoo birthday parties, the glitter koi fish that started it all, and the real ink it eventually inspired.What You'll Hear:Full Sleeve Party Favors: Caller Brian explains how a whim purchase of fake tattoo sleeves turned into an annual birthday ritual.From Fake Ink To Real Ink: The gateway drug effect is real, apparently. Brian's friend went from zero tattoos to two full sleeves, and Brian himself is now up to sixteen.The Podcast Tattooed On His Arm: Brian shares the story behind his All Fantasy Everything tattoo, and how it connected him to the comedians who inspired it.CHAPTERS:00:00 Party themes and flourishes01:38 Welcome, Caller Brian!03:24 Eight years of this birthday tradition08:12 From fake ink to real tattoos11:55 The All Fantasy Everything tattoo21:06 Goodnights

Greta Johnsen talks with comedian Negin Farsad about becoming aggressively delightful, the science behind chatting up strangers, and why lowering your headphones might be the friendliest thing you do all day.What You'll Hear:Eight Years of Aggressive Delightfulness: Greta revisits a phrase Negin coined years ago and asks her to define it all over again, now with a kid, a pandemic, and a lot more life in between.The Pandemic Coffee Shop Crew: Negin explains how showing up to the same spot at the same time turned strangers in masks into a genuine, intergenerational friend group.Cinnamon Buns and Good Juice: From headphone-lowering to Queen Victoria's nine children, Negin makes the case that pointless small talk might be doing more for your wellbeing than you think.CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome to the Nightly01:24 Meet Negin Farsad06:02 A very social pandemic13:19 The trouble with headphones19:43 What standup feels like25:17 Goodnight to a stranger