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When was the last time you felt the green-eyed monster rear its ugly head? Envy is famously unbecoming, but (unfortunately for you) none of us are immune. Matt and I spend the first half of the podcast mostly making you guys really jealous!!! Then, we dive into the good, the bad, the ugly: going to concerts alone, that all-too-familiar feeling of wanting what someone else has, and the history of the Berlin Wall, of course. THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

Are you on marine mammal TikTok? If you haven't already been putting in your hours, I really can't recommend it enough! My feed has been completely consumed by seals, sea lions, and walruses alike, and I still can't get enough! James and I take to the podcast to expound on our special interest in the fin-footed among us. Then we get into the good, the bad, and the ugly: a willingness to believe in superstitions, how everything is worse than it used to be (@ Brach's candy corn, to name names), and the misfortune of ripping a hole in your sock. THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

A woman in a vest clutching a clipboard just caught your eye from across the street and it's too late to turn around, wyd? Sarah and I take to the podcast to discuss getaway strategies for escaping the ever-annoying fundraising canvassers (no offense! we support the cause, we're just on our way to brunch!) Then we dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly: embracing the change of the seasons with open arms, the shame of having a high screen-time, and rewatching Glee in an unironic way.  THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

Have you ever fired off a text to the wrong person? Was it an (accidentally) explicit text that you sent straight to your boss? Were you surprised to be offered a promotion afterwards? We might not all be this lucky, but Kate sure was — we have a good laugh about this one! Then we get into the good, the bad, and the ugly: maintaining a sense of childlike wonder, the meta glasses takeover, and having the audacity to litter. THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

What's your stance on public displays of affection? Are you open to a steamy hookup at the bar? As someone with a long-term partner, I'm typically abstaining from engaging in PDA myself (sorry, we can do that at home!), but Evan and I agree that catching a pair of strangers locking lips is the sign of a good party.  Then we dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly: betting on yourself, feeling like a cog in the corporate machine, and the lack of originality sweeping the culture — haven't you ever heard of being yourself! THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

If you're good at math, you probably have no original opinions. Anyone can solve a problem that someone else solved first, but not everyone can develop a totally and completely unique point of view. Some of us were actually born interesting! Adam and I agree that it's actually perfectly fine and completely normal to pull out your calculator to confirm the tip on the bar tab. Then we get into the good, the bad, and the ugly: moving in with a partner and building a space together, moving in with a partner and exposing your worst habits, and the rats of the sky (pigeons, duh!) THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

Name something more luxurious than dining out for breakfast, we’ll wait! A dinner reservation is (of course) classic but ultimately unoriginal, lunch is mostly giving fast-casual corporate escape—but breakfast? Aris and I wholeheartedly agree that breakfast is where it’s at.  Then it’s time for the good, the bad, and the ugly: having access to a bathtub, people who don’t share the sidewalk, and the general concept of chewing gum.  THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

Do you do all of your own stunts? For some (James), life is mostly about hitting sequences and mastering combos; for others (me), putting down moves plays a less significant role. On this week's episode, James and I dissect the importance of landing tricks. Then we get into the good, the bad, and the ugly: yo-yoing as a new favorite pastime (re: tricks!), the horrors of a failed sneeze, and the pick-mes riding around on their double-decker bikes. THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

Sometimes your cat will be diagnosed with diabetes because he was addicted to getting UTIs so the emergency vet had to inject him with steroids that cause the pancreas to act up which will ultimately cost you ten thousand dollars!!! This episode is basically a PSA to get the pet insurance btw!!! Then we dive into The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: stone fruit season, taking the decorations down after the party, and people who are judgmental about doing AC on and windows open at the same time (live a little!)  THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

The secret to finding your zen? Perhaps it's going off the grid to fish on some remote lake in the middle of Canada, cracking a cold one and watching the storms roll through, or picking off your moles one by one — who am I to judge? Drue and I take to the podcast to workshop the concept of relaxation, results pending.  Then it's time for The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: thunderstorm season, the quiet death of the multi-instrument music store, and why milk is the one drink that turns people into bullies. THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

You know what's chic? Cutting back, scaling down, doing sort of a less is more moment. In reference to what exactly? Well, anything that's no longer serving you, of course! On this week's episode, Jeremy and I dive into what we're saying no to, including carbonated beverages, aluminum-free deodorant, and then some. Then it's time for The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: When the function involves karaoke, the overabundance of Santal 33, and men who forget how good they've got it. THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

POV: It's 2006, the Jonas Brothers have just released their debut album, It's About Time, and you briefly leave your body. Caroline and I get into her music origin story, her earliest fandoms, and how that eventually led to building the Chicago Show Calendar. Then we get into the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ditching Spotify and starting fresh on Qobuz, the way people undervalue small businesses, and music industry PR literacy ft. the Geese psyop discourse. FOLLOW CAROLINE & CHICAGO SHOW CALENDAR Instagram: @chicagoshowcalendar  THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

Have you ever had to do a few laps around Agora Market before working up the courage to ask the guy behind the deli counter for a pound of pork chorizo?  Because for some of us, that's just a Thursday! Martina and I spend this week's episode mostly agreeing that it's actually really hard to be alive!!! Then we dive into the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: writing your affirmations by hand, working through an eBay addiction, and when the deodorant smell is too obvious. THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

Milk with dinner is a Midwestern birthright, and the internet has a lot of feelings about it. Whether you've kept the faith, developed a tragic intolerance, or just quietly renounced your heritage, Sophia and I weigh in on this week's episode. Then it's time for The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: the year of the Fire Horse, wedding gift culture, and people (read: losers) who don't dress up for themed parties. THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com

Listen, we're going to let you in on a little secret — if you ever find yourself stuck somewhere and there are no rental cars available, you're going to get your ass over to the nearest U-Haul and take it from there, okay? Donnie and I hop on the podcast to swap survivor skills and Survivor 50 hot takes. Then we dive into the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Embracing your 30s with open arms, airline horror stories, and toxic masculinity running rampant in the gay community, because seriously, baby, what's all that about? THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Substack: @samgeorgson FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram: @pessimisticatbest TikTok: @pessimisticatbest Facebook: @pessimisticatbest Website: pessimisticatbest.com FOLLOW SAM: Instagram: @samgeorgson TikTok: @samgeorgson YouTube: @samgeorgson Website: samanthageorgson.com