From the Middle

#308. Perhaps some of us had dreams of becoming radio broadcasters when we were kids. Having a middle-class podcast is the closest we’ve come to “making it” as far as that’s concerned, but here we are! Kendall shares a wonderful weekend away with his boy which includes a special note for the executives at Uber. Ya’ll have some things to fix. Then we dive into the Cracker Barrel logo situation and come to the conclusion that we don’t care about what robots care about. On the second half we ponder what restaurants we’d rather live around and Dillon shares the results of a BBQ taste test! All with the light-hearted banter that you expect. We look forward to chilling with Kory soon! Maybe he’ll get us talking about something other than food. Until then, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#307. Happy candy corn season! It’s officially October in the midwest and we are gearing up for the weather to do its bi-polar thing. Speaking of which, Dillon created an AI game with potential midwest phrases and it’s astounding how many of them have to do with changing weather. We’re not sure if this is uniquely Midwest, but we’re pretty sure a lot of things on this list are spot-on regional gold. After the break we discuss how our kids are getting smarter than we are. They’re solving complex math and logic problems while we’re dreaming about perfect hotdogs (our favorite sandwich). Chime in with your phrases and hotdog toppings! Until next time, be kind to each other, and keep your mouth closed while mowing.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#306. Just three middle class guys sharing their mid-life crisis together! Kory starts by eating his way through it as he had some catching up to do. Dillon and Kendall got started on their favorite dishes last week. Then we talk about maybe who we’re becoming as we engage with customer service in our middle age. Then it’s on to low-key bars and other new hobbies to take our money while we try to resolve our lives and who we are. There’s sometimes something deep under the laughs, but don’t always count on it! Thank you, Tim, for calling us well adjusted and healthy. That’s what we really needed to hear. Middlers, how’s your mid-life crisis going? Let us know via the LinkTree below and, until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#305. We did it. Dillon and Kendall threw caution to the wind and literally just listed foods we like and want to talk about. It’s basically that simple. We had a ton of fun doing it and it led to a new drive-thru story from Dillon. Also, Kendall tries to wave a magic wand at college football to satisfy most fans of the major competitive football programs. It’s a simple topic list, but we hope you dig the deep dive! Please use the LinkTree below to chime in with your favorite foods, drive-thru advise, and how fall sports can be better! Until next time, be kind to each other. FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#304. From barber advice to pest control, we have the conversations that could help millions of people figure out their problems. If only they’d listen.But YOU! You are here, and you get to toe the line of cultural appropriation with us, and we’re not just talking about Taco Bell. But yes, we are going to talk about Taco Bell. We cover the Phillies Karen, a beef in Christian music, stealth fishing, catfishing on Netflix, and we end with a touching memory log of a daughter and her first car. We hope you enjoy it. Until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#303. Maybe the chicken crossed the road because it was being chased by an old Red Ryder. And if you must begin to pick to choose which kid’s sports endeavors to follow more loyally, is it automatically the middle child who gets less attention? After all, AI can do a fantastic job of giving them parental coaching. Jokes aside, this episode also encases the heartfelt story and beautiful gift from a father seeing his eldest off to college. So until next time, don’t let AI replace your relationships, take time to stop for the chickens, and until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#302. Going once, going twice, SOLD (for free) to whoever will come get it. Unless they can’t. And no, I can’t hold on to it for 2 days. You all know the drill. We get into a bit of online sales etiquette with more questions than answers. Also, a minivan with a missing door looks weird. And a good speakeasy might no longer be necessary, but it’s still a cool experience. After the break, Kendall tries to offend most guys who aren’t in their nineties and we share a bit about what we are streaming while Dillon gets into some gaming! This episode came off the hip, and we hope you enjoy it! We enjoyed hanging out. Until next time, be kind to each other. FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#301. Just as our staggered start is beginning to level out, the kids are all back in school after staggering themselves! Some of us miss them. Others are glad they don’t need to pay for childcare and camps anymore. Shout out to the working parents who just got through another summer of schedule mayhem. After a short discussion about the above, we use the rest of this episode to catch up on all of our streaming for the past few months, and there is A LOT! Highlights include Nonnas, Perfect Days, Downton Abbey, Fantastic Four, The Andy Griffith Show, and KPop Demon Hunters.  One more time for the algorithm: KPOP DEMON HUNTERS! Hop on our socials and please keep us up to date with YOUR recommendation, and, until next time, be kind to each other. FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#300. We’re back again with more good tales but with less entrails! We’ve been waiting so long to record our 300th episode that Dillon came up with a bunch of 300-related would you rather questions. From our favorite foods to starring in low budget films, we answer some hard-hitting hypotheticals. After the break, we get caught up on logging away our Summer happenings highlighted by family time, injuries, and hospital stays. Thank you for sticking with us and, until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#299.5. Hello friends! Our first upload in a little while is here and we are glad to be back with a short episode discussing life and logging some of it on our little podcast before we dive back in to business as usual. We appreciate your patience and support. We love you, and if you haven't been kind to each other in the meantime, we're telling Santa.

#299. We’ve got your zero calorie drinks to wash down your choriqueso. And trust us, you want ice with that. From our favorite type of ice, to hot finds at the grocery store, to lasagna portioning, it’s a very Midwestern overweight dad kind of episode that digs into the areas of our brains that we feel don’t get talked about enough. After snack time, we even lament the allergy season and are looking for your spring air remedies. Speaking of exciting and riveting topics, how about getting title transfers completed at the DMV. Or BMV. I never which it is for sure, but we did have fun recording this one and hope you enjoy and find something to share with us via the LinkTree below! Until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#298. Happy Birthday to Dillon! And Happy Easter to all of you! Both things are late, but we mean it anyway. Speaking of Easter, Kory got to try out his acting chops…guess who he got to be in THAT story. During our weekend recap, Kory shares how two of his kids made use of his health insurance, then we share some of YOUR answers of how you treat yourself on vacation. After the break, we settle a spicy debate then talk about how you should (or shouldn’t ) step in to help the restaurant staff deal with your large and young dinner party. Then we move along to some media consumption. This week it’s Daredevil Born Again, Andor season 2, Formula One, The #1 Lawyer, and Odd Thomas. We hope you enjoy and chime in via the LinkTree! Until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#297. “Turn your head and cough.” “Open wide and don’t bite down." "Don’t blink and don’t move your head.” What makes you nervous about seeing medical professionals? Let us know that and also what YOU would have done in Kory’s later-mentioned social situation. Also, there’s an opportunity to unearth your darkest secrets via the LinkTree below. We want to hear what you would expect your future self to know about you for verification purposes. Kory shares a funny story of a rare opportunity with Bobby Lee, one of his favorite comedians. Did he say the right thing? Was he too creepy? Not creepy enough? Speaking of cringe, what do we think of the young folks and their new movie-going habits? Is it good for the industry? Is it more like “Not in MY theater!” in the vein of “Get off my lawn!?” We’re also watching some interesting sports now that the blockbuster stuff is gone. UFC, The Masters, Formula 1, Hockey, and the like, with special mention of a beloved track-and-field athlete. Listen and enjoy! Until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#296. Taking a bite out of crime just to become pirates as we fight off the albino ghosts of extinct wolves. That was too long for the title, so it’s the first sentence of this thing. Kendall is back from vacation and shares some stories, including someone hitting on his wife. Kory shares some of his travel experience in Seattle which leads us to discuss some regional food and the competition between cities. After the break, we briefly discuss how we let our hair loose for vacation before we dive into not just streaming, but also reading and listening. This week it’s Love on the Spectrum, Arcane, Formula 1, Drive to Survive, Soul Boom, Forever Odd, March Madness, and Tiny Desk Concerts (Billie Eilish). Tell a friend and tell US your thoughts via the LinkTree below! Until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#295. While Kendall is out on vacation, the Hubbell brothers bring friend and co-host of Grab’em in the Brisket Podcast back onto the show. Jon serves as third chair and we get a chance to pick his experienced brain about the culture of cooking competitions. How serious are those things really? Do rivalries pop up? Does Jon’s real family know about his barbecue family? That conversation glides into another world we continue to learn more about: The Dungeons and Dragons world. On the back half, the guys run down a list of American stereotypes of both the regional and countrywide variety. We established that Jon does NOT make out with his pets, but he does appreciate treats from travelers he meets in his airline job, which lends an opportunity to discuss some travel stereotypes and tendencies of various cities and states. This is a fun listen and a great conversation to continue via the LinkTree below! Until next time, be kind to each other.Grab'em in the Brisket Podcat: https://www.grabeminthebrisket.comFTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#294. Did the basketball battle break your bracket yet? Say that out loud. Now wipe the spittle off your phone and let’s get serious. When watching film and tv it’s very important that you develop a strong political or otherwise extreme opinion on not only the content, but the very originators of the content. If you don’t join a faction, one will be appointed to you. OR, you can consume content and decide to be open to entertainment value and then you can discuss artistic and plot detail with your friends, online or in person, in a fashion suitable for positive human interaction. Guess which way From the Middle prefers. Basketball and streaming, with extra emphasis on our streaming (and reading…but that’s not why you’re here) is what’s on tap this week. Specifically we’re watching the NCAA basketball tournament, Severence, Alone Australia, Paradise, F1, Daredevil: Born Again, No Taste Like Home with Atoni Porowski, Disenchanted, and Moana 2. Listen relax, watch, relax, discuss, relax, and remember: until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#293. Think twice about the last of the fish and don’t eat the corn chowder. Dillon continues our recent experiences of interesting hotel restaurant dinners, and it’s not a great experience. But he was warned. Do you take advice from servers? And next time you have left-overs, wake up the next morning and wrap whatever it is in an egg blanket and American cheese. You never know what you’ll find! It’s a little game Kendall plays and it’s called, “Will it Omelette?” Speaking of left-overs, what do you do with the mound of unused ketchup packets at the fast-food dining table? Chick-fil-A has thought of that! Finally, we discuss a whacky and violent game in England where one of the very few rules is, “no murder.” Listen and chime in via the LinkTree below! Until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#292. Go ahead and listen to this one. When nobody is looking, you can wipe your phone on your jeans and slide it away like that knife you used to slice a bagel. Speaking of bagels and things with holes, sometimes you find a day in your weekly calendar that is void of responsibility until someone slathers butter all over it just to have it melt through the only gap and next thing you know your entire plate is soiled and what you could have just put back in the cabinet with no consequence now has to be dealt with in the sink. We don’t like such things. But are we cleaning up the mess? We think so. Our wives might disagree. Perhaps we can learn about our clean/messy ration by looking at our kids who learn even the bad habits from us. Grab a Thin Mint Frosty, wrap it in a Fruit Roll-Up, open the LinkTree to respond, and give this one a listen. We enjoyed it hope you do, too. Until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#291. Groceries are expensive right now anyway, so might as well just go ahead and splurge on some luxury fruit from Japan! Or perhaps you’d rather save on the grocery bill and spend a couple hundred bucks on a steak dinner at a linen-napkin kind of place instead of going down the street to your chain steakhouse of choice. We’re not saying we would do these things, but we would gladly make a meal out some Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Maybe grab some fast-casual-fine-dining takeout to snack on while you watch the film you heard about because you watched the Oscars or are trusting us with streaming suggestions. All of the above we cover in this episode with varying detail and sporadic expertise. We would love to hear YOUR thoughts via the LinkTree below! Until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"

#290. Do you ever daydream of running into a billionaire who is feeling extra generous that day? Or maybe you dream about being on a podcast and hoping to hit the viral lottery. Or perhaps, and hopefully not, you spend hours in gas stations throwing money at scratch-offs. We talk about a few ways to hit gold. Then, with your fortune, you can invest in yourself at a subscription-based male-pampering space. Speaking of Kory, did he get some art stolen? And do fast-casual joints make pitas in a bowl after all? After the break we talk about some of the weird and sometimes intimate moments of video conference calls before we get into streaming. For what it’s worth, we did our streaming while sitting. This week we discuss SNL50, SAG Awards, Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy, Reacher, and the NHL Four Nations Face-Off. Visit the LinkTree below for some fun stuff and until next time, be kind to each other.FTM Merch! - https://www.teepublic.com/user/fromthemiddleLinkTree - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodVOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412Artius Man - https://artiusman.com use discount code "themiddle"