Over the past several years people’s belief in ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural have steadily crept up and recent studies reveal that 67% of Americans believe in the paranormal. Really, no really!

With the occult being one of Jason’s favorite topics, he and Peter wanted to examine the phenomenon with today’s hottest ghost hunters. Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej host Ghost Files – the popular show that investigates the world's most haunted locations in a quest to prove the paranormal. The unique twist in the Ghost Files format is that the hosting team consists of a true believer and a total skeptic!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How a teenage Ryan Bergara was transformed into a paranormal believer based on one night on The Queen Mary.
• The “cutting-edge” technology they use…or is it?
• Shane & Ryan mostly get along, except for that one time!
• Where are those voices coming from?
• The vetting process used to determine where they ghost hunt.
• Jason witnessed a stabbing in a Halloween Haunted House and the time he and his family stayed in a haunted house and ended up on the street.
• Why every theater keeps a ghost light!
• GoogleHEIM: The Top 5 Scary Ghost Movies of all time.

***

FOLLOW RYAN & SHANE:

Ghost Files Season 2 is coming in 2025

Instagram - @RyanBergara

Instagram - @ShaneMadej

YouTube – Ghost Files

Website – WatcherEntertainment.com

X - @wearewatcher

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When Jason and Peter heard about a study suggesting that children in The Netherlands were the happiest kids in the world, their reaction was naturally…Really, no really!

They were determined to find out how The Netherlands was able to lay claim to having the happiest children in the world! And more importantly…if their claim was true, what could be learned from their child rearing techniques. They also wanted to figure out the correct name for the country, since people refer to it as - “Netherlands” or “The Netherlands” or “Holland”!

For answers they turned to an actual Netherlander (or whatever they’re called) Veronique van der Kleij. She is a child and school psychologist who has worked at The International School of the Hague with children, adolescents, and their families. She specializes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She also has a master’s in child and Adolescent Psychology, and a 2-year post-master degree in School Psychology.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What differentiates kids in Holland from those in other countries.
• The impact of helicopter parenting.
• Bikes and kids…the surprising benefits!
• Dutch kids & social media – how they interact.
• How the Dutch discuss sex, drugs, gender and other difficult conversations.
• The shocking differences in parental leave in The Netherlands!
• How parents punish their children in Holland.
• The importance of allowing kids to make mistakes.
• Jason’s extraordinary journey to happiness and contentedness.
• Googleheim: The Netherlands or Holland?

***

FOLLOW VERONIQUE:

Website: Calm-Mind-Psychology.nl

LinkedIN @Veronique van der Kleij

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The pandemic thrust millions of us into remote work, and the consensus for most of us is – we love it! Reduced commutes, getting deliveries, our own bathrooms, and the ability to hang out with our pets!

So then why are major employers increasingly pushing back against remote work while bemoaning quiet quitting and the degradation of office culture? And their biggest corporate complaint…less productivity…seems to be a lie! Really, no really!

Jason and Peter were surprised by this revelation and needed more info, so they enlisted the help of Nick Bloom. He’s Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and well equipped to explain not only the latest technological innovations created for at-home work but also the changing socio-economic realities that make working from home a critical part of our economy.

Professor Bloom is the William Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is the co-founder of WFH Research. He’s also the recipient of the prestigious Frisch Medal in 2010. In 2022 he was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship and Bloomberg ranked him as one of its 50 Most Influential.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Definitive Answer: Which environment is more productive home or office?
• Toenail clipping, zero privacy…who’s the a-hole who invented open floor plans?
• The most hated workplace related activity revealed!
• The things we LIKE about working in an office.
• The blackhole of mentorship when working from home.
• Big Brother Surveillance: Monitoring keystrokes, productivity screen shots, face cameras & Mouse movers!
• The future of massively empty skyscrapers is…?
• The Great Migration from city-centers to the suburbs and its extortionary repercussions.
• How our commutes have been changed by remote work.
• Medicine, therapy, warfare, romance – Jason ponders in-person vs remote.
• Googleheim: The worst places to work are…?

FOLLOW NICK BLOOM:

Website: WFHresearch.com

X: @I_Am_NickBloom

LinkedIN: Nick Bloom

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Like most people, you’ve probably heard of Mike Rowe because of his willingness to do over 300 strange, disgusting and unique jobs like – sewer inspector – cow inseminator and shark suit tester as the creator and host of Discovery Channel’s popular show “Dirty Jobs”.

But when Jason and Peter heard about his unusual start in the entertainment business, they invited him to discuss that…AND…the secret sauce that made Dirty Jobs a phenomenon. His podcast, “The Way I Heard It”, which has been downloaded nearly 300 million times. His new movie, “Something to Stand For” in theaters June 27th and available HERE. And his dirty joke... on Sesame Street! Really, no Really!!!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Joan Rivers impact on Mike Rowe, Howie Mandel and many others.
• Hear Mike’s mother’s criticism led to his creation of Dirty Jobs.
• Why Mike demanded no “second takes” on any of his shows.
• The dirty joke on Sesame Street that polarized the audience.
• How Mike’s became a professional opera singer.
• Deadliest Catch taught him hammer fighting, yes, hammer fighting!
• The lost promos that Mike Rowe voiced for the Spice Channel.
• How many ways can someone say… Mazda?

***

FOLLOW MIKE:

Website – www.MikeRowe.com

Facebook – Mike Rowe

X - @MikeRoweWorks

YouTube - @TheRealMikeRowe

Instagram - @MikeRowe

Podcast – The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

Movie – “Something to Stand For”

Foundation - Mike Rowe WORKS

***

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Sleep deprivation can lead to hypertension, compromised immunity, stroke, obesity, premature death, and a whole host of other serious maladies. Between 25 and 30 million Americans have insomnia at any given time; no wonder the newest trend in wellness is… “Sleep Tourism”. Really, no really!

But what exactly is “Sleep Tourism”? Jason and Peter were determined to find out, so they sought out global hospitality and travel expert Kaushik Vardharajan. And what they discovered was a world filled with A.I. powered beds, smart-sheets, quiet floors, and lots of fascinating hotel secrets you need to know. So, sit back, relax and maybe tonight, you’ll finally be able to get a good night’s sleep…

IN THIS EPISODE:

• A.I. powered beds, smart-sheets and mattress pads. Yes, those are real things.
• How hotels are capitalizing on our need for sleep.
• The “Weston Heavenly Bed” instituted a hotel mattress arms race.
• The difference between traditional and sleep tourist-quality rooms.
• Quiet floors and the hotels that enforce them.
• Hotel Secrets Exposed - You will be shocked!
• “Over Tourism” – It’s a real and destructive issue.
• The secret to avoiding horrific hotels.
• Jason explains how he avoids wife-induced hotel injuries.
• The top movies to fall asleep to.
• Google-heim: What’s with Jason’s mustache, who the F is Edgar Winter, and the word you shouldn’t use for people affected by albinism.

***

FOLLOW KAUSHIK:

You can find Kaushik on LinkedIn

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In the United States, the airline industry loses an estimated 2 million bags annually. Now you might be wondering, where do all those lost bags end up? Well Jason and Peter were able to get a definitive answer to that question. The majority end up in Alabama! Really, no Really!

Our guest Bryan Owens discusses his unique family business…which has been dealing with lost and unclaimed luggage for over 50 years. Their enormous store, in Scottsboro, Alabama - which covers more than a city block - sells tens of thousands of unclaimed baggage items every year.

And with five decades of experience processing enormous volumes of lost items, Bryan reveals some of the one-of-a-kind pieces found in unclaimed luggage… including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian burial mask, a live rattlesnake, and even a shrunken human head which you can see in the store’s recently opened museum.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Unclaimed Baggage origin story and how they stock 7,000 new items every day.
• Airlines responsibility regarding lost luggage, settling claims and when Bryan’s team can take over.
• Who gets first dibs on valuable or in-demand items when lost luggage is recovered?
• A highly secret F14 guidance system, live venomous snakes and suits of armor are just a few of the bizarre things Bryan must deal with.
• How you can save up to 80% by purchasing someone else’s lost items!
• How Bryan Owen’s business employs dozens of pricing experts, authenticators and even GIA certified appraisers so he can issue certificates of authenticity.
• The psychology behind why most people don’t attempt to reclaim their stuff!
• Jason’s secret to finding lost items…look in the pickle barrel!
• Googleheim: Jason’s spring-loaded blackjack and a list of obvious and not so obvious items you can’t bring on an airplane.

***

FOLLOW BRYAN:

Website: UnclaimedBaggage.com

Instagram: @UnclaimBag

X: @UnclaimedBag

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You can now rent a professional bridesmaid for your wedding! Really, no really!

Before you ask the inevitable and logical question…why anyone would need to rent somebody to be their bridesmaid, consider this: twenty two percent of Americans say that it has been at least five years since they’ve made a new friend and nearly one-third say they have three or fewer close friends. With friendship in decline no wonder one woman, today’s guest has acted as a bridesmaid in hundreds of weddings for brides she didn’t know.

Jen Glantz is the world’s first professional bridesmaid and founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, she’s also a best-selling author, a blogger, she writes several newsletters, and she hosts the wildly popular podcast, You’re Not Getting Any Younger.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How Jen stumbled into the professional bridesmaid business.
• Wedding disasters! Arguments, mistresses, fistfights, inappropriate speeches, and dog bites!
• Which couples won’t last…can Jen tell the difference?
• The surprising origin of many of your wedding traditions
• Anybody interested in attending a vow renewal? They have a registry!
• Destination weddings & why we hate them.
• Has Jen ever been busted as a pseudo friend?
• If you’re asked to be a bridesmaid…answer these questions BEFORE saying yes.
• The inherent sadness of needing a paid bridesmaid.
• The wedding Hokey Pokey incident Jason will never forget.
• Google-heim: Hokey Pokey controversies and producer Lorre’s dubious wedding!

***

FOLLOW JEN GLANTZ:

Website: BridesmaidForHire.com

Blog: The Things I Learned From

Podcast: You're Not Getting Any Younger

Instagram: @jenglantz

TikTok: @BridesmaidForHire

X: @jenglantz

Facebook: Jen Glantz

YouTube: @jenglantz

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A man attempted suicide by overdosing on a drug he was given in a clinical trial. He was rushed to a hospital in bad shape…shaking, breathing rapidly with a dangerously low pulse, and blood pressure that had bottomed out. He was eventually stabilized, but not by anything the staff at the hospital did. The treatment and cure? He was informed that the overdose he had taken was a placebo. He had downed 29 capsules that were effectively sugar pills and the cause of his medical emergency… was all in his mind…Really, no really!

Jason and Peter were fascinated by the seemingly lethal effects of an inert substance. And while they had heard about the placebo effect, they were amazed that it could be this powerful. To find out more, they sought out the world’s foremost expert and researcher on the subject. Dr. Luana Colloca is a distinguished professor at the University of Maryland and the Director of the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center.

As an NIH-funded, internationally recognized expert, Dr. Colloca and her team research human pain modulation in patients suffering from chronic pain hoping to deepen understanding of placebo and nocebo effects.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The reason for the placebo’s creation in 1799.
• Why the placebo effect is more powerful than you think.
• The lesser-known nocebo effect and how it works.
• How do placebos mimic active treatments?
• Is it ethical to prescribe placebos without informing patients?
• Why patients who KNEW they were getting placebos improved!
• The placebo effect on positive vs negative-minded people.
• Acupuncture, reiki, other alternative treatments - placebos?
• Jason’s trick for alleviating pain using the power of his mind.
• A placebo to replace erectile dysfunction medications?
• Pondering non-medical uses for placebos - placebo vacations?
• Google-:heim: Placebo “isn’t” but “is.” Here are other things we think “are” that “aren’t.”

FOLLOW LUANA:

The Colloca Lab

Placebo Beyond Opinions (PBO) Center

Instagram: @CollocaLab

Facebook: @LuanaColloca

***

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