Getting Through This with Tom and Scott

A nationwide network of pneumatic tubes could be an alternative to the post office for mail-in voting. And a look ahead to museums reopening in New York next week, and why they’ve always been experts at social distancing.

Scott loves face masks and is open to becoming a mask influencer. And Tom revisits a traumatic childhood experience involving a liverwurst sandwich, but emerges stronger and better for having gone through it.

Tom wonders if his bad breath is the reason why his cat Oliver is turning away from him. Or could it be, as Scott suggests, a sign of an unrelated issue? Plus, the ultimate joy of a catbird seat on Easy Street.

We’re looking in the mirror today, marveling at this ultimate selfie. We take you back to that historic day when the mirror was invented, and for the first time, people could see what they look like.

One of the many reasons we like Kamala Harris is we think she would like our podcast. She likes to laugh, we like to make her laugh, what more can you ask for? Plus, how did Scott get to see a professional baseball game live?

Tom offers to get the Russian vaccine, but only on the condition that if it doesn’t work, he receives 500 acres of land in the Russian steppes. Scott won’t try a vaccine that’s only been tested on a couple of dissidents.

Remember when the suburbs were mocked for their drudgery and boredom? Now people are fleeing the cities in droves. But not us. We’ve seen the future at the 1964 World’s Fair, and we think the future of NYC is bright.

Scott predicts Gretchen Whitmer will be Biden’s VP pick, because she has the pandemic managing experience Tommy said was necessary, back in one of our early April shows Plus, what would we do without the word “thing”?

When Tom was a kid, his own homeschool was so selective that he couldn’t get in. Scott uncovers a brochure from the General Electric Progressland exhibit from the 1964 World’s Fair.

Scott is glad he got his second haircut since barber shops reopened in NYC, even though his barber wore his surgical mask just below his nostrils. Plus, Tom’s cat Oliver is the best companion to have during quarantine, even with the occasional bite.

Tom’s innocent birthday call leads to the revelation of a shocking family secret, in a groundbreaking segment that will hopefully be turned into a PBS documentary. Plus, we propose yet another invention: A place where annoying cliches are buried.

We don’t really miss restaurants because we feel like kings, or self appointed, unelected co-Mayors of Irving Place, when we eat at home, Plus, how to uncover fake ghostwriters.

Scott’s breaking news report of Tropical Storm Isaias in Brooklyn spurs Tom and Scott to go beyond talking about the weather and actually do something about it. They don’t know what they’re going to do but they invite others to figure that out.

Tom reveals he might have mis-remembered his Wexler’s Bagels story from yesterday’s show. And we sing the praises of the breakfast spots that are only open from 7 am to 2 pm. Plus, a proposal for Mount Rushmore type installations for essential workers during the pandemic.

Scott pays homage to CBS Sunday Morning with his ode to a tranquil Sunday morning. Tom makes a fateful bagel decision. And we name drop Charles Kuralt, Charles Osgood, Bosley Crowther and more.

We offer an alternative to the anger and stress inducing effects of watching cable news all day: Buying digital subscriptions to local newspapers like the Desert Sun or the Berkshire Eagle. Reading the often relaxing local news stories will help support local journalism and add years to your life.

We relive the thrill of getting the TV Guide Fall Preview Issue in our teen years, and excitedly planning our television viewing schedule. Because in those days your show was on only once at a designated time each week.

We’re going bananas figuring out how to keep bananas ripe. And why bananas are singled out as being crazy, while other fruits like apples and peaches are referred to in positive ways. And we verbally shuck and/or husk corn, too

Scott previously revealed that he fears running for office because he will he asked what books are on his nightstand. And he doesn’t have a nightstand. Now in a stunning new revelation, Scott says that he hasn’t finished a book in a few years. Tom tries to change that in a way that will bring a tear to your eye.

Because we do a new podcast every single day, we spare ourselves the drudgery of commuting. And even more importantly, we avoid the mundane act of talking about how bad our commute was.

We recall the pre SPF days of using reflectors to catch the sun, and the mysterious men on Brighton Beach carrying brown paper bags, selling and yelling “Hot knishes, cold orange drinks.”

Today’s show is an audio version of the Sunday New York Times, with sections on a range of topics from many time periods. We think obscure references are merely something that hasn’t been learned yet.

Tom rustles up some grub by creating a carb free hot dog salad. Which inevitably leads to an appraisal of baseball without crowds. Scott watched the Mets opening day game and after a few minutes, he didn’t even notice the absence of people in the stands.

On our very special “Play Ball” edition, we welcome the return of baseball with no one in the stands, which doesn’t detract from our enjoyment of the game. Baseball fans are normally only noisy hall of the game anyway, when the home team does something they like.

Museums celebrate intelligence, creativity and history, along with a complimentary coat check. Did Van Gogh ever paint a fisherman wearing waders? And why aren’t fisheries a reliable path to riches?