Shows
East Anchorage Book Club with Andrew GrayLOOKING BACK AT 2025: Hollis French, Jubilee Underwood, Josh Revak, Mara Kimmel, JJ Harrier, Zack Fields, Dan O'Neill, Aaron Poe, Margaret Stock, Les Gara, Amanda Metivier, & Tali StoneSend us a textToday, New Year’s Eve 2025, I thought I’d take a look back at a few episodes from the last year. I am in my 5th year of the East Anchorage Book Club podcast and last year I released 78 episodes. This podcast is extremely meaningful to me as both as a legislator and as a person: I learn about issues that I am unfamiliar with, I create relationships with unexpected people, and it really is through editing the conversations that I internalize them and come out of them changed. Alaska needs...
2025-12-3149 min
Positively TerribleMom Was Dead and Dad Did It - With ShellyThis week's Decent Human Being is author Shelly Edwards Jorgensen. Her story is about her mother's murder. Other topics include alcoholism, domestic violence, sexual assault, and arson. You can buy her memoir on Amazon.com. Shelly knew trouble was brewing. Her dad was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde alcoholic, and on this day he was preparing dinner and drinking Manhattans in his robe when he should have been getting ready for work. She ran interference when her mom came home from work earlier than expected, but that wasn't enough to save her life. Shelly's d...
2024-05-2357 min
Positively TerribleI Have Dyscalculia - With Michelle SteinerThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Michelle. Her fucked up story is about growing up with a learning disability called dyscalculia. Other topics include bullying, shame, limited hand dexterity, and visual perception issues. Michelle is a smart woman. That will become clear as you listen to the episode, but I need to say it because people with learning disabilities don't always get the benefit of the doubt. There were times when Michelle was told that she had a limited ceiling because she had dyscalculia, but all of those people were eventually proved wrong. Those people are what w...
2024-05-1446 min
Positively TerribleMy Mother Was Brutal to Everyone - With PaulaThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Paula. Her fucked up story is about being raised by a toxic mother who tried to murder her as an infant. Other topics in this episode include narcissistic abuse, alcoholism, and anxiety. Paula's mother tried to kill her. She was only 3 months old the first time it happened, and five months old the second. It's taken her a lifetime to piece together and process what happened, and there are still friends, family, and acquaintances who don't believe her story. It's not surprising that people don't want to believe h...
2024-05-0348 min
Positively TerribleAn Unexpected Gift: An Update From Amy ThurmanWarning: Producer Dan couldn’t make it to this episode, so please don’t turn it off when you hear Scott's voice first. Also, note that this is not our usual format - it's our first update interview. The updates are nothing but positive, but we revisit parts of Amy's story about her broken neck and sheared brain stem, and we also talk about the suicidal thoughts she was having at that time. Amy's book Finding My Hero Within: A Journey from Incapacitation to Empowerment is out now. Dan and I first became acquainted with Amy in Au...
2024-04-2530 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Connections with Tewksbury Bloom | Recruitment Series Kick-off 🎉 Do Good Be GoodNothing is more powerful than Connections! We are 1.3 million alumni strong - let's CONNECT!AmeriCorps National Service stands as a beacon of hope and unity, embodying the spirit of service that defines the very essence of community and citizenship. We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn, and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps! 🌟🌟🌟🌟AND NOW, we're thrilled to announce a special series centered around AmeriCorps member recruitment! 2024 RECRUITMENT BANANZA!!!! 😄🤩We want to generate some buzz and get folks line...
2024-04-2056 min
Positively TerribleThat's When My OCD Went Into Overdrive - With SimonThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Simon Rinne. His fucked up story is about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Other topics in this episode include alcohol abuse, parental divorce, anxiety, masculinity, and a very professional intro. Simon suffered from undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder for 20 years before he learned what it was or that he had it. It started when he was eight and a schoolmate told him that he'd lose his voice forever if he went more than a minute without using it. It would have been a harmless 8-year-old kind of prank for most of us, but for S...
2024-04-1859 min
Positively TerribleIt Was a Very Lonely Childhood - With KelliThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Kelli Murbach. Her fucked up story is about quiet trauma. Other topics include chronic illness, loneliness, and depression. Kelli’s childhood was filled with what she described as quiet trauma. She wasn’t abused, nor did she find herself on death’s door at any point, but her upbringing was less than ideal. When she was three her little brother was born with a chronic illness that he was not expected to survive. The good news is he’s in his 40s and has grown up to be a proper...
2024-04-1145 min
The Heart of the Story with Gary MetivierRare Disorder Takes DJ's air awayHe was a morning show host, radio news person and on air personality for decades. But Dan Kennedy would discover at the end of his career a problem he never expected. The man who used the air in his lungs to power a voice as his instrument, we finding it harder and harder to breathe. He takes us along on his journey in a battle with life or death on the line.
2024-04-0427 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Connections with Gordon Rooney | City Year Points of Light Opportunities for Everyone to ServeNothing is more powerful than Connections! We are 1.3 million alumni strong - let's CONNECT!AmeriCorps National Service stands as a beacon of hope and unity, embodying the spirit of service that defines the very essence of community and citizenship. We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn, and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!♦️In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections podcast, host Nicki Fiocco delves into the world of volunteerism and national service through the lens of AmeriCorps alum...
2024-03-2954 min
Positively TerribleI Just Couldn't Not Drink - With KatrinaThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Katrina Lelli. Her fucked up story is about alcoholism. Other topics include bipolar depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts/ideation. Katrina was a good girl as a teenager. She grew up in an alcoholic home and was forced to be the adult in the house after her father walked out on the family on the day after Christmas when she was a young teen. That might be when taking care of others became part of her identity. She managed to mostly stay out of trouble as a teen, but w...
2024-03-2849 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Connections with Anton Taylor | City Year | A Time of ReflectionNothing is more powerful than Connections! We are 1.3 million alumni strong 💪💪💪 - let's CONNECT! AmeriCorps National Service stands as a beacon of hope and unity, embodying the spirit of service that defines the very essence of community and citizenship. We are a voice for national and community service.We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn, and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps! 🙌🙌🙌In this episode of AmeriCorps Connections, Nicki sits down with AmeriCorps alum Anton Taylor to discuss his journey through service and beyond. Anton reflects on the impact of h...
2024-03-151h 02
Positively TerribleI Felt a Lump On the Side of My Throat - With BillThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Bill Lee-Emery. His fucked up story is about surviving throat cancer. In 2022, Bill was diagnosed with throat cancer. He was a healthy, 70-something-year-old man who up until that point wouldn't even take an aspirin for a headache. He'd prioritized alternative medicine for over 40 years, so the diagnosis created tougher questions for him than it would for many. He wasn't the type to just say "Hey doc, what's the plan?" so he consulted with both his naturopath and physician before deciding what to do next. He opted to hit it hard and...
2024-03-1454 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Connections with Team ToolBank | AmeriCorps Week 2024Nothing is more powerful than Connections! We are 1.3 million alumni strong - let's CONNECT!AmeriCorps National Service stands as a beacon of hope and unity, embodying the spirit of service that defines the very essence of community and citizenship. We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn, and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!♦️AmeriCorps Alumni Service Projects during AmeriCorps Week March 10th - 16th in Partnership with ToolBank's across the country♦️Today we talk with Team Baltimor...
2024-03-0838 min
Positively TerribleI Felt Broken - with MelanieThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Melanie Verstraete. Her fucked up story is about toxic relationships. Melanie had six step-dads by the time she was 21. You might think a stable of step-dads makes for a fucked up story in itself, but that wasn't the bulk of the story here. It contributed for sure, and nobody can argue that she had a great role model for relationships, but she wasn't here to talk about a revolving door of father figures. Melanie was here to talk about the toxic relationships in her life, and how her second divorce led t...
2024-03-0755 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Connections with Shannon Stober | VISTA | What you do and how you did it!Nothing is more powerful than Connections! We are 1.3 million alumni strong - let's CONNECT! AmeriCorps National Service stands as a beacon of hope and unity, embodying the spirit of service that defines the very essence of community and citizenship. We are a voice for national and community service.We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn, and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!AmeriCorps Alumni Service Projects during AmeriCorps Week March 10th - 16th in Partnership with ToolBank's across the countryToday we talk with Shannon...
2024-03-0155 min
Positively TerribleI Heard Myself Say 'My Daughter Just Died' - With TonjeThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Tonje Wyn-Jones. Her fucked up story is about the death of her 18-month old daughter from SIDS. Tonje was on a business trip when she got “the call no mother wants to get.” It was her brother, and all he would say is that she had to come home. She hung up and called her husband, and he told her their 18-month old daughter had died unexpectedly overnight. She had to get home. She was in another part of the country, she was alone...
2024-02-2954 min
Positively TerribleI Lost 12 Loved Ones in 22 Months - With Lisa MarieThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Lisa Marie. Her fucked up story includes compound grief, life-changing deaths, death from disease, death from cancer, and death from an accident. You can probably tell by the title, but Lisa had a rough couple of years. Rough is probably selling it short – maybe I should call it a fucked-up couple of years. It started with the death of her niece, which while not ideal, was not entirely unexpected. She’d been in and out of the hospital for her entire life, and it wasn’t a given that she’d...
2024-02-2249 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Connections with Alex Tran | NCCC & VISTA | If Our Communities Succeed We All SucceedNothing is more powerful than Connections! We are 1.3 million alumni strong - let's CONNECT! AmeriCorps National Service stands as a beacon of hope and unity, embodying the spirit of service that defines the very essence of community and citizenship. We are a voice for national and community service.We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn, and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!AmeriCorps Alumni Service Projects during AmeriCorps Week March 10th - 16th in Partnership with ToolBank's across the countryToday we talk with Alex...
2024-02-1638 min
Positively TerribleI Found Out He Had a Child With Another Woman - With JulieThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Julie. Her fucked up story includes infidelity, depression, job loss, gas-lighting, and her (now ex-) husband fathering a child with another woman during their marriage. When Julie met her now ex-husband, she was smitten. He wasn't her normal type - she described him as a big, burly goth guy with painted nails and long hair - but Julie didn't judge him on his style. He treated her well at first, and that's what matters, right? It makes sense that they moved to St. Louis together when she got a new job. A...
2024-02-151h 03
Positively TerribleA Lifetime of Self-Hatred - With JackieThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Jackie. Her fucked up story includes growing up in poverty, sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, drug use, (barely) surviving a house fire, and the murder of her oldest son. Jackie was one of those kids you'd say never had a chance. She was born into poverty, was sexually abused by multiple adults, and started smoking and drinking before she was old enough to drive. There was so much trauma packed into her young life that just surviving was an accomplishment. She says she wasn't always a Decent Fucking Human. Sh...
2024-02-0858 min
Positively TerribleI Survived the Columbine School Shooting - With Heidi JohnsonThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Heidi Johnson. Her fucked up story took place in the school library during the Columbine massacre. Topics in this episode include murder, school shootings, and suicide. On April 20, 1999, two students walked into Columbine High School and changed this country forever. They murdered thirteen people - including 12 students and a teacher - and wounded twenty-one others. Ten of the victims who lost their lives were in the library. So was Heidi. Heidi was a sophomore with sophomore problems. She was going through a weird fr...
2024-02-011h 06
AmeriCorps ConnectionsJoy is Contagious! Conversation with Amanda McSwine | VISTA**1.3 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG!**We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn, and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!AmeriCorps Week 2024! March 10 - 16, find a service project at your ToolBank! SEARCHToday we talk with Amanda McSwine. Amanda served with Newberry College as a part of South Carolina Campus Compact and the United Way Association of South Carolina/South Carolina Service Commission as a VISTA leader. She shared her enriching journey through various service roles and...
2024-01-2651 min
Positively TerribleI Didn't Tap Out - With Jorge V GonzalezThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Jorge V Gonzalez. His fucked up story started when he suffered a life-altering back injury at work. Topics in this episode include debilitating physical injury, job loss, depression, and suicidal ideation. Jorge’s career in Warehouse Logistics started when he was 19. He’d realized he either had to find a decent gig or else he’d need to find two less-than-decent ones, so he decided to apply where his cousin worked. Not only was it full-time, but it came with overtime. It was perfect for a hungry kid like Jo...
2024-01-2550 min
Positively TerribleI Have Been Asking for Help for Six Years - With Harris Eddie HillThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Harris Eddie Hill. Their fucked up story is about overcoming trauma and helping others heal. Topics covered in this episode include self-harm, suicidal ideation, sexual trauma, family dysfunction, cancer, and ADHD. Harris is an impressive human being. I want to get that out of the way because that’s the thought I keep coming back to when reflecting on our interview. I often forget a lot about our episodes between recording and releasing, but the thing that always sticks with me is the feeling our guests leave me with. The feelings I f...
2024-01-181h 02
Positively TerribleInternally I Was Really Struggling - With CarleighThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Carleigh. Her fucked up story is about living with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. This episode contains talk of self-harm and suicide. Carleigh looked like a normal kid on the outside. She might have been a tad hyper, but she did alright in school and didn't have any issues making friends. Those are the things you look for, right? Any outside observer would have thought she was a normal, middle-class kid living a normal, middle-class life. And for the most part, she probably was. Lots of kids mask their depression and anxiety f...
2024-01-1149 min
Positively TerribleI Can't Do This Alone - With Uncle SatanThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Uncle Satan. His fucked up story is about anxiety and teenage drug/alcohol abuse. I'm having a hard time not naming this episode Uncle Satan, the Punk Rock Archaeologist. That feels a little too click-baity for me, even if those words contain no lies. We did interview an Uncle Satan, he is an archeologist who came up in the punk crowd, and he does suffer from anxiety. See? All true. But the real story here is the anxiety, with a little bit of teenage addiction sprinkled in. The anxiety...
2024-01-0456 min
Positively TerribleHe Would Do Everything He Could to Get Me to Cry - With Marie MillerThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Marie Miller. Her fucked up story is about emotional abuse and non-consensual kink. Marie is a fascinating woman. She’s been part of a backyard circus where she learned to do the Russian Ladder trick, performed blacklight theater in a Lovecraft piece, and did a hell of a lot of other cool things that Dan and I would have loved to explore further. We kinda had to address her trauma though, because she wasn’t here to talk about the fun stuff. She was here to talk about overcoming trauma, and Mari...
2023-12-211h 00
Positively TerribleI Was Born With a Cleft Lip and Palate - With Christine ErricoThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Christine Errico. Christine was born with a cleft lip and palate. Her first of many surgeries was when she was only two months old. She detailed the bullying and discrimination she faced in various stages of her life, including in the workplace.Notable Quotes:Christine Errico: "I always felt broken... I just wanted to not get bullied... to be myself."Terrible Scott: "I would tell [12-year-old Christine] that we just talked on video over audio... for her to realize just how far that you've come."Episode Participants:Christine Errico (Guest)T...
2023-12-1448 min
Positively TerribleI Woke Up One Day to the Sound of a Gunshot - With Andy TurnerThis week's Decent Fucking Human is Andy Turner, author of Who Turned Up the Silence. His fucked up story is about grief, secrets, false accusations, and fighting back. Andy Turner thought he had a great marriage. He met his late wife at church, and when she invited him out to coffee he didn't hesitate. They dated and married quickly, and Heather became mom to his three boys. Thirteen years and a daughter later, Andy woke up to a gunshot from the bathroom. Heather had died by suicide, and his fucked up story was going to get a...
2023-12-0756 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Alumni Connections with Libby McClayton | VISTA1.3 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Today we talk with Libby McClayton Libby Served two years of AmeriCorps!1. Baltimore Mayor Recovery Corps Program - VISTA 2. Children's Hunger Alliance (Ohio) - State & National- Libby and I have a wide-ranging discussion covering Libby's service with AmeriCorps. We opened the interview celebrating her recent purchase of a condo, and her excitement about settling down...
2023-12-0137 min
Positively TerribleI'm Not the Same Person I Was When I Left - With Sean YoungThis week's fucked up story is about trauma, addiction, and recovery.Sean Young is a combat veteran, has enough ex-wives that I lost count during the episode, sports a beard that's longer than Dan and Scott's combined, and hosts two podcasts (Recover Out Loud and Beyond the Veil). If you noticed this episode is longer than recent releases, go back and read that sentence again. Do you think we could cover that in 55 minutes? And do you think we wanted to? I only ended it because Producer Dan was one question away from asking Sean if he...
2023-11-301h 34
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Alumni Connections with Swim Karim | Bonner Fellow1.3 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Meet Swim! A Bonner Fellow - AmeriCorps Scholar Swim and Nicki discussed their experiences with volunteerism and community service, particularly within the nonprofit sector. Swim shared his transition from Philadelphia to Charlotte, North Carolina, and how volunteering at the hospital became a pivotal part of his teenage years. He then shared how he got involved in AmeriCorps, leading to his i...
2023-11-1752 min
Positively TerribleShe Handed Me a Pink Slip - With Angilie KapoorI wasn’t sure about doing an episode about someone losing their job when Angilie first reached out. We’ve done episodes about terminal illnesses, murder, and stalking, and I wasn’t sure that this quite fit what we normally do. After maybe five minutes, I realized that people lose their jobs every day. Not only does it suck, but it’s traumatic to be laid off, and probably one of the more relatable topics we could cover. I went from not being sure to being all-in. Angilie’s career began as a scrub tech, which means she was par...
2023-11-1650 min
Positively TerribleI Wanted to Lose Weight, That Would Make Me Better - With Libby SupanLibby Supan grew up considering the letters f, a, and t to be the building blocks of one very bad word. A lot of us felt that way though, didn’t we? During my childhood, everyone was looking for ways to lose weight with aerobics and fat-free diets. In Libby’s memories, it was her mom who was always on a diet. She learned that gaining weight equals bad, losing weight equals good, and how you did it didn’t really matter. For her, that was a lesson that eventually evolved into an eating disorder. Things were going w...
2023-11-0952 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Alumni Connections with Jason Rose | NCCC1.3 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Listen to this podcast here - Today we talk with Jason Rose Meet Jason! A NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) Class 18, Denver CO.Jason shares his experience in the program, discussing his application process, projects, and the value of the connection to the outdoors. Both Nicki and Jason reflected on the challenges and character-building aspects of a ser...
2023-11-031h 05Positively TerribleLots of Childhood Trauma - With DanaLots of childhood trauma is what Dana came on to talk about. Not just childhood trauma, but lots of childhood trauma. He said he suffered his first traumas in the womb before experiencing just about every form of abuse you can. Six months after being sexually abused, before he'd even had a chance to process what happened, he had to go on the run with the family because his dad was a wanted criminal. Oh, and he also saw soldiers killing people in the streets when the Brazil while they were on the run. Then he got hit by...
2023-11-0240 minPositively TerribleSpiritual Awakening in a Five Guys - With DesiDesi grew up in the house with the juke box. Didn't we all have a friend like that? Sometimes they had a juke box, other times it was a pinball machine. The only thing that was certain was that they always had a drink fridge stocked with all the best sodas - both the name brands and the generics (what up Mountain Holler Flavored Citrus Soft Drink). I didn't ask if Desi had a drink fridge, but Dad was a moonshiner. I think that counts for something. Desi's dad died when she was 21. That's not part of...
2023-10-2658 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Connections with Dana Benjamin-Allen| NCCC1.2 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Today we talk with Dana Benjamin Meet Dana! A NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) Class 12 Sacramento Alumni! Dana majored in Communications at Boston University and spent most of her time with folks at the BU Community Center. She was influenced to join NCCC by Carly Bruder, current Deputy Director for AmeriCorps VISTA. Dana reflects that NCCC upped her game...
2023-10-2459 minPositively TerribleDon't Let Anyone Tell You How to Grieve - With PatricePatrice is lucky. You might not expect me to to describe any of our guests as “lucky”, especially one who came on to talk about the devastation of losing the two most important people in her world. That part of her story genuinely sucked. The losses left her in a deep depression. It was a pain that disrupted her life in ways that I’ve never experienced and never want to experience. The grief was too much, at least until she decided it was time to get it together.So why am I calling her lucky? Well, it’s b...
2023-10-1945 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Alumni Connections with Sam Hutchisson | VISTA1.2 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Today we talk with Sam Hutchisson -https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-hutchisson-aba052187/In this episode, Nicki interviews Sam Hutchisson, a VISTA alumnus who relocated to Iowa and served with the resettlement organization Welcome Corps. Sam shared his unconventional path to AmeriCorps, which he stumbled upon after his college graduation and the cancellation of his Peace Corps plans to serve in Co...
2023-10-1341 minPositively TerribleI Was Born an Addict, I'll Die an Addict - With EileenEileen Tull grew up a theater (theatre?) kid with feelings of superiority, at least in part due to her religous morals. Sobriety was part of her personality until she was twenty — and then it very much wasn’t. When she decided it was time to have her first drink, she threw a party so she could turn it into an event and get all the attention she craved. Six years later she was sober again, but the time in between was a blur.Eileen decided it was time to start drinking when she convinced herself that others got...
2023-10-1252 min
Positively TerribleGrowing Up Black and Queer in Texas - With Mike BrownThis week’s Decent Fucking Human is a man I admire. That might not sound like much considering anyone who earns the title of Decent Fucking Human has my admiration, but this guy has the acclaim to go with it. You see, in 2017 he decided therapy was too expensive and (probably) said “fuck it, I’ll go start a podcast,” and start a podcast he did. It’s called The Art of Letting Go, and he’s now 200 episodes deep and a full time creator. Mike grew up in Texas. There are many great people and places in Texas, but...
2023-10-0544 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Alumni Connections with Sana Shaike | Teach For America1.2 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Today we talk with Sana ShaikeSana shared her journey from discovering AmeriCorps through recruitment officers at Berkeley to teaching in Baltimore City as part of her service. She was drawn to AmeriCorps' mission of helping others with limited opportunities and resources. Sana also worked for Teach for America (TFA), where she was a coach supporting other teachers. She high...
2023-09-2954 min
Positively TerribleLiving Out the Long Haul of Grief - With AlyAly Bird is a Decent Fucking Human and author of a book called Grief Ally. Want to guess why it's called Grief Ally? It's because people don't know how to best support loved ones when they suffer a traumatic loss, and Aly suffered a traumatic loss.Aly and her husband were a power couple. Maybe not with the fame of Taylor Swift and whoever that football player guy is, but they felt like they could do anything together. The evidence backed it up too, at least until she received a phone call telling her...
2023-09-2852 min
Positively TerribleMy Fucked Up Experience as a Pastor - With JoshThis week’s Decent Fucking Human is Josh Patterson, host of the (Re)thinking Faith Podcast. Josh sent us an email with the subject “My fucked-up experience as a pastor,” and expressed interest in joining us for an interview. He had my attention, but I’ll admit that I was worried about touching religion. He mentioned the word deconstruction somewhere in our exchanges, and that didn’t do anything to make me feel better. I’ve become quite familiar with the term from what I’ve seen on the Tiktoks, the Youtubes, and the internets in general, and it often ends wit...
2023-09-211h 00
Positively TerribleI Have Wondered So Many Times If This Was a Cult - With KatyKaty is a Decent Fucking Human if there ever was one, and after listening to this episode, you're going to admire her for being so. It would have been easy for her life to go off the rails, if there were ever rails for it to go off. Katy was raised for a time on a commune disguised as a cult. She spent her time in the woods instead of school, and had a mother who had a suspected personality disorder. She literally hoped to be put in a group home, rather than continuing to live with h...
2023-09-141h 11
Positively TerribleI Laid in Bed 23 Hours a Day for a YearAt the start of 2014, Amy Thurman was your everyday Decent Fucking Human. She was a wife and mom with a career, and she lived life with a brainstem you would not have described as “sheared,” and a neck you would not have described as “broken.” Let’s just say that her circumstances were about to change — and not for the better. What happened? Amy fell - or maybe it's better characterized as fainted - while at home and wound up with a sheared brainstem and broken neck. There's more though, and I'm not talking about the part where we skip...
2023-08-3156 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Alumni Connections with Chad Driscoll | Big Brothers Big Sisters1.2 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Today we talk with Chad DriscollConnect with Chad on LinkedIn Chad on Twitter X Nicki and Chad Driscoll discussed their experiences in AmeriCorps on the podcast 'AmeriCorps Connections'. Chad contributes the importance of community involvement and shared his journey from observing his parents' community involvement to becoming an AmeriCorps member. They also discussed their respective career path...
2023-08-251h 02
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Alumni Connections with Lowell Butler | National Service & VISTA x2!1.2 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Today we talk with Lowell Butler Connect with Lowell on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lowellbutler/Big ideas and takeaways from our conversation:"AmeriCorps has always been there when I needed it."Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT)Texas Impact Used Business degree to frame outreach - "complementary goods"Good Will Industries Current Role with Up Partners - Systems...
2023-08-181h 00
Positively TerribleFinding a Therapist is a Pain in the AssScott was still recovering from Covid, so this week's episode is the second installment of our "Interview a Therapist Who Almost Definitely Loves Producer Dan" format. Decent Fucking Human and LCPC, Rose Metivier, tolerates Scott and Dan long enough to answer our questions about finding a therapist and going to therapy. Comprehensive directories of therapists with detailed profiles, specialties, and contact information:Psychology Today (www.psychologytoday.com)Therapy Den (www.therapyden.com)Inclusive Therapist (www.inclusivetherapist.com)National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) (www.nami.org): Provides information, support, and resources for...
2023-08-1737 min
AmeriCorps ConnectionsAmeriCorps Alumni Connections with Rita Pratte | SBP1.2 Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG! We are a voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!Today we talk with Rita PratteConnect with Rita on LinkedIn Learn more about the AmeriCorps Disaster Services Unit: Big ideas and takeaways from our conversation:- Alternative Spring break with SBP- SBP in New Orleans - - Chose to do AmeriCorps because of domestic issues- Federally declared disasters - AmeriCorps can...
2023-08-1554 min
Positively TerribleMy Big Sister LorenToday's Decent Fucking Human comes from Producer Dan's Decent Fucking Family. We recorded this episode with Dan's big sister Loren in 2021 before we'd figured out what Positively Terrible was, so this doesn't match the regular format. We learn about Loren's career as a Board Certified Music Therapist and about growing up as Dan's sister.Music Therapy WikiMusic Therapy Videos:Gait training Autism Dementia Loren’s PracticeAmerican Music Therapy AssociationIllinois Music Therapy AssociationAll...
2023-08-101h 26
Positively TerribleTrauma Holds Us Back with DarleneDarlene was never expected to go to University. Hell, she didn't even finish high school. It's hard to judge her for that considering she had an alcoholic parent and untreated ADHD. It's hard to have any real direction when your priority is surviving. She eventually found her passion though, and through that, a direction. She went to University. She got a degree in something meaningful to her. She was - and is - a success, as well as a Decent Fucking Human. Her fucked up story starts after getting into a Master's program she'd wanted to attend f...
2023-08-031h 29
Positively TerribleTwice in Three MonthsZaira was 18 years old when she was sexually assaulted by a man she knew. Three months later she was sexually assaulted by a man she didn't. The Complex Like Wine host shared an incredibly honest and vulnerable account of both.She didn't always tell her fucked up story. When she first tried to tell her friend group, one of them told her she was wrong. It was two years before she was willing to talk about it again. Now Zaira hosts her own Podcast where she gives people the opportunity tell their own stories. Go like and...
2023-07-271h 07
Positively TerribleMy Traumatic Brain Injury with DanielDaniel was a physically fit teenager taking a day trip with his buddy to Door County, Wisconsin. Things were things. He didn't have any particular direction, but he certainly wasn't intending to have his life disrupted when the SUV he was riding in started flipping down the highway that day.That's what happened though. The cool thing is that his friend saved his life. The not-so-cool part of it was pretty much everything else, including the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Oh, the other cool part is that this accident gave him direction. He saw how m...
2023-07-201h 01
Positively TerribleFriendship and MurderImagine finding your friend murdered. First, you're going to be treated as a suspect. After the police determine your weren't involved, you now have to help them. You fear for your safety because the killer is still on the loose before he's finally arrested. After the case is built, you're brought in to testify for the prosecution as the defense does their best to put your credibility into question. Now imagine being a child when that happened. This was Terrible Rita's traumatic experience. She was a teenager who'd befriend a woman ten years her elder - one w...
2023-07-1357 min
Positively TerribleRevisit with Scott: I Feel WholeOh, hi. Terrible Scott here - you may know me from such trauma and mental health podcasts as Positively Terrible, and, well, I guess just that one. But it's a damn good Podcast, and I've got some guest appearances lined up too. We'll be announcing those later. Today you might want to watch this excerpt from Episode 1 before you listen, because this episode is an update on Scott's journey. Or maybe you should go listen to the whole dang episode all over again. Or both. Yeah, probably both. When I started my mental health journey, I never c...
2023-07-0648 min
Positively TerribleI just wanted to get hit by a car and take me out of all of itThis week’s Decent Fucking Human is Elizabeth. In March 2022 she entered recovery after surviving a life-threatening situation following one too many drunken nights. That sounds scary, but rock-bottom usually is. It was an opportunity to turn her mistakes into a success story, but the following month her father was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. If you think she could lean on her husband for support, maybe don’t read the next part – he decided to move out in the middle of it all. Elizabeth didn’t say it, but I will – fuck 2022. We’ve all had bad years, ri...
2023-06-2955 min
Positively TerribleScooter and the Ghost of Drinking FutureScooter’s enthusiasm for beer quickly went from being his passion, to his medication, after his father passed away from cancer in 2021. It was the easy choice to avoid facing his trauma, and it did make him feel better – until it didn’t. He’s since learned to drink mindfully, so let’s all raise a Miller Lite in memory of Gus for his part in raising this week’s Decent Fucking Human. Terrible Listeners: Send a picture raising a beer for Gus for our Instagram page. If you’d like to appear on the Pod...
2023-06-221h 12
Positively TerribleI don’t call myself a survivor. I hate that word.This week's fucked up story starts when Mike went to college only to return home a week later when changing shampoo didn't make the lumps on his head go away. It turned out he needed treatment for cancer, not a new hair routine. After a successful treatment and returning to a normal life, he discovered a new lump, indicating his cancer had returned.Neil Young - My My Hey Hey“It’s better to burn out, than fade away”Join the Bone Marrow Transplant RegistryTake the first step to being someon...
2023-06-151h 26
Positively TerribleI don’t call myself a survivor. I hate that word.Neil Young - My My Hey Hey“It’s better to burn out, than fade away”Join the Bone Marrow Transplant RegistryTake the first step to being someone’s cure by joining the blood stem cell registry today.Imerman AngelsYour One-on-One Cancer Support CommunityLeukemia Research FoundationThe Leukemia Research Foundation's mission is to cure leukemia by funding innovative research, and to support patients and families.Totally Unrelated to Mike, but incredibly informative information for our terrible listeners:Adventures of a Master...
2023-06-151h 26
Positively TerribleIt's not bravery for me to come out... It's a desperate actThis week, Gracen winds his way through his fucked up story of gender trauma. He explains how culture assigns an identity whether you like it or not, and what it was like to transition publicly at work. Scott and Dan reminisce about the day HR walked into a staff meeting and said "His name is Gracen, his pronouns are he/him, and you will have no problem with this. Any questions?" Producer Dan bravely raised his hand and asked the only question on everyone’s mind. The Word “Cisgender” Has Scientific Roots Creators & Guests
Terribl...
2023-06-091h 25
Positively TerribleThere’s Only One Way Out... and We’re in the Middle of the SwampThis week’s Decent Fucking Human is going by the initial M. Karma decided to kick M. in the ass after she ditched her blind date to go out with the man who would become her husband and stalker. He showed subtle signs of manipulation and control early, but their marriage slowly turned into a hellscape of isolation and abuse. M. finally escaped through the swamps of Louisiana, but quickly learned that escape and divorce would not be the end of her fucked up story.
2023-06-011h 31
Positively TerribleTerrible Sex with Naseem **Bonus Episode**In this very special bonus episode, Naseem shares the very first episode of her show, Terrible Sex with Naseem. Creators & Guests
Producer Dan - Host
Naseem - Guest
2023-05-2646 min
Positively TerribleI Feel Mostly American... Until I'm Reminded That Maybe I'm NotThis weeks decent fucking human is Naseem. She’s got a fucked up story about growing up brown in the Rust Belt post 9-11. Settle in my terrible listeners, today's episode is going to be Positively Terrible.
2023-05-251h 42
Positively TerribleWhen I Said Nobody Would Know, That Meant I was NobodyJoin Scott, Dan, and their pal Bill for a wild ride on this week's episode. Bill, once a promising 12-year-old vowing never to touch drugs, nosedived into addiction by 21, landing in jail and rehab. His early floundering attempts at sobriety laid the groundwork for his eventual reach for help. Today, with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), he's 7 years clean but only counts his sobriety from dawn each day.Brace for uncensored tales as Bill exposes how addiction shattered his family, relationships, and career. On a lighter note, he shares his favorite Insane Clown Posse track, "...
2023-05-181h 47
Positively TerribleI Went to the Doctor and It Didn't Work OutThis week, we're joined by the indomitable Neighbor Francis, whose positive outlook and infectious spirit remind us of the power of connection and the importance of cherishing every moment.Despite his terminal cancer diagnosis, Francis refuses to let life's challenges get him down. He shares his unique perspective on the world, urging us all to take the time to appreciate the people and experiences that make life worth living. Scott also reflects on the power of connection, sharing how he's been able to support his cousin and others through difficult timesTogether, we explore the...
2023-05-111h 42
Positively TerribleWanna Hear a Fucked Up Story?This week's Decent Fucking Human is co-host Terrible Scott. His fucked up story is about emotional abuse and discovering his wife's secret lives. Hello Terrible Listener, and welcome to the first episode of Positively Terrible. This story is the one where Scott (that's me), his wife's fiance, and her boyfriend, all walk into a bar. It's the story about how after that night I had to come to terms with being an abused husband, which was a thought that had never crossed my mind. I also had to choose between shame and sharing my story, so naturally...
2023-05-0437 min
ExpatsEverywhere Presents: Let's Move to PortugalHealthcare In Portugal - Part 2 of 2 - Cancer in a New Country with MelanieThis is part two of our two-part series with Melanie. Melanie moved to Portugal less than a year ago, and right away, she felt unwell. 3 weeks later, she had a cancer diagnosis. Hear all about the Portuguese Healthcare system, how it compares to the US, and how Melanie is doing now. Services Melanie Recommends:AFPOP SerenityCUF InstituteRelocate To PortugalContact MelanieYouTubeFacebookExpats EverywhereVertical Community VentureCreato...
2023-03-2824 minExpatsEverywhere Presents: Let's Move to PortugalRoss of Our Continuing AdventureJosh sits down with Ross of Our Continuing Adventure. Ross and his wife are retired and have been in Portugal for just over a year. They've worked hard to assimilate to their new home in such a short amount of time. Ross and Josh also talk about some amazing and affordable restaurants all over northern Portugal. Services Ross Recommends:ExpatsEverywhere D7 Visa Course https://expatseverywhere.thinkific.com/Memrise - Language App https://www.memrise.com/languages/learn-portuguese Portuguese With CarlaLanguage Instruction w/ Memrise integrationhttps://journey.portuguesewithcarla.com/offer-collab/?campaign=podcast&ref=7 Talk the Streets YouTube ChannelL...
2023-01-3140 min
2022-09-2001 minTerrible Sex with NaseemNaseem vs The Reality of ChangeNaseem returns home after a year away. Reconnecting wasn't terrible, but it sure wasn't the same either.
2022-09-0711 minTerrible Sex with NaseemA Message from the RoadNaseem's on the road and sends us an update on her life
2022-08-3001 minTerrible Sex with NaseemNaseem Flies to Close to the SunDrunk Naseem needs a good friend to help keep her feet on the ground until she learns how to fly.
2022-08-2311 min2022-08-1609 minTerrible Sex with NaseemA History of Consenthttps://www.shopdocjohnson.com/shttps://www.lovehoney.com/https://www.lelo.com/
2022-08-0938 minTerrible Sex with NaseemSex, Sci-fi, Blood, and GorNaseem's got a history lesson about the founding father of BDSM... and it's probably not what you thought.
2022-08-0241 minTerrible Sex with NaseemConsequences be DamnedNaseem's feeling some playful compersion for everybody this week, despite her terrible idea...
2022-07-2557 minTerrible Sex with Naseem10 Days of TinderKC joins us and walks us through her triumphant return to her kinky lifestyle.
2022-07-1947 minTerrible Sex with NaseemPolyamory... a Husbands TaleNaseem's Husband joins us and talks about his experience when Naseem started dating other people.
2022-07-1237 minTerrible Sex with NaseemWelcome to the JungleHouse on the Rockhttps://www.thehouseontherock.com/exhibits/Don Q Innhttps//www.donqinn.netDonate to Planned Parenthoodhttps://www.weareplannedparenthoodaction.org/onlineactions
2022-07-0544 minTerrible Sex with NaseemNaseem Hurts One Dick Because of Another DickBeing scared is the best way to be hornyThe Secret Sexy Meaning of the Upside-Down PineappleKimbology Podcast - Naseem's episode coming soon, but get subscribed now!
2022-06-2848 minTerrible Sex with NaseemNaseem Confesses Her SinsNaseem talks about some things she could have done better.
2022-06-2150 minTerrible Sex with NaseemWajeeh Lion! An honest-to-god sign for the end of time.www.WajeehLion.comWajeeh Merch!https://www.bonfire.com/store/wajeeh-lion/https://www.instagram.com/wajeehLion/Twitter@WajeehLionnhttps://www.youtube.com/user/1999aak
2022-06-1450 minTerrible Sex with NaseemNaseem's Entry into Non-MonogamyNaseem needed more! She tells us how she got it (and her husband's consent).
2022-06-0756 min2022-05-3151 minTerrible Sex with NaseemNaseem has a ThreesomeImpromptu threesomes don't happen often, but when they do, make sure everyone consents!
2022-05-2459 minTerrible Sex with NaseemFirst Time Sex is Terrible SexFemale owned sex shops:Babeland - https://www.babeland.com/Come As You Are - https://www.comeasyouare.com/Good Vibrations - https://www.goodvibes.com/She Bop - https://www.sheboptheshop.com/Sugar - https://www.sugartheshop.com/Good For Her - https://goodforher.com/Lingerie Naseem Likes:Parade - https://yourparade.com/Adore Me - https://www.adoreme.com/ Nashville Darlin - https://darlinlingerie.com/homeShein - https://us.shein.com/
2022-05-1750 minTerrible Sex with NaseemSCrOTUSTelehealth Access to AbortionsHey Jane - https://www.heyjane.co/home-v2AidAccess.org - https://aidaccess.org/ Learn more - get involved - make a donationPlanned Parenthood - https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/Holler health justice - https://www.instagram.com/hollerhealthjustice/
2022-05-1051 min2022-05-0354 minTerrible Sex with NaseemOne Hell of a Train RideNaseem was stuck on a train and made herself a friend... then embarrassed herself.
2022-04-261h 01Terrible Sex with NaseemThe Case of the Missing CondomNaseem talks about what happens when condoms disappear and take questions from her terrible listeners.
2022-04-191h 02Terrible Sex with NaseemThe Classic WorkaroundNaseem talks fingers in eyes, STD tests, early polyamory mistakes, and answers more questions from her terrible listeners!
2022-04-121h 00