This week, Bret and Josh dive into some of the funniest “is it real or not?” debates from our childhood and beyond. From whether pro wrestling was legit to the true nature of Tom & Jerry’s friendship, we rewind to the things that had us guessing as kids. Then we crank it up with wild conspiracies: Birds Aren’t Real, Denver Airport’s Illuminati tunnels, Chuck E. Cheese’s recycled pizza, Disney’s hidden Easter eggs, and even AI taking over the world…and remember to be careful what you do when there are birds around, they are always watching and recording.

A lot of laughs, a lot of “no way, man” moments, and maybe just enough truth to make you wonder.

The world feels darker than ever — from terror attacks and random violence to political shootings plastered across our screens. As parents, the question isn’t just how do we explain evil to our kids? It’s how do we prepare them to face it with courage?

This week, Bret and Josh talk about raising kids who understand that freedom isn’t free — that evil will always hate it — and that their job is to be tougher than the darkness around them. From remembering 9/11 to unpacking the recent headlines, we reflect on how to teach our kids resilience, conviction, and the call to be a light when the world feels heavy.

Because even in dark times, courage and light can still win.

Forget corporate handbooks — the real rules of work were written on the classroom carpet back in kindergarten. This week, Bret and Josh break down how the basics still apply: share your toys (and credit), take turns (yes, even in meetings), clean up your mess (literally and figuratively), and say you’re sorry (without an HR investigation).

We also hit the grown-up essentials: nap time = avoiding burnout, snack time = fueling your day (not just vending machine regret), and the hard truth that it’s not your coworker’s job to manage your emotions.

Because at the end of the day, work isn’t complicated — it’s just recess with paychecks, and some of us still can’t play nice.

Some advice goes in one ear and out the other — but some lines stick for life. This week, Bret and Josh swap the best pieces of advice they ever got, from the timeless “nothing good happens after midnight” to the hard-won lessons about money, love, and growing up.

Josh also shares how he survived dropping his son off at college — equal parts emotional, exhausting, and proud — and why moments like that remind us why the right words at the right time matter.

Because sometimes the hardest goodbyes — and the simplest advice — are what last the longest

This week, Bret and Josh rewind to one of life’s biggest milestones — leaving home for the first time. We share our own stories of shaky launches into independence, from questionable packing decisions to those unforgettable “oh crap” reality checks.

Josh is on the verge of experiencing it from the other side, as he prepares to drop his son off at college for the first time. Together, we talk about what that moment means, why it’s both exciting and gut-wrenching, and whether today’s kids get the same crash course in adulthood we did.

Because leaving the nest isn’t just about kids growing up — it’s about parents figuring out how to cry in the car without embarrassing anyone.

Before cheat codes and save points, there was only one rule: don’t die. This week, Bret and Josh fire up the nostalgia with a trip back to the 8-bit era — when games like Contra, Zelda, TMNT, and even Pitfall taught us the art of patience, strategy, and persistence.

Josh and Bret talk about blowing on cartridges, memorizing enemy patterns, stuffing towels in the door cracks so you could play at night, teaming up on the couch with friends, and celebrating those rare victories that came after dozens of failed attempts. Along the way, we explore whether today’s instant-gratification gaming culture still delivers the same grit-building experiences… or if something valuable was left back in those pixelated worlds.

Once upon a time, if you had a problem with someone, you handled it. Face-to-face. No texts. No ghosting. Just words — awkward, angry, clumsy, honest words.

This week, Bret and Josh get into the gritty life school of confrontation — what it taught us growing up Gen X, and what seems to be missing in today’s conflict-avoidant, GenZ Staring, emoji-coded culture. From hallway showdowns and forced apologies to the wild rise of “ghostlighting” and dry texting, this episode explores how avoiding tension might be killing our ability to grow, forgive, and move on.

We also dive into how this shift is affecting kids, relationships, and even workplaces — and challenge the idea that avoiding conflict is somehow healthier than working through it.

#69 This week in the Treefort, Bret and Josh pull back the foil wrapper on the food we thought was fine — and somehow lived to talk about. From Pop-Tarts and bagel bites to ramen dinners and roller dogs that looked like wizard fingers, this is a love letter to the food crimes and the never-would-I-ever-eat-that food of our youth.

The rant gets real as they tear into the scam that was the food pyramid, how nobody understood nutrition labels until their 30s, and Josh’s go-to ramen creation before a night out in college. It’s greasy, it’s nostalgic, it’s hilarious — and it pairs perfectly with a Capri Sun and low expectations.

Songs on the mixtape this week: Eat It by Weird Al and Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard.