Tom and D

Josiah Hesse on “On Fire for God,” Religious Trauma… & Runner’s High

We got him! Josiah Hesse—journalist, author, and a guy who’s lived through some things most people only read about. We get into his books, including Runner’s High—a deep dive into the hidden culture of cannabis use among elite athletes and the emerging science behind the elusive, exhilarating “runner’s high” they’re all chasing—and his latest, On Fire for God… a brutally honest memoir about growing up in rural Iowa inside the world of fundamentalist Christianity, where faith, fear, poverty, and politics all collide in ways that are hard to fully understand unless you’ve been there—or read his story. So yeah… we went there. And touched the third rail: religion, politics… and cannabis. It’s real, it’s thoughtful, it’s surprisingly funny—and it lives right in that messy space where all of these worlds overlap. This is a must-listen episode—one that might challenge you a little, and stick with you longer than you expect.

Dave Hill: Kicking Cones & Shredding with Tenacious D

In this episode of Tom and D, we sit down with comedian, musician, and all-around chaos agent Dave Hill—a guy who somehow manages to shred on guitar and deliver razor-sharp comedy at the exact same time. You might know Dave from touring with Tenacious D, where his unique blend of stand-up and face-melting riffs has made him a fan favorite. Or maybe you’ve seen his wildly entertaining online videos—featuring everything from aggressively flipping off inanimate objects to drop-kicking unsuspecting traffic cones with unmatched commitment. We talk about how he built that signature style, the crossover between music and comedy, life on the road, and the art of committing fully to a ridiculous bit. It’s a conversation that’s equal parts hilarious, unpredictable, and genuinely insightful. If you like your comedy loud, weird, and a little bit rebellious, this one’s for you.

When AI Actors Bomb the Audition — With Viral Director Sergio Cilli

What happens when an AI actor completely bombs an audition? Sergio Cilli — the Emmy-winning director behind the viral “Director Auditions AI Actor” series that’s been cracking up filmmakers, actors, and AI geeks across the internet. If you’ve seen those painfully funny videos where a director tries to audition a photorealistic AI actor and the performance goes completely off the rails… that’s Sergio. Using real prompts (often displayed right on screen), Sergio puts today’s AI video and generative AI tools through their paces — revealing the uncanny, awkward, and sometimes hilariously broken reality of AI acting. On this episode of Tom and D, we talk with Sergio about the rise of AI in film and media, why these videos exploded online, what AI still can’t do (at least not yet), and whether human actors should be laughing… or quietly updating their résumés. He’s hilarious. He’s brilliant. And yes — we got the guy.

From Avatar to Diving Into Dreams: Szilvia Gogh on Going Deeper and Finally Having Enough

In this episode of Tom and D, [https://rss.com/podcasts/tom-d/] we sit down with Szilvia Gogh, one of Hollywood’s top underwater stunt divers whose work spans major films like Avatar and dozens more across the globe. From growing up in communist Hungary to becoming the youngest female PADI Course Director and a key figure in underwater stunt coordination, Szilvia’s story is as fearless as it is inspiring. We talk about her new book, Diving Into Dreams [https://www.amazon.com/Diving-into-Dreams-Navigating-Discover/dp/B0FRS7ZQPG], the raw hunger for freedom that pushed her across oceans and industries, built a hollywood career, and how cancer, mindfulness, and entrepreneurship forced a total reset realizing the power of "enough". Plus, she shares some wild behind-the-scenes stories from Avatar and life as one of Hollywood’s top underwater stunt divers. It’s a bold, honest conversation about ambition, burnout, reinvention, and what it really means to stop chasing and start living.

Zero-G Photos & Vomit Rockets: Parker Rice Takes Us to Space (and Back)

Today’s guest, Parker Rice, is a photographer and NASA commercial spacesuit tech who taught astronauts how to take killer photos… in actual space. He spills the good, the bad, and the deeply gross—from building gear that works in zero gravity, to shooting jaw-dropping images on the space station, to surviving the legendary zero-G vomit spray. We also get into his wildest wildlife photography stories and why old-school film is making a comeback as the ultimate middle finger to AI fakes, especially for courtrooms and anyone who needs proof that an image is actually real. It’s part science, part art, part chaos. Laugh, gag a little, and space out with Tom and D.