Between The States

The Dark Triad Explained Badly

This week on Between the States, Dan, Jared, and Noel dive into the Dark Triad: narcissism, sociopathy, and Machiavellian behavior. What starts as a conversation about personality types quickly turns into a chaotic breakdown of grocery cart abandoners, loud movie talkers, manipulative salesmen, billboard lawyers, and whether society rewards confidence more than competence. The guys also wander into Mother’s Day stories, pergolas versus pavilions, pellet smokers, Trump phones, license plate mysteries, and the birth of their own personality system: jackasses, pricks, social engineers, and the surprisingly wholesome “Humboff.” If you have ever wondered whether your boss, your ex, your favorite influencer, or the person who leaves trash in a McDonald’s drive-thru belongs somewhere on the Dark Triad, this episode may not give you a professional diagnosis, but it will definitely make you laugh. Topics include: Dark Triad personality traits, narcissists, sociopaths, Machiavellian behavior, social media narcissism, toxic confidence, bad personality types, funny psychology, comedy podcast, and chaotic friend-group conversations. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462217/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates] Episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetweenTheStates Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Between-The-States/61574045351917/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenthestatespod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betweenthestates BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/betweenthestates.bsky.social Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetweenTheStates/ Comments, questions, or suggestions can be sent to: Podcast@BetweenTheStates.com Best way to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates

Silly String, Blasphemy, and Other Weird Laws

This week on Between the States, the guys dive into some of the strangest laws still on the books in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Connecticut, and the bizarre history behind them. From anti-silly-string ordinances and arcade machine limits to adultery laws, blasphemy statutes, drunk cable car rules, and regulations on margarine pretending to be butter, the conversation spirals into the weirdest corners of American law and local government. Along the way, the crew also talks about: • Allergy medicine disasters and accidental Sudafed overdoses • Electric lawnmowers and the death of extension-cord mowing • Rabbits with military-grade camouflage • Squirrels relocating babies across the neighborhood • Yard work, poison ivy, and New England rocks • HOA conspiracy theories and white Christmas light rules • Log Cabin Republicans and AI hallucinations • Costco maple syrup debates • What “Jared Day,” “Dan Day,” and “Noel’s Law” would look like It’s a mix of comedy, weird history, absurd hypotheticals, and the kind of conversations that somehow go from cable cars to stoning punishments in under five minutes. If you enjoy strange laws, ridiculous state regulations, off-the-rails comedy podcasts, and three friends arguing about nonsense, this episode is for you. Follow Between the States on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram for clips and daily shorts. Support the show at Patreon.com/BetweenTheStates and send topic ideas to Podcast@BetweenTheStates.com [Podcast@BetweenTheStates.com]. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462217/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates] Episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetweenTheStates Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Between-The-States/61574045351917/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenthestatespod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betweenthestates BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/betweenthestates.bsky.social Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetweenTheStates/ Comments, questions, or suggestions can be sent to: Podcast@BetweenTheStates.com Best way to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates

Retail Secrets and Mild Crimes

This week on Between the States, the guys dive into the world of retail, what’s really going on behind the shelves, the counter, and the “sales” you think you’re getting. From working in hardware stores, fast food, electronics, and grocery delis, they break down the real tactics retailers use to influence how you shop… and how much you spend. They get into: *  Retail “secrets” like product placement, store layouts, and engineered shopping behavior  *  Why stores destroy unsold products instead of giving them away  *  The truth about “manager specials,” pre-cut foods, and expiration dates  *  How upselling, warranties, and fake discounts actually work  *  What employees really think about customers (early birds, late shoppers, and know-it-alls)  Plus, they share firsthand stories from panic cleaning before guests show up, to giving away food at closing, to watching perfectly good inventory get thrown straight in the trash. If you’ve ever wondered why milk is always in the back of the store, why clearance items feel suspicious, or why everything somehow costs more than it should… this episode connects the dots. It’s retail from the inside, unfiltered, a little chaotic, and probably going to change how you shop. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462217/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates] Episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetweenTheStates Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Between-The-States/61574045351917/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenthestatespod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betweenthestates BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/betweenthestates.bsky.social Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetweenTheStates/ Comments, questions, or suggestions can be sent to: Podcast@BetweenTheStates.com Best way to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates

Who's the idiom now?

What do phrases like “spill the beans,” “three sheets to the wind,” and “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” actually mean, and where did they come from? This week on Between the States, Dan, Noel, and Jared dive deep into the strange, hilarious, and sometimes confusing world of idioms. From their surprising origins in nautical terms, horse culture, and everyday life, to the rapid evolution of modern slang like “touch grass,” “no cap,” and “main character energy,” the guys break down how language evolves across generations. Along the way, expect: *  The real meanings behind common idioms you probably use wrong  *  Wild origin stories (including sailing, military, and food-related phrases)  *  A breakdown of how Gen Z slang compares to classic idioms  *  Personal stories, workplace chaos, and travel mishaps  *  A chaotic attempt to invent brand-new idioms live on the show  Is modern slang just the next evolution of idioms? Or are we losing something as language moves online? If you’ve ever wondered why we say the things we say, or just want a funny, unfiltered conversation about language, culture, and everyday nonsense, this episode delivers. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462217/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates] Episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetweenTheStates Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Between-The-States/61574045351917/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenthestatespod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betweenthestates BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/betweenthestates.bsky.social Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetweenTheStates/ Comments, questions, or suggestions can be sent to: Podcast@BetweenTheStates.com Best way to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates

The Alien Problem Nobody Can Solve

This week on Between the States, the guys take on one of the biggest questions out there: Where are all the aliens? From the Fermi Paradox to the Dark Forest Theory, the conversation dives into why, if the universe is so massive, we haven’t seen any clear evidence of extraterrestrial life. Is intelligent life just incredibly rare?  Are advanced civilizations hiding on purpose?  Or are we early… or completely alone? The episode spirals (in the best way) through: *  The most popular explanations for the Fermi Paradox *  Why aliens might be avoiding us entirely  *  The idea that civilizations destroy themselves before making contact  *  Whether alien technology could be completely unrecognizable to us  *  The possibility that we’re living in a simulation designed to look empty  Along the way, the guys mix real science with wild theories, questionable logic, and the kind of debates that somehow go from astrophysics to complete nonsense in about 30 seconds. If you’ve ever wondered why we haven’t found aliens, or if they’ve already found us, this one’s for you. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462217/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates] Episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetweenTheStates Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Between-The-States/61574045351917/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenthestatespod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betweenthestates BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/betweenthestates.bsky.social Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetweenTheStates/ Comments, questions, or suggestions can be sent to: Podcast@BetweenTheStates.com Best way to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BetweentheStates