If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes

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By: If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes

Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a podcast about navigating the cruelty chaos, and wonder of our terrifying world. Niki, John, LB— and our producer Jordo— try to find meaning and clarity one or twelve subjects at a time: from the menu at Cheesecake Factory to a human man dressed up as Snoopy tucking you into bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Save Money on Hot
Save Money on Hot episode artwork
#201
Last Monday at 7:00 AM

merritt bravely weathers her debilitating illness to help John and Niki handle a slew of new problems facing everyday people, including what we're thickening, the Caligulan excess of artificial temperature differences, the Canadian Football League, and much more, including the return of Niki's Picks and Scam Text Theater.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music...


We Let You Say It
We Let You Say It episode artwork
#200
09/21/2026

Wow, 200 episodes. It seems like only yesterday that I found John, Niki, merritt and LB in that puddle of green ooze in the sewers underneath New York City, and now look at them. A rough a tumble team of crime fighters, each with their own unique skills and abilities, working together to protect everyday people from the nefarious Foot Clan and its ruthless leader, Shredder. Also featuring the return of Niki's Picks!


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality...


Almond Brothers
Almond Brothers episode artwork
#199
09/14/2026

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Because John, merritt and Niki definitely are!!!!! It's time for the new season to start and that means YOU get a one-way trip to the end zone for a podcast jam-cracked full of insights, predictions and postulations about that dang ol' pigskin. FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with...


Richard "Dick" Pants
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#198
09/07/2026

merritt, John and Niki discuss Tom, Jerry, and the importance of family. Also I think Mike Meyers is in there somewhere.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ifyouredriving.bsky.social


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Bikini Couch and the Upside-down Car
Bikini Couch and the Upside-down Car episode artwork
#197
08/31/2026

Okay yes, we can't act like it doesn't happen: Niki, merritt and John talk about Grand Theft Auto 6 on this episode. But it's not the only thing they talk about! Please!! You have to understand!!


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


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Guest House of Mouse
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#196
08/24/2026

But really, how much can Frasier Crane Dot Com possibly cost?


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ifyouredriving.bsky.social


Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ifyouredriving

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The Full Nightbane
The Full Nightbane episode artwork
#195
08/17/2026

Folks, it's a full Nightbane episode. That's right, if you for some reason aren't aware or haven't listened to the bonuses, Merritt frequently has Niki and John playing legally-distinct-from-Clive-Barker's-Nightbreed tabletop role-playing game Nightbane in bonus episodes.


This full episode is just a long version of that, complete with character creation and a short campaign. Do you like how Niki and John played? Do you like Lizard Caplan and Jenna?


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality...


The Great White Off 2026
The Great White Off 2026 episode artwork
#194
08/10/2026

Could this be the final White Off ever??? Is this the longest Gimmick Month in If You're Driving history?????? To answer these questions and many more, please listen to the episode.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app...


Driving Week
Driving Week episode artwork
#193
08/03/2026

Gimmick Month continues with all the car-related fun you can pack into one hour. Come travel the highways and byways with us.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ifyouredriving.bsky.social


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Normal Week
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#192
07/27/2026

Gimmick Month continues with Normal Week, the most regular week of the show to date. It's very "business as usual" hours in here this episode, so don't be surprised if things are exactly how you expect them to be. It's normal!


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.<...


Smooth Week
Smooth Week episode artwork
#191
07/20/2026

Gimmick Month continues with the return of Smooth Week, back after a long absence for reasons we're just not gonna get into! How will Smooth by Santana (feat. Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20) match up against Smooth by Santana (feat. Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20) in this year's head-to-head battle? And did you remember to do your homework?


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John...


Teen Week
Teen Week episode artwork
#190
07/13/2026

Gimmick Month continues with Teen Week, where Niki, John and merritt not only embody the teens of today, but also try and reformat the show to be more appealing to the dozens of teens out there listening to podcasts. Is GTA overrated? Are you on Glimber? Where are all of our dads?


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by...


Week Week
Week Week episode artwork
#189
07/06/2026

It's once again time for Gimmick Month, the five-week experience where this show has some sort of coherent theme or premise, totally unlike how it normally is! This week's theme: What's the best week of the year?


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


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Who Domed Buzz Lightyear?
Who Domed Buzz Lightyear? episode artwork
#188
06/29/2026

Fresh from a theater with a very peculiar bathroom, merritt, John and Niki discuss the latest entry in the Toy Story franchise, how "toy" is determined and who decides what gets sentience, kid brain osmosis, Toy of the Year in 2001, Bionicles, Z-Bots, and somehow, additional things that aren't toys.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with...


Horse of the Year
Horse of the Year episode artwork
#187
06/22/2026

merritt, John and Niki investigate what little remains of the world of soap operas, before moving on to the roller coaters of Dubai, "British Linus," knife training videos, Brazil Dot Com, and somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


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Ep. 187 Bonus: Drunken Wolverine Ninja Kung-Fu: The Home Game
Ep. 187 Bonus: Drunken Wolverine Ninja Kung-Fu: The Home Game episode artwork
#187
06/22/2026

Hey!!! We decided to make this week's Patreon-exclusive bonus episode available to everyone, just to give y'all a little taste of what you're missing out on. If you liked this, there's tons more bonus content already waiting for you at https://www.patreon.com/ifyouredriving! Okay bye!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Aaahh!!! Real Judo
Aaahh!!! Real Judo episode artwork
#186
06/15/2026

With Jordan back on the sticks, Niki, merritt and John attempt to tackle their biggest responsibility of the year: Planning for Gimmick Month.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ifyouredriving.bsky.social


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Til Death Do You Straight
Til Death Do You Straight episode artwork
#185
06/08/2026

Drivey note: this week's episode has been untouched by the loving hands of producer Jordan Mallory. John is much worse at Jordan's job than Jordan is, so please forgive this week for any audio issues or snafus.


This week, John bravely asks the question "what if we gave just a few minutes to acknowledge the straights" to Merritt and Niki on this, the first day of Pride (at least when we recorded it). Explore straight history and culture with us, including the idea that fearing planes, like John Madden, makes you a little gay.


<...


Hails or Teads
Hails or Teads episode artwork
#184
06/01/2026

This week merritt, John and Niki do an extended Star Wars goof (I don't think any of these spoilers are real, but who can say, really? I sure as shit didn't watch that movie), before moving on to greener, less celestial pastures, including any date between 2000 and 2010, a specific guy running for governor of California, and somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt...


ABC vs NBC: Mark of the Millennium 2001
ABC vs NBC: Mark of the Millennium 2001 episode artwork
#183
05/25/2026

This week Niki, John and merritt discuss their shower habits, the contents of the Nickelodeon time capsule, skinned Grogu, the premise of 1997 ABC television series Teen Angel, the ending of Full House, and gang? Somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


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The Scions of the Tool Man
The Scions of the Tool Man episode artwork
#182
05/18/2026

Niki is out this week, but merritt and John still find plenty to talk about in the meantime. Well, by "plenty" I mean mostly Tim Allen, but there's some other stuff in there too! Netbooks, Destiny 2 nightmares, child actors and their fates, reverse engineering the plot of Pixels -- there's more going on here than just Tim Allen. I'll be honest though, lotta Tim Allen in this one.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous...


Pastor Princess
Pastor Princess episode artwork
#181
05/11/2026

John, Niki and merritt assess the 2026 Met Gala in real time, providing up-to-the-minute details and analysis of all the freaks in their weird getups, in addition to discussing related topics such as future Met Gala theme ideas, the surgery that makes you Korean, what constitutes a helmet, Eli Lilly's iron grasp on your grandma, defunct social media networks, and gang? Somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted...


Reconstruction Indicator
Reconstruction Indicator episode artwork
#180
05/04/2026

merritt, Niki and John talk about Ted Lasso for a really, really long time, after which they discuss shoes, the legend of Achilles, the Will Smith vehicle Hancock, and now that the gang is back together, somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


<...


All Women Are Related
All Women Are Related episode artwork
#179
04/27/2026

Niki and John wrap up their doubles set by discussing what happens to your soul if/when you die in space, seeing dangerous animals in the wild, hunting Big the Cat, Niki's legally relevant total lack of opinions on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the Glossary of terms in our Discord server, movie remakes they haven't done yet, and if you can believe it, somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics...


Hiding Under Desks Was Better Than This
Hiding Under Desks Was Better Than This episode artwork
#178
04/20/2026

merritt's back in space for some reason, I dunno I've lost track, but John and Niki are still here holding down the fort and talking about important issues that affect our lives daily, including the Pope, phone calls from Burger King, the sad tale of albert the alligator, the new fockers movie, and somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John...


1-900-SMUT-BUSTERS
1-900-SMUT-BUSTERS episode artwork
#177
04/13/2026

John, Niki and merritt pause their Smut-Busting activities to refocus on more pressing matters, which include (but are not limited to) Shrek 5, the new "patched' Whopper® from Burger King (Home of the Whopper®), leaving important voicemails for important people, the burgers they got on the space station, HEB(!!!!), dating Shaboozey and, somehow, even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and pr...


John's Razors
John's Razors episode artwork
#176
04/06/2026

merritt reunites with John and Niki via satellite for an update on the status of the Artemis II mission (which everyone on the show was definitely aware of), a brief discussion about various use cases for pneumatic tubes in the household, the plot to kill the baseball child, merritt's first royalty check from Marvel Comics, and somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt...


The Wilt Chamberlain of Elevators
The Wilt Chamberlain of Elevators episode artwork
#175
03/30/2026

Apparently it's Elevator Week, so John, Michael and Niki discuss a number of topics relevant to the theme, including what everyone's favorite elevator is, whether you press the open/close door buttons, the Guardians of the Galaxy redesign of the Tower of Terror, elevators with various interior finishes, and somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by...


Fix Your Back or Die
Fix Your Back or Die episode artwork
#174
03/23/2026

Friend of the Show™ Michael Higham joins Niki and John for an episode of our audio television program wherein the gang discusses Niki falling down the stairs, various types of dog food, getting a burger after that big win, "fuck-ass food," the stagnation of western cultural development since the proliferation of the Internet, and yeah, somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k an...


Spoonworthy
Spoonworthy episode artwork
#173
03/16/2026

With merritt once again visiting the International Space Station, John and Niki hold down the fort by investigating Taco Bell's desperate new menu items, the contents of Niki's mail, what Enron was or did, the difference between then and now (money ver.), Niki's new health insurance, and folks? Somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan...


Michael Tiddes
Michael Tiddes episode artwork
#172
03/09/2026

Thanks to the very real and substantial threat of legal action following our last episode, the gang resolves to never* do a variety of celebrity voice impressions again. Instead, merritt, Niki and John spend half the episode talking about the Scary Movie franchise, and then spend the second half of the episode trying and failing to move on to other topics.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki...


The Andrew Dice Clay Episode
The Andrew Dice Clay Episode episode artwork
#171
03/02/2026

Look, I'm not happy about it either, but there was nothing I could do. It doesn't last the whole episode, so please, just be strong. You can be strong, I know it. I've seen you do it. I believe in you, okay? We're all gonna get through the intro to this episode together.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced...


On This Week’s 'The Pitt'
On This Week’s 'The Pitt' episode artwork
#170
02/23/2026

Thanks to his extensive Hollywood connections, John lands the gang a gig writing, directing and starring in a new episode of The Pitt. Let the brainstorming begin!


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art by Max Schwartz.


Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ifyouredriving.bsky.social<...


The Duggler
The Duggler episode artwork
#169
02/16/2026

I'm not sure how I feel about it, and honestly it's a little frightening, but somehow John, merritt and Niki spent an entire episode discussing a single topic. I can't remember the last time this happened, and truth be told I'm entirely positive that it's ever happened, but there's a first time for everything I guess. There is one brief but noteworthy diversion about Home Depot, but otherwise I hope you brought your knee pads.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling...


The Janitor at Munger Hall
The Janitor at Munger Hall episode artwork
#168
02/09/2026

John, merritt and Niki have finally reunited, and the gang wastes no time getting down to business. What sorts of hammers are there? Do you know what a Munger Hall is? When was the last time that you, a six year old, went out for a fine meal? Do you get to watch it when they ... you know?? Plus a mega-sized installment of Scam Text Theater and, despite our best efforts, somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations...


The Spider That Lives in My PlayStation
The Spider That Lives in My PlayStation episode artwork
#167
02/02/2026

Now it's merritt's turn aboard the International Space Station, so Niki and John are once again tasked with carrying the entire podcast on their shoulders. Both deserve credit for not making any 67 jokes on this, our 167th episode, but probably not too much because I think they just forgot. Regardless, you will learn a lot about the slime layer, childhood debt, Good Morning America demographics, and beyond a reasonable doubt, somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of...


Why Aren’t I the Limbo Queen?
Why Aren’t I the Limbo Queen? episode artwork
#166
01/26/2026

With Niki aboard the International Space Station for health reasons, merritt and John hold down the fort by discussing their plan for handling legal retaliation from Mickey Rourke, the current state of the MMCU (Malcom in the Middle Cinematic Universe), bringing Jimmy Stewart "back," animated fates worse than death, the 2008 film Jumper, and against the recommendations of our attorney, somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by...


Erogenous Jones
Erogenous Jones episode artwork
#165
01/19/2026

John, Niki and merritt recap the hustle and bustle of their whirlwind attendance at the Golden Globes, before moving on to today's docket of pressing issues, which include the changes we would make to the Star Wars franchise, how the world has/hasn't improved since 2018, Guardian Caps, changes we would make to the rules of American Football, Bowling for Soup, and despite the advice of our doctors, somehow even more.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or...


Betty Boop Ideas
Betty Boop Ideas episode artwork
#164
01/12/2026

merritt, Niki and John ring in the New Year (in their timeline anyway, ours is accelerated) by going over new additions to the Public Domain, ideas about how to exploit the new opportunities provided by those additions, and then they just talk about cigarettes.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt k and John Warren, and produced by Jordan Mallory, with music by Jordan and art...


Mouth Heaven
Mouth Heaven episode artwork
#163
01/05/2026

Okay so, full disclosure, I'm sick and didn't listen through this episode before scheduling it, so I have no idea what's in this one. We'll get to find out together! Isn't that romantic? Sit on the other end of the couch though, I'm really, really contagious and you don't want to be in the splash zone for this one.


Welcome to If You're Driving, Close Your Eyes, a listener-supported comedy podcast where three noble explorers chip away at the crumbling foundations of reality, five or six simultaneous topics at a time. Hosted by Niki Grayson, merritt...