891 - Bring The Vinegar

A Mediocre Time with Tom and Dan — Episode Notes Episode: "Bring the Vinegar" Hosts: Tom and Dan | Guest: Savannah (Gatorland) Sponsors / Ad Reads Jeff's Bagel Run — Pumpkin season promo: pumpkin bagels daily, pumpkin spice cream cheese (now with a vegan version), pumpkin spice lattes and cold foam cold brew, and maple brown sugar cream cheese. Mentions their free rewards app (a free bagel just for signing up) at JeffsBagelRun.com. Tom and Dan 2027 "Seaz Nuts" Cruise — Booking now for September 23–26, sailing from Port Canaveral on the MSC Seashore with stops in Nassau and Ocean Cay. Interior staterooms from $1,200 for two guests, including free Wi-Fi, in-room breakfast, and unlimited premium drinks; features a live broadcast and the Mediocre Idol karaoke competition. Deposit info at tomanddancruise2027.com; later in the show they note roughly 150 people have already signed up. Injured On The Go / Just Call Moe (justcallmoe.com) — Attorney Moe Dewitt sponsors the show; pitched twice as a personal recommendation from Dan. Promotes his free VIP program (event invites), the Moe Grand Prix in Tampa, an interactive "What Do You Want From Us" comedy show with Ross coming in October, and the annual Moe Celebrity Bowlarama. Core Flooring Center (coreflooringfl.com) — Owner Corey's Central Florida showroom (walkable flooring samples). Listeners get 10% off flooring and labor starting at $1/sq ft, 0% financing for 24 months, and dustless flooring removal; a portion of sales supports local pet charities. Segment Rundown Show open and download-count banter — Tom and Dan kick off the Friday free show joking about being too comfortable on air and touting the show's roughly 20 million total downloads over nearly 30 years. Savannah's dramatic entrance — The hosts joke about a professionally produced "Crocodile Dundee"-style intro bit for Savannah, then she bursts in late, having just come from getting a traffic ticket. Expired-tag traffic stop story — Savannah recounts being pulled over driving from Gatorland for an expired vehicle registration, getting warned a repeat stop could mean jail, and paying a $114 ticket. The group riffs on DMV renewal hassles, automated license-plate-reading cameras, and Dan's own past run-in with an expired driver's license (including his wife Crystal once telling a cop she was driving because his license was suspended). Australia trip recap: Northern Territory and viral songs — Savannah describes her month-long stay near Darwin with her friend Catherine's teenage kids, then plays two viral local songs ("Pink Blush" and a track by Young Miami), sparking a debate about fast-fashion brands like Shein versus the designer-brand references in older rap. Remembering Dolly Parton — The group discusses Dolly Parton's recent death, with Savannah recalling the outpouring of sympathy she got from Australians while traveling, a bit about post office flags at half-staff, and a running joke about Dan dressing as Dolly for Halloween. Filming crocodile feedings — Savannah describes filming pig-meat crocodile feedings for content and a near-miss when a crocodile bumped her GoPro rig underwater. The crocodile-poop diamond ring — Savannah tells the story of pulling a tarnished diamond ring out of crocodile droppings while cleaning park drains, brings it into the studio, and the group speculates on how it got there (a lost tourist's ring, a ring embedded in pig meat, or something a "nuisance" crocodile swallowed years earlier) and whether she'd return it if she ever traced it to a victim's family. Wombat and wallaby encounters — Savannah describes her daily play sessions (and occasional bites) with a wombat named Rocket and a standoffish wallaroo named King George at the park. Tease for jet lag / NFL Australia segment — Brief tease before the break about discussing jet lag and the NFL game being played in Australia the following week. AI-assisted ring analysis — Back from break, Dan reveals he ran a description of the ring through Claude, which suggested a sterling-silver band with an oval clear stone in a style common from the 1920s–1960s and recommended a jeweler test for a maker's mark; the hosts jokingly dangle a free cruise spot for whoever can positively identify the ring. The mystery poop bag / Seth Petruzzelli reveal — Callback to a bit about a dog-poop bag left outside the studio all week; caller Brandon had correctly guessed it belonged to former guest Seth Petruzzelli, confirmed via a group text from Seth (on a cruise). Brandon is rewarded with a Tom & Dan merchandise prize pack. Jet lag mechanics and NFL Australia games — Savannah explains why the trip home from Australia hits harder than the trip there, recounting driving on the wrong side of the road and getting lost the morning after landing. This leads into discussion of the 49ers vs. Rams Week 1 game in Australia and whose travel plan (acclimating a week early vs. arriving 24 hours out) will backfire. Wheel of Fortune announcer scandal — The hosts discuss announcer Jim Thornton's firing after being seen on a flight accessing an online support community for people with pedophilic thoughts, debating intent and why the network cut ties regardless. Plane screen-privacy and targeted-ad tangent — A bit about people snooping on neighbors' phone/laptop screens on flights, Dan's admission to browsing a friend-of-the-show burlesque performer's photos mid-flight, and a riff on social media ads seeming to "listen in" on conversations. Otter attack news story — A news item about a woman injured by an otter while open-water swimming leads to a tangent celebrating unstoppable elderly athletes (swimmers, runners, pickleball players). "Last Stop Laramie" documentary recommendation — Savannah recommends an HBO Max true-crime documentary about an unsolved murder in a tiny Northern Territory town, calling it "homework" for listeners; also mentions the 20th anniversary of Steve Irwin's death and shares Australian "strawberry cloud" candy with the hosts. Burning Man riff ("bring the vinegar") — An extended bit about Burning Man culture: having to rinse off alkaline playa dust with vinegar (the episode's namesake joke), gripes about big festival crowds and sound quality, trash left behind at the event, and a running gag about starting a mini parody version called "Burning Dan." Shoes and celebrity memorabilia tangent — A bit about favorite oversized New Balance "Willie Nelson" sneakers (with a mention of Willie Nelson's own shoes on display in Nashville), followed by talk of friends' celebrity memorabilia — a Dolly Parton outfit, Betty White's door, a talking Satchmo doll, and an animatronic singing Alan Jackson Santa. Social media algorithm suppression and Instagram "breakup" — Savannah explains how Instagram throttles her reach unless she posts risky "running from crocodiles" content, even losing followers off a 1.5-million-view viral video, and describes going on a content blackout and writing the platform a "Dear John" video letter. The group connects this to algorithms rewarding negativity and the growing uncertainty over AI-generated content online. Voicemail: TikTok algorithm burnout — A listener voicemail says the TikTok algorithm has gotten worse and they've switched to rewatching old shows (Vice Principals, The Righteous Gemstones); the hosts riff on preferring classic sitcoms (The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Good Times, Golden Girls) over TikTok and note wanting to watch "Monsters of God," a documentary Savannah says she knows people featured in. Show close — Sign-off wishing listeners a safe Labor Day weekend, a reminder the show is off Monday and returns Tuesday with the BDM show, an apology for canceling Thursday's show due to Dan's emergency root canal, and a closing plug for the 2027 "Seaz Nuts" Tom and Dan Cruise, noting strong early sign-ups. Key Dates / Plugs Mentioned Next week: NFL Week 1 game played in Australia (49ers vs. Rams), discussed re: jet lag. Monday: Show is off. Tuesday: Show returns with the BDM edition. October: Just Call Moe's interactive "What Do You Want From Us" comedy show with Ross. September 23–26, 2027: Tom and Dan "Seaz Nuts" Cruise, sailing from Port Canaveral on the MSC Seashore (Nassau and Ocean Cay stops) — deposits open now at tomanddancruise2027.com. Ongoing/unscheduled: Moe Grand Prix (Tampa) and Moe Celebrity Bowlarama, plugged via justcallmoe.com's VIP program. Notable Guests/Callers Savannah — In-studio guest from Gatorland; recounted her month-long Australia trip, the crocodile-poop diamond ring find, and her ongoing standoff with Instagram's algorithm. Brandon — Phone-in caller who correctly guessed that former guest Seth Petruzzelli left the poop bag outside the studio; awarded a Tom & Dan prize pack. Seth Petruzzelli — Referenced (not on air) via a group text confirming he was the "poop bag culprit." Unnamed voicemail caller — Left a voicemail about TikTok algorithm burnout, prompting the closing sitcom-nostalgia discussion. ### Website: https://tomanddan.com/ App: https://tomanddan.com/app Become a BDM: https://tomanddan.com/registration Merch: https://tomanddan.myshopify.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomandDanLive Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tomanddanlive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMediocreTime Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomanddanlive/ X: https://x.com/TomAndDanLive TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tomanddanshow Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/tomanddan ACT RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/61976/rss AMT RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/18904/rss