TBTL Episode #4571: "They Cats, They Birds, They Figure It Out"

Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Luke Burbank & Andrew Walsh

Overview

In this episode, Luke and Andrew dive into a typically TBTLish blend of the mundane and the momentous: playoff baseball anxiety, the quirks of digital advertising, the realities of home maintenance and neighborly relations, and their ongoing existential reflections filtered through humor and self-deprecation. The Mariner’s playoff game looms large over the show, coloring both their mood and conversation, while side journeys into hummingbird maintenance, cats in the neighborhood, and the ever-present challenge of Yelp reviews keep the episode grounded in relatable daily life.

Main Themes & Purpose

• Mariners Playoff Mania: The pair explore their high-strung emotional attachment to the Seattle Mariners' postseason, the psychological toll of fandom, and the rituals and superstitions that come with it.
• Digital Life & Media Annoyances: Frustration with algorithmic advertising and the persistent failure of AI to be truly helpful (or even logical).
• Daily Life Chronicles: Luke and Andrew recount stories about neighborhood cats, hummingbird feeders, problematic bathroom remodels, and neighborly communication about pets and birds.
• Podcasting & Community: Reflections on the podcast business model and gratitude for the TBTL community of donors and listeners.
• Existential Coping Through Sports: Sports fandom is explored as a shield against the bleakness of current events, threading into an ongoing reflection about the purpose and function of sports in their—and their listeners'—lives.

Key Discussion Points

1. Neighborhood & Home Life

• Hummingbird Feeder Dilemmas
  • Luke’s confession about prioritizing hummingbird maintenance over more pressing issues (01:45)
  • Quote: “Yes, podcasting is my profession, but hummingbird maintenance is my real passion.” – Luke (02:10)
• Bathroom Remodeling & Digital Ads
  • Luke’s investigation into new vanities results in Instagram pushing ads for bathroom fixtures across his devices, leading to a discussion on cookies, Wi-Fi data sharing, and how ads “follow” users.
  • Quote: "Is that how cookies work? So it followed me from my laptop to my phone... Oh, it's the wifi." – Luke & Andrew (09:45–10:15)
• Neighborhood Cat Email
  • Andrew shares an email from a neighbor diplomatically encouraging others to collar their outdoor cats with bird-protective accessories (68:16), sparking thoughts about pet owner responsibilities and bird welfare.
  • Quote: “They birds, they cats, they figure it out. Maybe that’s the end of story.” – Andrew (68:21)
  • Discusses increasing empathy for birders as he ages and the non-confrontational, solution-oriented approach of the neighbor.

2. Sports & Media Rituals

• Mariners Game Viewing Madness
  • Luke recounts his elaborate efforts to watch the Mariners and Yankees/Blue Jays games simultaneously – TV on mute, radio broadcast playing via SiriusXM app through a Bluetooth speaker, another game on the laptop (11:52).
  • The duo commiserate about broadcast scheduling favoring larger markets (Yankees/Dodgers) and the indignities west-coast fans endure.
  • Quote: “It just feels like we all have to bow down to those two markets.” – Andrew (14:55)
• Superstition & Fandom Anxiety
  • Unpacking the psychological torture of fandom: jinxing, refusing to express confidence, grim rituals to “protect” outcomes, and the idea that the Mariners (and by extension, Seattle) are “cursed.”
  • Andrew’s guilt for texting confidence, then the Mariners immediately begin to collapse (“I will never text anything with confidence again." – Andrew, 27:36)
• Sports as Escape from Bleak Headlines
  • Framing baseball as an emotional counterweight to unsettling world events:
    • Quote: “It feels like my actual life is on the line when this baseball team is playing.” – Luke (40:50)
    • Andrew clarifies that for him, baseball is a shield to “not think about shit” in the news (42:29).

3. Fan Moments & Media Overexposure

• The ‘61 Home Run Shirt Guy’ Story
  • A Mariners fan catches Cal Raleigh’s 61st home run ball while wearing the perfect commemorative shirt – broadcast coverage is excessive, and fan reactions verge on overhype.
  • Both hosts display mild skepticism/desensitization about such viral fan-celebrity moments (“There’s a point at which something becomes over-covered for me” – Luke, 48:06).
• Celebrity Fan Canon
  • The only “celebrity fan” that matters to Andrew: the viral little girl with cotton candy at a Mariners game (53:03).
    • Quote: “She is... our one true celebrity fan that I can get behind.” – Luke (53:47)

4. Podcast Community & Business

• Sustaining TBTL
  • Reflection on the shifting podcast economy, the importance of listener/donor support, and pride at maintaining a community-centric model (55:15).
    • Quote (on donors): “Thank you all. We absolutely could not do this without you.” – Luke (65:28)
• How Deep Friendships Shape Their Worldview
  • Extensive digression about Ohio regional trivia, Cleveland lore, and the social awkwardness of explaining deep knowledge of someone else’s hometown.

5. Petty Grievances & Passive-Aggressive Triumphs

• Yelp Review Obsession
  • Luke recounts his “origin story” as The Yelper after a frustrating HVAC repair experience.
    • Quote: “This is how I become The Yelper, which is the new bad guy from the MCU. He’s a guy who wrote a Yelp review that the people he wrote it about, they don’t care about it.” – Luke (79:53)
• Andrew wisely counsels against emailing the negative review directly for fear of losing his “cool flex” (81:57).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Start of Episode Mock Skit: (00:00–01:24)
  Humorous role-play that launches straight into the core TBTL tone.
• Host Introduction:
  “Podcasting is my profession, but hummingbird maintenance is my real passion.” – Luke (01:45)
• Internet Advertising Woes:
  “Is that how cookies work? So it followed me from my laptop to my phone…” – Luke (10:13)
• Mariners’ Playoff Stress:
  “I will never text anything with confidence again regarding [the Mariners].” – Andrew (27:36) “It feels like my actual life is on the line when this baseball team is playing.” – Luke (40:50)
• Neighborhood Cat Discussion:
  “They birds, they cats, they figure it out. Maybe that’s the end of story.” – Andrew (68:21)
• Yelp Review Villainy:
  “This is how I become The Yelper, which is the new bad guy from the MCU.” – Luke (79:53)

Memorable Segments

• 13:30: Frustration over Major League Baseball scheduling and market prioritization.
• 23:58: Extended discussion of baseball rituals, emotional coping, and the moment of near-collapse in the Mariners game.
• 40:50: Luke explains the existential weight placed on the Mariners and how sports become a proxy for hope as “the world gets darker.”
• 53:03: The canonical Mariners fan – the cotton candy-eating little girl – is celebrated.
• 68:16: Neighborhood email about bird-saving cat collars leads to discussion of suburban pet politics and empathy for birds.
• 79:53: Luke’s villain origin story as “The Yelper.”

Tone & Style

The episode is quintessential TBTL: discursive, self-aware, gently neurotic, funny and filled with both pop culture references and confessional windows into the hosts’ daily lives. The banter is light, affectionate, and often domed with a layer of comic fatalism.

For New and Longtime Listeners

• If Sports Is Not Your Thing: The Mariners chat serves as a window into anxiety, superstition, joy, and suffering—themes that apply broadly to the TBTL worldview.
• For Pet Owners & Birders: Enjoy nuanced discussion on outdoor cat etiquette and bird advocacy.
• Fans of Domestic Dramedy: Follow along with hummingbird feeders, bathroom renovations, neighborly diplomacy, and passive-aggressive Yelp reviews.
• Media & Internet Skeptics: Commiserate over the failings of targeted advertising, algorithmic logic, and the ever-present intrusion of notifications.

Episode Title Inspiration

“They birds, they cats, they figure it out”
—Andrew Walsh, 68:21 (This encapsulates the blend of humor, laid-back wisdom, and everyday observation that defines TBTL)

Key Timestamps for Reference

• 01:45—Luke’s professional passion for hummingbird feeding
• 10:15—Discussion on Wi-Fi, cookies, and targeted ads
• 13:30—Media scheduling, sports market complaints
• 27:36—Andrew’s superstition and confidence-jinx anxiety
• 40:50—Sports as emotional shield against bleak news
• 53:03—The definitive Mariners cotton candy fan
• 68:16—Neighborhood cat email, bird protection strategies
• 79:53—“The Yelper” origin story

Power Out!