Broken Dreams, Freddy Krueger, and High Cortisol

Episode 82 begins with the innocent topic of dreams andalmost immediately wanders into the weeds—which, at this point, is basically the NICE PULL! mission statement.

Jeff and Chris examine the grim reality of getting together with old high-school friends and realizing the conversation has somehow shifted from reckless teenage adventures to sleep apnea, sciatica, retirement accounts, mysterious tingling, and who among the group is statistically most likely todie first.

From there, they attempt to understand the bizarre garbage our brains manufacture while we sleep, revisit some deeply questionable Freddy Krueger mythology, and wonder why every minor symptom in 2026 apparently means you havehigh cortisol—or, according to the internet, six weeks to live.

There are pharmaceutical commercials. WebMD diagnoses. Cannibalism. Devo.

The possible de-evolution of mankind. And, inexplicably, an actual landline telephone rings during the podcast.

It all culminates in perhaps the most suspenseful cliffhanger in NICE PULL! history:

Will a rotary telephone still work in 2026?

Please do not Google it. We desperately need you to come back for Episode 83.