Hey Phileas, I'm really confused right now

Hey Phileas, I'm really confused right now

Author: NotPatrick January 16, 2026 Duration: 49:23

Hey Phileas, Patrick is a bunch confused despite feeling swell, Bart tells us about how he is keeping sane and Michael tells us about the new Japanese Prime Minister.


If you're interested in becoming an AWESOME contributor please fill out this form: ➡️➡️ https://forms.gle/KJdRRqh4ngERAu7G7 ⬅️⬅️


If you just want to send in a one off letter in to Phileas please feel free to send in your contributions to Phileas@frenchspin.com


--

Patrick


I'm on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/notpatrick.com

Come chat on Discord: https://notpatrick.com/discord/


The Phileas Club 202 - Hey Phileas, I'm really confused right now


Contributors:

Patrick does podcasts for a living and hails from France (and often Finland) with his wonderful wife and two kids.


Bart is a cybersecurity specialist and podcaster originally from Flanders in Belgium but living in Ireland since the age of four. Bart podcasts about cybersecurity, programming, the art and craft of photography, and all things Apple. Bart now lives west of Dublin at boundary between urban and rural Ireland with his husband of twelve years.


Michael Westbay is a software developer living in Yokohama, Japan. He's lived in Japan for a total of 38 years, where he and his wife, Margarita, raised two wonderful children. Besides programming, Michael really enjoys Japanese baseball. He started writing about Japanese baseball on the Internet in 1995 and continues to manage a sports database for not only Japanese baseball, but also Korean and Taiwanese professional leagues. He helped people visiting Japan get tickets for 9 years (after which the Yomiuri Giants, who originally suggested that he get tickets through their Fan Club for early access, decided to shut the business down). He still helps people get tickets on their own via a shared Google Sheet.


And finally the producery Bruce Woodward produces the show!


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


Every week, The Phileas Club gathers a panel of guests from different corners of the globe to tear apart the headlines. This isn't a dry recitation of events; it's a living room conversation that spans continents. You'll hear firsthand accounts of what's actually dominating the discourse in their home countries-from serious political shifts and cultural debates to the bizarre local story that's captured everyone's attention. Hosted by NotPatrick, the discussions are as unpredictable as the news itself, often weaving between insightful analysis and lighthearted, silly tangents. The result is a unique lens on current affairs, where international perspectives collide, sometimes with heat, always with a human touch. By focusing on the people behind the news, this podcast transforms global understanding from a concept into a series of compelling, relatable dialogues. It’s for anyone who finds traditional news coverage too distant and wants to feel the texture of what's happening elsewhere, served through genuine conversation and occasional friendly chaos. Tune in to hear the world argue, explain, and laugh its way through another week.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Phileas Club
Podcast Episodes
Hey Phileas, did you know France is a mess too? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:34
Hey Phileas, Patrick talks to us about a very interesting event, Michael talks about baseball in Japan with some life lessons learned, and Alec talks about being an ex-pat, what it means, and how he feels about it.If you…
Hey Phileas, how do I stay sane? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:55
Hey Phileas, Patrick talks about American lives among other things, Tom talks about his news regime to stay sane and Matthias talks about conscription in Germany and its history.If you're interested in becoming an AWESOM…
Hey Phileas, what does "integrated" mean? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:44
Hey Phileas, Patrick talks about the fall of the 1,200th French government in 18 months, Baptiste, talks about being integrated in Switzerland and Gunnar talks about nature reserves and school shootings...If you're inter…
Hey Phileas, it's international plumbing day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:35
Hey Phileas, today we've had a holiday and we are exhausted.If you're interested in becoming an AWESOME contributor please fill out this form: ➡️➡️ https://forms.gle/KJdRRqh4ngERAu7G7 ⬅️⬅️--PatrickI'm on BlueSky: https:/…
Hey Phileas, Let's talk about Gaza [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:00
Hey Phileas, today we talk about Gaza and about the fall out of American tariffs and the idea of a very Canadian fifty first state.If you're interested in becoming an AWESOME contributor please fill out this form: ➡️➡️ h…
Hey Phileas, we don't want to talk politics today [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:11
Hey Phileas, today I don't want to talk about politics anymore, and want to talk about how useful debating really is and how important it is to have community. Alec introduces himself and how ideas can change and how imp…
Hey Phileas, Matthias Gets Real [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:22
Hey Phileas, today I am on vacation in Finland, and talk about how tired we all are these days and how we all view taxes differently. Matthias talks about the recent German elections and how some political strategies mig…
Hey Phileas, It's a French Consensus! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:10
Hey Phileas, today I talk about how mean kids books can be here, how hot it is right now and how Bruce is always right, and we hear from Baptiste who talks about consensus politics in Switzerland.If you're interested in…
Hey Phileas, Bruce gets preachy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:47
Hey Phileas, today I have an issue with social media and how it is impacting our kids and wants to know what your "thing" is, and we hear from Bruce of The Brexit Saga and Parenthood Trials fame who has a little monologu…
Hey Phileas, Gunnar is back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:35
Hey Phileas, today we hear from Gunnar from back in the day with a thoughtful letter, and I go on about a couple more things I noticed in France and how awesome our healthcare system is (even though most French people do…