ANMA - Community Meetup Memories & Hank's Coffee

Episode Date: May 16, 2022

Good morning, Gus. After getting rained out (despite what Gus thinks), the gang is in studio this week with some Hank's Coffee to talk about going to the UK, Community meetup memories, Geoff's draft p...apers, and first jobs in Austin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 What would you do if you had the freedom to be anyone or to go anywhere without limitations? Start your journey and experience for yourself the feeling of total freedom when you game with Alienware. Alienware is your portal to new worlds where limits don't exist and the only rules are the ones you decide to make. Defy boundaries and start gaming now at Alienware.com. Next-gen gaming is built with Intel Core i9 processors. This is a rooster teeth production. I got these glasses because of a TV show that I liked. Have you ever seen Halt and Catch Fire? Are we starting?
Starting point is 00:00:34 There, this is the podcast. Okay, well first off, let me just say, good morning, Gus. And an amma to you, Jeff. I know that's not the name of our podcast officially, but it doesn't, you can't stop me from saying, no, no, no, I can't stop you. You ever watch Halt & Catch Fire? I didn't, but you and Bernie both told me desperately that I needed a lot of.
Starting point is 00:00:55 It's a great show. I think it's only like three-year four seasons. It's not very long at all, it was on AMC. The show initially, it, this sounds like the nerdy show ever, but it's like such a character driven show that it doesn't matter like I'm all the nerdy stuff. The nerdy stuff just windowed dressing. It's all about the people's very character driven show.
Starting point is 00:01:09 And the first season of the show is about the personal computer revolution, but it doesn't focus on Silicon Valley, and companies on the West Coast. It focuses on companies in Dallas and Austin. Really? Yeah, first shot of season one starts in Austin. It starts like at a UT lecture hall,
Starting point is 00:01:26 and then it continues up to Dallas, because if you think about like, there were a lot of computer companies back then in the Texas area. Yeah, of course. If you think about Austin, you think about, back then like Motorola. Texas Instruments.
Starting point is 00:01:37 Right. These companies that were huge at the time, that were all involved in the early computer revolution. Anyway, one of the main characters, the guy character named Joe McMillan, he's played by Lee Pace, he's a phenomenal actor. And I think in the third or fourth season, he gets glasses like these.
Starting point is 00:01:52 And my wife turned to me and was like, unique glasses like that. And she scoured the internet and found the glasses that he wore in the show and bought me those glasses. Now, do you think it's because your wife is super attracted to that dude? And she wanted, she wants to dream bang him while she's sleeping with you. That's, that's good company.
Starting point is 00:02:09 Leap, Leapace is a good looking dude. Oh, yeah, I'm not complaining. I mean, I'd be a no, I'm sure. Anyway, it's a, it's a fantastic show. And I think it, we hear a lot of stories about like the computer revolution, the internet revolution, and a lot of it focuses on California. Yeah. But this show I thought was, was interesting because a lot of the Texas stuff gets forgotten.
Starting point is 00:02:27 And of course it's a fictitious company. And it's like, but it's in the circles of companies that actually did exist and events that actually did transpire it's very dramatized. But like I said, it's very character focused. I think it's a really, really good show. Okay, yeah, you said it's on AMC?
Starting point is 00:02:43 I think it's on Netflix. I think you stream all the season. Okay. I got that. I was really into it. I don't know if it's continuing, but I really like to killing Eve. So I think I had like a AMC plus or something. Well, killing Eve's on BBC America.
Starting point is 00:02:54 Would it play on the AMC app? Yeah. That is a make sense. That makes no sense. They have their own network. They have their own, they have their own, they have their own. I mentioned on the AMC app. No, no, I believe you.
Starting point is 00:03:02 I'm just saying, from their sense and from their perspective, it makes no sense. Well, yeah, but it aired on AMC on the AMC. No, no, I believe you have just saying from their sense and from their perspective it makes no sense Well, yeah, but it aired on AMC on TV in America. Did you know it aired on BBC America? I'm pretty sure they're not I fucking watch killing Eve it airs on BBC America. You like killing you? I love killing you Great shot. I've been talking about killing him from season one That's a great shot and that's why I know it airs on BBC America. That's the only reason I have BBC America in my favorites on my TV. It is it is BBC America. I know it is. There's no question about that. It's definitely airs on BBC America. Just trying to back you up my man. Thank you. It's also on AMC. Like I said, like I said, I don't doubt that it's on AMC streaming, but it airs on TV on BBC America.
Starting point is 00:03:51 Let me ask you this. First run new episodes when the air, it's on BBC America. Let me ask you this. Would you say Bob's burgers runs on FXX because it shows reruns there? I don't know. It's a Fox show. I don't have the AMC America. Let me ask you this.
Starting point is 00:04:03 AMC America. Let me ask you this Let me ask you this America movie channel America I don't have BBC America. We have what gets called the animal. Let me ask you this Can I watch Halton catch fire on BBC America? No, yeah fuck off Like you watch both on AMC an AMC, yeah, you can watch AMC. I don't know if it's on the app, I know it's on Netflix. Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:04:27 That's good coffee. Yeah. Today's coffee is from Hanks down the street from the studio because we got rained out so we're recording in a studio. Which by the way, Hanks is a fantastic place. Yeah, big fan. Yeah, it's really, really close to the studio. We're recording in the studio because we're rained out
Starting point is 00:04:41 even though it's not rainy today. It's raining right now. It's not raining at all. It's drizzly We have to sit on a park bench. It would be cold. It rained yesterday. No, it's raining today It's raining cold and wet because then we would be sitting in a park bench and then you'd be going I'm all wet and then I then also we have a Recording equipment, so that we're not using we are using it. We're using it right now using the mobile equipment Like we're in a podcast recording studio
Starting point is 00:05:05 that has a bank of recording equipment. And we're not using it. We plugged in the mobile thing that we would be using if we were sitting out in a park bench and so it. It's so we can have it so we can have it sound the same so we can have it go through the same microphone. So we use last time. I know it's the same going forward.
Starting point is 00:05:20 No, it's the same going forward. It's so this makes sense. It's so it's the same going forward. I was thinking a couple months ago. Gus and I started this company together 19 years ago, but we don't do any content together. Why is that? And now I remember. God damn. Well, the problem with this podcast, I'll tell you, Jeff, is that.
Starting point is 00:05:35 It hasn't started yet. How's the problem? The name? The problem is that you're getting me caffeinated. And I become feisty. I'm not a little bit more than a little bit more than a little bit. I'll tell you Jeff is that started yet. How's there problem the name the problem is That you get him he caffeinated And I become feisty like you have the premises to drink coffee every time I already had coffee this morning And I'm gonna say coffee now and it's it's just like it's gonna shoot me through the roof
Starting point is 00:05:57 My hands are palms are sweaty. What did you have this morning? You have a black coffee already? Yeah, is that from coffee? This is from nothing. This is from being a like, this is mild. Being alive. That's from being contrarian. That's what it is. That's what that is. Yaka, he'd hate it being me. Do you still have acid hand, acid sweat?
Starting point is 00:06:12 Yeah. Have you ever seen what Gus does to a laptop? No, you have acid sweat? If it like so, it doesn't happen so much anymore with these new MacBook Pros, but back in the day of the metal. It was 2008, 2009. I used to play a lot of World of Warcraft on my Mac laptop and I would play so much that the sweat from my palms would eat through the metal
Starting point is 00:06:34 on the palm rest of the laptop. He's not kidding. Like there would be pock marks all in the middle from the sweat in my hands eating through the metal on the laptop. It like I got to the point where it would get so pocked with holes that I'd have to buy a palm rest sticker cover to put over it because there were so many holes in my laptop. He's not exaggerating. Gus is the weakest mutant in the Marvel universe.
Starting point is 00:06:58 Yep. He's minor acid hands. You know what, Shawshank, how he's got the little rock hammer and you like, hammer's out the wall. I would just be holding the bars every night. For eight hours a night. Slowly dissolving my way out. Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:07:17 Morgan, instead of asking Morgan Freeman for the hammer, I'd be asking for coffee. It's gonna be black coffee. Oh my God. Okay, so did we discuss the name of this podcast in the first episode? We recorded it a year ago, I can't remember. We discussed it.
Starting point is 00:07:33 We didn't come to any of you. We didn't come to the conclusion. Before you, so you decided, I wanted to call this podcast, good morning Gus. Yeah. You said absolutely not. You said under no circumstances. Which is, which is really made me want to call out that even more.
Starting point is 00:07:46 I trust me, I know how you work. But then you pull the car, I can't, I can't, I have no way around. So he wants to go by Gustavo now, not Gus, which I have to respect. Yeah, I will say, pretty sure for the Rusechite podcast, I make sure when stuff goes out, it says Gustavo.
Starting point is 00:08:01 Yeah, I've been, so it's been a slow transition where, if my name's written, I try to have it written as Gustavo, and if I meet new people, I can't introduce myself as Gustavo, I don't even choose myself as Gus anymore. This is a pain in the ass for you. Yeah, because you knew me before I started,
Starting point is 00:08:16 requests people make that change, but there are people in my life who do not know me as Gus. There are people who I've met who only know me as Gustavo. Now, for them it's not weird, for you it's weird because you knew me before I started. Because I've I've met who only know me as Gustavo. So for them, it's not weird. For you, it's weird because you even before. Because I've known you most of your life, it feels like. So why, and I have no issue with it, I think it's kind of, is it a heritage thing or?
Starting point is 00:08:34 Yeah, it's like Gus isn't my name. Yeah, right. It's like why should I go by and, like I like Gustavo. I like my name. It's like I've always compromised on my name. And then just like one day I was like, why do I do that? I like my name. Like I should just go by my actual name. Gustavo is I like my name. It's like I've always compromised on my name. And then just like one day I was like, why do I do that? I like my name.
Starting point is 00:08:46 I should just go by my actual name. Gustavo is a better name than guys. It's cool. Let me ask you a question. Can I still call you Gus? Absolutely. Because, uh. Maybe anyone who knew me before, it's fine.
Starting point is 00:08:55 Whatever. Okay, because otherwise we were about to switch up our friendship. Cause my name is Jeffrey. I was born a Jeffrey. Your grandfather knew your name sucks, by the way. Cause you're spelling with a G. Dude, by the way, I just spent a Jeffrey. Your grandfather knew your name sucks, by the way. Cause you're spelling with a G. Dude, by the way, I just spent a week in England. Every single person, when it came up and I had to give my name,
Starting point is 00:09:11 they asked if it was a G or a J. It was like Shangri-La. It's happened like three times in my 46 years in America. It happened 30 times the week I was in England. I, those were my people. The G-Jeff people are in England. They get it. I loved it. It was awesome. Why were people spelling your name so much?
Starting point is 00:09:27 I don't know. Just like it comes up. You're like you have a conversation with somebody like buying a ticket for something or Or you'd be like like we went to see Phantom of the opera for instance, right? Which I'd never seen before giant chandelier. You're big your big phantom head. I thought big fan of what big phantom head Is that what they're like big in the big in the lore? You're a big fan of him, I thought. Big fan of what? Big fan of him, head. Is that what they call it? They're like big in the lore, you're big in the Android webber fan. I found out in the process of this, when we were planning this trip,
Starting point is 00:09:53 my girlfriend told me she wanted to go see Phantom and I'm like, why? I did not know that my girlfriend who I've been dating for almost five, or about five years, is one of the world's biggest Android webber fans. What? And has never told me this.
Starting point is 00:10:05 Huh. And it's probably better that she didn't until now because I'm locked in because there's nothing to do about it. What's her favorite Andrew Lud Weber music? She likes fandom a lot. She likes laying this a lot. Explain to a lot about your face. Yeah, I know, all right.
Starting point is 00:10:16 And I get it now too. And so she can recite every, the entire thing by heart. It's fucking ridiculous. But anyway, so we went and we had this private experience, and I introduced myself to the guy who's moving us around. She's like, I'm Emily and I go, I'm Jeff. And he goes, Jeff are the Jay or Jeff are the G. And I was like, are you fucking kidding me right now?
Starting point is 00:10:34 And everybody was like that there. I met a lot of people in a week and a half for what, how everyone knows. So that's where they are. They're all over there. What makes sense? Because I think G. Jeff is a Welsh name. Oh, is it?
Starting point is 00:10:42 Yeah. I'm pretty sure. So, Jeffery's my middle name. Jay, Jeff are G. Jeff is a Welsh name. Oh, is it? Yeah. I'm pretty sure. So, Jeffery's my middle name. J. Jeffery or G. Jeff? It's definitely J. It's also my dad's first name that he doesn't go by. So I don't know why he gets to do it.
Starting point is 00:10:52 Is this middle name Eric? No, it's Ron. Oh, I would go by Ron too. He does, he does go by Ron, but why did he give me the name he doesn't use? What? Because he's not, he's not, he's not doing it. He's like, I don't need this shit there.
Starting point is 00:11:04 Oh, this is freak the hand me down. I hate this neighbor, you go dip shit. Can we call this good morning Raoul? Yeah, okay. I thought about going by that instead of Gustavo. Oh, is that your middle name? I didn't know that and I didn't know who Raoul was. I love every one of my names. Gustavo Raoul's role, fucking great name.
Starting point is 00:11:21 I love every one of my names too. I think a lot of people don't like their names, so it's good that you like your name too. You like your name so much you changed it. Yeah, no, I like my role of Sura, like fucking great name. I like everyone on my name too. I think a lot of people don't like their name, so it's good that you like your name too. You like your name so much, you changed it. Yeah, no, I like my name now, right? I only get in this, but I was born, I've changed it. I've, through no fault of my own, had my name changed a lot in my life,
Starting point is 00:11:36 but I am currently Jeff laser-ranzy and Jeffery laser-ranzy with a G. And I think that's a great name. And with a Z, you gotta do it with a Z. I'll never forget, after you went and you changed your name, you're like, you told me, you know, you changed your name to Jeffrey Ramsey and that you were, since you were changing your name,
Starting point is 00:11:53 they allowed you to change your middle name. To whatever. Like it was no additional cost. You could be like, I was like, 170 bucks either way. And you were, you were so happy, you changed it to laser and I was like, I looked at it, you came in, so here's like, you know, that's not how you spell laser, right?
Starting point is 00:12:04 So, so here's the real, here's the real story. Oh, cool. I don't know that I've ever told the real story about how I changed my name to laser. All of that is correct. I told people I picked laser and I picked it with a Z because I wanted to be an American gladiator and I was like channeling that, I just spelled it wrong.
Starting point is 00:12:22 I didn't know laser was spelled with an S. Yeah, I knew that part because I was there when I was, I'm the one wrong. I didn't know laser was spelled within us. Yeah, I knew that part, because I was there when I was, I'm the one who told you. But nobody else, you're the only person that knew the real truth. Yeah, the Z was just, I'm just a fucking idiot. Oh God. Well, I had to appear in front of a judge, Eric.
Starting point is 00:12:39 So the process for changing your name is, it seems like it's a real hassle because it's not just like, well, I've changed one document, it seems like you have to change everything afterwards. It was about five years of nightmare after I did it. Okay. But like, see, I was adopted a couple times, and my mom remarried a bunch. And so the guy who I consider my father,
Starting point is 00:13:00 his last name was Ramsey. And my previous last name was Fink, which I had picked up in my mom's second marriage, because I wanted to have the same last name as my mom and my stepdad. name was Fink, which I had picked up in my mom's second marriage, because I wanted to have the same last name as my mom and my stepdad. I was born right, which isn't a bad name. But so anyway, I wanted to have the same last name as my, the man who essentially raised me, Ramsey, Larry Ramsey.
Starting point is 00:13:16 And so I changed my last name to Ramsey. And when I went out of the courthouse to do it, it was like a birthday present for him. His health was ailing, and I thought it might lift his spirits and it meant a lot to me. And so I changed my, and I was also the only, I was the last boy in that family. So the name was gonna die. And so, and then I had a daughter, so it's still gonna die. But at least I get to be the last ranzi instead of my dad. But when I went to change my name at the Austin courthouse, they asked, they were like, just your last name,
Starting point is 00:13:46 and I go, well, how much does it cost to change other names? And they go, it's just one price. And I went, oh, I hate my middle name. Middle name was Paul, who the fuck wants to be named Paul. So I changed it to laser. On a whim, but I had to appear in front of the judge, and the judge goes, all right, I see you when I changed your name to Jeffrey Paul Fink to Jeffrey.
Starting point is 00:14:01 Laser, laser, and energy. And the judge goes, are you hiding from a creditor or and I was like, no, and you think changing your middle name to laser will benefit you in some way? And I just said, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. They let me do it. Yeah, that's the big fear, right?
Starting point is 00:14:19 Is that they think you're trying to hide from some creditor, get out of some debt that you owe? Yeah. Because if there's anything in America, you cannot escape from. It's a crushing financial burden. And dad, we built this country on that. I didn't know how to explain to the judge. I'm playing fast and loose with this
Starting point is 00:14:35 because I've done that with everything in my entire life. So why not? Yeah, but it's a fucking, it's a nightmare for a long time. I have, I still have a name change document that I have to roll out sometimes, like when I'm dealing with something. Like when you go to buy a ticket or a fan of the offer opera and they're like, is that with a G or a J?
Starting point is 00:14:50 Like hold on. That was an L or a P. So the name of the podcast you determined is going to be the A in M A podcast. Andma. Andma. And I don't know what it means. You said you had it in a dream.
Starting point is 00:15:03 But then you told me there is a real definition for it, which I wanna get into, because I have two. I've been thinking myself. So I really did have a dream. Like you said, in the first episode, which you listened to just last week, dear audience, and we talked about the name, and I think that it infected my subconscious,
Starting point is 00:15:19 and I think I was really stressed about trying to come up with a name for this podcast. And I think I was thinking about it so much that it, I started dreaming about it. And in my dream, the podcast was already out. Like we'd been doing it for a while. And like I just saw it typed out. I just saw the name of our podcast.
Starting point is 00:15:36 And like we weren't saying it, but it was like, it was on a piece of paper or like on a computer screen. Like there was marketing material for it. And it was the A and M.A. podcast. And that's all I told you. But in my dream, I did know what that stood for. And there was a reason it was called that,
Starting point is 00:15:50 that part I didn't tell you until now because we already have a logo, like we can't change it. Can I guess? Yeah, but I will put a nastierist on it. Okay. Dreams don't make sense. Okay.
Starting point is 00:16:01 So like you're trying to come up with a rational thing that it means dreams are gibberish most of the time. That's true Here's my two guesses. I A N M A. It's an Austin podcast essentially. It's a podcast about friendship and about us. Yeah, right? Austin never mattered anyway. Oh, that's great. That's great. It's really good or This may be more appropriate considering the state of Austin in 2022. Austin no more Austin Austin, no more Austin. I like what you're doing here. I want, now I don't want to say what it was in my dream because I want people who listen to this podcast
Starting point is 00:16:29 to come up with what A and M A means for them. That's why. My small wife said, a name means anything. Oh, that's also good. A name means anything. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:16:39 I just keep saying, Anma, and then people say, what does it mean? And I go, I, listen, I don't. It's whatever. Yeah. I like that that it doesn't matter. Yeah, it doesn't matter. Austin, no more Austin, Austin never mattered anyway.
Starting point is 00:16:48 So are you gonna keep it secret? Well, I was gonna say it right now, but now I don't want to. You know what, I don't, the listeners, as much as I wanna know, and I wanna find out on mic, I don't wanna know
Starting point is 00:16:59 because I want the audience to take a step. Yeah, let's wait, we'll wait a little bit. At least a week, yeah. This is interesting. So we could, now I'm not gonna, yeah, now I gotta wait another week. I mean, I think that whatever That's wait, well, wait a little bit. At least a week. Yeah. This is interesting. So we could hear it. Now I'm not gonna. Yeah, now I gotta wait another week.
Starting point is 00:17:07 I mean, I think that whatever it's going to be, I think the two names that Jeff came up with are gonna be better than what. And the new year wife came up with. These are all way better. Now it's like, oh man, I better change my dream story to come up with a better name. Cause it's just gonna let you down and be a disappointment.
Starting point is 00:17:22 Oh. This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Life is full of twists and turns, stress, changes, grief, moments of growth, and moments where we feel like we're taking a few steps back. And it's important to show up for yourself through all of the struggles that life can bring. Better Help Online Therapy is here for the twists and turns and will assess your needs and can match you with your own license professional therapist in less than 48 hours.
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Starting point is 00:19:03 So special offer for our animal listeners. Get 10% off your first month. If you go to betterhelp.com slash enma, again, that's better, h-e-l-p.com slash an-m-a. What would you do if you had the freedom to be anyone or to go anywhere without limitations? Start your journey and experience for yourself the feeling of total freedom when you game with Alienware. Alienware is your portal to new worlds where limits don't exist and the only rules are
Starting point is 00:19:28 the ones you decide to make. The five boundaries and start gaming now at Alienware.com. Next-gen gaming is built with Intel Core i9 processors. If I can prompt you guys a little bit, Jeff just got back from England and a thing that we talked about on the show is revisiting old stories or talking about old stuff or whatever. It was for community meetup, right?
Starting point is 00:19:50 You and over to England for that. What are some of the, I don't know, best isn't a great term, but what are some memorable community meetups? You guys have been doing this for 20 years. Yeah, what are some community meetups? The ones that stick kind of stick out, like where maybe you met someone or maybe something happened,
Starting point is 00:20:08 something that sticks out to you. I think that we've gone through a lot. You know, obviously it's been, you know, we've been doing this for 19 years, but I think we started traveling and doing meetups in 2004, if I remember right. So I think we've been doing this for about 18 years. Like doing the meetup side of things for about 18 years.
Starting point is 00:20:22 Yeah, we're, Jacksonville. That's not the one I was about 18 years. I was Jacksonville. That's not the one I was gonna talk about. That's up there. That is the first thing we ever did. Yeah, it is. It was a very first. I mean, it was a convention, not a meetup, but I feel like the lines are blurred there, right?
Starting point is 00:20:35 We didn't know. They both were work for this. And there are a ton of stories from that trip that you could probably tell. Yeah, absolutely. 2004, yeah. What were you thinking of? May of 2004.
Starting point is 00:20:45 I was thinking of one that was a couple of months later in August of 2004, which was when we went to Melbourne, Australia, which was our first international trip. And that was interesting because that was, I think, our first, I would say like a fan meetup or like a community meetup because we did this event in a theater. And then when the event in a theater was done, we were just like, hey, we're just going to go to a bar and drink. If anybody wants to come with us, you're
Starting point is 00:21:07 more than welcome to. And we didn't even go to like a third, like another location. We went to the bar in our hotel. We basically told everyone in the theater, what hotel we were staying at. And we're like, just come to the bar and drink. And we just drank with like 30 people who showed up at our hotel. We didn't, and played pool. We didn't know. We hadn't figured a lot of shit out at that point. So, Jeff broke the electricity in that hotel too. What? Like, like the entire building lost power because of Jeff.
Starting point is 00:21:35 Yeah, that's true. I plugged my cell phone into the wall. It was like, it was like pre-i phone. It was like some little shitty Verizon phone. And Jeff bought like that adapter to adapt the plugs, but it doesn't change the voltage. And I was like, don't plug that in. It's not gonna work.
Starting point is 00:21:51 And he plugged it in anyway. And there was this really bright spark and a loud noise and all the power in the building went off. Just that's your limitation, so I run on on that. And then you like screamed and you like pulled your arm back from the wall. And then we're like, well, that sucks. And then we just like screamed and you like pulled your arm back from the wall. And then we're like, well, that sucks. And then we just left the building.
Starting point is 00:22:07 We're like, I'll do something else. That was thanks about how we got back. It was. So speaking of the very first event we did, which was kind of a community meetup, we didn't realize we had a community at that point. Yeah. And we were blown away. You probably maybe never heard some of these stories.
Starting point is 00:22:24 We could, and for this, we could talk about. I could probably maybe never heard some of these stories. And for this, we could talk about the green room and all the shit that went down in the green room. We could talk about the elevator ride with the dude from X-Files. We could talk about our first panel and the hallway afterward. And we could talk about Harry Potter.
Starting point is 00:22:45 Well, that entire, I wanna rewind it a little bit even further, the entire trip started off bad. On a bad foot. It did, yeah. We, you know, this is our first time going to an event and it was this convention in Jacksonville. We were invited. Right, they were invited, they contacted us out of blue,
Starting point is 00:23:00 we'd never been to an event, we're like, all right, yeah, and they're like, we'll pay for your plane ticket, we'll pay for your hotel, and we're like, yeah, this is a scam. You know, what is this? Like, why the fuck would somebody pay for us to go anywhere? So, you know, we're like, all right, whatever.
Starting point is 00:23:12 We go down, you know, Jeff and I carpool. We were living together at the time. Yeah. So we drive down to the Austin Airport and we get there, we go to check in. And they're like, yeah, you don't have a plane ticket. Like, yeah, we knew it. Scam.
Starting point is 00:23:22 They're just wasting our time. They're just screwing with us. And then, like, you know, we, you know, we emailed the event organized like, yeah, we knew it. Like, yeah, we knew it. Scam. They're just wasting our time. They're just screwing with us. And then, like, you know, we emailed the event organized. Like, yeah, we knew it. You motherfuckers. There's no point to get here. And they're super apologetic. And then they book us another plane ticket
Starting point is 00:23:35 that like leaves in a couple of hours. So we have to like, sit in the airport with all of our luggage because we can't check the bag because we don't have a ticket. Yeah. So we have to sit with all of our bags and everything just like in the airport for like an extra four hours. Oh, I wait for the next flight to take us to Jacksonville.
Starting point is 00:23:48 And then we went to Jacksonville, and we check in our hotel, we don't know what to expect. We don't even really know that we have an audience at this point, you know? I mean, people are watching the content, but we don't know that we don't know that people are going to show up to see us in person. And by the way, Gus and I were terrified. Like, I'll go ahead and say that. Like, I never met a, at that point, we
Starting point is 00:24:08 didn't, not really met Rupert fans. Maybe we didn't met Scott back in the day. Now that I think about it, we did one person, we did a screening in January of 2004 before this. That was our only experience. Is that an album? That was at the Lincoln Center. Oh. We did a season two premiere. That's right. But that was, I think, very different. Because people, it was like a theater and people who came specifically to see our thing.
Starting point is 00:24:32 This was, this was a convention. This was like a wider audience. This was not people who were coming to see a thing just for us. That's true. So we go to this event and we're kind of walking around in the days, we have a panel and I remember thinking I'm gonna be very stressed out about this panel because I didn't know how to I'd never done a panel before
Starting point is 00:24:51 I wasn't super keen on speaking in public to be honest with you or what do we want to people? What do we're thought? Yeah, I know right? It's like it becomes so old hat to us now but Like I had done a little bit of it like in public affairs training in the military I was required to. I super wasn't comfortable with it. And so, I'm gusting, I remember we, we can sold ourselves, but we were like,
Starting point is 00:25:11 nobody's gonna be here to see us anyway. So we'll just sit behind a table for an hour, no one will be there. We'll fulfill our obligation. And then we'll be fine. And then this is the last opportunity like this we'll ever have. We'll go back to Austin,
Starting point is 00:25:22 and then no one will ever call us again, and we'll be fine. We, they usher us into a room as tiny little room and there's already, I think the room holds a hundred people maybe. If that, yeah, it was pretty small and it was standing room only and there were people waiting outside and Gus and I were freaked the fuck out. And we ended up fumbling through a panel which the audience made it very easy. I have no idea what we talked about. I think it was all just like Q&A stuff. I think it was probably Q&A stuff. I remember enjoying it, and I remember thinking like, oh,
Starting point is 00:25:49 there's a lot of fun. This is not bad. But then the audience asked, are you guys selling merch on the floor in the commission hall floor? And we were like, no, but Gus had brought an extra suitcase with them and filled it with just random,
Starting point is 00:26:03 Roos teeth merch that we had in my house. Yeah, I normally, that's why we had bags to check at the airport. Normally I'd never wouldn't check it back for this. I was just like, oh, you know, you can check it back for free. I'll just fill a bag with shirts and if someone wants to buy one, I'll have some shirts. And so we thought, or give away, we even thought like, if anybody comes, we'll just give them a shirt, right?
Starting point is 00:26:19 Like thanks for showing up. And so Gus said, well, I have a suitcase full of some stuff. Jesus Christ. And so we did this panel and then he goes, I guess said, well, I have a suitcase full of some stuff. Jesus Christ. And so we did this panel and then he goes, I guess I could just, I could just, if anybody wants to buy something out of my suitcase, I guess. And then so we go to sell it. And they're like, no, you got to clear the room out because the next panel is coming in. So in the hallway, we stood there against the wall and like 150 people just crowd around us and just bought whatever Gus pulled out of the
Starting point is 00:26:43 suitcase. Yeah, it was like emptied the suitcase and five. It was, if you think about like going to like a meeting room in a hotel like there's always in a hallway We just like sat in the hallway like literally sat on the floor in the hallway opened up a suitcase and I was like who wants Grip shirt Like reaching into the suitcase or whatever I pulled out it was like that's what sell. And it was like, and that was a light bulb moment for us. That's the moment we decided to start going to conventions and buying booths, which is eventually how we met you, Eric, which we can get into at some point.
Starting point is 00:27:13 But it was like, and we went back to Bernie, and we're like, Bernie and Matt, and we're like, you're not gonna believe this. Like, seriously, and they didn't believe us. And we had to convince them, like, no, we sold 60 shirts in two minutes. Do you remember, I wanna say say it was like a Friday, Saturday, Sunday event.
Starting point is 00:27:28 I think our panel, all that stuff happened on Saturday, I remember right. On Sunday, before we went to the hotel, we were doing like one fast, one last final walk around, like the event and stuff. And someone was like, oh, have you not been in the exhibit hall yet? Look, there's a whole floor of people who sell stuff here. Oh, look, that's your booth right there.
Starting point is 00:27:47 Were you not in your booth all weekend? We're like, oh, we had a space. Yeah. What? We could be like, no one told people. We had no idea. Yeah, we're like, oh, this is like a hundred feet away from where I was selling stuff out of my suitcase.
Starting point is 00:27:58 Like, we had a spot, we could have done this. And that's where like, oh, that's how these events work. And from that event, like what we learned from that event, we immediately set forth, I remember doing hours and hours of research learning about every convention in America, and we built a plan. I think the next one we probably went to that year was either Comic Con or Anime Reactor in Chicago.
Starting point is 00:28:19 We went to Comic Con in 2005. Right, it was the next year. Yeah. And we got very lucky. That was a whole thing. We can get into that at some point. But I think Anime Reactor might it was the next year. Yeah. And we got very lucky. That was a whole thing. We can get into that at some point. But I think anime reactor might have been the next, that was like, I wanna say like,
Starting point is 00:28:28 October that year. Somewhere around there in Chicago. Yeah. Which I have some other funny stories about you. From now on. But I remember you drunk in an elevator. God, that was a nightmare. Yeah, you were something.
Starting point is 00:28:41 I remember, well, we got an... We got an... We got an... I had the pretend I didn't know you in that elevator. Yeah, you were something I remember We got Know you in that elevator I want to pretend I didn't know me When we're telling this story I can act like that with someone else Let's dig on it on dream god for a minute So anyway, so this is at this point we don't anybody, we don't really know anyone else from the convention,
Starting point is 00:29:08 we don't know a lot of people from the community, so we were just on our own in Florida. And so Gus and I, and this is 2004 in your head doesn't seem like that long ago. It is technologically light year here. We decided, let's go to movies, right? And so we find the closest movie theater, they're playing, I think Harry Potter...
Starting point is 00:29:27 It was a Harry Potter movie, I don't know which one. Which everyone came out in the summer of 04. Yeah, it was like two maybe. And we're like, let's go see that. And it was playing at, I wanna say like 930 maybe. And so we take a cab, like we order, we call up from, I guess I think it's like, they're waiting at the hotel. Okay, that's a pretty big hotel. Yeah, you just go to a hotel. I'm like, we're on a cab. guess, I think they're waiting at the hotel. Okay, that's a really big hotel.
Starting point is 00:29:45 Yeah, you just go to a hotel. We're on a cab. And we just take a cab to a movie theater. It's, I remember exactly, because I thought we were gonna walk it. It's seven miles away. It's far. It was pretty far, but it was the closest movie theater
Starting point is 00:29:55 to this place. We met a question. We did, we did, is yeah, we met a question. And we go and we watch Harry Potter, we come out and it's like 11, and the theater is emptying out, and we realize we don't have a way to get back. And so we, I don't even know how we found the cab company. I think when we,
Starting point is 00:30:15 was Gator a cab company. When we took the cab there, I took a card from the driver and had the phone number on it. I was like, oh, when we're done, we, if there's no cabs at the theater, we were so stupid. We can, we can call this phone number and get a cab to come get us. And so we get out, we call the cab and they say, yeah, we'll send somebody. And then we stand there for probably a half an hour. Yeah. And the theater starts to empty out and the park and what starts to empty out. And
Starting point is 00:30:44 then we don't hear anything. Nobody shows up. So we call again, and I'm starts to empty out and the park and what starts to empty out. And then we don't hear anything, nobody shows up. So we call again, and I'm talking to this lady, and I remember the lady was, she wasn't happy with her, she was mean. She was angry lady, I'll remember that. And she was not putting up with any bullshit. And I was like, well, nobody showed up. And she was like, we are busy.
Starting point is 00:31:00 I said we will be there, we will be there. And I'm like, okay. So we had another half an hour. At this point, it's midnight. At midnight, all the lights at the movie theater turned off. Light? And we're in an empty parking lot with the lights off. It's just dark.
Starting point is 00:31:14 And it's just dark. And we're the only people there. And Gus and I are starting to get a little nervous. It's not the best neighborhood in Jackson. It's not like super scary or anything. Yeah, it's not Compton, but it's not like great. And so I call her back and the lady yells at me for calling me. Oh no.
Starting point is 00:31:31 And I'm like, and Gus goes, do you see the only cab company around here, dude? Don't piss us like, I'm so sorry. I'm not trying to, I'm just, we're just, and I'm just apologizing a few of you to this lady. And anyway, eventually the cab came. What time to capture up? I must have been like one in the morning.
Starting point is 00:31:47 One in the morning. One in the morning. Yeah. So the cab shows up at one thirty and eventually brings us back. So we stood in the parking lot in the dark from 11 to 130. It was probably longer than we watched the movie. It was longer than the movie. Kind of terrified.
Starting point is 00:32:01 We were half ready to walk the seven miles back, but you had to walk over an interstate. And since it was 2004, it's not like we had smartphones. We had a vague idea of the direction of the hotel. I've never been in Jacksonville before. Flip phone didn't have instructions. Right. And I was like,
Starting point is 00:32:17 it's in that direction about seven miles. I don't know specifically how to get. I think the hotel was by like the water, by like some kind of marina or something. If I remember that. I was like, if we get to the water, we'll be able to find it. And it wasn't Jacksonville, it was water everywhere.
Starting point is 00:32:31 And I remember, St. John's remember, right? And I remember, I remember cars would come by and drive by real slowly, and we would think it would be the cab driver, and it would just be people looking at us, and they drive off. And that was super scary.
Starting point is 00:32:42 And I actually took the card that Gus had, and I'm just remembering this now, and I put it on a little magnet, and I made it a refrigerator magnet, so I'd always have it. I think I lost it at some point. Oh man, I didn't know about that. Yeah, I had it in my house for years and years,
Starting point is 00:32:55 yeah, and I would laugh at it every time I saw it. It's funny back then, no matter how prepared you thought you were still like a stupid human being, with nothing to help you. And I wonder why Uber was able to you were, you were still like a stupid human being. Yeah. You know, with nothing to help you. And I wonder why Uber was able to displace taxi companies. I wonder about it.
Starting point is 00:33:11 It's one of those things I'm never able to figure out. Goddamn. God, do you think about that calling a cab? Like, and we were, like, it's funny because we were at a young enough age where we were dumb. How do we do?
Starting point is 00:33:23 Do dumb stuff like that? In 2004. In 2004, I would have been 26. I guess I should have been smarter, but I was 29, I think. 28 or 29. They should have been smarter. We were very, we were very young and dumb, though. I was a young 28, 29, for sure.
Starting point is 00:33:35 You had spent time in the military, which is, well, I mean, it's like, you know, I like, snucked your growth. Well, no, it's like, you're not out and about. Like, you live a very regimented life. I wasn't in the real world. Yeah, you're being told what to do. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:33:47 Everything you're living with is like for me. Right. So I think, you know, it's not that it stunts you. It's just that it's not the same as being out in the actual world. It's a very different life. Ever till I thought about going in the military when I was younger?
Starting point is 00:33:59 No. I started the process when I was in high school of applying to West Point. Wow. Yeah, and I got pretty far along in the process. I've heard, God, it's been a long time. I remember right, you need to have letters of recommendation from your senator. Stated area.
Starting point is 00:34:13 Stuff like that. And I was gathering all of that material to send off with my application to West Point. And I think I got to the point where I was like, do I really want to spend four years in the military after I finish college? And even then, like in college, like having to do all the physical training and all of that stuff, like am I gonna dedicate eight years of my life to this?
Starting point is 00:34:33 And I was just like, and like in the back of my mind, I was like, you come out, you're a second lieutenant, like you're, you know, it's not that bad. I was like, then finally one day I was like, nah, I can't do that.
Starting point is 00:34:43 Probably one of the best decisions of your life, not to join the military. And I say that for two reasons. One, I was in the United States Army for five years, active army, and two, I was a journalist and a public affairs specialist in the military. And so the last year and a half or so that I was in the army, I was the one man public affairs office
Starting point is 00:35:01 for the United States military academy's preparatory school. So for, this is New Jersey, a Fort Mom with New Jersey. So if you didn't quite make it into West Point, but you had a lot of promise, you were just close. Like maybe you needed a little bit more math, or maybe you were a little pudgy, or whatever it was, you could go spend one year at UCIMAP,
Starting point is 00:35:20 which is the Preparatory Academy for West Point. Or like if you were an athlete, they were really big into La Crosse at West Point in the military. And there were a lot of La Crosse athletes that didn't quite have the, I guess the Scholastic acumen to get into West Point, but they really wanted them on the La Crosse team.
Starting point is 00:35:37 So that was kind of like their path to get into West Point. And so I spent a year and a half in that world. My last year and a half, the only part of why I got out, and you would have been unbelievably miserable. And those guys would have hated you. Yeah, absolutely. From myriad of reasons.
Starting point is 00:35:54 But I also think about the timing, like in retrospect, like I graduated high school in 96. So if I did four years of West Point, I would have been done in 2000. And I would have been in the military as a second lieutenant from September 11th, 2001. Yeah. I would be, yeah, I most likely would have
Starting point is 00:36:14 like spent the next couple of years in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yeah, you definitely would have, no joke you would have, and speaking of 9-11, since we're just rehashable stories, let's do it. You know, I was in the United States Army from 1993 to 1998. And then I signed up for five years.
Starting point is 00:36:33 You had to be, to get a decent job, you had to sign up for five years. If you wanted to be, not that infantry isn't a decent job, but if you wanted to go in for combat arms, you only had to go in for two years to get your full college education. Your full, I forget what they call it, Army College Fund benefits.
Starting point is 00:36:48 For me to get the full Army College Fund benefits, because I grew up a poor kid in Alabama with bad grades, that was not going to college, this was my route to college. But I didn't wanna become that arms. I knew that wasn't for me, so I chose journalism and photo journalism. They required you to go five years to get the same benefits.
Starting point is 00:37:09 So I had to go in for five years. So I got out in 98, moved to Austin, holo, their deal. Then I found out shortly after, they may tell you differently, maybe it's different now, they don't tell you when you join the army, or at least in the 90s, they didn't tell you join the army that no matter how much you're signing up for whether it's two years combat arms Five years as a journalist four years as a cook whatever it is You're actually signing up to the military for eight years. You're committed for eight years It's fucking it's a bait and switch. They don't tell you that right?
Starting point is 00:37:37 So when you get out of the army after your five years or after my five years I found out that I was still in the military to handle for three more years and what's called the inactive reserves. Oh my God, no idea. Which means if there's a war, they can call you back. So while I was working at our day job telling network that we were called center, we were doing the beginnings of rooster teeth at that point. I think we were doing drunk gamers maybe
Starting point is 00:38:00 or on the internet, those things. I was still in the fucking military. And I didn't realize it. 9-11 happened. Gus and I were at work together, we watched it, we were working that day, we watched it on the TV at work. I realized that day, I'm still on the fucking army. I'm gonna go to Iraq.
Starting point is 00:38:15 They're gonna call me back. We're going to war. I was terrified. I went home that day, and in my mailbox was a letter from the United States military, a big envelope from the United States military, and I thought, how the fuck did they get to me this quickly? Like it just happened today.
Starting point is 00:38:31 Oh my God. I was never been so scared to open an envelope in my entire life, and when I opened that envelope, there was this thing called a DD214, which is your official discharge from the military. Holy shit. I was officially discharged from the military on 9-11. What?
Starting point is 00:38:47 Yeah, insane. This is such a weird coincidence. Insane. Yeah. And ultimately, I wouldn't have been called up anyway. Obviously, things didn't shake out that way. Right. But I, uh, it was your fear in the moment.
Starting point is 00:38:57 It was my fear, yeah. So I actually got out of the army on 9-11. And that was like, that was the scarletist and most relieved I've maybe ever been in my life in the span of two minutes. That was insane. It's, it's, it's, it's the scaradest and most relieved I've maybe ever been in my life in the span of two minutes. That was insane. It's real. To look back and think about like all those
Starting point is 00:39:10 strange coincidences or seemingly enane small decisions you make in your life that end up having like a ripple effect or a bigger effect down the road that you don't see. You don't think about. Yeah. I think that's like one of the things we're focusing on and talking about in this podcast
Starting point is 00:39:24 is like the seemingly small decision to move to Austin for seem, you know, for whatever reason. And then seeing the transformation of Austin and the transformation of our careers and our jobs, just from, just from weird bullshit. Like you and I, you talked about the call center, you and I worked at that call center. It was never my intent to work at that call center. When I first moved to Austin, I moved to Austin back in January in I.D.8. I was crashing at a friend's place down off of Riverside. And he was a student at UT.
Starting point is 00:39:54 And I was looking for a job. He was looking for a job. And I was applying everywhere. And I could not get hired. This is jail. Yes, Joe. Okay. I couldn't get hired anywhere.
Starting point is 00:40:03 Like I would, I went to Highland Mall and every single store that had like a, which was a mall still in the market. It was still a mall. Yeah. Every single place that had like a hiring sign, like I applied, like I didn't care. Retail whatever. I was trying to get any job I could because I had no money. No one was hiring me and Joe didn't have a car. And he was looking at the daily text and which is the UT newspaper. And there was a help wandered ad for a call center and he was like,
Starting point is 00:40:28 hey, can you drive me down to this call center? It's just like a little further south from where we live. Like yeah, sure. A drove Joe down, he applied to his interview at the call center, or whatever, took him back home. And then the next day he went off to class at UT and I woke up and I was like,
Starting point is 00:40:39 what did I apply for that job? I'm looking for a job. So I applied for that job? I'm looking for a job. So I applied for that job. And then later that day, Joe came back from UT, you know, taking the shuttle and he walked down. I was like, hey, you'll never, guess what? I applied for that job.
Starting point is 00:40:55 You did down at the call center and right as I'm telling that my phone rings. And it's the call center and they're like, you're hired. They're like, oh, cool. They just hired me. Yeah. What was the, how did Joe handle that?
Starting point is 00:41:06 Yeah. That was such a, I don't know, I felt weird. He was like totally fine with it, whatever. I was like, man, I stole that job from Joe. Yeah. I got that job solely because when I was living in New Jersey before I'd moved to Austin, I had been PA-ing at ViewSqueer Productions,
Starting point is 00:41:25 at PA-ed on a short film they made, and I was trying to work my way in to being in film. And then, through a series of circumstances that we can talk about or not at some point, we got a million of these episodes. I ended up in Austin, I moved to Austin. I had been on tour with a band and we played in Austin and it was December 13th, 1998,
Starting point is 00:41:45 and it was 75 degrees when we went swimming. And I thought, why the fuck am I living in New Jersey? I mean, it was more complicated. There was marital problems and stuff that were involved with it as well. But so I moved to Austin almost immediately. And the only reason I got hired to tell network is because the guy who interviewed me knew
Starting point is 00:42:01 that Bernie had made a film in college. And he goes, oh, you working film? Well, you're gonna love Bernie, and then we started talking about Star Wars. Holy shit. Me and this guy, Brian, and then he hired me, even though I wasn't qualified, I didn't know anything about computers, because I had worked, I had quote unquote worked, I'd P8, in film. And, but I had a similar story where when I got here, I opened up the Wann ads, because
Starting point is 00:42:24 it's going back as far back as we were going. You opened, you bought a newspaper and you looked in the Wannads and you circled all the jobs. This is the Dark Ages. And the first job I got was the Sierra Club. And they had management positions available. And I was 23 and I was married and I thought like I had had five years in the Army under
Starting point is 00:42:44 my belt and I thought like I'm gonna be him. I should I should go for a management position, I'll take it, right? So I went there and I go I'm here for the management position and they go okay cool we'll just put you through the training and the training was going door they teach you how to say a script and go door-to-door and ask for free shit or ask for money from people and I go this doesn't seem like management they go yeah but you got to do this for like two weeks and then you get promoted to management and I was like oh I can I like management. And they go, yeah, but you got to do this for like two weeks and then you get promoted to management. And I was like, oh, I can, I'm sniffing your bullshit. Okay, got it.
Starting point is 00:43:07 And then they give me a script to learn and they go, all right, you've got six hours to learn this script. And I learned this script because it was three paragraphs in four minutes. And I went back and I go, okay, I got it. And they go, wow, you really are gonna be a good manager. You're a...
Starting point is 00:43:19 Oh, no! It was like, it's not hard. It's fucking three paragraphs. And then I had to show them that I learned it. And I'm looking around at all the people around me, and they're struggling, I'm practicing back and forth, and I'm like, Jesus Christ, am I even in the right place? And then at the end of us all learning,
Starting point is 00:43:34 they go, all right, we're gonna go out, and we're gonna put you guys to work, and they drove us all down to, I don't know what the neighborhood is, but it's like between UT and Hyde Park, that area. North Campus. North Campus, okay. They put us in North Campus, but it's like between UT and Hyde Park, that area, North Campus. North Campus, okay. They put us in North Campus,
Starting point is 00:43:47 and there's all these old beautiful houses, and it's a pretty rich neighborhood. Not students. No, no, no, this is like, it's like west of Red River and east of Speedway, like, North Campus. Yeah, but there's like mansions in shit there.
Starting point is 00:44:02 There's like rich ass houses and stuff. Oh, I guess yeah, like by trudies, where the trudies used to be. Yeah, yeah, like they're in North. They're all North of where trudies was. So we're walking around that neighborhood and I'd seen a pizza place called Double Days. And I thought, oh, I might get pizza there later
Starting point is 00:44:17 because it said they had a buffet and $6 was like my price range. Back then, I was broke and I had a wife and I was living, yeah, it was a whole thing. And so we go and we go door to door and the guys like, all right, I'm gonna take you up and I'll give this spiel and you'll watch me do it and we'll go up in groups of three and then after everybody sees me do it,
Starting point is 00:44:34 then we'll all go and take our turns. And so I'm walking through and I'm like, this is such bullshit. This is, I've been bait and switched. This is nonsense. But I'm like, but I need money, you know, I gotta make a living. I was hoping that I would get hired on at a newspaper somewhere because I had been a journalist and. This is nonsense. But I'm like, but I need money. You know, I gotta make a living. I was hoping that I would get hired on at a newspaper somewhere
Starting point is 00:44:47 because I had been a journalist and I had put out some, I actually got offered a job in Temple for the Temple Daily Telegram, but it was like an hour and a half away pretty much. And I just, I didn't want to do the commute. And so I thought maybe I could find something in Austin. And I was pretty dead set on living in Austin because I had been stationed in Colleen for three years.
Starting point is 00:45:04 And I would come down to Austin. You're like Austin adjacent. Yeah, I was Austin adjacent from on living in Austin because I had been stationed in Colleen for three years and I would come down to Austin. You're like Austin adjacent. Yeah, I was Austin adjacent from like 94 to 97. And I had moved to Austin because of slacker. Or I had asked the army to put me in Austin because of slacker and they got me as close as they could, which I appreciated. Turns out nobody wants to live in Texas in the army
Starting point is 00:45:19 and so it was easy to put me at Fort Hood because it's a shithole. Really? I'm having some big base. It is a huge base. There's tons of people there. Tons of 50,000 soldiers maybe. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:45:28 No one wants people who don't want to be there. Who don't want to be there. Also, who don't get to pick. Yeah. Yeah, on top of that, I feel like Texas has huge military presence. Tons of Air Force bases in San Antonio. Anyway, yeah. Tons of presence.
Starting point is 00:45:37 Nobody, they just, they don't want to, okay, gotcha, they don't want to. Just because you're there, it doesn't mean you want to, like if you ever been to Colleen, you go, oh, I can see, nobody wants to live here. Gotcha, how long? Colleen is, Colleen you go oh I can see nobody wants to live here Got this hell on it Colleen is it's a clean is one big like loan office Like paycheck caching loan place next to a
Starting point is 00:45:55 Pontchop and it's just like that replicated through an entire town beautiful It just places designed to put soldiers in high interest Really is just to take advantage of young kids what a great time So we're going up door to door and I'm like, this is not just like a dickhead, but I was like, I could do better than this, right? And so I'm going through, and the guy goes to me and he goes, all right, it's your turn,
Starting point is 00:46:14 you're gonna do this and I go, and it's me and the two employees of the Sierra Club, and then there's eight of us that are in this training program. And I go, I don't think I'm gonna do it. And he goes, listen, it's okay, I know you're scared, but it's gonna be fine, I'll be right there with you. And I go, I don't think I'm gonna do it. And he goes, listen, it's okay, I know you're scared, but it's gonna be fine. I'll be right there with you. And I go, I'm not scared.
Starting point is 00:46:28 I'm like, I'm really not scared. There's nothing scary about this. I just don't wanna do it. And he's like, come on, it'll be fine. Everybody gets the jitters. And I'm like, you're not hearing me, I have no jitters. I'm incredibly confident that I could go up
Starting point is 00:46:44 and talk to this lady at her front door and give this spiel. I just think I'm meant for more than this, you know? And he's like, you'll do it, it'll be fine. And I said, you know what, I'm gonna take off. I wish you guys the best. I think this isn't for me, but best of luck, I'm gonna go back, I'm just gonna take off.
Starting point is 00:47:03 And he's like, oh, this guy's obviously too scared. And I'm like, I'm gonna go back, I'm just gonna take off. And he's like, oh, this guy's obviously too scared. And I'm like, I'm scared. And I go, anyway, y'all have a great day. And I start to walk away. And some guy goes, hey, man, you might wanna walk with you? And it was one of the other dudes. And I go, yeah, that's fine.
Starting point is 00:47:15 All eight people left with me. I took the, I didn't mean to. Everybody else watched me walk away and they go, yeah, we're not doing this either. And the eight of us went and we walked to double daves. And I bought everybody a picture of beer. And not doing this either. And the eight of us went and we walked to double daves. And I bought everybody a picture of beer, and we all had pizza, and then I left,
Starting point is 00:47:29 and I never saw those people again for the rest of my life. But we just left those two Sierra Club people with clipboards on the street in that neighborhood watching us walk away into the sunset. That's why all that takes is like one person, and then everyone else realizes, like, oh, that's an option.
Starting point is 00:47:43 Yeah, I guess, right? Like, we don't have to do this. This isn't, yeah. You're not being forced to. And then after I had that lunch, I went and I went back to the one ads and I got a job as a Kirby vacuum cleaner salesman and I went through two weeks of that training
Starting point is 00:47:57 and the day I showed up to work to be issued my first vacuum cleaner and become a door todoor vacuum cleaner salesman. Kirby vacuum cleaners were like 2 grand, 1500 bucks back in the day in the early 90s. I can't imagine getting somebody to pay that much money for a fucking vacuum cleaner. I'm with inflation, I can't just.
Starting point is 00:48:13 That's gotta be so much more money. That's the big deal. That's the BMW now, right? Yeah. And I went to work and the same thing happened. I went to work and they had told me, listen, we are a family and we pray together and we are into this and there was like a religious undertone to it
Starting point is 00:48:29 and I went to work and we're required to sing, like, I don't remember what it was, but there was like a company song and then like pray. Whoa. And I went in and they were starting that and I go, I'm not doing that. And they're like, you have to. And I go, okay, I quit.
Starting point is 00:48:43 And they're like, what? And I was like, yeah, I'm not gonna do, I'm not gonna pray with you guys and I'm not gonna that. And they're like, you have to. And I go, okay, I quit. And they're like, what? And I was like, yeah, I'm not gonna do, I'm not gonna pray with you guys. And I'm not gonna sing the company song. Like, I'm not joining a cult. You want to join a cult? Yeah. And so I left and I went home and I went back to the paper
Starting point is 00:48:53 incredibly defeated. And the next thing I circled was the job where I went and I interviewed. Told them that I had worked in film and then I got the job and that Gus. And that's how it all happened. So I feel like, you gave, you painted a very vivid picture there.
Starting point is 00:49:08 There was one place that hired me before, I think. Oh, the call center job. Okay. The only place I could get a job was doing telemarketing, cold calling people trying to sell them security systems. Was it in a hotel? It was right behind the hotel over here.
Starting point is 00:49:24 What is it? It used to be the red line. I don't know what it is, it's a car positive, whatever. It It was right behind the hotel over here. What is it? It used to be the red line. I don't know what it is. It was right behind there, like kind of where the Social Security Office is now. I showed up. I did one day of training. They were like, this how you do it?
Starting point is 00:49:34 You call people, give them a spiel about security systems. And then it was actually, I left that, I left training at that place. I went interviewed at the call center and it was that day that the call center called me and gave me the job. So I showed up for one day, I did training on cold calling people selling security systems, and that was it.
Starting point is 00:49:51 I never went back to that. Did you sell any? No, it was just like, here's a script, this is how you do it, this is how the phone systems work. Like I didn't actually make any calls, it was just like, I observed someone else make calls. So I remember seeing that there was that one, and there was also, I don't know if you remember
Starting point is 00:50:06 this water filters. That was another one where you go and you go, and they were always in the paper. My ex-wife, she actually got one of those water filter jobs, which was I think in tandem, kind of similar to what you were doing. But she showed up and it was a motel. And it was a mot, they had rented a motel room and somehow it had like three phones in it.
Starting point is 00:50:22 And there were just like people in the room just like sharing the phones, making calls and she was like, all right, I have a fuck out of here. And it was just like, this is how porn starts, you know, this is weird. Man, it was a, it was a different fucking time. Really different. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:50:35 What is that? Is that the wrap up or is that the keep going? This is an audio podcast, I'm doing this one, it's quiet. No, it's weird. We're getting right to an hour that felt like a great way to to wrap it. Like, it's between like this or this, like, like wrap up or keep going like this.
Starting point is 00:50:48 When you do like this, it's an audio podcast. You know what this is? This is Blues Brothers, or Zwip, or Zwip. Twirling your finger in the air, I'm not sure which way to go. It's an audio podcast, no one can see what you're doing with your fingers.
Starting point is 00:50:59 You can see that's like just described it. So the audience can be alone for the ride. No, no, no, he just kept saying you're doing this or this. You can. You can. You flip your finger, or join up or do you point side like someone's crazy.
Starting point is 00:51:10 Are you ordering around a drinks or you look old? Okay, I'm saying we should wrap it up. That was, man, those stories were really good. Like that's shit that I've never heard before. We haven't even started, like if we're doing this, this, like looking bad. We haven't even met yet. Yeah, right, right, we're setting the stage.
Starting point is 00:51:28 I was gonna start talking about why I even moved to Austin in the first place. We didn't even get there. Shit, dude, we'll have to do that next episode. Yeah, and then like I wanted to talk about that. I wanna talk about the call center. Like you mentioned Bernie, who's like one of the other people
Starting point is 00:51:39 we started Ristartee's with. Like that's where we met him. Like, we're still like, in the late 90s, before we even know each other, like talking about like all this old stuff. Well, it's good that we're slow rolling it because we have to do a million of these podcasts. So we don't want to burn to the last 19 years too quickly.
Starting point is 00:51:55 Yeah, all right. Well, we'll back next week. Maybe we'll talk about what the name of the podcast is next week. I don't know, no promises. What do you think? Amazon for A stands for. Well, you can follow us on Twitter and on Instagram. We have social media.
Starting point is 00:52:06 Andma podcast, a and m a p o d c a s t. Andma podcast follow us there. Keep up to date with everything that's happening here. Let us know what you think the name means. Do we have, do we have TikTok? We should get a TikTok. Who's, who, who is running the TikTok? He's running on the Twitter. Well, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, on the Twitter. Well, I've got just a social media guy.
Starting point is 00:52:25 He's gonna handle it all. I figured if we get enough of these and no one's running, somebody has to do it eventually. Well, we better get it before someone else does. We'll park it. All right, well, I guess we'll see you guys next week. No, no, as Eric said, you won't see us.
Starting point is 00:52:39 I guess really, well, we won't hear them. I guess you guys will hear us next week. All right, bye. Bye. Bye. Describe the show to a newcomer in a more familiar way. Do you like apples? All right, example.
Starting point is 00:52:55 Together in Trempit hosts, Characombs, Characombs are free to deal with nothing to do with this podcast. Analyze various unsolved and rooster-teeths, cryptic podcast, f*** action feel free to add something show premise specific but short listen to show name on apple Spotify or wherever you get podcasts it's face a podcast subscribe or know you do yes No, you do yes.

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