Share & Tell on Location Among the Stars, with Mike Golic Jr., Mina Kimes and Pablo

Summary

Podcast Summary: Pablo Torre Finds Out

Episode: "Share & Tell on Location Among the Stars, with Mike Golic Jr., Mina Kimes and Pablo"

Date: April 11, 2024
Host: Pablo Torre
Guests: Mike Golic Jr., Mina Kimes
Location: Los Angeles

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Episode Overview

This special "Share & Tell" episode brings Pablo, Mike Golic Jr., and Mina Kimes together in person in Los Angeles for a wide-ranging, funny, and surprisingly deep conversation on astrology, digital overload (especially email), suburban vs. city nostalgia, and, in classic PTFO fashion, a draft of strip mall chains. The trio bounce between personal anecdotes, social commentary, and playful banter, revealing their quirks, friendships, and philosophical takes on how modern life is lived (and coped with).

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Vibes and Beard Oil Marketing

Segment: [00:34–04:22]

• The episode banter kicks off with Pablo marveling at Golic Jr.’s "resplendent" beard and probing his grooming choices.
• Golic Jr. confesses he chooses beard oil like an “idiot” based on label appeal and the presence of a dog icon:

  "I walked through Target and I looked at the one that label appealed to me most because I am an idiot." — Mike Golic Jr. [01:07]

• Group laughter at the absurdity of “dog branding” in men’s products leads to jokes about marketing to “masculinity” (“Bro-ic”).
• Mina wonders aloud about men actually using animal-branded products:

  “I just can’t imagine wanting a product that a dog uses.” — Mina Kimes [02:44]

2. Astrology: Sincerity, Skepticism, and Uncanny Accuracy

Segment: [04:22–19:18]

• Pablo shares how he first engaged with astrology, recounting an interview with Andrea Mallis—a real-life sports team astrologer.

  “She was the official astrologer for the Oakland A’s during the Moneyball era.” — Pablo Torre [04:46]

• He plays an excerpt from his own chart reading, with flattery about his Libra qualities (“balanced, fair, sees both sides”).
• Golic Jr. and Mina reveal their astrological leanings:
  • Golic Jr.: Used to read his daily horoscope at Notre Dame; once got a “six-star day” thanks to a friend in the student paper [06:56].
  • Mina: Claims to reject astrology, yet admits Virgo traits fit her eerily well [07:36].
• The trio deep-dive into the accuracy of their signs, reading Cosmopolitan descriptions and reflecting on traits:
  • Pablo and Golic Jr. (“Libra”): Social, approval-seeking, indecisive, overthinkers, lovers of gossip.
  • Mina (“Virgo”): Organized, detail-oriented, self-critical, humble, obsessed with control, secretly fun, loves gossip.
  • Everyone finds humor and a little discomfort in how exposed they feel.
• Pablo reflects on email disorganization as a symbolic "Libra" trait, clashing with Mina’s “Virgo” orderliness.

  “My approach to scheduling my day is comically incompetent compared to Mina.” — Pablo Torre [27:33]

• Notable Quote:

  “I just need... I like the feeling of, like, approval, and then I’ll move on. I’m not going to interrogate it much deeper than that.” — Pablo Torre [13:14]
  “As a Virgo, it’s not about controlling others, it’s about controlling myself and my environment.” — Mina Kimes [16:31]

3. Digital Clutter: Email, Choice Overload & Internet Fatigue

Segment: [19:18–35:04]

• Mina brings up Ezra Klein’s NYT article “Happy 20th anniversary Gmail. I’m sorry, I’m leaving you,” opening a broader discussion about digital overload.
• Each reveals the state of their inboxes:
  • Pablo: 3,798 unread; Golic Jr.: 3,708 unread — “Libra gang, we’re out here.” [22:20]
  • Mina: Just 7 (!), which astounds the others [22:39].
• Pablo and Golic are unbothered by their sprawling inboxes, using search functions or ignoring unread counts, while Mina must clear hers daily, treating it as a “to-do list.”
• The conversation expands to digital abundance: photos, music, access—too much choice diminishing meaning, intentionality, and satisfaction.

  “I’ve stored everything and I’ve saved nothing.” — Citing Ezra Klein [33:14 via Golic Jr.]

• Mina reflects on how overwhelming abundance makes it hard to savor or retrieve meaningful moments.
• Golic Jr. describes using old-school tools—a whiteboard, physical alarm clock—to reclaim focus and separate digital life from real life [29:02].
• Notable Moment: The group laughs at Pablo cohabiting his inbox with another “Pablo Torre” in Argentina, completely unfazed at letting someone else’s bills pile up [30:35].

4. Suburbia vs. City: Nostalgia, Community, and Belonging

Segment: [35:04–45:10]

• Golic Jr. introduces Julie Beck’s Atlantic article on suburb hate, sparking a roundtable on childhood environments.
• They compare growing up:
  • Mike: A classic New England suburb—“white picket fence,” nostalgia for cookie-cutter spaces [36:56].
  • Mina: Military kid in various American suburbs, warm nostalgia for chains and malls but lives in LA.
  • Pablo: Grew up in Manhattan, finds suburbs alien; got his driver’s license at 27 [37:30].

  “For me, the suburbs has always been this place of… this feels alien and eerie.” — Pablo Torre [38:05]

• Pablo defines a city as “walkable, neighborhood-based, anti-car culture, comfort with crowds and noise,” which he never saw in the suburbs [41:40].

5. Draft: The Dream Strip Mall Chain

Segment: [45:10–end]

• In a playful, competitive “draft,” the trio each picks the ultimate strip mall chains to create their fantasy suburban shopping center.
• Order (with quick rationales and reactions):
  1. Pablo: Pizza Hut (“Book It” nostalgia; others immediately tease him for a “rookie mistake”) [46:43]
  2. Mina: Barnes & Noble (“Books, movies, coffee—high-value anchor,” [47:14])
  3. Golic Jr.: Chili’s (“For years, same meal every time—personal tradition,” [47:30])
  4. Golic Jr. (snake draft): Sharper Image (“Peak strip mall—Golic family lore,” [48:00])
  5. Mina: Outback Steakhouse (“Family’s special occasion place; Bloomin’ Onion love,” [48:15])
  6. Pablo: Auntie Anne’s (“Sometimes you’re just there to huff some pretzel fumes, man. Zero calories. Delicious. Every time.” [49:22])
• Tangents about after-school jobs, hangout rituals, and nostalgic diner gatherings fill out the draft chatter.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Beard Oil Choices:

  “I walked through Target and I looked at the one that label appealed to me most because I am an idiot.” — Mike Golic Jr. [01:07]

• On Libra Traits:

  “It cuts to the core of me. That cuts to the core of us.” — Pablo Torre [12:57]
  “It’s the approval… the tendency to overthink, which, yeah buddy, they got me dead to rights on that one.” — Mike Golic Jr. [13:28]

• On Mina’s Virgo Nature:

  “On the day the Emmy—I know, just Emmy-nominated Mina Kimes… left unchecked, this modesty can turn into a self-confidence dip and their critical inner judge can take over, highlighting their flaws and negatives at max volume.” — Pablo (quoting Cosmopolitan) [15:11]
  “As a Virgo, it’s not about controlling others, it’s about controlling myself and my environment.” — Mina Kimes [16:31]

• On Digital Clutter:

  “I have almost an eclipse glasses relationship with my inbox. I’m not gonna look directly at it.” — Pablo Torre [24:29]
  “I’ve stored everything and I’ve saved nothing.” — (Citing Ezra Klein) [33:14 via Golic Jr.]

• On Suburb Nostalgia:

  “You made the memory inside that [cookie-cutter place] with the people there.” — Mike Golic Jr. [44:01]

• On Pizza Hut Pick in the Strip Mall Draft:

  “I was gonna say, Pizza Hut taught me how to read.” — Pablo Torre [46:48]
  “Such a rookie mistake.” — Mina Kimes [46:43]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Beard Oil & Masculine Marketing: [00:34–04:22]
• Pablo’s Astrology Reading: [04:22–06:21]
• Horoscopes & Chart Comparisons: [06:21–19:18]
• Gmail/Email Overload and Productivity: [19:18–35:04]
• Suburban Nostalgia vs. City Childhoods: [35:04–45:10]
• Strip Mall Chain Draft: [45:10–end]

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Tone & Atmosphere

• Smart, playful, self-deprecating, and occasionally deeply sincere
• Brimming with inside jokes, light mockery among friends, and candid self-assessment
• The in-person energy adds a special spark, with frequent laughter and moments of unguarded honesty

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This episode is a quintessential PTFO listen: equal parts hilarious hangout and unexpectedly insightful reflection on the mundane details (and little pleasures) of modern life. Whether you grew up in a city or a suburb, have 100,000 unread emails or strive for inbox zero, you’ll likely feel both recognized and amused.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to Pablo Torre Finds Out. I am Pablo Torre. And today we're going to find out what this sound is.

[B]

I don't trust people that say they didn't look because either you're lying or you're just not curious enough and lack that dog. You're shying away from contact, and I can't win with that effort.

[A]

Right after this ad.

[C]

You'Re listening to Giraffe Kings Network.

[A]

It's good to be here with you guys in person. We're in la. I want people to know that we're in Los Angeles. I came to visit. Hello. Mike Golik Jr. Hey, buddy.

[B]

Good to see you.

[A]

Your beard, by the way. Talking about beards, Mina Gojo's beard looks resplendent.

[C]

Yeah, it really. You gotta see in person to appreciate.

[A]

It, which is why it's good to hear the luster.

[B]

I hope everyone's watching this on YouTube later on, because I walked in and the first thing I did was turn and see what these cameras. Cameras are doing here. Tested out new beard oil this week too, so it's got a healthy sheen to it. I'm a. Look in it. I'm a lichen.

[A]

How did you settle on your. How do you settle on your beard oil?

[B]

I walked through Target and I looked at the one that label appealed to me most because I am an idiot.

[A]

Like the Old Spice sort of like, test of like, am I a. Am I a. An ancient mariner or am I like the Rocky Mountains, a gust of wind blowing through a forest.

[B]

It's funny you say that because my current deodorant is Old Spice Fiji and it smells fine.

[C]

That's fine. That's not. There's. So whenever I walk through the men's aisle when my husband's like, hey, give me a deodorant or a body wash. I cannot stop laughing at the shameless marketing to math. Like masculinity. I guess the. But it's like, you know, fire and ember, like volcano or whatever.

[A]

Thor's. Thor's Hammer.

[C]

I saw somebody post on the Internet. They're calling. There's like, BROIC is now a thing to try to get men to take oic. I don't know if that's a OIC licensed mode of marketing, but anyways. What, what, what was the brand of.

[B]

Beard oil that you don't even remember? Literally just picked one. Had a dog on it.

[C]

It had a dog on it.

[B]

Had a dog. Had a dog on. It was in kind of like a brown casing. It looked sort of like woodish and so I was like, all right, that looks rustic enough for me to trust. Maybe it's of the earth, maybe it's not. I didn't really check the ingredients.

[C]

The pitch that you're using the same product a dog would use on its fur. Or just like you imagine, like the focus group at Procter and Gamble. You know, executives making six figure salaries, putting their heads together. Men like dogs. Just put a dog on it. Put a dog on it.

[B]

Got that dog in me.

[C]

Oh, it's you. Got that dog in you.

[B]

Quite literally. At least in my beard. The rest of me. Tbd.

[C]

I just can't imagine wanting a product that a dog uses.

[B]

Have you seen some of these dogs coats My parents pug. Hairy, beautiful black coat.

[A]

I like the idea that you're a dog up here, but another animal elsewhere.

[B]

Yeah, you know, it's. I, I at this point, like, maybe it would have been a different answer 10 years ago when I was £300 and trying to hit people. But I don't know if I got a lot of dog in me for most situations. Now in real life, I'm just trying to preserve what remains of my lower back discs and not get an adult injury that warrants surgery.

[A]

What was the, what was the thing that you once told me about the activity tree knocking? Like that's a deal that. Why, why did we even start? Do you know what tree knocking is?

[B]

No, it's. It's how you try and attract a sasquatch when you go squatch hunting. So a buddy of mine, a teammate of mine, Anthony McDonald was a linebacker for us at Notre Dame. Him and his brother went to the woods in Oregon to go tree knocking. Back when like a lot of those reality shows, the ones on like the history channel that go looking for ghosts.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Were at the time obsessed with finding sasquatch. And you literally just go and bang sticks together. Because that's apparently the sound that attracts a squatch.

[A]

Okay. That's a good deodorant.

[C]

So bang. Possibility banging sticks together is tree knocking.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Dudes rock.

[A]

I didn't know how I felt about astrology until I talked to an astrologer. And the astrologer I talked to, her name is Andrea Malice. And Andrea Malice I got to know.

[C]

Andrea Malice.

[B]

Yeah. What kind of made up name is this?

[A]

Sounds kind of like a deodorant brand in its own right. Malice Malice would be a good name.

[B]

I would buy Old spice Malice.

[C]

All right. This definitely real person who didn't catfish Pablo.

[A]

Definitely real person named Andrea Malice. I Came across her because she had an interesting line in her bio, which is that she was the official astrologer for the Oakland days during the Moneyball era. So I was like, wait a minute. So there's this astrologer who's a sports astrologer and she was employed by the most like mathematically oriented team, the most influentially mathematical rationalist team in like sports history. And so I asked her, in short, to do my astrology chart reading. And so this is a brief clip of her doing exactly that.

[D]

Your son in Libra. Harmony, balance, fair, willing to meet others halfway, spirit of cooperation.

[A]

It all sounds like me so far.

[D]

What was that?

[A]

It sounds like me so far.

[D]

And check this out. You also have Mercury in Libra, the planet of communication. One of your greatest assets, and I wrote this down, is your ability to see both sides of an issue. And isn't that important in, in the job you do.

[A]

I, I, I gotta say you're, you're preaching to the choir. And even the biggest in the choir is nodding along. Ryan Cortez, he's like, yeah, I see that. Please proceed, Andrea. What else should I know about myself?

[D]

Tactful and reasonable, sympathetic to the underdog. Understanding of other people's feelings. Check this out. This is, I really love this part. Venus and Mars in Virgo. I'm a Virgo, the perfectionist of the zodiac.

[A]

I do feel like a perfectionist.

[D]

You have high standards for your work.

[A]

Have you heard this show before? Yes. So I'm in on astrology now.

[C]

That's it.

[A]

Because it was just super positive. I felt accurate readings. What? Why did you, why did something bad?

[B]

There's usually like negative connotations to every zodiac sign.

[C]

This is, I don't believe any astrologer who only tells you stuff you want to hear.

[B]

So check this out.

[A]

So what catchphrase? What is your guys personal view on astrology?

[B]

I mean I, for every day during college, Notre Dame had a paper on campus called the observer. And I used to every day check the, like the daily horoscope for I'm a Libra like you used to check that every day. And my biggest triumph of college was befriending one of the editors of the paper. It was a one to five star scale for there. So you had a one star day, three star day, five star day, depending on it. And on my birthday one year, because I befriended the editor, I got a six star day. I think the only one in Notre Dame observer history where your astrology charts.

[A]

Were like rivals rankings.

[B]

Yes, 100% Jim Harbaugh's new Los Angeles Chargers locker.

[C]

You manipulated it 100%.

[A]

Mina, your view of astrology, as I plug in Gojo's info here is what I don't believe.

[C]

I'm like very anti anything counterculture as a person. I am like, I'm the least new age person you'll ever meet. And I don't believe in horoscopes, I don't believe in Chinese astrology signs or anything that said mine is really accurate. Like I'm a Virgo. It's really, really accurate. It's so accurate. And the one I sent you guys about a Virgo Libra friendship, Pretty accurate.

[A]

Wait, so, okay, so for people who don't know what astrology is. So Libra, you got a sense of it, right? Gojo and I are balanced and fair scales of justice is how I think about like the whatever iconography of our astro astrological reading. A Virgo is what A Virgo is.

[C]

Very anal retentive, to be honest is the best way to describe it. Super organized, very controlling, but not of others. So as I understand it, Virgos do get along with people and aren't like overbearing, but they're very self critical and obsessed with control over themselves, which is how I would characterize myself.

[A]

So it's been a big week for the moon. So this is the other reason why I'm bringing this story is because suddenly now people are like whoa, this eclipse thing. And also what's the deal with the moon as a concept? I guess. And my whole thing about astrology personally is I of course don't believe there to be scientific basis to it. Except that my reading was very accurate as you, as you heard. And if anything is going to influence a bunch of people on this rock in space, why not the thing exerting gravitational force upon our tides? So like, is there something happening that brings this to the realm of like not nothing.

[C]

Well, let's just start by actually adjudicating the accuracy of our signs. We've all been like, yeah, it feels right. Do you feel like what I just described? I mean, I guess the. It could be a little bit self determining because it's me describing it. So maybe Pablo, you should actually like read what other people because we've all like rather than me saying what I think of her.

[A]

All right, let me get what I.

[C]

Think of Virgo Libra friendship is. Maybe it would be best if you actually read something and then we all decided how true it was.

[B]

Because I think you're right. The tendency is to Just focus on the parts that feel like us.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

When you read all this stuff and there is a bunch of them, like, it is a little bit eerie how accurate.

[C]

So like Aries, for example, are really like.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And like my mom is an Aries, my brother's an Aries. And if I was like, yeah, I'm an Aries. Aries is aggressive, loud, intense, passionate. I think you'd be like, like that's just not how I am at all. So I do. I mean, I. There's a lot of signs. Pisces, Dreamy. Like I'm not like that at idealistic. I think that there are a lot of signs that are very clearly not myself.

[A]

Here's Cosmopolitan magazine. I did get a couple of pop ups where I'm like, this feels like it's. It's inside of my phone now. So. Libra. Always tactful, pleasing, diplomatic. Libras can fit in any place, anytime with anyone. Shape shifting is almost a sport to Libra.

[C]

Okay, see, there are some negative connotations.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Overly malleable.

[A]

Yup. And they enjoy mingling and socializing with different groups and so forth. You can find them lounging and flirting anywhere. Anywhere.

[B]

Well, well.

[A]

Damn. Being the center of attention and loved by all around. They have to think, analyze, ponder. High sex stuff. Great.

[C]

Get to the negatives.

[A]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

Cuz I think I've read this one on the site and they do bring up some of the negatives.

[A]

Chaos, disorder and conflict. Okay. Uber diplomacy. Okay. Bit of a gossip.

[C]

Yeah. You both love gossip.

[A]

I do. Yeah.

[C]

The Virgo Libra friendship.

[A]

True. It says the easiest way to impress humor, cajole the person in front of them is to drop. Is to drop a juicy goss bomb.

[C]

Oh gosh.

[A]

So that is what they do. Can't help it. Nuh. Period. Damn. Other critiques.

[C]

Yeah, keep going, keep going.

[A]

Slightly entitled.

[C]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Idealist. Idealist. Also indecisive. And that is me as well. Yeah, I am indecisive as.

[C]

Okay, I'm jumping in because I'm the outsider here. Because, you know, I. I realize you're valuing yourself. I think it's pretty accurate for both of you and what this drives home for me. And I didn't know you were both Libras. I didn't put two and two together, but yeah. Yeah, I guess it's obvious you do have a lot in common. The two of you have really similar personalities. The way you approach work, the way you approach working with others.

[A]

And what our athleticism, our shared love Of. Of just masculine combat, incredible calves. Yep.

[C]

And like, I potential pre diabetes as well.

[B]

For me, at least.

[A]

You.

[C]

You are. I. You both are the kind of people I could invite to any dinner and you would get along with everyone and. And you love being loved.

[A]

And it cuts to the core of me. That cuts to the core of us.

[B]

100. 100%.

[A]

That really is true. Oh, it's both beautiful and sad. A little bit.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But accurate.

[B]

Like, painfully accurate.

[A]

Indisputably accurate. I'm the sort of person.

[B]

No, go for it.

[A]

No, I was gonna say I'm the sort of person where I'm like, I'll read some comments. I'm like, just give me a positive comment so that I can stop imagining negative ones. I'll just take it. Just. I just need. I like the feeling of, like, approval, and then I'll move on. I'm not going to interrogate it much deeper than that.

[B]

Yeah, it's the approval. And I think the. The other negative I've seen associated with Libras is the tendency to overthink, which. Yeah, buddy, they got me dead to rights on that one. So, yeah, I would say those all absolutely apply. You were very quick to point out, like, yes, you are absolutely a Libra when we started talking about this yesterday.

[A]

So we do love love.

[C]

What does mine say?

[A]

All right.

[C]

But you guys be the judge of it.

[A]

Okay, here we go. Here's some. Here's some cosmopolitan.com truth about.

[C]

Give it to me good and bad, please. Not all bad.

[A]

Yep, this zodiac sign works hard. All caps at coming off all effortless and perfect. They have extremely high standards, none more so than themselves. And they obsess over everything. They are fantastic detail. People love organizing stuff can be relied on to make everything go smoothly. Virgos can come off as uptight or critical, but actually, their mercury ruler does present a lighter side to their character. They love gossip information. And by the way, thank you. If this website did not establish that Mina also loves gossip, I was gonna lose a lot of credibility. Right? Listen, this is important. It's true. It's true. They love gossip. Information, education, entertainment. Their mind is sharp, bright and shrewd. Virgos make great friends. They're 100 solid. And also parentheses, secretly, close parentheses. Naughty. Fun. Keep going.

[C]

Get to the now. The bad stuff. That was all the good stuff. I feel like that was mostly.

[B]

I think I actually snotted.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

[C]

I am fun.

[A]

You'll rarely find a Virgo. Okay. Boasting, bragging, showboating. That's true.

[C]

But no, he said rarely.

[A]

Rarely, rarely, rarely. Even world beating achievements are presented with a humble shrug and a self deprecating comment.

[B]

I mean on the. On the day the Emmy I know.

[A]

Just Emmy nominated me to go. Left unchecked, this modesty can turn into a self confidence dip and their critical inner judge can take over, highlighting their flaws and negatives at max volume, making them think they're not good enough and don't deserve their spot. This is getting uncomfortably accurate.

[B]

Buddy, what do you have to save? Yourself.

[A]

Damn. Damn.

[C]

Keep going.

[A]

Virgos are born conscientious, diligent perfectionists, can't bear to see anything delivered in a shoddy way and will happily take on extra to avoid that happen. There's a fine line here though, says cosmopolitan.com between working hard in the team and becoming a monstrous control freak who tries to do everyone else's job for them.

[C]

All right, well what do you think ruling that is?

[A]

I don't know if I've read a better scatter report of you. Of all the profiles and articles I've read about Mina, that is none of them have that level of just like cutting to the core of what's going on here.

[C]

Mike, you know me well.

[B]

Yeah, a lot of. A lot of truth to that. I would say the last part about wanting to control what everyone else does, I don't think that pops up.

[C]

Mostly when I've read Virgo, it's not like being controlling of others, it's being like controlling of the project or yourself. So it's not really because there's some signs that are very dominating and it's never presented as dominating but it is presented as this person is way too obsessive to their own detriment at times.

[A]

Do you want some Virgo turn offs?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Those who don't accept your help, that is one turn off.

[C]

Interesting.

[A]

Also mansplaining or any shape or form of that kind of patronizing. This is how you do it and mess.

[C]

So that's an interesting one because Mike, you've been in my car, seen my house. I'm not a clean human.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Yeah, but I. It's all physical. My like I have my. We talked about this with Dan actually when we talked about schedule. There's no mess in my day. Like everything is like yeah, so Virgo Libra friendship.

[A]

So yeah. So the friendship though is I mean clearly gossip based.

[B]

We've established that as the baseline gossip.

[A]

Bombs everywhere loves to spill tea about co workers.

[C]

I think both these are pro. Both pretty collaborative signs is one of my takeaways.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I think the only thing that we've established because you mentioned like the schedule, your diligence for that stuff, and the sort of laissez fair, like laxadasical, go with the flow attitude of Libras leads to Pablo always being late. That was the one thing that was just like programmed out of me by football. That doesn't necessarily apply where I've got a little bit more Virgo to my bag than that. But the schedule stuff couldn't, couldn't do it.

[C]

Can't do it.

[B]

No, simply I'm, I am terrible at it, really. Like keeping and setting a schedule. Especially now out here because I work east coast hour, so I have a ton of time and trying to default to not turning on my PlayStation at 8 o' clock in the morning is a real siren song. I have to avoid.

[C]

I can't do vacations. I, I, I can do them, but they're scheduled. I can't, I don't like know what to do with free time. I just can't, can't do it.

[A]

I have some of that as well. I also have a. This is another big Libra turn off that maybe I think unifies us. And I wonder, wonder if this is part of the Virgo Libra friendship. Libra turnoffs include conflict. The thought of someone shouting in your face is enough to make you burst into tears. Thank you, God.

[B]

Oh, yeah, that's, that's your boy.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Hate it, boy.

[C]

Can't do it.

[A]

Yep, yep, yep. Just, just, just love me. Is it that hard?

[C]

So I feel like astrology is real.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Honestly, I changed my mind.

[A]

Spreading you all over my armpits. Now, who wants to go next?

[C]

Your. This is your show.

[A]

Okay. Well, I want to make everybody happy and avoid conflict. And you yelled at me and now I'm a little afraid.

[C]

Well, I, I tried to wrap the last segment to keep us on time. I put a bow on it for you if you notice that, because I Let's.

[A]

I feel like Nina's topic is a good segue out of this. Speaking of the, of the concept of how we organize ourselves and how we keep order in our lives.

[C]

Okay. Yeah, it is a good. I think actually it probably flows pretty naturally from how I just described myself, which is. So the article that I brought up is by Ezra Klein, ran the New York Times, and I don't have the title of it.

[A]

Yep. Happy 20th anniversary Gmail. I'm sorry, I'm leaving you by Ezra Klein in the New York Times.

[C]

It's Basically about how Gmail is done and Gmail sucks and he kind of lays out the promise of Gmail or the biggest sell of it was the idea that you. There was no limitations on the number of emails you could have. Because so much memory and as opposed to. And that got me thinking about like, I guess it's. It's been in my life so long, I can't remember a time when we were forced to delete and organize emails. Like with Outlook before it or whatever services we used, I guess, aol, Hotmail, whatever.

[A]

You got Gmail in college, right? Thereabouts. Yeah. Because I remember like my school address and then the. The open world of bottomless Gmail.

[C]

Yes. And Gmail as service basically offers you all these ways to organize your email with tags and this and that, but you. There's no limit to the amount you get. And like a lot of people, Ezra writes about how, you know, he had millions of emails and at a certain point he was like, this is non functional for me anymore. I cannot use this. So he was like, I have to go in a different direction. He described a service, I believe it was called, hey, Yep. Or something that is more restrictive. Like, it keeps people from emailing you. It makes you. Forces you to make decisions and like when you write an email, it takes over your screen. Little things like that.

[A]

Yeah, it was sort of like the premise of that app, I believe was like gatekeeping. The idea, do you approve this person to like, enter your. Your inbox?

[B]

Yeah. Gave you like, the option to like blacklist, essentially, where once you do that, you no longer will see this email show up.

[C]

So there's a larger trend or conversation that flows from this, which is basically the Internet becoming unwieldy generally and there being too much choice, too much content, too much people who. Too many people who have access to you at all times. And he gets at that. But I thought it might be good to just kind of start with the framework of Gmail and to ask you guys, how big are your inboxes? It's just like we all have our phones.

[A]

Uncomfortable. I mean, I have 3,798 unread emails.

[B]

I have 3,708 emails. That's eerily close. Libra gang, we're out here.

[A]

I mean, just like looking in a mirror, my cosmic brother, looking in a lustrous bearded mirror.

[C]

Look at mine. That's my inbox.

[A]

What do we got? What are we working with?

[B]

There are seven emails in here. Oh my God. I've. I've truly never in person, I Thought you people, like you were a myth.

[C]

And what a couple of these really shouldn't be in here either.

[A]

Oh, by the way, I. I should say too, that, like sound effect videos archive that I have 3,798 in my inbox.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

On Gmail unread. But I have 140, 150, 4030 in the promotions tag under forums, it's 4066. Updates, it's 93,340. Okay, so it's just like hundreds of thousands of emails. I just have never seen just a dog.

[C]

This really does flow quite well from our last segment. Okay, so I got it. I just want to ask you, how do you go about your day living this way?

[A]

Because blissfully, largely very.

[C]

Okay, so. So you're not. Because what Ezra describes is the inability to go just being like, it's too much. I can't deal with it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I don't like this form of communication with people where, you know, I have to actively search for things. It doesn't bother you?

[B]

No. Just because I think email is so much more of a passive form of communication that it's. It doesn't like. I think the thing that resonated with me most about this and the idea of that clutter you're describing was him talking about on this hey service, when it takes over your whole screen, it eliminates the rest of the email box being behind it. Because that's the problem I have in general with my relationship with my phone now is there's so much on it between work, between personal life, the group chats I'm in, email threads, stuff I'm posting for work on social, that it all feels tied back to the work that draws anxiety. And so when I go in there to do one thing, I. I end up getting inundated by something else that pops up. And it distracts me to the point where a lot of times I just set it down and have to put it away.

[A]

Yeah. I have like almost an eclipse glasses relationship with my inbox. I'm not gonna look directly at it. I'm just gonna like, yep, that's a thing I should deal with.

[B]

You peak a little, though.

[A]

Peak a little bit. But for me, the thing that resonated from Ezra Klein's column was this notion of a shame. Closet.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

So this concept of like, it's the place you put everything so you don't have to figure out what to do with it. And as I was contemplating, I saw the headline of his article and I was like, this dude, like, Gmail and me, we get along great. It's not stressful. If I. The search function is actually key to it, right? Like, if I need to find something, I'll get a couple of date qualifiers and, like, subject lines and all that stuff. Attachments. I can find it. But what I realized as I was reading it was that it is like my. It's like, like my photo album on my phone at this point on my icloud, where it's just hundreds of thousands of things that I don't have an intuitive sense of. Like, I know if I need to get something I can find, it'll just take me a long time. And it's just, it's. It's detaching me from the premise of, like, oh, I consult a. A nice, tidy box of people trying to reach out to me. Instead, it's like a ball pit where I'm like, searching for treasures at the bottom of it.

[C]

So I have that with photos, actually, what you mentioned, photos where we used to be, like, what are the best photos I took at this thing? And now you just take a zillions of them and you look and you try to find, you kind of lose, you know, I mean, having a child now, it literally is just millions and millions of photos. And it really bothers me and stresses me out knowing that I can't find a photo. Like, if I want to find a photo from something that happened a specific year, I. Most of the time, like, I'm not really sure if I can find it. I know there's like, search functions, but they don't really work super well.

[A]

Yeah, it's like, yeah, the AI. So you can put it in, like, sunset.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And you'll get all of the sunsets. But also it's imperfect.

[C]

That bothers me a lot. But I. And I actually have been like, I should take a day and go through all my photos and like, you know, but I'm just not going to do it. Whereas with emails, it's like, okay, I have kept this thing under control and I want to keep doing it because it would bother me in the same.

[A]

Way knowing that's a Virgo for you, buddy. Look at that.

[B]

Yeah, it's. I guess so is it. So it's the fact that you can't immediately control all the parts of it, that it is just something that overflows in a way that you can't somehow.

[C]

Organize a lot of. When we think about, like, what do I have to do today? Okay, what do I have to do today? I Had a taping at 12, I had this taping at 2. Those are the main things I got, you know, my hair done. But inevitably, every day you have to reply to emails. I can't fathom conquering that part of my to do list without a clear look at the emails in front of me. Without a clear look at like, okay, I have seven emails in my inbox. I have to reply to two of them today. If it was millions, I don't know even how I would begin to assess which ones matter to, like, understand even how to go about it.

[A]

My approach to scheduling my day is comically incompetent compared to Mina.

[C]

What is your approach?

[A]

So for a long time, it used to be my to do list was a draft of an email in Gmail. So it'd just be like an email that was blank that I would fill in with like, my tasks and it would save because it was a draft and I would just update it day by day. Like, I'm gonna. I did this thing. Let me delete that. So it's like a constantly updating single email that was like, very, very simple and like the opposite of like, strategic. And then it got to be, I use Google Calendar, but in Google Calendar I'll put like, reply to this email and it'll just move every day. So there are some to do tasks about responding to. Like a friend from high school who's like, can you meet this kid that asked me for like, a career advice once again to sports media? I'm like, cool, absolutely. And it's been following me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

On delay for literally a month. That's how I'm dealing with email. Which to say I'm. I need to respond to that. Actually, now that I remember that, I.

[C]

Guess what it comes down to is how much this specific overwhelming aspect of the Internet right now, how much it overwhelms you or whether it bothers you or it comes down to how you approach work generally and like scheduling and control. And I, I think somebody with my personality type could probably never live with email a million.

[B]

Well, I, I think it's interesting because I have a lot of the same feelings you do about the general technological overload and the general Internet overload. Like, I had to start separating some of the functions away from this because it, like, I look at my phone the way you look at a stacked email box. Like, I had to get a physical alarm clock again because having my wake up associated with the. Wasn't a mental connection that I liked. I have a physical calendar that I write Stuff down in. I have a whiteboard in my kitchen where my to do list goes. So I go there and I write it down at the beginning of the week or the beginning of the day, and I get the satisfaction of erasing. But I have it in a separate place. I don't have to keep going back to this again.

[C]

That's how I look at email is as a to do list that needs to be cleared every day. And that includes, by the way, like, I get the New York Times news email every day and I have to read it because if I do not read it, my inbox will go over 10. So I read it every day purely because of that arbitrary line that I have set for myself.

[B]

So that's what keeps you accountable to reading that every day, is not the desire to actually read it, but just the desire to keep your inbox clean.

[C]

Exactly. Although I do. I enjoy reading it.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

But, you know, when will I find the time to read it? Like, what? Well, it doesn't matter. I have to find it because otherwise my inbox goes over 10 and it is like the bus from Speed. If it goes over 10, I will die.

[A]

My inbox is full of that. I. I'm just like, opening it right now. I get a lot of emails for another Pablo Torre that I've just never corrected or responded to.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. So it's like a guy, I believe he's like, in Argentina, and I just get like, bills and I had to check, I did have to check, like, am I being billed? And once the answer was no, I was like, this dude can cohabitate with me, sure, whatever.

[B]

But you're also not alerting other Pablo that he's being billed and now he's under a mountain of debt.

[A]

That is potentially the downside.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

If he's listening to this show, I'm.

[C]

Sorry, I feel like, okay, the sort of question hanging all of this is like, this is actually a problem. Right. Because as your client presents, this is a problem. And I think it's. It is a problem. One if it gives you psychological stress. In the case of emails, and it sounds like none, we're all fine because we've all figured out our relationship with it is different.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

But I do think that there is an actual problem.

[A]

Is there a better way?

[C]

Yes. Right.

[A]

I mean, so. But the question about photos, it's like, what does it mean when you can have infinite everything Music?

[B]

Is that the problem that you're talking about? Like, what did you think the actual problem?

[C]

Yeah, I think the email thing is A little bit different from photos and music and, and search and all of that. Because if there is a problem, it's. If you don't have a handle on it. Like either you have a handle on it, which sounds like you guys do or I do, but we do in our different ways.

[A]

One of the Pablos does.

[C]

Yeah, I think there are like, we're all actually like, oh, we're fine. I think there are a lot of people who are like Ezra Klein and who are like very much stressed by the way email is conducted now where like you don't. It's just so overwhelming. You lose sight of what to reply to and it's just too much. I think that that is the thing, but I think with regards to actual, like the photos and music and content, I. That is something I actually view as more of a problem for myself because I think my. The way my mind works is it is easier for me to wrap my mind around, you know, something that's limited in a way, like 20 photos or a single album or whatnot that I have to listen to all the way through. And I think my experience of those things, photos, music, news, has degraded because I have so much choice.

[B]

I think that's one of those things that also you can zoom out more. And one of the things he talks about at the end of this is he lumped social media into this is also. And the line that really hit me was, I've stored everything and I've saved nothing. Like this idea that there's a lack of permanence to all these things. And it's this, what you just described always makes me think of when people talk about just humans in general and their relationship with social media. Like we were built to exist in groups up to a certain size, and now we're simply interacting with too many people all the time. And does it limit or cheapen the value of each of those interactions? The same way that having too much music keeps you from really enjoying one bit by having all of these interactions and, and the idea in here that, like, oh, have I given so much of myself to this space, like on social media, where I have not contributed meaningfully to actual relationships in my life in a way that's beneficial and has permanence.

[A]

Yeah. I think the through line concern is like a lack of intention around like, what we're allowing into our, like, private collections of our most, sometimes our most like, important sacred memories, like when it comes to photos, because you don't have to think about it. Everything is allowed and you do save Nothing effectively. And when it comes to email, it's like you have been sort of like fighting the battle for intention. And I've like so far I've. I gave up on that battle so long ago that now email is effectively not an effective way to reach me.

[B]

Yeah, which is very true.

[A]

The thing that I'm not mad about insofar as like one goal I have in general is I don't want to be expected to be super responsive on so many platforms. Like if you gotta get to me, you need to like the Terra alert scale color needs to be like red. Right. Like call me, text me is like an orange. An email. It's like I may get back to you in six months legitimately. Which is not the worst way to gatekeep. But it does mean that email as a concept is just less. It's less useful to anybody who deals with me.

[C]

I just never wanna be called by anyone. So please just send me an.

[A]

All right gojo.

[B]

It's funny thinking about some of this is actually like kind of an interesting transition into like what we value that I found here and has a tie into the place we're all at right now. We're in Los Angeles as you establish off the top. And I just moved here about a year and a half, two years ago in June. And the differences I am feeling relative to being a lifelong suburban guy. So the article is by Julie Beck, it was in the Atlantic, it was called what the Suburb Haters don't Understand. And basically the whole article was about just, you know, the whole notion and nature of suburbs as, as they call it, kind of living nowhere. These places that are so similar from location to location, regardless of where you're at, that there's really nothing special or unique about the experience. And this idea is that, you know, robbing people of something is that, you know, actively decaying growing community and things like that. But also touches on the nature of the article of what they don't understand is that even in these places that themselves don't have a ton of meaning. You hold on to these memories. The drug of nostalgia is so tied to all these places and for the first time coming out here it talked about the self hate of being in a suburb like this. I grew up in Avon, Connecticut, as, as white picket fence a suburb as you can find in a state that doesn't have a ton. And there was always, especially when people come into town at espn, you kind of on your own state. It was kind of the party starter there. And as I got here in la. I found immediately that drug of nostalgia hitting where I remembered all the little things about a place where I had so many memories built up that was different. And so I wanted to know how it was for you guys relative to this, because we've all kind of gone through life differently. Where, Mina, you've got more suburban in your background, and then lived in New York, lived out here, got to a city a lot sooner than I did. Pablo, you grew up in a city.

[A]

We could not be more different than in this specific subject.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because I grew up in Manhattan in the city. And so the very premise of, like, oh, they're these templates, these repeating motifs of, like, strip malls and, like, these chain restaurants and all this stuff, the rituals about what you do. Like, I. I presume, like, I've only see, I. I've only seen this in TV shows and movies, but, like, at lunch in school, you'd, like, drive somewhere to, like, get food off of your campus or whatever. Or, like, the rituals of literally getting a driver's license. I got my driver's license in 2012.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Before I got my job at ESPN, because I survived without it at Sports Illustrated through a truly, like, Rude Goldberg device of, like, friends in various places who would, like, drive me, plus, like, a network of, like, taxis and all that stuff. And then I just got it because I felt like it's shameful that I was 27 and didn't know how to drive. And so I finally got it. And so for me, the suburbs has always been this place of. This feels alien and eerie. Like, it just. Yeah, it's just the opposite. Sort of like city planning, metabolism, what I'm used to.

[C]

For us, it was like our vision of the city was like watching hey, Arnold or something. Yeah.

[B]

That was. My exposure was like, cartoons and TV shows, like, trying to figure out how the people and friends afforded the amount of sheer square footage that they had in a New York City.

[C]

We were sold. A lie, for sure. Yeah, I. I like my. So I grew up in mostly suburban towns all over America, but which actually is a big part of why this story really resonated with me, that this woman wrote in the Atlantic about sort of the nostalgia of the suburbs, because for me, someone who grew up. My dad was in the military, so I grew up either on military bases or when he retired. We still moved a lot. You know, that was sort of the connective fiber of all the places I lived, which was chains, those familiar signposts, movie theater complexes, malls, places where kids hung out. When I was growing up. And then, as Mike said, you know, I lived in New York City after graduating from college and then moved to la. So it's super nostalgic for me. And I have really pleasant memories of that and when and. And yet that's not what I've chosen for myself. Obviously. I live in Los Angeles, pretty urban environment.

[A]

I consider Los Angeles a suburb.

[B]

Well, that was going to be, like.

[A]

I don't know how you feel about halfway between, but the idea of, like, strip malls and you're in a car all the time, like, these are, like, the big check boxes of what I consider a suburb.

[B]

Well, the other interesting part about this article and the part that I disagreed with this idea that it was somehow, like, antithetical to building community, that being in these suburbs put you too far from other people to interact. Like, and I don't know. And again, like, part of this is always going to involve, like, class. Like, I grew up not wanting for much. We grew up in a nice neighborhood where you felt safe to go out. And certainly I think that was more a sign of the times as much as anything. But, like, I had a lot of close relationships in my neighborhood, where you could walk or bike to go and meet your friends and do something in person. And you had a lot of these places where you could kind of build a lot of those memories.

[C]

I think when you're a kid, you do, and then when you get older, it gets harder. And I'd be interested in hearing your experience. But, like, actually hit me yesterday with the eclipse because I didn't have eclipse glasses. And I was thinking, God, if I was in New York, I could just, like, go downstairs or, like, walk outside and probably someone would hand them to me. I don't really see humans most of the time in, like, in my neighborhood.

[A]

It'S scary to me.

[C]

Like, when I walk around, it's empty. So I had to make a really sad box and cut some tin foil.

[B]

Honestly, I was impressed that you maintained the level of, like, craftiness from elementary school that most of us lose.

[A]

Related story Mina's blind now.

[C]

I looked in 2017.

[A]

Did you guys look?

[B]

I looked yesterday. I got that dog.

[C]

But it's so bright, you can't tell a million people don't look and expect me not to look.

[B]

That's what I'm saying. I don't trust people that say they didn't look. Because either you're lying or you're just not curious enough and lack that dog. You're shying away from contact. And I can't win with that effort.

[A]

Yeah. You're getting in an Oklahoma drill with the sun.

[C]

I think it was like, Hillary Clinton who's like, look, you know, made fun of Trump. And I'm like, like, hill, this is the most relatable Trump's ever been. This is not good. Like, you know, bad take. Yeah, right. Like negative campaigning. Okay. But yeah, no, it. I think Los Angeles is more, like. It reminds me more of the suburbs in the city. As someone who lived in New York for a long time, too, especially the car culture.

[A]

Yeah, the car. So to me, like, what. What defines a city? Okay, I can walk everywhere. It's neighborhoods. Just like back to back to back to back, endless walking. There is zero car culture. In fact, a lot of people that I know still, like, haven't gotten a license. That's how extreme New York is in that way. But then the third part is, like, just comfort in massive crowds of people all the time.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

And noise. And so the idea of, like, there's this strip mall, this, like, holy place that you guys have in your, like, most nostalgic childhood memories that this author also shares, where it's like, you know, picking your top, asking people, give me your top five favorite chains if you.

[B]

Were gonna build your ideal strip mall.

[C]

So. Such a good question. I mean, just before we get like, yeah, the strip mall concept is really pivotal to growing up because, I don't know, like, when we were growing up in high school, we all went to the same mall.

[A]

We did not have malls or the.

[C]

Same movie theater complex where there were, like, you know, there was like an Outback and an AMC and Borders, and that's just where everyone hung out. And you would see if you had a crush on someone, you might see them there. Your friend would be like, we're going to meet after school here.

[A]

But truly, like, the great glory. And this is the New York elitism, like, really, like, coming out of me. It's that the things I did as a kid are the things tourists go to visit.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, I went to the greatest museums and restaurants. Some of them, like diners, I would suppose, would be the closest thing to, like, what is the. That place that I think of nostalgically where I go to, like, see my friends all the time, like, diners. But that's the closest thing I had to, like, a mall, basically.

[B]

Well, and I guess that's interesting to me because I thought a lot about this moving out here because growing up at a place that was largely like that, where everything was cookie cutter ours for what it was Worth The Simsberry Commons was a Borders, a Hoyts and a Chili's, and that's a Hoyt's. A Hoyt's was a movie theater. There was the Hoyt's Crown Plaza back then. I don't know if that. I think it's since defunct, but that was the, like the highway where everybody went to meet and hang out. The goth kids hung out in front of Starbucks and played with snakes. It was awesome. Fascinating.

[C]

Starbucks was a huge hangout spot growing up. And if you had a friend who worked there who could hook you up, that was a big thing too.

[B]

That was always the key. You needed to have someone that worked at a place that sold coffee and breakfast stuff Lock stock bagels in West Hartford shout out to my buddy Tito should have gotten fired for how much free stuff he.

[C]

I worked at Bagel Nash in high school. The amount of free bagels that I.

[B]

Gave out, yeah, there's a plug, but like, I guess that's the Robin Hood like bagels. The interesting point to me is coming out here now for the first time in my life, I live in a place that is inherently interesting, where there are places and things to do that in and of themselves are a draw versus everywhere. Where I grew, like, where I grew up in Connecticut, which is where I spent the majority of my life, I moved around before that when dad was finishing up playing, but too young to remember. All of these places had these basically, like hollowed out cookie cutter places where you went and then you made the memory inside that with the people there. All the stuff that we've talked about, like meaning and things. Like we had a diner called A.C. peterson's in West Hartford was where we went after every, like, football win, major school function. And it was wholly unremarkable food. But it was just the place that we all went where you went and built all these memories and relationships. And now I was curious as someone experience a place for the first time that has stuff that's a draw, how that maybe affected the way you remember things from your childhood because you did have these inherently interesting things to go and do. But, like, does that. Do you still have the experiences with people tied to those places, or is it about the experience itself that you had there?

[A]

Yeah, like I remember, like we would gather in like Central park, you know, like, but. But it's. You can't really claim Central park is your place. So like, the idea of like, we have almost this tribal memory in which we. We claimed this as our own. Like part of what you can't have, as a New Yorker is the idea that. Oh, that's mine, sure. Like significance, but it's not like the, it's not like a secret inside joke that, like, we hung out in Times Square, which is a real thing. We did, like. Yeah, it's not the same.

[B]

No.

[C]

Yeah, the Red Lobster there is, actually.

[A]

So that's my exposure, though, to some of the chains. There's an Olive Garden there. That's, that's how I know this.

[C]

It's not like normal. They're, they're.

[A]

And they're the most expensive ones in the country.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

49 for like a breadstick.

[C]

We're going to draft chains or what?

[B]

As we say, it feels like the right time.

[A]

As our final segment of the day of what we found out today. I want to do this draft. I want to find out what Mike. What? Mike Goy Jr. Amina Kimes, Suburban experts are going to take in a competitive draft with me of chains to form your dream strip mall.

[B]

Well, who do we want to give the first. Should we give Pablo the first pick since he's so disadvantaged in this?

[A]

I would appreciate that. Okay. With the first pick in the strip mall chain institution draft, Pablo Torre selects Pizza Hut.

[C]

Ugh. Such a rookie mistake.

[A]

I was gonna say Pizza Hut taught me how to read.

[B]

Unless it's the one that, like the old school, dine in ones that are now extinc. That was, that was a great experience.

[A]

Book it program. I ate pizza for free because I read books.

[C]

So I'm approaching this kind of like strategically in that there's just so many restaurants. Restaurants to me are kind of like the quarterbacks of this draft, where I can get one a little bit later. I'm going for higher value anchor position. I'm taking Barnes and Noble.

[B]

Son of a.

[C]

You can't. I mean, Barnes and Noble, damn. Has everything. It has.

[A]

That was on my board, too.

[C]

Books, movies, games, you can sit around and look at stuff. Magazines, last minute presents when you're desperate. Coffee, great pick a little cafe.

[B]

Now I've just got to go best on the board because I am reeling after that pick. So I'm going to secure Chili's right now.

[C]

Fine. Take it. I don't want it.

[B]

I.

[C]

Please.

[B]

I, I, for a long time had the same meal, I think for like five straight years. Every time I went to Chili's, it was boneless buffalo wings, grilled shrimp alfredo, the skillet queso, and a molten lava cake at the end every time.

[A]

So much heat.

[C]

So many better chain restaurants.

[A]

We're Gonna do one more round.

[C]

Go. You were snaking. We're snaking it.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

All right. This one is. I don't even know if this store exists anymore. I'm praying to God it does, but to me, this is Peak Strip Mall. The Sharper Image.

[A]

Oh, that store. Oh, boy.

[B]

Is part of Golic family lore.

[C]

I'm going the place that my family always went for special occasions. And that's Outback Steakhouse.

[B]

Oh, it's a good pick.

[C]

Bloomin Onion was. I loved them so much.

[A]

Getting choked up.

[B]

That was audible. No, that was drool. That was Mina doing. What happens to me when I talk about food.

[C]

I love bloomin Onion. This is a real story so much that at the not the Sharper Image, but the Made for TV store as Stonewall on TV store, I bought a Bloomin Onion device, which is. It's like the circular knife thing that you would put into an onion to slice it. Then you drop the bloom into the deep fryer. And for show and tell in fourth grade, I made a Bloomin Onion for the class. I don't.

[B]

I think that's in the class.

[C]

I think that's. I know. I got permission to bring the device and the knife and the deep fryer. I think that's when I peaked as a child.

[A]

Auntie Ants.

[B]

You know why I'm so proud of you right now?

[C]

Sometimes can you eat, Auntie Anne?

[A]

Sometimes, Mina. Glad you asked. Sometimes the most important sense you have is smell. I'm just there to huff some pretzel fumes, man. Zero calories. Delicious. Every time. This has been Pablo Torre Finds Out a Meadowlark Media production and I'll talk to you next time.