#4430 In Media Res

Summary

TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live – Episode #4430: In Media Res
Release Date: March 25, 2025

In episode #4430 titled "In Media Res," hosts Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh deliver their trademark blend of humor, personal anecdotes, and insightful discussions. This episode navigates through a variety of topics, from the quirks of sales clichés to the unsettling rise of sophisticated scams, all while engaging deeply with their community of listeners.

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1. Sales Humor and Clichés

The episode kicks off with a humorous take on the world of sales, referencing the iconic line from "Glengarry Glen Ross."

• Luke Burbank [00:00]:
  “Actors. I got three words for you. Glengarry Glen Ross coffees for closers only.”

• Andrew Walsh [00:10]:
  “You call yourself a salesman, you son of a. Hi, I'm from downtown. I'm from Mitch and Murray...”

This playful exchange satirizes the high-stakes environment of sales competitions, highlighting the absurdity of exaggerated prizes and fierce competition.

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2. TV Show Joke Repetition

A significant portion of the episode delves into the repetition of jokes across various TV shows, particularly the "finishing each other's sandwiches" gag.

• Andrew Walsh [03:16]:
  “The 'we finish each other's sandwiches' definitely happened in Arrested Development. So that's probably why you and I would know that.”

• Luke Burbank [05:06]:
  “Do we feel like that sort of takes away some of the fun and some of the joy of the Good Place version of it?”

The hosts explore whether the reuse of such jokes diminishes their originality or serves as a homage within the comedic landscape.

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3. Hotel Room Setup and Extension Cord Saga

Luke shares an entertaining yet relatable story about arranging his hotel room for optimal recording conditions, focusing on the challenges of dealing with limited electrical outlets.

• Luke Burbank [11:00]:
  “So the thing was, the desk was very heavy and pretty. It wasn't bolted down, thankfully, but it was like, it's a pretty substantial thing to move.”

• Andrew Walsh [16:22]:
  “I have a theory that you're actually worse off in terms of quick turnaround delivery time in Manhattan than you would be in, like, where I live...”

This segment humorously captures the often-overlooked hassles of traveling professionals trying to maintain their workflow in less-than-ideal environments.

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4. Donor Contributions and Community Engagement

Acknowledging their supporters, the hosts express gratitude towards donors and highlight the importance of community involvement.

• Luke Burbank [31:11]:
  “Thank you to everybody who's participating in that and, and Mellie and the other folks for helping coordinate it.”

• Andrew Walsh [32:34]:
  “Thanks to everybody to continue that tradition.”

This heartfelt appreciation underscores the podcast's commitment to fostering a supportive and engaged listener base.

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5. Pop Culture Homages and Recurring Lines

The duo examines how certain lines become staples in pop culture, serving as nods to their origins while gaining new life in different contexts.

• Andrew Walsh [07:11]:
  “Each has a character saying, 'and she stepped on the ball.'"

• Luke Burbank [09:30]:
  “That's the deal. I wish I could think of term, but go ahead.”

They discuss how such recurring lines create a shared cultural thread, connecting various media through familiar punchlines.

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6. Scams and Voicemail Story: The 'King County Sheriff's Department' Call

A gripping narrative unfolds as Andrew recounts receiving a suspicious voicemail allegedly from the King County Sheriff's Department, highlighting the emotional toll of potential scams.

• Andrew Walsh [52:29]:
  “This is Sergeant Cedric Smith with the Kings County Sheriff's Office, and I was calling to reach Mr. Andrew Wash...”

• Luke Burbank [57:05]:
  “Did you block the number?”

Andrew describes his immediate fear and subsequent realization that the call was likely a scam, delving into the psychological impact of such deceptive tactics.

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7. Concerns About Evolving Scams and AI Voice Cloning

The hosts express deep concern over the advancement of scam techniques, particularly the use of AI for voice cloning, which makes fraudulent calls more convincing than ever.

• Luke Burbank [68:05]:
  “But I'm just worried about... the voice cloning stuff, the AI stuff, the time when you could get a call and it could sound convincingly like a loved one in your life and they need your help.”

• Andrew Walsh [63:58]:
  “They are getting better and better at it. Like, if that guy... would have called me...”

This discussion serves as a critical reminder of the need for heightened awareness and skepticism in the face of increasingly sophisticated scams.

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8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Wrapping up the episode, the hosts reflect on the day's discussions and tease upcoming topics, maintaining their engaging and thoughtful rapport.

• Luke Burbank [68:42]:
  “Thank you so much, everybody, for listening. We will be back here tomorrow with more imaginary radio for you.”

Their final remarks reaffirm the podcast's dedication to exploring both lighthearted and serious topics, encouraging listeners to stay informed and connected.

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Episode Highlights:

• Sales Satire: The absurdity of high-stakes sales contests.
• TV Joke Analysis: The repetition and homage of comedic lines across shows.
• Travel Tales: The humorous challenges of setting up a workspace in a hotel.
• Community Appreciation: Gratitude towards donors and community members.
• Scam Awareness: The emotional and practical implications of sophisticated scams.
• AI Concerns: The future of scam realism with advancements in AI technology.

Episode #4430 of Too Beautiful To Live masterfully balances humor with insightful commentary, offering listeners both entertainment and valuable takeaways on modern-day challenges and cultural phenomena.

Transcript

[Luke Burbank]

All right, let's get to work. Actors. I got three words for you. Glengarry Glenn Ross coffees for closers only.

[Andrew Walsh]

You call yourself a salesman, you son of a. Hi, I'm from downtown. I'm from Mitch and Murray. So you've got, all of you got just one week to regain your jobs, starting with tonight. Okay, we're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anybody want to see what second prize is? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. But I worked down a little.

[Luke Burbank]

Stop. I'm not kidding. You're making me nauseous.

[Andrew Walsh]

Tbtl. You know, I think about this.

[Luke Burbank]

And what about this Internet thing? Do you know anything about that?

[Andrew Walsh]

Sure.

[Luke Burbank]

What the hell is that?

[Andrew Walsh]

Exactly.

[Luke Burbank]

Don't you kind of feel like a sellout? Can you really call it a sellout.

[Andrew Walsh]

When they give you a free Tesla for doing the show? I think I'm looking forward to cracking up. I hope I can, like, you know, totally crack up.

[Luke Burbank]

So I haven't, like, totally cracked up in a long time.

[Andrew Walsh]

Are you saying boo or boo Urns. I was saying boo words.

[Luke Burbank]

And my grandpa likes to say hot diggity dog. As I like to say hot dam. Well, all right. Hello, good morning and welcome, everyone, to a Tuesday edition of tbtl, the show that just might be too beautiful to live. How about a press guy? My name is Luke Burbank. I am your host.

[Andrew Walsh]

You paint your bald spot.

[Luke Burbank]

What bald spot? Coming to you once again from midtown Manhattan. You really are the most devious bastard.

[Andrew Walsh]

In New York City.

[Luke Burbank]

Boy, they say wait five minutes and the weather will change. On the Monday recording, it was rainy and cold. And now today, it's absolutely beautiful out. Sunshine and warm. And tomorrow, Wednesday, possibility of snow. Life comes at you fast. TBTL comes at you slow, though. As we arrive at episode 4000, 430 in a collector series, let the fun begin. I'm very excited about a New York City radio development. I heard about that thing on the AM radio that involves me, sort of, and my excitement around listening to local public radio here in New York, as I've been working and visiting out here. Also, Andrew received a mysterious and surprising call after the show on Friday, ahoy hoy. Which we want to get to the bottom of, if we can, so we'll do that today as well. Speaking of calls, we've just got some voicemails from last week that we've still got to clear out. Speaking of My good friend Andrew Walsh. You know, he is the longest running cobro of the show, which means we are. We're totally aligned on things now. We are so in sync, we're finishing each other. Derek. He's also known for his depictions of the tall ships. And he's joining me right now. Good morning, my friend.

[Andrew Walsh]

Good morning, Luke. There are two different shows. I believe they're both TV shows where they set up that same Derek joke, only it's we finish each other's and then somebody says sandwiches. And I'm pretty sure that same exact joke happens on two different TV shows. One might be 30 Rock.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, the thing is, when I grab these audio drops, the way that they are displayed on my system, I only see the first. If it has a long title. I only see the first few words. And so I saw this said, we are so in sync. We finish each. And I thought it was gonna be sandwiches. And then I dragged it into my other little program and I played and I realized, oh, that's from the Good Place, probably, right?

[Andrew Walsh]

Cause it's got Manzoukas in that. Yeah. And I think that that is kind.

[Luke Burbank]

Of like, whacked out character. That's. Isn't he, like, somehow associated with Darcy Carden? Isn't he, like, Darcy Carden's character?

[Andrew Walsh]

I think that is Darcy. Who's the other voice in that clip.

[Luke Burbank]

They're married.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, you didn't see the show. She's like, he's a man. Okay, well, he's a manifestation from, like, the netherworld from which she. That she can reap, kind of.

[Luke Burbank]

You don't think otherworld manifestation should get married, huh?

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm just saying, when I was growing up, manifestations were manifestations and netherworlds were netherworlds. So anyway, yeah, I think he was something that she created to be her lover. But then things went sideways because it was just kind of like he was. He was not. He didn't work right. His brain didn't work right.

[Luke Burbank]

Right. He would have problems. Right.

[Andrew Walsh]

The we finish each other's sandwiches definitely happened in Arrested Development. So that's probably why you and I would know that. But I swear, there was another show that came after Arrested Development where they used that same dang joke, finishing each other's sandwiches. But I can't find it right now.

[Luke Burbank]

Do we feel like that sort of takes away some of the fun and some of the joy of the Good Place version of it if that joke's. Because, you know, obviously that show was staffed with some top comedy writers. And. And probably they would know most of the jokes that had been out there in the culture, in the Zeitgeist, and they still went with it, which is maybe they thought adding Derek was enough of a difference that it could overcome the fact that it was the third time of making that joke.

[Andrew Walsh]

I believe. I do think that that is an homage. I think that that joke and that structure of that joke. I mean, I don't know why I believe that. Maybe because I trust Mike Scher, and he's like, not. He's like the opposite of a hack.

[Luke Burbank]

You mean Ken tremendous.

[Andrew Walsh]

I do mean Ken tremendous. That man is a beautiful angel. You interviewed.

[Luke Burbank]

Sure is.

[Andrew Walsh]

Didn't you?

[Luke Burbank]

For his. Yes, I did. It was on Zoom. Because it was. But, yeah, that was a. That was a. That was an honor.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wonderful man. Follow him on Blue sky and also, you know, watch his TV shows. He's made a lot of them. But anyway, yeah, I believe that he. Not that he wrote every joke or necessarily approved every joke, but I do think that he is a pretty. He's a pretty exacting guy. And I would guess that that has now become an homage like that. Do you remember that? No, I don't think I should bring this up because I don't remember the details well enough.

[Luke Burbank]

And it's gonna say, I never let that stop me.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. There's a. From way back in the 1940s or 50s, there is, like, this inside joke. It was in one movie where a woman. I think the scene kind of begins. There's a certain term for a scene beginning, like, mid conversation. Do you know that term? Like, if a show opens and it's at a dinner party, and you're just, like, thrown right into the dinner party, and then somebody says, and then she stepped on the ball. And I'm pretty sure that's the line. And then everybody laughs. And literally, she stepped on the ball, I think, is something that ended up showing up in pop culture over and over and over again as a sort of homage to, like, when you're the starting something mid conversation.

[Luke Burbank]

And also maybe this idea of, like, a punchline to a joke that we don't know what the joke is because we're only hearing the. Like, we're here, you know, we're hearing the end of it, and everyone's laughing like it's uproarious. But, like, what was the. What was the story wherein she stepped on the ball was such a great payoff.

[Andrew Walsh]

Here's what I just found. A blog post from 2016. What do Kimmy Schmidt Trading Places and Anti Mame have in common. This is from the real memorable blog, by the way, why we Love movie. I'm sorry, Remembering why we Love movies and television. I'm going to begin reading this. I can't attribute it to anybody but the. But the name of the blog here, it says, what do Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Trading Places and anti Mame from 1958 have in common? Each has a character saying, and she stepped on the ball. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal. It's pretty unmemorable. But this line is an homage. And now it's become a running joke. And so, yeah, I believe it started in this movie. And now other, you know, other. Other filmmakers and TV makers love to put it in there. So there you go.

[Luke Burbank]

I feel. And I don't know if you've seen the original. Certainly I haven't. But, like, does everybody kind of crack up?

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Are they really cracking up when they hear she stepped on the ball? Because I feel like.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think this is Trading Places. This is terrible sound quality. Oh, this is terrible sounds. And she stepped on the ball. That is. That is from Trading Places. I don't. That is less. That is more awkward and less smooth than I remembered it being. And also, let's hear it for the Mids. You know, did you hear the Mids in there? Those all the way. So beautiful.

[Luke Burbank]

Those flew all the way through the air here to New York City. And I wanted to be. It made me. It put me in the mind of watching a New Year's Eve performance of Guy Lombardo and his Flying Canadians at the top of Rockefeller Center. Was that. Was that the finest recording from 1942 that they could find?

[Andrew Walsh]

And that's from the Trading Place. I know that's 1985.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, that's the newer one.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Relatively so.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think it's just a bad copy that's embedded into this blog. But anyway, yeah, so that's. That's the deal. I wish I could think of term, but go ahead. You're in the big city.

[Luke Burbank]

So there's an actual term for it too.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, not for the stepped on the ball, but there's a term for when a scene begins mid kind of conversation and it's driving me bananas. I might text Genevieve while you tell me what's going on in the city that never apples.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, in this. This is the. The hotel room that never allows housekeeping in is what I think we're going to have to be for this week. And don't worry, there's no crime has been committed. I mean, maybe small property crime, but nothing, you know, nothing too serious. But basically, you know, when I get into a hotel room and I'm going to be doing this show with you, particularly if it's for multiple days, I do everything in my power to get a good stare going. Like, I like to be looking out a window if there is one. And as it happens, the they put me in this hotel room that actually has a very interesting kind of cool view of like, Hell's Kitchen and the Hudson River a little bit. If I were to wedge myself into the corner of the room, I could stare out the window and see the Hudson River. But it's visually very entertaining and, you know, brings me great joy. The problem is the way that the, like, kind of, you know, there's all typically like a desk, some kind of, you know, office furniture set up in most hotel rooms. So you can work that desk thing. When I got in, the room was up against a wall next to the tv. So I would have just been staring literally at a wall while talking to you for many days this week. And so the thing was, the desk was very heavy and pretty. It wasn't bolted down, thankfully, but it was like, it's a pretty substantial thing to move. And then the other problem is. So I moved it. I moved it over to being right under the window. It's actually so great right now. It's a perfect setup. I've got this nice long table. It's at a good height. That is often an issue when I'm kind of futzing with the furniture in a hotel room is like, there's one little table, but it's like really low. And then I have to kind of like sort of bend over to do the whole show, talking into the microphone, and it's uncomfortable or whatever. So this is all working out pretty well, except for the fact that then I realized I was too far away from any of the electrical outlets to power my computer. I mean, the. If I would have left the desk where it's supposed to be, it has lots of access to power, but over here it doesn't. And so I was like, what am I going to do about it? And then I realized, oh, one of the bedside lamps also has power at the base of it. You've noticed that there's a thing at hotel rooms now. So I'm like, well, I can use this effectively as an extension cord, but.

[Andrew Walsh]

You have to pull the lamp halfway across the room.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, I have to. First of all, Andrew unplug the lamp, which is no mean feat because while the lamp itself was on the, we'll call it the passenger side of the bed. You know, like, just the side of the bed I'm not sleeping on. There are no passengers here, for the record. Everybody calm down. But, like, the other side of the bed. And so both of the nightstands have lamps on them, but the plugin is dead center behind this very intense, like, headboard type situation.

[Andrew Walsh]

This is, you know, I'm not wigged out by hotel rooms. I know you're, and I'm sure this is a very nice place you're staying, but I know that you have a pretty, you have a pretty easily triggered gag reflex when you're thinking about hotel rooms and anything. And I don't have that, except for these moments that you're about to describe is when you're moving furniture out to, like, and you're reaching back behind something to unplug it. And you just think about, you know, this is a place that is not cleaned very often because it's inaccessible. And you're reaching behind where all these other people have done all kinds of things.

[Luke Burbank]

And I'll tell you exactly what I did. I, I, first of all, I looked at, you know, the, the plug in, the cord going back behind the bed. And then I looked under the bed, which was scary enough. And by the way, shout out to the Intercontinental Times Square. It's where I'm staying. Not that dirty down there.

[Andrew Walsh]

Great.

[Luke Burbank]

Way better shape than I would have expected, like you said, considering it's inaccessible and who the heck looks down there? I was expecting a whole situation, and it really wasn't. So shout out to whoever's been taking care of this place. But I, I looked at how far under the bed and behind the bed and the headboard, the plugins were for both sides. And then the next thing I did is I went on Amazon.com to see how quickly I could get an extension cord delivered. Turns out, not super turnaround. That's the interesting thing about, like, really packed urban areas like Manhattan. I have a theory that you're actually worse off in terms of quick turnaround delivery time in Manhattan than you would be in, like, where I live, where the Madrona Hill studio is. Because when you're out in the middle of nowhere, there's lots of room for lots of fulfillment centers. And when you're in a place like Manhattan, there probably isn't that much room. And it's a nightmare for the Amazon drivers to be navigating.

[Andrew Walsh]

So imagine parking those Trucks. Right, right. In New York City, as opposed to, you know, even here in Seattle, just pulling up on a curb. It's a huge difference.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. So I was like, could I. Could I have an extension cord delivered? And then was like, first of all, that just seemed kind of wasteful. And second of all, it wasn't going to be until like, you know, Wednesday or something. So I was like. So I finally just bit the bullet and I got leaned way under the bed and kind of, like, sort of steeled myself and then, like, reached and managed to unplug one of the lamps. I didn't even know which one it was because they were plugged in next to each other. And so now I've got this whole setup. So here's the. Here's the look in the room, Andrew. If you were somebody. And I want to be very clear, I'm putting everything back where it belongs before I leave. I am not. I would never leave this room in this state for a housekeeping person or somebody with, you know, facilities have to come in and deal with. But I'm not leaving until actually Saturday morning when I'm flying to Wisconsin. So if you were to walk in right now as part of housekeeping, you would see, like, a huge section of what where the desk is supposed to be is just totally in a different part of the room. Looking out the window, you would see one of the lamps that's supposed to be next to the bed instead on a small end table serving as an extension cord. You'd be like, how's that getting plugged back in behind the crazy headboard on the bed? And who's moving this extremely heavy wood, long desk thing? Like, if I walked into this as a. As housekeeping, I'm calling the police. I'm calling the. At least I'm calling the front desk and going, what's this guy's deal?

[Andrew Walsh]

I am looking up and Google Maps has become so helpful that it's not helpful anymore. Like, if you look up a hotel on Google Maps, it doesn't show you easily how to, like, get directions there. It just shows you how you can, you know, reserve a room or whatever. And it's like, I know how to reserve a room. I don't need my mapping app to do this. And it's, like, taken away the ability to actually, like, navigate. It's like, I don't need my mapping app to book a room. I can book a room anyway.

[Luke Burbank]

Can I throw one last annoyance on there? It's not even the real hotel. It's some in my experience, it'll throw in some, you know, some sponsored link that's allegedly telling me about availability at the hotel, which, by the way, he didn't ask for. And it's not even this hotel. It's like cool hotels biz or something. It's just like, it's so annoying. So what were you trying to find out?

[Andrew Walsh]

I just wanted to see if there's like a CVS near you or something. I just sort of feel like. Couldn't you within a couple block radius just go grab an extension cord?

[Luke Burbank]

Yes, but that is, Andrew, not how I roll. Because now I have a whole. First of all, I can probably see three CVS's from this room. I'm looking down at the street, I'm looking at, I think it's 44th. I don't see one. But I promise you, if I walked five blocks in any direction, I would hit a cvs. But here's the thing. I'm getting really into braided extension cords.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, you wanted to buy a nice one that you could take home. And then I wanted to buy a.

[Luke Burbank]

Nice one that I could just bring with me as part of my quote unquote road kit. Because this happens a lot. Sometimes I'm moving stuff around just because it's actually. Well, that's not true. I'm moving it purely for my own enjoyment of looking out a window. But there's a lot of times when a version of this happens where I end up in a part of the hotel room that doesn't have easy power. And my whole journey with this extension cord was, well, if I get like a six foot, kind of nice braided one, just one that's, you know, got a little, A little, you know, a little bit of looks going for it, a little bit of design going for it, and then I bring that along with me, then I'll never have to do this lamp situation again. So I don't want to just go buy one at cvs. Well, first of all, I've now solved the problem.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's interesting to me and this, you know, we're different people in a lot of ways. Like, I, I wouldn't say that I don't appreciate the look of a braided core. You and I were talking about this a long time ago. I remember you were even saying, yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

You had eyes on a really fancy.

[Andrew Walsh]

One like a long time ago. And you were like. And it was like 60 bucks. And you told me later, you're like, I was so just tempted to buy it for you because they, they Were advertising them on Instagram a long time ago. It'd be like, you know, that nice braided look. But then they might even have like four heavy duty inputs or something and you can sort of have it. To me it's like something that goes well into like a nice like kind of loft style apartment or something like that. Kind of, I don't know, both practical but nice looking. Anyway, point is, I understand why you'd be interested in something like that, but it's funny that it wasn't even like oh, because this is going to be out on display in my home. This literally just your, it's just your road kit. The only person who would see it would be you and the cleaning staff. When you pull it out of your road kit and plug in a mixpre into it like that, that, that's going pretty far for a designer plug that isn't even really going to see, you know, it's not like your house guests are going to see it.

[Luke Burbank]

This is the reason though, Andrew, that I currently have. I think it's four. Maybe I'll do this for the hey dummies. This week people are asking me questions about my bags that I bring around and packing and things I'm currently working with. I think three to four of these little leather satchels that are. I bought them from a leather place in Portland online but they, I think that they're kind of like imperfections or they're. You know what I mean? They're like, they're sort of. I forget the name for them but I think what they are is like a kind of slightly messed up but in a way that they still function for what they're supposed to do. But for some reason they're very, very affordably priced. I want to say they're like 15 or $20 for one of them. And the whole idea and I've actually been enjoying this is like one of them. I have one that's kind of like a brownish leather and that one I put my. Any kind of iPhone charging and Apple Watch charging in and then my port, my little portable. I have these anchor chargers that are like a little black rectangle that you can put on the back of your phone. And then I put my. I have two sets of headphones so in case one of them dies on the flight I can put in the fresh ones. Those all go in this brown leather satchel. And then I have a black leather. I don't know if I'm using the word satchel right there's like a little a Little bag. A little. A little. What would you call that? Because the satchel indicate that you sling it over a shoulder.

[Andrew Walsh]

I do sort of think you sling it over your shoulder, although I think I'm following what you're saying. It's like, not a satchel bag. Yeah, yeah. That you.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, Like a rectangular little bag that you could put anything you want in.

[Andrew Walsh]

Like, I'm featuring a cheaper version of it, but maybe along the right size and maybe the right style is like, when you. Of course, this is probably not relatable, but when you and I buy these, like, Sony Studio headphones that, like, radio stations had been using the same exact ones for as long as I've been in radio. When you buy them, like, 100 bucks a pop, and they come in, like, a little black, faux. Faux leather bag. Is it about that size?

[Luke Burbank]

No, big.

[Andrew Walsh]

That.

[Luke Burbank]

That sort of cinches at the. That, like, has, like, a drawstring at the top, if I remember right.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, this is more like.

[Luke Burbank]

This is. This has a. No, the top of it. It just unzips. So it's like. Imagine, like, here's. Okay, here's a perfect. This will. This will help you and the listeners imagine a really, really large sweet potato.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, now I'm scared. I might have pictured it too large. It looks angry. Okay, I'm getting scared here. I don't think I can show.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay. The second largest sweet potato that you can imagine.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. Okay. Okay.

[Luke Burbank]

It's the shape of a sweet potato, more or less, except it's more shaped. But it sits. It's a long. It's a rectangle. And the base of it is wider than the top of it. And it sits on the. On the desktop, on the. On the. On the desk. And then the top. The whole top unzips. So it's a rectangle that comes together at the top that unzips. Anyway, this is. This is five minutes of everyone's life we'll never get back. Here's my point in all this. I've got one also now that's black that I put my, like, makeup in. Because, yes, I do carry. Here's what I have in it. I have my little concealer pen that I need for my various imperfections. I have a powder that I put on when I'm doing a TV thing. I have a little mirror because I kept showing up at these, you know, to film something, and, like, I would just have all this loose stuff in my pocket that was related to trying to look 5% less horrific on television. And I just thought oh, this could all just be in a little small containment device, and then I know where it is. This is my point in all this. Part of my. Part of my way of making myself feel more organized and also more okay about the amount of time that I spend not at my house is by hyper curating the experience for myself. So in other words, I now have my little zippable leather bag that I keep all of my electronic kind of. What do you call those? Peripherals. Oh, boy, are they doing this again? I meant to tell you, they've been testing the fire alarm in here.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, that's perfect for us.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, boy. Oh, good.

[Andrew Walsh]

Employees only. This sounds like this is the second.

[Luke Burbank]

One of the day, by the way. Before we dialed up, they were doing this. Okay.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wow, that's. That really sounds like RoboCop or some sort of dystopian announcement from a 1980s or 90s movie.

[Luke Burbank]

You know, it's. You know what's weird? This is a different fire and life safety director than who did the first one.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know. Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

I just think. Okay, well, I like the first one. Only read this message once. I don't like that this guy reads it twice. Also, get ready for about four sharp beeps. Okay.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, here we go.

[Luke Burbank]

Let's play along. If you're hearing this, you do not need to report to your fire station. This is just for the employees of the Intercontinental.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hey, you know what, Luke? If this had happened right at the beginning of the show, if. There it is.

[Luke Burbank]

Here it is. This town needs an enema.

[Andrew Walsh]

This is three. God, I love a slide whistle. That's four. All right. I was going to say, if this had happened right at the beginning of the show and we had just launched right into this, it would have been. In media res, Luke. In media res. That's the term. And you know that term, right? I think I've heard you say it.

[Luke Burbank]

I've never heard that term.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, it means, like, in the middle of the action, when something starts in the middle of the action.

[Luke Burbank]

I feel like this is what you've come to teach all of us, but me specifically is things like this. Because the other one that I can't ever remember is when somebody in a movie is listening to the radio, but it's really the radio or something. What's that?

[Andrew Walsh]

Diegetic. So, like, if you're listening, if you're watching a TV show, often the music is just for you, the viewer. Right. It's just, like, dubbed over top. But if you're sitting there, if somebody's sitting at the edge of their bed and they're like listening to a Rush song and like the, you know, everybody in the show can hear it. It's diegetic.

[Luke Burbank]

See, I love that. Also you should write a book called Diegetics. That would be a hit show title.

[Andrew Walsh]

An audiobook.

[Luke Burbank]

But that one and then the. What's the other one in res.

[Andrew Walsh]

In media res. In the middle of media res.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay, well, anyway, I'll wrap. I'll wrap this up now. Other than to say the reason that I didn't or. Or just by saying. Is what I mean to say the reason that I would care about the. I guess we'll just go with this word that I use so often, the sort of aesthetic or the look of the extension cord that I'm going to start bringing with me is because somehow it being just a jank extension cord from CVS that no one will see, which is, by the way, a true thing. No one would ever see it except me. It would cause me to feel impermanent in some way and kind of haphazard in a way that feels like my trips will be impermanent and haphazard. I will always be a little bit off my game. If I have a little zip up bag where I'm putting everything. If I have a nice six foot and I decided six foot was the exact length a nice six foot braided extension cord that now lives in my bag so that when I get to the hotel I take it out and it looks nice. There's something in my mind that tells me if everything is just so, then everything else in my life of travel will flow better from that. I don't think this is a real thing, but it's how my brain works.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sure. I think you've explained that well enough and I do understand what you're saying, but I do, you know, I mean the pleasure of objects is a real thing. Like we don't. We have so much to talk about today. I don't. I just didn't want you to think I was blowing you off when I said that's a real. I do understand you're talking.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't think so.

[Andrew Walsh]

I wouldn't probably put as much energy into it personally because I'm a lazy man, but I do and I put.

[Luke Burbank]

Too much energy into it, admittedly.

[Andrew Walsh]

And I'm certainly somebody who does appreciate objects though, you know what I mean? Even if I don't go out and buy them, I definitely appreciate the just like whatever. Whether it's something nostalgic for Me like an old. Like I have one of those. It's not really from the era, but it's a remade version of one of those like 1970s football video games. That's. I'm just looking around my studio and like that's the first thing my eyes landed on. You know what I'm talking about, where it's a little tiny, little bit like an early handheld football video game. It's kind of like, I just like that as an object or whatever. So, you know, I kind of appreciate your appreciation of stuff like that. From a practical level though, and this is a very unfun thing to ask. Those braided cords are actually. Unless you probably. Are you looking at thinner ones? Because I think of them as like less travel friendly. They seem non compact. Or maybe they make smaller ones than the ones I'm picturing.

[Luke Burbank]

They definitely. The ones that you're thinking of and the ones we were talking about were very like inst.

[Andrew Walsh]

I mean, this is the chunkier the ones I was thinking of.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, yeah, they have that kind of like. They basically have like an electrical box at the end.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I knew you weren't getting the box. That that would be ridiculous.

[Luke Burbank]

But I think. I think what's the life cycle of something is somebody has an idea for a designee. And this is what I'm a sucker for, is like a quote unquote designy solution to something that may not even be a problem for me. So it's like, hey, here's a cookie sheet. But guess what? We're making it in this cool color and it has some kind of event, you know, and then somehow it's got something going for it that a regular cookie sheet doesn't. And again, it always comes down to the color for me or the look of it and then the like way it's presented on Instagram. This happened to me like this morning I saw some cookie sheet on that. I was like, what have I been doing with regular cookie sheets? Like some kind of damn fool, I stopped myself. But usually what happens is something somebody realizes, oh, we could design something. We can make something look cooler and then sell it to people that already have that thing. And I feel like those braided the thing you and I have talked about. That was a breakthrough. When I saw that on Instagram, I was like, that is a really nice look for this thing that otherwise could be kind of a little. A little cruddy looking. And then what happens is somebody probably in China sees that and says, let's make a way cheapo version of that and we'll sell it on Amazon so that it, it's. It's got the braiding feature which to me is really what separates it. But it's just like a. It's a six foot extension cord with just a pretty normal end of an extension cord that's just maybe for one, three prong plug in.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

But it's braided and it comes in four potential colors.

[Andrew Walsh]

And what colors are you looking at? Because I'm looking at the.

[Luke Burbank]

I think I was looking at something that was kind of black and white or something. I actually haven't ordered it yet. But this. Because I am trying to like, I'm trying to really control my impulses a little bit more around acquiring things. Even something that's. I think it's was like 1799 or something. The one I was looking at like. Because you know, I want to, I want to decide if this is really a good use of 1799 and if I. And certainly we've talked a lot about Amazon, I really, really want to cut down on my Amazon consumption.

[Andrew Walsh]

So.

[Luke Burbank]

But anyway, all that is to say the one that I was looking at seems sufficiently portable or travelable because it was a little different than the one you and I have been talking about some months.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, yeah, I knew that. I knew you weren't going for the really chunky one, but yeah, they do make these nice and tight. Now, you know, I'm gonna replace every one in my studio now I can't even look at my studio thanks to you.

[Luke Burbank]

We was hoping for some razzle dazzle. Razzle dazzle. That's right, man. Razzle dazzle. On your mark.

[Andrew Walsh]

On your mark. Get, get set now.

[Luke Burbank]

Ready, Ready, go. Everybody rattle dazzle. We've got to thank some dazzling donors. These generous folks are donating a dazzling amount of dough each month. I really mean that. And it's keeping us in extension cord money, at least for now. And we couldn't be more grateful to folks like Kelly Hedgecock, who's in Kernersville, North Carolina. Kernersville, North Carolina. I don't know if I've been through Kernersville, North Carolina.

[Andrew Walsh]

Big popcorn town.

[Luke Burbank]

That's what I was thinking. You're thinking of Colonelsville.

[Andrew Walsh]

I am, but they. Yeah, yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Common mistake.

[Andrew Walsh]

So I think.

[Luke Burbank]

But wisely, Kernersville has jumped on that. So if you go to Kernersville looking for Colonelsville, they'll still sell you popcorn?

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, definitely. Yeah. At an upcharge, you know.

[Luke Burbank]

Kelly says, hi, friendos. I want to thank the business boys for another Great year of tbtl. It's a joy to be a part of this community. Thank you to all the fellow TBTL card senders. I think it's around this time of year that I become especially grateful for the card operation, Andrew, because I know it means a lot to folks, and our friend Mellie, I believe, runs that. And it's like, one of the things that people often cite about what they love about the TBT community. So thank you to everybody who's participating in that and. And Mellie and the other folks for. For helping coordinate it. That's. That's a big part of people's attachment to our show is sending letters to people in different parts of the country.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, absolutely. I know that a lot of folks have actually chipped in on that, too. So, yeah. Thanks to everybody to. To continue that tradition.

[Luke Burbank]

Kelly says, on a serious note, I want to encourage the TENS to support nonprofit organizations in your community that work with those experiencing food and housing insecurity. There's some incredible work being done out there now for fun. Okay, so that's. That's that part of the statement, Kelly. Couldn't agree more. This is always a good time to remind folks to really try to support people who are at most risk with what's going on politically in our country. Now, let's see. For the fun, I would like to request any drop of Raymond Holt. Oh, From Brooklyn. Nine. Nine.

[Andrew Walsh]

I was not prepared. Okay.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay. Can I suggest one? She says. Kelly says dealer's choice. I mean, if you've got a favorite. You know, Tenacious Ray is. Is an all timer. Although that's. I mean, not really a drop. I guess that's like a full.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's a good.

[Luke Burbank]

It's an intro to the show. Right.

[Andrew Walsh]

I just need to figure out what I would have saved that one on, because. Was it. Do you think it would be tenacious?

[Luke Burbank]

Maybe. I mean, if I'm remembering the context. Okay, good.

[Andrew Walsh]

Good.

[Luke Burbank]

All right, Kelly, this is for you. This is a little bit of Raymond Holt RIP by the way.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. The computer is tabulating. Oh, you got category I9C3G6.

[Luke Burbank]

I9C3G6. Is that as good as it sounds?

[Andrew Walsh]

You have a robust sense of self and are well suited to leadership positions.

[Luke Burbank]

Characteristics, Strength, determination, tenacity. Yes, I suppose that's accurate. They do call me Tenacious Ray down at the country club because for the past 10 years, I've been suing them for determination, discrimination.

[Andrew Walsh]

He is. He is such a treasure. I've been watching that show more recently. One of Those where I just sort of like dip in and out. And I've been watching that show such, such a treasure. Like in that show has a lot of that shoy. That. I'm sorry that, that showy. That show has a lot of standout performances that also bring you, like joy. Like, like specifically like joy. Not just happiness.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

But he especially is just tops the list. It' such. It makes me so sad to think that he's gone. But boy, did he leave a legacy though. And a lot of intro tape.

[Luke Burbank]

Thank you, Tenacious Ray, for all of your contributions to the TBTL world and thank you, Kelly, for supporting the program. Maestro, on your mark. On your mark. Get set, get set now. Ready, Ready, go. Everybody rattle daddle, everybody. It's Gretchen Hayslip in Seattle, Washington.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hello, Gretchen.

[Luke Burbank]

Gretchen, Gretchen says since TBTL is my go to source for distraction from the pathetic state of US politics, here are my suggestions for 2025. I see. So these are. If I'm understanding this right, and this is as a. Listeners, as the listeners will be unsurprised to hear, this is my first time getting eyes on Gretchen's dazzling donor message. But my sense of it is Gretchen is suggesting some topics for 2025. Okay, these are, these are things. Paul. Paul, these are topics. These are the top 10 topics. I've got so much. You know, it's because I'm like, I'm in Manhattan. I'm not far from where the Letterman show used to tape. I also on the flight out here, I was looking at Tick Tock and it was some clips of. They did an entire Letterman episode that was a salute to Velcro and it famously has. I don't know if you've seen that clip of Letterman in a full Velcro suit and he bounces off a trampoline up against a Velcro wall.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, yeah, I remember that from back in the day.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't know if I even experienced it in the day. I think I kind of, I sort of was aware of it because it was so legendary.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think I, I've watched it before, but obviously it was. I, I watched it after. It was already kind of old like that. I'm gonna put that at like 1983ish probably. But I do remember that being iconic for a long time.

[Luke Burbank]

Such great television. Like what a. Just what a silly, silly thing that is so perfectly executed by David Letterman with his timing and the way he's checking in with the guy from. I don't know if the guy's a Physicist or from the Velcro Institute or whatever. But. So, Paul, top 10 topics that. That Gretchen would like us to. To, I guess, interrogate and investigate in 2025. Bingo's Bubbles, Benny talk. All pet talk is good talk. Okay, so pet talk. Okay. Another topic that Gretchen will accept. And again, Gretchen's paying for this, so we have to take this seriously. Diy, home renovation, garbage anxiety, and also, yes, weird neighbors. This is one I think I can still deliver on. For another. I can definitely deliver on this for another good six to eight months because I think that's how much more time Walt and I still have on. On trying to kind of button things up there at the Madrona Hill studio.

[Andrew Walsh]

I. I see this and I am. Listen, Gretchen paid to play here. I am not try. I don't want to degrade this. I don't want to degrade. That's not even the right word either, though. I'm now really in my head. But I feel like these are three different bullet points is my point. Diy, home renovation.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Garbage anxiety and like, neighbor interactions. Those seem like three very different things.

[Luke Burbank]

I see the. But listen, the. I think that the organizing principle here is home related.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, that's true. Stuff that happens.

[Luke Burbank]

So these are all home related things. And so you've got to. Andrew, you've got to get back into your garbage anxiety and also get some weird Z's going with the neighbors then.

[Andrew Walsh]

The problem is I love my neighbors and we only have one set of neighbors and they're great folks. And so. Yeah, I mean, I guess I got to. I guess I got to ruin that. We got to sacrifice for the.

[Luke Burbank]

Sacrifice for the show, man.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. All right, I'll tune in tomorrow. I'm going to do something awful to their house.

[Luke Burbank]

All right. Gretchen would also accept conversations around sport while not being a big sport fan. I do like strange or bad athlete behavior. Same for celebrities. Gretchen, would you accept questionable hairdo decisions like we talked about on yesterday's show from the Liberty coach? I think we're. I like hearing this from Gretchen that Gretchen is not a big sports fan, but is okay with listening to strange or bad athlete behavior because, well, maybe that's not our main topic. I do. You know, you can tell in my voice when we talk about sports and you can tell in how I present it that I'm always worried that we go way too into sports town for people that don't care about sports. And we're always trying to frame it as it's not about sports. It's about can we watch sports. Or it's about why the guy who does sports do that to his hair. So I feel like Gretchen putting this on the list means we are not completely alienating her when we talk about sport.

[Andrew Walsh]

As long as it's about the human condition.

[Luke Burbank]

That's exactly right. Sky Jinx. Good afternoon, this is your captain speaking. Captain has turned on.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sorry, I didn't know. This is the log version.

[Luke Burbank]

Flight 200 niner clear for vector 324. We have clearance, Clarence.

[Andrew Walsh]

Roger, roger. What's our vector, Victor? Oh, it's a big, pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the window and wheels and it looks like a big tile and all.

[Luke Burbank]

Skyg.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh man, I forgot that originally had that whole intro on it and had.

[Luke Burbank]

Dave singing Sky Jinx.

[Andrew Walsh]

Do you remember what happened was I made that just with the montage for Ross and Burbank. And then Dave was like, I can sweeten that for you. And he took it home to his studio and multi tracked himself singing the Sky.

[Luke Burbank]

And it's one of the greatest things I've ever heard in my life. That man driving. That man walking up innumerable steps under i5, getting in his early model Prius, driving home, saying hello to the family and going into his studio and recording multi layers of Sky Jinx is just one of the greatest things ever. Skyjinx. Yes, please. I like Luke's stories about interesting or rude people he meets on his travels. Well, thankfully Gretchen, that is a. That's a sort of naturally renewing resource. There's. I'm almost always going somewhere and I'm almost always having feelings about it. So we will continue on with that. Stories from listeners about things from their childhood that they never told anyone.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ooh, I love that.

[Luke Burbank]

Not actual trauma, but like finding Popeye Erotic in grandpa's closet.

[Andrew Walsh]

That was a good voicemail. Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

I forgot about that day on the show. I feel like we found a lot because I think I realized that I may have seen some Popeye Erotic. That was like a real kind of repressed memory for me.

[Andrew Walsh]

And why, why so many sexual fantasies around Popeye? Well, I guess he was in good shape.

[Luke Burbank]

I think it was. Yeah, it was, it was. Must have been that he was, you know, in good shape. He was also, you know, associated with a certain vigor. Like, you know, you eat the spinach and it's like your body changes in a lot of ways. Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Remember when him and Olive Oil were in those tubs out in the woods like on the bluff overlooking. Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Gretchen would also accept quizzes, especially ones from old magazines. Extra points for Readers Digest. Anything to distract me. In the words of AI Paul Giamatti, I could really use a win here.

[Andrew Walsh]

I feel. Yeah, but that's a good idea. You know me. You know I love me some quizzes. You know I love me some Reader's Digest.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay, it's over. Now is the good news. Andrew, it's done.

[Andrew Walsh]

This is your fire and light safety director.

[Luke Burbank]

This concludes the fire tr.

[Andrew Walsh]

All right, we did it.

[Luke Burbank]

What if now he's gonna say it again, though? I think that's his move. Let's just see.

[Andrew Walsh]

I say. Did he say I say it again? Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

He literally said, I say again. It's like, bro, you don't. I know you don't, because the other guy didn't.

[Andrew Walsh]

I like the. I like the sound of this, though. I know what it reminds me of. You know what this reminds me of? And it sticks in my brain. Specifically because I made. As one of my projects for a radio production class, I had to make a commercial, and I decided to make a promo for the movie the Hudsucker Proxy. It was the longest radio commercial for a movie ever made. And I used a bunch of. This is like, again, you'll understand why this kind of played to my strengths or how this is who I would become. But, like, I was like, I have to make a commercial for something. Okay, how about I take something where I can use a whole bunch of audio drops, Because I don't think I called them drops at the time, but basically I just took a whole bunch of clips from the Hudsucker Proxy and then I made, like, a radio trailer for it, basically with my voice. But I would love that with the audio announcement or the intercom announcement or whatever you would call that from the Hudsucker Proxy. Do you remember that? It was like, it would blast through the factory, like, attention, Hudsucker employees. Attention, Hudsucker employees. You have any idea what I'm talking about?

[Luke Burbank]

I totally do. I couldn't have told you the specifics of it, but I remember that I have, like, a sense memory of that from that movie because I loved that movie so much. Yeah, well, I'm glad that worked out. You know, the funny part is I recorded, like, the first time it happened before we were rolling. I recorded, like, a little bit of the alarm sound on the voice memo of my phone. I thought, well, maybe this would be useful. But all it was was just like, some beeps or whatever, some siren, whatevers those are. And so it's actually kind of funny that it happened again during the recording. Like, that was actually a much more interesting expression of that whole thing.

[Andrew Walsh]

It really kind of. Yeah, it gave me some feels. I. I love the sound of that, honestly.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, you're welcome, Gretchen. That was just for you and our other dazzling donor today. Thank you so much to both of you. It's. Who was our other dazzling donor?

[Andrew Walsh]

It was Kelly. It was our friend KE in Kernersville. Don't call it.

[Luke Burbank]

Hello and welcome to Top Story. I can knock out my little contribution to the Top Stories in under one minute. Andrew. And it is. I'm very excited that this Saturday, the old Livewire radio program is. Will be. Will be part of the Saturday lineup. The Saturday night lineup, but. Okay, still of WNYC radio right here in New York City. And we found out like a week ago or something that this was happening. And it's like a big deal for our show because WNYC is the biggest public radio station in America, like, the most listeners. And also it's just kind of legendary. And I kind of worked there when I was younger and have always. It's loomed very large in my mind. And to get to have a show that's on. We couldn't even get the Bryant park project on wnyc.

[Andrew Walsh]

Really.

[Luke Burbank]

I think that they were.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, because they. They had their own. They were starting a new show that was supposed to be the same basic mission at the same time. Right. With Celeste Headley and Blanking.

[Luke Burbank]

Right. Yeah, yeah. The takeaway.

[Andrew Walsh]

The takeaway. The reason they wouldn't carry is because they were doing their own version of that show.

[Luke Burbank]

Right. So we were on in New York City. We were this big, you know, big NPR production with a lot of money behind it. And we're like, not on in New York City. Yeah. Interesting. You know, it was kind of. It was kind of crazy. So it's, you know, for me, it's very gratifying just to kind of think about, for my job, life. But also, this is the weird way that I've been geeking out. I know I'm going over my minute here, but I'll make it short when I get to just about any city and I'm, you know, kind of getting ready in the morning, doing my thing. I always listen to the local public radio station just like on my phone. It makes me feel connected. I don't know why. I love hearing the traffic reports of the city I'm in. Oftentimes I don't even understand any of the references, but I just like, just like the Patter. And I've been listening to WNYC while I've been here and it's like I just hear these promos for random shows on the station and I just think, oh, that's gonna be me. Like, hey, it's Luke Burbank this week on Livewire. Like, I don't know why it is. The promos on WNYC are making me excited that I'll get to, you know, be a voice of a promo of something. I promise you more people will hear the promo than will hear the actual show. 10:00 on a Saturday night. But it has me.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's always the truth. But that's not nothing though. Honestly, I was going to say that like there. That's why promos are kind of important because more people will hear the promos than the actual show. Like that's just the reality of radio.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. So it's, you know, you're talking about having, you know, the feels or getting a feel. I'm kind of getting a feel here in New York. It's also interesting that we just found out it might have literally been last week. And then I just so happened to have a week long trip to New York that was coincidentally scheduled. Like I'll almost, I could almost tune in for the first episode here. I will be in Wisconsin technically, but anyway, I'm feeling good about that. So if you're in New York, please call WNYC and tell them you've never heard anything as good as that Livewire show that you heard at 10pm on Saturday. And tell them they need to move it to 10am on Saturday as soon as possible so we'll get some listeners.

[Andrew Walsh]

And that the promos are pretty boss.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, exactly. Tell them the promos are some of the most incredible promos you've heard as well. Now let's talk about something that actually I believe you messaged me on Friday about something that happened to you. Speaking of local public radio, you were leaving KUOW and you got a call or something. What happened with this?

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, so this really kind of freaked me out. Freaked me out. I don't know why I did that voice. I was looking at my phone while I was talking. So on Friday actually on tbt, we even sort of set this up. We talked about the fact that after TBT on Friday headed over to KOW to be on the live show that airs at noon. And it's like, you know, our friend Bill Radke hosted and they get like three guests and it's kind of a roundtable to talk about what happened in the news that week. Usually it's pretty local. Usually it's Seattle based. This one, I was telling you, I was pretty nervous because it kind of got into more like. Kind of like conversation about where the country is at right now, where the Democratic Party on a national level is right now, and then some state stuff. I felt a little bit in over my head going in to be on this radio show on Friday. And I would say, you know, the results were mixed. Certainly we can maybe talk. We could break down my performance on that show more another time. I. I will say I either need to stop doing that show or I need to just accept the fact that when it's done, it's done. Because this. The Friday nights after, what happens is I do that show. I'm really nervous going in. I do the show during it. I'm like, oh, this could be going worse. Then afterwards, I'm, like, kind of elated. I'm like, oh, God, I got through it. And I'm on this, like, adrenaline buzz for, like, a good few hours. And I'm joking, like, at least two hours. I'm, like, pretty buzzed.

[Luke Burbank]

And then you get that Friday forgets the Friday free grits.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes. And then usually it happens around the evening time. I'm like, oh, man, I got through that. And I come home, I started working on some project on my computer some, and then I start what I call Chris Farley ing out. Like, hardcore. Like, hardcore. Like, like, oh, you idiot. Why'd you say that? And it's not even. The sad thing is, it's not even. It's not even restricted to what I've said on the radio. But, like, I'll start going through all my interactions of everybody I saw at the station that day, and I'm. Why did I say that to Arvid or whatever? I'm like, dude, you can't live your life like this. Like, you have to give yourself a little bit of grace. Not like, I literally, like, at some point late at night, I start thinking that everybody in the world just thinks I'm a buffoon. But anyway, so going back to the moments immediately after I got off the air. So I'm pretty, like, kind of adrenalized right now. We had done the show. It went okay, kind of. The person I was on was much more like, I don't know if she would be technically maga, but she was, like, a Republican. Republican who was there. I told you, going in, I was not going in to win or to debate. And this was the first, like, sort of like conservative guest I was in on who clearly wanted to win in debate. I kept things, like, very jovial. Like, I'm not in the business of that. I don't want to set myself up for failure by, like, trying to engage in a debatey way. But she said some pretty bonkers stuff about, like, she's referring to Elon Musk as a Democrat. Like, I was like. Like, I'm not even getting into this. So there were several things that were thrown out there. I'm just like, I don't. Maybe ashes of curly a little bit. Yeah. Just throw this stuff out there. And am I supposed to, like, fact check this stuff? Because I'm not in a place to do that. But I also recognize that most of the listeners, I think, kind of identified the things she was saying as the things she was saying. All of that is to say, I get off the air and I'm not quite to the point where I'm breaking down yet. I'm just kind of like, still buzzing or whatever. Often me and our friend Ders will go get lunch or something afterwards, but they had a fundraiser going on and at the radio station, and he was kind of. He was really busy doing other things. He's like, also, there's a huge spread of food, like, in this. In this area with a bunch of windows that they call. Or at least used to call the Crystal Palace. Sort of a kind of a green room kind of area. You know, it is the one that overlooks the Ave. Right. It's got those windows that come out at angles. Anyway, it's a beautiful view of the. Of the city down below. Just. Just two floors down. But anyway, all I was going to say, we're standing around. Andy's eating. I'm still way too. Andy is Ders. I don't know if I just doxed him, but now everybody knows I'm, you know, he's like, snacking, and I'm meeting other people who are kind of coming through fun drive mode. They're. They're eating the free food and everybody's chatting. I'm way still too adrenalized to really eat anything, but, you know, still, like just kind of, kind of very much in my head and very much feeling, like I say, like, sort of a little bit high, I think, on adrenaline. And then I'm like, oh, I haven't checked my phone in a couple of hours. I've been on the radio now. I've been chatting with people, and I look at my phone. I see I have A missed voicemail, and I hit play. And this is what I hear.

[Luke Burbank]

This is Sergeant Cedric Smith with the Kings County Sheriff's Office, and I was calling to reach Mr. Andrew Wash. Mr. Wash, give me a call back at your earliest convenience. My callback Never being 2062 a zero.

[Andrew Walsh]

Mama, I'll not put. Okay, so. And then I think he replaced that. He's from. How much did you.

[Luke Burbank]

Was your first thought that I had.

[Andrew Walsh]

Done something that's interesting? No, it was not.

[Luke Burbank]

Like, we need you to come get Luke Burbank, please.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, weirdly, there wasn't that. Well, it's King county, so here's the deal. So I'm already in sort of an altered state, and that's why I kept on, like, saying that, like, my head is. I'm. My head is kind of swimming, as it often is in the first few minutes after doing the live show. Plus, I'm seeing a bunch of old colleagues. I'm meeting people I've never met before. Kow. I'm sort of not really thinking super straight. I'm making small talk with Andy about the new Mariners app or whatever, and then I hear this. Somebody calling from the sheriff's department. And my first thought, honestly, is, well, I guess my very, very first thought is, like, what kind of trouble could have. Could I have even gotten into? But that was a very fleeting thought, because then my next thought is, oh, shit. Genevieve drove to work today. Genevieve never drives to work. Genevieve gets on the train and the bus and all that. But it was a day where we had to get our car in to have it serviced. Some sort of, like, recall situation had been on the calendar for a long time, and it was a rare Friday where Genevieve had to go to the office. So we had been talking for, like, a week or so about the fact that, like, Friday was the day Genevieve was going to take the car in the morning. She never does that. Drive into work and then drive out to Ballard. And I'm just kind of like. I immediately am like, the sheriff's department is calling me. And I know Genevieve is on the streets. Like, it was such a weird. I know that she's not just in her office right now. And I flip out. I say to Andy, I'm like, andy, this is the sheriff's department. I don't know what's going on. I need a place. I need to make a phone call. I need to find a quiet place. And he's like, oh, yeah, of course, of course. And, you know, he's. He knows what is on this voicemail. So he gets me into a little studio that nobody is using, and I'm like, I can't have somebody come in on me. He's like, don't worry about it. Here, I'll just sign you out in the studio. The studio's yours for a half hour. It's a little like.

[Luke Burbank]

You don't want it to be like the time I walked in on Marcy Sillman expressing breast milk.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right, exactly.

[Luke Burbank]

Circa 1997. Which. Which was. Which was terrifying.

[Andrew Walsh]

So I. So I'm like, oh, my God. So I go in this little booth and I take out my cell phone and I call back, and it rings like, I don't know, four or five times, which I thought was surprising. And then it goes to voicemail, and it's like another. It's not this person, it's another person. But again, with. I don't know if that accent we just heard, I don't. I don't think that was a Southern accent. But the outgoing voicemail had a. It was somebody saying, you've reached the King County Sheriff's Department. But it was somebody with a pretty thick Southern accent, a fella. And as I'm hearing this outgoing voicemail, I'm like, this doesn't seem right. This does not feel like I'm calling the sheriff's department right now. Why would it ring that?

[Luke Burbank]

Was it a 206 number?

[Andrew Walsh]

It was. That's the thing. It was a 206 number. And the outgoing message did say, king County Sheriff's Department. But it didn't say, like, you've reached the desk of Sergeant so. And so. And other. Unless I was calling a desk directly, why wouldn't there be a switchboard? Like, what? And. But I'm still, like, kind of freaked out, and I'm still thinking about Genevieve, and I'm. And so I leave a voicemail. But as I'm leaving the voicemail, I think I'm realizing, what's going on here. Is this a scam? And so I say, hey, this is Andrew Walsh. I'm returning your phone call. You already have my number. You can give me a call back. And maybe I. Maybe I left the number again. My number again. But as I'm leaving the number, I think I start. I'll bet you if you were to hear that voicemail, you would start to hear the skepticism in like a 10 or 15 second voicemail. You would hear my skepticism kick in. And then the energy as I leave my number dip. I'm like, who am I leaving this message? For. And why would they not pick up? And then what I do immediately after that is I call Genevieve, which is what I probably should have done first. She picks up on, like, the first or second ring. I'm like, are you okay? And she's like, yeah. And she's. I'm like, okay. I'm like, I got a call from the. Supposedly the sheriff's apartment. It's freaked me out for the past, like, three minutes, but I'm now realizing this might have been a scam. And I kind of told her what happened. And then as I'm telling her what happened, I do get a call back from them. And it's. Now it just sounds so sketchy. I can hear a whole bunch of people talking in the background. All men.

[Luke Burbank]

So you actually. Yeah. So you actually clicked over to the call.

[Andrew Walsh]

I said, these. Hold on a second. Hold on. I'll bet you this is them. And at this point, I think we're like, oh, yeah, these are scammers. And I'm like, let me just check. And so somebody calls me back, and I'm like, hello? And he's like, hi, I'm returning your phone call. And I'm like, yeah, I was returning your phone call. Can I have your first and last name, please? And I also hear a bunch of men, like, at phone banks behind him talking. And I'm like, you called me. You should have my first and last name. And there's like a really long pause, and it's so loud, I can't even tell if this guy says something to me or if some. Some. If one of his colleagues says something like that. His fellowship. Yeah. And then I just literally say. I'm like, is this a scam? Are you scamming me? And then it's just like a long silence with a lot of background noise. And then I just hung up, and I went back to Veeves. I'm like, yeah. Like, I am a little embarrassed that I even called this number back. But it's a perfect example of how they want you to panic. I was already in a head swimming mode because of just getting off the radio. That's a coincidence. But when you say, I'm calling from the sheriff's department, and you immediately think of your loved ones like, they've already got you. And then I'm calling back a scammer with a 206 number, you know, like, they did it right. They had an outgoing message saying that they were the sheriff's department. They had a 206 number, and they scared the shit out of me, because I immediately could picture our car with Genevieve behind the wheel, wrapped around a telephone pole or something. But they never called back again. And I guess it's over. But just be careful.

[Luke Burbank]

Did you block the number?

[Andrew Walsh]

No, I know I didn't. But, I mean, you know, if they.

[Luke Burbank]

Because, like, I feel like, yeah, my worry there. And I can totally see how that happens. This is why just the sheer numbers game that they play, they're basically spamming however many thousands of people with that on the hopes that one of them is walking out of a stressful situation. And it was the day that their partner drove the car. Yeah, I mean, yeah, there's. Because there's any other day of the week. Let's say Genevieve is just sitting, you know, over at her work area in your guys's basement, and you get that call, and it's just like you just got done doing tbtl. So you're not maybe kind of in that same emotional place. Then you probably. You probably maybe quick, more quickly read it for what it is. But they. They just hit so many people up that somebody is going to be having a bad day or a stressful day or is some. You know what I mean? Eventually they'll get to somebody who it triggers into calling them back and. And then they're off for the races. And what's interesting to me, I wish we had more time to talk about this. Maybe we can pick this up tomorrow. Because I think it's really interesting that they've now brought this scam home. I'm going to assume these folks were in the US because one of the big things about these kinds of scams is that historically, I think they've mostly originated from overseas. And so you have a pretty, like, distinct accent situation. You just have a lot of kind of like, I do believe also you do have. Yeah, you have things that kind of. You might hear and go know, what are the chances that this organization is calling me? But the person who is calling me from the organization sounds a lot like they might be in a faraway place. I believe also he says Kings county, which I don't want to give these guys notes, but really they should work on calling it King County.

[Andrew Walsh]

I feel like that's.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't know. Let's hear.

[Andrew Walsh]

Keep in mind, like, you kind of knew what was coming, because I. I'll. I'll tell the audience.

[Luke Burbank]

No, no, no. This is. None of this is saying that you. That you got duped. I'm just saying.

[Andrew Walsh]

But I told you, I texted you and said I almost fell for a scam. So during this story right now, you knew that this was a scam when you heard this voicemail, and I was just like, you know, in a crowded room.

[Luke Burbank]

But I 100% understand why. With the Kings county sheriff.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, you're right. Kings County.

[Luke Burbank]

I. Listen, dude, I. If I would have gotten that message, you know, about, you know, Cowlitz county, where I live or something, I would have been really shook because, again, not to get so hung up on this accent thing, but, like, the fact that it's somebody who sounds very much like they're in the United States, that seems like a new frontier. Yeah. For this kind of thing.

[Andrew Walsh]

I said the same thing to Genevieve. Yeah. I think that that was some. Another thing that made it sound authentic to me.

[Luke Burbank]

And my guess is that I don't know how involved this was, but my guess is that this was one of those. You hear about this so much now, where it used to just be like, we're gonna. They're gonna try to maybe steal your personal information or get you to send some kind of money. Now there's this whole scam where they call allegedly from law enforcement, and they'll say. Or they'll say they're calling some governmental agency and that your identity has been stolen, and the only way for you to not have your bank accounts emptied is to take all of your money out and put it into, like, gold or some crypto. Oftentimes, they'll send a physical vehicle to come pick. Remember we were talking about that financial writer.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes. That's what Genevieve said. You know, don't. How much money did she had? She took out her savings. Whatever it was.

[Luke Burbank]

$50,000. I think it was 50k.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ye. Well, that. That leads me. That's what. Because the one part of the story that I. That I haven't told you yet is having to go to Andy's desk and be like, it was a scam, because he's the one person who saw me freak out. He's like, no, that's totally understandable. But then he's like, yeah, my grandfather got one of those calls about. I think it was his grandfather got one of those calls about, like, hey, your. Your grandson. Not him, but some cousin of his or something.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Has been arrested or something like that. And I guess the grandfather, even engaging, called his son and said, hey, is my grandson at your house? He's like, yeah, he's downstairs playing video games. And I was like, yeah, your grandfather realized he was being scammed before I did. That's not making me feel any better about this.

[Luke Burbank]

But, yeah, I don't think this is a story of you being gullible. I think this is a story of these things getting unfortunately better and a particular moment in time where you're kind of like, your head is really in a different place. But, like, that's. Honestly, that's really. Really kind of frightening to think about because, you know, whether it's. Whether it's one of us or whether it's a loved one or maybe even an older parent or somebody who might be particularly susceptible, it's like, it's. It's getting. They're getting better and better at it. Like, if that guy. If that guy would have called me and said King county instead of Kings County, I would have called him back. Like, I would have. I would have totally believed that this was. Because he doesn't sound unlike somebody that could work for the sheriff's department, you know, like, that could have.

[Andrew Walsh]

Have.

[Luke Burbank]

That could have really, like. And, I mean, I told you that I was on the phone. You know, this was a. I don't know, eight months ago, I was on the phone with scammers in, like, some other faraway place because I got that email that said, we're renewing your. I forget what the account was. It was just like some BS account that I might have had at some point. You know, we're renewing your. Your, like, Turbo tax account or something for $300, but if you don't want to renew it, call this number. And I was like, $300. And of course, I had just woken up and looked at my phone. It was like the first thing I saw. My brain wasn't totally turned on yet. And I was, like, on the phone with the guy for at least 45 seconds before I realized, same thing. By the way, the call center, that's. I mean, if these guys ever figure out to not all be in the same room, we're sunk.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, right. Yeah. That's the thing.

[Luke Burbank]

Like, the simple thing of them not realizing how audible it is that there's other people there that might be the only thing standing between all of us and getting totally scammed at this point.

[Andrew Walsh]

And I'll be honest with you, it's not unlikely that a busy sheriff's department wouldn't. Shouldn't be loud with a bunch of people talking on the phone. Like, I've not. I mean, I've seen Brooklyn nine. Nine. Speaking of Mike. Sure. Exactly. I know that things get loud.

[Luke Burbank]

Please connect me with Tenacious Ray.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right.

[Luke Burbank]

I've received a call anyway. Well, dude, that sucks, man. That's also just, like, a stressful, emotional journey for you to go on of having a moment of being that worried about, you know, Genevieve. Like, that sucks, man. I mean, I guess it's a good lesson to all of us to really, really, really, you know, sort of double check everything and. And. And. And understand that the way that they're trying to get us is to put us into the emotional state that you.

[Andrew Walsh]

Got into the panic mode. Yes. And I do wonder, like, I'm sort of curious, like, where would that have gone? How would it have. How would it have eventually turned into separating me from my money? What the. What would the story have been? And I'll be honest with you, I still have the number, obviously, and my phone. We could call them tomorrow. I mean, I don't think it's a good idea.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't want you to be any more on their radar.

[Andrew Walsh]

But, like, is, like, where. Where would this go? I mean, they're clearly not that savvy, because when I call in, they're like, you give me your name and number again or give me your first and last name again. It's kind of like, okay, you don't even know who I am. Like, we could call them and just, like, from our voicemail line, our TBTL voicemail line, and just like, pretend like we had just received a phone call from them. I don't think that they would know. And I'm sort of curious, as you know. I am. I do have a fascination with these scammers. Me and our friend Katie will often, like, try to string them along as much as possible when they text us. And, like, we'll develop, like, oh, that friendship.

[Luke Burbank]

That's so fun.

[Andrew Walsh]

Because they'll send photos and then, like, I've gotten no time for it now, but I've gotten some of the most encouraging, uplifting compliments from scammers who are like. Because I always try to make it sound like I'm a little bit older and a little in a lot richer. And so, like, the last time this happened, I was telling this whole story. They'll eventually be like, oh, what. What industry are you in? I'm like, well, I made a lot of money in tech, and now I'm getting ready to retire or whatever, I'll say that. And they're like, oh, well, what was your business like? And I'll tell them, be like, wow, it really sounds like you're really making something of yourself. That's. That's really cool. I'M just like, thank you. And then by the end, I'm kind of like, well, I'm glad that scammer said nice things about me, but I feel confident enough and obviously knowing from text number one that it's a scammer. So I don't feel like they're. I'm going to like, somehow become an idiot at some point and give them my money. Right. But sure, but we should probably be careful because as I continue to age, I'm probably not getting more savvy with the ways of the technological world.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, I'm just worried about. And we really do got to wrap this up, but I'm just worried about the voice cloning stuff, the AI stuff, the time when you could get a call and it could sound convincingly like a loved one in your life and they need your help. And that's when I think it's gonna be really, really, really hard to figure out what's going on. But, you know, and also it's funny because, like, my approach is so different than yours in that the second that I realize it's a scam or that I'm getting a scam text, I block the number and I want to just like, throw my phone into the river because I don't want to be on anyone's radar as like, oh, that's a live human who picks up the phone ever. I feel like that only might come in to come to haunt me later or something. I don't know. But, man, it's. It's a crazy world out there. Meanwhile, I'm dealing with Three Card Monty on every corner here.

[Andrew Walsh]

Details. I'll be right here the whole time just listening. Such a good story. Sorry to. I was trying to wedge that in. This is a really good story, Luke. Tell me more and don't leave out any details. I'll be right here the whole time just listening. Such a good story.

[Luke Burbank]

I thought you were creating an AI version of yourself in danger that the scammers were going to use on me and this is where you were going to find out that I will do nothing at all. Even if I think it's. Tell your story.

[Andrew Walsh]

Just talk over top of it. You could tell.

[Luke Burbank]

You could call me and they could call me with like a really convincing version of being like, luke, I'm in jail, Luke. They have me. You have to. Please, you have to come get me. Or at least give them the money to release me. And I'd be like, you'll figure it out.

[Andrew Walsh]

Welcome to a Thursday edition of tbtl. The show that just might be too beautiful to live. I don't remember which listener made those AI Versions of our voices, but there, that was already years ago. And they're way better. They could do it even better now.

[Luke Burbank]

I know.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right?

[Luke Burbank]

All right, well, anyway, I'm glad you. I'm glad you didn't get even more scammed than that. Don't feel bad, Andrew. Don't. Don't be mean to yourself about that. I would have. Again, I would have been really shook by that as well. So.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

All right. I'm gonna shake up the audience tomorrow with my full report on Pez Candy and what the hell happened in the 80s, 1983, 1985, and 1988. I'm gonna get on top of that case and report back tomorrow. Tomorrow. Even if. Even if I have to bring the King County Sheriff in on it. We're gonna get to the bottom. The Kings County Sheriff. All right, well, thank you so much, everybody, for listening. We will be back here tomorrow with more imaginary radio for you. In the meantime, have a great Tuesday, and please remember, no mountain too tall.

[Andrew Walsh]

And good luck to all. Yala Pano power out.