#4513 The Man Who Brought The Rock N Roll Edge To The Chipmunks

Summary

Podcast Summary: TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live Episode #4513: The Man Who Brought The Rock N Roll Edge To The Chipmunks Release Date: July 18, 2025

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1. Opening Banter (00:00 - 02:24)

The episode kicks off with hosts Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh engaging in their signature playful banter. Luke shares a humorous anecdote about his sister's artisanal donut preferences, highlighting the contrast between his hunger-driven choices and her sophisticated tastes.

Luke Burbank:
"I always get weaseled into getting donuts with my sister... She's really over educated. So she's not looking for the donuts that she's looking for a strong donut lead."
(00:00)

Andrew interjects with excitement about it being Friday, sparking a light-hearted exchange about the day's vibe and touching briefly on their creative team's dynamics.

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2. Health and Lifestyle Discussions (02:24 - 06:21)

The conversation naturally shifts to personal health habits, with both hosts discussing their blood pressure monitoring routines. Andrew shares his newfound obsession with tracking his blood pressure, humorously linking it to his lifestyle choices.

Andrew Walsh:
"Now my life has been gamified. Now I want to beat the machine. I'm looking for the best time and place to do it."
(04:30)

Luke emphasizes the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure levels, while also touching on the humorous side of traditional weigh-ins.

Luke Burbank:
"It evolved from a vainglorious weigh-in to listing our blood pressure from our home pulse oximeter."
(03:52)

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3. TBTL a Thon 16 Announcement (06:21 - 29:00)

Introduction to TBTL a Thon 16 (08:39 - 13:52)
Luke announces the upcoming TBTL a Thon 16, set to take place in Friendship, Wisconsin. The theme centers around "banding together," emphasizing community support and unity.

Luke Burbank:
"We need each other, like the three of us need each other, the tens need each other."
(13:06)

Musical-Themed Thank You Gifts (14:26 - 27:49)
The hosts introduce various thank-you gifts for donors, all musically themed to align with the thon's theme:

• Stickers of the New TBTL Billboard:
  Andrew Walsh:
  "Call 206-414-TBTL the cure for global loneliness. And that can be yours for supporting the show."
  (16:13)

• Laser Engraved Harmonica:
  John Sklara:
  "We’re giving away a special TBTL laser engraved harmonica."
  (18:21)

• Melodica and Tambourine with Chipmunk-Inspired Art:
  Andrew Walsh:
  "It's a keyboard that you blow into to play and you can either hold it in front of you or set it down."
  (21:19)
  John Sklara:
  "The tambourine graphic reimagines us as the Chipmunks, connecting to our viral moment with Bob Dylan’s 'Mr. Tambourine Man.'"
  (23:36)

• TBTL's Greatest Hits on Vinyl:
  Chris Burbank:
  "Nobody thought a podcast could release a vinyl album of greatest hits, but that is us."
  (25:37)

Donation Process and Logistics (27:34 - 29:00)
Luke and John explain the streamlined donation process, reassuring existing donors that their contributions will automatically receive the corresponding gifts without additional actions.

John Sklara:
"If you’re giving $10 a month, you're gonna get the $10 a month gift, you’re already gonna get it, so don’t worry about doing anything."
(27:49)

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4. CBS and Stephen Colbert Show Cancellation (29:00 - 51:08)

Discussion on CBS Cancellation (31:01 - 51:08)
The hosts delve into the recent news about CBS canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," analyzing potential reasons behind the decision. They express skepticism about the official financial rationale provided by CBS, suggesting possible political motivations linked to Stephen Colbert's criticisms of the Trump administration.

Chris Burbank:
"The timing is incredibly suspect... It's just very, very, very hard to believe that it is not related in some way to content."
(44:59)

Andrew Walsh:
"I believe this is essentially shutting up comedians, silencing comedians who are speaking truth to power."
(50:44)

Implications for Public Broadcasting (50:45 - 51:08)
They connect the cancellation to broader trends affecting public broadcasting, expressing concern over dwindling support and the potential chilling effects on free speech within media.

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5. Political Discussions (51:08 - 67:04)

Democratic Party Dynamics (60:49 - 67:04)
Andrew and Chris engage in a profound conversation about the internal struggles within the Democratic Party, debating the balance between maintaining ideological purity and broadening the party's appeal to win elections. They discuss the challenges of inclusivity, the potential loss of progressive values, and the impact of political strategies on election outcomes.

Andrew Walsh:
"I am voting for the people who are going to stand up. I am so sick of conceding."
(60:30)

Chris Burbank:
"It's about what's right. Is that kind of what I hear you saying?"
(66:45)

They reflect on the tension between moral imperatives and pragmatic political strategies, pondering the future direction of progressive politics.

---

6. Garbage Pickup Anecdote (67:04 - 79:00)

Andrew’s Garbage Pickup Struggle (70:06 - 79:00)
Transitioning from politics, Andrew shares a personal story about his anxiety over missed garbage pickup. Utilizing his Blueski account, he documents and reports the issue, only to find solidarity with his neighbors who are experiencing the same problem. This segment highlights community support, aligning with the thon's theme of "banding together."

Andrew Walsh:
"I wanted proof of that. So I hit go on this form that I filled out."
(74:05)

Chris Burbank:
"There are strength in numbers. It must feel extremely validating for you."
(74:28)

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7. Closing Remarks (79:00 - End)

The hosts conclude with a mix of humor and encouragement, reminding listeners to support the thon and expressing optimism about their upcoming live broadcast from Friendship, Wisconsin. They sign off with well-wishes and a light-hearted nod to their ongoing camaraderie.

Chris Burbank:
"If you're hearing this, go to TBTL.net and support the show."
(37:17)

Andrew Walsh:
"Have a great weekend. Stay safe, take care of yourselves, and please remember, no mountain too tall."
(80:14)

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Donuts Anecdote:
  "Katie shows up with a box. I'm frothing, I'm so hungry."
  (00:00)

• Blood Pressure Monitoring:
  "Now my life has been gamified. Now I want to beat the machine."
  (04:30)

• Telethon Theme:
  "We need each other, like the three of us need each other, the tens need each other."
  (13:06)

• Harmonica Giveaway:
  "It's a keyboard that you blow into to play and you can either hold it in front of you or set it down."
  (21:19)

• CBS Cancellation Analysis:
  "The timing is incredibly suspect... it's very hard to believe that it is not related in some way to content."
  (44:59)

• Political Strategy Concerns:
  "I am voting for the people who are going to stand up. I am so sick of conceding."
  (60:30)

• Community Solidarity:
  "There are strength in numbers. It must feel extremely validating for you."
  (74:28)

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Key Insights and Conclusions

• Community and Support: Throughout the episode, the theme of "banding together" is emphasized, both in the context of the upcoming telethon and in personal anecdotes, underscoring the importance of community support.

• Adaptation and Innovation: The introduction of musical-themed thank-you gifts showcases the hosts' creativity in engaging donors and adding value to their contributions.

• Media and Political Climate: The critical analysis of CBS's cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" reflects concerns about media freedom and the influence of political pressures on content creators.

• Personal Reflections: Andrew and Chris openly discuss their frustrations and fears regarding the current political and social environment, highlighting the emotional toll on individuals involved in public media.

• Technical Challenges and Humor: The episode balances serious discussions with light-hearted humor, such as the garbage pickup story and playful exchanges about musical instruments, maintaining an engaging and relatable tone.

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of Episode #4513 of TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live, providing listeners and non-listeners alike with a clear understanding of the episode's key topics, discussions, and the vibrant dynamic between the hosts.

Transcript

[Luke Burbank]

I always get weaseled into getting donuts with my sister. She says, oh, I'll get donuts for us. I say, that sounds fantastic. I get myself all hungry. I forget that she's really over educated. So she's not looking for the donuts that she's looking for a strong donut lead. She's looking for artisanal donuts, subtle flavors. So Katie shows up with a box. I'm frothing, I'm so hungry. And she opens it, and I see these unrecognizable knickknacks. Oh, Chris. Okay, you're gonna wanna first try the orange basil. Then we have. This is lamb water. This was made with water. They were gonna give lambs. This one's the old butter donut. This is mezcalpanco. You won't like it, and neither will I. We need to split the Montana chocolate. This is sourdough spider plant right here. This is lilac kiwi. This flavor is so insane, it almost killed Fran Leibowitz. She tried it in 91 and had to get airlifted out of Port Authority.

[Andrew Walsh]

T guess what day it is. Guess what day it is. It's Friday.

[John Sklara]

Friday.

[Andrew Walsh]

Gonna get down on Friday. Everybody's looking forward to the weekend. Do you even like this podcast?

[John Sklara]

I have never had less faith in a creative team than I do right now. You don't think his idea of starting.

[Chris]

With the catchphrases and working backwards is panning out?

[Andrew Walsh]

Nuts to you, McGillicuddy. Who ordered the wieners? Beep, beep. Ribby, ribby.

[Chris]

That's not how it works.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's not how any of this works.

[Chris]

All right, hello, good morning and welcome, everyone, to a Friday edition of tbtl, the show that just might be too beautiful to live.

[Andrew Walsh]

The vibes will be the illest and the jams. Narra Dick.

[Chris]

My name is Luke Burbank. I am your host. I hate podcasting. It's just ruined my life. Coming to you from the Madrona Hill Studio, perched high above the mighty Columbia. Oh, Ma pa. It's just beautiful. The final day here at the Madrona Hill Studio before the the wonder trio. That is TBTB2 beautiful two biz, which is to say, myself, Andrew and John Skaroff will be converging on friendship, Wisconsin. That's right, for next week's TBTL a thon 16, which we have a big announcement related to today.

[Andrew Walsh]

Attention, Everybody.

[John Sklara]

Madams and Ms. Waz.

[Chris]

We're gonna be telling you the theme of the Thon and what the thank you gifts are going to be and many other pertinent details about next week. By the way, we on this Friday edition are at episode 4513 in a collector series, Let the fun begin. I don't know if we're going to have time for this and honestly I don't know emotionally if I feel like getting into it. But rough day in broadcasting between the defunding of PBS and NPR by way of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the fact that CBS is canceling the Late show with Stephen Colbert, they say strictly because of financial reasons. Well, we know you're good at lying. Despite the fact that it's top rated of the three late night shows and Stephen Colbert just happened to be criticizing CBS and Paramount for their payoff to the Trump administration. It's timing is can only be described as interesting. Anyway, we may talk about that. I know we will talk to this guy. Longest running cobra of the show. Maybe best known for his depictions of the tall ship.

[Andrew Walsh]

He's got Riz like he just does.

[Chris]

He's Andrew Walsh and he's joining me right now. Good morning, my friend.

[Andrew Walsh]

Good morning, Luke. 113 over 73.

[Chris]

That's the BP. That's the blood pressure.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Are we doing that? I know that you guys used to do weigh ins at the beginning of the show how much you weighed.

[Chris]

It's really evolved. I thought it's really evolved over its 17 or 18 years from the vainglorious weigh in which also, you know, probably just not the greatest, not the greatest example to set at the top of the show. We used to all report on our actual weight. That was a big part of the program too. Now us listing what our blood pressure is from our home pulse oximeter.

[Andrew Walsh]

I actually think it would be kind of fun if you got one of these things, I'm telling you. So my doctor told me to get one of these things and I did. And it took me forever to finally get it. And then I got it. I brought it home. I didn't take it out of the box for a while. Then I took it out of the box a couple of nights ago. Now my life has been gamified. Now I want to beat the machine. I'm looking for the best time and place to do it. I found the best time and places after a couple of gin and yeah.

[Chris]

Definitely get that blood pressure really pumping, really trying to push that gin through your system.

[Andrew Walsh]

So I wake up in the morning, have a couple of drinks, take my blood pressure and I report it on tbtl. You get one of these.

[Chris]

What Was it again?

[Andrew Walsh]

It's actually. It was really good. This was actually last night. 113 over 73. And I've created a little folder on my phone so I can, like, kind of, you know, take a photo of this thing every night and sort of map it. And I've got a chart here. And according to the chart, normal blood pressure, ideal blood pressure, that I'm in that range. I'm in the big green block right now. I mean, that's something to brag about.

[Chris]

I'm seeing. Yeah, I'm seeing similar. It looks like. Yeah, 113. That's not bad. That's not bad at all.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, it should be okay.

[Chris]

I was a little high last time I was there, and they literally said, next time you come in, if we're still measuring at that level or whatever, we. You should probably order. I think it is called, like, a pulse oximeter or something. It's one of those little things you put on your finger.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, sure. Yeah. Yeah.

[Chris]

They were going to. They were telling me I should probably get one and start monitoring. They said next time if I. Yeah, if I get that reading, if it hasn't gone down, then. Then. Then I should start looking into things. I'm trying to. If I can stay off of the various meds other than the one that's supposed to keep my bald spot from advancing any more quickly, that's the only medicine that I'm willing to take. Finasteride.

[Andrew Walsh]

Of course. That's the important. Everything. Yeah, everything follows after that. Yeah, me too. I think that the doctor is ready to put me on some sort of blood pressure meds, and for some reason, I'm just like, I don't know, man. I. I already have some meds that I'm taking that over the past year or so, and it's like, I just have this resistance to just like, Ed and he's like, it's no big deal. Just, you know, it's fine. It's good. It's healthy for you. But I'm kind of like, I don't know if I can do this myself. So I'm in it. I'm in it to win it.

[Chris]

The only thing I need to fix my blood pressure is the Mariner starting rotation, staying healthy for the next 80 games and pushing us over the top. That's all I need. My blood pressure will be. It'll be Olympic. It'll be Olympic swimmer levels. My resting heart rate. I know resting heart rate and blood pressure are different, but whatever. Go with me on this. If the Mariners just have like the second half of a baseball season to remember and they overtake the Houston Astros and they win the AL West. I promise you, it'll fix everything wrong with me emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially.

[Andrew Walsh]

What if they bring it? What if they. I mean, the. Well, we can't get into baseball talk right now. I'm excited to see if maybe we have some new faces on the team by the end of next week or whenever the trade deadline is.

[Chris]

But we have some old faces on this.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes, we do.

[Chris]

Our friend TBT employee numero uno, John Sklara, He's a really charismatic guy. He's funny because there's a lot who's also joining us right now. Hello, sir.

[John Sklara]

Hey, guys. How's it going?

[Chris]

Great, good, good. Man. This is a big day for you. Like, you know, we're talking about baseball, high leverage situations. This is a high leverage situation for John Skloroff, the TBT elephant.

[John Sklara]

Yeah. It's kind of like the thing I'm, I guess, responsible for.

[Chris]

Yeah. What's your walk in music? Are you coming into like, you know, Enter Sandman or what are you doing?

[Andrew Walsh]

The Smurf song.

[John Sklara]

I have. I actually have.

[Andrew Walsh]

That would be my walk up music. I love that.

[Chris]

That would really mess with the opposing team. Imagine the other guys just over there in the on deck circle, just swinging the weighted bat and he just hears.

[Andrew Walsh]

I love that.

[John Sklara]

I have a. I play softball every week and we have a playlist that's mostly comprised of like fun songs. Like, so there's like Dolly Parton's on there. It's like a real mix of like hype music and then also kind of light hearted music. So it does somewhat have that effect when we're.

[Chris]

That's one of the great advancements, I think, in amateur baseball and softball.

[John Sklara]

Through the speakers.

[Chris]

Yes. Is it. Basically you can now have walk up music. I mean, this is something that the TBTL junior sluggers enjoy and utilize. Coach Ben even throwing in some drops and things. Like, it was very fun being at a game. I don't think it was happening as much in the most recent game, but in the first season just like playing walk up music for folks and then again literally playing audio drops during the game. It was almost like an episode of tbt. I loved it.

[Andrew Walsh]

I love that. That's great.

[Chris]

So, yeah, we are, as you both of you know all too well, we are now right at the. At the sort of precipice of the fawn. We are. Andrew and I are going to be flying first to Minneapolis on Sunday, then we're all going to get in a car together and we're going to road trip on down to Friendship, Wisconsin.

[Andrew Walsh]

What's that drive again, John? I couldn't remember.

[John Sklara]

Three hours, about three and a half or so, give or take a little.

[Andrew Walsh]

Should we put together a bit of an agenda of things to talk about in the car ride? How structured do we want the conversation to be in the ride from the Twin Cities would do you like structured.

[John Sklara]

Like talking like TBT business or are we talking like baseball or where are we.

[Andrew Walsh]

We slot all of that in.

[Chris]

I think a lot of that will have to do with how well the first two games against Houston went for the Mariners.

[John Sklara]

Sure.

[Chris]

Whether I want to talk a lot about baseball or whether I rather baseball were no longer a thing and we're Congress were clawing back funding from MLB through a rescission.

[Andrew Walsh]

Can we that it is a good. I mean listen, we're friends and it's only sports and it's none of that matters. But isn't it kind of good that the Mariners and Yankees aren't playing while we're all together?

[Chris]

That would be tough potentially.

[Andrew Walsh]

Especially knowing how that series ended. I don't know that I'd be able to look John in the eyes for the rest of the tbtl.

[Chris]

A thon I have to say like. And Jon, you probably heard this, but I was very sanguine after the first game that happened between the Mariners and Yankees. I went to that game, of course and even though we lost it somehow, I. I somehow found some a place in my heart to fit Yankees fans. I was just like I was feeling pretty good. And then I think that that last game where Brian Wu not only lost the no hitter, we lost the shutout, we lost the game. Brian wu's grandfather died shortly after the game.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's.

[Chris]

I think that really undid the goodwill first game that I had found. I think that pretty much erased it. So yes, this is good that they're.

[Andrew Walsh]

Not playing each other and today is not about baseball. Today is actually. We have really fun TBT stuff to share with everybody. But we should just point out somebody's professional around here that by rooting for the Yankees, John has blood on his hands. That's all we're saying.

[Chris]

I'm just saying the word I use is complicit. Complicit accessory to the death of Brian Woo's grandfather.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh my God. Yeah.

[Chris]

Anyway, so this seems like. Seems like an ideal time. Ideal time to tell people about this year's TBTLathon.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thank you for being a.

[Chris]

All right.

[Andrew Walsh]

We.

[Chris]

You know, we were. Let's just let the listeners way, way behind the curtain, all right? We were debating what kind of music we should play for this announcement. And we realized the song that our friend Leni wrote for last year's Thon is extremely relevant to even this year's Thon. And just. Let's just say the whole idea of the TB Chell A thon, right? The fact that it is about the tens. It is about friendship. It's about, you know, we're gonna be in Friendship, Wisconsin. And so, John, do you want to let the listeners know it's Tbtlethon 16, which, by the way, I'm only recently learning about that. We're on number 16. It's TV Telethon 16. Colon. What?

[John Sklara]

BANDING together.

[Chris]

Banding together. That's.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, banding together. I like it. I like that. It's punchy. I like it.

[John Sklara]

It's punchy.

[Chris]

Yeah. So that's like, kind of. Whoops. I had one job here, which was nuts.

[Andrew Walsh]

You got more than one job. You're playing a lot of audio over there.

[Chris]

I do. I have. And I'm. And I'm not good at any of it. I was gonna say, you know, the idea came to us, what, I don't know, probably half a year ago or something, where we were basically sort of kicking around how we were feeling. Like, how we were feeling as. As people living in the wider world, like, independent of the fact that we do this show together, how we were all feeling just kind of like the same anxiety, I think, that all of our listeners feel right now. And it seems to have only grown over time, which is wild. I kept thinking, well, something will give somehow. Something good will happen. And we're still waiting for that moment. But this idea that we need each other, like, the three of us need each other, the tens need each other. We need the tens. This whole community that we need to really come together and band together. And I would say this is something that we've seen unfolding amongst the listeners at an even higher rate this year than historically. It's always been a thing where the tens really look out for each other and are just there for each other, whether it's through the book club, which, by the way, my mom recently joined, so watch out.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, wow. Really? Yeah.

[Chris]

Yeah. So she's joining the Zoom Calls.

[Andrew Walsh]

They're doing on Zoom, Right. So is she joining the Zoom Calls?

[Chris]

I guess she learned how to do Zoom through Bible study fellowship. So I don't know. I don't know what that's during the pandemic Bible study fellowship went zoom and.

[John Sklara]

A different kind of book club.

[Chris]

Yes, that's right. The good book. She may be waving it about in the thing. All that is to say, the tens have always been really there for each other. I feel like that's been even stepped up this year because we do need to band together. And so it just seemed like kind of a natural, I guess, a natural theme for. For the thon this year. And then it kind of led us in the direction of thinking about some of the premium, some of the thank you gifts. Do we use the term premium even though this isn't technically public radio?

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't even think in public radio you don't say premium on the air, do you? Isn't that something you say really behind the scenes, you people say premium on the air. Does that mean anything to a listener?

[John Sklara]

I don't know. Does. I think.

[Chris]

I think when it comes to pulse, you're right. That's just like an internal term that we use.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think on the air, you usually say thank you gift. Right?

[John Sklara]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Okay. Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hey, Luke, speaking of banding together and being there for everybody and each other, would you like me to loop the music behind us so that you can play your sound effects? Because that's kind of what was happening there. So why don't I start this going from my end over here? I don't know if I'm going to overlap at all.

[Chris]

Let's see if we can do this. I'm going to fade mine down.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay.

[Chris]

This is mastery at work. Honestly, seriously, like, we make the hard stuff look easy, and that's a problem for the show. We don't get the credit that we deserve because we do stuff like what you just heard effortlessly.

[Andrew Walsh]

Look at that.

[Chris]

And people think that this is, you know, this is an easy job. No, but I mean, that's the punishment for us making it look so easy.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. That's right.

[Chris]

Thank you, Andrew. Good thinking. Good.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, so now you have your sound effects you can play on your end, and I think we should get them ready. We should start telling people what we're going to be giving away as thank you premiums for this year's bond.

[Chris]

Because that's the sweet spot thing that people know about and a thing that no one has any idea about.

[Andrew Walsh]

Have you? So before we get into the specifics here, and I hope it's okay that I'm going to be the one to sort of start this news, we've mentioned A couple of times on the show that we have a sort of a theme. Our gifts kind of are on a theme this year. And banding together means more than one thing, right? It means we're all coming together to help each other and look out for each other and be there for each other. But it also means we're in a band together.

[Chris]

Yeah, we are, dude.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. We have a bunch of musical themed gifts to give away this year. And John, which one would you like to start with? Because some of it is the art that is going to be going on some of these instruments too, right?

[John Sklara]

Well, yeah. Should we just go in kind of like the giving level order just kind of all over? Let's just kind of keep it easy.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, let's do it to it. Where would you like to start?

[John Sklara]

Just go with the first thing which is this is actually the one that's not banned.

[Andrew Walsh]

We're doing great.

[John Sklara]

That's not music related but we got special requests for this and we're like, oh, absolutely. Everyone who donates, no matter how much you give, will get a sticker version of the new TBTL Billboard.

[Andrew Walsh]

Love it in French.

[Chris]

Honestly, a very useful gift. And here's why I know this.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Because since we had that billboard idea and then Andrew mocked it up and put it together and now it's been up in Friendship, Wisconsin. I am constantly trying to show it to people and I never have it at the ready. I'm always scrolling in my phone going, hold on, hold on. And I'm scrolling through a chain of emails between the three of us trying to find some point at which it was referenced. And then what I wish I had was a sticker on my laptop that I could just say this is what it looks like. That would be because it's coming up a lot in conversation for me. I think it's going to be very useful for the 10.

[Andrew Walsh]

Absolutely. And so if you haven't seen it yet, let me describe it for you. It is. This is the billboard I'm describing, which has also been shrunken down to be on a sticker for you. It features two, I'm going to say incredibly handsome men in suit, dashing, like dashing, dashing. Two men, arms crossed, facing away from each other. They like a couple of injury lawyers. And it says cranky board. Call 206-414-TBTL the cure for global loneliness. And that can be yours for supporting the show.

[John Sklara]

Can I just say real quick about the billboard. I was at my therapist appointment yesterday and I was talking well, it's, you know, it's.

[Chris]

John, would you like to list all medications that you're on currently, please?

[Andrew Walsh]

What's your blood pressure?

[John Sklara]

That's a hip. That's a HIPAA violation. Yeah, right, But I was talking about, like, and this is not, not to be alarming, but like, anxiety around the thon. Just general, like we got, you know, try and raise money. And I was telling her about the billboard and I showed her a picture and even my therapist thought it was hilarious. And she doesn't know you guys. She doesn't listen to the show, but she, like, saw the picture and thought was the funniest.

[Andrew Walsh]

I love that that's how you're using your therapy sessions. You're like, well, here's the root of most of my issues. And you just showed her that billboard.

[John Sklara]

No, not the root of them. Just. Just.

[Chris]

Just a contributing factor.

[John Sklara]

Yeah, just one other anxiety.

[Chris]

Just a comorbidity.

[John Sklara]

So that's. That's what everybody gets. A sticker version of the billboard. Okay, now, now on to like, the. The music, right?

[Chris]

Making music here, banding together.

[John Sklara]

The next level up from the everyone gift is we're gonna have a special TBTL laser engraved harmonica. Are you.

[Andrew Walsh]

I see it. I got confused for a second.

[Chris]

You hear the crowd cheering for that harmonic?

[Andrew Walsh]

That's really good.

[Chris]

Like a rolling stone.

[Andrew Walsh]

Like Bobby Zimmerman.

[Chris]

Yeah, exactly.

[John Sklara]

Beautiful.

[Andrew Walsh]

For a second, John. I did get confused for a second because I was like, we're not giving away a laser. I honestly like a laser. What are we?

[Chris]

A laser bulbing harmonica. Now that's a product. That's a million dollar idea.

[Andrew Walsh]

Laser bulbing harmonica.

[John Sklara]

Sure. To specify.

[Chris]

To clarify, you don't need to stop while I'm creating gentle background noise with my TBTL laser engraved harmonica.

[John Sklara]

Andrew, is that auto mute working or is it.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, let's see. When does the AI kick in and knock Luca off of this broadcast? Oh, wow, that is. God, that's beautif. That does everything.

[Chris]

Sounded like music.

[Andrew Walsh]

That does everything. Bed music should do. It's just like. It's easy to talk over. It's relaxed.

[Chris]

By the way, welcome to the next seven days of your life at the Airbnb in friendship.

[John Sklara]

I think I'm gonna have to rent another room.

[Chris]

Emanating from my room down the hall.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, well then. All right, we're jumping around here. John, I know you want to go in order. No, we can't jump in order because Luke is claiming harmonica responsibilities.

[John Sklara]

Oh, geez.

[Andrew Walsh]

I want to jump in. And do you mind if I reveal It. Do it. If I reveal it, I, my friends would like to take over melodica responsibilities or possibly melodica's. Now, I don't have one here right now because it's already on its way to the twins.

[Chris]

Oh, you mailed it. It's, it's. It's in. It's in Minneapolis.

[Andrew Walsh]

St. Paul is in your living room right now. But when we arrive in friendship, Luke will have one. He'll have like a bandolier. What do you band. What do you call the thing that goes bandolier? A bandolier full of like harmonicas.

[Chris]

It'll be Don Popper style from Booze.

[Andrew Walsh]

Traveler, but I will be carrying around a melodica which if people don't know what this is, first of all, check out the email that's coming out later today. This is. It's a keyboard that you. It's wind powered. It's breath powered. You blow into it to play and you can either hold it in front of you like one of those characters in the Star wars cantina, or it has a tube you can put in it and you can set it down on the table in front of you and you blow into it and you hit chords and keys on the piano keyboard. I had never seen or held one of these things in real life before and I touched it the other day and I'm a changed man. I am melodica boy now.

[John Sklara]

I also like that you said it's wind powered at first, as if it's like a green energy.

[Chris]

The melodica, it is actually. It's part of the green New deal.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's empowered.

[Chris]

Andrew, would you say that when you touch the melodica, suddenly you turned in the man who brought the rock and.

[Andrew Walsh]

Roll edge to the Eagles. A lot of people don't know that the rock and roll edge was actually the sound of a melo.

[Chris]

It was a melodica.

[Andrew Walsh]

Exactly. I am really psyched about this. So this is just a really, really fun toy. I mean, it's a real melodica and it's got a little TBTL logo on there.

[Chris]

But that sounds like something that your, your uncle, who had a lot of salty phrases would say about something. This is a real melodica, if you know what I mean.

[Andrew Walsh]

I had a buddy over here the other day as I unwrapped the sample version of it, and he didn't even. He had never heard of one of those before. And his eyes just got so wide. And then he played with it for the rest of the time he was over here. I think it's a very Addictive thing. And so claiming that for our friendship band. If that's okay.

[John Sklara]

So that's fine. If. I guess. If we're claiming instruments, should I announce the next item, which I guess I'm claiming?

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes, please.

[John Sklara]

We also, in addition to the harmonica and the melodica on offer, will also be a TBTL tambourine, which I don't know if you guys want to describe that is relevant because the coolest part about the tambourine is our friend Max designed a graphic. Just. Do we just. Do we wait for the newsletter?

[Andrew Walsh]

No, no, no. Describe this baby in great detail. Okay.

[John Sklara]

So it is a graphic of three. The three of us is what it is. But re envisioned as the Chipmunks reimagined and reimagined as the Chipmunks, which, when we were conceptualizing this as an item, we're like, what's the graphic? What's the thing of the. It's just gonna say TBTL is gonna be something else. And I think the three of us are on a zoom call and we're just kind of kicking around ideas and we're like, well, the Chipmunks was like a really fun thing. Maybe we do something with that. And then simultaneously, all three of us came to the immediate realization that the. The viral Chipmunk moment. For people that don't remember you guys discovering that the Chipmunks covered Bob Dylan and the saw and the song was Mr. Tambourine Man. So it's like this, like, you know, unicorn brain exploding moment of. That's it. That's the graphic. And Max in awesome job creating.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Chris]

It's a really. It turned out really, really good. Like, it makes me. There's a lot of art associated with this, starting with the billboard and then with something else we're gonna talk about in a minute that I just. And was endlessly pleased with the sort of final result. But this. This tambourine has got to be up there. It might be the top one for me. It's just. It's just really kind of charming.

[Andrew Walsh]

So funny. Seeing the three of us as, like, depicted as Alvin and the Chipmunks is fantastic. And so you get this tambourine with Max's art right. Right on there. And you. You too can be a Mr. Tambourine man.

[John Sklara]

You can be Mr. Tambourine or Mr. Tambourine person or whatever, you know, Like, I would not. Yeah.

[Chris]

So those are the Chipmunk who brought the rock and roll edge.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[John Sklara]

So those are the.

[Chris]

You know, what's not going to get.

[Andrew Walsh]

Old next week Can I just say that not to look ahead past the thon already, but I am looking forward to the gathering that we're going to be having in the, the 25th after the thon. And I am telling you guys, I know that, I know that we're, you know, trying not to bring alcohol in the park, but after that celebration, I am going to get so shipwrecked. That was it. That was the lead up. That was the lead up for the joke. I'm sorry.

[John Sklara]

Tremendous stuff. Moving along.

[Andrew Walsh]

Tremendous.

[John Sklara]

Moving along. So the, the, the last physical premium I say for physical item because there are, of course, if you give 15 or more a month, you'll be thanked on air like as, as has been in the past. Dazzling donors will also be able to send in their, their custom, their personalized message. And then people at the highest level above dazzling will also be able to get a personalized cameo like video like we did in the past too. So those are the non physical items that we're also be doing. But the last tangible item is TBTL's greatest hits on vinyl. This is special. This is special. Yeah. So that's.

[Chris]

Nobody thought it could be done.

[John Sklara]

Nobody thought it could be done.

[Chris]

Nobody thought a podcast could release a vinyl album of greatest hits.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. But that is us.

[John Sklara]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Once again blazing a trail really honestly for the industry.

[Andrew Walsh]

So here's the deal. This literally is a, you know, a full 12 inch record. Just like whether or not you have a turntable, I'm telling you, you are going to want to own this record. Like if you don't have a turntable, you take this record and you put it up on your mantelpiece. You find the place in your home that has the most traffic and the most views and you put this record up there. Maybe you even hang it on the wall because it is a, it's a recreation of a, of a classic 1970s kind of greatest hits looking record with me and Luke kind of portrayed. And what would you call this, this kind of pencil drawing?

[Chris]

I don't even know. It's. Well, it's beautiful. It's. It's. Yeah, it's. I don't, I don't know the art term for it, but it's sort of like a pencil drawing but then filled in with like almost a watercolor.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's really, really great. We, we were so excited. We knew exactly what we wanted and then we found an artist to create it for us. And so it's a class. It's a classic vinyl record. TBTL's greatest hits.

[John Sklara]

Yeah, so that's, that's the other item that will be up available for folks. And I'll just say too, like, at the different giving levels, you'll be eligible for like one or multiple things. So that'll all be detailed on the website today, starting today. Right, Andrew, will people be able to get eyes on the artwork?

[Andrew Walsh]

You can donate early if you want to. So basically by the time you hear our voice, there will be a link at the top of tbtl.net that says donate. There will also be a couple of RSVP buttons, buttons there if you want to join us for any of our activities next week. But click that donate button in the middle of the page. You can see all of these gifts as we've described them. And if you wanted to get ahead of the thon and donate a little bit early or upgrade your donation level or whatever it is, it'll all be laid out there for [e-mail] and I.

[John Sklara]

Just want to say, just on that note, like a little housekeeping stuff. If you're currently giving monthly and you go to the website and say, I'm giving, you know, 10 bucks a month, which gets me the harmonica and the, and the sticker, I'm happy with that. And you just want to let it roll. You don't have to do anything.

[Andrew Walsh]

You literally don't have to do anything. And that's right back in the day with apm. If you were already a donor but you wanted your gifts, you still had to fill out a form to get your gifts.

[John Sklara]

Yeah, we've simplified, we've streamlined that. And so it's just like if you, if you're giving 10 bucks a month, you're gonna get the 10 buck a month, 10 bucks a month gift, you're already gonna get it, so don't worry about doing anything. If you like. Andrew said if you want to like upgrade to get the next level, you can certainly. There's an option to do that as well. But.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, yeah, that's very exciting. If people don't know what level they're giving at right now, if they've forgotten, they're like, oh, I want, I want this, like, I don't know, tambourine, but I don't remember him at the level. But they just email you via the site.

[John Sklara]

Yeah, yeah, they can definitely email me, [e-mail] I would say email Luke, but I don't think it would.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, no. If you have any questions about the thon or anything about your giving level, don't just email Luke directly. Luke.

[Chris]

Yeah, I've got all this. I mean, you're taking care of all of this stuff.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, that's good.

[Chris]

You know, people know that.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, great.

[John Sklara]

Just. Just pulling leg there. Yeah, definitely email me any questions you have about your giving.

[Chris]

You can hear that. You could hear the fear in John.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, but. Really but. No but. No, but extremely.

[John Sklara]

That was a joke.

[Chris]

Incredibly important financial information or questions would ever be going to my inbox. That would be a real disaster for the show.

[John Sklara]

Yeah. And also related to, to thank you gifts, because this is the thing I know comes up each year, if you like have moved in the last year and you need to update your address or whatever to make sure you get your gifts, whatever, we could, we could talk more about that later, but just throwing that out there too. Anything related to your donation, send me an email.

[Chris]

Yeah, and so, I mean, I guess the, the, you know, this is the Friday show and so we're kind of. I guess this is sort of the unofficial kickoff of the THON in. In that the thank you gifts are live and that the donate button is live and so people can kind of go in there. And I mean, what would be cool is if, if you already sort of know that you're going to be helping support tbtl. And again, I don't know, I feel a little sheepish about connecting these things, but I do think they are kind of in a, in a larger way connected. This idea that, like the kind of stuff we do. If you consider this to be a quasi sort of public radio venture, and it's not, we're a for profit company, but I think we operate in the spirit of public radio in that we only exist because of you, the tens of listeners donating to the show. This feels like a week where there is sort of bad news all over the horizon for this kind of stuff that we're making and we're still here somehow, amazingly. And if you would like to just like take this sort of off your to do list of like supporting TBTL so you can go through the weekend just kind of without having it in the back of your mind. And then next week just enjoy the content, which is going to be actually pretty great, it would also be nice for us. It'd be great if we could start off Monday in Friendship, Wisconsin, kind of looking at the ledger and going, okay, this feels like we're going to get to be here for another year. It puts a certain amount of wind in our sails to know that. To know that the. Because like to be honest with you, every year that we do this, it is a little bit of a question mark. You know, it's like, is this going to work again? Are people going to voluntarily support this thing for, you know, another year? And so I'm just. I guess I'm just saying it's. If we have zero donations by, let's say Sunday afternoon, it's going to be a very long, very somber drive.

[Andrew Walsh]

Somber drive. A three day somber week. We will probably play that. Can you do me a favor? Play the harmonica as sadly as you can right now. Let's hear a sad harmonica. Not cooking.

[Chris]

Hold on.

[Andrew Walsh]

We don't want this. Do we want this all next week?

[Chris]

Do you want me, listeners? Do you want me doing this from the back seat of the rental car for three plus hours between St. Paul and friendship?

[John Sklara]

Listeners? I do not want this for three plus hours.

[Andrew Walsh]

If that's bumming you out. You haven't even heard John's sad tambourine yet.

[Chris]

The world. Saddest tambourines.

[John Sklara]

Yeah, and even. Yeah, and even. Sarah, this is just an audio right now. Imagine when we're out live on the YouTube and people have to see it.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's pathetic.

[Chris]

I feel like there's gonna be. When we get all the instruments together and we're in the same room, it's gonna be a. It's really gonna feel like the. When like Josie and the Pussycats would get together. That might be a little old for your reference point, John, but there would be this. They would have a band and then sometimes I think some of the Archies would just be in the background with the tambourine. I feel like that's going to kind of be us, but more chipmunkey.

[John Sklara]

They may remade Josie and Pussycats movie in the 2000s or something.

[Chris]

Like Rosario Dawson, I believe.

[John Sklara]

Yeah.

[Chris]

You can watch Cook.

[Andrew Walsh]

Maybe you can watch full episodes. I mean, I wouldn't and I never have done this. Just as kind of visual spackle in the background while you're playing darts. But you can watch full episodes of Josie and the Pussycats and their crossover episodes with the Archies on YouTube. On YouTube. Yeah, the original one. It's pretty fun. You can even. And again, I wouldn't do this, but you can even snip little bits of it and use it as gifts in the TBTL newsletter. Like if that's something that you're into, you can do that. I don't know who would be.

[Chris]

Yeah, so. So there you go. That's the kind of. That's the plan for. For the theme for the. I don't. Now, listen. I don't. Andrew, you're not gonna like me saying this.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, no.

[Chris]

But what would be fun, I think at some point down the road, and I don't know how. What this will look like, how we'll do this, if maybe this would just be at a TBT live event or online. But I would love it if at some point we were able to get together a large group of people, either in person or virtually. And if I can. If I can use a parlance of my church days growing up, if we could get the tens together and kind of make some kind of joyful noise, like some sort of extremely rudimentary music making involving the melodicas, the tambourines, the harmonicas. You know, like, I don't know even what the song would be or if it would just be full improv, jazz, maybe a cosmic stew. I would like to gumbo. A cosmic gumbo. Maybe. I would just. I think it would be fun. I mean, this is. The whole idea of banding together is a. I mean, literally us just needing each other, us needing all of you so we can keep having this job and us all needing each other just to kind of be some sort of a. You know, a safe place and a good place to be together, considering the wider world and how threatening it all feels. But, like, it would be cool if also there was some kind of a final, like, musical output from everybody having all of these harmonicas and tambourines and melodicas. So I don't know what that's gonna look like.

[Andrew Walsh]

Are we out of the field somewhere like that? Probably commercial from the 60s.

[Chris]

Like, as. As written by. What's his name from Mad Men. Don.

[Andrew Walsh]

Don Draper. Yes.

[Chris]

Don Draper. Original.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Chris]

I do think. Here's what I will say. I do think that the. The harmonicas will be confiscated from me by the end of next week. That's a promise. Absolutely. So I don't know if I'll be allowed.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'd like to teach the world to blurs. That's what we're all in. We're all on a grassy field together, and we're all doing a song called I'd like to teach the world to Blurs.

[John Sklara]

Luke, that harmonica might be confiscated from you before you get in the car.

[Chris]

What are the chances the TSA will take it away from you on Sunday morning pdx? I hope they put it up. I love the idea that, like, what you see, you know, this is, like, always kind of a burr under my saddle. All the things like The TSA loves to show all the things they've confiscated.

[John Sklara]

Yeah.

[Chris]

To try to make us think it's such a dangerous world. And it's just like a mace. You know, one of those things you swing that's got spikes on it. There's, like an antique gun. There's a blunderbuss that, like, you know, somebody was taking to, like, give their grandfather. And then there's just this Hohner harmonica.

[Andrew Walsh]

I like one that actually says TBTL on it or, like, even on the posters, things that are prohibited to bring through tsa. And it's literally a harmonica that says TBTL on it.

[Chris]

Yeah. We caught a guy at PDX at 5am on Sunday morning just playing this thing in line. And we immediately. A dog. First, a dog smelled it in his luggage as he was getting close to the. Close to the tsa.

[Andrew Walsh]

I get worried. Sometimes I see those dogs coming. I'm like, oh, they're going to smell all the drugs on me. And Genevieve says, no, no, no, don't worry about it. It's just a harmonic, a sniffing dog. And I'm like, oh, thank goodness.

[John Sklara]

I always want to pet those dogs.

[Andrew Walsh]

I do.

[Chris]

I do get. I. I honestly. I don't typically have any drugs on me when I'm traveling, nor anything that's prohibited, but maybe it's just my long. My long standing history as a sketch ball. But I get very nervous when those dogs come around my luggage. I don't. Like. I will literally think, is there something in there? There's not supposed to be. Or did somebody plant something or. I don't know, there's something about a drug sniffing or a, I don't know, weapon sniffing or whatever they're sniffing for dog coming by me, that. What's that?

[Andrew Walsh]

Bomb sniff sniffing, I think is really what they're doing, right?

[Chris]

Harmonica sniffing.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Chris]

It just puts me on edge. And every time I get past them, I feel like I'm Johnny Depp in blow. I've somehow gotten past them once again, even though I'm not even smuggling anything.

[Andrew Walsh]

Say hello to my little friend. You're just whispering that very quietly.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Anyway, I am very excited. I don't know if you guys can tell, but I think we're all pretty amped up.

[Chris]

We're pretty hyped. I think the TBT thon has gotten everybody a little bit excited.

[Andrew Walsh]

Of course it has.

[John Sklara]

Santa's come early.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Chris]

Please. Right now, if you're hearing this, go to TBTL. And if you can, go to tbtl.net and support the show. And get things off to a strong start for Monday when things start in earnest from Friendship, Wisconsin, from the Historical Society there on Main Street. Yeah, that would be really cool.

[Andrew Walsh]

And just one reminder or two, programmatically, if you want to watch us live, we keep on talking about how we're broadcasting live on YouTube next week. If everything goes properly, we plan on starting our live YouTube stream, which you can [e-mail] at 12pm local time in friendship. So that's Central Time, 12pm Central, which is 10am West Coast Time. And you can do the math for all the other time zones, but that's when we'll be broadcasting live on Monday. Or at least that is the plan.

[Chris]

Yes, that is the plan.

[Andrew Walsh]

That is the plan.

[Chris]

Yeah. I'm choosing to remain optimistic about everything technically working out there. I'm very confident, Andrew, in your packing skills. You know what? I'm the most confident in your worrying skills. And I think your worrying skills led your packing skills to be par. Excellent. So I think the actual recording of the show, the micing of the show, all of that is going to be just fine. And I don't know, I choose to believe that the. John, you said the offices there at the Historical Society in downtown Friendship, they're pretty. You were impressed. It's a pretty legit setup. So, I mean, I don't know. That does not in any way indicate anything about the speed of the Internet, but you've actually run a speed test on. So we actually have that number. I choose to believe if they have nice office furniture, somehow the Internet won't let us down.

[John Sklara]

It just. Yeah, it felt very like a small rural town's historical society. The office space was just very like mod. I don't know. Modern's the right word, but just felt very professional in the way. Not to demean historians in any way, of course, but it just felt. It felt like it was all on the up and up. Very legit. And I feel. I feel confident about it.

[Andrew Walsh]

And didn't you say that the WI fi speed is 113 over 73 or readings?

[John Sklara]

Again, I think you're confusing numbers, but yeah, it's. It was good. It was definitely good. It was good. So we're gonna.

[Andrew Walsh]

We'll.

[John Sklara]

And we have some Ethernet cables, so it's not just WI fi.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right.

[John Sklara]

So we, We. We're feel. I think we're feeling good.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Feel free to dig through that box that is. That I sent you, John, with that equipment in there, see if there's anything that strikes you. I mean, I Don't know. I don't know what I'm looking for. I'm just looking for somebody else to blame when it all comes crashing down.

[John Sklara]

Well, I.

[Andrew Walsh]

When I start freaking out on Sunday. Yeah.

[John Sklara]

I definitely don't know what to look for. So I trust. I have implicit and explicit or all the. It's a trust in you.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, thank you.

[Chris]

Oh, good. That's really lowering the pressure on this. On this poor guy.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, I just.

[Chris]

What's your blood pressure right now? Let's get a lot. Oh, my God.

[Andrew Walsh]

I do sort of want to take. I'm not gonna waste.

[John Sklara]

Don't screw this up.

[Andrew Walsh]

I have too much other, like, literal equipment I need to pack. I'm so. I can't be bringing toys like my blood pressure monitor, but, man, I kind of do want to make that a bit throughout the week. Like, how is Andrew's blood pressure and how can you help it?

[Chris]

Yeah. All right. Well, John, thank you. I mean this. For all of your work. Just getting so many I's dotted and T's, crossed before this. Like, you're constantly, like, thinking of something that I certainly haven't thought of, and maybe Andrew didn't either, and then it's usually something pretty critical to the operation. So thanks for keeping us on track for this. And I'm gonna. You know what? I'm gonna. Here's the stat line on this. You ba. You faced three batters. You did. You hit a guy, but that's the problem, is he was crowding the plate, and you weren't gonna give in and just throw him a fastball. But then you induced a double play after that, so you basically faced the minimum. Okay, so this is a really good this. Your ERA remains at zero.

[John Sklara]

Thank you.

[Chris]

And I think this was a sterling performance in a high leverage situation. Did I hit.

[John Sklara]

Did I hit the bat?

[Andrew Walsh]

Or.

[John Sklara]

You say he was leaning in. It wasn't.

[Chris]

He was leaning in.

[Andrew Walsh]

But again, it wasn't retaliation.

[Chris]

It wasn't retaliation. It was just you. You were just, you know, pitching your pitch. And. And they.

[John Sklara]

I'm an inside pitcher.

[Chris]

Yeah, exactly. And if they, you know. But again, you were able to induce the ground ball after that, you get a double play. So you still face the minimum. So you're still, you know, I think you're still really performing in the task that we've tasked you with. So thank you for all.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes, thank you. And thank you, Luke, for keeping it relatable.

[Chris]

I can consider you the norm, Charlton.

[Andrew Walsh]

Stu knows that guy.

[Chris]

He does. It's crazy. All right. Thanks, John.

[John Sklara]

Cool. Thank you, guys.

[Andrew Walsh]

Bye. Hello and welcome to Top Story.

[Chris]

I'm wondering, Andrew, if we should have done the broadcast related news of the day first and then done the TB telethon announcement second so we could kind of go out on a high point instead of going out on a kind of ominous.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, I'll tell you what.

[Chris]

I guess it is what it is.

[Andrew Walsh]

I was even thinking I have a little secondary top story that I'll share with you at the very end.

[Chris]

Thank you. A long of positivity.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, of, of intrigue at the very least. That will take us out of this.

[Chris]

We'll take it.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Yeah. I was actually, it's pretty, it's. I don't know if it's interesting or not, but it was my experience yesterday as I was about to go walk out onto this stage in Portland at this place called Kiln, where we were doing a, a livewire pop up, I saw on my phone like a push notification that said CBS has announced that it's going to be ending or canceling the the Late show with Stephen Colbert, which I was sort of shocked by. But what I didn't realize at the time was that he had been. So my first thought when I saw this announcement was that's pretty grim. But I'm not shocked because what I know is that all of these late night, these big kind of expensive late night shows are really struggling. Whether it's the Tonight show with Fallon, I don't know as much about the bottom line of Kimmel's show. I also don't know if Kimmel's show is maybe a little cheaper for abc. Like if it's just maybe, I don't know, maybe it just has a little bit less production going on or something. But because for instance, I know that a while ago the Tonight show, they went down to four nights a week. So that was a way, that was a cost cutting measure. But I wasn't shocked to see that, that CBS made this announcement generally or made this decision. But then when I started looking into it and the news of this morning, which is that, oh, I missed the part where Stephen Colbert had called out Paramount and CBS for this Trump deal that they've made, which for those that don't know, basically Trump sued Paramount and CBS for a complete and total nothing burger that involved 60 Minutes and a way in which 60 Minutes was airing their content, which is extremely typical in the news business. The argument, the harm that apparently happened to Trump himself was in CBS airing this interview with Kamala Harris in a certain Fashion, which again is completely in line with normal journalistic standards. It misled voters in Texas. And even though Donald Trump won Texas by a lot in the presidential race, he would have won by more if not for the harm that was done. So this case was localized to the state of Texas because my guess is it's a friendly place for Texas.

[Andrew Walsh]

Trump.

[Chris]

Try this. And, and therefore CBS and Paramount owed Donald Trump millions of dollars over this. I mean, it's a, it is a preposterous case on its face. And yet CBS settled it because it would appear cbs, they want to do this merger with this other. They want to basically absorbed by this bigger company called Skydance. Paramount does. And that has to be approved by the fcc. That is Donald Trump. And so it appears at every possible level and with every just normal reading of the situation that CBS and Paramount have decided it's worth, I think this final number was maybe $16 million or something to just make this basically payment so as to make nice with the administration so as to get this thing approved. And Stephen Colbert called it a bribe.

[Andrew Walsh]

On his show, big fat bribe.

[Chris]

And here we are, I don't know, you know, whatever, five, six days later, and CBS announces that this is a purely financial decision that they, this has nothing to do with the content of Stephen Colbert show and has nothing to do with the performance of the show as far as the ratings. It is just a financial decision. And if this, if they had done this, if they had announced this a year from now, I think I would buy that a lot. I'd be a lot more inclined to buy that, that, that explanation. The timing of this is incredibly suspect. It is just very, very, very hard to believe that it is not related to the fact that Stephen Colbert has been, you know, regularly and reliably a pretty harsh critic of Donald Trump's.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I don't have the article in front of me, but I was, I was really locked into this story as it was breaking and kind of, I don't know if developing is the right word yesterday, but I think the timeline is he made the, again, I can't say you can draw a direct line from this one particular joke. Joke that he made about the big fat bribe or observation or whatever. But that was on Monday show on the 14th. He apparently was told on Wednesday night that they're just totally canceling the show. And then he made the announcement, you know, the east coast feed Thursday, which was yesterday and immediately. So this is, I wanted to ask you. Luke. Luke. And I wasn't even sure if we Wanted to talk about it because your connection to CBS and how comfortable you'd be and I'd be fine with that if you just were like, listen, I mean this is just. But I mean, how can you not.

[Chris]

I don't think I'm a big enough fish for anyone to be interested in.

[Andrew Walsh]

Frying me, I gotta be honest with you. So I thought that I, I was texting you and Chris some stuff yesterday, just kind of joking around about it and I, in the back of my head I was even like, I'm sorry, not joking around about this, just about something else in the back of my head I almost wondered, is this inappropriate? Because is Luke like on a million text chains with all of his CBS folks like talking about this? I thought that this was maybe rocking your world last night, but was, am I wrong about that? Was it more like you kind of woke up this morning and you kind of realized the implications of this? You weren't kind of. I don't know why I was so deep into this shit last night.

[Chris]

I think I was distracted because we were doing this Livewire show and I was like walking on stage when I got the info, then we're doing the show, then I'm kind of driving home, kind of decompressing from the show. And again, I didn't realize because I didn't know. I mean, I guess I knew on some level that Stephen Colbert has been very, very critical of the Trump in of course very satirical and biting way. But what I didn't realize was that he had just recently called out specifically the payoff to Trump as a big fat bribe. And then that was when it started to become feel more sinister to me because like I said, the complicating factor in this is if you would have asked me yesterday at 3 o' clock west coast when this news was not published public, what do I think the long term prospects are for any of these big network late night shows? Whether it's Colbert, Fallon or Kimmel. What do I think that, what's the 10 year survivability rate? I would say 0%, because it's just not the way that as many people are getting their content anymore. In fact, these, all of these shows now seem to primarily be clip machines, clip generation machines. Like if they're lucky, there's a moment that gets created that then gets onto the Internet and then flies around and gets lots of views on YouTube, which I guess you could sort of monetize. What they're not really anymore is something that a lot of people are like turning on at 11:30 or midnight and just kind of watching from beginning to end. It's just not enough people watching it that way anymore. And that has nothing to do with politics or Stephen Colbert or any of them. It's just kind of how viewing patterns are going. So I guess when I first saw the announcement, I was like, man, things are bleak at cbs. Like, we're just running out of money fast. That was my first thought.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thought.

[Chris]

And then again, as I read more about it, I started to think. I just, I. You know, it's. It's Occam's razor, as we talk about a lot on this show. And when you hear hoof beats, don't assume it's a zebra. The simplest explanation is usually the one that is accurate. And what we have here is a network. I'll call Paramount, a network that is trying desperately to get sold to this larger entity, Skydance, and. And really, really do not want to anger the current administration. And they've got somebody who is one of their main faces of the network who is regularly angering the current administration. And also, it's the highest rated of these show. It's not like it's been lagging. It's not like. That's another thing that's weird. It's like, okay, maybe none of these shows are doing great, but this seemed to be doing the best of any of them. I just. I cannot. I cannot. It seems impossible to me with this timing, that it is unrelated in some way to content.

[Andrew Walsh]

And, of course, Donald, people were saying, if you think this doesn't have anything to do with Donald Trump, just wait for him to start bragging about it later. And, of course, I don't know if you saw that, but, you know, I did. He got on his stupid. His stupid social media platform and started, like, writing. And, you know, just. I don't even want to quote it here, but just the usual, like, I'm glad finally to see this happen. And. And then he called. He's like, kimmel's next. I know Kimmel's next. And it's like this just chilling effect of this guy who has. He's just like, he was such a dangerous pesk when he wasn't the most powerful man on the globe because of his just his desire to just, like, control everybody through what would otherwise be frivolous lawsuits. Except now he's in power and just. I mean, the word chilling doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about this. And, you know, there are so many things going on right now that I don't want to like kind of weight this against the public broadcasting thing versus what's going on with rounding up US innocent US citizens and also so, you know, innocent immigrants who are here. I mean, what is the horrors that are going on in the country right now? It's like you can't even balance them all in your head at the same time. And so I. I don't know.

[Chris]

Ranking them is a dangerous game.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ranking them is a dangerous game. But I'm going to do it anyway. Do you have any game show music over there? I do, no, but I don't know. To the Chipmunks.

[Chris]

Closest I have to the Chipmunks.

[Andrew Walsh]

What is the show title? The man who Broke Brought the Rock and Roll Edge to the Chipmunks or the Chipmunk that Brought the Rock and Roll Edge to the Eagles.

[Chris]

I'm not the man that Brought the Rock and roll edge to the Chipmunks. I think is. I think it's the way to go.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't lower my eyes to another Chipmunk. No. Anyway, I'm sorry, I'm all over the place. Maybe it's because I don't want to talk about this, but I do want to talk this. Talk about this. But, you know, even I think Chris, you know, had a nice blue ski about this yesterday. When I say nice, I just mean very succinct and just saying like this when the government. And again, you can't draw the direct line here. But I will say what I believe is happening when despot. That is essentially, you know, getting. Shutting up comedians, silencing comedians who are speaking truth to power. Like this is. This is really bad. This is, you know, and again, Taylor Tomlinson lost her show on CBS a little bit away from it.

[Chris]

Oh, oh, she quit that show? Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. So that has nothing to do with the chilling thing at all. Although, well, it has to do with.

[Chris]

The larger trend in these late night shows, which is to say the trend of them going away because there's just not. And by the way, that, that After Midnight was a show that I think it was supposed to answer the question of people. It was supposed to solve the issue of people not tuning into these shows by basically making a show that its job was to generate viral clips. The idea was we'll put on this TV show, we'll hope some people watch it in real time. But what we're really trying to do is make a thing that people watch the next day and that it gets clipped and memeified and that it, you know, know and by the way, all indications were that it was going to be renewed. It was actually kind of working. But Taylor Tomlinson, I think, missed doing standup and didn't really love the lifestyle of being a TV host. But yeah, to me, it's. This is why the whole thing is tricky, because on the one hand, you do have the fact that the business model is just not working, and so these shows are, I think, going to go away. But like you said, this is, this is just the worst way for it to be happening because this feels like a direct kind of causal relationship between being critical of the sitting president and losing your show. And it's really, it is, to use the word again, it is incredibly chilling because here's the problem. If you are a person who is considering either keeping your job and paying your mortgage and keeping your lifestyle or saying something critical of the president 99% of the time, whoever you are, whether you're Stephen Colbert or just a wimpy podcaster like me, most of the time people are going to choose preserving the life as they know it. They're going to say, well, this is not worth it. I mean, that's what exactly what a chilling effect is and when. And I mean, and it is really. And then this is happening, you know, on the same week that you have Congress essentially handing its one kind of responsibility and its one perk, which is the power of the purse over to the President and defunding public radio and public television. Those were already. The budget had been approved, the budget had been signed by the sitting president to pay for the corporate, you know, to keep funding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. And all of this stuff that's been now through a rescission act. They basically said, yeah, we already said, we are Congress. We approved this. This was signed off on. It's all been. The money's been promised, but now the President's asking us to claw it back and we're going to do that. Therefore, we no longer really control the power of the purse. And the fact that, and this is where it's like, you know, Tip o', Neill, I think, said all politics is local. There's so much, like you said, so much bad going on in the, in the country and the world around a lot of this stuff and such of it, so much of it is really hitting people who are so vulnerable. I'm a little embarrassed that, like, once they come for public radio, I feel especially threatened. But that's just how we are as humans. You know, this is like literally a job of mine, is Hosting a public radio show that's on a lot of these stations that are now going to be very, very much in danger. Danger. And there's something about this all happening in the same week that it just. I mean, not again, not to center myself in the story, because I'm still very privileged and very, very lucky with everything that's happened in my life. And this is not taking away my health coverage unless they cancel Livewire, in which case it is literally taking away my health coverage. But it's still. It's like. It's just a really, really, really depressing week in the wider world. And I'm kind of, sort of weirdly glad that we're going to. Into the thaw, because I think I really need that. I think I really need next week to just sort of get together with you guys and get together with the listeners via the zoom and just the activities and the picnic on Friday. I think I need to just get around the people who love us because it's just, it's. This is a. This is a dark week, man.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, it really is. Last night I was really kind of. It felt like it had all kind of. With all these various headlines and all these storylines kind of happening. I just was. I was deep into, like, kind of. I don't know, I don't even know if it was doom scrolling last night, but just like kind of drinking up all of the. All of the awful, awful news of the day, you know, I guess I'm going to be a little personal here, and I don't even know I'm starting this, and I don't even know how it's going to end. But, you know, we were kind of laughing about it. I kind of got obsessed with my Clayton Kershaw rant again yesterday. Just, you know, and I don't even have to set that story up. You probably know what I'm talking about. But I had sort of slammed him and his, like, sort of his somewhat subtle protests over the years of, you know, celebrating LGBT pride events and stuff. And it's tied to his religion. And so I kind of slammed him a couple of days ago. And then I got this email from a listener, I think, yesterday morning that really stuck in my head that just said, listen, we can also kind of extend grace when possible as well. And then so I was sort of shadow boxing on yesterday's show a little bit with this idea of, do I extend grace to somebody who says their bigotry comes from their religion? Which is the very sharp, elbowed way that I think I put it yesterday or implied it. But also I have lived my whole life actually really believing more in the worldview of the listener who wrote into me, which is, when possible, do extend grace. And I don't think Clayton Kershaw has been like, on stage, like, with a microphone in hand saying, like, directly homophobic things. Pardon me, but I still take his actions as being homophobic. And. But the thing is, like, there is a plate. There's a place in that conversation to truly hear the more nuanced conversation from all angles. And yesterday when I was talking about it, and yesterday when a listener wrote in to say, hey, just. And again, they weren't even making an argument, they weren't even defending him. They were just saying, like, let's just literally, like at times find ways to extend grace or give people the benefit of the doubt. And yesterday when I was sort of shadow boxing with that idea, it's maybe because that's who I usually am and that's who I used to be. And now I've lost patience, you know, with everything. And I don't want them to turn me into somebody who sees the world in such an angry black and white way. But I do right now.

[Chris]

Yeah. Yeah, right. That's the feeling that we are changing in response to what's going on in the world in a way that we don't want to be changing, whether it's making us more fearful and we don't want to be fearful people. Like, I've never been. I've been annoyed at politics. I've never been fearful about politics. And again, that's a lot of privilege because I'm not a person who's usually in the crosshairs for this stuff. And to a degree, I'm still not. It's not my bodily autonomy that's under threat. It's not my healthcare, you know, specifically. But so that's a really bad feeling to feel like we're changing in response to the sort of negative sort of stimuli of this whole thing. But also, and I don't know why I'm expanding this into a whole other area that we don't have a lot of expertise on. But I've been, you know, reading and listening a lot to sort of like, well, where do the Democrats go from here? Where do progressives go from here? And I will say to the point. Point. Actually, I don't know if it was the point of that person who emailed you or not, but to a theory around the Clayton Kershaw's of the world and the Movement towards, let's just say, getting back to having some normal leadership and having maybe a Democrat or somebody with a D behind their name sitting in the office of President. Something I've heard from a lot of people is that the Democratic Party is going to have to become more okay with having more people involved in it who do hold some beliefs that we don't share. Because the challenge has been that there is sort of been a purity test. And if a person was not. The Democratic Party is really a coalition of a lot of different interest groups. A lot of people who have. The Republican Party is. Is not. It's kind of. It's sort of typically one group of people that just basically feel like they want less government. They don't like that the social mores are changing. It's a fairly, you know, it's a fairly consistent and kind of uncomplicated, in a way, worldview. And the Democrat Party is made up of a whole bunch of different people who have different things that are very important to them, whether it's social justice, whether it's, you know, a whole bunch of different things. And a thing that's been a challenge is that we have been in a position where, like, imagine this. Imagine if Clayton Kershaw wanted to vote Democrat, but also write that Bible verse on his hat, Would he be allowed in the party?

[Andrew Walsh]

Of course. Anybody can vote. See, and this is where. I don't know if I want to get into this, but this is the argument that I've been having with. With Genevieve on public radio a lot in my times there. It's like I'm on the other side of that now. Like, I am full on, Bernie aoc. Like, I am sick of conceding. I. They don't have to concede. And this is kind of. What. What.

[Chris]

Do you think there are enough. Enough people? I mean, this is a real question. Yeah. I don't know the answer to this. Do you think there are enough people if the Democrat move was to. Was to. Instead of trying to enlarge the tent, just make the tent more. More. I don't know, ideologically pure. Do you think there's enough people to vote that way to actually win elections?

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, here's what I know, and I know I've said this on the show before, and you and I have talked about this, but, like, what I know is the Democrats ran a cop who promised to put Republicans on her cabinet, who made so many concessions to try to dress up a campaign to seem so inclusive. And what we got was a very, very Evil campaign that made no concessions at all, all in power, and. And is wielding that power in the most dangerous ways possible. As a. I'm not a political consultant, and I would be a terrible one. All I know is as a voter, I am voting for the people who are going to stand up. I am so sick of conceding.

[Chris]

Yeah. I mean, what I would say is that I think the. The reasons that Kamala Harris wasn't able to get elected are more broad than her trying to play to the middle. I totally agree with you that that was very much a strategy of the campaign. I mean, I think if you look around, I think the problem. I think the original sin there is with Joe Biden not having, you know, a real primary for, like, basically not handing the reins over to somebody else in such a way that there was only enough time left for it to be Kamala Harris. And it was impossible for her to differentiate herself from the Biden administration because she was part of it. And if you look around the world, world, every party that. Just about every party that was in power coming out of the pandemic, which was to say when interest rates shot up, things got more expensive, Life was sort of complicated in a new, weird way. Almost all of those parties were drummed out of power by, like, larger margins than the Democrats lost by meaning. I just think the Democrats were in a tough position that that was echoed all over the world. Again, I. By the way, I weirdly agree with you in that I could see a world in which. Which the next Democrat president is aoc and I'd be down with that. I would be totally down with that. But I guess what I mean is, like, I don't think that we have to go out and try to court the Clayton Kershaw's of the world, but I think we also. I just think that the idea that it's gonna have to be. I'm not saying you have to go play to the anti Pride people, but if the anti Pride people for some reason want to be part of it, I don't think we should kick them out for being anti pride.

[Andrew Walsh]

But I don't know what kick out means. Like, you're making it sound like somebody is saying, oh, Clayton Kershaw, I don't want you to vote Democratic. For the record, I want Clayton Kershaw to vote Democratic. I don't know what that means. I don't know who's telling him not to or what contingent of Democrats are going around telling people not to vote Democratic.

[Chris]

Well, you're right. But I also know that there is definitely, I mean, for a long time, not a long time, but for a period of time, there's a. There's a lot of pretty loud voices in, like, the social media space and other places that were very much, I think, kind of patrolling people's Twitter feeds for old tweets that were considered not appropriate or whatever. Like, there was a lot of analyzing of if people were sort of okay or not in terms of, you know. All I'm saying is I think that. I mean, I hope you're right. I mean, I would love to see. I would love to see a very progressive candidate win as a Democrat. I just want to win. I just want it. I want to have this. What's happening. I want it to stop. And whatever gets us there is what I'm in favor of, you know, And.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't think, by the way, I don't think I'm right because I'm not predicting a progressive victory. I don't know what to predict. I'm predicting in my heart just the worst possible scenario over the course of the next several decades, the rest of my life. That's what I'm predicting. I hope I'm wrong about that. I'm in a really dark place. So I'm not predicting anything or saying what is right or what is wrong. This is just a conversation that I keep having over and over, and I must be wrong because everybody is arguing with me about it. I just don't draw the connection between annoying people on Twitter bickering about progressive politics to the campaign that lost the election to these evil people. Like, I just think that what I'm seeing is the Republican Party doing a very, very good job and the MAGA party doing a very, very good job of convincing liberals that they were too liberal. I don't see that Liber. I did not see a. A super highly annoying woke campaign coming from Kamala Harris. I know that some decisions she made when she was in a different position, at a statewide position, those came back to haunt her. And you could say, well, those were two progressive policies. But that is not. And so. But again. And that. I think I used this analogy on the show the other day. It just sort of feels like the MAGA people are taking the Democrats hands and punching us in our own face with our own hands and saying, stop hitting yourself. And that's sort of what I'm seeing. And people are like, well, there was too much. You know, I'm in this meeting at work and I'm sick of all these Woke people policing my language or whatever. It's like, okay, that's fine. But I don't see the connection to that and the polls. That was not the Democratic strategy that lost. Those are annoying people online or in your workplace or whatever.

[Chris]

Sure, sure. No, I agree with that. I mean, I totally agree with you that they were trying so hard with the Harris campaign between picking Waltz and trying to like they were doing everything in their power to play to the middle. And I mean, I think there is also an argument that maybe if they wouldn't have, they would have lost by more. You know, I don't know. But I think what I hear you saying is that not from necessarily a kind of success based strategy, but from just a moral strategy, a moral approach to life. You, you're feeling like whether or not it is victorious, it'd be sort of like being an abolitionist. If that was not a politically popular position. You're sort of like, yeah, but I'm still an abolitionist and I don't care if it means we win the election. What I'm, what I'm supporting are what I think is the important sort of human decency of other people. And, you know, it's not about are we going to win, it's about what's right. Is that, what, is that kind of what I hear you saying?

[Andrew Walsh]

I guess I think that. And again, I think I'm simplifying this too much in a way that is probably just annoying because. And I really do. Like, I am not a political strategist, but it's kind of like I am.

[Chris]

That's one of my many jobs.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, you do, actually. I mean, no, I will absolutely say that. You follow this stuff and listen to very, very smart people talk about this.

[Chris]

Stuff way more than repeat what they said incorrectly.

[Andrew Walsh]

Still better than mine. Better than what I'm doing.

[Chris]

Special sauce.

[Andrew Walsh]

Better than what I'm doing. But I just, I guess. And again, I'm just having this conversation because I'm really trying to understand it. And it's like this missing link in my head. It's kind of like, well, the party needs to be embracing. I'm just kinda like, well, what is. I just don't know what that means. Like, because again, I don't remember any Democrats saying you can't vote a Democrat because you don't have enough pride in the LGBT community. I just don't think that's ever been a message. I'm trying to figure out. Like, politically, what does that mean? What policies are we throwing away? Like that draft we play Only ten commandments. Okay, which two to get rid of? But like, what are we turning our backs on? Are we becoming more pro gun? Are we becoming less tolerant of LGBT people? Do we turn our back on the trans community? Like, what right, what are, when you say that, like, I don't know what that means as far as like actually putting somebody in the White House. What are, what do we, what do we give up there? What do we do to be more appealing? What's the point?

[Chris]

Yeah, I don't know. I don't have an answer to that either. So that's, this is where my, my political strategy business comes to an end. Much like the Late show with Stephen Colbert. Because I don't know the answer to that question either. I think Marie Gluzenkamp Perez is a very interesting. I'm not saying that in a way of like, we should all that every candidate should be following her lead because she's done, she's voted a lot of things that are actually pretty annoying and I don't agree with at all. But she has also managed to win two elections in the deep red Trump area. And in fact, one of the few people in Congress who can say that, who actually is nominally anyway a Democrat, even though a lot of her policies are don't. Or the things, the votes that she's made don't really look like the typical votes from a Democrat. Now, I don't know if that applies everywhere because we don't need that person. We don't need that political perspective in New York City right now or San Francisco. So that's one sort of thing is like, how does a Democrat get elected in a place that's mostly voting for sort of Republican and MAGA candidates? I mean, I don't know. I don't know the answer to any of this, Andrew, but I know that I have a lot of faith in the other topic that you said you wanted to bring up.

[Andrew Walsh]

I was hoping you wouldn't forget things.

[Chris]

I don't want to get the nose up on this. I don't even want to say negativity train. I want to say reality train. Yeah, but, but still, let's, yeah, let's try to, let's try to like, head into the weekend and the thon on something that's maybe 5% less bleak.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, first of all, I think that today's show is a true example that TBTL contains multitudes like we are, we are hitting on, we are hitting on a lot of different energy levels today as well as, as well as topics.

[Chris]

But and musically.

[Andrew Walsh]

And musically as well. Musically rich program, textured. And so this is. I forgot that you were on. Or maybe I didn't know that you were on stage last night. So that would be why I texted this to you and Chris and I didn't get a response from you. And I was like, oh, no, I'm probably bugging you in the middle of all the CBS turmoil. No, I was bugging you while you're on stage performing. But I had a little bit of a tough day yesterday when I realized that our garbage wasn't going to be picked up.

[Chris]

Oh, yeah, I saw this.

[Andrew Walsh]

All three bins were out at the curb. As people who follow the special Blue sky account that monitors my Blue Ski account that monitors me taking out my garbage. Of course, I'm always paranoid about this. I used to live in a place where they would routinely skip picking up my garbage. And then when I would call the city to complain, they'd say, oh, well, your garbage wasn't out on time, according to the driver, so we're charging you for an extra pickup fee. Which is the thing that sparked all of my paranoia about my garbage pickup. Well, at my new place now, I have this social media account on Blueski where I take photos of my bins at the curb every night. And just so I have timestamped proof that they were out at the curb on time and that there's no extra garbage in there and the lid aren't popped open and all this stuff. I just want proof of that. Well, since I've been doing that, everything has been really, really smooth. Yesterday, they empty my recycling first. That's right. It was a big. It was a big garbage day, as we call it, recycling first. So I bring that one back. And then every other week or something. Every other week. Nice remembering. And then every week is yard waste pickup. They came later in the day and emptied that. And then they were getting a little bit late on picking up my black, you know, regular garbage bag in. And I had, you know, even I had thrown away a hose, but I had cut up the hose into a bunch of little pieces and wrapped them up really tightly, like, so that they weren't like, you know, popping out of the garbage. I was like, I think I can throw away hoses. This is how in my head I am with Seattle's trash pickup system. But the truck never came to empty my garbage yesterday. So. And I'm starting to clock this around like 4 o', clock, and I'm like, oh, like, I'm not allowed to, like, Complain about this until 6, but never do they wait longer. Until like, I don't know, 1:30 or 2 to empty. You can just tell. You can just tell the bin. The bin tells you.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

When it's ready.

[Chris]

Keeps the score. One of our favorite references.

[Andrew Walsh]

The score indeed. So I do. But you can't file the complaint until 6pm So I was like watching 559. Yes. I kept going out and I'm looking, I'm looking and I'm like, well, maybe I can just send it at 5:45. I'm like, no, just wait. And so I send. So I sit down behind my desk and I was going to do it on my phone, but you need your. This was so irritating. You need your like full account number to. To like submit a complaint form or whatever. And nowhere on the site, even once you're logged in, do they present your account number in a way that is copy and pastable.

[Chris]

I don't know the luggage company.

[Andrew Walsh]

It was ridiculous. But anyway, so I fill this thing out and then, then it's like I was like, oh good, there's a space here where I can add any additional information that they might need. So I'm like, yes, they missed my garbage pickup. It was this time. This is my address, this is my account number. Any other information. And so I'm like, yes. And so I was able to link to my Blue sky account. I was like at the curb the night before as documented here. They leave so little space for comment that I had to rewrite that a million times and use mini or tiny URL to get that in the there. But I wanted the city to see my. My bins were out there the night before. So I hit go on this. This form that I filled out, it goes into the Ethernet and I'm like, I don't know how this is going to work out. I'm going to be leaving on Saturday. If they don't come on Friday, then Genevieve's gone. It's just like, it was just adding anxiety to me that I did not need and that was so not necessary. Like, it's garbage. It'll work itself out. But I was just like. It just was like this hanging out thread in my life and I'm already prepared for the city to like not take care of this in some way. But then the local email chain started popping off. Luke, people are like, garbage wasn't picked up. People are like, I was walking down the street. I saw him north of this street and south of this street, but they weren't Picked up. Turns out the good news part of this story is I am surrounded by my people. There have probably been 15 emails in the past 12 hours. Amongst the neighborhood.

[Chris]

There are dozens of us.

[Andrew Walsh]

Like, I filed my report. Well, I didn't file one. When did they say it's going to come? They're like, well, it was an auto message that said it should be picked up the next day, but I don't trust the word should. And, like, everybody's like, kind of freaking out about this. And I am just. I want it to start raining right now so I can walk out in the middle of the street and hold my arms towards the heavens and spin around and say, these are my people.

[Chris]

Yes, there are strength in numbers. I mean, it must feel like for you, extremely validating as somebody who's just been. I mean, again, you set up a Blueski account to document this. This has been actually, across multiple addresses for you. A bug boo. I don't like that. I like it. I wish I didn't know that it's bug boo. I grew up calling it a bugaboo. I feel like that's easier to say, although it's actually longer. But isn't it technically bug boo? Do we learn?

[Andrew Walsh]

I think we learned that recently. By the way, since I started talking to you, another email just came in from a neighbor. I just called and got a person who said it was after 10am so it would be tomorrow for pickup, since they're already out collecting today. But if you filed online yesterday, it should be today. She had no way to look up the ones who filed online. Anyway, there's a lot of back and forth on this, but since I filed my complaint last night and since it will be like, so clearly like, an issue with the whole neighborhood, I have so much more confidence that it's going to be emptied today.

[Chris]

Totally, Andrew, by the way, I told you we need a W around here, and I think we just got one. One bugaboo is in Merriam Webster. Bugaboo.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ew. With the extra thing.

[Chris]

Yeah. So we can. Bugaboo. So if somebody is saying bug boo, that's fine. Listen, it's a big tent, Andrew.

[Andrew Walsh]

I told you.

[Chris]

We need to get people saying bug boo in the tent. But bugaboo. We can also say bugaboo. I can go back to saying what I was saying my entire life growing up.

[Andrew Walsh]

It also just vaguely sounds like one of those words you shouldn't say. Like, I say that sometimes, but I always pause. I'm like, wait, is that an okay word to say?

[Chris]

Bugaboo.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know why, but it sounds.

[Chris]

I'm like, uh huh. Like the backstory is not gonna be great.

[Andrew Walsh]

Exactly. Nobody excludes.

[Chris]

Somehow involves the Chinese exclusionary act of 18, whatever or something like that.

[Andrew Walsh]

Bugaboo. Exactly.

[Chris]

I don't think it does. And we can say Bugaboo. But no, I can imagine for you, Andrew, as somebody who's been carefully monitoring the situation for the longest time, to then have everyone kind of walk out into the street with you and start marching towards the waste management headquarters yelling, it is both. It is both. It just must have been a very, A very gratifying experience for you. So was there ever. And maybe you said this and I was too busy looking up Bug Boo versus Bugaboo. But was there any explanation as to why there was no pickup yesterday?

[Andrew Walsh]

No, no explanation yet. But everybody has filed their report. I'm guessing that maybe they have somebody filling in on the route or something like that. You know what I mean? Like, it must be something that somehow the truck just Because, I mean, you would think that we've learned now because I, you know, gave him that gift card or whatever and we had a little exchange. Like I have a regular driver, right? Like we know that there's somebody who does it the same job every week. So with such a routine like that, how would you just forget an entire neighborhood? Chances are somebody took a day off and you had.

[Chris]

Somebody probably was called, called in sick, right? And then that's another one to get back to a Bugaboo. I grew up saying, you're gonna call in sick. But on the east coast and a lot of other places, it's calling out. I called out today. I always, when I grew up, you were, oh, shoot, okay, you know what? I'm hungover. I'm gonna call in sick today.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I think that's what I would have said too.

[Chris]

But calling out is the way that a lot of other people say it. And I actually think that makes more sense. It's not what I grew up with. I don't like it. But you are essentially saying, I'm not coming in. So calling in sounds. Sounds like I always took that to mean you're calling into your boss, saying.

[Andrew Walsh]

That'S what I was going to say. That's how I think I. And you know, I grew up in Ohio and then, then went east for a while, was in New Hampshire. And I don't think I've heard the call out sick or if so I've just never like kind of paid attention to it. But I think I would instinctively say call in sick. And I think the reason is because, like, you're picking, you know, you're picking up the phone and you're calling in to work to tell them that you're sick.

[Chris]

Yeah, I think it's an east coast thing and I think it's sort of like saying online versus inline, like to call out. But again, I kind of could see the argument for it because although you're calling out sick, I've never heard that.

[Andrew Walsh]

And again, I was on the east coast. Like, I just don't know. You're sure that's an east coast thing?

[Chris]

Well, that's where I've heard it the most. I mean, some. We'll get some listeners weighing in on this. It'll give us lots of rich content for next week. Andrew from Friendship, Wisconsin. But anyway, yeah, I don't know why that. Where I was going with that. But, but, but, but the fact that I've completely lost the shred might indicate that we're reaching the end of this broadcast week.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes, yes. All right. Like I say, we.

[Chris]

Well, good luck with your garbage, sir.

[Andrew Walsh]

Multitudes. Yeah. So I'm confident I'll let you know how that turns out.

[Chris]

I definitely don't want you getting on a plane Sunday with this being a question mark for.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, I would end up bringing it with me, which is the thing that I don't think you guys want to do.

[Chris]

It's just three bit. It's just I see the TikTok video as I'm getting on my plane. Plane. Male. Well, I don't want to use those words anymore, those names, but just a TikTok video of a guy getting dragged off a flight because he has three huge garbage can bins and recycling bins with him and wants them to be seated next to him on the flight.

[Andrew Walsh]

What if I just bring one, the problematic one. But people are like, well, you have to buy an extra seat. And I'm like, no, no, it can just sit on my lap.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Andrew Walsh]

The whole time.

[Chris]

And then. And then they have to basically deplane everyone because you refuse to get off the flight.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. That's right.

[Chris]

Don't do that, please. We need you in Friendship, Wisconsin on Sunday. We definitely do, John. And I do not know how to do this show without you. All right, that is going to wrap it up for this week of tbtl. But we are sure hoping that we will see you all bright and early on Monday when we'll be live streaming from Friendship, Wisconsin, bringing you the first day of the TBTL a thon 16 banding together. So, hey, thanks for spending all this time with us this this week. Thanks for being part of tbtl. We'll see you on Monday. In the meantime, have a great weekend. Stay safe, take care of yourselves, and please remember, no mountain too tall.

[Andrew Walsh]

And good luck to all. Can you play us out a little bit on that harmonica on that mouth harp power out.