#4532 Onalaska Is For Loggers

Summary

Podcast Summary: TBTL Episode #4532 – "Onalaska Is For Loggers"

Introduction

In episode #4532 of Too Beautiful To Live (TBTL), released on August 14, 2025, hosts Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh dive into a blend of humor, personal anecdotes, and engaging discussions. The episode, titled "Onalaska Is For Loggers," features the duo navigating through various topics, from nostalgic memories of high school mascots to contemporary issues like AI misreporting.

Opening Banter and Setting the Scene

The episode kicks off with the hosts engaging in their signature playful banter. Luke and Andrew joke about quirky topics such as "Operation Monkey Brain" and the amusing idea of painting bald spots:

• Andrew Walsh [00:46]: "Operation Monkey Brain. You paint your bald spot."
• Luke Burbank [00:56]: "Five hundo a week."

They set the tone for the show, reflecting on their long-standing friendship and the humorous dynamics that define TBTL.

Exploring AI and Its Impact

A significant portion of the episode delves into the challenges of integrating AI into content creation. The hosts express their frustrations with AI-generated information, highlighting instances where technology has led to misinformation on their show:

• Luke Burbank [03:03]: "I've been sliding into a mode where I just went with the first response... taking it as sort of gospel."
• Andrew Walsh [03:41]: "I need to calm down. I've been spreading misinformation on this show for way longer than AI has."

This candid conversation underscores their commitment to authenticity and the difficulties of balancing convenience with accuracy in the age of AI.

Voicemail Segment: Parenting and Personal Reflections

The heart of the episode revolves around listener voicemails, with a standout message from Stephanie, a new mother, discussing the pressures of ensuring her child eats everything on their plate. This prompts Luke to share his own vulnerabilities:

• Stephanie [09:34]: "As a person who has a pretty fresh child... I am very nervous about whether he's eating enough."
• Luke Burbank [12:37]: "I am sad that I will never have the experience of breastfeeding a baby... it's a hell of a diet."

Andrew contrasts this by humorously admitting his discomfort with body-related topics:

• Andrew Walsh [14:15]: "I have no desire to do that at all. I'm not comfortable with any kind of body related thing."

Their honest exchanges provide listeners with relatable content, blending humor with heartfelt moments.

Nostalgic Dive into High School Memories and Mascots

The conversation shifts to nostalgic memories of high school sports, particularly focusing on the mascots of the Onalaska High School and Darrington High School. Luke reminisces about the "Logger Dome" and his rebellious streak during school games:

• Luke Burbank [26:02]: "I made a sign that said save the spotted owl as a way of essentially roasting the... the way in which these kids' dads made their living."
• Andrew Walsh [26:05]: "So this... I wasn't doing this at the Darrington Community Center."

Their discussion paints a vivid picture of their high school experiences, intertwining personal stories with broader cultural references like environmental conservation.

Blurs Day Segment: Celebrating Listener Birthdays

A lively segment called "Blurs Day" features birthday wishes from various listeners. Andrew takes the lead, sharing heartfelt and humorous messages:

• Andrew Walsh [32:08]: "Happy Birthday to Marshall, the structure to my serendipity and the most meticulous event planner ever."
• Andrew Walsh [32:22]: "Happy 11th birthday to Simon from dad... Never stop being yourself because you are my favorite person."

Luke humorously resists participating at first but eventually joins in, showcasing their collaborative chemistry.

Baseball Mascot Discussions

Towards the end, the hosts delve into a passionate discussion about baseball mascots and team logos. They express their preferences and frustrations with current designs:

• Andrew Walsh [28:35]: "One of my favorite things about baseball is sort of analyzing the uniforms and the look and the logos."
• Luke Burbank [28:45]: "I also have a tiny bit of nostalgia for like the S from the Griffey era."

Their animated debate covers various teams, reflecting their deep ties to baseball culture and its visual aesthetics.

Conclusion and Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, Luke and Andrew reflect on the day's discussions and tease future segments. They maintain their light-hearted rapport, leaving listeners with a sense of camaraderie and anticipation for the next episode.

• Luke Burbank [41:38]: "Thank you, everyone, for hanging out with us today. We are going to be back here tomorrow with more imaginary radio."
• Andrew Walsh [42:01]: "Power out."

Notable Quotes

• Andrew Walsh [03:41]: "I need to calm down. I've been spreading misinformation on this show for way longer than AI has."
• Luke Burbank [12:37]: "I am sad that I will never have the experience of breastfeeding a baby."
• Andrew Walsh [28:35]: "One of my favorite things about baseball is sort of analyzing the uniforms and the look and the logos."
• Luke Burbank [26:02]: "I made a sign that said save the spotted owl as a way of essentially roasting the... the way in which these kids' dads made their living."

Final Thoughts

Episode #4532 of Too Beautiful To Live offers a rich tapestry of humor, personal reflection, and engaging discussions. Luke and Andrew's dynamic interplay keeps listeners entertained while touching on meaningful topics. Whether reminiscing about high school days, debating AI's role in media, or celebrating listener milestones, this episode exemplifies the charm and depth that TBTL consistently delivers.

Transcript

[Luke Burbank]

Hey there.

[Andrew Walsh]

Friend of mine left me a note in my handwriting and he said that.

[Luke Burbank]

You might be able to set me up with the pill that makes the memories go away like a shame.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wow. See, I did something a little out.

[Luke Burbank]

Of character and the window is kind of closing in on before it lodges. In the long term, what do you call it?

[Andrew Walsh]

What do you call it? Brains. Long term brains. Tbtl.

[Luke Burbank]

Why are you wasting your time with this podcast stuff? Because I have nothing else going on. We are still on for this afternoon, right?

[Andrew Walsh]

Operation Monkey Brain. You paint your bald spot.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't know what you're talking about, sir.

[Andrew Walsh]

My hair grows. You paint your bald spot.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, my God.

[Andrew Walsh]

One hundo a day. Both of us.

[Luke Burbank]

Five hundo a week.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's rich. That's it.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, all right. Hello, good morning, and welcome, everyone, to a Thursday edition of tbtl, the show that just might be too beautiful to live.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's your lucky day. You just found a USB flash drive.

[Luke Burbank]

In the parking lot. My name is Luke Burbank. I'm your host. I call cakes big old cookies coming to you from the Madrona Hill studio, perched high above the mighty Columbia, looking at a toasty day.

[Andrew Walsh]

Things are going to get hot. They're going to get funky. Somebody better open the window.

[Luke Burbank]

Do have all the windows open? We're running the fan, the. The overhead fan here in the Madrona Hill studio. We're going to try to keep everything at a reasonable temperature as we bring you episode 4532 in a collector series. Let the fun begin. We will continue today the project of listening back to some voicemail messages that have been hanging out in the TBTL inbox. If you want to talk, I've got two ears and they're tuned to the listening station. And the guy who's been collecting and collating and carefully editing those. Actually, I don't know if he edits them or not. Maybe he'll tell me. The guy in charge of that whole thing is also the longest running cobra of the show, maybe best known for his depictions of the tall ships. Here's something else about him that he never fails to bring up at parties and barbecues. It's the fact that he's the man.

[Andrew Walsh]

Who brought the rock and roll age to the Eagles.

[Luke Burbank]

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

[Andrew Walsh]

Good morning, Luke. I am so obsessed with our wheel that I had a dream about it last night.

[Luke Burbank]

What happened in the dream?

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, I dreamt that you spun the wheel and it just kept spinning and spinning and spinning. We waited for it to stop, but it never did.

[Luke Burbank]

The Wheel of Death, like, you get kind of on sometimes on your computer. Although I don't know if that really happens as much anymore.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I don't think it's a wheel anymore. I think it's AI Helper that says, don't worry, I got this. And then it's clippy. Abraham Lincoln was the first president and you just go along with it because the technology is so smooth.

[Luke Burbank]

Or that the.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

You know, other such hallucinations that I've been reporting on the show in recent weeks that I feel very embarrassed of.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I was thinking about that later. Not that you should feel embarrassed, but just how I didn't. I don't have anything new to say here, but just what I keep saying, it's like they've really razzled and dazzled us with the technology to the point where it's kind of like. Yeah, but what it's feeding us is wrong. It's like. Yeah, but it's so cool. It's so cool that we just overlook the fact that we're. I mean, listen, I need to calm down. I've been spreading misunderstand. I've been spreading misinformation on this show for way longer than AI has. So maybe I. Maybe I'm just jealous. Maybe I'm just like, stay in your lane, AI.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, I mean, we've. This has been. This has been discussed to death on the program now over the past few months. But I do, I feel. I feel it. It's sort of starting to wear me down and starting to win.

[Andrew Walsh]

I.

[Luke Burbank]

Although maybe that was a helpful refresh when I misreported that information a couple weeks ago, because now maybe I'll be a little bit more careful with it. But I was sliding into. I was sliding into a mode where I just went with the first response. You know, the. The. The AI generated kind of quote unquote research and just started to take it as sort of gospel.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Because again, for me, it's like convenience trumps everything, which I don't like about myself.

[Andrew Walsh]

I do wonder what would happen if we integrated AI into the gospel.

[Luke Burbank]

Let's see. So if we fed the Bible.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Into AI we'd have Cain and Abel living inside of a whale like that. That might be one thing that shoots back out of that.

[Luke Burbank]

Huh. Some. Yeah, let's. What were some of the other big. Some of the other big plot points?

[Andrew Walsh]

Let's see.

[Luke Burbank]

Maybe the. Maybe the, the people say that they actually want Jesus Released. And then Barabbas is the one that gets thrown up there on that cross that really mess with. That really mess with the plot.

[Andrew Walsh]

What if we did a sliding Doors version of the Old Testament Luke? Wait, that's New Testament. Sorry. What if we did a sliding doors version of the Bible Luke?

[Luke Burbank]

So it's basically starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know what's going on with Barabbas, but I like this idea. This is the. I mean, I'm sure you've.

[Luke Burbank]

You remember. You remember the story of Barabbas, right? This is a man who loves the song Barabba Jaggle.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, Does.

[Luke Burbank]

Is not familiar with Barabbas.

[Andrew Walsh]

So the story, Barabbas Jaggle.

[Luke Burbank]

The story goes that, you know, Pontius Pilate, the. I guess the Israelites or whoever, you know, the people that have decided now they don't like Jesus. And so they basically tell Pontius Pilate, who's there, just kind of like, you know, there's basically colonizing this part of the world. The. The Romans are. And the people bring Jesus to Pontius Pilate and they say, crucify him. And he says, I don't really want to do that, actually. So he says, well, there's this other guy named Barabbas here, and Barabbas is like a verified bad dude.

[Andrew Walsh]

He's like. He's a Shami on Con Air.

[Luke Burbank]

Exactly. And. And so he's like, we. You know, I'm gonna. I'm gonna turn one of these people free. And I think his thought is, well, they're gonna say, turn Jesus free because he's. He didn't do anything. Maybe, I don't know, some unregulated water into wine. I don't know what the Liquor Control Board thinks about that, but let's just call that a pretty. A petty crime. So he says to the people, which one do you want me to release? And they say, give us Barabbas.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, they want the.

[Luke Burbank]

They want the verified bad guy. And then that leaves Pontius Pilate with no choice. The story goes. And then he washes his. He ceremonially washes his hands to say, I didn't want to do this, but.

[Andrew Walsh]

I mean, that's why, you know, the Babe. The Bible isn't real, or the Babel, which is a whole book I've been working on, the Bible isn't real. Because in what context would like, kind of a whole population of like, potentially millions of right thinking people decide to, you know, basically criminal run amok? Yeah, I mean, I can't imagine that Happening.

[Luke Burbank]

It strains credulity and strange credulity indeed. Yes. All right, my friend. So I've got, you know, this wheel that you've been dreaming about? I've been dreaming about wheel of your dreams, sir. And I. I think I'm getting pretty good actually at spinning this thing, too.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

So we've been doing this for days on end, so.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Do we need a setup? So you spin the wheel. We have a bunch of voicemail names, names of listeners on the. On the wheel. You sp. Spin the wheel, and then wherever it lands, I'll play that person's voice now. All right.

[Luke Burbank]

Exactly. So here we go in three, two, one.

[Andrew Walsh]

You're spinning it, but you won't look.

[Luke Burbank]

No. I like to be surprised.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. We put a blindfold on you. It's very sexy.

[Luke Burbank]

If this was your dream. If this was your dream, that would just keep going and you just keep.

[Andrew Walsh]

Going and going and we're all, like, waiting. Like, when will it. Where will it stop? Where will it stop?

[Luke Burbank]

If people would like to enter Andrew's dream, this is what. I'm just going to keep spinning this thing and give it another spin.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, this is driving me bananas.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Also where. Where's it landing? You're potentially throwing it one more time. Great listeners. Under the bus. All these people.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay, fine, fine, fine. This will be the last one.

[Andrew Walsh]

We just lost Jake in Chicago. Probably.

[Luke Burbank]

This one is legitimately. That's the real spin. Where did it land?

[Andrew Walsh]

That landed on. Sorry, Jake. It landed on Stephanie. Oh, but you know what? This is not. And I have listened to this one in advance. I think you had that question at the beginning. I have not edited it at all. It's really hard for me to say edited it, but I have not done that to this. And it's a little bit lengthy, but it's a good voicemail. And it is in response, Luke, to let me put myself in the past. I know this. It was you. Oh, you had a weirdly hot take that we didn't get as much response to as I thought we would. About, like, the obsession with parents trying to get their kids to clean their plate. This idea of, like, you have to.

[Luke Burbank]

That take was falling apart even as.

[Andrew Walsh]

I was having it. As you were.

[Luke Burbank]

It's kind of like. Well, I don't. I mean, first of all, that's not a good look for us. You wouldn't probably do this. It's not a good look for me to be out there trying to basically tell people how to parent.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, I love doing that. I Love going around telling people how to parent.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't think that's gonna win me friends and influence people. And then even as I was saying it, I was like, actually, I don't really know if I'm even buying my own BS anymore.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right, right. Well, here's the deal, though. So, Stephanie, I can't remember exactly where this goes, but it's not just all focused on that. But I believe this voicemail begins with Stephanie as a relatively new mom. Right. Like, I think baby August is under.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, this is Augie's mom.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, yeah. And I think we're gonna have a little cameo from. From August in here as well. So you're gonna love this voicemail. But just so you know, it doesn't come down hard on you. It's just from her experience. But then also, I believe this is sort of a two parter. I just can't remember the second part. Let's take a listen.

[Stephanie]

Hey, guys, it's Stephanie, August's mom. You guys are talking about, like, food and, you know, eating everything on a plate. And I do want to say that as a person who has a pretty fresh child, but the anxiety of going from someone relying solely on, you know, breast milk and formula to someone who then, like, has to learn how to eat food is real. And I am very nervous about whether.

[Andrew Walsh]

Or not he's eating enough.

[Stephanie]

But at this point, I've kind of cooled it.

[Andrew Walsh]

He.

[Stephanie]

I feel like he's getting a little chubby, so I'm very pleased. But I think what you guys are more referring to is, like, when you're more of a kid and your parents were forcing you, I assume, and I will say that my dad was that person and forced me to eat everything on my plate.

[Luke Burbank]

And he forced my having pizza.

[Andrew Walsh]

August is just in the background saying, pizza, pizza, pizza. Which is honestly, like, basically what's going through my head at any given moment. Pizza.

[Luke Burbank]

I imagine him dressed as the Little Caesar. Oh, I had a toga on, and he's holding a spear with pizza on it.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yours makes more sense. I had him as the noid for some reason. All right, back to pizza. Pizza.

[Stephanie]

And he forced my friends who came over to eat everything on their plate, too, and made one of my friends cry because she hated peas. And there were peas on the plate. And my dad.

[Luke Burbank]

Don't call me a pee.

[Stephanie]

Was coming at it from, like, a place of, like, he's the adult. And so you have to do what he says, and he says that you have to finish the food on the plate and Also, he was born in the early 40s, and I think that there's, like, a different mentality of people that grew up during that time period of, like, scarcity and, like, being appreciative of what's on your plate. So I feel like it's kind of a both. I definitely think it's more of an older person vibe, though. Except, you know, I do have, like, the anxiety. But if he doesn't want to eat everything that's on his plate, obviously, like, you know, that's his deal or whatever. Can you say, hi, baby?

[Andrew Walsh]

How.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, my.

[Stephanie]

Okay, well, bye. Bye.

[Andrew Walsh]

I cannot believe how. I guess what would be the word articulate somehow. Articulate now sounds like an insult, but I can't believe that August is already forming words like that.

[Luke Burbank]

I feel like, on command.

[Andrew Walsh]

On command and saying hello and being gregarious like that. And talking about pizza. Some of my favorite topics.

[Luke Burbank]

I mean, I honestly think he's getting pretty close to being able to co host the show. Like, if I'm out of town, need a co host or vice versa. We could throw Augie on there.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, I'm glad you're going with that. I didn't know exactly where you were going. I thought you were sort of fantasizing about maybe, like, kind of nudging me out the door a little bit prematurely.

[Luke Burbank]

Although some listeners learn how to post the show, the core competency, I don't think he has yet.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's true. Some listeners might argue with the prematurely aspect of my previous.

[Luke Burbank]

Can I say something very vulnerable and also something that I don't think I've ever even considered very much up to this point. But it just occurred to me when Stephanie was talking about feeding her baby. I am sad that I will never have the experience of breastfeeding a baby. I'm not just trying to keep the needle moving here. This is. I can only imagine what an incredibly close bonding connection it would be between. Between, you know, the mother and the child. And, like, the fact that you are, you know, you are keeping them alive with. With something your body is actually creating. Also, it's a hell of a diet. It is thousands of calories leaving your body every day. I mean, it is just like. You mean, you could just be. You could just be eating cheeseburgers, and they're just being converted into breast milk, and it's going right back out to the baby. Like, I mean, that's also. I have to say that's part of the appeal. I did.

[Andrew Walsh]

You should write a book about that diet.

[Luke Burbank]

I have A. I had a doll when I was a little kid named Jim. It was kind of one of those weird dolls where it was like the head was plastic, kind of like a little like maybe a toddler age head that was, you know, but then the, the body was like fabric.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yep. I can totally picture this. Yes. I know exactly what you're talking about.

[Luke Burbank]

And I remember being a little kid and like a really little kid, like we lived on Elk River Road in Eureka, California. So I would have been, I mean, two or three years. No, I had maybe three or four years old and breastfeeding my gym doll in bed because I was so much modeling of that in my life.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, you're the oldest kid. Right.

[Luke Burbank]

And they're watching. My mom is nursing my sister Liz at this point. And so I. This was my way of, I guess showing love to this baby doll that I had. But truthfully, I do think it would be, you know, I'm kind of bummed. There's. I'm. I'm. It just so happens that I definitely am aligned with the body that I was born into. I'm very happy that I'm a guy, but. But for that one thing, which is, I think it would be pretty cool to actually get to breastfeed.

[Andrew Walsh]

You will not be surprised to hear that I do not share those sentiments. Really? Oh, God, no. I mean, I'm not good with bodily stuff at all. The idea of. I don't know what this.

[Luke Burbank]

If you could nurse. Bingo.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think. No, I know I most certainly would not. I would. And again, I'm not saying that like ultimate closeness. No. And you know, I want to be careful of my tone here. This is not like, you know, I know that it is a bonding experience for moms, but like, no, I have no desire to do that at all. But like, I'm not comfortable with any kind of body related thing. I'm not drawn to that. I know that it seems I would be deeply uncomfortable. I feel like doing that.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, I see. I think it would be. I think you'd be a hoot. You know, when I was a kid, there was. There were so many. There were so many babies happening everywhere between my mom and my aunt Mary Lou that like. And some of a lot of the ladies at the church that, you know, because they were all kind of in the same age cohort and boy, we were being fruitful and multiplying as a church that the, that the. It would be not atypical for the women to breastfeed children who are not theirs.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, they Were just saying if they.

[Luke Burbank]

Were watching them, you know, and they were all these women were all at the time lactating, so it would not be crazy to like be that to me.

[Andrew Walsh]

You hear about that? Yeah, that feels.

[Luke Burbank]

I mean, I mean, I think historically that was a thing you'd have like wet nurses. And I don't know if that's what the wet refers to, but I mean, it would be common for the people taking care of the kids if they were women to also be breastfeeding them. But like, that to me feels a little like consuming my mother's own body creation to stay alive. That feels like, you know, that's nature consuming someone else's mom's body, body parts, body creation to stay alive. That feels a little. That's a little weird even for me, Andrew. That's a little weird.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know. I can't weigh in on that, to be honest with you, because I do think of it as something very historic. And also, I mean it. I mean, listen, as everybody likes to say on the Dan lebatard show, Reddit. I don't listen to the show anymore, but I still subscribe to the Reddit whenever I thought they.

[Luke Burbank]

They changed the name of the show to Reddit. Like as they often say on the Dan LeBatard Show. Read it.

[Andrew Walsh]

You know, on the subreddit for the Dan LeBatard show, where the fans discuss the show and usually complain about it. I'm assum. This is a quote from Dan at one point, but they always just say it's an important conversation. I'm glad we're having it. And so whenever anything gets serious and so I sort of always have that as a refrain in my head. It's an important conversation. I'm glad we're having it. But I mean, it's just. It's preposterous that you and I are having this conversation.

[Luke Burbank]

It's not preposterous, Andrew. It's exactly the kind of personal content, the kind of bespoke, artisanal, hand forged personal takes that people come to the show over and over again to hear from, mostly from me.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, I. Listen, I'm not trying to throw you under the bus here. I just have very little to add to this. I have very little knowledge of historic breastfeeding practices. I have no personal experience.

[Luke Burbank]

That's what you'd like the audience to think.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, I'm doing some research now, but yeah. So I just don't know where to go with that because I'm just not in a place you Know what, Luke? I'm trying to do more listening. So why don't you go on some more and tell us about Jack or Jim.

[Luke Burbank]

Jim. My little Jim doll. I don't know whatever happened to him, but I think it's a very tender moment. And I think that a lot of the listeners, Andrew, I think, are going to really kind of come over to my side of things.

[Andrew Walsh]

I hope they do. I'm not trying to argue with you.

[Luke Burbank]

I'm just saying I've endeared myself to them with my stories of attempted breastfeeding.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm not trying to throw you under the bus here. I'm glad you shared that. I'm just telling you that I apologize. It is my job to try to. When you put a hacky sack up in the air for me to return it to you. And at this point, I am really struggling to return the hacky Sack. And I'm by the end of this.

[Luke Burbank]

Show'S run, and I don't mean this episode. I just mean tbt, the final episode, by the end of tbtl. I think I'm going to get you over to my side on this.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, and what is your side? What do you want me to say?

[Luke Burbank]

I want you to say that you're sad that you'll never be able to breastfeed.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sounds good.

[Luke Burbank]

That's how I win.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's how you win. Oh, God, I missed the wheel so much. God, that's sound.

[Luke Burbank]

Where'd it land?

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, you can't see it. It landed on.

[Luke Burbank]

This is.

[Andrew Walsh]

It looks like this is somebody calling in about Onalaska. Now there are two.

[Luke Burbank]

We went on a whole Onalaska thing.

[Andrew Walsh]

I hope we haven't played this voicemail already. What was the Onalaska thing? There are two cities or communities that are both called Onalaska and they're in different states. Is this what. And I don't want to spoil this voicemail because I don't know what it's going to say for real.

[Luke Burbank]

Onalaska is a place. There is an Onalaska sort of near me, relatively near me. Maybe an hour or two away or something. And I always thought it was an interesting name because when I was a kid, I would mishear it and I would think it was called Unalaska.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Which. I don't know. I just thought that was Hawaii.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right? Hawaii, exactly right. Whatever.

[Luke Burbank]

Top Lauderdale is about as Unalaska as you can get. So I think I mentioned it in passing, something about Onalaska, and then we started looking it up. And the name Well, I don't want to give away the voicemail. What we found out was the name of. And there are multiple Unalaskas around the country. There's one in Arkansas. There's one in Wisconsin. And the name, it was from a poem by Thomas Campbell, a Scottish poet. And it was also the name of this, I think, this lumber company. So they would go around and they would name the towns on Alaska where they were basically doing the logging.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. Yeah. And I wonder if this voicemail is going to get into any of that. Let's take a listen here. Sorry, I'm having a little bit of technical.

[Stephanie]

You were right. I wish I could breastfeed.

[Andrew Walsh]

Huh. What an interesting voicemail to come in.

[Luke Burbank]

Is this your way of trying to end the show?

[Andrew Walsh]

I didn't know what the voice was going to be while you were talking. I was desperately trying to find an AI voice creator, but I was doing it so quickly, I couldn't choose the specific voice or anything. I had no idea how that was going to come out. I was just trying to make you laugh. But I really do. I really do have a voicemail here from Casey about Onalaska.

[Stephanie]

Hi, Luke and Andrew. It's Casey Boise, mensch on the bench.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, Casey, mom of Marge.

[Stephanie]

She's great. Thanks.

[Andrew Walsh]

Marge, the bold. Marge, the bulldog. For those who are back at home. Yeah, okay. Sorry, Casey. I didn't realize that this is somebody that we know personally.

[Stephanie]

Hi, Luke and Andrew. It's Casey Boise, mensch on the bench. Mom of March. She's great. Thanks. Nine in June.

[Andrew Walsh]

She's a queen.

[Stephanie]

Anyway, I'm just in the middle of today's episode and you guys are talking about Onalaska. And I am born and raised in Idaho, but I do have a fun connection to Onalaska, Washington, which is below Olympia. Ish or above. I don't know. But anyway, my uncle, Uncle Bill, who has passed rip, he was the principal at the Onalaska High School, and their motto was it's a great day to be a logger. So anyway, made me think of my Uncle Bill, who's amazing and love you guys.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's a great day to be a lover.

[Luke Burbank]

A logger.

[Andrew Walsh]

A logger. It's a logging. Oh, yeah. A logger. It's a great day to be a logger.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. So I'm guessing that they're the on allow. You know what's funny? That was not the only high school in Washington whose mascot was the Loggers. The nickname was the Loggers Darrington High School. We used to play basketball Against Darrington High School. And they were the Loggers. And it was right out of Hoosiers, man. Like, I think that also might have been the high school that Bob Barker went to. I believe Bob Barker was from. Was or is. Bob Barker was from Barrington, Washington.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't know. Bob Barker sometimes surprises us. I think he might have. I think.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay. 2023. He had a good run.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wow. Yeah. What year is he born? Does it say? Do you have it in front of you?

[Luke Burbank]

1823.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, interesting. Yeah. He had a pretty good run then. Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

No, he did go 100 years. He was born in 1923 and passed in 2023.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Look at that. Look at that.

[Luke Burbank]

But we would go into this Darrington. The gym was all. First of all, they were the Darrington Loggers. And then the gym was all of this beautiful, like, wood. Like, every square inch. There was no. There was no, like, cement. There was no other kind of, like, you know, sort of more modern building materials. It was this. This darington. I think it might have even been called the Logger Dome.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sounds beautiful. It was, but it was like.

[Luke Burbank]

It was like you were walking into the 1950s. Like, you expected the other kids to come out and they would be in black and white.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

And they'd all be wearing Chuck Taylors and have flat tops.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right. Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

It was intimidating to go into the Logger Dome.

[Andrew Walsh]

I feel like if I. This is why I would not be good at coming up with mascots for schools. I thought the school was going to be the logs because I could picture, like, it would be cool. Like, I guess if you're a logger, if your team is the Loggers, your mascot is some sort of, like, kind of butch, like, logger. Right. Like some. You got the ax thrown over your shoulder. You're wearing, like, boots and overalls or whatever. But I like the idea of a mascot, of just being a log, running around like those. Like those Rainier Beer mascots, sort of. Only you're a log, and maybe you got big googly eyes on the front of the log, but your legs and arms kind of stick out and you can run around.

[Luke Burbank]

I would be into that mascot. You know that I'm into mascots that are weird. I'm sending you a picture of the Logger Dome, and I feel like it's really going to pay off. When you see this. I'm emailing this to you.

[Andrew Walsh]

Do you feel like this is a photo that was taken more recently or around the time that you were playing there?

[Luke Burbank]

It's Tough to say because it's so old school in there. And if it's remained unchanged, you don't have a lot of context clues.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sure.

[Luke Burbank]

You know.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

So I'm not really sure. I guess it was. I guess it's technically the community center, but this is also where we would play basketball. The Darrington Community center was built in 1954 with donated time, skill and materials from caring residents of the Darrington area. So you basically had a bunch of loggers.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, wow. Now I'm seeing it. Yeah. Beautiful. Beautiful.

[Luke Burbank]

Isn't that amazing? That is like such a blast from the past.

[Andrew Walsh]

And their colors are green and yellow, but they're only used really as highlights here. And it's like all this beautiful sort of reddish brownish wood. And then what do you call. Is it the keys on the floor, Luke? Is that. What is the colored boxes under the thing called the key?

[Luke Burbank]

Good one.

[Andrew Walsh]

And then. Yeah, this is just real. Not only is it like impressive, it's just like really tastefully done.

[Luke Burbank]

Yes, it's beautiful. You know what I'm having, Andrew? I'm having a memory of when I was not yet in high school. So I would have been maybe 8th grade or something. I was very obsessed with the varsity basketball team. And so I would go to the games. We'd play our like junior high games or whatever, but then we would go watch the grown up kids play. And I took it very seriously to try to cheer on our team, the Lions, if I could really roast the other team. And I remember this is how my brain worked. Even as like an eighth grader, I made a sign that said save the spotted owl. Not because I had a particular care about the spotted owl. Because that was the whole discourse at the time in the state of Washington. All of these logging operations were being interrupted because it was threatening the spotted owl.

[Andrew Walsh]

I see. So this is you going after the logging community.

[Luke Burbank]

Going after the logging community because they're the Darrington Loggers and they were in our gym. So this. I wasn't doing this at the Darrington Community Center.

[Andrew Walsh]

Heck no. No.

[Luke Burbank]

But at our gym, I felt emboldened to make a sign that said Save the spotted owl as a way of essentially roasting the. The. The way in which these kids dads made their living.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wow, that does sound like you.

[Luke Burbank]

Honestly, I don't even think anyone got it.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Although, you know, this does seem like I would play for the Spotted Owls. Like that would be the team, you know what I mean? Like that would be the loggers versus the Spotted Owls would be the matchup of the century.

[Luke Burbank]

The longer that I know you, the more I think you're just into sports for the hats and the mascots.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Well, Genevieve would definitely back you up on that. Certainly. Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Like when we were back when we were in Wisconsin. I forget what happened, but we. There was something happened where that conversation came up about a particular hat. Maybe something.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh yeah. I think it was the Twins hat. It was a new logo that I had mistaken because there's a new logo of just a couple of years. I assumed it was the City Connect logo, but it wasn't. It's just a new logo. I was confused by that.

[Luke Burbank]

It was Spencer and Henry.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Good call.

[Luke Burbank]

Walking by the window and then launched us on a conversation about the hat. And then when we were done with the show, I looked over and you were immediately in a fairly deep dive on hats. On those Twins hats.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think that's a pretty sweet new logo. I wonder what our Twins fans who hear this think of it. But it's that sort of like. It's that very sharp edged M that is sort of spread out a little bit.

[Luke Burbank]

Except I'll say what I said back then, which is it looks for me a little bit too much like the Miami Marlins.

[Andrew Walsh]

It did when I first saw you think of Marlins. You really do.

[Luke Burbank]

No shade, Henry.

[Andrew Walsh]

No. But it is a really clean looking hat. And I also like the color. It wasn't the traditional Marlin Twins colors that Henry was wearing. And also the thing about the Twins and their logos is you can't got a good one. Like here's the thing. And I don't know if you know, I would be surprised if you didn't know this about me, Luke. Cause I've had this conversation a lot and you are right. Like one of my favorite things about baseball is sort of analyzing the uniforms and the look and the logos. And I do not like the logo or the look or the font or most of the uniforms that my beloved Mariners wear. I think the Mariners are way near the bottom end of good looking uniforms and logos.

[Luke Burbank]

I and kind of always have been.

[Andrew Walsh]

Unfortunately, you feel the same way. I wasn't sure if you were going to kick back at this.

[Luke Burbank]

I have a little bit of nostalgia for the like the OG Triton.

[Andrew Walsh]

The Trident. Yeah, that's what I. Every hat I've ever bought is the trident pointing down.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, yeah, I like that one. I also, I have a tiny bit of nostalgia for like the S from the Griffey era. Maybe the like kind of like late 80s, early 90s but that's just because I associate it with, like, Ken Griffey Jr.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wearing it. The colors really popped then, right? Wasn't it, like really bright blue or, like really kind of dark blue and really bright yellow? So it wasn't. Yeah, it wasn't all the teal and everything that we see.

[Luke Burbank]

The problem is we just don't have a lot. I mean, we've been around for 40 years. That should be enough history. But, like, the twins, just, like they've just had. First of all, the name Twins is great.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

And so it just lends itself to like, cool, like, you know, graphics of like a couple of twins, you know, or a couple of baseball twins or whatever. Like, they just have always had. They've been around for a long time. The Mariners still feel nouveau to me, which I know is insane.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, it's not. I think. And in fact, I think a lot of people in the, you know, who don't live in Seattle feel that even more acutely. I think, because we. In the same way that I look at certain football teams, and it's not like I'm some old school football player, but there's like this class of team and no offense to the people who are listening who root for them, that I just get all confused. It's like all of those cats in the southeast of the country, you know what I mean? Like the Jaguars and the. Is there a links. They're the NFL.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, no, that's a. There's a Bobcats or there used to be.

[Andrew Walsh]

There used to be.

[Luke Burbank]

The Charlotte. The Charlotte Bobcats. Oh, you're talking about in football.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm talking about football, yeah. There's a bunch of, like, teams. I just get them all confused.

[Luke Burbank]

Jags.

[Andrew Walsh]

I feel like they all came around in 1995. And that is, you know, definitely not true and provably not true. But I just get them all confused and they all just seem like 90s teams. Is that Ken Hedley?

[Luke Burbank]

That is Ked Woodley.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ked Woodley, right. I'm looking at the logos now. I mean, listen, the brewers logo is beautiful. We had that sort of sad series against the brewers when we were in friendship. And it was sad because the Mariners really got their. Their hats handed to them. That's not the phrase. But the logos were beautiful. And also they wore the same. The brewers wore the same classic uniforms three nights in a row. And I don't usually see that. Like, why is this team wearing this? I mean, I know they're on the road, but still, usually you mix up your uniform. A little. One of the people who came and visited us at the picnic, who's a Brewers fan and I'm sorry that I'm blanking on their name, said, well, we're in the middle of a. Or we were in the middle of a historic winning streak. So you don't change your uniforms up when you're in the middle of a winning stretch, which makes a lot of sense. But my God, looking at those beautiful brewers uniforms really took the sting out of losing to those guys.

[Luke Burbank]

It was. It did. And also that we really liked the guy Andy, who worked at the. It's five o' clock somewhere. That helped, but, you know, but it was messing with my brain. Andy. Andrew, when we were watching on tv, because those colors are actually reminiscent of the Mariners colors. I was just talking about the Ken Griffey Jr. Era. So I have some sort of. I would look up occasionally to the screen and I would see guys wearing what I identified to be vaguely Mariners colors, doing well.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. I'd be like, right, awesome.

[Luke Burbank]

And then I'd realize, no, that's Christian Yellich.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes. And then you started yell.

[Luke Burbank]

Itching at the TV screen, yelling and screaming.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm looking at these logos now, and I'm just, like, remembering, like, all these teams that I wanted to become fans of or learn more about so that I can wear their logo. Like, I'm looking at this Baltimore Orioles logo. And now we know I have a Baltimore Orioles cap, but I can only wear it when I want to be doing crimes in disguise, huh?

[Luke Burbank]

Right, Exactly. Like dumping maggot filled scrimps into a.

[Andrew Walsh]

Dumpster on Aurora, for example. If you're just going to pull one out of the hat. Sure.

[Luke Burbank]

That's just like, I ran. Just threw a dart.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, that's what it landed on. That's what it landed on. All right, listen, I know you're anxious to get out of here, Luke, but before we do, don't forget, it's a Thursday, which means it's time for some blurs day. There's a right way to rock.

[Luke Burbank]

Get a wrong way to roll.

[Andrew Walsh]

You can't just listen to your song. Just remember that life is number one. You can be having so much fun. Just remember that life is much fun. You can be nothing but one. All right. You got blurs days and we like to read them. If you want to wish somebody a happy birthday or you wish yourself a happy birthday, you can email me andrewbtl.net Put Blursday in the subject line. You ready to do some blurs days with me? Here, let's. Luke. Luke, what are you. What are you doing? Luke is backing away from the microphone. He's still got his headphones on, but he's walking away from the camera. He's hiding. Luke, what are you doing? Luke is hiding right now behind the prize wheel. He's just sticking his little eyes and nose up over the prize wheel. Do you not want to do blurs days? Luke's just shaking his head no at me. Are you feeling shy? Oh my God. Luke is feeling so shy. Here's what happened last week. I didn't want Luke kind of, I don't know, maybe getting a raspy voice or overextending himself by doing the Blurs days. So I asked him not to do blurs days with us last week and now I guess he's just. Alright, listen, Luke, I'll let you take the day off from blurs days today. Can you join me later at the end of the show, at the end of the blurs days to wrap things up? Yeah. All right. All right. And then next week though, you're doing blursties with me and we're gonna start doing longer shows again too next week. Okay? All right. He's nodding. So we're all on the same page. It's just you and me, listeners for this Blurs day segment. Though, speaking of you and me, more importantly me, I made a big mistake last week. I skipped a couple of Blurs day messages that had been sitting in my inbox. They were probably the first ones to come in and somehow I totally skipped them. I apologize to listener Jackie who sent in this blursday a couple of weeks ago. Jackie says the week got away from me and I woke up in a panic because I forgot to wish my birthday. Twin Tracy. A happy blursday. Tracy, I know it's been a heck of a year, so I hope you took some time and made your week special. You're amazing and I hope to see you soon. Hugs from Jackie. I'm sorry that I made your belated blursday wish even more belated, Tracy, but I hope you had a nice one. That was from me. Also, I missed this message from our friend Rachel in Amsterdam who says happy birthday to Ivan today. Well, it would have been. Last week is your 35th Blurs Day birthday, which would make you finally eligible to run for president. But alas, you weren't born in the United States. I don't think I knew that about you, Ivan, or I'd forgotten. Rachel says we'll celebrate regardless. Here's to another year of travel, continuing our struggle to learn Dutch and connecting with other TENS all the way in the Netherlands. Now it looks to me like we have ourselves a little Netherlands party going on here. Cause I also got this message from Louisa who says happiest of birthdays to Marshall, the structure to my serendipity. Oh, that's really sweet. Happiest of blursdays to Marshall, the structure to my serendipity and the most meticulous event planner ever. Now I get it. Louisa was trying to trip me up here. Happiest of blursdays to Marshall, the structure to my serendipity and the most meticulous event planner ever. I got through it, Louisa says. I'm so grateful to Amsterdam for bringing us together and I hope this new cycle brings even more adventures, fresh powdery snow and lots of new opportunities to connect with friends and family. Turns out Ivan knows Marshall too and also wants to wish Marshall a happy blursday. Says Happy Birthday to Marshall, my friend, colleague and fellow pioneer of the Amsterdam based TENS community. It's been great getting to know you over the past few years and teaming up to navigate the terrains of expat life, travel, the drudgery of the corporate world and last minute Taylor Swift concerts. All the best to you and wishing you an energizing year ahead. I could use some of that energy. I've been a sloth. All right, we're bringing it back to the States here. Teresa in Ocean Grove, New Jersey says Happy belated Blurs day to me. I guess when you turn 60 you forget some stuff. Ah, well, I'm looking forward to a fresh new decade and I have one goal this year. I want to learn all the lyrics to Two Princes by the Spin doctor. Wish me luck. I can help you with that, Teresa. These two princess now. Go ahead now. That's all you need to know. Are there more lyrics than that? I don't think Flash says I'm oh, another music related one here. Flash says I'm usually inspired by listening to the Blurs days that have come before, but this year my Blurs Day message to my wife is inspired by a ballad sung by Jimmy Buffett called Love in the Library. I am nearly in tears remembering our first encounters. Happy Birthday, babycakes. Kelly in Rhode island says happy belated 40th Blursday to Kelly. In the last couple of years, I've come to treasure our virtual conversations on ig. I hope your day was amazing and I hope that Buffy, Chloe and Cookie let you relax. Relax and enjoy your day. Have A wonderful year. I just realized that was Kelly on Kelly blursing there, blursding. Happy 11th birthday to Simon from dad. Every day with you is the best day of my life. Watching the Twilight zone, making banana bread, sword fighting, running 5Ks or going to cat video fest. Together you make everything better. Plus you're the only 11 year old I know who has a Fred Schneider impression. Never stop being yourself because you are my favorite person. Maomao da day and ginger beer. Sounds like a code. A code? You guys using me to spread code back and forth between the coasts? Matt in Broomfield, Colorado says I'd like to give a a blursday shout out to my wife Rachel. We have been together since she asked me to listen to the 2000th episode. I was lost on who was who, whose voice was whom. But I quickly dialed it in with her guidance. Thanks for the daily entertainment and a happy birthday to Rachel, my great love and best friend in life. That's why we needed you here, Luke, to play the aw sound effect. Oh, he's sneaking down further behind the wheel. Luke, we're about to wrap up the blurs days so get. Get back in position. I need you to end the show with me. Okay. Lindsay says happy birthday to Linda, employee numero uno at Tassi Jewelry, birdwatcher extraordinaire, voracious reader and everyone's favorite book club member. Kind, thoughtful friend to so many. A loving patient. Gigi to Comet, the most more code. I think the most generous and amazing mom to me. But of course I'll always be your TBT daddy. Can't wait to celebrate at the coast this week. Another wonderful batch of blurs days, many of which I messed up and I'm sorry about that. But we're going to next next week though, Luke. Okay, Are you ready to end the show here next week? We're definitely going to get you back on the blurs day duty. Okay. All right.

[Luke Burbank]

Anyway, we have any more voicemails for tomorrow?

[Andrew Walsh]

We do, Luke. They are a self gener generating resource and so let's do it.

[Luke Burbank]

So we're not going to. Even if we do this tomorrow, we're not going to be able to. We're not. We're not have cleared the entirety unless we just. Unless tomorrow we just go like hyperactive mode.

[Andrew Walsh]

We could do that.

[Luke Burbank]

I mean listen like 10 of them.

[Andrew Walsh]

We have. I'll tell you this, we have about five that I've pulled off the voicemail line, but there are still like probably literally dozens upon dozens that are still on the voicemail line. It is. We get a lot of voicemails. That's why I'm glad we're able to do this this week. Because people are like, yes, we want to hear you talk about your favorite baseball logos that we can't see. So. Yeah. But no, that's why these are. These have been great phone calls so far.

[Luke Burbank]

Absolutely.

[Andrew Walsh]

And we'll end strong tomorrow.

[Luke Burbank]

So were you saying I need to spin the wheel now or I spin the wheel starting tomorrow?

[Andrew Walsh]

Tomorrow. I mean, if you spin the wheel now. I'm playing a voicemail now, so that's okay. Well, then let's not. I didn't think you want to do that yet.

[Luke Burbank]

No, I got this one. More places to be and people to see, man.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right, man. All right.

[Luke Burbank]

That's right, man. All right, thank you, everyone, for hanging out with us today. We are going to be back here tomorrow with more imaginary radio. Please, if you can join us for that. In the meantime, have a great Thursday. Take care of yourselves. And please remember, no mountain too tall.

[Andrew Walsh]

And good luck to all.

[Stephanie]

Hi, guys. This is Julie and Lake Stevens. And I just got done listening to the episode for Thursday, August 7th, where you were talking about how you learned about where babies came from. And it reminded me of my mom's story. She was a Catholic teenager in the late 50s, early 60s. Of course, she. The only thing even close to sex ed that she received was my grandmother telling her, don't sleep with a boy or you'll get pregnant. So when later when she went on a date, that picnic date with a boy, and he just dozed off on the blanket in the sun, she was terrified she was going to get pregnant. And so. But then, you know, fast forward a couple years and she's in her first year of nursing school and she's in class listening to a lesson on human reproduction. And that's where she learned the mechanics of where babies come from. She told me later. She said, I couldn't believe it. I about fell off my chair. Poor Mom. Anyway, power out.

[Andrew Walsh]

Power out.