Episode 72 - Without Question, It Was The Worst Possible Outcome

[00:00:18] What's up everyone and welcome to Episode 72 of the Promptly Written Podcast, where every month we take a writing prompt provided by you, write stories based on it, and then break them down for you. My name is Matt Sugerik and with me as always, Ian Lewis. What's up Ian?

[00:00:33] Hey, not much. What's going on Matt?

[00:00:35] I couldn't even make it through the whole damn intro without messing up.

[00:00:39] A little rocky there.

[00:00:40] Today's gonna be a little interesting I guess. What's going on with you? Anything new?

[00:00:45] Um, no, just the usual. Just trying to write and trying to read.

[00:00:50] I'm trying to balance all that with all my other responsibilities.

[00:00:54] Yeah, we'll talk about the reading thing a little bit later. I just have not found time to read lately.

[00:01:01] And it's kind of disappointing.

[00:01:03] Yeah, it's one of those things that, you know, it's the easiest thing to not do if you got to make new time in your schedule, you know?

[00:01:11] A hundred percent. A hundred percent. But I need to, I've been sitting on this book of Stephen King's new short stories for like two months now, and I don't think I've even finished the first story. So it's like I'm out of control.

[00:01:25] But anyways, I'm still smoking a bunch of cigars. I probably smoked way too many cigars this month.

[00:01:32] I noticed.

[00:01:33] I'm actually thinking about like adding like a cigar lounge segment if I have something to talk about it.

[00:01:39] But like, I have this, uh, this vision in my mind where I kind of want to write some like loungy music to do the intro for cigar lounge.

[00:01:46] So we're not going to add cigar lounge until I got the music going and it needs to sound like really smooth, like jazzy, like something.

[00:01:53] Nice.

[00:01:53] Yeah.

[00:01:55] Um, but in lieu of cigar lounge today, I do want to take everybody to watch corner real quick.

[00:02:03] Watch corner.

[00:02:04] Yeah.

[00:02:04] So, um, I've been thinking a lot lately about moving away from the Apple watch and going back to like a regular, you know, mechanical watch or whatever.

[00:02:16] I wholeheartedly support that.

[00:02:19] So there's a couple of things that I'm struggling with because like, um, with my health insurance at work, um, the, the amount of steps that we take get recorded and uploaded to the thing and we get like cash reimbursed for that.

[00:02:36] So it's like if I don't, and right now my Apple watch takes care of all that.

[00:02:40] It's just like I wear my watch, it sinks my steps.

[00:02:43] And then like, you know, I get a certain amount of money back for being active or whatever.

[00:02:49] Um, if I go back to a mechanical watch, I still need something that's going to record my steps.

[00:02:55] So if I don't get a, like a mechanical watch that has at least some smart, some sort of smart capability, then I would have to get like a Fitbit or something.

[00:03:02] And I really don't want to wear a Fitbit and a watch.

[00:03:05] Sure.

[00:03:06] So I'm not sure where to go.

[00:03:10] So I'm, I'm just trying to feel this out because like, I don't know.

[00:03:13] I think my problem with the Apple watch is like they're on like version 10 of it and it's still like this little boxy thing.

[00:03:20] Like they've done nothing to change the aesthetics of the watch and they don't allow people to do custom watch faces.

[00:03:27] So it's just like you, like I've been wearing this thing and it should be like the most technology, technologically advanced like thing ever.

[00:03:35] And really, I just wear it for it to record my steps for work.

[00:03:39] And like I read text messages on it every once in a while.

[00:03:42] And it's not the greatest looking thing in the world.

[00:03:44] Do you know what I mean?

[00:03:45] Yep.

[00:03:45] So like, would it kill him to make it a circle or give me an option to have one that's a circle?

[00:03:50] Like I just like, I don't know.

[00:03:51] So like, I do think I want to move away, but like one thing that I just am not educated enough about is like what brands like should I be looking at?

[00:04:04] Like in terms of like a brand that makes a good timepiece and isn't just essentially like jewelry.

[00:04:11] You know what I mean?

[00:04:12] Like, like I guess a good example would be like Fossil.

[00:04:14] I don't think those are like known to be the most accurate of timepieces, right?

[00:04:21] Yeah.

[00:04:22] So Fossil, and I don't want to knock Fossil because I used to wear Fossil in high school.

[00:04:26] Oh, I got a few Fossils at home.

[00:04:28] I had some really cool Fossil dive watches that I sort of had this nostalgic thing for, but they fall into the category of what watch people call a fashion watch.

[00:04:40] So a fashion watch would be Fossil or, you know, some of the designers will have their own watch.

[00:04:48] And really what they are is it's usually a cheap quartz movement that's got, you know, some type of derivative styling, you know, that's relatively affordable.

[00:05:01] But they're not, they're generally not taken seriously from a timepiece perspective.

[00:05:06] See, and I don't, I don't need to be like some snooty watch guy.

[00:05:12] You know what I mean?

[00:05:12] Sure.

[00:05:12] But I do want like, because like, you know.

[00:05:16] You want a real watch.

[00:05:17] An Apple watch costs $400, right?

[00:05:20] So that would probably be, and if my wife's listening, I'm sorry.

[00:05:24] But like, that's probably like where I would want my Macs to be.

[00:05:29] Like if I was going to replace my Apple watch, I wouldn't want to spend any more than that.

[00:05:33] You know, I'm not looking to get like a Rolex or an IWC or something like that.

[00:05:39] You know what I mean?

[00:05:40] But like, you know, I've been kind of like, I get ads from K-Jewelers because I had a credit card with them at one time.

[00:05:48] I think I still have that account open.

[00:05:49] But like, they'll send emails and like, they see what I look at.

[00:05:53] And so everybody who's listened to this before knows that I'm a G-Shock guy.

[00:05:57] Like, I like them.

[00:05:58] I don't like all of them.

[00:05:59] I do think that a lot of them are quite, to quote Ian, garish.

[00:06:05] But I think that there are some more tasteful ones.

[00:06:08] I am a guy that kind of likes a bigger, chunky watch though.

[00:06:11] Right, right, yeah.

[00:06:13] So G-Shock's obviously on my list.

[00:06:15] But I wanted to ask you, like, is Citizen a good watch brand or are they in that fashion category?

[00:06:21] No.

[00:06:22] If you were to buy sort of the, there's like a big three affordable kind of group of watches, which is going to be Casio, Citizen, and Seiko.

[00:06:32] Okay.

[00:06:33] If you were to buy any one of those watches, it doesn't matter if it's an affordable model.

[00:06:37] It's a respectable timepiece in the watch world.

[00:06:39] I mean, people will, you know, now people have their opinions, of course, on those watches and whatnot.

[00:06:46] Sure.

[00:06:46] But like, they don't look at it like if you would roll up in a fossil kind of a thing.

[00:06:50] You know what I mean?

[00:06:50] Got it.

[00:06:51] So I'm going to butcher this name, but I want you to tell me, is it Bulova?

[00:06:56] Bulova.

[00:06:57] Bulova.

[00:06:57] Are they in line?

[00:07:00] Yeah.

[00:07:00] So Bulova, I feel like Bulova, their history is more respected than their current set of watches, maybe.

[00:07:09] Okay.

[00:07:09] Because they were like an American watchmaker that made watches for a long time.

[00:07:13] And one of their sub-brands was Caravelle, which is my grandpa's watch is a Caravelle.

[00:07:21] Yeah.

[00:07:22] So like Bulova would, you know, you wouldn't be off the mark with Bulova.

[00:07:26] Okay.

[00:07:26] And then I have one more brand and these are a little more expensive.

[00:07:29] So I doubt that I'm going to get there, but I've seen a couple that are intriguing.

[00:07:33] Is it Tissot or Tissot?

[00:07:36] Tissot, I think is how they pronounce it.

[00:07:38] That's also another respectable brand?

[00:07:40] Oh, yep.

[00:07:41] Okay.

[00:07:42] Yeah, I believe they're a Swiss brand, I think.

[00:07:44] But like his, like I saw a lot of stuff that's like, you know, like an Armani exchange watch.

[00:07:49] And I'm assuming that that's going to be your fashion category.

[00:07:51] Yes, correct.

[00:07:53] Okay.

[00:07:53] Okay.

[00:07:54] I just wanted to make sure.

[00:07:55] So now before I, I just wanted to kind of touch on this because this is something I'm going to be like pouring over for like probably the next few months because I'm not one to just like go out and spend $400.

[00:08:05] Like this is probably going to be like, hey, this is like an idea for Christmas or something like that.

[00:08:10] You know what I mean?

[00:08:10] Right.

[00:08:11] So like I'm going to use this next few months to kind of like figure out what I want to do because I think my Apple watch is probably, the battery's not, I mean, the battery's still okay, but it's not as good as it once was.

[00:08:23] So we'll see.

[00:08:24] But just for fun, I put four links in the show notes and listeners, I'll put these four links in the show notes so that you can see along.

[00:08:30] Um, I, there's two G-Shocks and two Citizens and I just kind of just want to get like your just kind of.

[00:08:37] My off the cuff impression.

[00:08:39] Yeah.

[00:08:39] Just your off the cuff first impression.

[00:08:41] Nothing crazy.

[00:08:42] I mean, we, we've already determined that like Casio and Citizen make good timepieces.

[00:08:47] So like this is just based on aesthetics.

[00:08:51] Tell me what you think.

[00:08:52] So I, I'm not a G-Shock guy.

[00:08:54] Sure.

[00:08:54] So I, I don't love the G-Shocks.

[00:08:57] Um.

[00:08:57] Okay.

[00:08:58] But I think that those are probably like tamer G-Shocks than you were probably expecting though, right?

[00:09:03] Um, I mean, there are tamer G-Shocks in this for sure.

[00:09:07] Well, sure.

[00:09:08] But there are also ones that are crazier than this too.

[00:09:11] So of the two G-Shocks, I, I guess I kind of lean towards the one in silver.

[00:09:16] Okay.

[00:09:16] Because more classic.

[00:09:17] Aside, aside from a brief period where I went through a, a black PVD phase.

[00:09:23] Um, I'm generally not a fan of a black watch.

[00:09:26] Okay.

[00:09:27] Now, is that being, now honest question.

[00:09:30] If I get a black watch and it scratches, I'm probably, it's probably going to show silver

[00:09:35] underneath, right?

[00:09:36] Because it's probably like a coating.

[00:09:38] Yeah.

[00:09:39] It's, if it's a PVD coating, yeah.

[00:09:41] Um, that it would, it would potentially, but the PVD is supposed to be somewhat durable,

[00:09:46] but you know, with the G-Shock, you might be looking at a resin case as well.

[00:09:51] You know what I mean?

[00:09:51] I don't, I don't know.

[00:09:53] These are both the G-Steel series.

[00:09:56] So.

[00:09:56] Oh, the Steel.

[00:09:57] Okay.

[00:09:57] Yeah.

[00:09:57] So it's got, it's probably got some type of PVD coating on it is my guess.

[00:10:02] Okay.

[00:10:03] Oh, and it does.

[00:10:05] Oh no.

[00:10:05] See, they see the G-Shocks.

[00:10:07] It's weird when you look at them because it'll say smartphone link app connectivity features.

[00:10:12] And it's just like, this one has it, but it's really only used to update the time.

[00:10:19] Yeah.

[00:10:20] Right.

[00:10:21] So, and then what do you think about these two citizens that I put on here?

[00:10:24] So the, the, the Nighthawk, um, I'm familiar with that like model name Nighthawk.

[00:10:31] Um, I don't know that I've seen that particular one.

[00:10:33] Okay.

[00:10:34] It's all kind of blacked out.

[00:10:35] It's, it's sort of got a quasi tactical feel to it.

[00:10:37] Yeah.

[00:10:38] And then the other one is, is it almost looks like it's got some rose gold on it.

[00:10:42] It does.

[00:10:43] So they, they are calling it red stainless or something like that, but essentially it's

[00:10:49] rose gold.

[00:10:50] Like rose gold.

[00:10:51] Sometimes if it's done tastefully, I don't mind it, but, um, it's definitely an interesting

[00:10:56] watch.

[00:10:56] I think I like it the best of everything you've shown me here.

[00:11:00] Okay.

[00:11:00] This is also the most expensive one out of everything I've shown you here.

[00:11:03] I think.

[00:11:03] Oh, you know what?

[00:11:04] I haven't even looked at the prices yet.

[00:11:05] So, so this rose gold one is $556.

[00:11:08] I'm curious about though, the, the color of it.

[00:11:12] Cause it looks almost like a, like a carbon gray kind of a color.

[00:11:16] It's not quite black, but it's not silver.

[00:11:19] So the product description says stainless steel case in gray and rose gold tones.

[00:11:24] Okay.

[00:11:25] Yeah.

[00:11:25] So like, I would say that it's the most interesting one, but it's also the one that would probably

[00:11:30] age the least gracefully maybe.

[00:11:32] Oh, interesting.

[00:11:33] Cause it's so, it's so particular with its, its color scheme.

[00:11:36] But I am also more classic in conservatively drawn towards like the watch styles of like

[00:11:44] mid-century modern type stuff.

[00:11:46] You know, like the stuff that's pushing the boundaries on the design.

[00:11:50] I generally don't gravitate towards, you know what I mean?

[00:11:53] So you have to take that into consideration.

[00:11:56] See, but this is also a good, a thing to think about though, because like I'm, I'm looking

[00:12:00] to buy a single watch here.

[00:12:02] I'm not looking to buy five or six watches that I can pick and choose.

[00:12:07] Right.

[00:12:07] What, what fits the day.

[00:12:09] I need like a daily wear, like a single one.

[00:12:11] You know, I, I don't have the kind of money that it takes to buy like, you know, a number

[00:12:18] of these.

[00:12:18] And right now rose gold is very much in, but five years from now, it might not be true.

[00:12:27] And I might not want it anymore.

[00:12:29] And then I'm stuck with a $500 watch that I no longer like.

[00:12:32] So maybe classic silver or something might be the best route to take.

[00:12:38] Something to think about.

[00:12:40] Something to think about.

[00:12:40] And that's exactly what I wanted to start with today.

[00:12:43] So I don't want to really go too, too much further into this.

[00:12:46] We'll probably be revisiting this.

[00:12:47] Like, I don't know, every episode or so, if I come up with a decision or something new,

[00:12:53] or sometimes I just like to, you know, run things by other people and like, you know,

[00:12:58] I can, I can, my wife's eyes are probably glazing over right now, even just, just knowing that

[00:13:04] this conversation could be taking place.

[00:13:06] Cause it's just like when, when I get focused on something, like I go all in, like I do all

[00:13:11] the research.

[00:13:11] I want to know what I'm buying.

[00:13:13] Yeah.

[00:13:14] I mean, I just had a, I just had an issue with cigar fishing and I don't show up at my house

[00:13:17] the other day.

[00:13:18] Like I need to know, like I need to know.

[00:13:20] I get it.

[00:13:21] You get, you get into it and that's part of the fun.

[00:13:24] Well, I, and I like this is, this is a serious amount of money.

[00:13:27] Like I could go buy your basic Casio G-Shock that looks like your, your, you know, run

[00:13:35] of the mill, um, Casio digital watch for 99 bucks.

[00:13:40] You can get them for 50, I think.

[00:13:41] And it's going to tell me the time, you know what I mean?

[00:13:44] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:45] Um, but I, I, I, I do think I want some like metal, like I've always liked something heavy

[00:13:50] on my wrist.

[00:13:51] So.

[00:13:52] Right.

[00:13:52] Yeah.

[00:13:53] So we'll see.

[00:13:54] Anyways, I, I said, I didn't want to talk about it anymore.

[00:13:57] And then I kept talking about it.

[00:13:58] So we're just going to move on.

[00:13:59] Um, this, this next topic, um, is actually been sitting in the show notes since I think

[00:14:04] before we took our break.

[00:14:06] Yes.

[00:14:06] I think that's correct.

[00:14:07] And you put it there.

[00:14:08] So why don't you, um, I don't know.

[00:14:11] I was really excited to talk about it at the time because it was all like, you know,

[00:14:16] it had me all fired up in some sense.

[00:14:19] And, um, you know, in, in the time that's passed now, I've, I've, I've, I've kind of

[00:14:23] gone back.

[00:14:23] Are you still fired up seven months later?

[00:14:25] Well, no, I mean, fired up is probably not the right word, but, uh, you know, I, I was

[00:14:31] intellectually stimulated by the, the topic, I guess we'll say.

[00:14:33] But, um, I think I've come to, come to some piece and conclusion about it.

[00:14:39] Okay.

[00:14:39] Um, and this was more of, uh, a detail that was something that is front and center to

[00:14:46] this whole enterprise.

[00:14:47] Um, and then it struck me in hindsight, but anyway, the idea is that, um, everyone I'm

[00:14:54] sure is familiar with, um, with the original star Wars trilogy, George Lucas at some point

[00:15:00] released special, like the specialized edition of those films where he went back and added

[00:15:07] a lot of, um, unnecessary CGI fluff in it for lack of a better term.

[00:15:13] You know, in a lot of cases, it's stuff that just didn't add to the film.

[00:15:17] It just was background distraction.

[00:15:19] Sure.

[00:15:19] In a couple more gratuitous ways though, he, he changed, he changed significant aspects

[00:15:26] of the film.

[00:15:27] Um, for example, in the first film, the whole Han shoots first thing with Greedo.

[00:15:32] Um, and then what I think is an unforgivable sin in return of the Jedi, where he gives Darth

[00:15:38] Vader dialogue in that final scene where he's, he's torn between whether he should save Luke

[00:15:43] or not.

[00:15:43] And like, it's my favorite scene in all of cinema and it's perfect as is.

[00:15:49] Well, cause the silence, like, I mean, yeah, it was, it was perfect.

[00:15:52] I mean, you can't see his face, but like you, you can just his body language looking back

[00:15:57] and forth, you know, what's in his head and you know, the anguish he's in and like, and

[00:16:00] that's all you need.

[00:16:01] Yeah.

[00:16:02] That's all you need.

[00:16:03] And the second that dialogue pops in, it just like drives me bonkers.

[00:16:06] So I had, I have still on DVD.

[00:16:11] He released the original theatrical version and the specialized edition as like a dual

[00:16:16] DV DVD release back in the day.

[00:16:18] It was like 2012 or something like that.

[00:16:21] I don't know when it was.

[00:16:23] Maybe it was earlier than that, but that's fine.

[00:16:25] Cause I'm like, I'll never watch the second disc.

[00:16:27] I'm only ever going to watch the first one.

[00:16:29] And while the problem now is that on newer screens, the original theatrical release looks

[00:16:36] like garbage.

[00:16:37] Um, specifically with the ships in space, everything else looks fine.

[00:16:41] It's fine.

[00:16:42] It's good enough for me, but like the ships in space, you see like black squares around

[00:16:47] the spaceships as they're floating through space.

[00:16:49] Like you can see the special effect falling apart basically.

[00:16:53] Yep.

[00:16:54] And I had watched it once or twice and just tried to suck it up, but I'm just like, ah,

[00:16:59] it still bothers me.

[00:17:00] So I went down this rabbit hole and you know, I don't even know what really led me down the

[00:17:07] path.

[00:17:08] I think, I think they were around the holidays.

[00:17:09] They were showing like star Wars marathons and you know, I have to mute that scene with

[00:17:14] Vader.

[00:17:14] So I don't hear his dialogue, but then I don't hear the electricity and the music and Luke

[00:17:19] talking and like, it just, it ruins it.

[00:17:21] Right.

[00:17:21] But anyway, there's these people out there who to make a long story short are attempting

[00:17:27] and have successfully restored the original theatrical release.

[00:17:33] And there's, there's a whole bunch of sub projects, but like, it seemed to me that there

[00:17:39] was two main branches.

[00:17:40] There was this, it's called Harmy is the guy, the tag or the handle for the fellow who does

[00:17:46] this Harmy's despecialized edition is what he called it.

[00:17:50] And so what he did is he went back through DVD.

[00:17:55] I think in some case, maybe even laser disc video cassette TV broadcast.

[00:18:00] He went through all these versions of the films to try to source the best like fidelity

[00:18:09] to the, you know, the best quality stuff he can get in, in basically puts it all together

[00:18:15] into the original film.

[00:18:16] And so he removes, he removes everything that Lucas added in, in the specialized editions.

[00:18:21] And so it's, it's called the despecialized edition.

[00:18:24] And to that end, it's also been done.

[00:18:28] You know, I don't know what quality it's at, but like it, it's done it at a, at a level where

[00:18:34] it looks good on a modern screen.

[00:18:37] Right.

[00:18:38] And, and that, that's sort of, and I'll get to like what question I was asking myself here

[00:18:44] in a minute.

[00:18:44] But the second branch of this was, um, the name is escaping me.

[00:18:50] Um, but it was like a 4k project.

[00:18:52] They were trying to take the original film scans from the original trilogy and restore

[00:18:58] it back to not, not, not even a modern HD, but they were trying to restore it to how it

[00:19:05] would have looked on screens in 1977 or whatever.

[00:19:07] So like, like the color grading and everything would have looked as it originally was.

[00:19:14] So they're, they're trying to make it accurate to the, everything accurate to the theatrical

[00:19:19] release.

[00:19:20] Yes.

[00:19:21] And so here, and this is really the crux of it, but like their whole take on it was the

[00:19:28] original release was a particular, it was a piece of art in their mind.

[00:19:33] And so the things that have been done to it over the years, even as seemingly harmless

[00:19:39] as just, you know, making it look good on a newer screen, um, you know, even that detracts

[00:19:48] from its, you know, it is, is, is an original piece of art in some sense.

[00:19:53] And so they were trying to restore that end of it.

[00:19:56] And so it, it raised this question in my mind and I think we've talked about it before,

[00:20:00] but it's, it's a, it's a conversation worth having again about who really owns the art,

[00:20:05] the, the artist or the person who consumes the art.

[00:20:10] And the obvious answer to this, which is also, I think the correct answer, but not for the

[00:20:15] obvious reason necessarily.

[00:20:17] I think the correct answer is the, the artist technically owns the art.

[00:20:22] A hundred percent.

[00:20:22] But, but the, the example of Star Wars as a cultural milestone and has had such a ripple

[00:20:29] effect into our culture really is a huge example of how, you know, all these people

[00:20:38] our age and, and, and even some people a little older and younger came of, came of age during

[00:20:44] this time period where Star Wars has this indelible nostalgic effect on them that, you know, every,

[00:20:53] there's not much that they can compare to it.

[00:20:56] Everything else sort of pales in some, in some, to some people, right?

[00:20:59] The Star Wars nostalgia.

[00:21:00] And so they experienced this art in a certain way, in a certain time, and they don't have

[00:21:08] claim to the art, you know?

[00:21:09] So I can't demand that Lucas release 4k versions of the original trilogy on DVD or Blu-ray or

[00:21:14] whatever.

[00:21:15] You know what I mean?

[00:21:15] I can't demand that of him.

[00:21:17] It's not my art, but what he provided originally that we all experienced originally, like that

[00:21:24] experience is like a part of my childhood.

[00:21:27] And I, I, I at least own that experience.

[00:21:29] Right.

[00:21:30] Right.

[00:21:30] Right.

[00:21:30] Right.

[00:21:30] And so I think, you know, there's this, you know, the, the subjective consuming of art,

[00:21:36] whether you read a book or listen to a song, even if the lyrics mean something to you that

[00:21:40] totally don't, that totally don't mean the same thing to the, the person who wrote the

[00:21:45] lyrics, you know, there's sort of this idea that, you know, there's that, that subjective

[00:21:49] interpretation of things.

[00:21:52] But like in my mind, like when I write my characters, they only really exist in my head.

[00:21:57] Like other people can kind of see a glimpse, but they've got their own imaginations to fill

[00:22:01] in the gaps and they're going to look different than how I envision them.

[00:22:05] And the story is going to hit them in a different way.

[00:22:08] But like, because they came out of my head in some, in some manner, like they only authentically

[00:22:15] exist in my head and will only ever exist that way.

[00:22:18] Right.

[00:22:18] Sure.

[00:22:19] And so for that reason, I still land in the camp of like the artist owns the art, but like

[00:22:27] I was so swayed by this idea of like, these guys are going to these great lengths, painstaking

[00:22:35] lengths to restore, you know, this original version of the, of the art that like, you know,

[00:22:43] I can't help but cheer them on because, you know, that's, I want that, I want to retain

[00:22:49] that experience.

[00:22:50] You know what I mean?

[00:22:50] So like, I have like, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this because one, you know,

[00:22:59] it's taken me back to, to film school days.

[00:23:02] Um, you know, film is a collaborative art and like not a single person like creates everything.

[00:23:10] You know what I mean?

[00:23:10] It's unique.

[00:23:11] It's unique in that sense.

[00:23:12] So, but, but Star Wars is also unique because it was a breakout film and Lucas wrote and

[00:23:19] directed it.

[00:23:21] So, I mean, you know, there was a lot of people that collaborated to make that art happen,

[00:23:26] you know, as far as special effects and everything goes.

[00:23:29] And I mean, he was, he was the brain behind it, but I think in, you know, I'm not, um,

[00:23:36] I don't want to speak out of turn because I don't, I'm not like a Star Wars historian

[00:23:39] or anything, but the way that I understood the changes that he made when he, when he made

[00:23:45] them originally like the dialogue and, uh, you know, everything else is that they were

[00:23:52] things that he either wasn't able to do due to budget constraints or studio or whatever

[00:23:59] when he was making the original film in what?

[00:24:01] 76 or 77, or I think it was released in 77.

[00:24:04] So you figured it'd be 76.

[00:24:06] 76.

[00:24:07] And then I think there were a couple of things where the technology just wasn't there to do

[00:24:11] it.

[00:24:12] So like, I think in his mind, when he went and added those things, he was kind of making

[00:24:18] the film that he wanted to originally.

[00:24:20] And I think, I think the thing that sucks about it is because it was such like a cultural

[00:24:26] phenomenon.

[00:24:27] Now you have all of these people who like, I mean.

[00:24:32] There's only one scene that I buy that argument for.

[00:24:35] There's a scene in a new hope and it adds nothing to the film and it's actually super out of

[00:24:40] character, but they add a, uh, scene between Han and Jabba in the, the Mos Eisley spaceport

[00:24:46] where they have a conversation and you know, Jabba comes across as, is like a pushover.

[00:24:52] So there, there's this inconsistency between the characters.

[00:24:55] Gotcha.

[00:24:55] But like, it was a, it was a scene that they filmed.

[00:24:58] Mm-hmm.

[00:24:59] Cut.

[00:24:59] And then brought it back in.

[00:25:00] Right.

[00:25:01] But, but like, well, there was, I don't know what they had in place of the CGI Jabba

[00:25:07] in this case.

[00:25:08] Like maybe it was just a person, uh, Harrison Ford was talking to, you know, for the sake

[00:25:12] of the, sake of the, the scene.

[00:25:14] But like, it, it's not like they, they doctored Harrison Ford in the scene.

[00:25:18] Like it was filmed back in 76 or whatever.

[00:25:22] Sure.

[00:25:22] But they didn't include it, you know, presumably for budget reasons or they couldn't get the

[00:25:28] animatronics right or something.

[00:25:29] But, you know, in, in the new version, it's a CGI Jabba who obviously doesn't look like

[00:25:36] the animatronic Jabba in Return of the Jedi.

[00:25:39] Right.

[00:25:39] So he just throws everything off.

[00:25:40] And like, he's totally out of character.

[00:25:41] He's like a, sort of a pushover where he's like way more ruthless in Return of the Jedi.

[00:25:45] Right.

[00:25:46] But that's the only scene where I can, I can buy that.

[00:25:49] Everything else could have been done or if it couldn't have been done, it doesn't add

[00:25:56] anything.

[00:25:56] Like I said, there's like random creatures and aliens in back in the background of certain

[00:26:00] scenes that, that do nothing but distract you.

[00:26:03] Cause you're like, well, that wasn't there before.

[00:26:05] Yeah.

[00:26:05] And it doesn't add to the story.

[00:26:06] So like, there's so much content he added that I just don't believe it needed to be

[00:26:10] there.

[00:26:10] Like the, the only thing that like really makes me wonder about this is like, you know,

[00:26:16] I remember back in the day, like I was all jealous of you because you still had the theatrical

[00:26:20] releases on the VHS and the box set.

[00:26:23] And all I had was the damn gold box was, which was the stuff that he released in the nineties

[00:26:28] when he brought them back to the theater for the first time.

[00:26:32] Do you remember that?

[00:26:33] Yeah.

[00:26:33] It's like a black and gold box, but it had all this extra shit in it and it didn't have

[00:26:38] the theatrical versions on him.

[00:26:39] So I don't own theatrical versions of star Wars.

[00:26:43] Um, what, what's curious to me is like, if he's, if we have 4k versions of star Wars right

[00:26:50] now, everything that was in the theatrical version is 4k now somewhere.

[00:26:55] You know what I mean?

[00:26:56] Like, it's not like he's not editing those versions.

[00:26:59] He's just adding, editing his extra shit.

[00:27:01] So I don't understand why you can't still get a theatrical release.

[00:27:07] That's so okay.

[00:27:08] Cause that has to be from him.

[00:27:11] It is.

[00:27:11] It's not, it's not a technical limitation.

[00:27:13] It is a, in, in, I don't want to, I don't want to miss misspeak or cast dispersions, but

[00:27:18] like from what I understand, it sounds like with his divorce, there was some, something

[00:27:26] came out of it where I think he, he would owe his ex wife royalties or something.

[00:27:32] Cause she worked on the original films with him.

[00:27:35] And I think, I think it's a money thing.

[00:27:38] I think if the OT ever came out again, she would get, she would be legally do some money.

[00:27:44] And it sounds like he doesn't want to do that.

[00:27:47] That's what I heard.

[00:27:48] I don't know if it's true.

[00:27:49] I'm putting that in quotes.

[00:27:50] Like it, it could be hearsay.

[00:27:52] I don't know if that's true, but.

[00:27:53] But like, all I'm saying is like, if the 4k versions of the theatrical ones exist, they

[00:27:59] just have extra shit in them.

[00:27:59] And all he would have to do is just cut that extra shit out.

[00:28:03] So there, I think there is some credibility to something like it's probably a money related

[00:28:08] thing, whether it's his wife or somebody else that worked on it with him that he doesn't

[00:28:11] want to get the money.

[00:28:12] But at the same time, how much money does one need?

[00:28:16] Like, I'm just going to Google it right now.

[00:28:19] And I know that these aren't like a hundred percent accurate, but like George Lucas's net

[00:28:25] worth is $5.1 billion according to Google.

[00:28:30] So if he were to re-release the actual theatrical versions in 4k and have to give his ex-wife,

[00:28:39] you know, a couple hundred million, like who gives a shit?

[00:28:42] You have $5 billion.

[00:28:44] And again, I, someone will have to correct me on that.

[00:28:47] No, but I mean, even if it's like a former producer or something that he doesn't want

[00:28:51] to give money to, or to me, this has to be money related somehow.

[00:28:57] Because if not, there's a whole, there's a whole segment of the population that have

[00:29:02] your mindset that wanted to see the movie that they saw in the seventies.

[00:29:05] Yeah, they would buy it instantly.

[00:29:06] Sure.

[00:29:07] They would, they would buy it all.

[00:29:08] It would fly off the shelves.

[00:29:09] And it's like any money that he would give up, he would probably make back in a second.

[00:29:14] So it's just like, to me, there has to be something bigger behind it.

[00:29:17] But ultimately, when it comes down to it, I mean, I'm sure that George Lucas owns the

[00:29:23] rights to Star Wars.

[00:29:24] And unfortunately, because he wrote it and directed it and did all this shit, he could

[00:29:29] do whatever the hell he wants with it.

[00:29:32] It reminds me of like, I think we were talking about like, to bring it back to the writing

[00:29:36] world, we were talking about Stephen King.

[00:29:37] Like the version of the gunslinger that you read today is not the version of the gunslinger

[00:29:42] that he released originally, because he came back and he was like, oh, well, this doesn't

[00:29:47] make sense.

[00:29:48] And I needed to foreshadow like a couple more things.

[00:29:50] And he added to it.

[00:29:51] And that's like a minor example.

[00:29:52] But I don't want to misquote.

[00:29:54] I wish Jeff was like, just could just answer me right now, because he would know.

[00:29:59] But it was either The Stand or The Shining or one of those books.

[00:30:05] You know, back in the day, he had editors telling him that he had to reduce numbers of pages

[00:30:12] because of printing restrictions and binding restrictions and all these other things.

[00:30:17] And then, you know, 20 years later, when those limitations weren't there anymore, he

[00:30:23] added all the original shit that he cut out of like those books.

[00:30:28] And it's just like, he's like, here is actually the art that I wanted to give you, but I couldn't

[00:30:34] before because of these limitations that I had set upon me.

[00:30:37] Right.

[00:30:38] So like in that case, I don't know, I guess I haven't read both of them.

[00:30:42] But like, do you think you'd feel the same way if you like were a huge Stephen King fan

[00:30:47] and you read The Stand in the 80s?

[00:30:49] And then all of a sudden there's like, you know, 20,000 more words?

[00:30:53] Or would you be happier that you finally got what he wanted to give you in the first place?

[00:30:57] I mean, I think I think it would be interesting to see the newer material.

[00:31:03] But I think I would always have a soft spot for the original.

[00:31:07] And the reason I say that is I've experienced that with an album that was that I had heard

[00:31:15] in a rough in a rough form.

[00:31:17] It was they weren't quite demos, but it was like a lower quality recording of these songs.

[00:31:23] And then, you know, they were on a release that was what was out of out of print for a while.

[00:31:30] And then these songs got re-recorded.

[00:31:33] It wasn't even remastered.

[00:31:35] I think they were re-recorded.

[00:31:36] Okay.

[00:31:37] And then re-released like, you know, five years after the original version of the album had been out.

[00:31:44] And while it was objectively the songs were better than they were before, because the production process was better,

[00:31:53] I still sort of favored the old version because it's, you know, in some sense, maybe I preferred the more raw version.

[00:32:00] But like, I think really I prefer it because that's just what I heard first.

[00:32:05] And that's what I kind of fell in love with.

[00:32:06] You know what I mean?

[00:32:07] Yeah, I agree.

[00:32:08] But it's not so much that like, oh, like now I get more or better.

[00:32:12] It's like, well, that's cool.

[00:32:14] But like, this is why I loved it in the first place, because this is what I had at first.

[00:32:19] Yeah.

[00:32:20] I think it's just hard because like when I listen to Stephen King talk about his thing, it's just like he wanted to give you this all along.

[00:32:28] He just couldn't.

[00:32:29] Like they wouldn't let him.

[00:32:31] You know what I mean?

[00:32:31] It's a different scenario for sure.

[00:32:33] It's like a different thing.

[00:32:34] But at the same time, like there might be people that are like, I don't want all this new shit.

[00:32:37] Like I just want it to be the way that it was.

[00:32:39] So I think it's.

[00:32:42] I mean, I think unfortunately it really does come down to the artist.

[00:32:45] But and but I mean, like both of these examples we're talking about, Stephen King and George Lucas probably own all of the rights to everything they've ever done by now.

[00:32:55] Whereas if you or I were to publish a book right now, we wouldn't own the rights to that book.

[00:33:01] The publisher would own the rights to that book.

[00:33:02] Right.

[00:33:03] And ultimately we would be releasing a compromise between us and the editor.

[00:33:08] You know what I mean?

[00:33:10] Yep.

[00:33:10] So I guess in that scenario, did you ever own the art?

[00:33:17] I mean, you know, so to me, that's all that's all legalese.

[00:33:21] Like, yeah, you still own the art.

[00:33:23] It's they they own the distribution rights in a particular medium.

[00:33:27] But like to me, that's not so much is they own anything.

[00:33:32] It's just more of a of a copyright protection of no other company can do that because you granted them the right to do it.

[00:33:39] But like they don't they can't own the art in the in the proper sense.

[00:33:43] Yeah.

[00:33:43] They didn't create it.

[00:33:44] And it's not their idea.

[00:33:45] Yeah, I think it's also like a product of the time, too, because like you're talking about 1977.

[00:33:50] Like, I don't know what the average running time on a movie was in 1977.

[00:33:55] But like, I don't know if people in the 70s would have sat in the theater for over three hours to watch Avengers Endgame.

[00:34:02] You know what I mean?

[00:34:02] Like that was probably like a three hour movie.

[00:34:04] Who the fuck has the time to watch that?

[00:34:07] 90 minutes were out.

[00:34:08] You know what I mean?

[00:34:09] So I don't know if there were limitations like enforced by the studios on him at the time.

[00:34:16] So it could be like kind of the same thing.

[00:34:18] I think the problem is, is like it's just it's become something that's so beloved.

[00:34:23] And as soon as it gets to a certain level, the passion of the fans like starts to complicate things even further.

[00:34:31] Because ultimately, George Lucas should be able to do whatever the hell he wants to do with his art, right?

[00:34:35] Sure.

[00:34:36] Yeah.

[00:34:36] So, but at the same time, like, I don't know.

[00:34:39] I just I personally don't understand it.

[00:34:41] Like, there's no reason that we shouldn't have 4K releases of the theatrical versions of Star Wars.

[00:34:47] I agree.

[00:34:48] I'm just going to say it.

[00:34:49] Like, there's no reason that shouldn't be a thing.

[00:34:51] Because like, I bet if like, I wonder, like, could I even buy, like, if I went to Apple TV or some shit like that, could I go buy an SD version of the theatrical versions?

[00:35:02] Or is it only going to give me?

[00:35:03] No, you cannot get them.

[00:35:05] The only ones that exist.

[00:35:06] There's no way to get it.

[00:35:07] If you go on eBay and find the DVDs that I have from 20 whatever, then you can have, that's the best.

[00:35:15] Well, so.

[00:35:16] Well, do you still have the VHS too?

[00:35:18] That's, I don't, I don't.

[00:35:20] Oh, no.

[00:35:21] That is the best version, best official version.

[00:35:26] Now, these people that are doing the restorations make digital files available of their restoration.

[00:35:34] See?

[00:35:35] And it's sort of.

[00:35:36] But that's kind of shady, isn't it?

[00:35:38] Well.

[00:35:38] Because they definitely don't own the art.

[00:35:40] I was going to say.

[00:35:41] It's the, there's some kind of loophole.

[00:35:45] And I don't know if it's a legal loophole, but the, what they try to stand on and probably why no one bothers them.

[00:35:51] You know, Disney or whoever, Lucasfilm.

[00:35:54] So they say that we're not trying to distribute like a version of the film.

[00:36:02] We're restoring the art as it was originally portrayed.

[00:36:08] And so they say, if you download this, you have to acknowledge, it's the honor system.

[00:36:14] But you basically acknowledge that you have purchased a DVD or Blu-ray copy of these films already.

[00:36:20] Yeah.

[00:36:20] So they're, they're trying to go like by the old MP3 rule.

[00:36:23] Like I can have the MP3s because I own the disc.

[00:36:26] Yeah.

[00:36:26] So the idea is like, okay, you, you, you bought this film and you know, you, you own it.

[00:36:31] You gave them the money and like what we're providing you isn't available for sale anyway.

[00:36:37] It's, it's a restored version of this art that was at a point in time.

[00:36:42] It's not, it's not a money-making scheme.

[00:36:44] They're not making money on it.

[00:36:45] They're just.

[00:36:46] Cause they're, they're not selling it.

[00:36:47] They're doing it.

[00:36:48] They're not selling it.

[00:36:49] They're doing it solely for the, the artistic merit.

[00:36:52] So that's probably why Lucas is just like, whatever, I don't have time to deal with this.

[00:36:55] Right.

[00:36:56] Right.

[00:36:56] But the, like I said, you can get those copies.

[00:37:01] And then, and they're just like freely available out there.

[00:37:04] Yes.

[00:37:05] All right.

[00:37:06] So, um, what I'll do, I guess is I'll put the, I'll put something in the show notes about this so people can like look at it, but I, I'm not encouraging people to.

[00:37:19] You know, I think it's cause it's a fan edit.

[00:37:20] I think that's the other reason.

[00:37:22] Yeah.

[00:37:22] It's considered a fan edit.

[00:37:24] So it's like, it's.

[00:37:25] So these digital files are available for free, right?

[00:37:27] Yeah.

[00:37:28] Yeah.

[00:37:28] And there's also all kinds of like crazy fan edits too that like, and what's the guy's name that does it?

[00:37:33] I know that you said that they were special.

[00:37:35] There's Harmy's despecialized editions.

[00:37:38] And then there's the, I, you know, I'll have to get, that's fine.

[00:37:43] We could just, we'll just, we'll just go with Harmy's.

[00:37:45] We'll put the link in there.

[00:37:46] Yeah.

[00:37:46] We'll get a link in the show notes so you guys can look into this, but, um, there's a whole site for it.

[00:37:51] Yeah.

[00:37:51] So cool.

[00:37:53] All right.

[00:37:53] Well, I think we did a pretty good job of managing that time actually.

[00:37:57] Cause we're only about 40 minutes in and I think it's time to get to the stories.

[00:38:03] What do you think?

[00:38:04] Time for stories.

[00:38:05] All right.

[00:38:05] So this month's prompt.

[00:38:09] Oh, it was the worst possible outcome.

[00:38:12] Oh, without question.

[00:38:13] It was the worst possible outcome.

[00:38:15] Now, do you remember who gave that to us?

[00:38:17] If not, I'm going to go look it up.

[00:38:18] I think it was, I think it was Jeff, but I'm not sure.

[00:38:21] Jeff.

[00:38:22] Okay.

[00:38:22] Let me look.

[00:38:23] I can't, I can't remember.

[00:38:24] We are just going to look, I'm going to look it up live, but my window is minimized so I can't see my group.

[00:38:31] There it is.

[00:38:33] Um, without question, it was, that was Jeff Ford.

[00:38:36] So thank you, Jeff.

[00:38:39] Did you have any problems with this or no?

[00:38:42] Um, yes, but maybe not in the manner that you're asking.

[00:38:47] What's the game?

[00:38:48] So I, we'll talk about mine later.

[00:38:51] Um, it took me a long time to just, like, I had an idea right away and it took me a long time to decide if that was the idea that I was going to write.

[00:39:01] And I'll let you guess later if that was the idea that I wrote or not.

[00:39:06] But, um, cause I'm not giving anything away, but yeah, I thought it was good.

[00:39:10] So, um, and this was like, I think the last one that Utah gave us was like, it was really hard.

[00:39:18] It was tough.

[00:39:19] Yeah.

[00:39:19] So like Jeff gave us like a little more like breathing room this month.

[00:39:23] So, and, and in all fairness, the one that you taught, like I was actually really happy with what I came out with, but it was really hard to do.

[00:39:30] So it was, it was nice that, uh, this month was a tab at ease here.

[00:39:36] So, um, I don't know.

[00:39:38] What do you got for us?

[00:39:40] Well, I have a 1400 word story.

[00:39:43] Um, and I'm going to apologize.

[00:39:45] Yeah, it's not too long.

[00:39:46] Um, I'm going to apologize in that I meant to reread this story prior to today, you know, cause typically I reread it closer to when we record just to make sure that I've got to flow with it as much as I can.

[00:40:01] And that like, there aren't any glaring mistakes, but I failed to do that.

[00:40:04] So, um, it may be a bit more raw than usual.

[00:40:08] We'll see.

[00:40:09] That's all right.

[00:40:09] Life's an adventure.

[00:40:10] Let's just go with it.

[00:40:11] We're going to go with it.

[00:40:12] Um, the title of my story is the Bureau of the Most Important Things.

[00:40:18] I love it.

[00:40:19] Yeah.

[00:40:20] It sounds fantastical to me, but we'll see what happens.

[00:40:23] Like, I mean, I'm excited.

[00:40:24] I don't know.

[00:40:25] Are you, are you ready?

[00:40:26] I am so ready.

[00:40:28] Okay.

[00:40:28] There is an organization, a bland vanilla under the radar and ignored by most every one entity, predisposed with all things ontic.

[00:40:39] They barely have a title.

[00:40:41] It's something completely unmemorable.

[00:40:43] I assure you, but they are involved with some of the world's most acute matters.

[00:40:48] Within said organization is a division called Central Coordination and Perspicuity.

[00:40:53] It is a massive outfit comprised of many a focused mind.

[00:40:57] Details matter to them as do rules.

[00:41:00] Ledgers, straight edges, and bureaucracy are their song, theme, and mantra.

[00:41:06] They are unbendingly rigid, save for something of a rogue department known as the Ministry of Innovation, Ingenuity, and Enterprise.

[00:41:14] The IIE, as they are sometimes called, is quite bubbly with their unorthodox habit of going to lunch at 12.07 rather than 12 o'clock, or really any other time between 12.01 and 1 o'clock, the agreed-upon window in which it's appropriate for one to consume, though not necessarily start, one's lunch.

[00:41:33] They oversee, casually at times, a committee designated as the apparatus for forward thinking and the combat of stagnation, which oversees a subcommittee of their own, who refer to themselves as the Bureau of the Most Important Things.

[00:41:49] The Bureau occupies itself with heady matters as per their namesake, and regularly dole out responsibilities to specific sectors within.

[00:41:58] Sector 19 is the one with whom we have to do.

[00:42:02] They were assigned and continue to perform the following tasks.

[00:42:06] Creating the names for paint colors, determining both national and global day themes, and fostering new words and phrases that should enter the English lexicon.

[00:42:16] You see, these are all extremely esoteric things that need to be managed.

[00:42:21] At first blush, they might seem rudimentarily ridiculous.

[00:42:25] But then you must ask yourself, does someone really get paid to invent the names of paint colors?

[00:42:31] Consider Monticello Peach, or Seaside Resort, or Napa Vineyards, or Desert Twilight.

[00:42:39] These names aren't the jaded work of paint companies' marketing departments.

[00:42:43] They are expressions of deep insights, of carefully studied impressions of the discerning.

[00:42:48] Or consider the ever-evolving days of celebration.

[00:42:52] Days which might carry the weight of multiple themes.

[00:42:55] For example, August 1st is International Child Free Day,

[00:43:00] Lunasa,

[00:43:01] Yorkshire Day,

[00:43:03] World Lung Cancer Day,

[00:43:05] World Scout Scarf Day,

[00:43:06] and International Mahjong Day.

[00:43:10] Tell me, who decides these things?

[00:43:12] Who coordinates them?

[00:43:14] Certainly not the government.

[00:43:16] And haven't you wondered not only how new terms come into being,

[00:43:19] but also how some proliferate and others do not?

[00:43:23] Bed-rotting,

[00:43:25] bussin,

[00:43:26] and the ick

[00:43:26] are all contenders for this year.

[00:43:29] But which of these and others become staples of the language

[00:43:32] depends upon which the Bureau of the Most Important Things promotes.

[00:43:37] Today, such debate was to take place.

[00:43:39] What to dub,

[00:43:41] what to celebrate,

[00:43:42] what to say.

[00:43:43] A certain Fred Thackeray strode into the cluster of Sector 19 cubicles,

[00:43:47] with all of that in mind, plus another very important thing.

[00:43:51] Sharply dressed in pinstripes and wingtips,

[00:43:53] and an open collar with a brazen ascot,

[00:43:56] he had a tablet under one arm.

[00:43:58] He gestured to one of his associates,

[00:44:00] Eliza Stone,

[00:44:01] and announced he'd solved all their problems as of late.

[00:44:04] No more creative droughts, he said.

[00:44:07] Gone are the days of vernacular stagnation.

[00:44:10] Eliza, studious in her glasses and carefully applied makeup,

[00:44:14] barely batted an eye.

[00:44:15] What?

[00:44:16] Has the IIE granted us a sabbatical?

[00:44:19] I'm afraid not, he said.

[00:44:21] I have something better.

[00:44:22] The latest adaptive language model from Sector 12.

[00:44:26] Eliza scowled.

[00:44:27] And this solves our problems.

[00:44:29] How?

[00:44:30] Fred's face turned frumpy.

[00:44:33] How long have you been working on those colors for the Magnolia Suite?

[00:44:36] Quite a while.

[00:44:38] And what's the best you've got?

[00:44:40] Eliza hesitated.

[00:44:43] Morning dew.

[00:44:45] Dandelion cuddle.

[00:44:46] Savannah breeze.

[00:44:48] And these are?

[00:44:49] Fred prodded.

[00:44:51] Quite trite, she admitted, looking away.

[00:44:54] Why not have the language model give it a try?

[00:44:57] Fred placed the tablet onto Eliza's orderly workspace

[00:45:00] and brought it to life with a swipe of his finger.

[00:45:03] Here, he said, pointing to a somewhat convoluted interface.

[00:45:06] I'm not sure what I'm looking at, she said.

[00:45:09] This is the backdoor UI.

[00:45:11] Just so we can modulate it a bit.

[00:45:13] But here's the beautiful part.

[00:45:15] We can train it on handpicked datasets of our own,

[00:45:17] and then cross-pollinate between those datasets.

[00:45:20] Don't you see?

[00:45:21] The power of innovative language injected into paint naming conventions?

[00:45:26] The cultural insights of global days of significance

[00:45:28] applied to the evolution of language?

[00:45:30] The hip, trendy quips of modernity

[00:45:32] giving rise to entirely new things to celebrate?

[00:45:37] Nonplussed, Eliza stared back at Fred, expressionless.

[00:45:41] It sounds like it's just going to be feeding on itself.

[00:45:44] Nonsense.

[00:45:45] The permutations are endless.

[00:45:47] We just need to set it to task and then kick back and watch it work.

[00:45:51] Eliza's brow was wrinkled in a worrisome knot.

[00:45:54] And Sector 12 is okay with us using it?

[00:45:57] Of course.

[00:45:58] I discussed it at length with their chief of staff.

[00:46:01] Eliza hesitated again before finally relenting.

[00:46:04] Okay.

[00:46:05] Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to use it as a brainstorming tool.

[00:46:09] Excellent.

[00:46:10] Fred clasped his hands together.

[00:46:12] Let's not waste any more time then.

[00:46:15] And from that moment, they began to test and tweak the model

[00:46:17] until they began to get desired outcomes.

[00:46:20] In fact, the outcomes were so promising

[00:46:22] that Fred let the model run overnight unattended.

[00:46:25] What he didn't tell Eliza was that his confidence level was so high

[00:46:29] that he wanted to let the model actually choose the nominations

[00:46:32] that would go before the Bureau for that week.

[00:46:34] And so he allowed it to do just that.

[00:46:37] And so, when Fred and Eliza came in the next morning,

[00:46:40] they were surprised to find emails in their inboxes from Marge Bell,

[00:46:44] the Bureau's chief quality officer,

[00:46:46] demanding they report to her office first thing

[00:46:48] in order to explain themselves.

[00:46:51] They made their way down the row of cubicles

[00:46:53] and out into a hallway.

[00:46:54] Fred dumbfounded and Eliza visibly angry.

[00:46:58] The meandering hall led them to a corner office

[00:47:00] arranged in such a way as to funnel them

[00:47:02] into the corner of the room

[00:47:03] to where Marge sat behind a wraparound desk.

[00:47:06] She wore a severe navy blue pantsuit

[00:47:08] and comically enormous glasses.

[00:47:12] National disabled Hindi veterans of ballistic Riz Day?

[00:47:16] Too long don't read oceanic blue?

[00:47:19] Goat swaddle?

[00:47:21] I'm not even sure what that last one is supposed to be,

[00:47:24] Marge fumed, glaring at them.

[00:47:25] What were you thinking?

[00:47:27] Eliza jumped in,

[00:47:29] clearly intent on saving your own skin.

[00:47:31] It was Fred's idea to use Sector 12's new language model.

[00:47:36] Language model?

[00:47:37] Sector 12?

[00:47:38] Who authorized this?

[00:47:41] Well, 12's chief of staff, Fred stammered.

[00:47:45] Marge leaned forward.

[00:47:46] Who authorized this?

[00:47:49] I guess no one did.

[00:47:50] That's right.

[00:47:51] No one did, Marge said in a mock sing-song voice.

[00:47:56] Fred knew that without question

[00:47:57] it was the worst possible outcome.

[00:47:59] Their mistake had attracted the attention of the Bureau,

[00:48:02] meaning they were one step away

[00:48:03] from the apparatus coming down on them hard.

[00:48:06] And then if the IIE found out,

[00:48:08] their sector would be disciplined

[00:48:09] if not outright disbanded.

[00:48:11] What am I supposed to do about this, people?

[00:48:13] Marge asked.

[00:48:15] Your submissions are the laughingstock

[00:48:16] of the entire Bureau,

[00:48:17] and leveraging a language model to create content

[00:48:20] goes against everything the IIE stands for.

[00:48:23] It was then that Fred found his voice.

[00:48:26] I'd say the use of the language model

[00:48:28] was in fact innovative,

[00:48:30] ingenious,

[00:48:30] and enterprising.

[00:48:32] Yes, well,

[00:48:33] the results were not.

[00:48:35] It just needs some fine tuning,

[00:48:37] Fred said with full confidence.

[00:48:40] Marge held up a hand.

[00:48:41] I don't want to hear it.

[00:48:42] I won't entertain the farming out

[00:48:44] of our creative endeavors to an algorithm.

[00:48:46] If you can't produce the quality

[00:48:48] the IIE expects,

[00:48:49] then I would be happy

[00:48:50] to accept your resignations.

[00:48:53] Mopey,

[00:48:54] Frank made his way back

[00:48:55] to the Sector 19 cubicles

[00:48:56] with the disconcerted Eliza in tow.

[00:48:58] He collapsed into his desk chair

[00:49:00] and sat slouched,

[00:49:02] wondering whether he could recover

[00:49:03] from such a blunder.

[00:49:04] It was a deep blow to his pride

[00:49:05] to have his creative abilities

[00:49:07] called into question,

[00:49:08] especially at a time

[00:49:09] when he was hoping to innovate

[00:49:10] and regain some credibility.

[00:49:13] Well, what are you going to do?

[00:49:14] Eliza wanted to know,

[00:49:16] arms folded in a challenge.

[00:49:18] I don't know.

[00:49:19] My mind is blank.

[00:49:21] I really thought the language model

[00:49:22] would have been more effective.

[00:49:25] I'm just going to submit

[00:49:26] the things I already have,

[00:49:27] trite or otherwise.

[00:49:29] And then,

[00:49:30] as if she too felt

[00:49:30] the weight of his existential uncertainty,

[00:49:33] suggested,

[00:49:34] maybe you should see

[00:49:35] if you could transfer

[00:49:35] to another sector.

[00:49:37] Perhaps,

[00:49:38] Fred said,

[00:49:39] and then with a faraway look

[00:49:40] in his eyes,

[00:49:41] perhaps I should transfer

[00:49:42] out of the Bureau entirely.

[00:49:45] He stood for a moment longer

[00:49:46] and then finally shrugged.

[00:49:48] Of course,

[00:49:49] I'll need a letter

[00:49:49] of request for that.

[00:49:51] Let's see what the model

[00:49:52] can come up with.

[00:49:54] The end.

[00:49:56] So this was a quirky little story.

[00:49:59] What?

[00:49:59] Yes, quirky,

[00:50:00] I think is the right word.

[00:50:01] What?

[00:50:03] I mean,

[00:50:03] I think that this has a lot

[00:50:05] to do with like this,

[00:50:06] the emergence

[00:50:09] of AI

[00:50:10] and everything

[00:50:11] into society right now.

[00:50:13] And so,

[00:50:14] but like,

[00:50:15] I feel like something

[00:50:16] might have like struck

[00:50:17] a nerve

[00:50:17] that kind of like

[00:50:18] prompted you to

[00:50:20] to write this.

[00:50:22] Well,

[00:50:22] so the AI thing

[00:50:23] actually was an afterthought.

[00:50:24] And I sort of

[00:50:25] was annoyed with myself

[00:50:26] with using that

[00:50:28] as a plot point

[00:50:28] because I felt like

[00:50:30] I had done a lot

[00:50:30] of AI stuff

[00:50:31] this past season or so.

[00:50:35] But it was really

[00:50:36] more of just my

[00:50:38] sort of,

[00:50:40] in some cases,

[00:50:41] fascination,

[00:50:41] in some cases,

[00:50:42] annoyance with things.

[00:50:43] So like paint colors,

[00:50:45] like I read these paint colors.

[00:50:46] I'm like,

[00:50:47] there's somebody

[00:50:47] somewhere who gets paid

[00:50:49] to just come up

[00:50:49] with the names of paint colors.

[00:50:50] I'm like,

[00:50:51] that's got to be

[00:50:51] the best job ever.

[00:50:52] You know what I mean?

[00:50:53] Like,

[00:50:54] it's just,

[00:50:54] it's so ridiculous

[00:50:55] that somebody's job,

[00:50:57] right?

[00:50:57] Or a function

[00:50:58] of somebody's job.

[00:50:59] I'm sure they do

[00:50:59] other things,

[00:50:59] but,

[00:51:00] but then like,

[00:51:02] the,

[00:51:02] it's always like

[00:51:03] national or global day,

[00:51:04] whatever.

[00:51:05] It's just like,

[00:51:06] who comes up with it?

[00:51:08] It's like,

[00:51:08] national taco day,

[00:51:09] national donut day,

[00:51:11] national take your dog

[00:51:12] for a walk day.

[00:51:12] It's like,

[00:51:13] it's so ridiculous.

[00:51:15] I'm like,

[00:51:16] it's unbelievable.

[00:51:17] And then the,

[00:51:18] just the lexicon stuff

[00:51:19] is,

[00:51:20] you know,

[00:51:20] that's,

[00:51:21] oh man,

[00:51:22] obviously ridiculous.

[00:51:22] Those,

[00:51:23] how terms come,

[00:51:24] it's going to be hard

[00:51:24] to become popular.

[00:51:25] It's going to be hard

[00:51:26] for me to delete my laughs

[00:51:27] because I,

[00:51:27] I usually don't like

[00:51:29] to have any,

[00:51:29] any background noise.

[00:51:30] I don't even know

[00:51:31] what any of those

[00:51:31] things really mean.

[00:51:32] I was just like

[00:51:33] Googling for like,

[00:51:34] what are new terms

[00:51:34] this year?

[00:51:35] You said about like,

[00:51:36] that ended with Riz

[00:51:37] made me like choke.

[00:51:39] Like I was,

[00:51:39] that was too funny.

[00:51:41] Like just too funny.

[00:51:42] I,

[00:51:43] like we were talking

[00:51:44] at work,

[00:51:44] like stuff that our

[00:51:45] kids say.

[00:51:46] We're like,

[00:51:46] I don't,

[00:51:46] I don't know where

[00:51:47] these terms come from.

[00:51:48] Do you think that like

[00:51:49] our parents thought

[00:51:50] the same thing though?

[00:51:51] Oh,

[00:51:51] I'm sure.

[00:51:52] I'm sure.

[00:51:53] Although I think the

[00:51:54] language is a little bit

[00:51:54] more lax probably than it

[00:51:55] was when we were that age.

[00:51:57] Yeah.

[00:51:58] I think there's less rules

[00:51:59] that people follow.

[00:52:01] I don't know.

[00:52:02] It's,

[00:52:02] but at any rate,

[00:52:03] it was,

[00:52:03] it was just sort of like

[00:52:04] all these things in my head

[00:52:05] that were sort of like

[00:52:06] either slightly annoying

[00:52:08] or just ridiculous.

[00:52:09] I'm like,

[00:52:09] well,

[00:52:10] what if no one comes up

[00:52:11] with this stuff?

[00:52:11] What if like,

[00:52:12] there's just some like

[00:52:13] secret organization that

[00:52:14] is in charge of coming up

[00:52:15] with all this nonsense?

[00:52:16] And I kind of,

[00:52:17] I kind of went with that.

[00:52:18] I think the family guy

[00:52:19] did something like that.

[00:52:20] I'll see if I can find

[00:52:21] the clip somewhere,

[00:52:22] but there was like,

[00:52:22] um,

[00:52:24] where do all the dirty

[00:52:25] jokes come from?

[00:52:25] And there was like some

[00:52:26] like compound somewhere

[00:52:28] where it was just like a

[00:52:28] bunch of old English

[00:52:29] guys that sat around

[00:52:30] and like writing dirty

[00:52:31] jokes.

[00:52:32] Um,

[00:52:33] but yeah,

[00:52:34] I,

[00:52:34] what,

[00:52:35] what's interesting to me

[00:52:36] was,

[00:52:36] was Fred's character.

[00:52:38] It's like,

[00:52:38] he didn't really learn

[00:52:39] anything from that

[00:52:40] whole experience.

[00:52:40] He was just like,

[00:52:41] well,

[00:52:41] I'm gonna need a letter.

[00:52:42] Like,

[00:52:42] let's see what this

[00:52:43] thing can do.

[00:52:43] And it's like,

[00:52:44] well,

[00:52:44] it's not going to do

[00:52:45] anything good for any

[00:52:46] boy.

[00:52:46] Like,

[00:52:47] right.

[00:52:48] Uh,

[00:52:48] well,

[00:52:49] and that,

[00:52:49] that goes into

[00:52:50] sort of what I,

[00:52:51] um,

[00:52:52] I,

[00:52:52] I,

[00:52:53] I,

[00:52:53] I didn't end the story

[00:52:54] the way that I would

[00:52:55] have liked to in that,

[00:52:58] like,

[00:52:58] I,

[00:52:58] I wasn't sure how I

[00:52:59] wanted to end it.

[00:53:00] And I felt like to

[00:53:02] explore a better ending,

[00:53:03] it was going to make

[00:53:04] the story way longer

[00:53:05] than I wanted it to be.

[00:53:06] So I,

[00:53:06] I kind of took just a

[00:53:07] shortcut.

[00:53:08] Gotcha.

[00:53:08] There,

[00:53:08] there was one line in

[00:53:09] there that,

[00:53:10] that I wrote down just

[00:53:11] because I thought it was

[00:53:11] really like kind of

[00:53:13] prolific in,

[00:53:14] in,

[00:53:15] um,

[00:53:15] in terms of like AI

[00:53:17] where one of your

[00:53:18] characters said,

[00:53:19] it sounds like it's just

[00:53:21] going to be feeding on

[00:53:21] itself.

[00:53:22] And that's a hundred

[00:53:23] percent right.

[00:53:24] Like it's just,

[00:53:25] well,

[00:53:25] that's,

[00:53:25] that's the problem that

[00:53:26] they have right now.

[00:53:27] Yeah.

[00:53:27] And well,

[00:53:27] it's just like,

[00:53:28] and it's just,

[00:53:29] it's,

[00:53:29] it's recycling shit.

[00:53:31] And it's like,

[00:53:31] it's actually one of the

[00:53:33] reasons that I'm like,

[00:53:34] I mean,

[00:53:34] I'm looking forward to the

[00:53:35] semester starting again,

[00:53:37] but it's just like with

[00:53:38] the English class,

[00:53:39] like,

[00:53:39] like there were people

[00:53:40] that were using AI that

[00:53:41] I knew were using AI,

[00:53:43] but like they were,

[00:53:45] they were doing enough

[00:53:46] work to change it.

[00:53:48] Um,

[00:53:49] where I,

[00:53:49] I still kind of let it

[00:53:50] go.

[00:53:51] Like they didn't get like

[00:53:51] A's or anything,

[00:53:52] you know what I mean?

[00:53:53] But it was like,

[00:53:54] yeah,

[00:53:54] they at least took what

[00:53:55] they got and worked on

[00:53:58] it and revised it or did

[00:53:59] something to make it

[00:54:00] sound like themselves.

[00:54:01] Where a lot,

[00:54:02] there was a couple of

[00:54:03] times where I got like a

[00:54:04] couple of identical papers

[00:54:05] and I'm like,

[00:54:06] you guys aren't even

[00:54:06] trying.

[00:54:07] And it's just like,

[00:54:08] what's frustrating to me

[00:54:09] is I'm trying to figure out

[00:54:10] how to,

[00:54:11] how to deal with this in the

[00:54:12] fall.

[00:54:12] And I think I'm going to

[00:54:12] just going to like do a

[00:54:13] video because I didn't

[00:54:15] really do anything to

[00:54:15] introduce myself.

[00:54:16] Like I did like a

[00:54:18] discussion post or

[00:54:19] whatever,

[00:54:19] but like,

[00:54:19] I just want to talk to

[00:54:20] them so they could see

[00:54:22] me and be like,

[00:54:23] this is English one.

[00:54:24] I'm asking you to read

[00:54:25] stuff and tell me what

[00:54:26] you think.

[00:54:26] This is not the time to

[00:54:27] be busting out the AI.

[00:54:29] Like if you can't read

[00:54:30] an article and tell me

[00:54:30] what you think about it,

[00:54:31] then like college is going

[00:54:32] to be rough,

[00:54:33] man.

[00:54:35] Like it,

[00:54:36] it's,

[00:54:37] it's not so much,

[00:54:38] it,

[00:54:38] you know,

[00:54:38] they're,

[00:54:39] it seems like they're

[00:54:40] viewing it as busy work

[00:54:41] and it's just something

[00:54:41] they have to do for the

[00:54:42] class,

[00:54:42] but it's like,

[00:54:43] you're trying to teach

[00:54:44] them how to think in some

[00:54:46] respect and like,

[00:54:47] well,

[00:54:47] yeah.

[00:54:47] And I mean,

[00:54:48] how to,

[00:54:48] how to,

[00:54:49] how to be analytical

[00:54:49] and inform coherent

[00:54:52] thoughts and be able to

[00:54:54] digest things.

[00:54:55] I mean,

[00:54:55] it sets a precedent for

[00:54:57] everything they're going

[00:54:58] to do in college,

[00:54:58] like every class,

[00:55:00] they're going to have to

[00:55:00] write something.

[00:55:01] In some sense,

[00:55:02] everything they're going

[00:55:02] to do in life.

[00:55:03] I mean,

[00:55:03] right.

[00:55:04] So you have to be able

[00:55:05] to,

[00:55:05] if you're going to be a

[00:55:06] valuable employee or

[00:55:10] spouse or parent or

[00:55:12] friend,

[00:55:13] like you have to be able

[00:55:14] to not just like skate by

[00:55:15] and put in minimal effort.

[00:55:17] You have to engage.

[00:55:18] Right.

[00:55:19] And I just want to be like,

[00:55:20] you know how,

[00:55:20] like you look at everything

[00:55:21] and everybody sounds like

[00:55:22] they're saying the same

[00:55:23] goddamn thing all the time.

[00:55:24] it's because nobody's like

[00:55:25] taking the time to actually

[00:55:27] like think and put something

[00:55:30] new out there.

[00:55:30] They're just recycling all

[00:55:31] the old bullshit that's

[00:55:33] already out there.

[00:55:34] And right now,

[00:55:35] AI is just pulling from all

[00:55:36] the bullshit that's out

[00:55:37] there.

[00:55:37] So I think,

[00:55:39] I think,

[00:55:40] you know,

[00:55:41] in not to just take this off

[00:55:42] on a tangent about AI,

[00:55:44] but I think,

[00:55:45] I don't think that AI,

[00:55:48] I don't think it's best use

[00:55:50] is going to be creating

[00:55:51] original content.

[00:55:52] I think it's going to be

[00:55:53] like assisting people after

[00:55:54] it learns about how you

[00:55:56] work and,

[00:55:56] and kind of helps you do

[00:55:58] things.

[00:55:58] Kind of like,

[00:55:59] I think what Apple's trying

[00:56:01] to do,

[00:56:01] they're trying to like let

[00:56:02] it learn about your day.

[00:56:03] So like your phone and

[00:56:04] shit can suggest things

[00:56:05] that might come in handy

[00:56:06] to you at that time and

[00:56:08] not like,

[00:56:10] Hey,

[00:56:10] paint me a picture of,

[00:56:11] you know,

[00:56:12] like,

[00:56:13] I don't know,

[00:56:15] somebody riding on a

[00:56:16] unicorn.

[00:56:16] You know what I mean?

[00:56:17] Like that's,

[00:56:17] that's not a good use

[00:56:19] of anybody's time.

[00:56:20] But anyways,

[00:56:21] I thought,

[00:56:21] I think that there was a

[00:56:22] lot of truth in your story

[00:56:24] about like kind of some

[00:56:25] of the stuff that we're

[00:56:26] kind of dealing with these

[00:56:27] days and whether you

[00:56:29] meant to do that or not.

[00:56:30] Like,

[00:56:30] I think that that,

[00:56:31] that one line was just

[00:56:32] like a great way to sum

[00:56:34] up like how AI actually

[00:56:36] kind of works right now.

[00:56:38] Yeah.

[00:56:39] Yeah.

[00:56:40] So yeah.

[00:56:41] Um,

[00:56:42] nice.

[00:56:42] I still,

[00:56:43] can you,

[00:56:43] can you read that one,

[00:56:44] the day that it came up

[00:56:45] with real quick?

[00:56:47] Just one more time.

[00:56:48] Oh yeah.

[00:56:49] Let me find that.

[00:56:50] Um,

[00:56:52] okay.

[00:56:53] National disabled Hindi

[00:56:55] veterans of ballistic

[00:56:56] Riz day.

[00:56:59] That's out of control.

[00:57:00] That's out of control.

[00:57:01] So do your,

[00:57:02] are your kids like using

[00:57:03] the words bussing and

[00:57:04] shit like that right now?

[00:57:06] No,

[00:57:06] no.

[00:57:06] It was somebody at work

[00:57:07] had said like their

[00:57:08] kids use the word Riz.

[00:57:09] I'm just like,

[00:57:09] I've never heard that.

[00:57:10] I just couldn't imagine

[00:57:11] like a child of yours

[00:57:13] being like,

[00:57:14] you know,

[00:57:14] like if you bake something

[00:57:15] like,

[00:57:15] everything is sus.

[00:57:17] I'm like,

[00:57:17] what is sus?

[00:57:18] Like you keep saying

[00:57:19] sus.

[00:57:19] I don't know what sus is.

[00:57:21] Oh,

[00:57:21] that's just for,

[00:57:21] for suspect.

[00:57:22] It's fine.

[00:57:23] Well,

[00:57:23] right.

[00:57:23] But like they,

[00:57:24] they were saying it like

[00:57:25] it was just like second

[00:57:26] nature of them.

[00:57:26] I'm like,

[00:57:27] where did you guys hear

[00:57:27] this word?

[00:57:28] Like,

[00:57:28] I don't know what it

[00:57:28] means.

[00:57:29] Oh man.

[00:57:31] Good stuff.

[00:57:32] But that Riz,

[00:57:33] I was like,

[00:57:34] some guy works like his

[00:57:34] kids are using the word

[00:57:36] Riz all the time.

[00:57:36] I don't know what that

[00:57:37] is.

[00:57:38] I actually learned about

[00:57:39] this the other day.

[00:57:40] It's actually kind of

[00:57:41] short for charisma the way

[00:57:42] I understand it.

[00:57:43] So like Riz is like

[00:57:44] charisma.

[00:57:45] It's like they just

[00:57:45] shorten words.

[00:57:47] Right.

[00:57:48] So it is what it,

[00:57:49] like I used Riz really

[00:57:50] wrong one day and my

[00:57:51] daughter just looked at

[00:57:52] me and just like the look

[00:57:54] on her face was like,

[00:57:55] it was like,

[00:57:56] made you feel,

[00:57:59] disappointed and it was

[00:58:00] just like,

[00:58:00] what are you doing to me,

[00:58:01] man?

[00:58:03] It's like she couldn't

[00:58:03] handle it.

[00:58:04] And I was like,

[00:58:05] I'm sorry,

[00:58:05] I won't,

[00:58:05] I won't use young words

[00:58:06] anymore.

[00:58:08] Yeah.

[00:58:09] It's too old.

[00:58:10] Yeah.

[00:58:11] I wonder how long it's

[00:58:12] going to be like,

[00:58:13] it just like,

[00:58:13] I wonder if it's just

[00:58:14] like if we're already on

[00:58:15] our way to being like the

[00:58:17] grumpy old men that just

[00:58:18] like don't like what

[00:58:19] young people do or if

[00:58:20] like,

[00:58:20] I think I was born that

[00:58:21] way,

[00:58:21] but yeah.

[00:58:24] Just one of these days,

[00:58:25] like I think I'm going

[00:58:26] to get nothing from my

[00:58:27] kids,

[00:58:27] but like eyes being

[00:58:29] the world,

[00:58:30] but it is what it

[00:58:32] is.

[00:58:32] All right,

[00:58:33] man.

[00:58:33] Well,

[00:58:34] good job.

[00:58:35] It was entertaining

[00:58:37] and a little,

[00:58:39] a little introspective

[00:58:40] into life today that

[00:58:42] we're going through

[00:58:42] right now.

[00:58:42] I liked it.

[00:58:44] All right.

[00:58:45] So what I have for

[00:58:46] you this month is

[00:58:49] 2,700 words on the

[00:58:50] dot.

[00:58:51] Wow.

[00:58:52] Yeah.

[00:58:52] So I went,

[00:58:53] I went a little

[00:58:54] longer than I have

[00:58:56] been recently.

[00:58:56] I've been like closer

[00:58:57] to the two,

[00:58:58] but you know,

[00:59:00] this was just one of

[00:59:01] those times.

[00:59:02] This was actually,

[00:59:04] you know,

[00:59:05] early on in the month,

[00:59:06] I jotted down an idea

[00:59:08] and then I had a

[00:59:09] secondary idea and I

[00:59:12] couldn't decide which

[00:59:13] one I wanted to write

[00:59:14] because there were two

[00:59:16] very different,

[00:59:17] like there were two

[00:59:18] very different approaches

[00:59:20] approaches to this

[00:59:21] prompt.

[00:59:23] And one day I just

[00:59:24] sat down and I

[00:59:25] literally just started

[00:59:26] typing and I did this

[00:59:28] all in one single

[00:59:29] session.

[00:59:29] It was probably like an

[00:59:30] hour and a half,

[00:59:30] two hours.

[00:59:31] Oh,

[00:59:31] that's,

[00:59:32] that's,

[00:59:32] that's the funnest

[00:59:33] stuff,

[00:59:33] man.

[00:59:33] When it just flows.

[00:59:34] Yeah.

[00:59:34] It was the best

[00:59:35] because it was just

[00:59:36] like,

[00:59:36] I was just going and

[00:59:37] then all of a sudden

[00:59:37] I was done and I

[00:59:38] was like,

[00:59:38] holy shit,

[00:59:38] I'm done.

[00:59:39] And then,

[00:59:39] you know,

[00:59:39] I had to like do a

[00:59:40] couple of revisions

[00:59:41] or whatever just to

[00:59:42] knock out some stuff.

[00:59:43] And I'm sure that

[00:59:44] I'll be rolling my eyes

[00:59:45] at myself because I'll be

[00:59:47] reading stuff that I

[00:59:47] should have changed,

[00:59:48] but you know,

[00:59:49] it is what it is.

[00:59:50] But yeah,

[00:59:50] I'm pretty happy with

[00:59:51] the way this turned

[00:59:51] out.

[00:59:52] So,

[00:59:52] um,

[00:59:53] if you're ready,

[00:59:54] uh,

[00:59:55] I guess I'll get

[00:59:56] going.

[00:59:56] Lay it on me.

[00:59:58] All right.

[01:00:00] I let out a sigh of

[01:00:01] relief as we pulled

[01:00:02] into the driveway of

[01:00:03] the hotel.

[01:00:04] It hadn't been that

[01:00:05] long or difficult of

[01:00:06] a drive.

[01:00:07] So under normal

[01:00:07] circumstances,

[01:00:08] this trip would have

[01:00:09] been barely an

[01:00:10] inconvenience.

[01:00:11] But for the last

[01:00:12] 45 minutes,

[01:00:12] both my wife and

[01:00:13] daughter had been

[01:00:14] completely silent.

[01:00:16] Eyes locked

[01:00:16] on their phone

[01:00:17] screens,

[01:00:17] tapping away back

[01:00:18] and forth to each

[01:00:19] other.

[01:00:20] Or at least that's

[01:00:21] the conclusion I

[01:00:21] arrived at.

[01:00:23] Occasionally they would

[01:00:23] snicker at the same

[01:00:24] time,

[01:00:25] so I felt it was a

[01:00:25] safe assumption.

[01:00:27] Any attempt I made

[01:00:28] to communicate with

[01:00:28] Natalie in the back

[01:00:29] seat was met with a

[01:00:30] huff of contempt or

[01:00:31] no response at all,

[01:00:32] and Amanda had put up

[01:00:33] an invisible wall

[01:00:34] between the driver and

[01:00:35] the passenger seat.

[01:00:36] She had that wife's

[01:00:37] intuition where she

[01:00:38] could somehow detect my

[01:00:40] desire to speak,

[01:00:41] and would shut it

[01:00:42] down before I could

[01:00:42] even open my mouth

[01:00:43] all the way.

[01:00:44] It's kind of annoying

[01:00:45] if I'm being honest.

[01:00:47] I even attempted to

[01:00:48] lighten the spirit by

[01:00:49] playing Low by

[01:00:50] Flo Rida featuring

[01:00:51] T-Pain, which at

[01:00:52] one point in our

[01:00:53] lives was a guaranteed

[01:00:54] mood enhancer,

[01:00:55] vibing off each other

[01:00:56] as we sang about

[01:00:57] Shorty and her

[01:00:58] misadventures.

[01:00:59] All I got today was

[01:01:00] Seriously?

[01:01:02] before the volume was

[01:01:03] reduced to just below

[01:01:04] a whisper.

[01:01:05] And that's where it

[01:01:05] stayed for the

[01:01:06] remainder of the trip

[01:01:07] as I sat trying to

[01:01:08] figure out just what

[01:01:09] in the hell I did to

[01:01:10] deserve the silent

[01:01:10] treatment.

[01:01:12] I brought the car to a

[01:01:13] stop just beyond the

[01:01:14] main entrance to the

[01:01:15] hotel lobby.

[01:01:17] I sat for a few

[01:01:17] seconds waiting for

[01:01:18] Amanda to do her

[01:01:19] thing.

[01:01:21] We sat there just

[01:01:22] long enough to make

[01:01:22] things just a bit more

[01:01:24] uncomfortable before she

[01:01:25] broke the silence.

[01:01:26] Well?

[01:01:28] I didn't even know how

[01:01:29] to respond.

[01:01:30] For as long as I could

[01:01:31] remember, she has been

[01:01:32] the one to book every

[01:01:33] single hotel room that

[01:01:34] we have ever stayed in.

[01:01:36] It's like clockwork.

[01:01:37] We pull up and she's

[01:01:39] out the door, purse in

[01:01:40] hand, before I even have

[01:01:42] time to announce our

[01:01:43] arrival.

[01:01:44] Still unsure as to what

[01:01:45] everybody's problem was,

[01:01:46] I had to think quick in

[01:01:47] order not to stir the

[01:01:48] pot even more.

[01:01:51] Uh, isn't the hotel

[01:01:52] booked in your name?

[01:01:54] Oh shit, right.

[01:01:56] She fumbled through her

[01:01:56] purse for a bit and

[01:01:57] passed a credit card over

[01:01:58] to me.

[01:01:58] Here you go.

[01:02:00] Uh, alright.

[01:02:02] I unbuckled myself and

[01:02:03] stepped out of the car.

[01:02:05] I hesitated when closing

[01:02:06] the door, looking over to

[01:02:07] my wife for just a hint

[01:02:08] of explanation.

[01:02:10] My eyes met hers and

[01:02:11] before any words could be

[01:02:12] uttered, she narrowed her

[01:02:13] eyes at me and mouthed

[01:02:14] the words, go.

[01:02:16] I'll explain later.

[01:02:18] That was good enough for

[01:02:19] me, so I closed the door

[01:02:21] and headed for the lobby,

[01:02:22] at least 70% convinced

[01:02:23] that I wasn't the cause

[01:02:24] of the diminished mood.

[01:02:26] The clerk at the

[01:02:27] counter didn't bat an

[01:02:27] eye when the name on

[01:02:28] the card didn't match

[01:02:29] my license and he

[01:02:30] proceeded to complete

[01:02:31] the checkout process

[01:02:32] without issue.

[01:02:33] I signed the waiver

[01:02:35] saying that I would

[01:02:35] accept any incidental

[01:02:36] charges and after the

[01:02:38] computer determined the

[01:02:39] most suitable room for

[01:02:40] our stay, he programmed

[01:02:41] the keys and handed

[01:02:41] them over.

[01:02:43] Okay, so you're in

[01:02:44] room 306.

[01:02:45] You want to use the

[01:02:46] elevators down the

[01:02:47] hallway to your right.

[01:02:48] You'll take a left

[01:02:49] off the elevator and

[01:02:50] your room is at the end

[01:02:50] of the hall.

[01:02:51] Great, thanks.

[01:02:53] My head whipped from

[01:02:54] side to side as Amanda

[01:02:55] intercepted the passing

[01:02:56] of the key cards and

[01:02:57] pulled a huddled Natalie

[01:02:58] close as they made

[01:02:59] their way toward the

[01:03:00] elevator.

[01:03:01] See in the room, you can

[01:03:02] get all the bags after

[01:03:03] you park the car, right?

[01:03:05] Baffled at the scene that

[01:03:06] just played out, I just

[01:03:07] nodded.

[01:03:09] Great, love you.

[01:03:11] The clerk and I shared a

[01:03:12] chuckle as he handed me a

[01:03:13] copy of the paperwork.

[01:03:15] I thanked him and went to

[01:03:16] do my bidding.

[01:03:18] The door was left propped

[01:03:19] open for me, which was

[01:03:21] quite helpful considering

[01:03:22] the load I was carrying and

[01:03:23] the fact that both keys had

[01:03:24] been snatched out from

[01:03:25] under me.

[01:03:26] I fully intended to have a

[01:03:27] discussion about how much

[01:03:28] luggage was really necessary

[01:03:29] for a three-day trip once the

[01:03:31] air had cleared because this

[01:03:32] was ridiculous.

[01:03:34] I got all the bags down on

[01:03:35] the floor next to the

[01:03:36] entertainment center when I

[01:03:37] was spun around by my

[01:03:38] shoulder.

[01:03:39] Amanda came in close and

[01:03:41] spoke in a whisper.

[01:03:43] Listen, don't make a big

[01:03:44] deal out of this, but Nat

[01:03:46] just started her period and

[01:03:47] she's kind of freaking out.

[01:03:49] I need you to go to the

[01:03:51] store and pick up a few

[01:03:52] things for her.

[01:03:53] I'd go, but I think it's

[01:03:55] better if I'm here.

[01:03:57] Sure, that's no problem at

[01:03:59] all.

[01:04:00] But I really don't know

[01:04:01] what I need to get, so I'm

[01:04:02] going to need a little

[01:04:03] guidance.

[01:04:04] Not necessary.

[01:04:05] There's a pharmacy just

[01:04:06] down the street and I've

[01:04:07] already placed a mobile

[01:04:08] order.

[01:04:08] Just take my phone with

[01:04:09] you, check in when you

[01:04:10] find the curbside parking.

[01:04:12] Easy peasy.

[01:04:14] For the second time in the

[01:04:15] span of 15 minutes, I

[01:04:16] sighed in relief.

[01:04:17] Don't get me wrong.

[01:04:18] I'm not jumping up and

[01:04:20] down at the fact that my

[01:04:21] daughter's uterus is now

[01:04:22] active, but at least I'm

[01:04:23] not on the hook for

[01:04:24] something else.

[01:04:25] I took the phone from

[01:04:26] her.

[01:04:26] Thanks, you're the best.

[01:04:28] Need anything else while

[01:04:29] I'm out?

[01:04:30] Nope.

[01:04:31] Just that order.

[01:04:33] All right.

[01:04:34] Be back in a few.

[01:04:36] I went to knock on the

[01:04:37] bathroom door to offer a

[01:04:38] bit of support to my only

[01:04:39] child, but my hand was

[01:04:40] pulled back before it made

[01:04:41] contact.

[01:04:43] I know you mean well, but

[01:04:45] it's not the time.

[01:04:47] Fair enough.

[01:04:49] She wasn't kidding when

[01:04:51] she said the pharmacy was

[01:04:51] just down the street.

[01:04:53] The only issue I ran into

[01:04:54] when I arrived was that

[01:04:56] all the curbside spots

[01:04:57] were taken.

[01:04:58] I scanned the

[01:04:59] confirmation page on the

[01:05:00] app and hoped for some

[01:05:00] guidance, but apparently

[01:05:02] they hadn't taken into

[01:05:03] account what to do if

[01:05:04] they had more than four

[01:05:05] orders to fill at a time.

[01:05:07] So I parked directly

[01:05:08] across from them, waiting

[01:05:10] to snipe a spot when one

[01:05:11] came available.

[01:05:12] It was only a few

[01:05:13] minutes before a worker in

[01:05:14] a red polo shirt appeared,

[01:05:16] made an exchange with the

[01:05:17] customer in spot number

[01:05:18] two, and headed back into

[01:05:20] the building.

[01:05:21] I put my car into drive as I

[01:05:23] waited for the reverse

[01:05:24] lights to illuminate,

[01:05:25] slowly easing my foot off the

[01:05:27] brake so I was ready to make

[01:05:28] my move.

[01:05:29] For a split second in my

[01:05:30] mind, I held pole position

[01:05:32] at Silverstone, waiting for

[01:05:34] those five lights to go out.

[01:05:37] I glanced to my right and saw

[01:05:38] the occupant of the car

[01:05:39] beside me eyeing up the very

[01:05:41] spot I had set my sights on.

[01:05:43] We made eye contact, and I

[01:05:45] cracked my neck, letting him

[01:05:46] know just how serious I was.

[01:05:49] Understanding the assignment,

[01:05:50] we both returned our focus to

[01:05:52] the task at hand.

[01:05:53] It was now my spot to lose.

[01:05:56] The lights came and went, and I

[01:05:58] was off.

[01:05:59] I veered to the right slightly,

[01:06:01] taking my opponent by surprise.

[01:06:02] He had no choice but to break in

[01:06:04] order to avoid a collision, and I

[01:06:06] used the advantage to spring up and

[01:06:07] become the next rightful owner of

[01:06:09] spot number two.

[01:06:11] I glanced to my rear view and

[01:06:13] basked in glory as he straightened

[01:06:14] his car out and backed into his

[01:06:15] previous spot.

[01:06:18] I completed the check-in process,

[01:06:19] and the exchange went down without

[01:06:21] any complications.

[01:06:22] I thanked the worker, gave him

[01:06:24] what I considered to be a

[01:06:25] generous tip.

[01:06:26] I was about to back out of the

[01:06:28] spot when I got a call from

[01:06:29] Natalie.

[01:06:30] I glanced in the mirror as I put

[01:06:32] my car into park to answer the

[01:06:33] phone, watching as my previous

[01:06:35] adversary threw his arms up in

[01:06:36] disgust.

[01:06:37] Hey, sweetie.

[01:06:39] How you feeling?

[01:06:40] That was adorable, but it's me,

[01:06:42] replied Amanda.

[01:06:43] You have my phone.

[01:06:45] Oh, right.

[01:06:47] So, I actually do need something

[01:06:49] else?

[01:06:50] It turns out that it's my time as

[01:06:52] well.

[01:06:52] I wasn't expecting it, but these

[01:06:54] things just kind of happen

[01:06:56] sometimes.

[01:06:58] Okay.

[01:06:59] Excuse my ignorance, but can't you

[01:07:01] just share what we just got

[01:07:02] Natalie, or is she going to use

[01:07:04] all of those?

[01:07:06] Amanda had two different types

[01:07:07] of chuckles.

[01:07:08] One was reserved for general

[01:07:10] amusement, sarcasm, and awkward

[01:07:12] social interactions.

[01:07:14] The other meant that death was

[01:07:15] imminent.

[01:07:16] I'm pleased to report that what

[01:07:18] came through the phone was the

[01:07:19] former.

[01:07:21] Normally, yes, but I haven't used

[01:07:23] pads in years.

[01:07:24] I thought I had an extra menstrual

[01:07:26] cup in my travel bag, but I was

[01:07:28] mistaken.

[01:07:29] What in the hell is a menstrual

[01:07:32] cup?

[01:07:34] I don't have time for this now.

[01:07:36] Can you just go in and get it

[01:07:37] for me?

[01:07:38] I just sent over a picture of what

[01:07:39] the box looks like.

[01:07:40] They're in stock.

[01:07:41] Aisle 24.

[01:07:43] If they're in stock, can't you

[01:07:45] just do another mobile order?

[01:07:46] I'm nice and cozy in spot number

[01:07:48] two as we speak.

[01:07:50] I glanced back in the mirror and

[01:07:51] found it amusing that I could see

[01:07:52] ten white knuckles gleaming through

[01:07:54] the windshield from what had to

[01:07:55] be a good 15 feet away.

[01:07:57] I tried, but it's going to take

[01:07:59] about 45 minutes, and Nat can't

[01:08:00] wait that long.

[01:08:02] Please.

[01:08:02] Please.

[01:08:03] My phone vibrated, and the car

[01:08:05] announced that I received a photo

[01:08:06] from Natalie, which I would be able

[01:08:08] to view on my phone at my

[01:08:09] convenience.

[01:08:10] Hold on, I just got your text.

[01:08:12] I just want to make sure the picture

[01:08:13] came through before I go in.

[01:08:15] I pulled up the photo and scanned it

[01:08:17] over.

[01:08:18] Looked easy enough to find.

[01:08:20] Wait.

[01:08:22] Babe, this says reusable.

[01:08:25] What in the hell is this thing?

[01:08:28] I could hear her mood shift through the

[01:08:30] silence in the receiver.

[01:08:31] It was time to watch for the

[01:08:33] approaching line and do everything

[01:08:35] in my power not to cross it.

[01:08:36] The extended pause told me that it

[01:08:38] was damned close.

[01:08:40] I'll answer questions later.

[01:08:42] Just get it and get back here

[01:08:44] quickly.

[01:08:47] That was the end of the conversation

[01:08:48] for now.

[01:08:49] I backed out of the parking spot,

[01:08:51] conceding it to the now red-faced

[01:08:52] gentleman in the pickup truck,

[01:08:53] and parked in the adjacent aisle.

[01:08:56] He mean-mugged me as I walked

[01:08:57] into the store, but the stickers

[01:08:59] decorating his rear window and

[01:09:00] tailgate let me know that I couldn't

[01:09:02] give a single shit what he thought

[01:09:03] about me.

[01:09:05] I successfully reached aisle 24

[01:09:07] and retrieved the target items

[01:09:08] while scoffing at the price a bit.

[01:09:10] $34.95 for what appeared to be a

[01:09:12] couple silicone blood collectors?

[01:09:15] I double-checked to make sure I had

[01:09:17] the right size, and then checked out

[01:09:19] without any incident.

[01:09:20] There was a moment where the

[01:09:21] teenage cashier's eyes bugged out

[01:09:23] of his head for a second as he

[01:09:24] scanned them, and I thought that

[01:09:25] was funny.

[01:09:28] When I got back to the room,

[01:09:30] Amanda jumped up to meet me.

[01:09:31] She scanned the bags to find the

[01:09:32] stuff for Nat, kissed me on the

[01:09:34] cheek before disappearing into

[01:09:35] the bathroom.

[01:09:37] I picked up the box from my

[01:09:39] secondary quest and started to

[01:09:40] look things over, hoping that I

[01:09:42] could get the gist of it without

[01:09:43] asking too many stupid questions.

[01:09:46] Luckily enough, I found that

[01:09:47] there were instructions right on

[01:09:48] the back of the box.

[01:09:50] I imagined that my eyes became

[01:09:52] an exaggerated version of the

[01:09:53] cashier's, growing in size as I

[01:09:56] followed along with the steps for

[01:09:57] insertion, complete with diagrams.

[01:10:01] I was brought back to reality by

[01:10:02] Amanda's laughter.

[01:10:04] She took a seat next to me on the end

[01:10:06] of one of the room's two queen beds.

[01:10:08] Do you have any other questions, or did

[01:10:10] the box do a good enough job of

[01:10:11] explaining it?

[01:10:13] I looked at her and found a delicate

[01:10:15] twinkle of amusement in her eye.

[01:10:17] It was one of those moments that

[01:10:19] reminded me of the early days in our

[01:10:20] relationship when I was realizing

[01:10:22] that I wanted to spend the rest of

[01:10:23] my life with her.

[01:10:26] Well, I think I have the basic

[01:10:28] principle down, but I do have a

[01:10:30] couple of follow-up questions if you

[01:10:31] don't mind.

[01:10:33] Okay, shoot.

[01:10:36] Does it hurt?

[01:10:37] Not if you use it right, but there was

[01:10:40] a bit of an adjustment period.

[01:10:43] Okay, that's good, I guess.

[01:10:45] So what do you do with the blood once

[01:10:47] it's, uh, collected?

[01:10:49] Just flush it?

[01:10:51] Isn't it messy?

[01:10:53] I could tell she was getting a kick

[01:10:54] out of this, but she put me on hold

[01:10:55] for a second as she double-checked that

[01:10:57] Nat was doing okay.

[01:10:58] She was, and emerged from the bathroom

[01:11:01] looking a little embarrassed.

[01:11:03] I gave her as sympathetic of a look as

[01:11:04] I could, and Amanda and I stood up as

[01:11:06] she curled into the bed that we were

[01:11:07] seated on.

[01:11:09] She took the box from my hands and

[01:11:11] pulled me toward the bathroom.

[01:11:13] It's no messier than anything else

[01:11:15] once you get the hang of it.

[01:11:16] And no, you don't just flush the

[01:11:18] blood.

[01:11:19] That would be a terrible waste.

[01:11:21] It's chock full of useful nutrients.

[01:11:24] I was a little taken aback by this.

[01:11:27] Useful?

[01:11:28] For what?

[01:11:30] Keep your voice down.

[01:11:31] It's great for fertilizing plants.

[01:11:33] I use it in all of the flower pots

[01:11:35] around the house.

[01:11:36] It's what really brought that ficus

[01:11:38] your mom got us for Christmas back

[01:11:39] to life, at least in my opinion.

[01:11:42] Wait a minute.

[01:11:43] You just go around the house,

[01:11:45] pouring your, you know,

[01:11:47] into the plants?

[01:11:48] You don't find that just a tiny bit

[01:11:50] odd?

[01:11:51] Not at all.

[01:11:52] It's completely natural.

[01:11:53] I use it in the garden, too.

[01:11:55] I didn't hear you complaining about

[01:11:56] the tomatoes last night.

[01:11:58] In fact, I seem to recall you saying

[01:11:59] something like,

[01:12:00] you'd never eat a store-bought tomato

[01:12:02] again.

[01:12:03] Remember?

[01:12:05] I was completely floored.

[01:12:07] Wait a minute.

[01:12:09] You mean to tell me

[01:12:10] that you've been feeding me food

[01:12:13] that was grown with your period?

[01:12:16] Nat squirmed in the bed,

[01:12:17] so we knew she was listening to us,

[01:12:19] but she was turned away.

[01:12:20] That was probably best.

[01:12:22] I said to keep your voice down.

[01:12:24] And yes,

[01:12:25] what's the big deal?

[01:12:27] It's all natural,

[01:12:28] and the garden has never been healthier.

[01:12:29] You've said it yourself.

[01:12:31] Oh no,

[01:12:32] it's completely natural,

[01:12:34] I said as I rolled my eyes.

[01:12:35] I just wasn't aware that when I was

[01:12:37] eating my salad last night,

[01:12:38] I was also getting my red wings.

[01:12:41] I never saw it coming,

[01:12:43] but when those last two words

[01:12:45] exited my lips,

[01:12:46] it sent a message to Amanda's right leg

[01:12:48] to strike out with vengeance.

[01:12:50] Her knee planted itself

[01:12:51] right into my nethers,

[01:12:53] dropping me to the floor.

[01:12:54] As I gasped for air,

[01:12:56] she took the box

[01:12:57] and disappeared into the bathroom.

[01:13:00] I sat there for a few minutes,

[01:13:02] trying to focus on anything

[01:13:03] but the pain shooting through my groin,

[01:13:05] and was eventually able

[01:13:06] to make it back to my feet.

[01:13:08] I pretended not to see Nat smirking at me

[01:13:10] as I grabbed the ice bucket

[01:13:11] and one of the key cards

[01:13:12] before exiting the room.

[01:13:15] When I came back with the ice,

[01:13:17] all the lights in the room

[01:13:18] had been turned off,

[01:13:18] and the TV was left on the guide channel,

[01:13:21] the remote on my pillow.

[01:13:23] My wife and daughter were sharing a bed,

[01:13:25] both with their backs to me.

[01:13:27] I looked at the remote,

[01:13:29] looked at them,

[01:13:30] and decided that silence

[01:13:31] was probably my best option.

[01:13:33] I got into bed,

[01:13:35] trying to be as quiet as possible,

[01:13:36] and tied off the bag of ice

[01:13:38] before applying it to my injury.

[01:13:40] As I drifted off to sleep,

[01:13:42] I couldn't help but reflect

[01:13:43] on the poor start

[01:13:44] of this impromptu weekend getaway.

[01:13:46] Without question,

[01:13:47] this was the worst possible outcome,

[01:13:50] the three of us lying here,

[01:13:52] silently nursing our genitals.

[01:13:56] This is a total Matt story.

[01:14:02] I am completely...

[01:14:04] So I thought we were going down

[01:14:06] like maybe vampire territory

[01:14:08] at some point.

[01:14:09] Like maybe I missed a clue.

[01:14:11] You know what I mean?

[01:14:12] Sure.

[01:14:12] Because you start talking about

[01:14:13] nutrients and stuff.

[01:14:15] But you just,

[01:14:16] you played it straight,

[01:14:17] and I'm like,

[01:14:18] I don't know what to think.

[01:14:21] Like where,

[01:14:23] where in the world

[01:14:24] did this idea come from?

[01:14:26] At some point,

[01:14:28] after reading the prompt

[01:14:30] for the first time,

[01:14:31] I was like,

[01:14:34] okay, hold on.

[01:14:36] Without question,

[01:14:37] it was the worst possible outcome.

[01:14:38] And for some reason,

[01:14:40] I had this vision

[01:14:41] of like this family,

[01:14:43] just like all with genital injuries.

[01:14:46] I just needed to figure out

[01:14:47] how to make it happen.

[01:14:49] And then I remembered

[01:14:51] reading about this

[01:14:52] menstrual cup thing,

[01:14:53] and I was like,

[01:14:54] well that's...

[01:14:54] Is that a real thing?

[01:14:55] It's a real thing.

[01:14:57] I was going to ask you about that.

[01:14:59] And the plant thing

[01:14:59] is a real thing.

[01:15:01] No,

[01:15:01] and you made that up.

[01:15:02] I did not.

[01:15:03] It is a real thing.

[01:15:04] Wow.

[01:15:05] Yes,

[01:15:05] there are...

[01:15:06] I know that,

[01:15:07] I know that there's like

[01:15:08] bodybuilders who

[01:15:10] buy breast milk

[01:15:11] on Craigslist

[01:15:13] because of the,

[01:15:15] it's a,

[01:15:15] this nutritional content,

[01:15:17] it's supposed to be like

[01:15:18] really good for bodybuilding

[01:15:20] or something.

[01:15:20] You know...

[01:15:21] And that's pretty weird.

[01:15:22] But like this,

[01:15:23] this takes the cake, man.

[01:15:24] I'm not here to judge people.

[01:15:26] Like if you don't,

[01:15:27] if you,

[01:15:28] I mean,

[01:15:28] I'm sure it's great fertilizer,

[01:15:31] but if I walked into my house

[01:15:33] and my wife was walking through

[01:15:36] balancing this fucking

[01:15:38] little silicone cup

[01:15:39] of blood

[01:15:40] and then like delicately

[01:15:41] pouring it into the base

[01:15:43] of a plant,

[01:15:43] I would lose my shit

[01:15:45] completely,

[01:15:46] I think.

[01:15:47] I'd be like,

[01:15:48] what the hell is going on?

[01:15:50] here's,

[01:15:51] here's what's disturbing.

[01:15:52] It's not that

[01:15:53] somebody,

[01:15:55] it's not that we know,

[01:15:57] purportedly know this

[01:15:58] to be a fact

[01:15:58] that it's,

[01:15:59] it's good for plants.

[01:16:00] Oh, I'll get you a link.

[01:16:00] But that somebody discovered it.

[01:16:01] That somebody discovered it

[01:16:03] and found this out

[01:16:04] is really the more

[01:16:05] disturbing fact.

[01:16:06] Here,

[01:16:07] hold on.

[01:16:07] Because what,

[01:16:08] what,

[01:16:09] what,

[01:16:09] what prompted someone

[01:16:10] to even try that?

[01:16:11] So I literally just have to

[01:16:13] Google menstrual cup plants

[01:16:15] and then,

[01:16:21] hold on.

[01:16:23] Oh man.

[01:16:25] Hold on.

[01:16:25] There were three.

[01:16:27] Yes.

[01:16:27] Blood contains three primary

[01:16:29] plant macronutrients,

[01:16:31] nitrogen,

[01:16:32] phosphorus,

[01:16:33] and potassium.

[01:16:34] So if you're a gardener

[01:16:35] and menstrual cup enthusiast,

[01:16:37] you may want to try

[01:16:38] to use your next cycle

[01:16:40] to help your plant.

[01:16:41] It's a real thing.

[01:16:44] I just,

[01:16:45] like,

[01:16:45] I,

[01:16:46] well,

[01:16:46] I guess,

[01:16:47] I guess I learned something today.

[01:16:48] I applaud people

[01:16:49] that,

[01:16:49] that,

[01:16:50] that,

[01:16:50] like,

[01:16:50] don't want to hurt the environment

[01:16:51] by putting a bunch of,

[01:16:52] like,

[01:16:53] fucking cotton or whatever

[01:16:54] out there.

[01:16:54] But,

[01:16:55] like,

[01:16:55] I was really taken aback

[01:16:57] by the whole plant thing.

[01:17:00] Okay,

[01:17:00] so my next question is,

[01:17:02] where,

[01:17:02] where did you yourself,

[01:17:04] become apprised of this information?

[01:17:06] So,

[01:17:06] I believe that I heard about it

[01:17:08] on a podcast

[01:17:10] a long time ago

[01:17:11] because

[01:17:12] I had to go back

[01:17:13] and revisit

[01:17:14] to make sure

[01:17:14] that I didn't use

[01:17:15] menstrual cup

[01:17:16] in any story

[01:17:16] prior to this,

[01:17:17] but I'm pretty sure

[01:17:18] I've written about

[01:17:18] a menstrual cup before.

[01:17:20] And so I think it might have,

[01:17:21] I think it might have been

[01:17:22] for school.

[01:17:24] But I came across it,

[01:17:25] I,

[01:17:25] it was probably

[01:17:26] one of Kevin Smith's podcasts,

[01:17:28] I'm not gonna,

[01:17:28] I'm not gonna lie.

[01:17:30] I could probably figure it out,

[01:17:31] but,

[01:17:31] like,

[01:17:31] my wife read the story

[01:17:32] and she was like,

[01:17:33] you heard about this

[01:17:34] like a long time ago

[01:17:35] and I was like,

[01:17:35] yes,

[01:17:36] and I pushed it down

[01:17:38] because I didn't really,

[01:17:39] like,

[01:17:39] I mean,

[01:17:40] this isn't something

[01:17:40] that comes into

[01:17:41] everyday conversation.

[01:17:44] And,

[01:17:45] so I had the,

[01:17:46] I was like,

[01:17:47] okay,

[01:17:47] so if I get the daughter

[01:17:48] on the period,

[01:17:50] that's one genital,

[01:17:52] like,

[01:17:52] one case of,

[01:17:54] like,

[01:17:54] unhappy genitals.

[01:17:55] And then I could have

[01:17:56] the husband get kicked

[01:17:57] in the nuts

[01:17:58] and that's two cases,

[01:17:58] so I just gotta,

[01:17:59] like,

[01:17:59] figure out what's going

[01:18:00] on with the wife.

[01:18:01] And I was like,

[01:18:02] well,

[01:18:02] that's easy enough,

[01:18:03] she could be on her period too.

[01:18:04] But then I was like,

[01:18:05] well,

[01:18:06] that seems like a little

[01:18:06] too easy

[01:18:07] and I need to,

[01:18:08] like,

[01:18:09] do something different here.

[01:18:10] And then I remembered

[01:18:10] the menstrual cup

[01:18:11] and I was like,

[01:18:11] well,

[01:18:12] here we go.

[01:18:13] That's easy.

[01:18:15] I'm really,

[01:18:16] really proud

[01:18:18] of the,

[01:18:19] I just wasn't aware

[01:18:20] that when I was eating

[01:18:21] my salad last night,

[01:18:22] I was also getting

[01:18:23] my Red Wings.

[01:18:25] I'm really proud of that.

[01:18:26] Oh,

[01:18:26] that,

[01:18:27] that's a,

[01:18:28] that's a total Matt line

[01:18:29] and I,

[01:18:30] I am,

[01:18:30] uh,

[01:18:31] trying to picture

[01:18:32] your wife's face

[01:18:32] as she was reading,

[01:18:33] reading this.

[01:18:35] I'm trying to picture

[01:18:36] the eye roll.

[01:18:37] I don't think there was

[01:18:38] an eye roll

[01:18:38] because I think she's used

[01:18:39] to me,

[01:18:40] but like,

[01:18:40] I will 100%,

[01:18:41] 100% say

[01:18:42] that once I had this idea,

[01:18:44] I wrote

[01:18:45] with the sole intention

[01:18:47] of getting you to go,

[01:18:51] to take,

[01:18:54] or like an,

[01:18:55] oh my,

[01:18:56] or something.

[01:18:56] Like,

[01:18:56] this story was written

[01:18:59] 100%

[01:19:00] to get your reaction

[01:19:02] and it was perfect.

[01:19:06] That's,

[01:19:06] that's,

[01:19:06] uh,

[01:19:07] that,

[01:19:07] that's fun

[01:19:08] that,

[01:19:08] that,

[01:19:08] it's,

[01:19:09] uh,

[01:19:10] you're just,

[01:19:11] you're just trying

[01:19:11] to get a rise out of me.

[01:19:12] It's one of my favorite

[01:19:13] things to do

[01:19:14] with this podcast

[01:19:15] is just be like,

[01:19:16] that's,

[01:19:17] it really was because,

[01:19:18] like,

[01:19:19] she was like,

[01:19:21] my wife was like,

[01:19:23] well,

[01:19:23] he's like,

[01:19:24] it's not going to be

[01:19:25] the menstrual cup part of it,

[01:19:26] it's going to be the plant

[01:19:27] part of it that gets him,

[01:19:28] I think.

[01:19:30] Well,

[01:19:31] I,

[01:19:31] I mean,

[01:19:31] I did have

[01:19:33] questions about

[01:19:35] the cup thing

[01:19:36] because like,

[01:19:36] I didn't know if that was some,

[01:19:38] I,

[01:19:38] it sounded real enough.

[01:19:39] So I was just going to go with it,

[01:19:40] that it must've been real.

[01:19:41] But like,

[01:19:42] when you got to the plant,

[01:19:43] I was like,

[01:19:44] you've totally entered

[01:19:46] Matt,

[01:19:47] Matt world.

[01:19:48] And this is not real anymore.

[01:19:49] Yep.

[01:19:50] No,

[01:19:50] it is 100% real.

[01:19:52] But,

[01:19:52] um,

[01:19:55] I'll send you a link.

[01:19:56] I don't know if I'm going to put it

[01:19:57] in the show notes,

[01:19:58] but I'll send you a link.

[01:19:59] With,

[01:19:59] with the,

[01:20:00] the diagram.

[01:20:01] Oh,

[01:20:02] joy.

[01:20:03] But yeah,

[01:20:04] it's just,

[01:20:05] just what I need to understand.

[01:20:07] It's fucking crazy.

[01:20:09] Like,

[01:20:10] like,

[01:20:11] I don't know.

[01:20:11] Like,

[01:20:13] apparently,

[01:20:14] apparently this really isn't much messier

[01:20:17] than anything else,

[01:20:18] but like,

[01:20:18] I'm looking at it and I just,

[01:20:20] I can't believe it.

[01:20:22] But then again,

[01:20:24] I'm,

[01:20:24] I'm just a stupid man.

[01:20:25] It's fine.

[01:20:26] I don't care.

[01:20:27] Ladies,

[01:20:28] if,

[01:20:29] if you're looking for an alternative

[01:20:30] to pads and tampons,

[01:20:32] give this menstrual cup thing.

[01:20:34] I used the,

[01:20:35] um,

[01:20:37] I used the Duchess

[01:20:38] brand as my,

[01:20:40] um,

[01:20:41] as my model.

[01:20:42] Good,

[01:20:43] good to know.

[01:20:43] And actually,

[01:20:45] it's way cheaper than $34.99.

[01:20:47] I did kind of elaborate because

[01:20:49] I think I did see something for $34.99,

[01:20:51] but I'm looking at the Duchess,

[01:20:52] uh,

[01:20:53] brand on Amazon right now.

[01:20:54] Um,

[01:20:55] and it's $11.99 for two.

[01:20:56] So they actually are quite affordable.

[01:20:58] Bonus.

[01:21:00] Yeah.

[01:21:00] So,

[01:21:01] that's it.

[01:21:02] I got,

[01:21:02] who knew that this is what you were in for tonight or whenever you're listening to this.

[01:21:07] Yeah.

[01:21:07] Hopefully this isn't like a first thing in the morning.

[01:21:09] Listen for you guys on your way into work.

[01:21:13] Might ruin a day,

[01:21:14] but yeah.

[01:21:16] Um,

[01:21:16] but that's it.

[01:21:17] That's all I got.

[01:21:18] And like,

[01:21:18] I mean,

[01:21:19] like I was really just writing to be ridiculous.

[01:21:21] So,

[01:21:21] well,

[01:21:22] you know what?

[01:21:22] So you said you had written it,

[01:21:24] um,

[01:21:24] you know,

[01:21:25] in one sitting.

[01:21:26] And I was going to say that like,

[01:21:28] it did flow in a really,

[01:21:31] really,

[01:21:32] I don't know.

[01:21:32] It was just very,

[01:21:33] it had a very conversational kind of feel to it,

[01:21:36] but it,

[01:21:36] everything felt like really authentic.

[01:21:39] You know,

[01:21:39] your characters seemed,

[01:21:42] you know,

[01:21:42] nothing felt forced or anything like that,

[01:21:44] which.

[01:21:44] So I,

[01:21:45] I actually,

[01:21:46] I was,

[01:21:46] I was talking to my wife about this and I,

[01:21:48] I do use her as an example for like a lot of my female characters.

[01:21:54] And like,

[01:21:54] there's just like little mannerisms that I pull from real life to try to,

[01:21:59] to try to give it that kind of,

[01:22:00] um,

[01:22:01] you know,

[01:22:02] authenticity.

[01:22:03] Like she,

[01:22:04] I mean,

[01:22:04] it goes back to the right,

[01:22:06] right.

[01:22:06] What,

[01:22:06] you know,

[01:22:07] kind of aphorism.

[01:22:08] It's just like,

[01:22:08] she does that with the hotels.

[01:22:10] Like she books,

[01:22:10] the hotels will pull up and she's out the door.

[01:22:13] Like,

[01:22:13] boom.

[01:22:13] Like I'm going to check into the hotel.

[01:22:16] So,

[01:22:16] so it was those little details that like,

[01:22:19] you know,

[01:22:21] it's,

[01:22:21] it's not even like important stuff.

[01:22:23] You know what I mean?

[01:22:23] No,

[01:22:24] it's just,

[01:22:24] it's just like,

[01:22:25] it's little nuance that like,

[01:22:27] like make you feel like that's a real person.

[01:22:30] You know what I mean?

[01:22:32] And that,

[01:22:32] that kind of stuff works well versus just having like a,

[01:22:35] uh,

[01:22:35] more of a two dimensional archetype kind of a character.

[01:22:38] Right.

[01:22:39] And then like,

[01:22:39] I figured when like the daughter was coming out of the bathroom,

[01:22:42] like it would be,

[01:22:43] it felt so teenager to me.

[01:22:45] Like,

[01:22:45] let's not go lay on the empty bed.

[01:22:47] Let's go lay on the bed that,

[01:22:49] that your parents are sitting on.

[01:22:50] So they have to get up.

[01:22:51] It just seems like something that would happen to me.

[01:22:54] You know what I mean?

[01:22:54] Right.

[01:22:55] So yeah,

[01:22:56] I tried to,

[01:22:56] I,

[01:22:57] that's all,

[01:22:57] I'm always trying to go for,

[01:22:58] you know,

[01:22:59] a more,

[01:23:08] it was a very authentic little slice of life thing for sure.

[01:23:12] I got to put the link for the Duchess menstrual cup.

[01:23:15] The Duchess.

[01:23:18] In the,

[01:23:20] oh man,

[01:23:20] that's freaking crazy.

[01:23:22] Good stuff.

[01:23:24] So everybody,

[01:23:25] you can go to the show notes if you want to see what a Dutch,

[01:23:28] Dutchess menstrual cup and ladies,

[01:23:29] I mean,

[01:23:30] like,

[01:23:31] I don't know.

[01:23:31] Good luck.

[01:23:32] I mean,

[01:23:33] I mean,

[01:23:34] honestly,

[01:23:34] it seems like a really smart idea.

[01:23:36] Like there's a lot of waste that goes along with that.

[01:23:39] So,

[01:23:39] I mean,

[01:23:39] if you could just collect it and even if you're just dumping and flushing,

[01:23:43] give it a quick rinse and there's,

[01:23:44] you know,

[01:23:45] you're not filling up a landfill.

[01:23:46] A quick rinse.

[01:23:47] That's all you're going to give it?

[01:23:48] I mean,

[01:23:49] I don't know if it's just going to go back up there and get dirty.

[01:23:51] I think you just,

[01:23:52] well,

[01:23:52] I mean,

[01:23:52] there's two.

[01:23:53] So maybe you like grab a fresh one and like wash the other one out,

[01:23:56] let it dry.

[01:23:57] But then again,

[01:23:57] it's just like,

[01:23:58] it's not something you want to leave sitting on your bathroom counter.

[01:24:03] Well,

[01:24:03] no,

[01:24:03] that's what I'm going to say.

[01:24:04] I'm saying I would think unless they make like a,

[01:24:05] you would maybe want to,

[01:24:06] you know what,

[01:24:07] maybe do some,

[01:24:08] some level of cleaning there.

[01:24:10] I don't know.

[01:24:11] Maybe there's a market here.

[01:24:12] I have a friend who I'm not going to name because like,

[01:24:14] I don't want to call him out right now,

[01:24:15] but like he does a lot of 3d printing and stuff.

[01:24:18] And I bet you,

[01:24:19] we can come up with some sort of like drying rack for menstrual cups that we

[01:24:23] could sell on Etsy and shit.

[01:24:25] Stop it.

[01:24:26] Just say it.

[01:24:26] Like there's,

[01:24:27] there's probably a market for this.

[01:24:30] That's your shark tank idea,

[01:24:32] but can you imagine?

[01:24:33] I don't know if you'd get cleared to be on the show.

[01:24:35] No,

[01:24:36] I don't think anybody wants to see,

[01:24:38] like,

[01:24:38] I don't think,

[01:24:39] I don't think a man has any business like marketing,

[01:24:43] like,

[01:24:44] like menstruation,

[01:24:46] like,

[01:24:46] like products.

[01:24:47] Honestly,

[01:24:47] I think it was a man who invented the tampon.

[01:24:50] Really?

[01:24:51] I think so.

[01:24:52] I could be wrong,

[01:24:53] but I,

[01:24:54] I fucking Google on that right now.

[01:24:55] Like we're,

[01:24:57] we're,

[01:24:57] we're going a little long here,

[01:24:58] but I need to know who invented the tampon.

[01:25:04] Dr.

[01:25:04] Earl Haas.

[01:25:06] Yeah.

[01:25:07] 1931.

[01:25:08] His design included a paperboard applicator,

[01:25:10] cotton fibers,

[01:25:11] and cords for easy removal.

[01:25:13] Like this dude was a thinker.

[01:25:15] That's crazy.

[01:25:16] I totally would have thought.

[01:25:17] So much knowledge,

[01:25:19] so much knowledge tonight.

[01:25:20] I don't know.

[01:25:21] I don't,

[01:25:22] I don't really trust male lady doctors.

[01:25:28] Like if I was a woman,

[01:25:29] I would definitely not go to a male gynecologist.

[01:25:31] Like I want somebody that would like have a little empathy,

[01:25:34] like know what I was going through and shit.

[01:25:36] You know what I mean?

[01:25:37] Yeah.

[01:25:37] I,

[01:25:38] I,

[01:25:38] yeah.

[01:25:38] I mean,

[01:25:38] it makes sense.

[01:25:39] And then like in today's day and age,

[01:25:40] like how could you even ensure that the guy's just not a fucking creep?

[01:25:45] You know what I mean?

[01:25:45] I mean,

[01:25:46] I guess you can,

[01:25:47] right?

[01:25:47] Yeah.

[01:25:47] So like I would,

[01:25:48] yeah,

[01:25:48] if I was a woman,

[01:25:49] I would just go to a female doctor,

[01:25:50] but it's crazy to me that like this dude,

[01:25:54] he was a,

[01:25:55] an osteopathic physician.

[01:25:57] What's osteopathic mean?

[01:25:58] Do you know what that means?

[01:26:00] Um,

[01:26:01] I think it has to do with bones,

[01:26:02] doesn't it?

[01:26:05] Emphasizes physical manipulation of the body's muscle tissue and bones.

[01:26:10] So I think he was just sitting there one day and he was like,

[01:26:12] you know,

[01:26:14] instead of just putting something on the outside,

[01:26:15] what if we just shove something up in there?

[01:26:18] Weird.

[01:26:18] I'm sure it was a more sophisticated.

[01:26:20] Well,

[01:26:20] I mean,

[01:26:21] but that's pretty much how it starts,

[01:26:22] right?

[01:26:24] Like,

[01:26:24] I don't know.

[01:26:25] That's crazy.

[01:26:26] I think we need to move on.

[01:26:27] Like,

[01:26:28] I think it's,

[01:26:28] yes,

[01:26:29] we need it.

[01:26:30] We need to go off the rails.

[01:26:32] All right.

[01:26:33] So,

[01:26:33] uh,

[01:26:33] before we leave,

[01:26:35] uh,

[01:26:35] what are you reading?

[01:26:45] I can't on this,

[01:26:46] um,

[01:26:46] the dirty tricks department by John Lyle.

[01:26:49] I'm like a couple of pages away from finishing it.

[01:26:52] So what is that?

[01:26:52] Is that like,

[01:26:53] uh,

[01:26:53] is that fiction?

[01:26:54] No,

[01:26:55] no.

[01:26:55] It's a book about,

[01:26:56] um,

[01:26:57] during world war two,

[01:27:00] um,

[01:27:00] um,

[01:27:01] like the idea of having,

[01:27:03] uh,

[01:27:03] like an intelligence,

[01:27:05] um,

[01:27:06] department or group or what have you didn't really exist.

[01:27:10] It sort of came to being around world war two and the,

[01:27:14] you know,

[01:27:14] basically what was the precursor to the CIA was the OSS,

[01:27:18] which is the office.

[01:27:19] I think the office of strategic services,

[01:27:21] but they had all these different branches and,

[01:27:23] and subdivisions and,

[01:27:24] and whatnot.

[01:27:25] And the one guy that headed them up,

[01:27:28] um,

[01:27:28] was like a,

[01:27:29] a general,

[01:27:31] real,

[01:27:32] uh,

[01:27:34] you know,

[01:27:35] sort of like a straight,

[01:27:36] like straight laced by the books guy in some sense,

[01:27:38] but thought that he needed to bring in somebody who was going to be,

[01:27:45] um,

[01:27:45] like a professor Moriarty kind of character that would,

[01:27:49] you know,

[01:27:50] envision sort of like how to,

[01:27:52] how to do the dirty work to try to,

[01:27:54] to beat the enemy,

[01:27:55] you know,

[01:27:55] kind of like not play by the rules,

[01:27:59] so to speak.

[01:27:59] Like,

[01:28:00] and so this guy,

[01:28:01] uh,

[01:28:02] Stanley level,

[01:28:02] I think his name was,

[01:28:03] is who the book is sort of about.

[01:28:04] And he kind of goes through all like,

[01:28:07] you know,

[01:28:07] so all the different,

[01:28:08] like all the gadgets they created,

[01:28:10] like,

[01:28:11] and,

[01:28:11] you know,

[01:28:11] some of them worked and some of them didn't all the different sabotage

[01:28:14] missions.

[01:28:15] Um,

[01:28:16] you know,

[01:28:16] all,

[01:28:17] all these different things that went into like,

[01:28:20] sort of like the spy craft and,

[01:28:22] um,

[01:28:23] sabotage and all this sort of stuff that they were trying to like take out,

[01:28:27] you know,

[01:28:28] the,

[01:28:28] the Nazis ability to continue their war machine sort of thing.

[01:28:31] So it,

[01:28:31] it was an interesting read.

[01:28:33] Um,

[01:28:34] it was,

[01:28:34] it wasn't a,

[01:28:35] it's not a very long book.

[01:28:37] Um,

[01:28:37] but I,

[01:28:38] I was reading it partially out of interest,

[01:28:41] but partially for research purposes.

[01:28:43] Cause I,

[01:28:44] I wanted the next book I want to do.

[01:28:46] I want it to sort of be a period piece,

[01:28:48] uh,

[01:28:48] like spy thing.

[01:28:49] And so sort of coming out of world war two,

[01:28:53] you know,

[01:28:54] what,

[01:28:54] what,

[01:28:54] what,

[01:28:55] what does that look like?

[01:28:55] Sort of a thing.

[01:28:56] Gotcha.

[01:28:57] You've been on kind of a nonfiction kick,

[01:28:59] huh?

[01:29:00] Uh,

[01:29:00] I feel like there's been a couple before this,

[01:29:03] wasn't it a biography of,

[01:29:05] uh,

[01:29:05] Ian Fleming before that?

[01:29:06] Oh yeah.

[01:29:07] I read the Ian Fleming biography.

[01:29:08] Yeah,

[01:29:08] that's right.

[01:29:09] But I,

[01:29:10] yeah,

[01:29:10] I'm switching.

[01:29:11] I did see that you have station 11 coming up.

[01:29:15] Yeah.

[01:29:15] You always,

[01:29:15] uh,

[01:29:16] recommended that book.

[01:29:17] I love Emily St.

[01:29:20] John Mendel.

[01:29:20] I,

[01:29:21] she is probably my favorite modern author.

[01:29:25] Um,

[01:29:26] Oh wow.

[01:29:26] She was born in 79.

[01:29:28] So she's like our age.

[01:29:30] I read her book,

[01:29:31] uh,

[01:29:31] last night in Montreal in,

[01:29:33] in school.

[01:29:34] And,

[01:29:35] um,

[01:29:36] there's,

[01:29:36] it looks like I'm just looking at her,

[01:29:38] um,

[01:29:39] everything that she's got going on here.

[01:29:41] And it looks like I haven't read the couple of books.

[01:29:44] It looks like I've missed a couple,

[01:29:47] but,

[01:29:47] um,

[01:29:48] last night in Montreal was fantastic.

[01:29:49] Station 11 is amazing.

[01:29:51] Um,

[01:29:51] and then I've also read glass hotel and sea of tranquility.

[01:29:56] Um,

[01:29:56] I absolutely love her work and I think you're going to like it.

[01:29:59] Like,

[01:30:00] so I can't wait to,

[01:30:01] to get your reaction because like truly probably like one of my favorite authors

[01:30:06] right now.

[01:30:07] Yeah.

[01:30:07] I'll probably start it.

[01:30:08] Um,

[01:30:09] I would think maybe by this weekend,

[01:30:11] I,

[01:30:12] I was,

[01:30:12] I thought I was going to have the other book finished today,

[01:30:13] but I,

[01:30:14] I just,

[01:30:15] today ended up being busier than I thought.

[01:30:17] So I didn't get to it.

[01:30:18] Yeah.

[01:30:19] So I am still,

[01:30:21] like I said,

[01:30:21] I think I mentioned it earlier.

[01:30:22] I'm still reading you like a darker by Stephen King,

[01:30:25] but like,

[01:30:26] I literally let the book sit there for most of the month.

[01:30:29] And,

[01:30:29] um,

[01:30:30] I picked it up a couple of days ago and I was like halfway through the first

[01:30:33] story.

[01:30:33] And like the first short story is only like,

[01:30:34] it's like 60 pages long.

[01:30:36] And I was like maybe 20 in,

[01:30:38] but like,

[01:30:39] I just went back and started it from the beginning again because it had been

[01:30:42] so long since I started reading it.

[01:30:43] And I think like,

[01:30:44] I'm a few pages away from finishing that,

[01:30:46] that first story.

[01:30:47] So like,

[01:30:48] I'm like in the past few days I've picked up reading again,

[01:30:51] but for the majority of this month,

[01:30:53] I just didn't read a thing.

[01:30:55] So that's where I'm at.

[01:30:56] Hopefully next month,

[01:30:57] uh,

[01:30:57] I'll be reading something new.

[01:30:59] Got it.

[01:31:00] All right.

[01:31:01] Well,

[01:31:02] as always,

[01:31:03] we want to know what you want us to write about.

[01:31:05] To do so,

[01:31:06] you're going to want to join our Facebook group.

[01:31:07] That's at facebook.com slash group slash P written pod.

[01:31:10] Uh,

[01:31:11] we're on Twitter at P written pod,

[01:31:12] but I don't use it all that often.

[01:31:14] So like your best,

[01:31:15] your best shot to get ahold of us is to either go to the Facebook group or you

[01:31:18] can just email us directly at promptly written pod at gmail.com.

[01:31:22] Um,

[01:31:23] Ian,

[01:31:23] where's the best place for people to find out more about your work?

[01:31:26] Ian Lewis fiction.com.

[01:31:28] And if you want to get in touch with me,

[01:31:29] I'm at match a Garrick on Twitter.

[01:31:31] Um,

[01:31:32] also using,

[01:31:32] not using it that much,

[01:31:33] but I'm,

[01:31:33] I'm at match a Garrick on Instagram and threads.

[01:31:37] So you could go there or,

[01:31:38] um,

[01:31:38] match a Garrick.com has like the list of everything.

[01:31:41] Uh,

[01:31:42] just a reminder that volumes one through five of promptly written are available on

[01:31:45] Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format.

[01:31:47] And if you're a Kindle unlimited subscriber,

[01:31:50] they're all included in your subscription.

[01:31:51] Uh,

[01:31:52] we were just talking like a little bit before this episode started.

[01:31:55] We have like one or two episodes left before the,

[01:31:58] the cutoff of the next volume.

[01:31:59] And because of that,

[01:32:00] that weird,

[01:32:01] uh,

[01:32:02] break that we took this year,

[01:32:03] um,

[01:32:03] you're getting two books in relatively close proximity.

[01:32:06] So that's exciting for you guys,

[01:32:07] right?

[01:32:09] Um,

[01:32:10] our next episode is going to be episode 73.

[01:32:13] It's going to drop on September 2nd.

[01:32:15] The prompt will be,

[01:32:16] I knew she had a dark secret,

[01:32:18] but I had no idea.

[01:32:20] And you know what?

[01:32:20] This is submitted by Ryan Kray.

[01:32:22] So I'm going to try to do that again in like a really good radio voice.

[01:32:25] The prompt will be,

[01:32:27] I knew she had a dark secret,

[01:32:29] but I had no idea.

[01:32:31] And that was submitted by Ryan Kray.

[01:32:33] If you like what you hear,

[01:32:35] please leave a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.

[01:32:38] So we can help get the word out.

[01:32:39] That's it for today.

[01:32:41] See you next month.

[01:32:42] Later.