middle pokemon stage

We ask the important question fo 2024, “When did polos become cool?” Collin likes encyclopedias. Brandon doesn’t like NBC. 

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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE

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SUMMARY KEYWORDS

people, encyclopedia britannica, big, talking, wear, polo, polos, book, good, thought, encyclopedia, chapter, sport, ai, al michaels, weird, nbc, context, voice, shirt

SPEAKERS

Collin, Brandon

Collin  00:05

Welcome to Oh, brother, a podcast where we're trying to figure it all out with your hosts, Brandon and Cole. On this week's show, the middle Pokeyman stage. Oh, hi.

Brandon  00:19

Oh, boy. Oh, going pretty good.

Collin  00:25

Oh, good. All right. I

Brandon  00:27

just remembered I was like in a frantic rush. I was like, Oh, my tea. Oh, no, I can't. Traditions right. You have to have some tea while you record the over other podcasts a very important

Collin  00:37

part of areas. Yes. Yes. Yes. It is very important. Indeed. A guy may concur. Okay, good. I'm glad. Glad you have done that. That sounds you're ready to go?

Brandon  00:54

Yes. Yes. Haha. Important. So how have you been?

Collin  01:01

Oh, boy, I am sitting here in and I'm sitting here in athletic Polo. So we are off to the races already. Man feel I'm doing

Brandon  01:13

this via branded athletic Polo. But you know

Collin  01:16

what? This This one is not. Oh, we are we are in the middle of doing a not necessarily a rebrand but we are redoing our our shirts are trying to just the test shirt. No, this is this is actually just one that I got for a birthday. So oh, hey, better? Yes. So there's that. But, um, anyway, so that is it. So I'm sitting here, I'm staying cool. It's wicking. There's lots of wicking going on here. Man, and that's, that's about it these days, you know, I'm going through some fun stuff. I'm updating I just in case you really want to know, I just, I was just checking our Creative Commons license and realized I was using version 3.0. And they're at 4.00. My goodness. So I was going through and at the bottom of all of our websites by changing the Creative Commons reserved, use permits License Agreement

Brandon  02:25

out here. Find exciting times.

Collin  02:30

Then. And then I realized, oh, I don't have I have oh, my gosh. I don't have a have a privacy statements privacy privacy policy on our one page. But I don't have a privacy policy on another page. So I've got to go and write privacy policy for the services. Just a lot. So it's great, great fun.

Brandon  03:02

Great fun. Sounds of wonderful.

Collin  03:06

Yeah. Everybody wants to know how we're using the cookies. So it's true.

Brandon  03:11

Yeah, reach out to you. Thanks. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So I have a question. Right. And I just thought of this, cuz I have gone on this journey in my life. So I want your thoughts here. Oh, ah, what? What age? Does the Polo go from being lame to the greatest thing ever? Right? Because when I was a youth, right, rebellious, high school youth, right. Polo shirts. Were like, lame. They weren't cool. Like the preppy kids wore them and like, in the I'm aware internet that the word preppy has undergone a bit of a weird journey in 2000. It did not mean the same thing as me. No. And I think that's really,

Collin  04:07

it's really important.

Brandon  04:11

That we get 2020 for preppy means like bright colors like fun. No, no. In 2000, right. Preppy comes from like prepper Preparatory Academy, where like academia where right, so like, sweater over Oxford shirts. khakis, right. Polo shirts. Were a part of this, right? Yeah. And then there was that weird briefing where people were like, multiple polos at the same time. For some reason. I never understood that. Like, but you know, like, it was a thing, right? So kind of in that era, weren't really cool. Like, at least from where I was sitting in my like, maturational journey, like are Hollister and Abercrombie. be worth things to be avoided. At all costs, right? polos were dumb. My grandmother tried to get me to buy polos. And I was like, No, that's lame. And then, right, fast forward, I don't know, 10 plus years. And I'm just like, working in an environment where like business casual is a thing, right? In a school setting, right? And like, oh, bro polos are great, because it's just a t shirt. With a collar. I, there's a switch that goes off in your brain. It's like, huh, yo, I just, it's just a teacher. Caller if

Collin  05:42

this were just a t shirt, this should be totally unacceptable. And I, but because it's not. Oh, yeah, I am totally fine. Yeah, it's

Brandon  05:53

it like,

Collin  05:54

it spans like the business, I think because it is like, the quintessential business casual of like, polo and slacks and polo and jeans or whatever. Yeah, it really spans and I think that's, I think this is why and I'm just gonna say it. I think when you hit your 30s all of a sudden, it's like, oh, a polo can be everything that I can wear to work. I can go wear the same thing out with friends. Like I can do like an interview. I can go do a presentation I can like, I just haven't killed Polo. It's like, well, I don't need any other clothes in my life by

Brandon  06:31

everywhere. It becomes like the most versatile shirt of all time. Yes, right. I think maybe it's because when you get to be about 30 This is where all of a sudden you go like Oh I don't care about social stigma and what people think about things like I do not care i am this is the phrase where the phase where I really weren't like utilitarian with my life. Not like minimalism don't that's don't conflate those two terms, because I'm definitely a maximalist at heart. But like, I was like, oh, yeah, I had that same revelation. Like he's weird anywhere. Doesn't matter. Like, I guess maybe because it has such strong things with like, things that are like the antithesis of my life, right like Preparatory Academy is golfing, right, like they are associated in that world. But there's so much other crossover that like, yeah, you can literally just wear like, some right now in the summer, you can just wear some khaki shorts and polo and good to go. Like

Collin  07:30

literally what I'm wearing right

Brandon  07:31

now. Like super casual, like you can wear it to the beach. You can wear it to dinner, you can wear it to work. Oh yeah. Like there's no, there's no rules. It's just like the ultimate cross boundary. upper garment. Right, like I did.

Collin  07:51

And I think that is where all of a sudden it you really go into the oh, this is actually really useful.

Brandon  08:03

Because you get to a point in your life where you like, or at least me, maybe it was because like I was at a point my life now I'm going more places, actually. Uh huh. Right. You're not just like, in a place forever only. Right? You go, you know, and you're just like, the variety of places that you're going is different. Right? NHS, your sec, I need something that I can wear all over the place. Oh, it's the pole. It's just like the T shirts like, slightly dress your cousin. Right? This is a very it's just a weird emotional journey. I've gone into my life, where I went from like, hating polos. And I never wanted them. And I thought they were lame. Now I have like 12 I just wear all this. Yeah, way to work. I'm just like, oh, I have all these button up shirts and all this other stuff but like yeah, it doesn't matter. Like

Collin  09:08

where Yeah, where all of a sudden again, like it is the I just need like five of them. And that gets me through the week and then I don't have to wear one on the weekend. You know for me, I really

Brandon  09:20

what you call it if you want it. Exactly.

Collin  09:22

Exactly like that really is the main takeaway there of you could definitely do it. And I think that's what Yeah, so I think once you start getting into this kind of say it's a 30s thing where you're like,

Brandon  09:38

I I like to just have this revelation of like, it's like the all terrain tire of

Collin  09:44

clothing. Like is the alternative.

Brandon  09:49

You go anywhere? Yes, they have the sport ones, right like you're wearing and but they also you have like I have a lot of knit ones, right just like the classic knit one because, again, even In the summer, they're not really that hot. And like me, I don't wear my black one around currently in the 90 degree weather, what's happening in my life, but like, yeah, just worked.

Collin  10:11

Well, and so that's where i That's why I put my sport engage sport mode. And have I'm wearing the sport version today because I have one that is branded, but it is knit and black. Oh, not not real good for the summary stuff true.

Brandon  10:32

Although I do have a like sport one and it's black. And it doesn't it's like black and gray. So like, but it doesn't, it's so sporty that you don't even notice. Like, it's just like, whatever.

Collin  10:45

So that's what we're, we are trying to go about getting doing different stuff. So anyway. I'll see we'll see. But yeah, so I'm wearing my my sport engaged here are editing some Creative Commons licensing across websites, checking privacy policies. You know, all that. All that fun stuff. fun and good stuffs really much. Yeah, yeah, I have been have Okay, so I go down rabbit holes a lot and know the case. So I think I've talked about before about how I've been interested in like, looking at or possibly obtaining an encyclopedia sets like this saw. Yeah, that's That's right. Okay.

Brandon  11:37

So I haven't pulled the trigger on this. But our,

Collin  11:40

our art went to our library, and I wanted to see like, what they have because I've never looked at looked at theirs. And they had they had a World Book and an Encyclopedia Britannica.

Brandon  11:53

Oh, okay. Side by side. This

Collin  11:58

is bad. This was I never should have done this.

Brandon  12:03

Because you, you spend hours analytically dissecting the differences between the Encyclopedia Britannica and World

Collin  12:11

Book. No, I didn't need hours because it was immediately apparent. Because literal seconds. Rules seconds of the complexity. The difference between is basically the World Book is supposed to be extremely accessible. General all purpose knowledge base for all age groups, right? That's its thing. Okay,

Brandon  12:36

that's what the school had. If I am remembering correctly, like, I will, the library and school had the World Book.

Collin  12:44

Yes. And it's, it's it's something that like, I really think it's for like, middle school, maybe high school, it might be a bit again, it's a pretty advanced Elementary, but you could like what, yeah, like upper elementary, like fourth fifth grade? Yes. Like we sat down. And basically, I had the kids do just like a, we were in the library. And I mean, hey, who's got a topic they want to talk about? And it's like a jellyfish. I was like, Okay, we're gonna look up jellyfish and World Book, and we're gonna look up jellyfish and Encyclopedia Britannica. And I hadn't realized that. The Encyclopedia Britannica had, the headstock print officially stopped printing in 2012. But it's, it was the 2010 edition of it. So is the 15th edition, whatever, whatever revision

Brandon  13:27

did they buy into that Mayan Calendar thing?

Collin  13:30

They're like, Oh, guys, there's no point in doing that. It's like, well, we're, we're time. No, I actually ended up reading. Okay, so I read the Encyclopedia Britannica CEOs letter about this decision. And it's really long, because basically, he was like, you know, we shut down, we stopped printing at 244 years, right? Like, that's kind of a long time to be printing a book. And for them, it really was like,

Brandon  14:02

if made Miguel Cervantes. Right?

Collin  14:09

That he went through the whole, they literally the whole history of their printing and everything of how they, why they made the switch was effectively in the 70s. That is when they first digitized the insight, entire encyclopedia, because they could make changes to articles faster. So they built an internal database of all of the all of the publications, right,

Brandon  14:33

all of the head of the curve here. Good job, like, that's what they

Collin  14:37

started doing this in the 70s. And I can't even imagine given the size of computers then Right. Yeah, really, guys, right? Or the fact that the books basically take up a room by themselves. And so they started doing digitizing and stuff like that in the 70s. So they could make faster updates to things, especially for turnover and, you know, presidents or whatever and all that stuff like that a lot of drift After, and basically then fast forward to they went, Well, we're already producing everything internally anyway, why don't we just open that up to the public? And that becomes who we are. Because they had been maintaining two different things. They were doing the online basically, mainframe writing and conversions to them printed out to ship out to people. So they just cut out the second part because then all of a sudden, they saved a bunch of money, basically, and now they sell up subscription to have access to world to Encyclopedia Britannica, but they're continuing to go through their process. It's just the only references online and they went through this weird sprays like CDs really messed them up and actually pinpointed to Microsoft Encarta, do you remember when that came out? Oh, yeah. Okay, encyclopedia. Ricardo, sorry, in carta came out. And it was free with all Microsoft PCs. Okay. Yeah. At the same time, that Encyclopedia Britannica was trying to sell a $1,200 CD set. Oh, yeah. Basically, they went, well, people like us, because we're Encyclopedia Britannica. They trust our our mountain more than right. But people went, but because he couldn't, he pinpointed to, because a row the row of books doesn't have the same cachet as like five CDs. It meant nothing to people of like, well, this isn't really impressive. i The value proposition. This blade wasn't there it was. And they were they were battling against good enough. And so that's when they decided to just lean all in with the online presence. And actually what they did, what they what their distinction now is, it's not just the information, they develop internal products that use that information to make it more accessible to people. So when you get the subscription, you get like, teaching aids, and there are like little courses and like things that are like hit all age groups for like how you access that. So that's actually what they built out on top of their of their information. They built the products and how they, that's how they made that pivot. I was just like, oh, my gosh, this is so fascinating, because like, really, on the outset, you would just think, Oh, well, they're just cutting costs. And, you know, it's too expensive to print books. But you know, from their perspective, they went well, we can make information more accessible to people. And

Brandon  17:28

so it's, anyway, we're going through this. And the way,

Collin  17:34

you know, the Encyclopedia Britannica started, basically as a collection of articles written by experts. If you go back into the earliest days, they would actually have the scientists doing the research. Write the write that article, Sigmund Freud wrote articles for Encyclopedia Britannica, who Dini wrote articles on and on, on it he on? Oh, gosh, misdirection and things like that, like you, these people who are writing these articles, and they're basically I Had I forgotten this. I hadn't been in Encyclopedia Britannica a long time, but like, they are basically many research papers on whole topics. So it's unlike World Book, which is very much akin to kind of a dictionary of oh, I can flip to page 309 And find the word jellyfish. It's gonna tell me about jellyfish. Yeah, Britannica is like, let me tell you about Nigerians. There's like, seven. And there's seven pages on Nigerians and jellyfish is mentioned like three times, right? Like, that's the difference between these.

Brandon  18:47

Yeah, I feel like I do feel like the World Book is a much more like a general knowledge, kind of, like, survey overview of a lot of stuff. Yes, right. There's not like a lot of like, super detailed information in there. I remember coming across this whenever we have to do research papers, because Hold on. Back in my day. We were not allowed to use internet sources, or our high school research papers. I think we were allowed to use like one, possibly two. But that was it. All the rest of them had to be book sources. So obviously, you're mining the encyclopedia for certain things, right that you need. But like, it was never. It was always like, I'm going to look at the encyclopedia and it's going to tell me something and it's going to point me in a different place like very rarely at that level of writing and research. Are you actually going to use the world look for information? Yeah, right, like detailed information. It's a good starting place, but you can't like cite It's not often that you get you can cite the world. looking like you're opening your intro? Right? Like, because when you have to get down to the nitty gritty stuff like, you need a more more in depth. source material, right? Yeah,

Collin  20:12

I heard it put once that like World Book is the it's generally accepted knowledge, not that it's common knowledge because otherwise you wouldn't be at it. But like generally accepted like, Yeah, this is something that everybody kind of just knows or some people know or we accept this to be true. So you don't need to cite it. But the more scholarly things like that or much more from a textbook kind of thing, where it's like, Oh, this isn't actually scholarly, researched in depth article. That that's definitely more of the Britannica side of things. Yeah. That's kind of how I felt. So. So then I started looking for Encyclopedia Britannica sets. And let me tell you, they don't come up very often. But not it's really hard to find anything earlier than like 1995. After that, there are almost I cannot find them anywhere. I do take and take and dig and dig and dig. And there are people know that like, Okay, once we started getting into the 2000s, for some reason, then if you do find one, its price is just insane. Compared to the 1990s. Earlier, I'll tell you, you can find great deals on ones from the 60s and 70s, though. So if you are interested in that. Which just again, like oh my gosh, this is crazy. And then what I did was I stumbled on I typed in what is the best Encyclopedia Britannica? Which year? Which year is the best? It's like,

Brandon  21:55

widely agreed upon best a year for

Collin  21:57

me wildly agreed upon earlier. Yes. Yes. And for for multiple reasons now.

Brandon  22:11

And what what happens,

Collin  22:14

so they they look at this from across across several different areas of obviously things are out of date as soon as they are printed, so you can't get it as like this is the most accurate thing or whatever. So from collectors, because of course they're collectors. Of course.

Brandon  22:32

Yes. Yeah. Do you imagine that?

Collin  22:36

They look at

Brandon  22:38

the like, because it gets so

Collin  22:41

changes maybe Oh, no, no, no, they look at the Hunter says like the voice of the encyclopedia, because it's so vast, it's often hard to get the same tone of voice or tone of writing for every single article or every single topic because there are

Brandon  22:58

lots of different people wrote, yes, right.

Collin  23:02

So they look at singularity of voice, they look at scholarly in depth level. And they also a couple of different other things. But basically everybody has agreed on that the single best encyclopedia in the English language that has ever been published. Is the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica. Okay, yes, yes.

Brandon  23:36

Uh huh. Yeah. And

Collin  23:38

yes, and so, obviously, in 1911 Sure, we can go back 100 and some odd years and talk about all the problems that were at the time and certain viewpoints and things like that. So opinion, people will will will say, you know, this is just, you know, this is height British colonial British colonialism, and you know, all of this stuff, imperialism, or whatever, and, like, you know, and viewpoints on stuff, and it's weirdly deficient on like, you know, Africa as anything involved, like, I don't even think it mentioned Zimbabwe or like anything along these lines.

Brandon  24:16

Like Sherman East Africa, right, like, right.

Collin  24:22

Yes. So there are those things but these are these are constructed context, things that are important to take into account of any historical book and but when you think of it, like a lot of people what they're what they're saying is they believe this was the last attempt by anybody to try and fit

Brandon  24:39

everything we know, into a book set.

Collin  24:43

Like apparently, the word count on this thing was like double what the modern ones were. It's Yes, it's absolutely insane.

Brandon  24:54

How many gigs is it? Does it more? Yeah, how many I forget To like, split up into more books than the other ones, if that's the case, are they just like massive? Like, yeah,

Collin  25:06

they're massive. It's still it's 29. It's still 29, which is like the pretty standard one, but like, they've just bigger, bigger, right? It's just, if you look at what a complete set is, like, it's massive compared to today. They're also just so cool, because they're either bound and oh,

Brandon  25:23

yeah, right there. Oh, my gosh. But they are more

Collin  25:28

caught because they're collectors now that we've gotten into a different realm of pricing, where it's like, oh, well, that's, that's not interesting to me anymore. Anyway, moving on. Yeah. So, so instead, as we started recording this, I just finished downloading the entire standard copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica. 1911 edition. We'll be having those stored somewhere.

Brandon  26:06

Nice. Because that's what I needed in my life. I mean, why not? Right, like, oh, my

Collin  26:16

gosh, yeah. It's like, Why? Why is this necessary for me anyway? So yeah, I think this is pretty. This is very exciting.

Brandon  26:26

But yeah, so that's,

Collin  26:29

that was my rabbit hole that went down this week. I thought it absolutely necessary to just have the digital version of that one, because it's in the public comments now. So public domain. That's true. All right, good. And then that's what got me thinking about the Creative Commons and the licensing stuff, which led me to the website that update to the board 3.0 to 4.0, and then update the privacy policies. So that's how my brain works these days. See, kinda make sense now. Yeah, obviously, it makes sense. So downloading it 11 Britannica to update my spine and other than that, we're just really happy that it's colder outside now. Because it cold.

Brandon  27:22

Yesterday was very nice. Today, we're gonna see that much today. I have no idea. Or errand running will be after this. So I'm like, Oh, I see. I see. I see. I have to go put together Susan's new desk. Oh, and make way for part of the reason that we're going to Bolivar also she is purchase a shelf from attorneys. So we have to make room for that as well. And she doesn't want to put the shelf in her office until the desk is situated where it needs to go. Which I guess makes sense. But when so we have to do that later. Yeah. Big plan for the day. real exciting. Other than that, haven't been up to too much this week. Until tomorrow, right? Yeah, we did have more more birthday party action to attend. Right. Keaton Euro. Fun. This one though. It was like it was a little bit different. Because it was enormous. Because it was like a three for one event. It was just like the whole family, everybody, the whole family just all at the same time. So it was like some sisters and like a cousin. I'm not entirely sure how exactly she's related to them. But it was like a big three for one extravaganza. So they had, like all the people and all the stuff and it was humongous. It was really cool. That was really fun. So that was our big thing, like a giant three for one birthday party. That sounds extremely intense. It was kind of intense about it was cool. That's fine. Sure. Those fun sometimes saw lots of people, right? It's always a good time. Right? That was our big, big events there. Right. Like I have two topics on the things that annoy Brandon a lot list sweep over this week. Right? One of them is relatively serious. And the other one is just not. So we'll start with the relatively serious one. Okay. All right. In BC This is my anger at the NBC for their inability to be able to do anything Correct, right. Here's what Oh, okay. All right. So, step one. They have officially decided that all Tour de France covered It will be made available exclusively on peacock for $6 a month. Oh, NBC. What is wrong with you? Right? I would like to know first of all, apparently things are Monday must be going quite badly over NBC. They must be mismanaging themselves in to the ground. And I'm not sad about this, because this is just kind of how they appear to be handling themselves. But so they disbanded the NBC Sports Network, right. I don't know if they lost a bunch of licensing or whatever. But that is God that was the former home of the Tour de France on US television. The only cycling race broadcast on standard US cable pack. Right. So frustrating. And then last year, or maybe last year, maybe last two years, they've been putting it on the USA Network. Right. Okay, fine. The USA Network recently hat for a lot for a while, right around 2010. That was actually pretty good stuff. They had a lot of like original programming. They had a lot of like, it was good, pretty good. USA Network is now the home of Law and Order SVU reread. That is Oh, only thing. Oh, nice show. That's it. They show other reruns of other stuff too. But like, it's mostly just they just put reruns of law and order on USA. So apparently, it is more important for the USA licensing agreement with NBC to run just marathons of law and order. Sure it is for them to broadcast any sort of cycling. Right. So apparently, that's the important part. No, can we promote things and grow the sport and make it more accessible to people? No, no, we're just going to show long or to reread. Yeah, I actually wrote them an email the other day, and you just telling me telling him how pleased I was? Letter? Whoa, yeah. About what a horrible decision and planning they are doing and driving their business into the ground by not promoting anything new or interesting, not doing anything, and only putting all of their content exclusively behind a paywall in a time where people are becoming more and more frustrated with streaming services and actually teaching them all together because it's too expensive to have for streaming services because everyone wants exclusivity to their own property and will not negotiate to put them on a normal television that is accessible to the masses. Yeah, because we must squeeze every last dollar out of every single conceivable place. Right. And so obviously, so mad. Yeah, right. Like sushi. Nice summertime thing. Like we watched the Tour de France together. Uh huh. Is like our summertime ritual. And that is impossible. Thanks to NBC. Right. Now, this is not where it ends for them. They have more Oh, more coming to them here. More iron. More iron pipe. I read this today. Well, yesterday and today it's morning. Apparently. Because they do such a terrible job at broadcasting things that they can't even get people to watch the Olympics. Right? Patriotism doesn't even sell for them because they mismanaged everything so poorly apparently

33:42

that they are now doing recap shows right there a little recap show things are going to be presented to you by the AI generated voice of Al Michaels

Brandon  34:00

hold on i What Yeah, yeah, just take take that ruminate around on that for a minute. Wow, they all Michaels he was still alive by the way. I might have died, right? No, no, I guess that's what I would have. He's 79 years old. So like he does Al Michaels want to do hours and hours and hours of Olympic broadcasting? No, because he's 79 years old. Let's leave the man alone. Let him chill and enjoy doing his thing. Right basically, we have to now we do not trust we have not developed any new broadcasters or sports personalities? Yeah, I've been hiring and giving new people time. aim to grow and become good at their job that we must chain Al Michaels forever into the AI on the internet right? That yes is his legacy right just robot Al Michaels because you don't have anybody on your staff that you trust. You don't have anybody on your staff that you believe in. There's like not Am I right? That means we're just going to be stuck forever with AI l Michaels, AI Brian Gumbel. And AI the other guy that always does the Olympics. Right? That's just gonna be it. Greg Louganis will be aI when I'm 70 years old and you're listening to AI Greg was talking about whatever, or that crazy swimming guy I can't remember whose name is now like yeah, like the gets all excited. It starts yelling right AI Scott Hamilton? Hamilton? Nobody knew. Nope. No. Scott Hamilton talking about your winter Olympics on ice like it's the most ridiculous thing. Well, I ever

Collin  36:03

this is this is the danger of this now all of a sudden, what has happened is the the it's talent has become commoditized it's easy. Right? Now just go cool. We got a voice people know what it is great and done.

Brandon  36:22

And people? Well,

Collin  36:24

we have that we have the voice. We have the one voice. We don't need any other voices we don't need they will have some people who maybe do some commentary from now and then but we might not even need that eventually AI will get good enough. Well, Al Michaels will will have his personality in there. So done. If you were hoping to replace Al Michaels and your job. Here at NBC. Nope. Move away. Please. Bye bye.

Brandon  36:46

Yeah, we're so inept at keeping people and hiring people and apparently just reducing the amount of sports that you will broadcast that you don't have any sports broadcasters. Right? Oh, man. Good job. Like America's favorite thing ever. sporting events. Yeah, where to drop the ball on sporting events. ABC, right. Like if there's one thing Americans love more than anything in the world. Yeah. Is a sporting event. Yeah, right. The fact that you cannot properly make money on a sporting event means that you have a problem. Yep. Like, oh, man. So good at this. We're just really good at managing things and being good at it. No. You are terrible and busy. You absolutely terrible at your job. Barely. Like what is this? This is also terrible because that means i Al Roker is never going to go away now. Oh, forever. Oh, okay. I Al Roker, Aya worker is going to happen, and that just can't happen. I've been waiting for our workers to retire since I was five. Right? Hmm. I have been sick of that man. Since I was a small child. Like he's never been funny has never been entertaining. Like, bro. You're the weather guy. Why are you hosting everything? Like what? Everything?

Collin  38:16

Everything?

Brandon  38:18

You're just like, what is happening? Why are you everywhere? I have been so annoyed by Al Roker my entire life and now he's never gonna go away. Right? No, because he has no need. Right? Yeah, we don't need a new weather guy slash parade hosts slash random presented on the Today Show No. Al Roker. Or ever or ever

Collin  38:43

and you'll like it right? No 15 years from now they'll say Al Roker is presenting and you go

Brandon  38:48

like Oh my gosh, just gonna throw my TV out the window. Like it's so ridiculous. Yeah, I can't gosh it upset me so much. Well, this is the book

Collin  39:09

Yeah, this is where you have to go what especially with the you can't even make sports exciting of art

Brandon  39:15

of the broadcast isn't

Collin  39:19

Al Michaels voice right it is his personality. Right it is how he thinks and processes things so to to then just go well, the only reason people liked him was because of his voice it it really you're really missing the point like you

Brandon  39:36

guys don't understand how sports work. Yeah, you're what? Yes, exactly, man.

Collin  39:41

You sure people have the quote unquote, announcers voice? Right. I understand that some people have have that but it's like it's really about the person who's talking through that and if you really have just distilled down okay, what it means to be an NBC NBC announcer is to sound like You can fill Michael's or sorry Al Michaels not fill Michael's Wrong, wrong thing. It's like, okay, that's, you're gonna lose people over that right? Like, just you just are.

Brandon  40:11

Yeah, right, like people don't Bob Costas, that's the other guy's thinking, like, watch for the AI imitated voice of Bob cost, right? It's like the journalism aspect of the like, in depth reporting and analysis that he's able to bring because of his lack experience. Yeah. And his firsthand knowledge of so many things, right? And how do you, like, make connections between all that and like, make it and present a story that people like care about on an emotional level? Like his voice is the least important part of all of that all while it is good, right. And it is important in broadcasting to have a voice right, like, because, you know, all the broadcasts that people remember throughout history so far, have been they have a distinctive voice, like Walter Cronkite, right? Like, you know, Ted Koppel, like all these people, they have a thing. Right about them. And part of that is like this sense of like, gravitas, and like how they're able to switch between, like, seriousness and joviality, right? And all these things. Like, just, the voice isn't enough. Right? If you have a voice, but are not an interesting person, or not good at your job, you're not going to be a good sports broadcaster. Right? That's why like, for a long time, there's always like, I don't know, I know for like Monday Night Football, right? When they had like, there was like two guys all the time. And then there was just like, another guy, and they would just like, bring in these people randomly be like, what? Why are you here? And they're like, oh, people like this guy. They think his voice is good. But he doesn't know. Anything about like football stuff. Like why are you having them? On the show? Understand?

Collin  41:54

Yeah, because there's no, there's no reason there's no personality to that you just don't

Brandon  41:57

think that you, the viewer are smart enough to understand actual commentary, right? They're just like, Oh, you just want entertainment only. You're not an intelligent enough person. Uh huh. To be able to take this information in and process it and understand what's going on. They don't believe in you, the viewer. Mm hmm. Right. That's what there's that's what this is telling me. They don't believe that you can watch a sporting event. Without your hand being held. They think exactly. fit into your Nydia. Right. So, way to go and easy way to ruin things for everybody. Yeah, well, and that is the

Collin  42:55

I'm thinking to some connections here. As far as just like just the straight information of thinking back to the Encyclopedia Britannica that I was reading of just like this is this is hard to read, like at many different levels. There's a lot of information packed into this. But it was presented as such of like, here, this is like, it is not like we are presenting this unabashedly of information to you, you now are responsible for it. And I think this is why I like some movies more than others because they treat the audience as being intelligent. And in ways of, they don't have to say things that are too on the nose. They don't have to handhold your way through things. They don't have to rephrase it, they can just present it to you and move on both in context and in topics of what's being discussed. And same thing with sports of like you don't need just goofballs behind a desk doing weird wacky things to keep your attention because, you know, we're not children watching these things like people can appreciate this again, across many different levels, the athleticism, the difficulty, the teamwork, sports, the you know, the history of all of these things tied up together, and to just reduce it down to now it is only entertainment I think, again, really, really shorts the people who are who are trying to watch it and enjoy it.

Brandon  44:21

Yeah, I agree. Right. It's just, it just made me so upset. Like what? Well, yeah, I agree. Yeah.

Collin  44:29

Okay, well, that's interesting. And, and I will add highly disturbing.

Brandon  44:37

Yeah. So, all right, well, now that now that I've saddled you with that, that you know, you're stuck with Al Michaels for the rest of your life. This is this other observation is really not important. And it is. It just comes from a place of confusion. Right I don't understand this has to do with fashion. So we're gonna go back to the Polo Is your conversation? Oh, okay. What's been noticing a lot recently? Okay. Right. There's again, again, as as per previous conversation. I'm not really in touch with fashion, right? I don't know about things. Okay. Oh, are you I don't really understand some people's choices. But I've been noticing a lot recently on like, interviews with people on the internet on television shows, not quite as much in real life. But like, you know, I have some thoughts about that minute. I've been seeing a lot more people wear polos and button up shirts, with all of the buttons buttoned up all the time. Why? Yeah, why are you doing? Yeah, right, like the Polo, with all buttons buttoned up. It's the goofiest looking thing, in my personal opinion, that I've ever seen, I've ever seen, but like, it's up there. Right? I was watching the show the other day. And it's like, they're doing interviews all these people, right? And all these dudes have all their buttons buttoned up under polos. And like, some of them were like an oxford shirt. Nope. All the buttons button up with no neck. We're like, why I have to do that. Right. Now. I might be noticing this more right now. Because it has been so just horribly hot outside. And the thought of wearing a shirt with all of the buttons buttoned all the way up is horrifying. Right? Because it's like 90 plus degrees early. So like, I thought of doing that. It's just like, oh, you know why? This might be why it's on the foot my noticed it so much. Right? It might be because I've been going to so many kids in years, and it's been so hot. Like, everybody's has their shirt buttoned down. Like it's the 80s. Right? Like waiting. Even me, I'm like, Yep, I'm embracing this. This is the light airs. Cares. What a Tom Selleck. How's it going like that? But I don't know. I don't know what this trend is. Yeah, but it just distresses me. I'm like, not in AI l Michaels type of way. But like just like, Oh, why would you do that? Also, just it's not comfortable? Right? Because like, Oh, sure. It sounds weird, right? Like, and it just doesn't feel it doesn't feel correct. Because it is summertime right now. It's just not what I need in my life at all. Anyway. It really confuses me when people do it. I'm like, in the shirts. Right? You know, it's so the Henley or the people who aren't aware. It's like, the middle ground between a t shirt and a polo shirt. Uh huh. Like, if you need like, even more ambiguity in your life. Yeah, it's like the middle middle stage of the Pokemon evolution. This shirt, right? Because like the normal t shirt. Just the color. crewneck t shirt. Okay, first of all, sorry. crewneck t shirt. Just a color. Henley shirt. The collar but with some buttons. Right? Polo shirt has now the foldable collar thing and buttons. Like the chairs are T shirts, as we know. But so when you're wearing a Henley shirt, yeah. With all of the buttons buttoned up. Why don't you just wear a normal shirt? Yeah, yeah, right. Why don't you just wear

Collin  48:42

your meeting the purpose of this? Yeah, you?

Brandon  48:48

Yeah, you missed the point of having the shirt that's able to unbutton Oh, look more arrow bar. Like, why would you do? Yeah. What are you thinking man? Yeah, I

Collin  49:02

don't I don't understand that either. Because yeah, it is a what if I it's like, oh, gosh, what would be another analogy? I don't know. It was like, what if I I really, I don't know if you bought shorts that you could? I don't know. Like, I just it's such a weird phenomenon to say, Yeah, I have a vented like it's it's vent. It's an air vent for a T shirt, which I'm obviously wearing because I don't like it around my neck. But what if I just buttoned it all the way back up? It's like asking back for your cut offs are the jeans that you made into shorts and being like, these are my shorts now and you go No, those are jeans and you go no, they're shorts. See how they're cut off and you get what you sow at the pants back. But their shorts and you go I don't

Brandon  49:44

think you're any of them. They find a point. Yes. Oh, yeah, it's just it's so weird. To me. Again. I think my brain is in this mode because it is like 1000 degrees outside currently. So he made it Hot like not today, but like, two days ago off has been? Yes. In recent

Collin  50:05

memory. Yeah.

50:06

Earlier this week. It was horrid. So like, that's what I was really thinking about it just like this. Just in context of a Missouri summer. Why? Why would you ever do that?

Collin  50:20

Yeah, it makes no sense. I agree this will be outlawed.

Brandon  50:23

Okay. Well, that's just a sad note. Yeah. All right. That was a that was my observations of the week. Just kind of in general. Right. Those are the big ones. annoyances. Yeah. Yeah. grievances. Been general grievances with Brandon today. Thank you for coming to my complaining corner. I appreciate

Collin  50:44

necessary sometimes. Yeah, fine.

Brandon  50:58

So I guess with that, if you're ready, we can talk about some book attribution. Yeah,

Collin  51:01

I was gonna say speaking of grievances. Yeah. We have somebody

Brandon  51:05

who has a lot. Hank Morgan, Hank. Hank,

Collin  51:10

it all Hank? Old? Good old Hank. So yeah, last week. Last week, we have left him he was what oh, he had just finished the Eclipse and he was made a second to the king basically. Yeah, yeah. Hi, advisor, chief advisor. And yeah, we go right into chapter seven, which I love. Is him complaining about how it is? Yeah, literally. He was he was appointed to be you know, the this big person in charge and have all the niceties and he just like, I've got a cool chair. And that's

Brandon  51:49

I mean, little convenience is right.

Collin  51:51

Yes. Yes. It was so funny how he was just like, yeah, what did he anyway, just how he was then talking about how he wished he would let you know? Even this guy? What was his name? So his his was his neighbor. Raphael was like, Yeah, could have Boston more formidably after all this practice on those nightmares that he calls a celebration Hampton Court cartoons. Raphael was a bird. He was several of his krobath. Like, he was just comparing this to like, Man, this guy Raphael was I have had better appointments than what I have here.

Brandon  52:28

Yes, it's very funny, right? I didn't have to stop to take it back. Because he just used that word chromo. And I had to be like, Oh, I'm assuming he's meeting some sort of like, picture. Right? Like, that's a very weird word. That like threw me a little bit, right, because this is not 1889. Now, but I'm reading this. I was very much like, what? Yes. Talking about short

Collin  52:53

for short for a chromo lithograph. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, color picture basically

Brandon  52:59

is very much like, yeah, I got that in context, but just the use of that word in particular was slow. Yeah. Especially

Collin  53:06

because we've just shown out as shorthand, right, it'd be like when I'm saying a pic, like, shouldn't give me a pic of that, or whatever it is being like, Yeah, but you made a picture. Like that's where but it's also one removed, because it's not the word we use for that anymore.

Brandon  53:19

Yes, it was just very, like, jarring. And like, wow, that's a that's definitely a time period where that I have no context for whatsoever. Yeah, that was That was funny. That was pretty good. But yeah, he's he's coming to terms with his new life. Right? I like how he compares himself to Robinson Crusoe. Because he has no amenities that he's used to Right. Like as it wasn't sugar, coffee, tea or tobacco. Just another Robinson Crusoe, Castaway, and I'm an avid Island. Right? It's very distressed, right? He's just in this wilderness with these, quote, savages, right, trying to figure out how to live his life without his conveniences of modern life that makes him quote better than everyone else. Right. That's his not only that, he's now he's now ready to plot some revenge. Right.

Collin  54:23

I was gonna say that there is there's one more complaint that I did want to bring up here is he? He complaints that nobody wants his autograph?

Brandon  54:32

Oh, yeah.

Collin  54:36

He asks Clarence, right. Clarence, Claire's. Like, what do you mean, nobody knows how to read or write like this. It's

Brandon  54:44

now he's got this new problem, right? People are starting to bug him about more miracles. Right? Yes, like, Oh, okay. Well, you see, I got He's kind of in a quandary, right? He's trying to figure out what is something that he can do to like, prove his prowess to these people. He can't wait around for another clip, because it's like two years away. He's like, I can't possibly stretch it that long. Maybe if it was another month or so I might be able to wing it. But I gotta do something on on short notice, right? Gotta come up with something exciting to really, really Whalum and so he decides to double whammy. This is like a ha. I'll give him a miracle. And some revenge at the same time. Yes, it's fantastic. started this whole plan in motion. Right? By my authority as executive I threw Merlin into prison.

Collin  55:55

Because Berlin was going around and like telling people on him and now he wasn't he was wasn't real. He was a phony. And he was like, so. Yeah. Interesting.

Brandon  56:03

It's like, the first few days like anyway, by the way, yeah. With him out the way. So he's, he's decided. Do all kinds of crazy stuff, right? He's basically kind of build himself a little bomb. Right? That's kind of what he's doing. You know, we just gonna gloss over that's clandestinely, we made a few bushels of firstrate blasting powder. I don't think that's something you can just like whip out. Right? Yes, no expert. But I think you need some pretty specialized materials for that. But you know,

Collin  56:42

it's fine. That's fine.

Brandon  56:45

So he's gonna, he's gonna blow up Merlin's house. Is his plan. Right? This is place i Yes. I'll show them a block Merlin's house. That'll be great. This is what a wonderfully forgiving, loving person. Hank is here. He's like, yep, monitor that by get out.

Collin  57:07

Yeah, yeah. And he's got an I think what's interesting about this plan is he's, he's basically gone. Well, it's done nothing but rain and storm over here, which again, is another hilarious trope on people's views of England of like, it's always raining and storming and depressing. So like, he's like, Well, I'll know what I'll do. I'll just erect a lightning rod. And I'll have it blow this thing. Just smithereens. Yeah.

Brandon  57:33

So he actually what he does here is he sort of causes himself some Cena most fire call does. Not the movie, but maybe we don't know how he makes his lightning rod. And then he just runs the line down runs a wire, again, as you make wire. Don't worry about it.

Collin  57:55

Yeah, a little bit of Johnny yatta yatta. Here.

Brandon  57:58

Yeah. He runs it down. And he just like, watches the weather. And he just kind of goes, he just gets it all set up. He just kind of waits around, trying to figure out when it's going to be the stormiest so that he can say, he can predict what's going to happen. Right? So he like sets the trap. Basically he sets it and he leaves it there. And he waits for the best time to go and then announce his newest miracle right but beyond all doubt what what his powers are right? That's what he's yeah it's kind of weird, but you know, whatever. That's that's what he does, though. Right? He does that he kind of the starts getting like stormy enough. He announces his plan. And kablam

Collin  58:56

Well, first, not without not without bringing Marlin up and saying, Oh, that's true. He doesn't. Merlin Merlin arrived in a gloomy mood. What did you expect? And he says, you wanted to burn me alive when I had not done you any harm. And latterly you have been trying to injure my professional reputation. Therefore, I'm going to call down fire and blow your tower.

Brandon  59:23

But he also also uses this as a place like if you think you can break my champions. Oh, go right ahead.

Collin  59:30

Oh, yes. Hey, yep. Very

Brandon  59:34

remodel. Yeah,

Collin  59:35

I guess he's also going to be he wants to make him look like a fool in front of everybody to show what's going on. Yeah, so

Brandon  59:43

Maryland makes his big deal of putting like wards and stuff down on the tower and he's like, Yep, got it. Now. Nothing can touch my tower. A couple. Yeah. Like

Collin  59:57

it was. It was no Effective nickel, says he says.

Brandon  1:00:04

True. And after which Merlin stock was well and truly flat. Right? Indeed, I like the king wanted to stop his wages, but I interfered. Right. I said he could be useful for small things around. So we'll keep them around. You know, me doing it. But yeah, that was that was the revenge slash miracle play that we got here in that chapter, which is kind of funny, right?

Collin  1:00:30

Yep. Is really cemented his place there. Yes,

Brandon  1:00:33

yes. Chapter Eight, we take a bit of a break. And this appears to be like Mark Twain's thesis chapter. Right? This is very much just like contemplating power structures and how dumb the monarchy is, and like, how it's bad and all this kind of stuff. Right. And this is, this is very much just Mark Twain being Mark Twain in this chapter. Right? We're not this is not actually Hank talking, I

Collin  1:01:01

feel like, right,

Brandon  1:01:03

this is Dwayne talking through him. Because this is like 100%. Mark Twain stuff definitely talked about a lot stuff to be brought up a lot, you know? Yeah. I've been in this book, I've been reading on the side about the guild data reconstruction in the Gilded Age, right. This book written this thing, this history book, like heavily features Mark Twain, like, I think it's important to talk about, like, what a gigantic fingered he was, during this time, right? I looked in the index, he has 15 entries in his book. Wow. Right. Like through the whole thing. He just shows up randomly talking about things he did it or quoted the things he said about stuff, right? Like, he has kind of a big deal. And as he got older, it it morphed into criticizing what he saw as the flaws and problems of America during that time. Yeah. And this is, like, some of this stuff is like, straight out of there. Right? Like which is interesting, right? His big thing here is he's, uh, you know, he, he's talking about how silly monarchy is? And how, like, just because you were born of a king doesn't mean that you're a kingly person. Right? Sure. What, what a big deal. Like, just because you were born into a certain family doesn't mean that you're better than other people. Right? Yep. You know, you could read this as code for just because your last name is Vanderbilt doesn't mean that you're actually good. Right, you can kinda kinda also, because you have these, like, you know, names of the time, but you could also replace these with like, Rockefeller, fat or bill. You know, like, Daisy. So I thought that this chapter is very interesting, just because it's like a little pause. And we get some insight on his opinion here. Right. I'm also, I hadn't really paid too much attention before. But I do have a version that is basically a reprint of like, what the original edition of the book would have been like. So I have a lot of these illustrations in here. Oh, interesting. So my book has all these illustrations and stuff. And so, up until now, they've just kind of been about what's happening in the book. Really? Right. Like, you know, earlier, here's Hank tied to a post. Here's Hank, you know, in the dungeon, whatever. This chapter we have, what can only be described as political cartoons of our three court. Right? Oh, interesting. And it's very interesting, because when he's talking about how the British nation are slaves, period, simple born that name, and they wore the collar around their necks, right. And they're, they're born into subjugation, and their job is to support the king and the church and the nobility and all that stuff. There is a picture in here of a king, right? lounging on a bed of flowers. It looks like holding a cornucopia. Right. And then underneath him. He's being supported on the backs of like, hasn't tree. Gotcha, right. And they're walking through thorns and stuff like that. I think the king is on a bed of roses, and then there's thorns on the bottom of it, picking the people, right? This is interesting because this mirrors a political cartoon from 1883 that shows people like Jay Gould Cyrus field, wrestle sage Cornelius Vanderbilt, they're all sitting on top of big giant bags of money. And underneath their writing on the back of like the working people, all these people are wearing like aprons and like laborers and tradesmen, right? So these people are riding high on all the work of all the other people. Right? That's what, that's how Twain is talking about the monarchy, and the kings and the nobles in this book. Right? He's, he's making a connection between those like stupidly rich people of the 1880s. Right? And how gather rich, but they didn't like do anything. Right. A lot of these people just are rich, because they were born into a rich family that already had factories, and they're riding around in the lap of luxury on the back of workers. You don't I mean? And so I mean, this is very much. Like, it seems to me a very direct line. Right? Like, no ambiguity here. Yeah, whatsoever. That's

Collin  1:06:15

okay. It kind of changes the the intent of the book with with that kind of mindset of has he going into this diatribe of he's set up the, you know, the, the misdirection, or he's setting up to he's using this as an allegory to what's going on in the, you know, of the American ruling class at that point, basically, of, of how simple how dumb how it look how amazing we are that kind of stuff and how he's setting Hank up to be that that Narrator Through these things, where he really is using now, it sounds like he's using well let me do a critique of feudal England. And but also, there's this context of I'm actually talking about, again, this this cultural criticism of the Americas.

Brandon  1:07:10

It's extremely thinly veiled. Yeah, it is pretty much just right there when he talks about like, you know, the contemptuous nature of the ruling people and how they keep everyone as slaves, and you must obey them no matter what, even though you had no, like, say on how they became, you know, in power, or whatever, you know. And so that's just a very interesting thing. juxtapose that to his title that he gets, right, where people just start calling him the boss. Right? He starts talking about how that means a lot more than King because that title was conferred on him by the citizens, right. Whereas the king was born the King, and he is the king no matter what, like I have been bequeathed this title, and it means more because it was voted on by the common man. Right? They

Collin  1:08:08

set it up, and they did this. Right. Which is very interesting. Right? Because he talks about basically how, before he had the title, kind of this interim space, he was really just like, kind of like a freak show, because he didn't have a pedigree. Yeah, of things. He was just kind of something to be pointed out. He points he talks about him himself of like an elephant in the menagerie of Yeah, people marvel at it. People talk about how great it is, but it doesn't make him one of them. Right. It's it's you're not you're an other, but you're not an other because of pedigree or because of respect or reverence. You're an other because you're kind of a freak, or you're an alpha, you're outside of the system. You're just to be pointed and looked

Brandon  1:08:50

at at that point. Yeah. So that's the elephant is marvel that but it's not revered or respected yet. He talks about he's, I think he that's him. Right? In that analogy. It's very interesting. Right? You also, there's also this other cartoon over here that like, it talks about there's a little this other political cartoon, and it's, it's a there's a sun that says divine right of kings, and it's being eclipsed by the moon that has some words about like the people on Oh, yeah. Right. So it's like it kind of drawing on the last couple chapters where the Eclipse was a big symbolism thing. This political cartoon, this just like in this book, subtly here on the giant page, is like showing that the will of the people is should eclipse the divine right of the king. Right? That's kind of what's going on. There's some nine thinly veiled references to stuff here. In this chapter is really interesting a little segue chatter here. There's just kind of like, oh, by the way, here's some thoughts I have blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, which I'm assuming sets up some other stuff and book right about where it's coming from when he talks about things because he does talk about the church a lot here. And later on, he mentioned, like, kinda don't want to deal with them. I'm kind of afraid of what they're gonna say. So we're gonna leave. More on that in a minute. Right. Okay.

Collin  1:10:22

Yeah, yes, it is definitely talking about the changing political dynamics between this and the importance or the that, I don't know, the uselessness of titles because there's those that use bestow upon yourself and they're those that others bestow upon you. And which one really has the more more of the power at that point. So yeah, it's a it is very interesting. Yeah, transition where he's just musing over kind of the impact of his presence now on the system. Yes. It's very

Brandon  1:10:57

There we go. Next chapter. The tournament deed, which again, again, because I do have illustration of this book, I would just like to once again point out the inaccuracy here of like, I have this big picture of like, a very, like 14th century Knight, on horse in full plate male and big everything ready to joust. That is not, that is not what sixth century England would look like. Just just gonna go ahead and say that like, I just want to throw that out there again, look at me, I know what appears to be a hound skull bassinet, almost looking thing, which is a very like, late bill. So anyway, alright. Anyway, now that we've got that, yes, juxtapose that next to the next page is a dude with a great helm and chainmail, which is very, like 10th century so it's very art styling. Right, like, like, first Crusade outfit over here versus like 14th century Knight, man. But yeah, anyway. Sorry. Yeah, we've got this like, tournament thing he talks about like, yeah, there's another tournament, you know, let's do this all the time, whatever. Which is kind of funny, because I have been like, listening to some art Arthurian stories in my, when I'm cooking and stuff, just to kind of have some more background information about like, what's actually going on. And there's tournaments all the time in this story. It's like every other thing that like the tale of so and so, at a tournament we were after he brings it up here, he's like, yeah, there's a tournament. I always got these things going on. If it's just funny to me. Is that sort of the reaction I had when you were here listening to some of these stories? Like, why are they always journeying? What in the world? Surely they did other stuff, too. There's so much free time here. Yeah. Tournament all the time. That's got to be expensive. You have a perennial tournament, right? You got to do other stuff. Yeah, he's a big tournament going on. And he's like, kind of starting to find ways to exert his influence to make the place a better place. Right. Yeah. I'm talking about how like, well, you know, you got to do some stuff here. We got to do some things first.

Collin  1:13:39

Well, yeah. What do you say? He says, The first thing you want in a new country is a patent office. Yes. workup, which is your school system. And after that out with your paper?

Brandon  1:13:48

Yeah, it's very weird, right? Again. It's a very odd thing to me in 2024, at least to be like, yes. The first thing you need to set up is your patent office. You know, what, like, yeah, that was, again, 1880s. Right? Is the time of like Thomas Edison and like, massive innovation in you know, this this? Several decades, right. So like, that makes sense to me. Plus, Hank is supposed to be like a machinist. You know, journeyman, Tinker pipe, dude. So it makes sense that he would think that's important, but like, it's just really funny to me that he's like, Yeah, patent office, boom, then school system. So then after they can read and write, boom, paper, gotta have that newspaper, right? Gotta have that. He talks about that a lot about how you need newspapers for everything. So you can accurately report on things in BC and not just get AI l Michaels to talk about them later. That's not how this works anyway.

1:14:58

How much you know, forever. Right.

Brandon  1:15:05

So yes, like, the big thing here is he's like, I got this random Bug Guy and tried him out being a reporter. Yeah. From the department

Collin  1:15:12

of public morals in agriculture, right? Like, okay, this is

Brandon  1:15:20

looking at agriculture, The Undertaker department, he's got a lot of experience writing stuff. He's like, why not? Right? So, I like how he is he does this big long. It's like a really kind of overselling. The point here is like, of course, our novice reporter lacked the whooping, crash and lured description and therefore one of the true ring, but you know, the antique wording was quaint and sweet and simple. And then there's just like this big excerpt of his description of the tournament. Just like who smacked you in the head. And who knocked who down off the thing. And like, yes,

Collin  1:16:00

sir, to spear to avenge his brother served hit yes. It's just like, oh my gosh, like this very, very, very long.

Brandon  1:16:07

Yeah, it's very long. But yeah, this reminded me of one of the stories I listened to, I can't remember which tournament it was, I can't there's a knight who like, was hiding his identity so that he could like, prove his worth. And that's what this whole thing kind of sounds to me like, he talks about, like, all that stuff. So I don't know if you'd like borrowed that from that site. Maybe he's going to remember who was Gareth Gareth. Maybe Yeah, cuz.

Collin  1:16:37

Cuz he said he called him Gary. But he meant sir Gareth. Yes,

Brandon  1:16:41

of course, my little friend name. Yeah, of course not. It's my affectionate name for him. But I would never tell anybody. For him, or him anyway.

Collin  1:16:52

Yeah, as much as him being in trouble. He would not have endured familiarity like that for me. Yeah, he's Yeah, it was like, Okay,

Brandon  1:17:00

that's a weird aside, but whatever. Yeah. So yeah, then he kind of gets into this just kind of goes on, and they're just talking about this. And he, to his horror comes across a guy who's telling his least favorite joke in the whole world. He's like, Oh, man, it's even older and worse than I thought. Yes. Terrible. Yes. So it's funny, just like, awesome jokes, literally are the oldest thing ever. And they're just not. They've never been funny. And people will still tell them anyway.

Collin  1:17:35

Yeah. What is that? I can't? I don't know. Go ahead. Yeah, it was a humorous lecture, who flooded an ignorant audience with the killing his jokes for an hour. I never got a laugh, right. And then he was leaving, run him gratefully by the hand. And it had been the funniest thing they had ever heard. Yeah, like,

Brandon  1:17:51

yeah, it's not a funny story. And yeah, but I do know, people that tell the same joke over and over again. And the part where he's like talking about how it's kind of uncomfortable, because the person laughing the most is the purpose person that told the joke, because no one else is laughing because they have heard the joke. 75 times and yeah, it's not funny, like, been there, girl. I know. Exactly. I've been in this situation before. Exactly what you're talking about. Oh, guy? Yeah.

Collin  1:18:28

I feel I feel Yeah.

Brandon  1:18:29

I feel that a lot. Yes, yes. Then, like at the end here, you get these like, weird situation, where he's like, Oh, yeah. Like, I remember exactly what's going on here. But somebody

Collin  1:18:44

crashed thundering over his horses, was somebody I say helped me out. He

Brandon  1:18:49

made some sort of offhand remark. And then somebody thought, like, they were talking about him instead. And he was like, what? Like, he said something that offended him, but he wasn't talking about him. It's like a big miscommunication and not listening happening. Right? So. But whenever one of these people get that thing into their head, there was no getting it out again. I knew that. And so I saved my breath and offered no explanation. Yes.

Collin  1:19:14

Well, I did interesting. He said, As soon as Sir Sagamore got well, he notified me that there was a little account to sell between us and he named a day three or four years in the future. Like, what?

Brandon  1:19:25

Yes. It's really funny. But that so this is the part that I think is hilarious. He's like, because you see, he was going after Holy Grail. Guys. Civilized took a flyer at the holy grail every now and again. Yeah, it was a several year cruise. And he talks about I like how he he relates this to this. He's like, he's like You see, it was just like the Northwest Passage of the day. You may say that. All right. Every year they went out and they went out of grayling, holy grayling. Next year, somebody would go out and hunt for them because they were lost.

Collin  1:20:00

Yes, I think that's so funny. Like, yeah, this was all about either going there or rescuing those who went there. And then you gotta go back because you failed. And you got to go again to rescue them. Yes. Why would they actually want me to put in? There was

Brandon  1:20:14

worlds of reputation in it, but no money? Yeah. Oh

Collin  1:20:26

it's these, these these chapters up to this point have been have been interesting in that. Like, there's been a lot of big, I don't have a lot but there's been several big plot points that have moved the story like jolting Lee forward, like yeah, just like, like literally explosions like. But then there's also these where it's just kind of, again, and this is where you have to remember of who's writing this and the time period of these are really commentary chapters like these, these aren't to fill time and they're not really for character, exposition or for character development.

1:21:02

They really are for commentary about ideas, thoughts, worldviews. Yeah. And then we're going to leave the story ahead by a lot, because the next chapter is just like, anyway, over the next three years, I spent my time blah, blah, blah, like.

Collin  1:21:22

Yes. And so that's, it's going to be Yeah, that will be

Brandon  1:21:25

Yeah. Which is another big commentary chapter, which is very interesting. Right? Do we get a couple of my back to back here?

Collin  1:21:34

So no, this is it's interesting, again, just the commentary how it's both thinly veiled. But if you again, how context is so important with with books like this, and writings like these of if you don't understand the context, like you can enjoy this book, like purely at a humorous level, and kind of the absurdities of everything. But when you read it in the context of oh, he's actually writing about the Rockefellers. Right, yeah. And the the American system that changes everything about this. And I think that that's, that's what makes it really cool to read is to kind of understand that

Brandon  1:22:09

changes a lot. So it's pretty interesting. Yeah, I think so. So, before we go, I will give you my Mark Twain quote of the week, I think it goes very well with these picketers. Thank you, thank you. It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool. And to open it and remove all doubt. Yes. I think it goes pretty well with what we read so far. I think that's good. So

Collin  1:22:39

yeah, and my goodness, what a great quote. I mean, really, really strong one there are useful, right, so I

Brandon  1:22:47

think it's very applicable.

Collin  1:22:51

And I will, I will do a I will do a catch up IQ next time as well because i Alright, it didn't sound too good.

Brandon  1:22:59

No worries. Do you want me to do when also and have to or use my to yours?

Collin  1:23:04

We can do we can do too. We will all start with an haiku. We'll invite you next week. How about that?

Brandon  1:23:08

Okay, sounds good.

Collin  1:23:09

Cool. Circle.

Brandon  1:23:11

Let me know how many chapters you want to read this week. Just like ah, well,

Collin  1:23:14

let's do Yeah, let's do 1011 12 we'll do we'll try and get jump through on three. That sounds good. All right. Sounds good. Okay, well, we'll do this. I was gonna say Same time, same place, but that never happens from week to week. So we will do the exciting. Yes. Oh, it's an adventure. Okay, love you. Bye bye.