school of tea

Brandon’s got the tea. Collin is blitzing again. Check out CinemaCats.com

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SUMMARY KEYWORDS

good, tea, people, work, sitting, japanese, merlin, read, trope, big, person, fine, difference, base, write, chapter, lady, weird, hank, kyoto

SPEAKERS

Brandon, Collin

Collin  00:05

Welcome to Oh, brother, a podcast where we try to figure it all out with your hosts, Brandon. And Colin, on this week's show, School of tea.

00:17

Oh, hi, the hallway.

Collin  00:19

How's it going? Pretty good.

Brandon  00:22

Pretty good. I think was being grumpy again. I don't know what happened. I was logged in and it was ready to go and then it like started spitting in the window just went away

Collin  00:37

Yeah, I saw you. I saw you appear and I was like, and then you disappeared. No,

Brandon  00:42

I was on and I was like waiting. Like, I got on a little bit early. And I was waiting for it to load and then like sometimes it'll go on the thing and it'll go connecting. You'll do the little wheel and then the window will just vanished. I'm like, where did it go? I don't understand what's happening ever. Weird. So messed up like, Oh, well. It's fine as I evolved as my okay. My ancient computer that I'm probably gonna have to replace so I'm gonna

Collin  01:18

That's never fun. I'm sorry. Oh, that's right.

Brandon  01:23

Now, yeah. So other than that prospect, looming upon the horizon.

Collin  01:28

Yeah, always fun. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Replacing technology is never fun.

Brandon  01:37

So it's annoying, because like, I don't know about these things. Like, I just want a thing that works.

Collin  01:42

It's all I need. Right. Like,

Brandon  01:45

it's definitely a market where there's like, 700 billion options. I don't know. Right? What is the option that I actually require? Uh, huh. Like, I don't know, I just need a thing. I don't know.

Collin  02:03

It really, it really is terrible. Like it genuinely is not good at all. Because, yeah, it's, it's well, I will say, right now, a lot of things are hinging around, you know, the big buzzword in Tech Tech is AI. And so everybody's trying to throw that in all of their marketing and stuff. Yeah. And I don't want that. And yeah, well, it's like, okay, so like, what does it mean for that to be a I do? Do I need that? What are the requirements to have that in my, in my machine? So yeah, there's a lot involved in that. Yeah, I just needed to turn on. I needed to.

Brandon  02:44

That's it. Really, I don't really need I don't have like high. Oh, come on requirements here. You know, like, I'm not like a spec guy. Like, I don't care. I'm not like I needed to do like multiple things at one time. No, I need for this. I need it for, like, typing and stuff. I've used it for Yeah. That's kind of it right. It's really all I need. What you look at that. Yeah, a whole lot. I need a whole lot. But I mean, I need more than like, real real bottom ones because I won't cut it. Because I need like courts, I need plugin things and I need stuff like that. So

Collin  03:31

I can make you a spreadsheet if you'd like that's always fun.

Brandon  03:38

Like looking at spreadsheets, they no harm to me. But you know, it's fine. I can say, Yeah, I have to somehow wade into this disaster. And try to figure out how one goes about procuring computer in 2024 I don't know how that works. I don't know. Like a story. See, the store model is good as. Right. It's a good thing about stores because it limits your option paralysis, right? Because you go into a store be like we have these four. Okay, I can work with that. I can work with four. Right?

Collin  04:27

Yeah, cuz you're not thinking of well, but what if are like, what does it mean to have the extra doodad and the extra gigawatt? Yeah,

Brandon  04:35

especially. Well, the other problem is right. So like, so if you are a person, like like, I'm just gonna say I'm just come out and close yours. I don't mess with like, MacBook stuff, right? Like, I don't care about that. That's nonsense. But so like, the problem though, right? Is now if you're in the Windows PC World, Have you there'll be about nine different ones that are actually all exactly the same.

Collin  05:11

Right? Now, this is true, this is true. So

Brandon  05:13

they'll just have like a different name on them. And they'll be some, like, slight variations, but like not enough to really matter. So your option pool is polluted with a lot of clones. A high, so like this, like, your, like this one, like a and b are actually just this for all intensive purposes, they're the same thing. Right? And so you just sort of have to try to figure out which ones are actually different, versus which ones are the same in that

Collin  05:51

case? Well, I think what you're asking, there's like, Okay, I know there are differences, but what are the meaningful differences? Because that is what it actually is, because he

Brandon  06:03

has a lot of the a lot of the hardware differences are going to be negligible, right? In like a certain bracket range, right, it's going to be the same amount of RAM is going to be the same amount of, it's gonna be the same processing chip, it's going to be the same amount of like, all that stuff is going to be the same. It's gonna be same graphics card thing, it's gonna be all it's all gonna be the same. Uh huh. Right, there may be a few, like, layout differences. Right? But like, those are kind of negligible, right? I just need to make sure I got a big USB thing, right? Because that's what I got to have for this microphone. And like that's all whatever. So it's kind of, like, all the, it's like, if you're gonna buy, like, if you're looking at like, you know, cars like is to like, certain level Honda for certain little Toyota. Like, it's, it's

Collin  06:54

kind of the same thing, right? Like,

Brandon  06:59

the minute and like, personal preference, but I don't have a preference. We don't care. Like I just want. I'm not in the know enough to be like, Oh, I needed to do this. Yeah, nah, I don't. That's not relevant to me. I know it. The nuance is lost on me. Right? Like, I just need that thing. So I don't

Collin  07:27

I totally understand. And I don't buy yours regularly. But I try and like, hey, what's the what's kind of like, Why? Why do why do I have a spreadsheet with refrigerators in it? Like, it's just because it just in case, there's a catastrophic thing. And like, I've got to go by today, like, let me, let me check this out. Which we ended up having to do with our refrigerator. But anyway, that's all Yeah. Yeah. But like, Yeah, I think that's that you don't want to, and also, there's a fear that I have of like, I do want to know what the meaningful differences are. But also, like, I then need to get educated my educate myself to the point of like, I know what that meaningful is, especially for me of like, what is important for my needs, and how, yeah, I use things because if you can read all the PC mag and reviews all you want, but unless that reviewer is like reviewing it for your situation, it's like well, this, this is all lost on me, because that's actually not how I use my computer at all. Yeah,

Brandon  08:31

and the problem is, like, all of those people are writing with like a very, like high level of demand, right? Like need is the correct word. Right? They have like hyper specific needs, like the people writing those are using

Collin  08:44

it for like

Brandon  08:47

stream decking or like, they're using it for like, you know, they're actually using it for like gaming stuff, or they're actually using it for like, really, really high level like, business stuff, right? Video

Collin  09:01

Editing and ever. Yeah, like, video editing. Yes, absolutely. Development. It's a common thing. Yes. At that. So like, I'm

Brandon  09:10

just like, I'm sir. Dude that needs a computer in his house. Yes. really care about?

Collin  09:21

I know. Yeah.

Brandon  09:24

So I don't know. Like,

Collin  09:25

nobody at the end they none of those people are reviewing it as an email machine like, yeah.

Brandon  09:34

Exactly. Yeah. Like basically where I'm at is like, I know,

Collin  09:40

based on my familiarity

Brandon  09:44

from like, our school devices, like I need more than like a Chromebook

Collin  09:49

situation. Sure. Right. And even more than that.

Brandon  09:55

Zagato like I don't know

Collin  09:59

how Like a lot more than

Brandon  10:00

that, maybe but like, I need stuff that has like memory. And like you can actually do things with, right? But like, yeah,

Collin  10:07

so I need more than that. Not like a ton more. But more. Sure, but not like, like $1,500 worth more. Right? Cuz that's, well, that's that's the real Stickler isn't it of like, I can spend it It is weird, like, oh my gosh, like, I can spend zero, up to like $900. And they're kind of like there's not big jumps. But then like, if I jump up to $1,500 Now, this is an entirely different bracket, a different class of computer, but everything else before then is like, no difference. No difference, in other words, that it's like a marginally

Brandon  10:49

different race, like, yes, it's marginally.

Collin  10:55

There's like minut detail

Brandon  10:56

differences, but like, they're not enough to matter, right? Unless you're like, again, like an in some sort of like in depth enthusiast, right? Guitars do this too, right? Like, broadly, all guitars in a certain section, they're all

Collin  11:13

the same. Right? There

Brandon  11:15

are subtle nuances. Like the only difference is going to be like the pickup thing about how it sounds, right? Like the characteristic of that everything else is just like, the same, right? It's basically saying the neck might feel a little different.

Collin  11:32

Same, right? And then

Brandon  11:35

all of a sudden, you jump up to like a massive jump. And then that different, there's allegedly some difference there. Right? But like, broadly, if you like, if you just look at like fender stuff, right? Like the if you take like, you'd bring it all the way down to that, like, if you go through their line, right? There's not just a giant amount of difference between like the cheapest, and then like, the middle price, and then not until you start getting like, way up. Because guitars are stupid, expensive, and they're not. It's not a healthy hobby for anybody to have, like, they get insane. And like, yeah, that's stuff that I don't need in my life. Right. And you know, you know, there's a point where, like, I don't need that much. Oh, yeah. Right. Yes. Because from what I do, and what I know about a level, there's a really steep depreciate, you drop in value, like, dollar per value gained through the thing. Like the it's too much the discrepancy is too big. Yeah, there's, there's a line. It's like, this is all I'm willing to actually spend based on what I'm going to use.

Collin  12:39

We're realist, I mean, I mean, realism,

Brandon  12:41

right? Like, you. Yeah.

Collin  12:45

Like, I'm not going to be

Brandon  12:48

like, doing like crazy development things. Right. And like, I don't know, also, because my machine is so old, like literally anything will be a gigantic upgrade. So like, it doesn't it doesn't even matter. At some point either. Because, like no matter what, like, exponentially more efficient. better functioning. So huh. Started take some of the load off right there looking like it doesn't really matter that much. Because

Collin  13:28

yeah, well, yes. We're, you know, literally anything will be an upgrade. No, I totally Oh, my gosh, like I find myself and I am like, Okay, let me spec out what's going on right now. I find myself picking up the buttons. And I'm like, Oh, right. No, I do need eleventeen 100 of these. And I all right, I do. And then I'm going oh, I just specked out a $7,000 laptop. I don't do $7,000 laptop work. Like that's not what I do. Yeah, definitely not. So like, Yeah, but I see the same. But you know, the other really things involved in this is like, Well, it's obviously cars of of how many I go in and search cars like replacement cars and things like that. And I do this in my spare time. But I'm like, it is so hard. It's almost impossible to find, like base model, or even mid level cars. Because everybody wants it pegged to the mid but like it's like the upper mid and then the top tier, like the top tier trim levels are all I can find in a lot of things. And it's like, well, I don't I don't need all that. Like

Brandon  14:38

do you think though that that's just because the dealer makes the most money off of that markup?

Collin  14:42

No, it is. It is uncertain. So they're

Brandon  14:45

like no, we're not gonna carry the base model because I saw thing the other day where several dealerships not all dealerships, okay, I'm not. I'm not dunking on all car salesmen. Right. Although there is a reputation here, where like they Like somebody tried to order the baseball car for some, like I think it was like a Ford truck.

Collin  15:05

And like, they.

Brandon  15:10

They they were like, yeah, yeah, no problem, no problem. And then they the car that they sold them on the thing. There was like all these upgrade packages and they just sneaked on the

Collin  15:21

robotic. They don't want no one likes you? Yes. And this was sorry, let

15:28

me get a drink of water.

Brandon  15:29

Oh my gosh. So yes, it's been hot here. So you got to

Collin  15:34

but this is I've been driving around and I've been thinking about this have I have a question in the back of my head? What is the best base model car? Okay, what is the car? What is the best? Base model car? Is all again? What are the what are they sent out for the review units are all the cya. It's? Yeah, all the super trim or the or the or the trim level they made the most changes to its never base model. So you never get that review? Like, right? Yeah, I don't even think I could walk onto and find a base model. Camry or civic. Like, I don't think that that even exists on a car lot. You have to special order that by the time you get the delivery fees and everything. You're already after the next model next level. So like, why even bother?

Brandon  16:29

Good point, right? Like, I don't know, anybody's gonna have a base model sitting around. I think it's probably Toyota. Well, that's true, right? I feel like if anybody just has those sitting around, it's got to be them. You know, they're, I don't know how many of them they're going to be. There's going to be like one, one. Right? That's fair. And so then you're gonna get like, some weird color mix. I don't think Toyota makes weird colors. Other dealer. other car companies do that. They'll have like that. I think that's why sometimes you see cars that are like really strange colors you like, I always wonder

17:03

did the person really want that color? Oh, yeah. Or was that just the only one available in that trim package? And they're just like, yeah, why not?

Brandon  17:16

I wonder. Well, like when you see them when they're just like really weird. Like, yes.

Collin  17:25

It happens. It happens on both ends of the spectrum. They do really, really random colors for the base models. And then they do off the wall colors for like the top end. Like there's this. Toyota, the TRD. Pros. For the foreigners. There's like this blue, like this weird blue that you can only get on the TRD PRO. Like that's it. That's a specific color. But also they make this really really like ugly gray, that you only get the base model smooth, but it's like a lie. Yeah. Done. So yeah, there's, yeah, there's a lot of weird.

Brandon  18:05

One of our neighbors has like a really weird gray color. And I can't decide if it's like cool. Or like, no, like, I don't know, it's just like, unique enough to where it's like I don't know. Oh, it's weird. I haven't decided whether or not

Collin  18:30

Yeah, yeah. It is hard, though. Because I I'm always am drawn to those. To the upper ones, especially with like the laptops. And I was like, No, I just have to say quit. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Go back, back down. Back down a couple of notches on this. Yeah, because I don't I don't need that much. Right. And then

Brandon  18:56

the other problem too, with like electronic things at least, like buying better, does not mean like increased longevity. Right? Because it's some things like that. Well, you know, it's we used to be anyway back Monday. Like when you did buy

Collin  19:16

a higher bid higher, right? It was like a better right? I mean, it would like last more

Brandon  19:27

like electronic things that is definitely not how that works. Because most of the components are broadly the same. Anyway, like all the connecting things that connect the ram and the hard drive.

Collin  19:41

Those are the same. Right? Those are the same

Brandon  19:44

circuit boards and the same wires in all of them. Yeah, that doesn't get upgraded. Nope, nope, because then you really aren't unless you're like a PC build dude. Right then then you have like control over all the like really weird minutiae stuff you're like I'm gonna use This

Collin  20:00

specific

Brandon  20:03

cement, delete whatever that stuff is a holdover, like thermal thermal, that nervous bond seal, paste, whatever that stuff is. I'm going to use these wires and this fan and this blah, blah like. Okay. Right. But that's a good, that's a level of detail that I do not require. Not even a little

Collin  20:27

bit. So I don't know. Yeah, yeah, it gets going, meaning meaningful, and it's not as meaningful as in like, yes. Is there a difference? But is there a meaningful difference to, to me? Will I actually experience that difference? And that's what I have to I have to ask myself, especially just my tip is like, I look at a processor and I'm like, Am I really going to notice that big difference between this gigahertz thing and this other one? Like a point to difference? Now? I'm not I'm never going to experience that in real life.

Brandon  21:01

Because I'm not going to push it through paces. I'm

Collin  21:02

not going to be yes, but what I will What I will experience in it be impacted me all the time is Ram, like, oh, I can always get all of the ram. Like just, it's

Brandon  21:17

all Yeah, that's true. So yeah, anyway, that's my crisis currently. Just like oh, man, the pending and pending. Yeah.

Collin  21:38

So what have you been doing? Well, we have been, I've been enjoying some air conditioning. I have been. I'm actually recording to you, with you from a location I have not recorded from home base. Oh, so my stars. weird. It's weird. It's like, all of my things are here. I forgot. I forgot how to adjust the volume when I sat down. So I'm like, This is so crazy. And it's it's going on. Everything is everything as is is as it should be. And I'm completely thrown off. It's basically the story of my life right now.

Brandon  22:21

This way, well, welcome back. Congratulations. On house, we're now

Collin  22:27

but it's fine. We're still we're still in the process of building so it's it is a thing but but now we, man, what did we do? Oh, we I went to a I went to another biz Blitz. Ah, yes. Oh, man. And I, I'm experimenting with with where I sit for these. As a reminder, these are where like, everybody sits at a table there for people to table, you each have to maybe write up ABCD to have an elevator pitch. A stays at the table B moves one up, see moves to down and D moves to forwards whatever it is. It doesn't matter. But

Brandon  23:06

I want to pick a just because I don't want to move. Okay. Right. Right. And I would like mess it up. I'd be like, Oh, I got the wrong table.

Collin  23:17

So I have moved. I've done the moving thing. Every single one. So I was like, Yeah, I'll I'll try a I'll try sitting Oh, all right. I'll try today. And it definitely from a from a like a sales position thing. It definitely comes off the most thirsty, because you're also the first to speak, or you always have to go first.

Brandon  23:41

Oh, nevermind. I don't want to be a I might. Yeah, yeah, that sounds worse. Okay. Yeah.

Collin  23:47

So you're the thirsty salesman over here. And it's like, Oh, right. This is terrible. And because I get to sit and I get to eyeball everybody as they come and sit down. And I to be the one who could first pass out my business card before they even sat down at the table. I've already replaced him, right? It's just like, yeah,

Brandon  24:04

I take it back. I want to be D. I want to go last. Yes.

Collin  24:08

So this was, this was my going theory, the last time I did this was D as the best one. And here's why. Because you get to hear everybody else's pitch. And so by the time it gets to you, you have specific talking points or not because sometimes there's no overlap to every single person who's at the table. A is cold open, you have no idea who these people are. You don't get to hear anything about them. You just kind of have to start talking and then watch for facial expressions and adjust on the fly. This is terrible. Do not sit in a. So jet D D is going to be the one that I sit at next time because yeah, that's the best option. But I am starting to run into people who I see a couple of these around more and more. So That's interesting. There wasn't there wasn't lady there. This unfortunately was at a was a top golf place or the the driving range thing in town where you just go and you get a bay and you can shoot balls out into the driving range, whatever. So they were really big on. They had a an all cash bar. They had some orders but had no water. No water out. And as the aforementioned it's a billion degrees. I'm getting my drink of water right now. Yeah.

Brandon  25:31

It's officially, June, June, Missouri.

Collin  25:35

Come on water north. So I like waited in line to go to get to go to the bartender and was like, I need a water and ice, please. And he was like, Do you need ice? And I looked at him like very hard. And I was like, Absolutely. Absolutely. I need ice. I'm surprised

Brandon  25:54

you didn't try to hit him with a Yo, I need a water on the rocks.

Collin  25:57

I need. I love these things like I'm a big enough of a pain in the butt at these things. I'm so awkward. I'm just not going to even bother with this. So yeah, I did. But I guess I'm not I guess some people will just like walk up and be like, Oh, I guess I'll there's that is alcohol. So I guess that's what I have to have. And I was like, unfortunately, some people you know, whatever.

Brandon  26:27

This way, so it's like 1034

Collin  26:29

o'clock at night. So

Brandon  26:33

okay, fine. Well, sometimes you like breakfast.

Collin  26:39

Why are we hitting so hard? This is not this is not okay. No, that's just rump? No, but this to some of your alcoholic spirits or whatever. And my goodness, I was like, I'm I'm kind of embarrassed for you. Because she said that we're supposed to be like, sales pitching for ourselves. I knew she worked for a bank. And that's all I got. Because then she started talking about how well she lived in Oklahoma and she moved to Missouri. Well, it's because she had got a divorce and and she still has that house man interest rates. Am I right? I can't sell that house. She was just like, vomiting on all this. So I know I'm really when she finished talking. I was like, So what do you do? And then they buzzed and we had to rotate. But she was doing in every scene. There were 14 tables that we had people rotated through it every single wide was well I got this. It was just as life story. And I'm like, Oh my gosh, like this is not. Okay, well, whatever.

Brandon  27:55

Whatever. That's yeah, it's it's here.

Collin  27:58

And this and then here is the piece de resistance that I am romantically

Brandon  28:03

Okay. You ready for this? Yes. Okay.

Collin  28:07

So everybody's passing out business cards right. Blam. Blam. Blam. I've got some business cards. They're they're magnets though. So it's all right. Oh, yeah. Not different of like shrimp lamb. It's a magnet. You weren't expecting that? Were you know you weren't anyway. What really knocks their socks off is instant. Instead of handing them a business card.

Brandon  28:30

You hand him a branded

Collin  28:31

tennis ball.

Brandon  28:33

Yeah, go. Ah, that, ladies and gentlemen, that will get a room talking real fast. So you didn't go standing out is important treat? Yes.

Collin  28:47

So I didn't give them out to everybody, because I just didn't have enough. So I was kind of selective with him. I gave them out too. But man that was like, Oh, what is this? And they were like, is this and they rotate it? And there it is like, name of company? Number like logo? And they're like, Oh my gosh. Yes, it is. Yes. I have an awkward backpack with me. Because to give you this your well.

Brandon  29:19

It's gigantic. Don't worry about it.

Collin  29:23

Yeah, yeah. Okay, this is not a scalable thing, because each tennis ball does cost like $1.12, which doesn't sound a lot. But when you're giving out

Brandon  29:32

when you have to get like 50 Right, they're not been that

Collin  29:35

good. So I'm getting 50 of those out of every event like no I that's not that it's out of the question. So I'm still I'm still messing around with that. I think we are. Because also, I was experimenting with this of previous previously I would have some cards on me. But I really tried to use a digital card on my phone where you would scan a QR code and populate all of my information. But because a lot of people are, they're so busy that they're like, they don't want to be on their phone at these events, like they just want to sit and talk and like grab a card from you because they are going to process this later. The phone was actually a hindrance for a lot of people. Plus, we're also doing what we're sitting down. Men have their men have their phones in their pockets, women have them in their purse, or in a clutch. And they don't just have them sitting out on a table going from place to place to place. So me sitting there with my phone out, getting ready to scan, like it was actually guys were reaching into their pants and digging down on the purse to try and find it as like, okay, that's actually a detriment. And I need to use that more as a as a true backup of, if I run out of cards, I can say, well, I don't have my car I just ran out. But here's, here's this you can scan this if you'd like more information. Or if you're an event standing

Brandon  30:55

up, then you

Collin  30:59

I was thinking about that, like oh right when I have gone to mixer things, the mixers, that's where it's much easier to just because phones are already out there already kind of holding them or they're it's easier to reach into your pocket, you're not having to that awkward like side shimmy to get into the back pocket or whatever. So yes, when you're at the standup mixers definitely use the phone way more convenient. But the cards at Table to Table,

31:24

not so much.

Collin  31:26

And then yeah, I'm also like trying to get like, learn from people. And

31:34

Jimmy, one of the ladies there.

Collin  31:38

Well, first off, she was walking over. And she had contacted us the day before about dog walking her dog. So she was very excited to get this we hadn't actually met in person. So I made sure she got a tennis ball and was like I said, I need you to have this. And she's like, Oh my gosh, but she works for the Discovery Center. And oh, on her business card. And I'm actually going to steal this as she introduces you to the scary center. And her whole job is like admissions and like getting people just to come and like get the word out, do all these initiatives. So of course, it has all the information about her and what she does to flip it over. And on it just says to free passes.

32:25

Oh, haha.

Collin  32:26

So as she's introducing herself, and she does, whether you've whether you've been to us recently, or you've been to us for a while, I can guarantee you we've changed and I'd love for you to come and see what we've got going on today. And there are two tickets immediately there from the person in charge of admissions asked basically saying, Here's a free offer. Here's money on the table, um, see what we have when I was like, Oh,

Brandon  32:51

okay. I'm intense. Like,

Collin  32:56

right now. If that's actually like, two now I can go like, I need to have one like, I need to have a little code on the back that says one free walk, like redeem for one free walk. That way they can meet me have a good interaction, and I give them a gift immediately as I'm walking away. Yeah, like it's not just an annoying, because at that way, it there's value to that card, too. Because if you know that there is $1 amount associated with something on that card, you're more likely to remember it hold on to it and know where it is, as opposed to just going, this isn't worth it. I'll just Google the person later. Well, you can't google for the free passes, can you? No, you cannot. So I'm like, Oh, I really liked that because it does so much in that one transaction of like, here's this and then you know, they can if they pass that card on, now they can they feel good about giving a free gift to somebody as well. Like, there's just oh, there's so much psychology tied into that. And so we're printing off business cards with free Wi Fi giveaway. So I did, I did pick that up with them.

Brandon  34:10

Pretty good. The other good thing about this, you do get like steal stuff from people, right? Because yes. Oh, that's cool.

Collin  34:19

Well, and then afterwards, I was complaining about how I can never find a business card that I like or whatever to a small group. And of course this guy reaches into his pocket. And he's like, that's exactly what we do. And he hands me his business card. And I was like, I was like, oh, business card maker. Boy. Yeah, it was I was like, I need to complain softer.

Brandon  34:44

Yeah, I hate when that happens when somebody offers me a solution like that, oh, I just wanted to complain for a second. Because now I don't need to. I need an actual solution to this problem. I can figure that out later. I just need to vent and be done and so I can move on with my life. But maybe this is a me thing I don't know. But like, I gotta

Collin  35:12

know where it says like, oh, I, yeah, like now I feel bad because I opened the complaint and you're like, I'm solving this for you. I'm actively solving this for you and like, No, I didn't I just

Brandon  35:24

Yeah, I just want to complain sometimes, man, it's okay. Sometimes we just need to complain about stuff. Yeah, right. Okay. We just do that guy, like, be like, we're okay, I'm done. Because now once I complain, I feel better. And then I'm like, Okay, I'm able to, like, move on with my life. And it's fine. Like, I'm, sometimes that is my solution. I just, like complain about things. And then I'm like, Okay, done. I had to explain that to I told that to the lady that we had last year at school, the instructional coach lady, I was like, in like, in our first meeting of the year is like, right.

36:04

I need to tell you something very important about myself. Right, then I just need you to know that sometimes I just complained about things.

Brandon  36:15

Now, that does not mean, then I need you to attempt to find a solution for me. Yes. Because because I don't want to put that on you. Right. I'm not trying to put that on you. I'm not trying to make you feel like because that her job is to be like a helper than to help the teachers do stuff, right. And so like I

Collin  36:36

write, so I don't, unless I directly ask you for something.

Brandon  36:43

Right? Don't feel like you actually have to do anything. No times. I just need to complain to somebody and then like, Ah, all right, good. Like, I was all excited. I told her I was like, I need you to know this. This is a very important piece of information that you need. No,

Collin  36:59

it really is. Because, because

Brandon  37:04

some people are problem solvers. Yes. And they they're like, oh, I can fix that. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, I don't need a fix. I can actually come up with a solution myself probably have a laneway. Who knows, right? Yeah. And so

Collin  37:21

that's all I need. Right? I need to vent it out, across the way Absolutely, well, you know, in, in really you you are, you're helping absolve that person of that of that guilt, right of that, like, you're gluing them into how you operate as well as going up going with this is just a thing that I do, like I I try and do this with our employees of going like look, make it the night or night owls a lot of times like we work way like 1130, midnight 1am Sometimes you may have a message from us do not respond to that. This is just we get things off of our plate. Now what I have started to do is actually just to schedule messages instead of because I used to just hit send. Now the software that we use, I can type a message and then scheduled to be sent at nine the next morning.

Brandon  38:16

That is very nice. Yeah, this is like freak people out, right? Yes.

Collin  38:20

We have people who would like wake up at 3am Because you know, they've got to go to the bathroom and then they respond to a message Yeah, and I was like, No, don't do that. But of course, I'm forgetting the like, Yeah, I'm your boss right and many people have a relationship of like boss message I have to respond and I'm like no no, I'm we're just we're fine people like it's fine but they're like it's okay for you to have you going like right like you I know you are here to help me like you're going to this person like you are here to help me. I know that you know that you have your interpretation of what that means. I'm telling you when this happens right? No matter what happens don't open the door. Open the

Brandon  39:03

door right? Yeah. No matter how much I scream don't do it so much Yeah, that's great. Yes. Oh, well. You want to have a bit of an adventure last Saturday.

39:35

Oh small one are small and it just just adventure

Brandon  39:38

is a bit adventure for the 21 year old with one of our friends, right? We actually went back to the Japanese straw garden thing for like the tea there was like a tea tasting situation to happen tea, Japanese tea ceremony and tea sample In extravaganza white Yeah, right first of all okay, hold on. Before that though. We also since since we went to the Japanese Tea Garden for Japanese tea, I decided we should have Japanese food philosophy

Collin  40:17

you know you have to get it's about getting in the mindset right?

Brandon  40:20

It really was all about theme writers thematically appropriate. Right for this and so we went to Elmo Have you ever been there?

Collin  40:28

I have not row. Yo Yo this is good stuff

Brandon  40:32

yeah go to the Omo not sponsored hashtag not sponsored but brief review of OMO Japanese soulfood in Missouri it's over by like in Chesterfield village right. Oh, it's like right next to that like garbage pizza or whatever. over the place. Yes. Yeah, I walked by that and went whoa,

Collin  40:52

I haven't been there and the long time Absolutely.

Brandon  41:00

Wow, I forgot this place existed. But it's like right over there. Okay. And they have like all kinds of stuff right and not just like, they do have like ramen and stuff and they do have sushi but they also have like another like normal. Like Japanese like they have those little like bento box lunch things. They're super sick or they're really good. That's I end up getting but they have a whole bunch of like really good. Like, more normal like Japanese like pork and rice or katsu rice with different types of noodles and stuff. It's like so it's more than just like the standard ramen that you can get played with. A really good up. Yeah. They also had mochi ice cream. Because we've had have some dessert, right, and they have that Shango stuff or the dunk, dunk, go, I guess, as long as the hunger. It's like rice ball things. It's really good. So I went to my review of OMO is I had I'm going back because there was like five things. I was like, I want to eat that.

Collin  42:05

I can't do that all today.

Brandon  42:08

No. That's too much. Yes. Well, it was fun. So we went there means Susan and one of our friends went there. So again, brief review of a Japanese restaurant. Good stuff. Good

Collin  42:22

stuff. Okay.

Brandon  42:22

I love this. Perfectly. Yeah. So then we I don't know exactly how Susan found out about this. But there was like, something in conjunction with this other lady. They were doing like Japanese tea

Collin  42:38

stuff at the stroke garden.

Brandon  42:42

Right? Cuz they have like a little tea house sitting out there by the pond. Right. And so they were doing like tea stuff. Then they had them scheduled like throughout the weekend. We've done it before, I guess earlier than the year but they're not going to do one next month because it's too hot. It's gonna be too hot in that little tiny room. No. Now, were they. Okay,

Collin  43:08

I have so many questions here. Talk to me. Were they doing like the, like the tea ceremony

Brandon  43:16

or just? Oh, yeah. Right. But what was like the in formal version? I haven't known about this. Right. So the apparently right there. Okay, so first of all, I talked to the lady quite a lot. She is like she has like studied in Kyoto. At one of the three major schools of tea school. There are three major schools of tea, right Japanese tea ceremony stuff, founded in the 1500s. I am going to go ahead and apologize for all of our Japanese speaking audience here. sinew Riku was like the first person to like, sort of start to codify tea based things. Right. And he had three grandchildren that sort of founded different schools of the tea ceremony. And this lady studied with the odor sink a family right. Which are now on their checks notes. 16th generation of Tea Masters. Okay, did right. Yeah. Wow, Vega. So in Kyoto, she says she's been to Kyoto. She did the program there. She still does lessons, but like over,

Collin  44:44

like online with them. Right? So she's

Brandon  44:47

learning all this stuff. A lot of the school differences are I guess, about like, the detail because it's, it's very formal, right? Even the informal thing that we did, it's still very formal. Like, I guess some of the ways about like, how you hold the ladle. Right, the way that you place the ladle down, right, I

45:09

think there's some differences between the schools about these type of things. Right? Like the aspects of how it's done. I don't know exactly right.

Brandon  45:22

And so there's two types of these tea sandwiches. There's one that's like very informal, right?

Collin  45:27

Okay. Maybe? Sorry, again.

Brandon  45:34

And it's like, there's just some tea and some snacks. And it's like more chill. You're also

Collin  45:39

not sitting on the tummy.

Brandon  45:43

Right? Like, you're not sitting kneeling on the floor, for forever. Because there is also a very formal tea ceremony.

Collin  45:52

Chod chi, maybe?

Brandon  45:56

That can be four plus hours long. Grass, why it's like tea and food and desserts and sock a and more tea and

Collin  46:09

see a forementioned. Tea. Yeah, as

Brandon  46:11

a whole. The whole deal. Right. Okay. Yeah, so that's some of that. Right? I learned that there are very, like, there are she was talking about how some of the, one of the reasons it takes so long to learn about this stuff is there are like, like, season of the year becomes very important to like, what

Collin  46:36

is served at the tea ceremony? Really? Yeah. So like, there are like,

Brandon  46:46

some things are like, pretty, there's two, like major seasons, like the warm months and the cold months,

Collin  46:54

right. So like, the biggest difference

Brandon  46:58

there is, during the cold months, you actually have a hearth in the floor,

Collin  47:03

where you build a fire, and you sit around the fire, right? In the warm months,

Brandon  47:09

you do not do this. You do not use the hearth in the floor. There's a point in the room. It's like a room. Right? And then there's just like a little fire pit in the middle. Okay, and so when we were there, they weren't using that. Because again, June, the

Collin  47:27

fire was in the sky above. Yeah.

Brandon  47:28

So the little thing is really cool, right? She said that it's not like, the correct size for an official tea room. But like, it's like a miniature version. So like, some of the stuff is not quite right. But like, the basic idea is there. But it does have the like, sliding door thing. You know, like, from toe to toe, they all had the sliding door deal. It's like very traditional Japanese construction. So we didn't have all the doors and windows and stuff slit open. So that at least. But like for the summer one, they like, there's like a table that she was sitting at. Like, there's like a little burner thing on the table. And she's sitting like opposite view. So like the heat and everything is away from all the glass, and you're supposed to sit in a certain way. And the tea is all pass in a certain thing. There's actually passed out a script here of like, what you're like the important things that you're supposed to say like, thank you. And you're always supposed to look because you go from

Collin  48:32

left to right. Right. Oh, yes.

Brandon  48:35

Yeah. So so if the if the lady sitting opposite you, then like, the person to her left goes first. And then you go around, because you make all the tea one at a time. Right? And so you're supposed to, there's like a whole script, you always say, the first to your left, like, you know, excuse me for go ahead and going first you like say excuse me, and then that kind of stuff. So it's a very formal, right there's like the thank yous and the excuse me, and then please enjoy your tea, all that stuff. So she'll sit there. And like, she like, cleans the little bowl thing. And then like, does the water thing and like stuff and then she like makes the tea with the weights and measures out the powder and like, does the whiskey thing like the big bamboo whisk deal, like and then, like, checks out and gives it to the person and she made like little sweet things too, is like little rice and bean paste things. It's supposed to be cooling I guess. I don't know. It's good. I only spilled a little bit of bean paste on my shorts. It's fine. Don't worry. Oh. Okay. Yeah. So we all did that. Like there was Like, five people there, there was like us three and then like two other random people that signed up for the thing too. Because that's just about all that could fit in. Oh, so

Collin  50:09

is that small? Okay, yes, small. So

Brandon  50:12

he did that. So we had that tea. And then she sort of talked about some of the stuff and all the little things and whatever. And then like, we got to make stuff. She gave us different holes, and we got to like, whisk it up with a little whiskey and all the stuff. Oh, wild. That's cool. Right? Oh, she also said that you're never supposed to drink the tea that you made. Right? So we pass it around. We'd like made it and then pass it to the person who drank it that way. That's a sign of respect that you would you put all your hard work into making this and then you give it somebody else?

Collin  50:46

Oh my gosh. They go. Very Yeah. Very, very selfless act. Yeah.

Brandon  50:53

A pair apparently. Apparently, I learned today it was all matcha tea, right? Obviously, Gemini to learn. There's two types. I don't really know. I'm not 100% sure on how these are different. There's a thick

Collin  51:07

tea and a thin tea. Rather, that's how they describe it.

Brandon  51:17

Historically, I did some research when I got home historically, the thick tea is the fancier tea. Right? The thin tea was made from like the leftover leaves. Right there was used like packing. He was like, they grind it up. And it was like, like, I don't really know how to describe it. But I don't know if there's like less

Collin  51:41

water in the thick one. I know it is

Brandon  51:45

definitely thicker in the mouth when you're taking it right if deals more. Like

Collin  51:54

thick. I don't really like it's like it's like a Catholic more of a coffee kind of thing. Or like that thicker just

Brandon  52:00

Yeah, I feel like maybe there's more. I don't know if there's more powder to the amount of water you put in there. But it just feels thicker. Right? So like, yeah, like coat your mouth different. It's much, much more potent to like it really tastes like ba boom tea. Right? Oh, that's good. I liked it. Everyone else like the third week as a coffee person, maybe I was like, yeah. It's cool. She had all kinds of different little bowls. Right? Apparently, there's also different bowls for different seasons. Right. Sometimes use the shallower, flatter bowl, sometimes use a steeper sidewall. All right back as I got distracted, that's what I was gonna tell you. So there's like the two main seasons, the hot months and the cold months. But apparently there's also like, subdivisions within each season. And there's like a lot worse there are and I don't know exactly what they're based on. But like she said that those seasons can dictate the stuff that goes into the ceremony like what type of incense there is, what type of tea it is what type of snacks or other little treat things that you have in there.

Collin  53:27

What utensils what clothes you wear.

Brandon  53:33

Like I said the bowl that you use, right? Oh, whether or not the hearth, right, so there's like a whole bunch of like minutiae.

Collin  53:39

That's like crazy. That is crazy. Ah yeah, those are the kind of meat here's

Brandon  53:52

the lady was super interesting to her story is really interesting, right? She's like, Yeah, so I was just like, hanging out. And I you know, she was like a casual Japanese culture enthusiast. Right, you know, or she said, she said, Yeah, you know, I was like, a lot of you. I watch anime, whatever. And then I went to something and I took some there was like, some sort of class or whatever she went to, she was exposed to tea. And she was like, Nope, that's it. I'm doing that in the hall. And she like, got some sort of degree of like Asian Studies, and she went to Kyoto and study with this. Do you all India? Wow. Yeah. That's crazy. But it's like, apparently, it's like, you know, not to stereotype too broadly. But like, a lot of Japanese things are very, like, serious. Oh, yeah. You know, and so like, the tea ceremonies, like, there's lots of these like really minut aspects that are connected to like, different elements of Japanese culture. It sort of like brings everything in together, right, like art and philosophy and religion and architecture. Landscaping cuisine. Oh my crafts even because you can have like floral arrangements and there's like a scroll thing that's really important for in the corner that you have to put there and like the different incense that you have and stuff, right?

Collin  55:12

So it's a kind of a tense, right? It's a big deal.

Brandon  55:21

It was neat, man. So we did meet this lady. Very cool. Her name is Jennifer. By the way, shout out what's up?

Collin  55:28

Okay, so So when she's not being like, tea ceremony extraordinaire, like, is that like, what I just I'm, what kind of, I don't know. Like, I'm now like, kind of day job does this person do or like,

Brandon  55:41

oh, like okay, so she, she does this kind of stuff. A lot. She does classes. She does private events. She also does like she she works out of Northwest Arkansas a lot. So she'll do like she does incense making stuff. She is going to be doing a Japanese floral arranging workshop. Right? She sells T shirts certainties is sometimes, right? She like goes to different festivals. And she like makes treats and she does tea ceremonies. And so she like does all kinds of like she does all the things right? Like she's like taking a bunch of people on a trip to Kyoto. Right in October. She's like, being the tour guide person. That's super cool. Yeah, she does all that stuff. So she's like, really? All over it. Like that's what she Okay, here's, I'll send you her website. Here's your stuff. Yeah, ma'am. Yeah. So she does all kinds of stuff. She's quite

Collin  57:04

busy with it, right.

Brandon  57:08

Yeah. So she travels all over travels a lot. Yeah. Wow.

Collin  57:16

That's super cool. Yeah.

Brandon  57:19

So she's super nice to us. Really sweet lady. Join our class. So we did. Yeah. She does those kinds of things. She does like all kinds of stuff. So yeah, you can also shout out JENNIFER GRAY. What's up? How's it going?

Collin  57:44

Love it. Wow. Okay, well, neat. That's amazing. Yeah,

Brandon  57:48

it was really cool. It was really good. Just like, it was awesome. It was really good.

Collin  57:54

Oh, she's booked out the next six months people in case you're wondering.

57:59

Yeah. Apparently a very busy thing to be doing. Yeah.

Brandon  58:07

She does. He does travel to all these like different events. And I guess in bed, wherever there's like another big Japanese floral garden there. And she does a lot of work out of there in Northeast Arkansas. A lot of her stuff is kind of there. But she's also coming back to Springfield for a couple of things.

Collin  58:27

They're raising money to build an authentic Japanese tea house. Yeah, that's going to require highly skilled Japanese woodworkers and roofing specialists to create their vision like the actual

Brandon  58:43

tea house big the big one big I

Collin  58:47

guess. Yeah. Do you wanna know how much a big and costs? I don't think I probably do. But Hypno Okay, $1.2 million. Who are you?

Brandon  58:56

Well, I mean, a lot of that if it always has to be done by like hand and stuff like,

Collin  59:00

Yeah. And you're if you have people coming over from Japan to build this, like, that's a little of a march to T whisk. Oh my gosh, okay. Anyway, I gotta get off the site. This is

Brandon  59:09

Yeah, right. It's yeah, why we decided that we may I need to get a tea whisk. Because we do have some matcha tea powder. It's probably not. Probably not up to Jennifer Sanders. Don't tell her that we don't have real it's fine. It's fine. She knows we're learning. It's okay.

Collin  59:32

Trying you're trying to show that okay. Yeah. We did try to learn these things, right. Yeah. Yeah.

Brandon  59:42

So she does all the stuff. I don't.

Collin  59:44

That's amazing. That's cool. Yeah, really cool. So

Brandon  59:53

that was our big adventure. ti acquired. They do love it and then of course, there was reading.

Collin  1:00:14

Yes. Yes, it was. Yeah. How many chapters did we say we're going to read again? For four. Okay, I only got two. I only got three. I only did three. Sorry. I just realized I sat down and I was like, Oh,

Brandon  1:00:26

I think I said three anyway, so we'll five okay. That's fine. That's it. Yeah. All right. So you did not read the Merlin's tower chapter.

Collin  1:00:36

I'm sorry. Okay. Yes. All right.

Brandon  1:00:38

That's cool. That's fine. That's fine. That's the three, the three that we the other three go together very well. So this all flowed right through so that's fine. No worries. Yeah.

Collin  1:00:49

Making my note to remind myself and we'll read will read for again next time we'll read for

Brandon  1:00:54

them in a four from where you stopped or fourth step. We

Collin  1:00:58

started 789 10.

1:01:00

All right, next time. Okay. Anyway,

Collin  1:01:02

so now the prologue is over. Ah, man. Hank is a getting introduced himself into some sticky situations here.

Brandon  1:01:10

It's true or out of them. Haha as well. Yeah.

Collin  1:01:16

Yeah. So, yeah,

Brandon  1:01:19

we start so we started four. Yeah, yeah. Four again, picks up where we talked about last week, we're still in the hall, like telling

Collin  1:01:27

the story. Right?

Brandon  1:01:29

Is that where we're at? Yeah, about how, what how he got here. Right. Who is this person? Who is? Why is this guy here, sir. Okay, tell me about where he came from. Right? He is He does start well, he's just like, looking around and like people. And he's like, why? These people are at? Yeah,

Collin  1:01:52

he's he has so much distinct stain, right? Like, where are these people? Like, the jokes are? Like, well, especially dinner Dan, or whatever you pronounce? Yeah. Like the humorous or he's just like, You're not funny. Like, I? This is ridiculous, right?

Brandon  1:02:11

I do. I did like, right. So the he's talking about this guy. He's telling the joke. And it's like the most boring joke of all time. And he can tell that the guy just tells the same joke over and over again. Yes, like, these jokes were rotten. And the rest were petrified. I said petrified was good. And believed myself. That was the only right way to make classy. The majestic age of some of these jokes was by geologic periods. But that neat little idea hid in a blank place for geology hadn't been invented yet. Right? Yeah. However, however, made a note of the remark and calculated to educate the Commonwealth up to it when I pulled through. It is no use to throw away a good thing merely because it hasn't ripened yet.

Collin  1:02:54

Yes. Yeah. So he just was like, You know what, I'm sticking with this. That's what I'm doing.

Brandon  1:02:59

I was like, he made a joke. And oh, my God, he's like, I'm saving that one for later. It's

Collin  1:03:02

lost on you. You're not good. Yeah, no, but um,

Brandon  1:03:05

let's put that one save it back home. It was also a side note in this again, just, I was when I was reading these chapters. Like I basically was done reading like five seconds. Because they read so. Well, well, yeah. Just the way that Twain writes. Like, how he writes how people speak. Yes. And

Collin  1:03:33

write in a clunky way. Like, no, like, it really is. The conversation truly. Blows when you are reading this?

Brandon  1:03:43

Yeah, even just his prose just when even when it's like, the internal monologue. Right is like it just like blitzes through write. And it's because sometimes there was one gentleman or one paragraph was I can't find it now. But like, you're just reading it. And it's like, it's a whole paragraph in the book, and it's basically just a sentence, right? But you don't even really notice, because of the way that he uses punctuation, semicolons and colons comments, right, it just like flows through, like how people talk, right? You can kind of read it in a cadence that makes sense, but it's not stilted. And the dialogue, like he said, his dialogue is very good. And even though he's trying to write some of these dialogue room, like the old timey language, right, and it kind of comes off as weird, like even that dialogue still flows pretty fine and it doesn't really it doesn't interrupt the pace too much. So it's like it's really I like it's really, like fun to read.

Collin  1:04:51

How he writes. Right? Walk. Oh, you're going on again. Sorry, no, I had muted cough and I had forgotten to unmute myself. Alright, let's make

Brandon  1:05:06

sure we didn't have a problem today.

Collin  1:05:07

Oh my gosh, it was so bad anyway. But yes, it is because you're you just he somehow find found a way to tighten it. I looked into more of his writings like this. That was just his gift of making words digestible easily. Like just they just they do just roll right through.

Brandon  1:05:33

Yeah. So anyway, we get through this suitcase story. Right. And he's talking about like,

Collin  1:05:38

how

Brandon  1:05:42

he found him in the far off land of barbarians, and they all wore the same ridiculous clothes and produce clothes are enchanted. Yes. It recruited to make that so that you can't harm him. And so like everybody started, like freaking out. Like, oh, no, this is so scary. He's impervious to danger. He's just sitting there going like, what? Because it's like so clearly false, that he's just like, he lets me believe this. Like, yeah, well,

Collin  1:06:17

I love I just yeah, he's just standing there. Right? You just tell like, he's just like, you can imagine somebody standing there with their arms kind of out to their sides with their hands up and just like looking from left to right, like, either, like, really like, this is really like no, like, there's no way like, the size of a cow. The could the stone was thrown at him to.

Brandon  1:06:37

He's talking about how giant these people were right. He spoke with me all the time. And the blandest way this prodigious giant, this horrible sky tally monster skipped out and he's like, everybody took all this Bosch in the Navy's way never smiled or seem to notice that there was any discrepancy between these waters has dismissed and me.

Collin  1:06:59

He's like, I'm clearly not a giant. I'm clearly what are you talking about? Uh huh.

Brandon  1:07:10

Right, so we've decided that, oh, he's dangerous, and he must be put to death. And they're like, he's like, Oh, no. And then all of the people are like, but how can we kill him? His clothing makes him impervious? Yes. You're

Collin  1:07:27

like, take them off. Yeah. Was that Maria was in Berlin. I think it was. Yeah, it

Brandon  1:07:35

was Arthur. Arthur.

Collin  1:07:37

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, Oh, dang. It's like, ah, oh, no, it was Yeah. Yes. They were so troubled by about my enchanted clothes that they were mightily reviled or relieved. Alas, when old Merlin's swept away for them with a common sense hint. He asked them why they were so dull, which didn't occur to them just.

Brandon  1:08:01

So these days, they're the middle of court like they could Dow, like,

Collin  1:08:06

dig it, and it gets carried off to jail.

Brandon  1:08:12

Sadness where he woke up, hoping that he'd be dreaming his whole thing. Right? That's the first thing he says what kind of is like, ah, can't wait to get a good laugh out of this and get to work. And then he looks around. It's like, dang it. He's like, Man,

Collin  1:08:31

I love I just didn't heard the harsh music of rusty chains and bolts. light flashed before my eyes.

Brandon  1:08:39

Oh, oh, no. That's good. That's all all. Clarence is just here. Coming to see how he's doing. marking everything up again.

Collin  1:08:57

starts asking for some help with the escape though,

Brandon  1:08:59

right? Yeah, it's true. He's like, ah, we can get out and he's like, what's No he can't. He's like, Oh, look, look here. I'm gonna tell you. I like here. This is where he kind of comes up with his plan. He's like, Yeah, so he, he's had this big long monologue. He's like, Well, what am I gonna do? I have to think my way out of this, right? Yeah, I'm gonna escape blah, blah. He's like, how are you gonna escape? And he's like, Well, I'm a better wizard didn't murder. Well,

Collin  1:09:31

because up to this, to this point, like, up to this point. Clarence is telling him like, you can't escape out of this. And Merlin has an all spells all around. Nobody can get out of this because of Merlin and Merlin as basically putting him up with like, you know, and obviously Hank doesn't he's like, whatever. Like, that's not real. But like, he's now trying to think of ways to now Yeah, with that.

Brandon  1:09:52

Yeah, I like it was like, Oh, that people humbug

Collin  1:10:00

He decided to wait. What is it? That he's goes off? It's just Yeah. So he's

Brandon  1:10:10

like I've known Merlin for hundreds of years. Like, what do you think Don't interrupt me? Yes, he has died and come alive again 13 times and traveled under a new name every time. A new alias every time he turns up. I knew him in Egypt. 300 years ago, I knew him in India 500 years ago. He's always bluffing around in my way, everywhere I go, he makes me tired.

Collin  1:10:34

So

Brandon  1:10:36

just love this plan of like, oh, yeah, that schmuck. He's always I've known him forever. But you know, he's kind of like, also I think he's sort of being like I know I've known people like this my whole life right? Oh, yeah, they're like so hard and like they just know everything and you're saying

Collin  1:10:55

go away? Yeah, well, he calls him I want you to get the words the king that I'm a magician myself and the supreme Grand High muckety muck

Brandon  1:11:06

that was a tribe with that you know, whatever it just, you know, blah blah

Collin  1:11:13

blah, you get that to the king for me.

Brandon  1:11:16

So he just like casually throws this out here. And is the poor boy was in such a state that he gets hardly answer me like terrified this kid. Right? He's like, Oh, no, because he's already scared of Merlin. So when this guy is like, oh, no, my plan is to be more better than Berlin. Ah, like actually backfires slightly and scares clarens Too much. Yes. Yeah. It's like, alright, not foreshadowing for next chapter at all. But it?

Collin  1:11:50

Yeah, well, and then he's like, oh, did I overplay my hand too much. And his hit Claire is going to be now start going like, wait a minute, is he if he's such a big bad magician guy, like, why is he gonna start putting two and two together on this? Like, yeah, how do I get caught like this?

Brandon  1:12:09

Mr. He does also say oh, it occurred to me that I had made another blunder I had sent that boy off to alarm his betters with a threat. No. He did say that. Oh, yeah. Well, you know, I'm gonna do this and blah, blah. And so bah. So he did kind of think like, ooh, Did I did I mess this up? So yeah. But he also says, I sent him off to go get the king without fully developing my plan. Yes, I have. So So Oh, no, I've got to think about what to say if King actually comes down here. He's like, I can't I probably should have come up with a plan first.

Collin  1:12:49

Before that. Yeah. What do

Brandon  1:12:52

ya he's like, I messed up here. I didn't do this in the right order. Yeah, I suppose they should ask the name of this calamity. Yes, I had indeed made a blunder.

Collin  1:13:11

But then it comes to him in an instance of just like, what is check offs gun that was placed above the mantle with Yes, it's back Eclipse has made an appearance.

Brandon  1:13:22

Yeah. for very long. As it says, Yes, I will. He says that he will block out the sun right now. So that that's going to be his big, his big calamity. Right? So he did that. So he that's what he claimed to do. He's like, I'm just gonna block out the sun. And we're gonna do this and it's gonna be terrible.

1:13:59

Blah, blah. He like is very dramatic about it. Right. He says, Go back until the king that at the hour I will smother the whole world and the dead blackness of midnight. I will blot out the sun and he shall never shine again. The fruits of the air show rot for lack of light and warmth and the peoples of the earth shall finish and die. So the last man Ah, yes, again, he sort of overdid it a little bit there that's good

1:14:30

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He really

Collin  1:14:33

the 20th Yes. Am I to be part of the live tomorrow? Yes. And what our noon high noon right it just again the writing here is just it's so boom, boom, boom, it's so quick hitting because yeah, like I really liked this and for a reader. Now this is this kind of story is hard to read aloud to somebody because it is hard to have that back quick back and forth conversation while reading. But like Yeah, but like When you're just reading it to yourself, it's like yeah, this this part of this please kind of back and forth because it's an ease out saying at what our parents asked at high noon, I proclaimed, it's like no,

Brandon  1:15:10

yeah, it's just Pow, pow, pow, pow.

1:15:12

Yeah, it's so good. Do this. I

Brandon  1:15:14

love this. Hemingway would be proud, right? Just bam, bam, bam, bam.

Collin  1:15:17

Yep. Yes. I had to carry that. Yeah. And then I had to compare it to boy out myself. He sunk into such a collapse over to the soldiers and with poor clearance.

Brandon  1:15:35

Yeah, really? Yeah, he's having a rough time here. That brings us to the next chapter. Right? Z Eclipse. Right? Now we have a bit of a problem, right? Because he kind of freaks out a little bit too early. Because, right? He's just kind of hanging out. And he's just waiting for the next day, right? Because this is the day after. He's supposed to be executed in two days.

Collin  1:16:04

Right? That's kind of what's happened here. Supposed to be the day after tomorrow. Yeah. And so

Brandon  1:16:08

now, this next chapter is like the next day. So he's just kind of waiting around. He's thinking about it. He's trying to figure out what to do. He says, Yeah, he wanted to gather this Triumph. And he was trying to figure out what he's gonna do after that, like after he proved this, he's going to kind of lay his plans for whatever and get ready. And all of a sudden, the door opens and some people come, and they're like, the steak is ready. And he's like, what's, what do you mean?

Collin  1:16:43

Yes, this is a mistake. The execution is tomorrow, say order changed, and so forward a day.

Brandon  1:16:51

Basically, I was lost, there was no help. I was days to provide no command to myself. I only wanted purposely about Oh, yes. Yeah. Like he's kind of freaking out. Right? Yeah. He's like, Oh, no, what happened? Right, and we find out that the reason is because he had told Claire's that his power would be the greatest in two days. So Clarence convinces everybody that in order to avoid this terrible catastrophe, we should move it up a day. Yes, because he won't be strong. Because he scared him so badly. Yes, his rhetoric about being a magician and Murthy like horrified clear. He's not become dead with the sun blacked out. Yeah, he's as you will

Collin  1:17:50

not need to do the sun a real hurt off forget not that on your soul. Forget it that only make a little darkness only the littlest little darkness mind sees but that will be such. They will see. Oh

Brandon  1:18:08

it's Oh. It's like we're doing this for yours. He's like, for my sake. Thanks. So I got to the whole deal. He gets taken out there. He sees the giant crowd. There's a big steak in the middle of the courtyard with tons of firewood underneath.

Collin  1:18:36

Right? Yes. Like, Oh, no.

Brandon  1:18:41

It's just all type, like, horrified, and try to figure out what he's gonna do. But that's difficult because it's too hard. Right? Like it's too much and too bad and too horrible. So he's just waiting there. The priest comes up, starts talking in Latin. Right? What then?

Collin  1:19:06

Dun, dun, dun. Is this. What's this? Right?

1:19:12

He looked up into the sky. And the life went boiling through my veins. I was a new man, the rim of the black spread, the rim of blacks spread slowly into the sun's discs, my heart be higher and higher. And still the assemblage and the priests stared into the sky. Right? Turns out Claire's told them the wrong day earlier.

Collin  1:19:32

Nope, he had no idea

Brandon  1:19:39

because Claire's told her the wrong day earlier he calculated incorrectly. Right? And so but now it turns out, it was actually the eclipses today.

Collin  1:19:55

Yeah, yeah. I was just I was in the most grand attitude. I ever struck with my arm stretched up pointing to the sun, it was a noble effect. You could ever see the shutter. It's very true, right? It's like, yeah,

Brandon  1:20:11

I will point out, right? We'll point out a small problem with this part. Because, right, as we all know, we have experienced a solar eclipse this year. So good timing, was it booked? Weirdly, look at this. Again, the more awkward the good timing here. But as you will know, if you are not wearing the appropriate eyewear, you actually cannot see the moon covering the sun. No, like we there's not a thing that you can actually see. We can see the lunar eclipse just fine. But not the solar one. You can only notice the effect of everything getting dark. Yes. Right. You cannot actually see the rim of black spread slowly into the sun's days.

Collin  1:21:05

Well, I'm gonna throw that out there. Okay, fine, fine. Thanks.

Brandon  1:21:09

I'm just saying next time I want anybody. There's more, there's more eclipses in southern hemisphere, okay, this year, and I don't want any of your friends going out there and be like, Well, Mark Twain said you just said no, no, no, don't go staring at the sun. Don't do that. Write a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood science teacher. Hey, go.

Collin  1:21:34

Doo doo doo. Yeah, and well, and then the king and Merlin kind of have a little struggle over here about exactly what's going to do happen. Like I think Merlin has a little bit interested in going ahead and lighting the pyre, yeah,

Brandon  1:21:52

two to two shots ring out simultaneously apply the torch and know like, Oh, it is definitely like now just burn him and get over with

Collin  1:22:03

it's fine. Move this on.

Brandon  1:22:09

Then, like, he's our boy. Hank here is like, still in a quandary? Because they're like, stop it. And he's like, Well, I can't actually do anything to that. So I have to stall and play for time. And they're like, You should stop. He's like, I'll consider it. What do you do if I do stuff?

Collin  1:22:30

Well, then he's like, not long. Half an hour. Maybe? Yeah,

Brandon  1:22:34

maybe? Because he's like, I don't remember how long these things actually last. So yeah. Half an hour is about right now. Sounds pretty good.

Collin  1:22:44

Right? But

Brandon  1:22:50

now I got to stall and play for time because I don't know what to do next. So they like use this time to negotiate terms. Right. eyes mouth, make the most out. Make the most

Collin  1:23:11

Yeah, so he's kind of doing this, like, what you see on plays are like a really, he's really having to like stretch it, stretch it and like also have reasons for like, why he's not stopping it and like what he's gonna get, and he's now in this like, bargaining phase of like, how, like, when does he know? To cut it off and be like, Okay, that's enough. And like, is it gonna reach whatever like you can just tell like, there's all these timing aspect to it. What he's going to try and do. Yeah, he's got

Brandon  1:23:36

like, one eye on the king one eye on the shadows, like getting wider yet. Can I agree? Okay. Yeah, yeah. Basically, he says, Ah, just I want you to, you can still be king do your kingly stuff, right. But make me some kind of minister and give me 1% of any increase in revenue over this certain amount. Right and your stuff? Uh huh. Right, because he's now one gonna be put in a position to because he thinks that he is just so far above these people with his you know, modern sensibilities that he's gonna get it all whipped into shape. And so he wants just to make the most of it and get a percentage increase on any any prison increase happens. Give me kind of it. So it's definitely getting whipped into shape in no time. Right.

Collin  1:24:44

He agrees to that.

1:24:47

Obviously. And then I do. I do like how he says,

Collin  1:24:55

as he's kind of coming down from this, he's like, and if I might ask them I like Lowe's brought again?

Brandon  1:25:03

Still naked here, but can I get some clothes? And they're like, No, you can't have your clothes back because they still his clothes are magical. So they're like, bring him new clothes. And he's like, Oh, okay. As long as I have some clothes stand out here.

Collin  1:25:17

Yeah, that's the great.

1:25:21

Ah, yeah.

Collin  1:25:25

I love him. And at last, this eclipse was total. And I was very glad of it. But everybody else was in misery, which was quite natural. Because, okay, yeah, they're just absolutely terrified of him. And he's, he's, you know, he's now like, he's on the downhill slope of this. Now. He's like, Okay, now we can start. We can move on from this, right.

Brandon  1:25:45

Yeah. And he's like, all right, he like makes a big scene of like, okay, go back to normal rice as a just pass away. Everything's let the champion dissolve and pass away harmlessly. And then everyone was excited about that. They're like, Yay, and then this left, right. Yeah, he is put himself at a interesting position here. Right. For our next chapter. The be kind of a big, big shot, right? He's trying to wheel up the political ladder here. Use this idea. Now, I think, interestingly, right. My big takeaway from this chapter, other than I really liked reading Twain, because it's really easy to read. Uh, huh. Is that is this? I don't know the answer to this question. So this is just my postulation is that this is like a trope.

1:26:44

Right now. Like the Time Traveller, predicting things that he knows is going to happen. Yes, right. Is this

Brandon  1:26:56

a Twain invention? Oh, is this the first time this happened? Where he's,

Collin  1:27:01

yeah, using modern knowledge? Gosh, yeah.

Brandon  1:27:06

Because I know, they're in like, random movies and stuff. They, they've done this before. Now, some of those movies I think, are based pretty heavily on this story. None of that counts. But like, I do know that they in some other works there are like, that are like in time travel fiction. People do use knowledge from the future to gain something in the past. And is that a Twain thing? Right, because this is one of the first time travel books ever and I don't know if it's because I know HG Wells Time Machine was as printed after this. Right. And that whole book is about trying to change stuff. So but that's like for whatever he's trying to save his girlfriend or whatever. But like, still, but this is like

Collin  1:27:57

a manipulating the past to gain. Like the Back to the Future sports book thing? Yes. Or like,

Brandon  1:28:05

you know, that kind of deal. Like is that? I think the Eclipse has been used in the seven movies. Yeah. Is this right? The Eclipse is a thing specifically.

Collin  1:28:15

But like, is this secretly

Brandon  1:28:20

have Mark Twain invention in the Sci Fi travel time traveling genre?

Collin  1:28:27

Yeah, because that because it is important to note like the It's and we're not talking about time travel, because even like something like Rip Van Winkle is time travel. Right. But that's yeah, future. But like, he's not what this is the very specific, like, I'm going back in time backwards, the outer knowledge to get something to gain to benefit to influence or to impress somebody based off of what I have.

Brandon  1:28:50

Yeah. So like, I feel like that may be like, secretly a Mark Twain. Original trope here. I don't know. I don't know how to do it. Maybe I'll just research on this early sort of thought about this earlier today. Like is that like a secret Mark Twain legacy? Oh, right. Like is was that evil? Dead three, right, where he goes back in time, and he does all this. Right?

Collin  1:29:28

Is that Mark Twain? Right. Yeah. Right. I think that's Well, I'm gonna real quick and I am on TV tropes.org. And apparently what these folks do is they break down tropes in TV shows. Like, and I

Brandon  1:29:56

like this. I like

Collin  1:29:59

this one. They actually have literature A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court that says This work contains examples of, and then all, all of the tropes.

Brandon  1:30:11

Specifically, I want to know where the Reno's but no, no, no accidental time travel. Yes.

Collin  1:30:19

Oh, specific I'm looking at the, the trope of a, quote, convenient Eclipse, one of the most iconic titles, and probably the place where this trope is usually drawn from.

1:30:32

Ah, there we go. So, yes, yeah, this

1:30:38

is insane.

Brandon  1:30:39

Alright, bookmark this and come back to this as we read more. Yes,

Collin  1:30:43

I think what is a trope binder so you can

Brandon  1:30:48

Okay guys this is Oh, this is the second best website on the internet right he clips only a course by our favorite website, cinema cast calm and shout out. We haven't talked about that a long time. So I already

Collin  1:31:06

know but I'm just gonna I'm gonna include a link in the show notes just because it deserves that.

Brandon  1:31:12

Does. Your mind is this thing? Okay. Yeah, we're Yeah, we're bookmarking this and we're gonna come back to this as I keep reading because as we're only a few chapters in I don't want to make too many spoilers for myself here. But no, but definitely towards the end. I think we're definitely come back. We may use this website to talk about some of these tropes more detail pixel impact

Collin  1:31:34

on the future. Yeah.

1:31:37

Yeah.

Collin  1:31:38

Let me just remind everybody of cinema cats.com It just does. daily posts about cats in cinema. From the movies of all time. whines like she just did. She just June 16 post about dustbins from 1941. You got Yeah, okay. Anyway, I liked all these. Sorry, go ahead.

Brandon  1:32:04

I was gonna say is there I wonder I know there's an old movie about a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. I wonder if there's a cat.

Collin  1:32:12

The ultimate crossover? No, I don't see this now. Hmm. Do you want me to answer this question for you? Yeah. Yes.

Brandon  1:32:36

Beautiful. Ah. Oh, that's this is the this is what I needed. Thank you. Yeah, I'm gonna have to watch that movie. I'll say

Collin  1:32:47

1949 1949 A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Do you want me to Okay, ready early in the film? Hank is working in his blacksmith shop and an automobile automobile. He sings a song. At the end of the song Hank is banging on the car and stops and reaches inside. He pulled out an orange cat by the scruff. Yes. Yes. Oh, this is great.

Brandon  1:33:15

This is excellent. That's exactly what I need. Is that perfect? I don't. That's

Collin  1:33:22

amazing. Okay, that's cool. Great. Great look at internet doing is doing its job. My goodness. Thank you. Yes. Perfect. Cheese, okay. I like it. Ah, all right.

Brandon  1:33:47

So there we go. Perfect. Chapters done. So just for clarification, yes. That means we stopped this time on. We just read what chapter was that? Went through six. Okay, so next week, you want to read 789 10?

Collin  1:34:00

We will talk more chapters next week. Yes. Seven, eight.

1:34:04

I have written down my thing. Don't forget that. Yes. Yep. Sounds

Collin  1:34:10

Go confidently read three chapters. And then as soon as I sat down, my brain went

Brandon  1:34:16

was it three? All right. No, no, it's fine. That's okay. Those three go really together. And then the next one starts off kind of like on a new thing. Oh, look, this is really fine. It's alright, because the next one kind of is like it's a whole new

Collin  1:34:33

deal. Okay. Okay. did exactly what I was supposed to do. Yeah,

Brandon  1:34:36

exactly. It works out better this way. Perfect. So well, to closing out my Mark Twain quote of the week Mark Twain quote of the week Right? This one right because we're this works out good to write in and on such a happy note. Right? Finding out that our friends at cinema can't suck. have watched the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court and recorded the cat's force right right this this court is about why being angry he's right. That was good. Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything is poured.

Collin  1:35:19

Whoo even Ryan's

Brandon  1:35:25

There you go. So be happy. Enjoy basically love it. Oh, perfect. And I did also not forget my Haiku this time. Okay, right this time I had the opposite problem. I had the opening and ending line and I couldn't think of the middle for Lockton. But I remembered and I got it so here we go. Peaceful surrounding roiling cup breaks the stillness. Spirit, lifting sip.

Collin  1:36:14

Nice. Okay. I

Brandon  1:36:20

think it was important that I write a haiku about tea, just to really bring it all together. I

Collin  1:36:26

think it was. It was an absolute necessity to do that. So. Okay, that's perfect. And we're happy we're drinking good tea. Some others are off off to the races. So Excellent. Well, on that delicious note, mula. All right. Loving