Toast & Roast

121: From bad backpacks to bad books

Episode Summary

Geoff can’t resist talking about backpacks again, supermarket drive-thrus and gut health enter the convo, and Georgie hates on a terribly written book.

Episode Notes

✍🏻 View the transcript for this episode on our website.

Geoff can’t resist talking about backpacks again, supermarket drive-thrus and gut health enter the convo, and Georgie hates on a terribly written book.

We’ve gone old school, so email us! toastroastpod@gmail.com

Episode Transcription

Georgie  0:09  

Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of Toast &. Roast. I'm your co host, Georgie and as always, I'm here with Jeff.

 

Geoff  0:16  

Yes, we got it right this time.

 

Georgie  0:20  

What did we do wrong?

 

Geoff  0:23  

We did I insure it. substage really wrong.

 

Georgie  0:27  

You forgot? Actually intro?

 

Geoff  0:31  

Oh, yeah, I think so. But we're back. And I got a major update. I have changed backpack brands

 

Georgie  0:48  

I don't. What was that?

 

Geoff  0:50  

You were totally expecting something else?

 

Georgie  0:52  

Oh, no, no. See, the thing is, I don't know if I was expecting something else. Or I was just not expecting that. So I hear you go. I have. And you said, I don't know when you said I, right. Obviously won't do it about yourself. But for some reason I was thinking alright, have you sold your apartment? Or have you move? Something that's not like because I feel like you would have told me if you have another country for example. So your backpack? Is this the one that they gave you replacements for

 

Geoff  1:25  

a Yeah, so yeah. For those who don't know. Well, maybe haven't have only started studying since episode. I don't know, 20 or 30. I've been using Peak Design backpacks for the longest time. And, I mean, they've served the like the original one was kick started. So it was a huge risk to begin with. But it was like, not even joking, like a third of the price that you would pay these days for Peak Design backpack. I think retail $430 for a Peak Design backpack now. And I paid 170 Probably 170. Ish. US dollars, US dollars, one USD, two a day. So that was like 253. So I paid half price essentially back then. And then back every now and then there's like some weird, weird defect that I come across. Come on. Well, the first one was,

 

Georgie  2:33  

was the fabric. Fabric.

 

Geoff  2:35  

I remember one of them was sort of like the zippers. The water seeped through the zippers and they and their marketing is essentially about what it does not get into your backpack. So there that it's like, it's one of those companies that give you a lifetime warranty. So I tested the ship, right.

 

Georgie  2:54  

They stuck true to their word. Yeah.

 

Geoff  2:56  

Yeah. I think the like the zipper, the thing that pulls the zipper just started to tear or something started to tear. And I told them about it. They're like, that's cool. We'll send you a new one. And then the water seeps through. And then they're like, that's cool. We'll send you a new one. So I just kept passing my backpack like down to or whoever ever wanted needed a backpack at the time. So right now, so yeah, so they sent me the latest version of their backpack and I was not a fan it

 

Georgie  3:33  

because you said change it. Some of the features also changed.

 

Geoff  3:37  

Yeah, yeah, they divided the pockets more they. But the thing is, the MacBook got huge, like, I got a 16 inch for work. And when you say I'm one second to them to yank, I can't remember

 

Georgie  3:53  

16 Yeah. Chunky boy. Yeah. So

 

Geoff  3:57  

as soon as you put it in, so the laptop slot is actually split into three different like pockets. Like what is

 

Georgie  4:07  

it? A single single thing? Three things really different?

 

Geoff  4:11  

Yeah, through different areas. So there's there's a shallow pocket to begin with that soft can put sunglasses something in that. Yeah. And then you and then you move over to the to the main main laptop compartment. That's that's got us that's got a smaller pocket dividing it for a tablet. And then you can put the back you can put the laptop next.

 

Georgie  4:33  

Let me guess it does not fit. If you put anything inside the shallower pockets, the laptop does not fit. No

 

Geoff  4:40  

the laptop fits. You can't. You can't access any of the other pockets as soon as you put a 616 inch laptop and that because it's just that takes up so much space that the entry point for the shallow pocket becomes really difficult to get to. And then the tablet spot is Again, you got a case on my I got a case on my tablet that's like crammed even further and I can't reach that either. So imagine going through an airport. And I'm like, my fingers essentially, like, really like, I can't lift the laptop out without like my fingers slipping and then like just me hurting myself getting the laptop.

 

Georgie  5:22  

But is does it actually fill up the whole space? Yeah, like to the edge to the edge. It's just like

 

Geoff  5:28  

Instagram. Yeah, I can still zip things. But everything is so tightly bound that it's really like you can't lift anything out of there.

 

Georgie  5:37  

Yeah, so that's a feel like a problem with some of these bags is that some of the pockets was like take up space from the another compartment. Yeah, and therefore, supposed to render them a little bit useless if you've got other stuff in the main vertical, vice versa. Yeah,

 

Geoff  5:56  

that was something that from the original one that I really appreciate it is that they really they tried. And they succeeded in not encroaching on a lot of the space. So for one, for one instance, they kept this in the new one. But there's what there's two pockets on the side, for water bottle and a second, whatever. Like, actually, it's a camera bag. So you put a tripod in there, but yes umbrella. And no, if you look at a lot of bags that have side pockets, a lot of the times the pockets go inwards, so they actually reduce the amount of space that's inside the bag. These these ones go outwards, so they actually don't take up inside. So it's additional, which is really good. But then you get to the side pockets on the inside of like the flaps, it's really hard to describe on like on on like audio, but they've got like inside pockets. And the moment you start putting shit in there. They got shelves, so like crushes up against the shelves and the shelves all bend and it's a little sort of like it just got way too unwieldy. Anyways, so my partner has gotten really used to having the shelves because like you can put lunch boxes and you can put stuff on top of lunch box, everything stays horizontal in this bag. So you can imagine it's really good to put lunchbox and other stuff, of course. But yeah, it's really nice to have things horizontal for the most part. And the shelves mean that you know you don't just rummage through your bag endlessly trying to find shit. inside pocket access, you can actually see and take anything out from each of the shelves. Anyways, so I know you recently like got your your backpack which one did you get? Again?

 

Georgie  7:49  

I got the Bellroy that transit backpack 38 litres.

 

Geoff  7:54  

That's it? Because this is not your everyday backpack? Is it? No.

 

Georgie  8:00  

So my my backpack that I take to when I can be bothered to the co working space is actually one of Nick's old, in case backpacks. He was gonna get rid of it just because like you were saying one of the pull tabs just ripped off and I was like, bro, I can still close the entire backpack and the backpack is really nice. It's fine. So I decided to just take it before he was going to actually just get get rid of it and it fits your like 1516 inch laptop, which is my work laptop. I do have a Crumpler bag for which I don't really use anymore, but my personal laptop is like a 13 inch MacBook. So my Yeah, my bag that I take to work and if I need to take my work laptop is this old encase bag that has like a dedicated laptop bit inside and it just feels like it has a lot of space. Like I wouldn't drink bottle and then whatever. There's no shelving or anything fancy, but it's pretty sizable. I don't know how many litres it is though.

 

Geoff  9:01  

And that's the thing. I found that what I take to work is like well, is a keyboard, a mouse and the laptop. It's literally all I need to take to work and I don't need such a complex as shelved like multi pocketed backpack. That alone alone weighs a kilo. Let me like fact check this quickly. But I think alone it does weigh Yeah, there you go. 1.6 kilos without dividers, and it's two kilos with the dividers. Cheese. And I'm like taking this on a plane as well. So I packed like the lightest amount of things, but I still reached like seven kilos really fast because as soon as you put a laptop and an iPad in that it's it's like five kilos and you're done. So I had never realised that this bag weighed two kilos. As by itself, which is actually quite ridiculous. But yeah, so you got this. Yeah,

 

Georgie  10:08  

I bought that specifically for travelling like as to replace this not really replace but in place of a suitcase. Yeah. Carry on suitcase.

 

Geoff  10:17  

So see? Yep. Now? Oh, yeah. So the one of the pull tabs fell off was ripped off, and I was like, I'm either gonna get rid of this or I'm just gonna find a friend that needs backpack. And it just so happens. Friends stopped by. And I was like, by any chance do you need a backpack in the light? I'm actually looking for a friend for free. Yeah, I want to give it to my friend for free. But they've like seriously wanted to give me money for No, no, no, like 50 bucks. All right, like, because

 

Georgie  10:49  

do they know about your debacle that you got on for free? Cuz I

 

Geoff  10:53  

yeah, I told them every that I was just like, look, you can just take it for free. And like knife. They feel really bad for taking stuff for free. Because it's such a nice backpack. They forced they forced me they they asked I wasn't planning on telling them. But they were like, how much does it cost retail? No, I don't want to tell you because now you'll be like, wanting to give me money for it.

 

Georgie  11:14  

So that when you're the last one, you got it? Did you give that to your partner? Or? Yeah,

 

Geoff  11:20  

yeah. So I've, I've had like three or four of these, I think three of these. And you've managed to get rid of every single every single one of them is like the first one that I had to get rid of. I gave it to one of my work colleagues at the time. And then the second one I had to get rid of is this one that my that my friend took? Because really you can tie a ribbon around and then like replace the pull tab. It's not like yeah,

 

Georgie  11:49  

like it's trivial. You just thought I'm gonna complain and get a free why exactly. You said lifetime guarantee

 

Geoff  11:55  

you, you guys like this is supposed to be rugged stuff, like they like go to mountains through this stuff. But if your tabs just like recall them, it's useless. And then like and then now the third one, which is the one that I didn't quite like the new new configuration it has gotten to my partner. Her laptop is like a 14 inch it's just it's trivial to put it in there and doesn't carry a tablet or anything. Anyways, so So yeah, a lot of circumstances changed and I was just thinking I spent months looking for backpacks. It's like the hardest it's the hardest thing to shop for even your Bellroy thing I was looking at that and I was thinking you know what, it's kind of a small one. Yeah, it's kind of weird how it opens like a like a clamshell and that is so transit. Like this is how you pack clothes you don't Yeah, it's not a super like day bag. Yeah, it's not how you pack for offices. They do have an office back like office type backpack as well. In any case, I was thinking you know what I don't quite like any of these things that have this clamshell thing and the pocket inside inside the main area for

 

Georgie  13:15  

like you got to open the main areas before you get to the IV

 

Geoff  13:19  

very much prefer a pocket on the outside so I'm gonna drum roll what's it called?

 

Georgie  13:30  

You did not rehearse way we never rehearse.

 

Geoff  13:32  

This is true non rehearsal. Oh, stubble and CO

 

Georgie  13:38  

okay, I don't know if I've heard of this stumbling

 

Geoff  13:40  

curve. Alright. So this is continue continue

 

Georgie  13:46  

from the UK

 

Geoff  13:48  

oh I don't know about that. See that mission?

 

Georgie  13:52  

I'm guessing based on what it went to

 

Geoff  13:57  

like oh went to the UK pounds yeah

 

Georgie  13:59  

I think it went to great British isn't great British Britain Great Britain pound whatever GBP British

 

Geoff  14:07  

Pound Great Britain pound probably they don't tell you where they're based but it's probably about us this is the about us for functionality performance for the City and beyond and design for every journey Yeah, United Kingdom is that like top thing anyways, they're probably they're probably UK based.

 

Georgie  14:38  

Plus for for country code. That is I'm pretty sure that's the UK.

 

Geoff  14:45  

So so my hunt my requirements are a separate laptop slot slot that can hold a 16 inch probably just by itself doesn't need to have anything fancy with that slot. Next, Next requirements vertical I like vertical pockets, because everything was super horizontal. So if I wanted to put a keyboard in my bag, I just have to rip all the shelves out or like fold the shelves so that I could put keyboard vertically down my backpack. That was really annoying. Yeah. And two pockets on the outside sides of the bag. You would be really surprised how many backpacks out there?

 

Georgie  15:24  

Don't have it.

 

Geoff  15:26  

Don't have to. Yeah, actually,

 

Georgie  15:28  

my Bellroy one has one. But it's one of those ones like you're saying it, it takes up space on the inside. And it's not a it's really it's annoying actually. Like I don't even use it because it's hard to even fit a bottle in there. I'm like, Yeah, supposed to be easy access in my opinion. So I liked the ones that haven't won the sides. So

 

Geoff  15:47  

I found this one where it's super vertical. And this is just it's changed everything. This pocket. This bigger pocket is exactly the size of my keyboard. So just slot the book the key one there. Yeah. And I do I take my Magic Mouse, not Magic Mouse my Magic Trackpad. So then I just stopped the Magic Trackpad in another another notebook notebook pocket. And then and then I've, I've gotten a USB A two USB C cable and with a Lightning adapter because my fucking air pods are still opening. Yeah. And my phone is now see. So I'm like, I've consolidated everything into the single cable that charges and then there's one pocket that fits my massive battery back pocket battery bank. And that's it. That's all that needs to go in there. I rolled the jumper, put it at the bottom of the bigger compartment and hey, presto, that's all I carry. It's less than a kilo. And made of recycled material and semi waterproof. Look. I'm not taking my backpack out and torrential rain ever again. Because I don't think anything can be trusted. Yeah, no. That's why they have shells. Right the the water Protective Shells for all this travel slash backpack things. Yeah. Anyways, so yeah, this stubble and CO it's black. It's sleek. It's less than a kilo. It's probably much better to carry it is much better carry around.

 

Georgie  17:21  

And nice shape. Yeah,

 

Geoff  17:25  

it is quite a nice shape. And of course. Ah, you also inspired me to consider a light backpack. Yeah, as well. The foldable kind, that it just so happens that they also sold a foldable backpack. So I went so like your

 

Georgie  17:53  

your travels. And you need one to kind of like Yeah,

 

Geoff  17:55  

yeah. And we're not even travelled. We've used it like, three or four times.

 

Georgie  18:01  

Oh my god. Yeah. So like, yeah, if you want to go to the shops, and you fold up the tiny house, but it's great. Yeah. Yeah.

 

Geoff  18:07  

So it's sort of like, well, I don't want to carry this backpack, this heavier one. And all we need to do is like, unfold it when we get there. Put stuff into it. It's yeah, it's pretty good. went to the movies and just chucked a whole bunch of like, snacks and shit into it and just put on it back and walked out. It's pretty good. Nice. So yeah, ultra light because we are going on travel as well. And all you need to do is carry like a water bottle. You don't want you don't need as complex like compartment system.

 

Georgie  18:41  

So I have a collapsible water bottle. And if you have seen it, it rolls up right? Really? Yeah. Yeah, when it's empty, you roll it up. And then there's this silicone like sort of strap that goes around it and under the lid so that it just rolls up into small and so funny because I got it because of that purpose. But sometimes I find that I'm actually it encourages me to drink more water. So some days I never actually ended up emptying it but it is very convenient. It's

 

Geoff  19:13  

it's it's like a fun so I had to watch this video several times to figure out how the hell to back in the pocket, but it's not bad. Like you just roll it up and zip it. So yeah, got one of these, just for that city. We're just going out to the city just need to grab a bottle of water and then put it into a backpack. It's pretty nice.

 

Georgie  19:40  

Yeah, the thing I like about the rollable water bottle is you know when you go to a concert or some shit. Of course you don't know when you go to an event where they will not you bring in a drink bottle or they kind of frown upon it. If it's plastic and dispose as Ebola just make you get rid of it, which is a waste and sucks, but sometimes I carry my water because I'm like around during the during the day and when I haven't drink and then before I go to the advantage, roll it up, put it in my handbag and they are none the wiser. Yeah.

 

Geoff  20:16  

Yeah. So it's, it's kind of like this is sort of the Woolworths supermarket. rollable shopping bags.

 

Georgie  20:28  

No, but I've got my own like rollable shopping bag made of like, tough material. And it also took me a while to like photo photo real small, like,

 

Geoff  20:37  

should, I should, we should actually consider that we've got like four now. But essentially, so like, you're going out the door. And we're like, well, we need shopping bags. But

 

Georgie  20:50  

that's it's tiny. But like, it's

 

Geoff  20:52  

tiny. When you open it up?

 

Georgie  20:54  

It's like, quite a big bag. Yes. Ignore the background noise. Like fucking ages.

 

Geoff  21:03  

That would take forever. Yeah, it took a while to to learn how to report the woollies one. You know, the

 

Georgie  21:12  

have you? Do you have like a down jacket?

 

Geoff  21:14  

Like, like I do have a denim jacket? Does that roll

 

Georgie  21:16  

up into like the little stars,

 

Geoff  21:20  

except I don't have that bag anymore. Like, lost immediately. So basically, going out the door. We're like, we need a couple of like grocery bags. But we don't need to necessarily bring the big the biggest one we have. So we just chuck these in our pockets and then walk out. It's so good. Fill it with stuff and then bring it back. So since Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of an interesting, convenient. Yeah, so we could take this over to on our trips and stuff like that. Just we have a day bag when we got into the city. But we still need to bring, like the regular backpack that can hold the rest of the stuff that like laptop and charging in things like success. Yep. So overall, voted it up. Oh, that was really quick.

 

Georgie  22:13  

I have like an activity, I must practice rolling

 

Geoff  22:18  

up my bag. Because this is stupid as real on Instagram, someone who's like I am the master of rolling up the willies bag and and they don't even do it the way that like, it comes to me a giant you buy a rolled up, it's kind of like jerky, you buy a roll up. So when you unroll it, you can kind of know it's like, you just fold one way or the other and then you fold you fold it maybe three more times and then you roll it. But this person has like 800 folds they like like fold, fold fold, like and then they're like It's like before really really tiny and then like roll it up and then they put it in and they have it like the tiniest possible way where the elastic band could go twice around it or something like that then it's only meant to go once

 

Georgie  23:05  

anyway, was that real? Did they really?

 

Geoff  23:09  

I don't know if it really do it that way but it's just the biggest Jarrett garlic. Alright, and you get the best way to roll Willie's bag. You can like and you can probably get a get a home product. Release. Oh, Woolworths, I don't know Kagi is really localised. was one thing you didn't know about this anyways? Yeah, that was so weird one. I can't wait for AI to get really good at self checkouts and to recognise Oh, yeah, shit that's on you because they do it kind of, okay, you put an onion on the self checkout thing. And then you click vegetables and it'll kind of give you lots of round things.

 

Georgie  24:00  

And maybe you said Woolworths, right.

 

Geoff  24:03  

We've tried both called Coles. And woollies. I can't remember which ones but I don't think

 

Georgie  24:08  

because I'm mostly sure but Kohl's I haven't seen haven't seen them get all smart about that federal so that was the last one I bought in London at least a week ago.

 

Geoff  24:21  

Another thing is that there will will ease is trying out. Drive Thru groceries drive thru

 

Georgie  24:30  

so like a drive up in your car with the window down and you're like, Hey, can I have like two carrots and five?

 

Geoff  24:35  

Yeah, I think so. I didn't really bother reading the article itself who was drive thru because I'm like, I've done all of them. I've done the I've done the I've done the delivery. And like, they just literally can't pick vegetables very well and they don't care too. But it looks like kind of like a gas or a petrol station and You drive up. And then they, I guess, I guess it's direct to boot kind of.

 

Georgie  25:07  

It's very similar because you're driving up in your car and you seem to have to get out.

 

Geoff  25:11  

Yeah, Woolworths has opened its first direct to boot drive thru store in the affluent suburb of Brisbane, of course, of course, this fucking rosebay to offer a new level of convenience. So I guess it's more like instant direct a bit because with, with direct to boot for us to say, Hey, I'm here. And you also have to like do an order and send it off and they tell you when to come to get the dirt to boot. And then they roll it out in a regular shopping cart loaded into your boot. But

 

Georgie  25:45  

this is more like they have recently how are you? How recent is this?

 

Geoff  25:48  

This is like this, like December 13? Yeah,

 

Georgie  25:52  

okay. It's very recent. So I want to know, my mind. Do you know what I'm imagining you go up there and you say, I want to catch on fire on you. And someone is waiting, waiting there to serve the people that drive through and they're running through the section getting like that must be. Yeah, you're essentially paying someone to do the shopping for you. Surely? Oh, no, wait, maybe do they have like set like boxes of produce? It's not and I

 

Geoff  26:23  

think it's still the same process, but more optimised for delivery. Yeah, I think it's the same prints customers can order online or through the woollies app and access a wide range of products and the orders placed you can go and arrive at one of eight marked bays. So, basically, they're removing the fact that there's a shopping centre involved in the Woolworths

 

Georgie  26:44  

so it's not really like a It's not really like

 

Geoff  26:47  

a drive thru. Yeah, like, Can I get your order? Can I get an order and you like, like, tea carrots and one onion place? And then like, alright, drafter

 

Georgie  27:01  

Oh, my God, I got my heart. So I thought it'd be like, but then now I'm thinking again, logistically, how would that? Well,

 

Geoff  27:07  

to be fair, though, if they optimise this for strictly drive thru, I reckon they could. It's like, they don't need the endless aisles because the aisles of for people to walk through if you have nobody walking through them, who the hell knees do that you just couldn't have like flat shelves, just right along the wall with AI and

 

Georgie  27:25  

just like an employee just collects what? The person's order. Yeah, they just go to the front and then wait for the person to show up.

 

Geoff  27:33  

Exactly. So you could be bolting up and down like horizontal like just along one shelf instead of like, you know,

 

Georgie  27:41  

yeah. And then they could optimise it for the employee, like what they know, like maybe like the backup. Yeah, I don't know. I've never worked at Woolworths. But I used to date a couple of people in the past to happen to do the Willie's night shift restocking the shelves like is it like maybe at the back there? Like whatever. It's however it's organised.

 

Geoff  28:03  

Sure, like the before they even stocked the shelves. Yeah, maybe

 

Georgie  28:07  

that? Yeah, if you work there, you just know where all the stuff is. And you work in Oh, no. We'll have to Yeah.

 

Geoff  28:13  

Yeah. I mean, if you if you work at a woollies, and you might think that this is impossible, let us toastroastpod@gmail.com A new facility unlikely to cause traffic chaos, as only around 50 orders can be filled per day. Interesting. Interesting.

 

Georgie  28:34  

So they're still doing it on the like. Yeah, yeah. Okay.

 

Geoff  28:39  

The thing is, you can still get shit brushes. You gave me a really soft carrot. Please get please try again. This potato is bruised. Please try again. Actually, speaking of produce, and like, groceries. Yeah. Have you heard of a FODMAP? Diet? Yeah, I

 

Georgie  29:04  

have. I forget what it stands for. Because

 

Geoff  29:06  

I don't I can't pronounce 90% of the things that it stands for.

 

Georgie  29:12  

Oh, yeah. Have a look. Because I don't know what. Yeah.

 

Geoff  29:15  

Yeah. So I found this out recently because the company is doing a massive like off site. And you can put your dietary requirements and on. Well, one of the actual checkboxes is fun. Okay, it's not it's not obscure. It's not apparently not obscure enough for someone to have to type it in manually. But

 

Georgie  29:39  

so this was your first time hearing it. Yeah. Yeah. Just repeat with like gut issues.

 

Geoff  29:44  

Yeah, so for those who aren't aware, it is a low FODMAP diet reduces foods which contain fermentable sugars from your diet. It can help people avoid abdominal. In brackets tummy Knee pain and other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Yes. Reduces foods such as garlic dairy onions and applies an apples and apples to try and avoid triggering IBS symptoms. So it's quite I think it's

 

Georgie  30:20  

very plain food is generally what I understand it to be. Right plain red capsicum

 

Geoff  30:25  

oranges, grapes, eggs plain cooked meat. What's non plain cooked meat?

 

Georgie  30:33  

Like notice maybe limited seasoning and sauce because that could like upset. Yes.

 

Geoff  30:38  

Because you could do a Bearnaise that would include Oh, it would be eggs.

 

Georgie  30:44  

I guess probably dairy. Well,

 

Geoff  30:47  

true. It is dairy oats, rice, dark chocolate. Oh, that's a bummer. And peanuts. No, you can eat Oh, you can? Okay, that's good. Yeah, dark chocolate. So

 

Georgie  30:56  

I guess it's stuff that because you know, sometimes people can't eat acidic food, spicy food stuff that's too salty. stuff. That's like causes flatulence. Yeah, it's like dairy. Love it. Yeah. So

 

Geoff  31:08  

is it? Is it a big deal if things cause you flatulence?

 

Georgie  31:12  

Well, I think it was it was was serious. Yeah, like IBS? Yes. Yeah. So what is

 

Geoff  31:20  

stand for? is a great question that we were asked commentable

 

Georgie  31:25  

A LIGO. So a Lego Lego die. Monosaccharides and polyols. Yes. I remember a Lego

 

Geoff  31:34  

like that's not the full meeting because actually oh actually oligosaccharides dice saccharides and monosaccharides and polyols. Yeah, so when I first tried to like, pronounce this is like how the hell? I wonder if Wikipedia has like a has a way to actually pronounce this. Do you donate to wiki pedia?

 

Georgie  32:06  

Oh shit. Caught me out. I actually went out. I don't but I remember mentioning like a bunch of episodes. Maybe? Let's go about 10 episodes ago.

 

Geoff  32:20  

Oh, yeah. Like a fake altruism episode.

 

Georgie  32:24  

Yeah, yeah. But I mentioned this. The this guy from Canada, JJ McCullough on YouTube. He did a video about Wikipedia and why he thinks it's just like a monopoly of information. And the people behind Wikipedia. They want it to be a certain they want to write it with almost with bias, even though it seems like it's not biassed. They have like rules if you investigate. Yeah, it was quite interesting. And so he said, Go and to proper sources, like scholarly articles, journals, actual encyclopaedias. And so in some ways, I'm like, fair, I'm not going to Donate to Wikipedia.

 

Geoff  33:08  

Yeah, I mean, like, to be fair, to be fair, if you if you can efficiently Search, Google or Kagi, or use chat GPT or something like that, then that's essentially better than Wikipedia. Wikipedia is sort of like a summary to be like, it's just a summary of a bunch of stuff that gets referenced right at the bottom. My thing is, the way they asked for their donations, and it's kind of annoying. Yep. It's sort of like, they try to shock factor you into perhaps like demit donating. This is only one of many messages they do but they're like Wikipedia is still can't be sold. We've, we're sorry, we've asked you a few times recently, but it's Saturday. And it will soon be too late to help the nonprofit behind we keep it's like come on.

 

Georgie  34:01  

The thing is, how many times have you seen this now? Would you say a dozen 10s? More than Yeah, I've seen it enough times to have been desensitised to the way that you are to other ads and things. So you're not you're likely not gonna donate if you didn't do it the first three times. Yeah,

 

Geoff  34:17  

but, but given my situation, I don't know if they can actually track me anymore. I don't know if they 10s of times anymore. Like so just 2% of readers donate. So Wikipedia has given you like $2.75 worth of knowledge. Please give it's like,

 

Georgie  34:35  

has Wikipedia given you knowledge, like how do you define knowledge?

 

Geoff  34:41  

Oh, that's true. Hey, like, I've donated in the past. Oh, okay. I've done it. I've done it, like at least once, but no more than twice I think 1.5 times. But yeah, the as it's as it's like ramped up over the years. I feel like I feel like less inclined to Donate to Wikipedia.

 

Georgie  35:04  

I just look for it as a summary or when I'm wondering if I should watch the rest of the movie that I somehow I'm seeing on the television, I want to see the plot summary to determine whether the rest of the movie I'm sorry, the worst, but also I don't watch movies.

 

Geoff  35:20  

Oh my god. Speaking of which, though, I tried to watch the Spider Man across the universe, Spider Man across the universe, whatever it is, Spider Man into the into across the spine of the spine? No, no

 

Georgie  35:41  

idea what this is number

 

Geoff  35:43  

two of into this spider verse or something like that? Yeah, this is the second one. And I can't finish it.

 

Georgie  35:53  

Why not?

 

Geoff  35:54  

I don't know. It's something about the odd style something about the story. So you're not enjoying it. You're saying? Yeah, it's just really difficult.

 

Georgie  36:02  

Is it a movie or a series?

 

Geoff  36:04  

It's a movies, too?

 

Georgie  36:06  

What's the running time? What is this? Anything I see over 90 minutes? I am not going to sit still. And I will have an extremely hard time. And yeah, I get it.

 

Geoff  36:22  

I'm just not sure. It's probably that the story isn't compelling to me. Or maybe it's been played out already. And the first one that I would prefer seeing a different take. I don't know.

 

Georgie  36:34  

Do you see the reviews that like to see if other people

 

Geoff  36:37  

didn't like it? Everyone really likes this movie?

 

Georgie  36:41  

So you just you just didn't vibe? Yeah,

 

Geoff  36:44  

I don't know. This is not normal. For me. I usually finish my movies. Despite it's like, it's the beginning. Even if it's care, even if it's terrible. I usually feel Yeah. It's the beginning of something. He gets the scores is incredible.

 

Georgie  37:03  

It's very good. It's very good. Five tomato tomato.

 

Geoff  37:07  

But I don't know, I can't finish.

 

Georgie  37:09  

So how far did you get like halfway

 

Geoff  37:12  

or just it's barely basically halfway. The gist of it? I can't really talk about the gist of it, I suppose. Because it might spoil people who haven't seen it yet. But yeah, to know, it's just one of those things.

 

Georgie  37:27  

But do you think it's a good story so far? Like, are you enjoying it? And then you're puzzled why you can't seem to?

 

Geoff  37:34  

Oh, that's a good question. No, I think I know why. I don't like the story. Perhaps I'll try and watch it again. And then see if I can see if I can articulate it.

 

Georgie  37:48  

This makes me think of some books that I've read. Were just I know, in the first chapter, I'm like, the vibes off. Sorry, I'm not I'm not I'm not Gen Z. But I love the vibes are off as a phrase. And sometimes I try to put my finger like, I try to put my finger on why I don't like the maybe it's the way that the author has written. The I don't know if I told you but there was this one. Or if I've shared it on the pod, there's this book called by the by yourself, the fucking lilies, it's called. And I started reading on the plane, like, put aside the fact that reading on a plane is maybe a bit weird and could change your perception of reading. You know, you

 

Geoff  38:34  

know, your taste buds change. I know your brain can derail Did you

 

Georgie  38:40  

so I may have been like racing through or whatever. But I read like two other books on these long haul flights. So I think it was just this particular book. I didn't like the way that the author was writing because it sounded very immature. And it was some of the words were not even written in full like you know how you say RN for right now in like chat speak or you have a texting. That's what you could expect. Are you looking at up?

 

Geoff  39:10  

I'm looking at this other cousin can't remember. Oh, this guy.

 

Georgie  39:16  

Okay, I call you. There was one I read called. Shit was before the coffee gets cold. Have you heard of that one?

 

Geoff  39:22  

No, I haven't.

 

Georgie  39:24  

I think it's I think it's by a Japanese or so.

 

Geoff  39:29  

That wasn't book. Yeah, cute. 84 by Murakami. And the way he writes is so long drawn and detailed that it's almost like you're halfway. You're trying you're like, I don't know, like a quarter way through the book. And he's just only finished describing like the scenery that this person has arrived to that’s to hasn't progressed the plot at all and but he's vividly setting every scene every scene that that pulse It'll be happening at the time. So it's his fighting style. Yeah, I can agree it is when it comes to books that the writing style the fives just go completely off. But this is like super well rated.

 

Georgie  40:13  

I don't know. 349 fours. Okay, is that five

 

Geoff  40:17  

are true it is out of five. It's not Yeah.

 

Georgie  40:21  

It's average. Yeah.

 

Geoff  40:25  

Anyways, continue. So

 

Georgie  40:26  

yeah, so right now I actually, like the book was maybe, I don't know, because I was reading on my phone. I think it was about 600 pages on off on the phone. And I got up to about page 200. And I was like, I can't do this anymore. Like, it's like, It's so chaotic. I felt like I was reading someone's diary. And yeah, it kind of surprised me that I think this person must have been the author must have been about my age, but she was writing like, like, I'm not I'm not gonna I just realised everyone, anyone can look up this book and then like, be like, Oh, this, Georgie roasted this horse or whatever. I didn't like it too bad. Like, I'll give I'll give the author credit because she was writing about some sensitive topics about trauma and whatever. I get it, but I feel like she could have written in a more mature way. Yeah. Yeah. And I would even say, some of my writing, like 10 years ago, if you go to my really old blog posts that I would say, fucking embarrassing. I would say they wouldn't that are written

 

Geoff  41:29  

that does sort of your, your, your blog is a blog. And it's actually supposed to be written that way. Maybe

 

Georgie  41:35  

Yeah, but you don't actually, application. Someone asked me if it was self publishing. I'm not sure it might have been. But just I feel like it was very poor as a book because it sounded like it was gonna be a self help thing, but it felt like someone was just pouring out. Yeah, and I've heard this a lot about such memoirs where reviewers say, I didn't like this book, because it came across as like it was gonna be some self help thing, but it sounded like notes that this person had for the therapist.

 

Geoff  42:08  

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the other thing that kinda like I can think of that's related is watching other people's home videos.

 

Georgie  42:21  

Like, what kind of

 

Geoff  42:24  

thing is like, Oh, my God.

 

Georgie  42:26  

Funniest Home Videos. No,

 

Geoff  42:29  

no, it's like a psycho. I'm scrolling through Facebook and then

 

Georgie  42:33  

someone like saw with the kids or something? Yeah,

 

Geoff  42:36  

like, they're just, they're just, you know, recording what they're doing on their holiday. And then they like post full day. For they that's like home videos. Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of strange. The way it's shifted, because that's generally what people share these days. Right?

 

Georgie  42:55  

Yeah. But when no one actually watched them,

 

Geoff  42:59  

like 10 years ago. If someone like I had watched I had watched someone's basically their their travel video. It's like super unedited, and super unscripted. Yeah, it feel it made me feel like kind of like uncomfortable watching it. It's sort of like, should I be watching someone's 10 years ago? 10 years ago? Yeah. But nowadays, it's like really normal to watch travel vlogs it's kind of it's kind of interesting. But yeah, I guess we have some home videos. And if I saw it's kind of like when you were a kid. Yeah. camcorder shit camcorders. Shit. If someone posted that on like Facebook and I was shot, I think that's still feel a little bit uncomfortable. Like why? Why are you sharing this? And am I supposed to be watching this? But I do have some more. Yeah, I do. Like more or less is additive. You're trying to show me some very specific things I can learn about this specific location. And I can do the same things. Not so much. Like a personal kind of like snow, unedited kids or at the park. Whatever. Yeah, yeah. Anyways,

 

Georgie  44:13  

what are you saying? That might just be your personal preference because but then like vlogs these days video blogs I edited anyway, back in the day, it was very much more like, I've got my camcorder and yeah,

 

Geoff  44:27  

oh, yeah. Hey, yo, you see a partner like super tired and like pasta, on the couch or, or at a cafe like why are you showing me this?

 

Georgie  44:36  

Actually, this does remind me of those reels, all those tiktoks where it shows young people who were teenagers in like the 2000s versus teenagers now, and the 2000s. They're like making faces on their webcam and just being silly and they look really dorky. Like this. This was awesome, like our generation and then Do you see like 16 year olds these days, like all dressed up doing their tick tock videos or choreographed and stuff? Yeah, it's weird. Like, it's so different. Yeah.

 

Geoff  45:11  

So it's a reverse culture shock because we're just so old Internet uses that the internet these days are just so different. Anyways, speaking of things that are different, but not is the ending to this episode I don't think the end the ending has never hasn't changed in quite quite a few number of episodes. Yes. You can email us to spruce pod@gmail.com Because we don't believe in x or any social media at the moment. We

 

Georgie  45:47  

just should maybe think about a website. It's probably just gonna have the email on it.

 

Geoff  45:55  

Link tree or we can do like linkedin.com That's with Sinhala anyways. Oh, yeah, I

 

Georgie  46:04  

have I have another topic. So the next one. You can find episodes on Apple podcasts, Spotify, wherever you listen to podcasts, and big home video.

 

Geoff  46:17  

The big drive thru and that one too. And news episodes every Monday. So see you next week. Bye bye.