Mail Bag or um... Comment Bag...

I think you guys were talking about Waffle House this week. Well, here's a small amount of the methods they use to mark the plates. Pretty weird

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickgray/378694469

(I've taken the liberty of cutting and pasting for you)

This is a photograph of a Waffle House grill cook's cheat sheet.The photographs indicate the way in which a cook marks his orders. These secret plate markers allow a Waffle House cook to simultaneously prepare multiple customer orders at once.Let me give you an example. If I were to order three scrambled eggs, dry wheat toast, and hash browns, the waitress would face the grill and yell out loud - "Mark: Triple scrambled dry wheat plate."The cook would then quickly take a large dinner plate, turn it sideways, and place a tub of jelly upside down at the six o'clock position.The six o'clock position indicates scrambled eggs, and the jelly upside down means wheat toast. I am not sure how to mark "dry" for the toast, or how to indicate hash browns versus grits.This chart explains why I often get a packet of mayonnaise with my grilled chicken plate.

Mail Bag 7-23-07

It is quite obvious that neither one of you has ever watched Survivor. 95% of the people on that show are "snakes," not the nice people you are portraying them to be. They turn on each other all the time, and connive on how to get rid of others. They all make alliances and then turn around and break them, they back-stab, etc. The name of the game is to Outwit and Outlast. There are very few really nice people on that program.

I have never shared your admiration for Hok. He is a terrific dancer in his field, but so one-dimensional. He cannot adjust over and for that reason alone, he should have been let go weeks ago. I think Sabra and Dominic have a good chance of winning - but things could change in the next couple weeks when they change partners. I never liked Dominic in the beginning, but he has grown on me. Jaime does not seem to have the well-roundedness required to win ( great dancer and great personality). I think Pasha is quite good, and Danny may be a great dancer, but does not have the winning personality required. I think Lacey can dance, but she doesn't ring true to me on her personality. It should be very interesting the next couple of weeks.

I am still hanging in on Pirate Master. I do not agree with you - I do not care for Azmyth at all. He pretends to be giving the crew a fair share, but inside I think he is quite diabolical and out to win no matter what the cost. I know this is the nature of reality t.v. - maybe it is his horrible dreadlocks that really turn me off. I think that Jupiter played dumb last week, and was not surprised to see her go. Up till then I would have thought she could hang in there closer to the end. At this point I have no idea who will win, and I am not passionate about any one person. But I do wish that the red tream could pull a win on one of these scavenger hunts. They need to change the pecking order up a little bit.

I do not believe that animals and the environment are here for our consumption and use. I think God put them in our care, and we should take care of it all as best we can, without using it too much for our own selfish needs, but sparingly so there they both will be here for the future generations to come.

Jay, that was a great quote - this world has everything, but nothing......... I didn't get to write it all down, would you send it to me?

You're still doing a great job, the both of you. You kind of got side-tracked from the initial discussion of this guy who was brought up on charges for making animals fight. But the discussion was good. Keep up the good work.

Here are the full lyrics to Derek Webb's "This World"
There's tarnish on the golden rule
And I wanna jump from this ship of fools
Show me a place where hope is young
And a people who are not afraid to love

This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could want and nothing that I need

This world is making me drunk on the spirit of fear.
So when you say who will go, I am nowhere near.

'Cuz this world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could wanted and nothing that I need

But the least of these look like criminals to me
So I leave Christ on the street

This world has held my hand and has led me into intolerance
So now I'm breaking up, now I'm waking up
I'm making up for lost time

This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could want and nothing that I need (2x)

Mail Bag 7-9-07

Not to appear partial but regarding the written contract discussion, I have to side more with Jered, sorry Eric. When I say “side more” that does not mean totally. A written contract or statement gives you a better chance, but it is no lock. How many professional and college coaches have walked away from written contracts; I don’t know the answer but it is a lot. As for written warnings regarding safety issues, it doesn’t mean squat. How about the sign in coat check room that says “not responsible for items etc. or signs on trucks that say they are not responsible for objects that fly off the truck; the signs mean nothing, they just are there to let you think they are not liable. Pre-empting another misguided thought; why do consumer products companies put warnings on consumer products? Easy answer –bureaucracy! I spent many years in the chemical industry and we had warnings on how to handle safely all over the place ( we even did safety training); when accidents happened and the poor soul that got hurt sat in front of the jury; I never remember us winning.

Here’s an idea, walk down the street with a sign around your neck reading “I am very dangerous and I am not liable if I hurt you”. Kick the crap out of somebody and bring your sign as evidence to the judge. Hey! You warned him of the danger!

Here come de judge!

Mail Bag (7-4-07)

First of all, So You Think You Can Dance - Good show. Do not think at this point that Lacey is a shoe-in or deserves to win. The entire last season, from fairly early on, I knew I wanted Benji to win. He had it all ( and you're right, he was not the best looking) but his personality was right up there with his dancing capabilities. His sister seems a bit phony to me - a kind of pseudo-bubbly personality and I don't think she has the cutest shape. I don't think her dancing is far and above everyone else's at this point, so I will have to watch a couple more weeks to see if she can "rise" to a winner's circle. I don't think she has done it so far.

Pirate Master - Maybe because I have missed a couple episodes, or maybe because I am an avid "Survivor" fan, the show doesn't seem to grab me too much. Perhaps you like it because you have never watched Survivor, or Amazing Race, or any other show when the contestants get cut-throat. The addition of money does not make it more interesting than when contestants become "ugly" just because they are. I probably will continue to watch it as there doesn't seem to be anything opposite it that is worth while, but I find the show a little lame.

Your topic about is America Christian? etc. is a good one. I do agree that it is easy for Americans to be Christian. Most have the finances for it and they never feel threatened for their religion or their help. Does government have some Christianity as a basis - I would say absolutely not. The government has lots of money and when doing the right thing, expects lots of votes in return. If something comes out of politics as "Christian," I do believe that it is an accident or a coincidence. Most people in power are more worried about their image than anything else. They give to groups who have a big "vote" capability - I truly believe that most of the time they are looking out for no.1. Maybe I have a warped view, but I don't think so.

Mail Bag 7-2-07 (Brian Speaks)

Just wanted to say how wonderful I thought your podcast was this week. I particularly enjoyed your continuous references to me. However, ifI'm going to critique it, I must say I was quite disappointed that thecigar and wine scale wasn't judged by "How many Brian's would you ratethis wine/cigar?". You missed a golden opportunity. Also, to clarify, code requirements for stairs (indoor) is 7" maximumrise (the height of the step) and 11" minimum run (the length of thestep), not 9". Outdoors it varies, but generally is a 4-6" rise (makesfor a more gentle step in bad weather conditions) and between 12-22"run. We can talk about ramps next time. In the meantime, check outthis link for "universal design" in homes, which eliminates all stairsin homes as well as other design changes to aid people of all ages andabilities. Therefore, it is my antithesis. I am the MC Escher of thearchitectural world... http://www.aarp.org/families/home_design/a2004-03-23-whatis_univdesign.html As for your talk on serving countries more in need than ours andspreading goodwill and love through our , I thought you guys would find this video from the church that I attend particularly poignant. Lastyear, 300 people traveled to Mamelodi, South Africa, built homes,planted gardens, played with children and spread love to the people ofthe poorest area of South Africa. This year, there are two trips and atotal of 600 (!) people making the trip. The next wave of volunteersare heading out this week. And by the way, the church funded NONE of the trip for all 600. Everything was raised through local donations. Quite a story... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRdS0T0X7_M&mode=related&search= Sincerely,Brian

Mail Bag 6-25-07 (Great Response!)

Jered and Eric: Another good podcast. Your main topic of liberals vs conservatives was interesting - and the questions you raised were difficult to answer. Should Christians just take it on the chin and pray silently to themselves hoping that their lifestyle is enough to draw others to Christ, or should they stand up and fight for the right to worship in public places ( like schools, etc.) and go against those who would do away with all that? I think sometimes it does require standing up and fighting for what you believe - and not give in to those who do not want any type of religion "mixed in" with any other facet of life. On the other hand, Christians are supposed to be peaceful and loving and "turn the other cheek" type individuals and where does protest fit in? Good questions!

Your brief musical theatre discussion: First of all, Gaston is NOT a lame character. He adds a huge amount of humor to the show, and the lyrics to some of his songs are funny as heck when he talks about how great he thinks he is. He is not annoying, and he is one of the funniest "villians" around.
As for Grease, Grease 2, Footloose, Bye Bye Birdie and all the other shows you put down, the music does count for something and these shows have good music. You put down teenagers for liking and promoting the continuance of these shows, but just remember, if the younger set does not become hooked on musical theatre ( even if it takes these nonsensical shows with "bubble gum music to hook them) they would not grow up to be the adults who do enjoy musical theatre and keep it going on Broadway. I expose my grandchildren to these types of musicals, hoping they get the "bug" for the theatre and love and enjoy it as adults. Younger fans make adult fans, and I don't think shows like Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Aida ( a really stupid show) etc. will peek many youngsters' interest first time around.

It never ceases to amaze me on how many facets you can talk about in a single cigar. Not being a cigar smoker myself, it is stunning that you can critique a cigar in so many different aspects. Wow!!!!

Mail Bag 6-11-07

What was the result of your question about the man-bag? You two definitely throw things out to your audience, but never give a result! What was the majority on what it should be called?
Check out the comments of the people here. The Element: C3 nation has spoken

FYI - it was Lancelot who sang "If ever I would leave you." I am not particularly fond of Camelot per se, but it was the first of the 3 shows I saw on Broadway when my parents took me to New York, and it just so happened that Robert Goulet was just coming into his own, and did play Lancelot. Since they were my first Broadway shows ever, they bring back memories.

I would totally love a Broadway review show with singing, etc. I probably am in the minority, but to me it sounds fantastic. I do agree with you about Marius - I always said he was a wimp! Some other bigger roles, that really are not that great, would be the young Lieutenant in South Pacific who falls in love with the Polynesian girl - he was kind of a sissy. Can't think of his name. Probably before your time anyway. Another would be Tony in West Side Story. Another would be the grown up nephew of Mame in Mame. Maybe there's a pattern here - the romantic male lead seems to often be kind of weak in strength and character.

Lieutenant Joe Cable was the name of the South Pacific character. I think you're on to something here... As I recall the GI Chris from Miss Saigon was also a sissy role to play. Come to think of it In Miss Saigon, both Ellen and Kim love Chris, while in Les Miserables, both Cosette and Eponine love Marius. I think its a love triangle thing...

Your discussion on Churches who have all the answers vs those who admit they are still searching, leaves me puzzled. Having been a Catholic all my life - you are right - I have never really questioned what they have taught me about Christ. But to me if you are going to belong to a faith community of any kind, it would seem that more could be accomplished if everyone were on the same page as opposed to questioning everything all the time. I have to believe that all these churches you refer to must have most of it right, even if some things are open to interpretation. Don't you think that you can spend far too much time trying to figure out every little thing about Christ and the Bible, and not spend enough time living like Christ? As long as you have the basics - like the 10 commandments for example, or the beatitudes, isn't that enough to get you started? I think you can put too much emphasis on finding the right church when time could be better spent just living like Jesus did.

Mail Bag 6-8-07

While I found your discussion on cultural shift vs fad kind of interesting - I am just curious what difference it makes in the long run what you call it. As long as you are up on things that are current ( and can address them with others) - be they a cultural shift or a fad - I don't think it's label is relevant. I personally think that when something new comes on the hporizon ( like this whole Pirate thing) you will never know whether it is a cultural shift or just a fad until you see the duration that it lasts. If it is over after any period of time - it was just a fad. If it entwines itself into our lives (like people wearing "puffy" shirts on Seinfeld) ands continues on indefinitely, it is a cultural shift. What you call it does not matter - just that you are aware of it and current with it. Just my opinion.

I would be curious why you both are so opposed to giving the same rating in your rating system. It would probably have more impact if you both felt exactly the same way about things. Doesn't have to be always, but it is not a mortal sin if you both arrive at the same conclusion - like 3 puffs of smoke, for example

Why not just a carry-all bag? Utility bag? transport bag? What is wrong with just a BAG?

Mail Bag 6-5-07

I like the first simple service project better. I laughed out loud at work with my headphones on when Eric said, If you see someone wearing a satchel, give them a backpack. It was completely mindless back and forth jabs, but absolutely hilarious. And by the way, I think the only way to fairly judge this \"satchel\" is to see a picture of it and have an online poll. If it looks likes a bag my teacher would use to take home our papers to grade, I\'m going with feminine. Sorry J, I gotta be real...

Great idea... coming soon Satchel-gate 2008...er...um 2007!

Mail Bag 5/30/07

Your main topic this week was an extremely difficult one. You are right - it is not an easy discussion nor is the solution. But if your podcast is to spark discussion - it certainly succeeded. I personally do not think that Jesus would ever condone violence - after all, even the "bad guys" are His children created in His image. But do you have a right to defend yourself? or your loved ones? I don't know the answers. Obviously no one does. I did like the statement that God's love is not bigger than our fears. I think that is a great explanation for all the violence and wars that keep happening! And I don't think you can fix violence with violence, nor punish murder by murdering. Just like you can't cure a child of hitting by smacking him. And one more thing - war after war after war - I don't think it will ever bring permanent world "peace." And I can never think of any reason why violence could be used to convert others to Christianity!!!!!

Your guest Gary was good - he had some decent input - tell him - good job.

Other new shows to follow: On the Lot ( although the show is not that great)
Hell's Kitchen ( starting Monday on Fox) the guy is a maniac.
A new show beginning on Thursday by the producers of Survivor - something about a treasure or pirates or ....
So You think you can Dance - by far the best of the lot!

Your podcast was better than usual. Not as much humor as I am used to, but the content was good. Keep plugging away

Mail Call (in honor of Memorial Day) 5-29-07

There is an old expression “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”; not that you are fools but treading on the God’s position on wars etc. has been tackled by theological scholars with extensive credentials and there is much disagreement in their positions. You know there is a big difference between an opinion and an educated opinion.

Now, your exchange on this subject was of value to me, because it reflected what I see from people from all walks of life and particularly celebrities; people with a lot of conviction but damn little knowledge of the facts. It struck me further because, I also have strong opinions on this subject (but not conviction). I am only smarter then most people in that I realize that I do not have conviction because I have not educated myself enough with the facts.

One should not confuse knowledge and intelligence; knowledge only comes with education. (Hey that’s good, I just made that up)

You see your pod cast did get me thinking; hopefully it does for others.

Thursday Mail Bag

1. I would not label this as a Christian podcast. For it to be a christian podcast - it would have to be all "Christian". You have too many subjects so to me it does not qualify as Christian. Just my opinion!
2. The conversation about the placenta was certainly a different topic. I would be curious to know if you got any flack for that or if everyone just took it in stride. Not a bad topic - just different.
3. I disagree about your feelings on Graduation. You two may not see any value in it - but I truly believe that after putting in your time at school and accomplished graduation status - it doesn't hurt to have a ceremony acknowledging your time and efforts. Many people get very little recognition in their lives - let them get it - no matter how small - for that accomplishment.
4. I kind of liked the chair - it was an interesting sound effect for the show.
5. Eric - you are quite the horticulturist - you knew the name of a plant. I'm impressed!
6. Did I sense any animosity during that podcast????
7. What ever happened about your various contests? You throw them out to your audience, but don't ever give any completion - or even an update. What's up with that?

Mail Bag 5/14/07

Mon 5/14/07 9:24 AM
Neil Diamond on your recommended music list; there is hope for you, guess I know where the exposure to Neil cam from.

“Chaty Lake”

Neil is a legend... Gotta love Lovescape..."Do the best you can"

Mon 5/14/07 12:01 PM
I listened to your podcast while working my machines at the gym today ( not the treadmill) and you two were cracking me up. I'm sure all the people there thought I was nuts because I was smiling and laughing the whole time. I still think the biggest strength of your podcast is your banter and your humor. Not that you don't talk about important topics - it's just that I do truly enjoy the laughs!

American Idol - I do think that Randy has a more difficult time than Simon when he has to say something negative about a performance, so he tries to downplay it sometimes. Paula has no idea how to do anything else but dance, applaud ,cry and say she is so proud of people. I personally think it will be Jordin or Blake who wins - I don't think that Shrek will make the final two. Probably it will be Jordin as the "idol."

Thanks for the feedback! You're right on about the American Idol judges... Paula just wants to stand in a circle around her pocketbook and shoes and dance.

Mail Bag 5/11/07

It was great to here about Christians accountability, (not that you phrased it that way) and that the message of Christ often calls people to action, not just to sit around and count in the gift of grace. I was beginning to think that your Christian message was strictly a “love fest”(as I have stated before), where Christians live life with no accountability focus, have a big group hug and Christ will take care of everything. Christ message was also message of “action”

Nice , even though your taste in music and movies etc. sucks!

Monday's Mail Bag

Mon 4/30/07 11:42 AM

Thanks for mentioning me on the podcast! I feel important now.
Please forward on all hot ladies that are interested in me. BTW...i guess
i'm now a regular listener. 3 weeks in a row!

Mon 4/30/07 5:42 PM

I see most of your time was spent on Don Imus and to me the whole thing with him was a little out of perspective. This country needs to chill out a little and not take everyone and everything they say so seriously. Unless someone is deliberately setting out to be cruel and hateful, most of this should roll off everyone's back and lighten up! Every group could call attention to derogatory remarks made about them - and so - where does it stop? Until prejudice is totally gone from this earth ( maybe in a million or so years) people need to ignore it and not let it get to them. They should also remember that their self-image should come from their inner self and not from what others say about them. Geeesh!
I am seriously considering giving up American Idol in the future. It has just become way toooo long and stretched out for my tastes! Let's conclude it for this season as quickly as possible and get on with other things.
How many "ducks" showed up on the windowsill after the podcast? Jay, hope you feel better.

Listener Recipe (As Promised)

Here's the recipe for the Cookiedough Brownies that a listener sent us to try, let us know what you think...

1 box heresy's chocolate chunk brownie mix (or your preferred brownie
mix)
1 packet chocolate chip cookie mix

Recipe works best with
brownie mixes that call for a 9 x 13 pan.

Line pan with tin foil
for easy flipping, spray the tin foil after you line the pan with it.
Make
the box of brownies as directed on box when finished scrap batter into
the pan.
Bake for 3/4 the time directed on box.
While the brownies are
baking mix chocolate chip cookies.
Place wax paper on counter.
With
rolling pin roll cookie dough to length and with of the pan.
When
brownies are 3/4 done pull them out, pick up the wax paper and flip the
cookie dough on the brownies cookie side down, peel off wax paper.
Bake
for 15 minutes.

(If the brownie part is a bit gooey in the middle
but the cookie is done flip the whole thing upside down on a cookie sheet
and with brownie side up cook for 5-10 minutes.)

Listener Response

Here's an email we recieved from a listener in reference to our latest contest, where the winner would get a signed 8x10 photo of the two of us.

...we both smiled and it caused a moment of peace and happiness in the family
with my parents and I getting along. The topic and conversation about a pic of
the two of you and your podcast sparked a positive happy informative
conversation about religion and personal beliefs which ment the world to me
cause religion is one thing that is not ever talked about in my family. I just
wanted to say thanks.