Nate Versus Nate | Who's the Bigger Nerd
Edited audio transcript

Edited from an automatic transcription of the original recording. Strong language is masked; selected personal asides and adult material are marked [Editorial omission.]. Transcription errors may remain, especially in names and lyrics. Timestamps come from the source; paragraphs split for readability can share a timestamp. The original recording contains adult language and themes. Announcements and offers reflect the recording date.
Source: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2187585/episodes/9468693-nate-versus-nate-who-s-the-bigger-nerd.mp3

[0:00] You're about to listen to the first experimental season of our show, formerly called Nat One Presents the Podcast. For better audio quality and our current ongoing DD campaign, skip ahead to season two featuring the Daft Monks. On this episode of Nat One Presents. I listen to a lot of weird stuff. Um like guttural Celtic music. I will jam that out in my car. Or it's the like and then like and then like this bongo's going, I will jam that out and bump that at a stoplight, and people will look over and I'll be like, what's up? You know.

[0:39] Adventure, heartwarming stories, role-playing that could only be seen by the gods. Here at Nat One Presents, you get all that and more. Now join us as we start another epic tale of con.

[0:56] Just kidding. This is Nat One Presents, a tabletop role-playing game podcast that takes your favorite nerdy games and pop up your icons and ruins them with improv.

[1:07] Hello and welcome back to Nat One Presents the Podcast. Hey Nate. Hey Nate, how are you doing? I'm doing pretty good. How about you? I'm doing great, Nate. You want to know why I'm doing great? Why are you doing great?

[1:17] My mom. Ooh, what'd your mom do? So my mom has been listening to the show. Um she's uh she was a late bloomer, you know. We've been doing this for two months. Uh didn't care, but now, you know, she's listening now. And uh yeah, we were talking about how the truant officer in a in an earlier episode was like the boogeyman, and then she just texted me out of nowhere one day and was like, no, he's real, you know. Like, and I was like, You listened. Um, so thanks, mom. Also, thanks for becoming a patron. Um, thank you, Brenda. And she also taught me a really cool fact that I was really excited about. Um, did you know, Nate, that our show now plays on Alexa and Siri and all the uh AI computers?

[1:17] I did not know that. Yeah, pretty horrifying if you think about it. So have you tried it?

[1:55] How easy is it? It's super easy. Is it? I could do it right now, but I don't feel like it. I gotcha. We don't even want to say the name of it because it might just go off.

[2:02] No, yeah. Like if Siri or Apple wants us to like say their name, they need to pay us. Yes. Apple. Speaking of which, just a dollar. Just a dollar. Patreon. Just a dollar. Just a dollar. So another reason I'm really excited, Nate. We have some new listeners. Ooh. I don't know their names, but actually I do know one of their names. But Hans. Well, you beat me to it. We have some listeners, uh, according to our analytics from Germany, Belgium, South Korea, and Russia. Ooh. I do actually know uh the South Korea ones because I have some friends who are stationed there.

[2:33] So that's probably the only person listening in South Korea. So it's an American. It's an American. Oh, yeah.

[2:37] It's a [expletive] American. Yeah, just kidding, Joel. Love you. It's only a dollar.

[2:40] Just um Patreon.

[2:41] So to celebrate some of our new users, we're gonna butcher their language. And in the spirit of Greta Thornberg, we're gonna say how dare you in some different languages. So do you want to go first?

[2:53] Yeah, because uh actually I'm for if you don't know, I'm familiar with German uh Einbissian. Uh a little bit of German I can speak. All right, and you might be doing a lot of these then. So um wie kannst du es wagen? How dare you? That was Alfdeutch. All right, all right.

[3:08] How about uh okay, so I'll try the Russian. Uh Kakti Smiesch.

[3:12] Whoa, that sounded like a lot. It sounded like something, right? For those of you who don't know, I'm looking at the paper right now and it says Kaktai Smiesh is like how I'm supposed to pronounce that.

[3:23] Yeah, yeah. Um, and also I kind of imagine in my head that like right now we're saying like the exact seven like words you're not allowed to say in like a certain language, almost like Voldemort, but in like Russian or German. Like, I feel like we kicked off our Russian. I feel like we are like off the air, like we totally this very well-mannered intended gesture has just totally ruined our shop.

[3:42] It'll be fine, Russian's fine with it. It's not it's not like we're talking to China.

[3:45] It's whatever. Well, to our listeners around the world, uh, thank you for listening.

[3:49] What about the Dutch? You forgot the Dutch. Oh, the Dutch guy.

[3:52] Right. Isn't that what tends to happen?

[3:54] Yeah, we always forget about the Dutch options. Ho dirfier. Some kind of Canadian. Um I think I actually know some more Dutch, and it goes like a hurgen flurgen. And I think that's uh more of how dare you in Dutch.

[4:08] Funny you mention Canadians because we do have Canadian listeners as well. Um, I think how they say how dare you is don't worry about it. Um they're eating some poutine. While they're eating some poutine. I got one last plug today because we just we are so excited. We have so much going on, Nate. We got a lot of plugs. Busy, busy, busy. A lot of holes. Uh have you ever thought about starting a podcast? Um just yes, I have. That's rhetorical, Nate. Definitely not for you. Sorry.

[4:08] Uh, if you're our listener and you were thinking about starting a podcast, we actually put together a nice little guide, uh like about seven pages of all the facts, just like two paragraphs and bullets, like each on each topic of just the things I wish people told me, like where to advertise, where to upload, who will promote you for free, just the bare basics. And so if you're interested, you can head to our Instagram. We have a link on there. It's basically nat1presents.com/slash podcast guide. Right. Um, check it out. We we're really grateful to all the people who have been listening, and we we keep hearing that you guys want to maybe start your own show instead of listening to ours. And so I'm gonna support that for some very logical reason.

[5:10] I'll support it too, but don't dare be in the same genre because Nat One Presents will crush you into the ground. Into the ground. But we're still friends. But if you want to like want to do something else, like talk about books or something, that's whatever. Go ahead and do it. I appreciate you. We appreciate you.

[5:24] All right, so I got to say all my business talk. So what are we really here for today, Nate?

[5:29] Um, today we're gonna do our segment, which uh it's gonna be um what did we decide to call it? Nate versus nerd, nerd versus nerd, nate versus nate, something like that, where we're gonna dive deep into the recesses of both of our minds and get to our nerd roots and basically try to one-up each other over our nerdiness. And I think it should be entertaining at the least, but slightly educational for our listeners to get a know a little bit more about us.

[5:53] Yeah, absolutely. It started with Nate sharing a fact that I thought was hilarious and well, I'm sure it will be dug up today. Um, but I was just like, wow, you know, I really don't know Nate, and like it'd be great for our listeners to maybe learn a little bit more about each other, but also we are so into ourselves that what if we did a whole episode where I just basically pit myself against you? Like, no, no, no, Ben Helsing versus uh Trevor Belmont, no Beastmaster versus Ringmaster. This is Nate versus Nate. So this are us. If there's anything we do on the show, it's hair and it's egos. So here we go.

[5:53] Uh we're gonna we're gonna try to one up each other, share some personal stories, have some laughs, and we're gonna decide at the end of this. We actually have um kind of a third party judge uh backstage uh to backstage, like this isn't my bedroom. Um we have a third person here who will at the end call the show um and decide who. Uh, because obviously we're both biased and think we're better than each other. Correct. It's true. Um so but yeah, let's let's get to it. Let's see who is the bigger nerd.

[6:55] Actually, uh uh we should start off and say because uh what I told you before didn't actually make my list. Yeah. So I wanted to audition for a show. It was on TBS, it's called King of the Nerds, and I wanted to audition for that. So I made a tape, I made my little brother record it, and then I went through a whole spiel, and it was super embarrassing, and thank God that tape has lost the time. But that's what got this whole idea started.

[7:18] What your brother's name is Michael? Yes, Michael. If you're listening, if you have that tip, don't I will pay you whatever sum of money. Don't do it, Michael. Whatever sum of money. Don't do it. And then we will put it on Patreon. I got kids. You can't and you will pay a dollar to watch it at least.

[7:31] Well, if it's gonna get people in the door, yeah, check our Patreon audio. It might be there. It might not. That's the gamble you have to take on our Patreon.

[7:37] So are you telling me, Nate? Because I thought that was gonna be one of your top ones. Are you telling me that that didn't even make the list?

[7:41] No, that didn't even make the list. Oh my god, I'm so embarrassed. I'm sweating.

[7:44] I'm sweating, dude.

[7:46] It could be these hot lights in here because we're recording at night like a bunch of vampires today.

[7:49] I'm really nervous because I have a very linear scale. So I start with some very boring, like, yeah, I guess that's nerdy facts. Um, but whatever, we'll we'll try. So let me go first then because I'm worried you're gonna bring it right to right to like 100 when I'm trying to go at like 15 miles per hour. I tried, I tried. Whatever the metric equivalent is in in other countries. In Deutschland. In Deutschland. Um, so alright. My first fact was before the level cap was raised this year in Pokemon Go, I was max level. I was level 40. Level 40?

[8:18] How long did it take you to get to that? That's where we're going with this, Nate, huh?

[8:22] I'm just wondering. I can't even have my first point. Yeah, all right. So it took me a game came out in 2016. I was I don't know what. I I think a 2018 is when I achieved, or is it 2019? Might have been 2019. We're gonna go 2018. I I think it was late 2018. Um and that so that was about two years. It took two years, Nate.

[8:42] Wow, that's some dedication to a game. Or did the game come out in 2015?

[8:46] No, okay. Yeah, don't worry. I'm getting I'm gonna know backstage in my bedroom. Uh so alright, it took about two years, Nate.

[8:52] Okay, okay.

[8:52] What level are you in Pokemon Go?

[8:54] Um, actually, I I was the yellow.

[8:57] I was the yellow. I asked you what level, and you said a color. So I don't think you get to diss how long it took me to be max level. I bet you're under 20.

[9:06] I guarantee it. Like, I think I only caught like 20 different kinds of Pokemon, and then I played it for a couple months and I was over it. I'm like, eh, it's okay. Lame. Lame. Okay. I couldn't catch any ghost Pokemon, that's my favorite kind of Pokemon. Like, I couldn't find any anywhere. Did you ever open the game during the month of October? No.

[9:23] Because that's literally the only Pokemon you can catch for a good 45 days. Well, now I'm just disappointed in myself, really. I'm disappointed in you too, Nate. Well you're over here thinking like you're gonna win this. Well, right off the bat, right off the bat, you're just throwing colors in at me in shade.

[9:37] Okay, I understand. Well, to keep on with the topic, uh actually, my first my very first point on here is that I play World of Warcraft. And it's not that much to say it in general, but I think that says something when you admit to playing that game. Like you're a different caliber of person when you can play World of Warcraft and dedicate time to it.

[9:56] Yeah, you're something. Um, ten years ago, that would have meant something. I feel like today it's not that big of a deal. I don't think so. I don't think so. I mean, do I play it? No, but I played Final Fantasy 14. Like, whatever. It was that any good. It's alright. Okay, I don't know. It's it's whatever. It's whatever. Um, you know, I mean they're all the same, right? It's like like it like we we play for what? You're gonna play for two to three months, right? And then you're gonna stop, and then expansion's gonna come out a year to two years later, and you're gonna play the expansion, right?

[10:27] Is that what happens? No, see, I have a um problem, Nate, where I Which one? Well, it's a bunch of them. But especially with games like this, I can't decide what character I want to be. So they call the characters tunes. So they call it mass. Yeah, I know. But like I have every class that you can have, but none of them are max level, they're all like level 50, and I just can't don't they literally like fast track you to like. No, after this last expansion, they fast track you one through fifty, like no one's business. So I have all the characters one through fifty, and then I'm like, I'm over it. And then I just go pick another character. So I played the same exact quests.

[10:27] I don't think that's over and over again.

[11:09] Getting a max level in a game like Pokemon Go, uh, I definitely think makes you more hardcore of a nerd. Well, that's why I only put this number one every class. Well, you started with the fisticuffs.

[11:20] No, I did.

[11:21] Yes, you did. All right, fine. Give me number two. What's your number two? All right. Um, so my mom, a lot my mom actually comes up quite a few times this episode. Uh we love you, brother.

[11:30] Thank you for joining the Patreon. Thanks, mom.

[11:32] Uh, a lot of the neariness comes from her. And so when I was younger, my mom and I went to a children's theater adaptation of The Hobbit.

[11:39] No way, that sounds awesome. It was pretty good.

[11:41] It was pretty good. Yeah. How much do you remember? Like, how old were you? How much do you remember of it?

[11:45] I mean, it was the plot of the Hobbit. So I mean, they didn't, they didn't uh they didn't improvise the story. Was it like adult actors doing it, or was it like children? No, it's a children's theory, yeah. Like these were I you know, that part I don't remember were they middle school, I mean they weren't elementary school, it wasn't like kids dressed as like like infants dressed as golem, but um yeah, they were young. It was cute. I don't know. I I I truthfully I was young enough that I don't remember much, but yeah, it was it was cool. I a lot of a lot of good memories like that. So that actually sounds like a great time. Yeah, like I'm a little bit jealous of that. That's oh, thanks, Nate.

[11:45] See, it doesn't have to be all you know us trying to outdo each other. Right.

[12:20] No, that sounds like a great time. Uh speaking of the books, speaking about doing each other. Um man, these we didn't uh decide on these points, but so far, two for two, they are rolling right into each other. Um, 99% of my library is sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Now you've been to my house. I don't know if you saw my uh I call it a library. It's a huge bookshelf, takes up a whole wall.

[12:44] And then uh usually you just like push me into the kitchen and then start yelling at your family. Yes. Um so I never really get to like really experiencing anything else in here.

[12:52] And that's actually no different when Nate's not there. I just walk through the house, I start pushing people down, and I'm like, dad's grumpy, leave me alone.

[12:59] Rip pickles.

[13:00] Yeah, I push pickles down. She loves it. So she loves it. But my library consists of all nerd books. There's like one serious book on there that somebody bought me. What's the the the the finance guy? You know what I'm talking about? Oh with bald hair and glasses, not Ramsey, something Ramsey. No, I think it is Ramsey or whatever, and somebody bought me one of those, and I'm like, oh thanks. And it's on the library, but I haven't even cracked open that book. Like, I'm not reading that. Okay, it's too close to the real world.

[13:30] I have a story that relates to that, not nerdy at all. So I hope to God, my friend, does not watch this video. But which one? Uh it was a friend from college, and uh he he invited his family. Like, basically, you could purchase like a video series and watch it together, and it's like, so his family purchased it and then they invited us, and I watched an episode and it just wasn't for me.

[13:51] That sounds like a terrible topic.

[13:54] And for one, the I think their end goal was like maybe, you know, we were everybody was chipping in, right? To to make it more like that, but that was a very financial thing to do, isn't it? So they did they just like let us try it. But for one, it was like the super basics of like you need to set a budget, which is one like okay, like kind of a no-brainer, but maybe some people need to hear that. But where I started to get lost was it fell into very outdated stereotypes where there's he's like talking and he's like, So the women, they're gonna like to spend. So the guys have to set the budget. And you know me, not super traditional, right?

[13:54] Um, you know, I don't know who the woman is in my relationship. So, you know, it was very me sitting and just kind of like uh an episode about like you need a budget because your housewife uh spends all your money. I was just a little like, so I you know, I didn't go back. I definitely didn't go back, and that was I now listen, I've heard so much actually about what's his name again, something Rosie?

[14:49] Yeah, Gordon.

[14:50] No, that's the code. I would do that finance class where he's like like you idiot, you donkey.

[14:56] Get a sleep with you donkey. But yeah, I don't know his real name, but I would have been lost right there too.

[15:04] I do, I do hear really good things, so I think that was literally an introductory chapter that was probably just hasn't aged well. Right. But I hear I do hear really great things and that he probably actually gives insightful advice. Um, but for me that that killed it, you know. And I'm a I'm a person like if I hire and I actually I hire I believe in like hiring consultants and coaches all the time. I like I believe like having mentors is huge, and I think you excel faster and and better. But whenever I like you know try to use a mentor and they tell me things I already know, then it's like that that is the fastest way to lose my respect.

[15:04] Like you you need to like you should be able really quickly to assess. I mean, it was a [expletive] video recording, so like obviously I couldn't talk back to me. But like when someone's like working with me and like coaching me, they need to assess quickly, like, okay, you already know this, let's skip to the part that you don't. When someone consults with like consults for me and then just tells me things I already know, good luck ever getting business for me again. So anyway, didn't go well, but funny you mentioned that that's the only non-book you have, right? I do gotta say though, um, not super nerdy. Um, I didn't really know there was other genres aside from science fiction and fantasy and young adult. Oh, and horror. Um and horror.

[15:04] Oh, you do have horror, yes. Horror. Nice one. What's like a horror novel? Like uh drop a title for me.

[16:13] Uh I uh read, not listen, I read a lot of uh Joe Hill, so that's the son of Stephen King. And I have all of his books. And I am just Is Stephen King considered horror too? Yes. Right? Okay, yeah, okay. And there's just something about reading a book and it makes you feel like a terrible person for reading this book, like that's how his novels are. Where I put it down, I'm like, man, wow, am I this guy? Yeah. Like I feel like a real piece of [expletive] right now.

[16:35] And it makes it like it makes you feel good, but in a weird way. Yeah. Like at least I'm not like that guy. Alright, all right. Yeah, that sounds like a genre I'll never pick up in my life. But do you do you still read these days? Uh, you know, like let's be honest. Like with audiobooks, with um podcasts, with streaming, do you find you're still reading?

[16:52] Yes, absolutely. There's something about it, like I don't know if it's nostalgia or what, but like I want to crack open that book and smell the paper. And there's just something about that. I tried like an ebook and reading on my phone, and it's just not the same. I'm just over. It's like reading an email.

[17:05] I haven't been reading nearly as much these days, but I will say, if I am gonna read something, anything like physical, I I want physical. Right. Um, I don't like reading on screens at all. I like suffer through it for the news and that's about it.

[17:17] But um like, don't we do that enough? Like, you read a book to and want to escape reality. Like, it feels like screens are so part of a reality right now. You're wasting my time.

[17:26] Do you think that's how people feel though about like so like we want to like turn pay like we grew up turning pages and so it just feels so unnatural without that? But do you think that like that's how like old people feel about like they used to use records and now like you just listen to music on your phone by pushing a button? They're like, you know, it's not even really music if you don't like spin something around like at a velocity, you know, like that.

[17:46] Like you lose the soul of the sound, and then like the old people stuff eventually turns into like hipster stuff where like all the cool young kids it's gotta be on vinyl.

[17:54] This is quickly just turning into us dating ourselves really badly. Um, so I'm I'm gonna move on. So it's it's my turn, right? I don't even know where we're going. Okay. Um this is I I this is just really embarrassing. I don't think it's even nerdy. So in elementary school, I want to say like third, second grade, third grade, maybe first grade, second or first, I think. Uh, for some reason there was a dancing robot at an assembly. And then and it was uh what's the thing where you like put people's hands, uh your hands on someone's shoulder, and then you like and someone puts their hands on your shoulder. What's the conga called? It was like a conga line with a dancing robot, but my pants kept falling down. Oh no.

[17:54] And everybody was laughing at me, and that scarred me for a long time. And I don't know why, but I put that on the list. I think just because dancing with a robot. Like, have you danced with a robot? Never mind. No, no, so I do the robot dance kind of terribly. Okay, we'll call that like a tie then.

[18:44] But then I'm a dad, so I do lots of dumb [expletive] like that.

[18:46] Yeah, I believe that totally. That's that's really all that is. Should I just go into another point? Was that not good enough? Or do you no?

[18:51] Uh actually, I have something I can bounce off that. We'll just skip around, just basically just have a conversation. That's great. Um, embarrassing childhood trauma. I used to be fat.

[18:59] No, yes, no way. I can't imagine. It was uh You look like the person who picks on the fat people.

[19:04] I did. Okay, now here's the story. Oh my god, I kicked the table. I'm sorry. Here's the story. I was a fat kid from probably like third grade to I know for a fact the beginning of sixth grade. And what it was is I did bully the fat kids.

[19:21] While you were fat?

[19:22] Yes, and nobody called me out on it. Like, so it was so bad, Nate. Like I would go home and I'd eat a whole can of Pringles and a whole package of bar S bologna, you know, with the little red stuff, like that night by myself. I'll just eat that. Well, it got to a point where I'm I'm like slowly sliding like my my can of Pringles and like a thing of bologna shower cream and onion, and then a fat kid was like, Hey, you're making fun of me, why don't you look in the mirror? And I'm I just I usually always have something to say, and that stopped me right in my tracks. I'm like, oh my god, I'm a fat kid.

[19:22] And like that week I went home and told my mom, like, we need to do something, like sign me up for wrestling or something, you know, because I had buddies who wrestled and they're like, You should do it. And after that, I weighed the same amount in fifth grade that I did my senior year of high school, and I grew probably a foot and a half. Wow. 160 pounds as a fifth grader. So are you saying that being fat is nerdy? I is that what you're asserting here? Kind of. Like, I think it just goes that thing where everybody has and goes through like that nerdy phase. Sure. You know what I'm saying?

[20:26] And that was or or is it that nerds um bully other people despite being like what the same, like uh the exact that's definitely the day and age now. Yeah. I just feel you know, if you're listening, I don't think you're a nerd. I don't think you're anything that needs describing. I don't think you're fat or have a neck beard uh or anything like that. So I think you're all those things.

[20:48] If you want to prove me wrong, sign up to our Patreon.

[20:50] Sign up to our Patreon and use your profile picture.

[20:53] I'll call you out on it. I used to be fat. One of us.

[20:57] One of us. All right. Wow. Um so top that. Uh yeah, I definitely don't. Um, I mean, I just generally like my weight bounces up and down. I vary like 20 pounds throughout the year, like up and down, just like each. So I don't know. But I've never, I don't know. I I also don't know when you say fat, like if you were like very like no neck double chin fat, or you just like chunky. Like I'm a little chunky.

[21:22] I'll send you a picture, and if we really want to, we can post it on the Patreon. We'll post it on Patreon. But like big chubby chipmunk cheeks. I had boobies and a big old tummy that I like grab and shake. It was so bad one time. Dad, if you're watching, this scarred me for life. I played AYSO soccer, and he was like, you need to just you need to show some ambition out there. Go out there and chase that ball like it's a meatball. Did he say that in front of people?

[21:42] Yes, that hurt my feelings so bad. I don't know if he remembers it, but man, that like cut me deep, you know? And man.

[21:52] Okay, okay. I still love you, Dad. Man, some of the ones I have now are so lame, but they're also like actually nerdy where you're just really sharing bizarre. embarrassing experiences in your life. And I so I think we're having a deeper discussion about what being a nerd is. Like I I assumed it's about like like media consumption and a certain culture. But for you, I think it's really about like self-same and and trauma is what makes a nerd. So uh leave a comment if you think let us know what uh which one you think being a nerd is or is it both? I don't know.

[22:22] That's I think it's a little bit of both.

[22:23] I think it's a little bit of both right I'm just too proud to maybe share some of my embarrassment. I mean I shared the dancing robot but right that is embarrassing your pants are falling down that's not fact what do I got what do I got next? Some of these some of these are so sentimental.

[22:23] Like I'm over here like talking about my family like all right so my dad when I was younger we would go walking we lived like in a wooded area at my dad's house and we would we would go walking in the woods and so he found this like big old branch and he carved it into a walking stick but he like looked very like Gandalf at the top like so it was all curved it had like a knot on it and then he had like cool things and he carved it and for about like a year of my life that stick was the only thing I wanted in my life like that wizard stick. Like I wanted it so bad.

[23:00] Did he let you have it? Um no no I think he still has it typical wizard not giving away the source of power and he could have been a druid for all we know we just jumped straight to wizard. I'm still upset about it not being a druid.

[23:13] No my dad's never had animals like ever so I I don't think he's a druid.

[23:13] But speaking of animals my cats uh some of them are named after Norse guards gods and avatar uh airbender characters what are your cat's name on those cats um so I used to have a boy cat and my mom has it now my mom just keeps coming up wow uh my mom has my boy cat from my my a couple years ago and his name is or no girl cat her name is Odin um I tend to switch genders actually now that I think about it so yeah uh the the girl cat was named Odin and now I have another girl cat named Appa from Avatar Boss okay looks nothing like yeah nothing like you know what I just I don't know I like those names right an air bison yeah right I like it

[23:13] um what do you got what do you do you have anything that does to do with animals or maybe something like a positive uh memory anything with your family you once told me your your mom's a big nerd yes she is a big nerd she got me into all the movies like Beastmaster like we talked about she told me to watch that or made me watch it uh she actually got me into robot jocks my favorite did you watch that by the way I didn't I didn't oh I'm sorry I've just been marketing that one god you're so busy doing the whole business while I'm over here doing nothing just watching Game of Thrones.

[24:25] Um but yeah my mom got me into all that stuff uh Willow was a huge one like I have fallen asleep every single time man Val Kilmer come on it's good that's the one never mind what are you thinking of one of Tom Cruise?

[24:25] What's that one called Chris with Tom Cruise where he battles the devil he's like fairy guy what are you talking about you haven't seen that one no I need to know the answer to this well I need to look it up then I don't have my phone so tell me more about Cruise is young and then he goes against like this devil guy right and he like lives in a a fairy forest oh it's so it's like a super easy name and I think we have our backstage producer slash my friend from college uh looking this up I need to know I've never heard of that in my and he like kills a unicorn and then everybody's like oh you killed a unicorn what are you talking about?

[25:11] Yeah I don't believe this is true. Is there any record of this?

[25:16] Legend legend thank you legend it has like the famous like big red devil guy with the huge horns coming up that's every devil I've ever heard of it. Well legend is notorious for that see yeah I've never heard of it have you heard of Chris that's a no mom that's another thing you can be disappointed innate about he hasn't seen Goonies he hasn't seen legend and he sleeps through Willow Wow okay my mom are disappointed um let's see what else do I got here?

[25:16] I I have so much stuff um I have been to multiple Renaissance fairs willingly ooh me too I go and like have a good time okay okay um but have you dressed up yes uh me and Corbin uh I think it was two years in a row we wear matching kilts. God damn and Corvin is so handsome like I don't even know why I bother dressing up because when you have a little kid that dresses up people are like oh look at a little kid and then I'm like oh I just look like a piece of [expletive] over here.

[26:08] I uh I I wear the like like I like me a vest, you know? Ooh yeah yeah so I like a ruffle whatever pirate shirt and like a vest. That's usually the the way I go. Ooh I like that um but it's been been a while since I dressed up. I know I cannot wait for the pandemic to go away because we need a Renaissance fair stat. So bad. And all we're gonna do as Nat one is just trash on people. We're gonna like have like microphones not plugged into anything and we're just going to come up to people and just rag on them.

[26:33] Like the tomato heckler that you throw tomatoes at we're gonna be that but don't you dare throw a tomato at us and you take a business card. And you take a business card. And I actually have a point that I wrote about Renaissance fairs. Okay. It is actually extremely hard for me when I go to Renaissance fairs because I always want to buy a weapon of some kind and I have to refrain from doing so I'm like man look at that [expletive] sword.

[26:54] Like yeah I need that in my house. That's very nerdy like a lot of the friends I have buy things that are I love to spend money like I mean our backstage producer who I just keep making up he knows that I I spend in heartbeat but I like and not a lot of them are practical but I've never bought like thousand dollar weapons or anything or like multi like I don't know I don't buy crazy weird stuff whereas like a lot of my friends are buying lightsabers and all kinds of stuff. I had a lightsaber yeah okay it was really nice. Well like like from like the Disneyland like the really like the hundred dollar ones or more of like a it was like a $350 one.

[27:26] So it had like the the glass tube you couldn't go and whack people with it had the glass tube with the neon inside lit up it made all the time you had a lightsaber well that's another point that I have on here I used to collect video game memorabilia but there comes a time in your life when where you want to have sex. Yes and then said spouse in my case Megan says it's time to grow up and I accepted that and I got rid of my favorite thing which was a Marcus Phoenix doll. It was probably like 16 inches tall from Gears of War. And I love that thing he had a little lancer in there and everything I left him in the box. I didn't even take him out and play with him.

[28:04] Did you sell him?

[28:05] Yeah at a yard sale of all things that must have been soul crushing. Yeah it was absolutely broke my heart so bad. Megan really whipped you in the [expletive] yeah I got rid of uh him I got rid of my Master Chief helmet from the Halo that is such like anybody I knew who played Halo 2 in high school had a Master Chief helmet. But it's just one of many things and the the the Marcus Phoenix was the big blow for me because I love that thing. I love Gears of War and that thing just broke my heart.

[28:31] It had to happen. I feel like this is I'm gonna start bringing up the bigger guns because I think you're starting to tilt the scale in your favor. Okay what do you got? What do you got? Let's see let's see let's see um uh no I need to go bigger I need to go bigger um all right well I have the I don't know if that's big enough. We'll start with this. I have the theme songs to Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy and Mortal Kombat on my phone and I typically listen to them on loop. And not all four of them or like however many I pick one like the Mortal Kombat theme and I listen to it for like four hours straight while I'm at work.

[28:31] You would think I'm on like a trip but it's actually just my workflow. It works really will get you pumped like imagine it's three in the morning I'm trying to promote that one on some kind of podcast Facebook group channel and Mortal Kombat's playing I'm just surprised you can sit through the whole Mortal Kombat song because once it starts getting to the point in the second part where he's naming names that's when it really loses it for me in this Really? Yeah Jax Sonia Johnny Cage what's like what's like one of a what's like a really lame sounding like Mortal Kombat character like from the newer people from the new people now they have all these like not even Mortal Kombat brands like Robocop.

[28:31] Right Terminator yeah uh Rambo was the last one yeah Rambo like it just like I would like somebody mix that song where they just name like a bunch of like the obscure ones like the the weird characters yeah I might listen to that.

[29:54] But if we're talking about stuff we listen to um I listen to a lot of weird stuff um like guttural Celtic music I will jam that out in my car or it's the like and then like and then like this bongos going I will jam that out and bump that at a stoplight and people will look over and I'll be like what's up you know and there's always some lady like hey I've never ridden in a car with you but that sounds like a really good time it's an intense time uh Megan picks all the music now family trips poor Megan I just feel like she has to like micromanage you like so much to just be like a functional human being in society like that if we bring that up to my next point

[29:54] um I actually take days off of work to stay home and play video games and it used to happen a hell of a lot more before I had Megan they I would I got called into the office numerous numerous times they're like you don't have enough sick days what's going on I was like well man to tell you the truth Gears of War 4 just came out and I've been binging that in my house wow uh I don't have anything to that extent per se there was for my like one year for my birthday at work they because I showed up late the day after the premiere of Super Smash Bros Ultimate they literally like made my card and like called it out.

[31:29] I was late a lot when I used to be at work. Not like I never got in like trouble for it or all but it was just kind of like known and then like when a game came out it was also just kind of known that I'd be even more late. Right. You know whatever. But um yeah I don't know I I but no I didn't didn't typically take sick days. I'm sure it's happened like but it's more like I actually just didn't feel like going to work or I was actually sick and then I went and played video games.

[31:52] That's probably more like it's got to the point where I call it a mental health day. Like oh yeah you want me to function correctly like I need to take this day off work.

[31:58] I think those are real things though like because you're we live in like a society where you're always on right like I mean up until recently I got instant messages at eight and nine o'clock from my boss uh asking for things. So like we live in an always on society and you know for the most part I'm I'm okay with it. Like you can have my data you can contact me whenever but then all of a sudden there's a certain day where like you kind of like can't function and you just maybe need to unplug a little bit. Yeah yeah no I'm I'm all about mental health day and there is nothing nerdy or embarrassing about that at all. Take care of yourselves listeners.

[31:58] But since we're talking about video games uh here here's one I got for you I just I just gotta find it real quick. I have played I think 12 of the 15 main title Final Fantasy titles to completion. I've only not played three of them and then like I mean there's like a lot of things that I don't consider count like some of them have sequels and the other aren't good.

[32:51] Or like the card game or something.

[32:53] Yeah and that doesn't include tactics so I mean that that series has a million games but yeah I played 12 of the 15. I am a huge Final Fantasy Square Enix Weiboo whatever. Oh okay um so um yeah.

[33:05] Which one is your favorite one?

[33:06] Seven no [expletive] that everyone says seven with cloud everyone does say seven so it's kind of all right here's unpopular opinion here we go about to trigger some listeners. So I think uh Final Fantasy 7 and Ocarina of Time came out around the same time and this was when these games when they launched were like a huge jump in 3D graphics. Like the games before like before I think Ocarina Time was basically like um a link to the past which was like isometric Super Nintendo and then Final Fantasy was like still pixel art until you know then it was finally actually like a 3D world on the PlayStation. And so these games I think are revered because yeah they were good.

[33:06] Yes they're fun they're epic like RPGs and stuff but they are like the first in the series to be like these big 3D next gen yeah and that's why they're good.

[33:06] I personally when I go back um I think Majora's mask is a far more interesting um a Legend is out of Breath of the Wild blows Ocarina of Time way out of the book in my opinion not just because it's newer um same with Final Fantasy uh but that being said you asked me what my favorite one is it's not a good one most people don't like Final Fantasy VIII but that was the very first one I played and so it really uh it and that one is kind of about it the story is so lame but it's it's basically about high school assassins essentially who can summon genies uh and the twist is that they were all orphans together but forgot um but I don't know it sticks with me Nate it's yeah it's

[33:06] not great the more I think about it but that's who it is uh that that angsty squall uh lionheart character um he yeah he I definitely wanted to be him for like ever so that's that's probably my favorite Final Fantasy just for sentimental reasons and then after that for like it's actually a good game Final Fantasy X.

[34:58] Oh yeah that's my favorite that one was pretty bomb see I've never even played I played a little bit of seven and that was it. But I always picked the wrong racehorse in the console wars. So like I got a Sega Genesis. You know I got a Sega Dreamcast I got a Nintendo [expletive] GameCube. You know like it seems like I always picked the wrong ones. So instead of playing Final Fantasy I got to play uh Pirates of Arcadia which I love that one.

[35:22] Yeah there's I don't think GameCube I mean probably compared to what was it was it PlayStation that competed or Playstation 2 was probably more the competitor yeah PlayStation 2 knocked it. Oh yeah I crushed it and then Xbox I was kind of in its heyday then too at that time for a little while. Right. So I I guess that makes sense but I definitely don't consider GameCube the the less cool version. But I don't know. Like I will buy a Nintendo system every time it comes out mostly to pay Smash Bros and then to play the new Zelda. Like that's I I'll play other stuff too but that's probably why I will buy the two consoles every time.

[35:55] Well there you go you heard her here first.

[35:58] All right all right video game uh we went from video games all right I have like a cool set into mental story do you play any card games do you like Magic or Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon?

[36:05] I used to play Yu-Gi-Oh like all the time also play I thought I was gonna go pro I'm so good.

[36:11] Okay so I also played Yu-Gi-Oh. Um do you do you got a story to go with it?

[36:15] No I got two stories. Not really it's just it was one of those things where like I collected all the cards and I thought I was badass. Like I wanted to be Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm like blue eyed white dragon like [expletive] eat it.

[36:25] That's so cis white male. Like you blue eyes white go figure I summoned the Aryan dragon looking back all right so um two stories here. First of all uh when I was younger I bought a pack and when I like a booster pack for Yu-Gi-Oh when I opened it it was just um you know like on the old TV when like a TH instation wasn't working it was like yellow bar, red bar, blue bar. So I got a card that was holographic foils just those. And it was seven of those or whatever however many comes in a booster pack. And so my dad told me to write a letter to wizards and tell them that I got like a bad pack. So I wrote them a letter and um I had very simple requests.

[36:25] I just said um since I got a bad pack I would like one of each piece of Exodia and and then I proceeded to list every card from the anime that was cool. Like I was like Toon World um all that you had demands. Yeah I had demands um I didn't get those cards but they did send me a card they they basically sent me like a booster pack back to replace the bad one I got and that was it. But I was like I don't know I thought like this was fair compensation. I also kept those cards because I also thought they'd be worth something though I don't know they're gone. They're gone. So this leads me to my second story.

[37:38] Okay, okay.

[37:38] So after high school I did a gap year before going to college. I went to Los Angeles and worked with inner city students eighth graders teaching them math and English. What's that mean a gap year? Because I'm not familiar because right after high school I just went to work. Yeah so like literally a gap year can be any program before going to college you do some kind of real world experience usually community service but even like to some extent a gap year could just be a year where you go work. It could be any job you could just be a regular job. So a gap year is not going right to college but then going back to school I'm still having a gap year.

[37:38] And so the program I did was called City Year and actually the point was they're they like they wanted you to do it actually after college. So you do like your sophomore year college, fresh or uh senior year, what junior year, senior year, and then they wanted you to do a city year. So they wanted everybody after college to do one year community service. I just did it after high school because I knew what I wanted to do. Right.

[37:38] Didn't get into the colleges I wanted wasn't motivated so I went and did that um and so anyway I worked with inner city students and to my surprise Yu-Gi-Oh had really still stuck around was really big so I'm like I had so I like called up my grandparents who had my Yu-Gi-Oh cards and I was like grandma send me the tin. So she sends me my Yu-Gi-Oh cards and my like claim to fame that I thought it was super cool was that I had an actual from a booster pack. You used to be able to buy the tin starter decks that had like the cool like Blue Dragons. Yeah of course you did. I was poor so I could only afford booster packs.

[37:38] I had a real red eyes black dragon which isn't a good card not great no though it can fuse with another card I didn't have to make the whatever the like meteor dragon or whatever but the mechanism didn't have that but I had I had a real red eyes and that was always kind of my claim of fame. But anyway I had my grandmother send me my cards and then she and then so I like one day after class because you know the kids spit on me and like hated me I was like I was working I was like a nonprofit student tutor. They not cool in Los Angeles not cool.

[37:38] But anyway I would try to get them to come after school to do the homework they never did um and try to get them back. My whole job was like I in each class I would pick like I I would be assigned basically like yo these 10 students will probably not graduate like even and these were like sixth graders and they're like already they are so broad behind that if we don't get them on track in like math and English they're not gonna ever graduate high school. So so I had this list. But anyway so I like I need to get those kids after school so I'm like if you guys come after school and do your homework I'll show you my Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

[37:38] Ooh did that get them in oh it got them in you know what else it got them into it got them into stealing all my cards. No so basically how it was working was when I was like when kids were done with their homework I would let them like look through the cards. Right. But then I was still helping other kids with homework.

[37:38] Oh I go help some kid I go back a card's missing I'd help some kid I go back and look at so eventually what I decided was that I outgrew Yu-Gi-Oh and so everybody at the end of like the session I'm like take what you want and I just gave away the rest of the cards and I let them take them you know it wasn't like I'm not so petty that I'm like oh you still like who stole my cards give it back nobody's going home you're all gonna fail like I didn't care I I had them so I just I gave out the rest of the cards that was it um but I was I won't I won't lie as it was happening I was like I'm gonna strangle this [expletive] kid like I'm

[37:38] gonna like I'm gonna I'm gonna go to jail for attacking a child over Yu-Gi-Oh cards over Yu-Gi-Oh cards and then I just like let it go and stuff and I was like whatever so it's the principal thing I'd be like nobody's leaving so yeah you I I'm shopping block all of you you would have like locked the doors played some Gaelic music played some like did some like spirit bongo nonsense and scared the hell out of these kids read some Stephen King aloud uh I would have played uh oh fortuna because that song's the creepiest one out there you're gonna have to play it for our user sometime well you know how it goes it's the one in every demon movie it's like oh fortuna and like the eye the fire in the eyes you

[37:38] know and like smoke in the back of course you have that yeah of course you do all right what do you got Nate because I I'm coming up to about my top four that I think are worth talking about we just plowed through some of the other [expletive] that doesn't even matter anymore.

[41:36] Okay okay hold on I love Twilight I can't help it no and I'm not saying like no way I'm saying like get out of the studio I'm sorry there's something about it there's something about it wait I read all I read all the books I went to all the the movies in theaters team Edwards you know I'm the gay one right yes okay just just wanted to double no I'm just kidding guys not making fun of that um tell me what you like I truthfully I I I read some of the first book with my classmates during that gap year I did like book clubs because I was just trying whatever I could to get these kids back into school you know so we read some twilight bad writing first of all it's not the

[41:36] greatest it's not great Stephanie Myers like in the second book when you turn a page and all says the name of a mom's like thanks yeah basically so what did you did you love the writing you love the universe you love I think it was just the idea of it wait are you team Edward or team what's the other kid's name Jacob Jacob yeah which is Edward all the way like I want to be a vampire yeah and not even necessarily the sparkles like I still I just want to be a vampire I like I love the idea of like stupid bellaswan going to school and then there's like an immortal there who's like oh you're mine now [expletive] and then like let's go be immortal together and we'll be super strong and never feel

[41:36] pain but the by the way we have to go eat deer like I just love that idea and there's something about it like I get pretty defensive about it because even Megan like I went with uh what would it be it would be like her stepsister or something like that.

[43:09] We left Megan at home and me and Megan's stepmom and stepsister went to go watch I think it was uh New Moon I think it was that you know what Nate not even kidding I really respect that like right like I think one thing if you get from the Nat One show is that you can be whoever you want whatever you're into you can be the cool kid you can be the nerd you can be the fat kid who makes fun of other fat kids.

[43:09] Yes no don't be that person just kidding but unless you want to be like me but yeah no I I don't believe that like I'm tired of like the current state of the internet that tells you what is nerdy and tells you what is cool and what's not like whatever like it's science like is that science fiction or whatever? Yeah or fantasy like young adult yeah and like that's Harry Potter is better. Way better way better but Harry Potter is young adult fantasy science fiction like it's the same thing. Like so don't get out of here, you know so that that's fine. It's not like, am I surprised? Am I learning new things about you? Awesome. Like, that's what we're here to do, Nate. That's what we're here to do. And I don't know though.

[43:09] Does that make him lean? Is that helping him or making him lose though? I don't know.

[44:12] Because like you wearing. You know, but like, have I recently just been watched them? Yes, when I get depressed, do I sit at home and eat ice cream out of the tub and watch all the twilights? Yes. Wow. Wow. I'm opening up for our listeners.

[44:28] Nate, they need to know about it. With each week that passes, I just really my heart bleeds out to Megan. Um and like what she must see. She's a strong woman, my Megan. It's a strong one. Man, I don't even know what I want to talk about. My stuff is just so normal. Like it's not, it's not, it's just whatever. But okay. Um, let's see. Uh, do you want sentimental or not embarrassing, but like like maybe impressive? Sentimental or impressive or just factual.

[44:54–46:41] [Editorial omission.]

[46:41] Like, Kirby is isn't like Kirby like a space assassin wizard, like uh I thought it was a big fat ball with shoes and sucked stuff. Well, and there goes that. So whatever. Anyway, that's what uh my spouse and I agreed. So we were gonna name I I think that's a big one, naming our child after a big character. I think that makes that one. All right, you want to go emotional? I'm gonna I have a few more that I'm still gonna go back to, but I'm gonna just lay it out there. Lay on me now. This is what I think if I'm gonna win this, this is what it's gonna be with. Did I ever tell you a story about how I proposed to my husband? No, you have not.

[46:41] I proposed at the Phoenix Comic Con. Okay, on stage during a nerdy burlesque show. So they were burlesque dancers, okay, dressed as anime and game characters. Okay, okay. And my husband was dressed as Pikachu, and I was dressed as Red, who's basically like the Ash, like the original train. They're not the same, but you get the idea. Right. Um, so I proposed, so I went up. Basically, what happened was we were at the burlesque show. My husband didn't know, it was a surprise. I had a pokeball with me the whole time I was there because it was part of my costume. But guess what was inside of the Pokeball, ladies and gentlemen? It was a ring, and my sister was there, and oh my goodness, I thought she was gonna ruin it.

[46:41] She just kept him like, I'm so excited. She like every time my husband was like maybe six inches away, and I'm like, he's right there. Like, please, please, God, don't ruin this. Um, and so anyway, I had contacted the show and they were super into it. They're like, we love it. Like, we'll call you up during the mid-show. We'll say that you like, I'm like, I I I recommend it. I'm like, hey, say that like I lost my wallet and you guys found it. We're just like, hey, uh, this person lost their wallet. So that's what they did. And I lose my wallet all the time, and my husband always finds it. So they totally bought into it. Oh, yeah.

[46:41] So he tells like literally they called me up and they're like, We have someone, they pretend to have someone's wallet, and they called my name. And he's like, Are you real? Like, seriously. He was like making fun of it, he was literally like ashamed of me. And he's like, Again, yeah, and so he totally bought it. So I go up on stage and like, if you want this back, you're gonna have to dance. So I started to like, you know, I like took off my gloves and started to like sexy dance, and then they they stopped that real fast. Real, real fast. I have this all on video, by the way. Uh if you become a Patreon member, I will share my video uh of how I proposed to my husband.

[46:41] And anyway, uh they stopped the dancing, and they're like, you know what? Like, we're not feeling it. Like, you're gonna have to do something even more pre impressive. So I said, Well, what if I propose to my husband? Audience gasps, we call up the beef, and there is oh my phone is actually what we're recording uh the video on. Uh technically there is a meme I have of my husband in his face, and I just like you know the memes where you like it keeps keeps zooming in on the same image. He just has this face of like [expletive]. And it's pretty embarrassed. He was so embarrassed, but it was perfect, it was so good, and it was the best, it was the absolute best. And then we have like photographers were there.

[46:41] Um, so we got like professional images because they were already photographing the show, and they're like, we were so inspired by your story, and they sent the images for free. So um I have always work in the angles, I yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. It's I knew what I was doing. Um, and yeah, so that's uh the story of of uh my my engagement, my marriage. You said yes, obviously. Um, and yeah, so beat that, Nate.

[49:39] Um, okay.

[49:41] Yeah, not so easy, huh? Okay.

[49:43] As we all know, I'm a big fan of my hair. But I also have a problem with speaking my mind to people. Like, if something's wrong, I won't say it. I'll just be like, yeah, that's fine, and then go about my day. Oh, I know. So in my adult life, I went to a salon and got my hair cut. Because I lived in a small dinky town, so like my options were slim. I used to drive all the way to Vegas, hour-long drive to get my hair cut, and then after this day, that was guaranteed I was no longer getting my hair cut in this town. I was driving to Vegas hour long just to get there, hour-long trip back. I I don't even know how to say it.

[49:43] She cut my hair and she's like, I think I did what you wanted.

[50:24] And it was something that's something you don't want to hear. First of all, I think I did what you asked. Right. Not a good start.

[50:30] And it's supposed to be a similar cut to what I have here.

[50:32] Okay.

[50:32] The what I'm currently sporting. Not anything crazy. Right, nothing. Tip Patreon, just a dollar. Just a dollar. And um when I looked in the mirror, I couldn't believe it. It was a straight bowl haircut. Is that what you asked for? No, absolutely not. As an adult man with a bowl haircut, I was speechless for the first time ever in my entire life. I have not wanted to be speechless. The air left my body without making a noise. Quick question for you.

[51:01] I don't want to interrupt you, but you're usually when I get my haircut, I'm looking in a mirror as they do it. So, like, did you not see it happening as it had? No idea. Like, does she blindfold you?

[51:12] She had me turned away from the mirror the entire time. All right, that's that was sign number two of don't I was leaving see it name until it was too late.

[51:20] You don't. If your hairdresser or stylist has you angled a different way while she cuts your hair. Anyway, go ahead.

[51:27] So I'm looking at it and she sees that I have nothing to say about it. I'm just speechless. I was like, She's like, You love it, don't you? Okay. And she's like, Well, it looks kind of weird now, but you just gotta put product in it. And I was like, What the pneumatic chair? Like, I went from shocked to pissed instantly, and I still didn't say anything. I was like, Thanks. How much do I owe you? I paid her. I still gave her a tip because I have a serious problem not tipping people. So I still gave her a tip, but it's only a dollar when normally only a dollar. Yeah, only a dollar, just a dollar. So that's almost more insulting than not tipping, by the way. So exactly.

[51:27] So I just I was stormed out of there. I was so pissed. And then there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't want to shave the rest of my hair, I wanted to salvage it. So for four days, I had a bull haircut.

[52:21] That's crazy. Um, did you ever watch Dexter's Lab? Yes. When I think bowl haircut, I don't know his name. Bigger with an M, like Mandark. Yes. I always think of like Mandark when I think of bull haircut.

[52:30] Yeah, so it looked exactly like that. Yeah, black hair, bull haircut.

[52:33] Not a good look for you. You don't have the anything for a bull hair. Nobody should sport a bull haircut. Nobody. Nobody. Literally, not a single one.

[52:40] No, it's awful. Look like a monk without the bald patch on top.

[52:43] I I had one kind of moment like that, but not nearly as bad, where I went and I asked them, I said something like short on the sides and long on the top, or or I might have even said the I don't know, whatever, short on the top. Something like that. I that must have been what I said, like short on the sides and then like long on the top. And he just cut the whole thing, basically did a buzz cut. And then as he was like finishing the buzz cut, I'm like, what is he doing? Oh my god. But I'm also like, I'm the person at the end when they're like, How's your haircut? And I just like on the I'm like, great. And on the inside, I'm like crying. Right.

[52:43] Like I never like I just can't tell a hairstylist that I hate their work. I don't know why. But anyway, as he was like almost done, he's like, Oh, I think I mixed that up. Because he like had started with the top, and so now the rest of it had to be short. Right. So at the end, so he went around and like edged it with a razor. It was like a barber shop. And like I could tell you like felt a little bad, but he's like, actually, I looked pretty good. Like, that's the that's the funny part, though. Was I was in college, I was at uh I don't know, maybe at Becker, I think like junior year or something. Um Christopher. But well, you don't care.

[52:43] That was the year where he had a girlfriend and I never saw him anymore. But um these things happen. These things happen. It's just a dollar. Uh but anyway, at the end he asked to like he went to like shake my hand, and I actually just didn't see him. I'm not the type who would just like not shake guy's hand, but I didn't see him, and I just like turned away and left. And then my friend was there, like, wow, you just like totally let that guy hanging. And I was like, Did I? Like, I didn't even notice. So like it probably looked like even though he did do my hair not the way I asked, right? It came out good, and then I just didn't shake his hand.

[52:43] So I had a weird experience, but not, I mean, it doesn't, it wasn't a bowl cut. I I looked actually, it was like kind of like a really masculine, like it was kind of like a crew cut, but like with like a razor edge. Yeah, it was solid. It was solid.

[54:14] Hair's a big deal, especially here in that one presents.

[54:17] So extreme rage at the hairdresser is nerdy to you. I think the the I feel like the prompt of this session made me got a little lost.

[54:29] No, I was just saying the fact that I had a bull haircut.

[54:31] Oh, you had a bull haircut, true. As an true, true, true, true. Because that's only something in like fantasy, like fiction do you see that? So you may you brought fiction to light. Right. Okay, that that goes like that.

[54:40] Like mob psycho, like bull hair up there.

[54:42] Okay.

[54:42] Chris knows what I'm talking about.

[54:43] All right. Oh, I I got a few more. I'm not done yet. I'm not done. Okay. Um you know I have a bachelor's degree, right? No big deal.

[54:50] I don't have one of those.

[54:51] Oh yeah. Well, I I also have tens of thousands of dollars of student loans, so I don't really know how to do that. I don't have any of those. I don't don't. I'm not exactly bragging about it. Um but do you did I ever tell you what my degree was in? No, you have not. Computer game design. No way. Ask me how useful that is. How are you using it today? It's not very useful. I somehow got into marketing. Um, thank goodness. I because our degree was called inter Chris has the same degree. Sorry. Um, our degree was called interactive media, hyphen computer game design. And so I just left off the hyphen computer game design.

[54:51] So I just had an interactive media degree and then got hired to do like web marketing stuff, and that's where I've been 10 years later. That's what I'm doing. That's crazy. And it's worked out. But so I went to school. We like made Chris and I made not good ones, but we made like video games or demos or levels um for our college degree. So uh that's pretty nerdy if you ask me. That is nerdy on snowball haircut. Sorry, I'm I'm gonna definitely bring that up. Like a lot. What else you got? I got one more, even though I've kind of played most of my cards.

[55:52] All right, well, this one will be my last one then. Okay. Um I have a serious problem playing any trivia game. Like, I get aggressive. Is this about the Harry Potter trivia? Well, nobody plays me at Harry Potter trivia anymore. Yeah, nobody plays me anymore. My whole family, no, we're not playing with you. I might as well just throw it out. What am I gonna play? Pickles? Like, I'll still crush her.

[56:15] I really want to be at like a family trivia night with you guys.

[56:18] So the the story is we were playing a standard trivial pursuit, and it was boys versus girls at a uh family get-together or whatever, like a reunion type deal. Boys versus girls, huge crowd. The question came up, and I answered it before it was said just like name this director or name this actor or something. And I answered it before any prompts showed up. Yeah, because you're just that good, right? And I just took a shot. Did you just guess though, or was it really just luck? No, I totally just guessed, and it was luck. Were you drinking? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. For sure. Oh, we're and I guessed mom knows this story. Mom, I love you, I know you're watching, but it was Robert Redford was the answer. And I just shot it out.

[56:18] Is because I felt like they said Robert Redford four [expletive] times already throughout this trivia. Like, apparently every answer is Robert [expletive] Redford. Why not? So I just said it. Robert Redford. Yeah, perfect. And then like the prompts started going up for the clues to the answer. And then I remember my cousin sitting over there is like, oh my god, it is Robert Redford. And I was like, Yes, give me the point. Give the guys because I get super aggressive and like it's the only time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get super worked out, especially if I've been drinking, like I get mean about it. I'm not gonna lie. And I was like, give me the point. And then they said they're not gonna give me the point. Totally That's not how it works.

[56:18] No, I mean, you are probably a huge [expletive]. Oh, I guarantee it.

[57:32] Huge, but you can't they cannot give you the point.

[57:34] That's not how a trivial pursuit works. Like, I answered it, give me the point, give you the point, and they wouldn't give me the point, and then I started freaking out, and I was like, I was basically like, yeah, the Celtic voice was coming out.

[57:46] I was like, Oh dare you!

[57:48] Dare all of you. And then that was when my mom, who I'm pretty sure was drinking wine at the time as well, probably needed to in front of this is in front of the whole family. Why do you always have to do this?

[57:59] You ruined everything, and I'm like, everything, mom! And it really hurt my feelings when I was drunk.

[58:06] Mom, sorry I'm telling everyone the story, but it's super funny.

[58:09] If you're if you're Nate's mom, he's told me a story at least four times, and so I know it's really weighing on him that one night that you guys played.

[58:18] I still feel really bad about it, but on the same side of that coin, I still feel entitled to my [expletive] point. The guys' team should have won. I'm sorry. It was my point. So, did you guys lose? Because I have no idea because they kicked me out. Oh, right. That that did happen. They said leave. I had to leave the living room. I forgot what I did after that because I usually like go crawl and pout somewhere. I'm like an emo kid. Yeah, that seems to be pretty much but I have no idea who won. I think they might have actually stopped playing. I think I might have ruined the fun for everybody. Yeah, you probably killed it. I doubt it. It it it continued to be. How do you get back?

[58:18] Like, if somebody else did it and I was there, the fun would have kept going. I would have been like, so on to the next question, huh, guys? But I don't know if anybody else can play that off. I think the night was ruined after that.

[59:00] I feel like people after this episode will think very different of you. And not in the way I thought. They would have like, wow, we really learned a lot about this person. It I mean, it's like, yeah, wow, we learned a lot. Right, you're learning a lot about that.

[59:11] Turns out we hate other names.

[59:13] We it turns all right, so we're gonna need to do a trivia night at some point. I think that is the big conclusion. Um, and we'll have to make friends and start drinking. Harry Potter trivia. Harry Potter trivia. By the way, you saw that their HBO is making a show, supposedly.

[59:27] Yeah, you sent me that, and I am super stoked about it. I feel like HBO Max is tapping into Nat One Presents. We said, why isn't there a show? A couple weeks later, there's a show. Boom. So HBO Max, where's our check? Yep. Send it to us. Nat One Presents. It's only a dollar. That's a dollar. No, the check should be a lot more. HBO Max, you give us more than more. A lot more. You have more than that. Way more. Wonder Woman made at least $12.

[59:48] Don't Kim, do not say that word in front. Chris knows the other day. And he was trying to be like, well, I heard no, no, I like laid into it. Anyway, all right, I got my last story. I and then and then we're gonna have the judge weigh in. And I, you know, I actually went into this, listeners thinking like, there's no way I'm gonna beat Nate. But after hearing this conversation, I think I have a chance because we just really learned that you are a very flawed, traumatized human being. Right. Whereas I actually shared things that were probably in more standardly what's considered nerdy. But my my very last thing is in college, and actually Chris joined me many a time as we went to uh a gaming convention called PAX East.

[59:48] Um we did a number of times, and one year I made my own costume. What was it? What do you think it was? You'll never guess. No, I'll never guess. Okay. So I was a giant turnip from Super Mario. Oh just this big. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And like this around. And so I made I use foam insulation. I bought like 20 cans from Home Depot. Those fumes in our dorm, whoo! Yeah, Chris knows. Yeah, not healthy. Well, I don't know. I mean, for like a guy who just winged it, I did sew my own. So basically I used foam insulation, then I like made like a just giant like sphere, right?

[59:48] Then I carved the sphere into like a turnip shape, then I cut that in half, then I carved out cavities for me to go like this, right? Which for the viewer, just me like trying to like put my chest out and my arms super wide. Right. And then so and then when I just had these like pegs to like stick it back together, I didn't know what the hell I was doing. And so I put that on, and then I sewed the actual like with like a white furry fabric over it, and then like did the face with the turf, which is super easy. And then my friend went as I'm really into Daisy. If you guys know me, I love Princess Daisy, which is pretty much just like the doppelganger of Princess Peach. Right.

[59:48] And Princess Peach and Daisy both pulled the turnips out of the ground. So I basically, the whole joke was I went with Princess Peach or Daisy doesn't matter. I was a giant accessory, right? I'm an accessory that she pulls out of the ground and throws somebody out literally a disposable. But that's her move. And I was like taller than her and like wider than her in every direction. And then people were like, people like working at booths as I'd walk by would like pin their like badges and swag to me, like as I because I was just so big and obnoxious and like weird. And then a story that always stands out to me was this one chick, and she's like, Who are you?

[59:48] And I'm like, Oh, I'm like a turn up from Super Mario. She's like, Oh, I only played the original Mario. So I'm like, This is from the second Mario game that ever existed. Like, this is the original, like easy horny. This person just didn't know what they were talking about. And she's like, I only play the originals. I'm like, okay, we're done here. Um, so yeah, so I sewed and created my own cosplay that I wore at a convention of a giant turnip from Super Mario, which is a good one. Um what else? Do you got anything left?

[62:24] No, I think what we can really take away from this is that nerds come in all shapes and sizes. It doesn't like I like watch all the Harry Potters, I read all the books, I do all the nerdy stuff. But I feel like what really makes you a nerd is what's in your heart. Oh, and trauma. I think trauma.

[62:41] I think lots of trauma came up.

[62:42] I'm still sorry about the trivia night, mom. I love you.

[62:46] Please forgive him so I can stop hearing this story. It's like a confessional every time before we have to do an episode, he has to tell me the the Harry Potter trivia story. It's it's it's a burden on me at this point.

[62:56] I still want my point.

[62:57] Anyway, you know, we were gonna have our Chris, our backstage producer, uh weigh in, but I think what we decided is we're both losers here. Yes. Uh yeah. If uh being a nerd is to just uh embrace losing. Yes, I think is what we determined. So uh wow. Uh whew. I I'm exhausted. Like I'm not even kidding, I'm not even saying that for like you know, comedian relief. Like I feel very tired from this battle. Oh, yeah. And I don't know if we should continue to go up against each other. Like I it's it's not like this. It's too taxing. Two Titans just annihilating, you know, like the entire earth in which we we we bask.

[63:32] I'm ready to go cry in a corner.

[63:34] Well, what else is new? All right, so hey, if you enjoyed our show, which I'm doubting it today, um, go ahead. It's a good show. Check out our Patreon. It's only a dollar. Just a dollar. I'm so tired of saying that. Um, I'd like to start saying something else, plug really anything else. So just go ahead, become a patron, but also check us out. We're on social media, obviously. Tell your friends about it, share episodes if you think it was funny. We're on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, whatever. If you use it, we are there, you know?

[64:03] And leave reviews. Like we want to hear from you, the fans. Like it takes five seconds. I know there's a lot of you watching. Just leave a review, leave a comment, leave anything. Let us know you're listening.

[64:13] And you know, do us a favor. If we, you know, in the United States, uh, when you open like Apple Podcasts, it's only gonna show you reviews from your region. So actually, if you're leaving reviews in other countries, thank you. We can't see it. Right. So maybe send us a comment so that we know and we'll like send us the review as a DM and we'll read it. We'll we will honor you. Um, but we can't see it if it's not in the United States. Uh but yeah, leave just God, we just want some attention, some input, some goddamn engagement. What I what I gotta do? Yeah, I'm talking to you in Deutschland.

[64:40] Say uh Alsknet, Zergut, and