Key Takeaways

The New Year’s Illusion: How parents use early countdowns to trick their kids into going to bed early.
90s TV Deep Dive: A hilarious look back at shows like Elimidate, Singled Out, and In Living Color.
The "Teatro ZinZanni" Saga: Mike shares his experiences with dinner theater and the mysterious "Mr. PP’s Clubhouse."
The Future of AI: A serious (and slightly terrifying) discussion on AI’s power consumption and whether the universe itself is just a "natural version" of AI.

Timestamped Chapters

[01:40] Introduction and the search for a live ball drop.
[03:50] Time zone confusion: Why does Canada get New Year’s before the US?
[07:05] Discussion on "Grinds" coffee pouches and nicotine alternatives.
[11:35] 2026 Resolutions: From having more fun to avoiding felonies.
[19:15] Watching the Arc de Triomphe light show in Paris.
[21:10] The redacted Epstein files discussion.
[26:50] Nostalgia Trip: Carson Daly, Dick Clark, and 90s dating shows.
[38:15] Rick Moranis and the potential for a Goonies 2.
[43:50] The dinner theater experience: Teatro ZinZanni.
[62:30] AI Deep Dive: Google Gemini, power bottlenecks, and simulation theory.
[69:40] Lucid dreaming and state checks.
[77:00] Final New Year’s toast and sign-off.

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15
• RCF Exteriors: Cut Wood. Not Corners. RCF Exteriors specializes in Window and Door installation across the South Puget Sound region. RCF Exteriors is a customer service orientated company with 20+ years experience in window and door installation. Our efficient and knowledgeable team is dedication to making sure you are satisfied with not only the final product but throughout the entire installation process. Email: rcfexteriors@gmail.com Phone: 253-446-8854
• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• MR. P.P.'S CLUBHOUSE - Teatro ZinZanni Seattle — You’re invited to play with your food at Mr. P.P.’s Clubhouse
• New Year's Eve - Wikipedia — New Year's Eve in the Gregorian calendar refers to the evening—or commonly the entire day—of the last day of the year: 31 December.
• Lucid dream - Wikipedia — In the psychology subfield of oneirology, a lucid dream is a type of dream wherein the dreamer realizes that they are dreaming during their dream.
• ElimiDate - Wikipedia — ElimiDate is an American reality television dating show in which one contestant chooses between four contestants of the opposite sex by eliminating them one by one in three rounds. On August 11, 2006, it was announced that the show would not be renewed for the 2006–07 season due to low ratings,[1] and it went out of syndication after September 5, 2006.
• Blind Date (American TV series) - Wikipedia — Blind Date is an American dating game show. The show was originally hosted by Roger Lodge from 1999 until 2006, and was later hosted in narration by Nikki Glaser from 2019 until 2020.
• Singled Out - Wikipedia
• InsideAI - YouTube — AI news, features, safety, jailbreaking and social experiments
• AI Might Let You Die to Save Itself | Lawfare — In recent simulations, leading AI systems blackmailed their human users—or even let them die—to avoid being shut down or replaced.
• AI system resorts to blackmail if told it will be removed — Artificial intelligence (AI) firm Anthropic says testing of its new system revealed it is sometimes willing to pursue "extremely harmful actions" such as attempting to blackmail engineers who say they will remove it.

01:11 - Justin explains Jeff being on a road trip and what he did while hanging with one of the GCP fans. He shares how people can listen to GCP live, talks about their experience at Buddy Boy Farms in Spokane, and they talk about how it felt like a con weekend. Justin talks about taking Lime scooters to Dry Fry Distillery, Scott talks about the challenge to get a scooter later in the night and how beautiful the river through Spokane was. Justin shares the difficulty of using the map on his phone while on the scooter, using his intuition to get to the distillery instead of listing to the cop, and they talk about the Spokane “Bro-muda Triangle” downtown.

20:23 - Justin talks about the Smurf Bombs they enjoyed at 24 Taps, the Yardstick drink they enjoyed at Fast Eddies, and the roving gangs of college kids they ran into. They talk about experiencing the river walk on Saturday, Scott’s quest for a lighter, and the cool Garbage-Eating Goat. Justin talks about the various scooters they saw in the water, their visit to the Martini Bar, and the food they enjoyed there. He talks about the drinks they enjoyed there, their visit to the Ben & Jerry's store, and Scott talks about the red zones for the scooters.

40:35 – Justin talks about them adventuring east on the Spokane trail, going to Gonzaga University on the scooters/bike, and Brogan jumps in on the conversation. Justin talks about the drag show the ladies went to, their visit to Clinkerdagger, and him and Scott watching a singer at the hotel while hotboxing at the bridge. He talks about him and Scott then finding scooters, their quest to Gamers Arcade Bar, and how they headed out as the Grit City Podcast Street Teamers.

60:00 – Justin shares the great songs he played on Touch Tunes while at the Arcade Bar, the punching bag at the arcade, and the “bro-doods” impressing their chicks on it. He shares his appreciation for Pop A Shot, Scott talks about when he blacked out, and Justin talks about the motivational speeches he gave while there. Finally, Justin talks about his mistakes in consuming alcohol and closes out giving a shout-out to Buddy Boy Farms and Spokane.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Dry Fly Distilling — THE OUTDOORS ARE CALLING, THEY SAID BRING MORE DRY FLY.
• 24 Taps Burgers and Brew in Spokane
• Garbage-Eating Goat Statue
• Spokane Valley Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar
• Clinkerdagger Restaurant in Spokane, WA — The tradition has continued for over 40 years at this Spokane landmark overlooking the majestic Spokane River and city skyline.
• Globe Bar & Kitchen - Spokane's most popular LGBTQ+ hotspot
• Willow Wind Organic Farms on Facebook

02:05 - Justin talks about why they chose to visit the farm in July, their first night in Spokane, and Scott talks about the stop in Covington to visit Brogan. Justin talks about the wildfires in Oregon and Washington, his and Michell’s experience at the Safeway in Spokane, and his past visits there. They talk about experiencing the college nightlife their first night in Spokane and the 90’s fashion that was going on.

25:57 - Scott talks about the Netflix show Z Nation being recorded in Spokane, Justin introduces Galadriel, and Galadriel introduces Nick. Nick talks about where he’s originally from, Galadriel takes the guys to the cannabis starts, and the lady bugs that they bring in every week. She talks about how the lady bugs are caught in the wild, explains that they’re working to becoming an organic form for cannabis, and Nick talks about them trying to consolidate the different data points that they use.

52:04 - Nick explains that they sell products to other producers, they head over to Buddy Boy 2, and Galadriel talks about the different teams they have setup. Justin talks about the rattle snake season signs, Nick talks about having to record the cannabis waste, and Galadriel talks about the design of their green house. Justin talks about the magnitude of the buildings, Galadriel talks about the number of people they employ, and the different strains that they have.

75:02 - Galadriel shares how the green houses in the new building are all connected, Nick talks about they new building being automated, and they talk about how much math is used in the process. Galadriel talks about the comfort she found in her dads green house as a kid, the amazing teams they have, and the head grower talks about how he got started with Buddy Boy Farms. He talks about the stress around growing, Galadriel shows them the mother plants, and explains what “mother plant” means.

Many many thanks to Galadriel for taking us on am amazing tour of Buddy Boy Farm! We look forward to getting to catch up with you soon!!!!

Special Guest: Buddy Boy Farm.

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Z Nation on Netflix — A team embarks on a perilous cross-country mission to transport the one man who survived a deadly zombie virus, hoping he holds the key to a vaccine.
• Buddy Boy Farm — Buddy Boy has been farming organically for over 40 years, and he’s grown thousands of organic acres using age-old natural methods along with a few modern twists that would make your grandpa smile!
• Home | Fast Eddies Spokane — Fast Eddie's is an upbeat bar & grill with TVs for sports matches, burgers, beer, foosball & Bloody Marys.

01:21 – Justin shares how listeners can find GCP online, Olowo-n'djo talks about how often he gets to go back home to Togo, and talks about where he grew up in Togo. He discusses when he began to understand ways he could help uplift the African people, what life was like for him as a child in Togo, and explains how that experience has drove him to do what he is doing today. He talks about how TAF came to be, how the creation of the products was a way for them to generate money to support their mission, and how their business not only helped with creating jobs in Africa, it also created jobs locally as well.

13:13 - Olowo-n'djo talks about how he ended up in Olympia, where the name of the company came from, and the real meaning of Alaffia. He talks about what some of the difficulties are in getting out of poverty, the guiding principles of the organization, and the importance of us to see the world as one community. He talks about the importance of having to do multiple things to make an impact on poverty, the reasoning behind planting 90,000 trees, and how deforestation is contributing to starvation.

25:52 - Olowo-n'djo shares that 1 of 16 women in Togo have a chance to loose their life in giving birth, the impact that has on the children they leave behind, and discusses the schools that Alaffia has built. He talks about the other project of donating bicycles Togo, the impact that has on preventing children from dropping out school, and the amount of human trafficking that is happens in Togo. He talks about the importance of family and culture to him, how the company blew up in 2018, and the organizations intent to make their products accessible and affordable to all American communities.

39:08 – Olowo-n'djo talks about the want to give everyone the ability to give in the world, the fact that changes can be made by things as simple as being mindful about what you purchase, and what he does to relax and have fun. He talks about exercising daily being important to him and that though he knows Alaffia has made a huge stride on removing poverty, he always feels like there is more to do. The guys closedown the show reflecting on the amazing conversation.

Thank you Olowo-n'djo for joining the podcast and sharing the awesome things TAF is doing!

Special Guest: Olowo-n'djo Tchala.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Alaffia — A movement for change.
• Alaffia (@alaffia) on Instagram — Clean, plant-based & fair trade beauty
• Alaffia on Facebook — We're cultivating beauty, equality, and empowerment in West Africa. Alaffia aims to alleviate poverty and advance gender equality through the Certified Fair Trade of indigenous resources and community empowerment initiatives.
• Alaffia (@AlaffiaSkinCare) on Twitter — Our mission: Alleviate poverty & gender inequality in West Africa thru fair trade of sustainable resources, indigenous knowledge & social investment

2:16 – The show kicks off with discussion on the GCP guys recording at the Union Club, info on how fans that are wanting to download older episodes can do so, and Carol explains what Spice is and the 15+ different styles of dance that will be showcased at the event. Carol explains that the benefit show is to raise funds for the nonprofit T.U.P.A.C, how T.U.P.A.C is modeled off the Dance Theater of Harlem, and Denetta talks about the two different types of dance she’ll be performing at the event.

9:43 – Carol explains the performance piece she’ll be doing, when she got started, and how hip-hop is pulling some of it’s current styles from classic styles of the past. Carol explains how SPICE celebrates the roots of each of the dances, it’s past corruption from western culture, and Scott talks about how one of his favorite parts of Tacoma is the diversity in the area.

20:08 – Justin touches on how the event is an all ages event, Carol talks on the history of twerking, the different styles of dance it came from, and the new ‘flossing’ dance style. They talk on how new dances spread quickly with globalization, if it’s good to have information spread so quickly with technology today, how important it is for people to get involved with the community, and the need for kids to get involved in things like dance.

33:37 – Carol talks about the type of dance classes T.U.P.A.C offer to adults, dabke dance style, rhythmic tap that is offered at Northwest Tap connection in Seattle, how cross cultures in the past created different types of dance throughout history, and how they came up with the idea of the show. Justin shares info on where people can find more info and buy tickets online.

Thanks Denetta and Carol for joining the guys to talk about SPICE! and for the amazing work you do to raise money for T.U.P.A.C!

Special Guests: Carol the Belly Dancer and Denetta.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Seattle-Tacoma based Bellydancer Carol
• Tickets! - SPICE! Dances of the African and Arab Diaspora — Brown Paper Tickets for SPICE!
• T.U.P.A.C. "Where Classical Ballet Legends Are Trained!" - Tacoma, Washington | Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center
• Carol Bui, LMP at RAPTURE Massage Tacoma — Our sole mission is to improve your quality of life with one healing touch at a time. Whether you're experiencing pain, injury, surgery, emotional or physical trauma, anxiety, depression...or you just want to feel amazing, we're here to help.

The show kicks off with Brogan admitting to stealing some of Justin’s BNB, Justin discussing setting up his man cave at his new house, co-working spaces in Tacoma, and what’s going on with this year’s Arts on the Ave. Brogan discusses his new idea for a band name and then they head down to Art on The Ave where they first talk to Liz Wilcox from the Hilltop Artists Glass Blowing. She discusses what Hilltop Artists is and what they do to benefit kids and teens in the community to help keep them out of trouble.

14:42 – The guys stop by Crown Bar, a local bar that has been on Diners and Dives, the guys call out Guy Fieri and express what they love about the bar. They then head to Mary Mart to discuss the stores want to destigmatize cannabis, and Rusty’s new restaurant on 54th by the Airport Tavern in Tacoma, The Church Cantina.

24:33 – Steve Dunkelberger is the next person they run into. He talks about his Drunk History, Tacoma Addition, a bar crawl starting at The Frontier and tours around the city providing history while enjoying drinks at great places around Tacoma. He drops some Tacoma history followed by the guys getting ‘buckets’ at Jazz Bones for $9. They also discuss where ‘pork chop sandwiches’ came from then enjoy some of the music at the show.

39:22 – They talk with the owner of Devils Reef and Tacoma Cabana in Tacoma. He tells the guys about the names of his drinks, Justin expresses the feel of the bar, the different art styles in the bar, the owner tells about how he came up with the ideas for the bar, and how he and Brogan met. They then chat with Levi Lyon, owner of Lyon Pride Music.

This week’s show comes to a close with talks about vanilla and natural extracts, the need for more research of things that say ‘Natural Flavor’ and the last stop at O’Malley’s. They recap their walk, the weird things they say, what they bought along the way, and where people can find them and Art of Ave online.

Special Guests: Misha and Rusty.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

This episode kicks off discussion of Justin ghosting Andrews Ghost Tour, wizard beards, and what DND class Derek would be. Derek chats about how long he’s been doing RPG’s and his preference of video games over RPG. He then tells that guys about his new podcast, Rolling Misadventures, it’s release date, how often they record, and where people can find the new podcast online.

20:43 – The ladies talking about what their business does, what brought them together and how they got started. Jennifer explains the idea coming to life while throwing pottery in April’s garage and the importance for them to keep a “laid back” atmosphere that makes learning fun.

34:18 – Talk turns to Octomom and what she’s been up to since her TV show, including her recent article in People Magazine. Jennifer dives into SPUN being in business for two years and her taking the step outside of the corporate world, leaving her job after 20 years to pursue something different.

44:04 – They jump into the conversation of shaving, why the guys set the 1 drink limit for guests, and Jennifer’s hate for raw onions, cucumbers, and yellow mustard. Jennifer also illustrations her salutary voice, gives the guys her recipe for barbeque sriracha street corn, and they discuss different combinations of food that shouldn’t work but do.

56:00 – April and Jennifer talk about the decision to provide kids classes, realizing the memories they’re making for the kids, and nick names that they have with each other. The topic then turns to what’s included with the cost of a session at SPUN and they delve into the pics of each other’s phones.

As this episode comes to a close the girls talk about what’s included with their cost, April shares the story of Chad, and their hours and where people can find them. Thanks April and Jennifer for joining the guys for a look inside SPUN.

Special Guests: Derek G and SPUN.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

The show kicks off with a story from an old friend of the guys, Bill Baker. Bill tells the guys about his 1998 world cup trip and his crazy adventure while riding the bullet train from France to Italy. After Bills story, Ben dives into how the convention started and his decision to get into entertainment at age 30. He talks about his first visit to Norwescon and how people that are interested in volunteering at the convention can get involved.

15:01 – Ben discusses his producing and acting career, his love for Renton, and him becoming the event director for Renton’s Chamber of Commerce. He talks about putting on events to get the millennials in the community involved and how he incubated the comic book convention through the Chamber of Commerce. He discusses the drama behind the convention, where it’s held, and other communities outside of Renton getting involved.

25:20 – Ben talks about the guests that attend the convention, the expectation of 5,000 attendees this year, and them being the first comic book convention to shoot their own original content. Justin talks about smaller conventions being eaten up by larger ones and Ben talks about how the convention takes care of their guests that fly into Seattle. He also talks about the premier of their film airing during the convention at the AMC Theater at the Southcenter Mall.

The show winds down with conversation on space travel, the company Planetary Resources, and the new Lost in Space show on Netflix. They also chat about if they would live underwater and if they had to pick between underwater or space which one they would choose.

Thanks Ben for joining the guys for a great conversation and spreading the word about RenCon!!

Special Guest: Ben Andrews.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Renton Comic Con
• Chamber of Commerce - Renton, WA - Renton Chamber of Commerce
• Star Trek: Phoenix - Cloak & Dagger Part I (Full Version) - YouTube — After their diplomatic envoy crashes on the remote planet of Katrassii Prime, Captain Avari and the crew of the U.S.S. Phoenix embark on a dangerous mission to rescue them.
• Ben Andrews on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more... - Photo Gallery - IMDb

The guys kicks off with conversation on the GCP’s 4 year anniversary and Justin’s new house in Tacoma. Justin chats about his neighbors and they play a voicemail Brogan left Justin while he was at the Solstice Fremont Street Festival. Jeff talks about seeing Girl Trouble in concert and they give an update on Blue Helix who is performing on July 20th at the Chris Cornell Tribute at The Crocodile where portions of the proceeds go to the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation.

17:00 – Brogan introduces how he was introduced to Blue Helix. Sami explains how the band came together in 2008, building a recording studio, how he learned about recording with other engineers, and putting out his first record. He talks about playing full time, being a music teacher, in addition to how he taught himself to play the guitar and writing his own music.

25:15 – Sami discusses what his back up quest would be if he didn’t play music, which is playing in the NFL. He then talks about the other two members of the band, the move from a four person band to a three piece band, incorporating backing tracks, and future plans as the band continues to grow.

36:36 – The guys ask Sami’s opinion on a venues responsibility and an artist’s responsibility for promotion of the event. Sami explains that unlike most bands, they themselves promote their band via social media, where most bands are burnt out on self-promotion and they do expect the venues to do most of it.

50:27 – Discussion of the two years it took to make the “Aliens” video and what they went through for the planning and permits that were needed to make it happen. He explains working with Touch or Not Productions to turn his vision into a reality. Sami then talks about the trip with his wife to Africa, the video he recorded there, and what local tribe members have to do before getting married.

This episode comes to and end with them chatting about where people can find the band online, the importance of making a video with metaphors in it, their show on October 22nd, 2016, and the significance of getting feedback from their fans.

Thank Sami for joining the guys on this episode and you’re insightful look into the life of a musician.

Special Guest: Sami Chohfi.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Blue Helix — Blue Helix is an independent rock band from the state of Washington, USA and São Paulo, Brazil formed in 2008 by Sami Chohfi. Following in the sacred footsteps of the ’90s movement, their music is a perfect blend of melodic rock and powerful heavy grunge.
• Chris Cornell Tribute w/ Outshined – Tickets – The Crocodile – Seattle, WA – July 20th, 2018 — Chris Cornell Tribute w/ Outshined Outshined (Soundgarden & Temple of the Dog Tribute Band), Blue Helix

This episode was recorded at Wizards Keep Games in Renton and kicks off with discussion about the shops game nights and age of people that come in. Mike then discusses his concern with Brogans ‘Reading Rainbow’ shirt and Jeff’s shirt collection. Brogan discusses meeting Mike for the first time, Mike talks about the numerous games he’s created over the past 30 years, and his history in the in the gaming industry. Talk then goes to his augmented video games.

16:04 – They discuss how convenient it would be to have a direct USB port linked to your brain to download data automatically and quickly goes back to augmented games. Mike talks about working with places like Amazon and building puzzles that their team works together to solve. He tells them of a latest apps they’ve developed like Apocrypha ℵ1 Companion App that updates the game in real-time, responding to the current news going on around the world and changes the users experience base on what’s happening in the news.

27:38 – Talk then goes to Mike designing puzzles, one of his recent ones he did for the Mox Boarding House charity. He talks about the huge competition during the charity event and the training that goes on prior to game day. He then dives into previously running Pax Dev, the huge game designer group in Seattle that support each other, and his career in Chicago before moving back to Seattle.

46:12 – The show winds down with Mike telling the guys the number of conventions he goes to each year and what it feels like for him to see a group of people that are playing the games he made. He discusses getting approached with new ideas for games, the importance of helping people that approach him about it, and him helping game designer Jack Emmert get his career started.

Many thanks to Mike for hanging out with the guys and the great conversation!!!

Special Guest: Mike Selinker.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Amazon.com: Mike Selinker: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle — Mike Selinker is a puzzle and game designer based in Seattle, Washington. He is the president of the design studio Lone Shark Games. His puzzles appear in Wired magazine, the New York Times, Games magazine, and the Chicago Tribune.
• Lone Shark Games – Welcome to the Lone Shark Games website! We are a Seattle-area studio that designs great tabletop games and puzzles, as well as amazing puzzle events, escape rooms, and alternate reality games.

(Guest writer Steve Dunkelberger)

The strange story of Jake Bird is as good as it gets if you are looking for a creepy story about the Gritty City. It is often referred to in serial killer circles as the most famous serial killer story you have never heard.

Sit back, sip a beverage or blaze one up. Sit back and prepare for a great tale. This is that story, one of murder in many states, and a curse … that came true.

I’ll start in the very beginning. Jake Bird was born in Louisiana in 1901 and had a relatively troubled life from the start. He left home at the age of 19 to seek his fortune by riding the rails of America.
He was a hobo, day laborer … traveling the nation and trading a day’s work for a night’s sleep and a warm meal wherever he stopped. He would reportedly kill with savage swings of an ax or knife before hopping on the rail on his way to another town. But I’ll get to that later.

He was otherwise unremarkable wherever he went, just one face in the growing crowd of “Gandy Dancers,” as rail-hopping day workers were called in those days. But that would change when he reached “the end of the line” in Tacoma. The City of Destiny, after all was the terminus of the transcontinental railroad, a fact that coined the term.

It was October 30th, 1947. Bird was 45. He was looking for work and can across the home of Bertha Kludt and her daughter Beverly June. The house still stands at 1007 South 21st Street. He hacked them to death with an axe. They screamed during the attack, screams so loud that neighbors called police. Two officers arrived to the scene only to find Bird covered in blood, still holding a knife as he ran from the scene. They cornered him. So he attacked, one officer was slashed in the hand while the other was stabbed in the shoulder. But they managed to still tackle him and handcuff him with all the gentility expected when an African American man kills two white women before then attacking two police officers in the 1940s. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries and then taken in shackles to the Old City Hall jail cells. It was called Siberia because it was so isolated from the rest of the world. It had no window or light, other than a bare blub hanging from the vaulted ceiling. It was hot all the time since it was located on the opposite side of the massive furnace that heated the entire building.

He first almost convinced the officers that he was innocent, but the fact that he still had brain matter spattered on his shirt finally convinced the officers that they had their man. He then confessed to the killings, stating it was a burglary gone bad. His trial came a month later. It lasted three days. He was convicted of Murder in the First Degree and giving the sentence of death by hanging.

This is where the case gets weird.

As he was being sentenced, Bird declared, "I’m putting the hex of Jake Bird on all of you who had anything to do with my being punished. Mark my words. You will die before I do.”

Taken as just another idle threat by a murderer. The “hex didn’t get much notice. That is. Until people started dying.

First the judge died of a heart attack. Then Bird’s defense lawyer died of a heart attack. Then the police officer who recorded his confession died of a heart attack. Then another police officer who wrote an official report on Bird passed of a heart attack. Then one of Bird’s prison guards died of a heart attack. And finally the court’s clerk died, but not of a heart attack. He died of pneumonia.

While still alive on Walla Walla’s death row, Bird continued to confess to crimes during his years on the rails. He tallied 44 murders to his butcher’s bill. He provided enough details about 11 of those, that the cases were officially closed.

His first kills were reportedly those of two women in Evanston, Illinois in 1942. Other victims were confirmed in Louisville, Kentucky, Omaha, Nebraska, Kansas City, Kansas, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Cleveland, Ohio, Orlando, Florida, and Portage, Wisconsin. Police in Houston, Texas, suspected he murdered a woman there as well.

His story would end on July 15th, 1949, almost two years after his last crime, at the age of 48. He was hanged on the gallows. He is buried in an unmarked grave at the Prison Cemetery at Walla Walla Correctional Center. His grave is marked with his prison number, 21520.

The only two that Jake's hex didn't affect were officer Pat Steele and Dr. Larson medical examiner.

In his practice throughout the years, Larson has helped convict about 100 people of murder. A number of these men had threatened to kill him in reprisal, so Bird was no different. He actually hadn’t heard about the hex until Steele told him about it as it came true. But it still didn’t faze him.

"The desire for revenge is a very immature reaction," he said at the time, "and whereas your average murderer is seldom a very mature, well-rounded character, he is nevertheless subject to the cooling process-the changes that come with the passage of time. Come to think of it, that's what our penal system is all about, isn't it-to put people on the shelf until they cool off? I like the thought, anyway."

After a great reading, they discuss the research behind the story and upcoming stories for future shows. They also discuss other things going on in the community, including The Eye of the Totem and the project to restore the movie. They discuss a previous Kickstarter out so local residents can help in remaking the movie.

Don'f forget to pick up Steve's Books at Amazon!

Special Guests: Donaven B. and Steve Dunkelberger.

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Links:

• Original Episode 44

The show kicks off with Amani telling the guys what he’s been up to with the comedy shows he hosts each week in the South Sound area. He talks about the different audiences at each of the three locations and breaking the news of Prince’s death to one of the regulars at Hangers, one of the places he hosts comedy shows at.

15:08 – Amani gives advice for people wanting to get started in comedy, his month of alcohol sobriety and taking on the one month cold shower challenge. Talk then goes to Tacoma scam stories where people are asking others for money in the area, Justin’s wife’s recent run in with a lady using the strategy of getting people to give by mentioning that those that don’t give her money have the devil in them and homemade ice cream trucks in the area.

29:45 – Discussion goes to conspiracy theories around Big Foot, deaths of famous people, and people behind the flat earth theory. Amani talks about skydiving, volunteering with pediatric cancer patients and helping one of the patients go skydiving for her 18th birthday. He tells the guys what a great experience it was and his plans for doing it again.

44:03 – _******Avengers Spoiler**** (Those that haven’t seen the show but plan to, skip to 52:15)** **_Amani shares where people can find him online and information on the shows he hosts. Talk then goes to the movie Avengers Infinity War, the plot, and what they liked and didn’t like about the movie. The show finishes up with Amani chatting about working at Nintendo.

Thanks Amani for joining the guys to catch up on what you’ve been up to since the last time you guys sat down. We look forward to catching up again sometime soon!

Special Guest: Amani Taylor.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

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The show kicks off with discussion on Tacoma’s weather. Andrew gives the guys a history on Tacoma Ghost Tours, the tours they offer, and how they got started. They talk about Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Galloping Gertie, that collapsed November 1940 and other disasters in Tacoma, including the Hamilton Candy Company fire.

14:45 – Scott shares the story of GCP’s ghost hunt at Brandy’s Attic Antiques with Andrew. They guys take a short break and when they return they discuss Scott’s interaction with one of Malarkey’s customers around the shirt Scott wore that day. They also discuss Tacoma’s open community where, unlike other cities, strangers regularly strike up conversations and the diverse types of people in the area.

27:56 – Andrew shares a clip of him provoking ghosts to communicate with them during the ghost hunt with GCP. Justin talks about working security at the Tacoma Road Center and the creepy things he experiences while working there. Andrew talks about the corrupt history of Tacoma, rumors on how railroad officials took over Tacoma early on due to a crooked mayor and where the name ‘Opera Alley’ came from.

37:07 – Andrew talks about the Tacoma Undergrounds use for smuggling and the original purpose of it being for utility use. He talks about the rumors around items being smuggled from the port where Stadium High School is and Stadium Bowl Gulch where homeless women and children often lived in the early 1900’s. He then turns to discussing Tacoma Ghost tours, the length of each tour, and tours being open to all ages except for Downtown Part 2 that starts at Wingman Brewers.

The show comes to an end with info on where people can find Tacoma Ghost Tours online and future plans for him to join the guys again sometime soon. Justin does a ‘GCFU’, catching up with Ken Carlson, director of Penny Palabras and the upcoming showing at the Blue Mouse Theatre on May 19th at 10 pm.

Thanks Andrew for joining the guys for an intriguing conversation around the paranormal history of Tacoma!!!

Special Guest: Andrew.

Sponsored By:

• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335
• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Tacoma Ghost Tours — The first and longest running ghost tour company in Tacoma. Tacoma Ghost Tours has been in operation since October 2012.

The show kicks off with James reminiscing about Norwescon back in the day and the classic game store in Tacoma of the 90’s, Nibbles and Bytes. They discuss the rise of Magic, Nibbles and Bytes being their second home, and the close of Wizards of the Coast in Tacoma.

15:02 – Brogan ponders on what he remembers most about Nibbles and Bytes, he discusses friends he made while gaming there, spending the weekends at Justin’s house, and the various magic tournaments they played in the PNW area. Show then turns to conversation with Cajon, one of the original founders of Defcon and conversations with people attending the Defcon Friday night during the convention.

29:50 – James talks about his return to Tacoma in 2015 after moving to California in the early 2000’s. The conversations makes a short turn discussing the pictures that Australia puts on their cigarette packs and the stringent taxes the country puts also puts on them. Talk then goes back to what has changed in Tacoma during the time James had been gone and how long he’s been going to Norwescon.

42:35 – Conversation returns to Magic and back in the day when Wizards of the Coast had pre-releases that spanned over all 48 hours of one weekend. They talk about collecting rare cards, buying and trading them to make extra money, and James’s return to playing Magic after a decade of being away. Brogan discusses the prices Magic cards are selling for today, ones that would sell at $1 back in the late 90’s are now going for $20 or more today.

54:19 – The final Fear and Loathing for 2018 comes to and end with Brogan talking with David Carnahan, the chief librarian and procurer of books for The Alexandria RPG Lending Library. David talks about the beginning of the lending library in 2016 and some of the original donations they received at Norwescon 40 in 2017. Brogan expresses his great appreciation for businesses like this and David talks about the various places and people the library gets donations from.

Thanks to everyone that joined the guys in their Norwescon 41 adventure, they look forward to hanging with you at next year’s epic NWC 42!!!!

Special Guests: David, James, and Rob.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• AlexandriaRPG.com — Alexandria RPG Library
• Alexandria RPG Classic Table Top Library is creating A classic Role Playing game library. - Patreon — The Alexandria RPG Library

The show kicks off with the Justin sharing his recording the day before with Dan discussing his 10 years at the con, his first con experience and his favorite memory. They cover hanging out at Deathcon, participating with Twister, and the noise complaints. Brogan uses the word fleek, for those that are curious about the meaning of it, from Google Dictionary, it means: extremely good, attractive, or stylish.

15:55 – Tommy Rice discusses 41 being his first visit to the con and his book The Lok. He describes it as a book based of ideas from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Avengers slammed together set in WWI. He explains that it has elements of electronic and steam punk based on aliens coming to the planet breaking it into conflict between the two main continents. Tom then talks about what got him into being an author and brought him to Washington.

31:32 – Tommy dives more into the reason why he started writing after his father passed, what kept him going, and the things he brings to the table with his writing. Justin opens the present Tommy brought him and Brogan gives Tommy information on what he can look forward to at the con. Tommy also tells the guys where people can buy his book and the upcoming conventions he’ll be attending.

46:20 – The guys are joined by Donoven, Jason, and Chad, creators of Apocalypse the Risen from Rusted Portal, “a post-apocalyptic fantasy horror RPG based on Earth, twenty-five years after the fall of society, in an event known as the Rise; when demons rose to power and the Risen dead first appeared”. They discuss their successful Kick Starter run and how people that missed the Kick Starter can still put in for pre-orders.

The show comes to and end with where people can find Rusted Portal Games and the plans for people to be able to go to Wizard Keep Games to play the game. Jason talks about how long they’ve been going to the con personally and representing Rusted Portal Games. The guys also cover their favorite memories of the con.

Special Guests: Chad M., Donaven B., Jason S, and Tommy Rice.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Volunteers | Norwescon — Norwescon is run entirely by volunteers. Each year, over 250 people generously give of their time in order to make Norwescon the best it can be for its members and participants. Volunteers are the backbone of the convention, from those of us who donate our time year round to those of you who lend a much needed helping hand for a couple of hours at the convention. Whether that is watching the doors at the Masquerade, helping out at the Registration Desk, or manning the Cloak Closet, we need that help.
• Rusted Portal Games — Apocalypse the Risen RPG

The show kicks off with discussion of Billy’s gift that he brought with him for the guys. Ava then dives into what burlesque is, what it stands for, and her favorite performances. She also discusses how she started with Gritty City Sirens 7 years ago and how it has progressively changed since it began.

15:49 – Justin covers how people can find information Gritty City online. Ava talks about working with community projects and how their main focus is to be involved with the community and how they got involved with Marry Mart and the benefits of cannabis. Ava then dives into her favorite and least favorite parts of burlesque.

At the halfway point, Billy tells the guys about what they have coming up, including their 4/20 sales. Conversation then turns to Ava and how she got started in burlesque and her first performance. She explains the amount of practice that happens prior to performing and how people that are interested in joining can get started.

42:45 – This episode closes out with discussion of what’s coming up for the Gritty City Sirens, including their Tim Burton Halloween Ball, going on October 27th. Ava explains that this is a more integrative social event in the theme of Tim Burton movies. Billy shares his favorite Tim Burton movie and the show then dives into where each of the guests were born. They end with giving listeners information on where they can find Mary Mart and Gritty City Sirens online.

Thanks Billy, Misha, and Ava for joining the guys for an intriguing conversation. We look forward to having you back on soon!

Special Guests: Ava D'Jor, Billy, and Misha.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Mary Mart: Recreational Marijuana Dispensary near Tacoma, WA — Mary Mart is bringing the best cannabis to the game. Find the very best cannabis here.
• Gritty City Sirens — The Sirens are a sisterhood based on trust, mutual respect, and empowerment. We represent and celebrate different body types, and ethnicities, backgrounds, talents and strengths.
• Gritty City Sirens - Facebook — Gritty City Sirens on Facebook

The show kicks off with Brogan teaching the guys how to eat crawfish and how it’s prepared in different places around the world. Justin then turns the conversation to Coop to describe what Dystopia Rising is, what people can do and be a part of when they attend, and the different type of post-apocalyptic faiths that the players have come up with at the most recent event. Coop then explains how Dystopia Rising was started in New Jersey and it’s moved across the US.

12:32 – Coop explains when Dystopia Rising WA came about in 2013 and what drew them into LARPing. They talk about zombies, raiders, and the modules they provide to the players to keep the immersed into the game. Conversation then goes to the age of players that attend, how often they hold the event, and the amount of people that typically attend.

26:27 – Coop and Jim talk about what got them into LARPing and their first time they attended a LARPing event. Jim tells them about how telling stories, writing the stories, and watching the game organically unfold are his favorite parts of the events. Discussion then goes to how they handle combat and the types of firearms they offer attendees.

40:24 – The show comes to an end with talk about the importance of character vs event not character vs character and the fights they’ve gotten into while in character. In closing, Jim explains how easy it is for new people to into the game, including providing newbies with a weapon and helping them build their first characters.

Thanks Coop and Jim for joining the guys for an interesting, in-depth, look into Dystopia Rising!

Special Guests: Coop and Jim.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058
• The Lindsay Jackman Group: We understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why our team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals are dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of our clients. We take great pride in the relationships we build and always work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Lindsay Jackman, Broker 253.857.3366 RE/MAX EXCLUSIVE 7201 Pioneer Way Ste A 101, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Dystopia Rising: Washington — THE DYSTOPIA RISING GAMING SYSTEM ALLOWS PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A FULLY IMMERSIVE LIVE-ACTION ROLE-PLAYING (LARP) EXPERIENCE SET IN A POST-APOCALYPTIC WORLD
• Dystopia Rising: Washington - Home | Facebook — Dystopia Rising: Washington on Facebook.
• New Player Info — Dystopia Rising: Washington — New Player Information. If this is your first time at a Dystopia Rising event we invite you to attend the new player training module on Friday.

This episode kicks off with Brogan’s quick chat about his choice to wear skinny jeans. They then dive into talking with Wade, creator of Weird Elephant at the Grand Cinema. He tells the guys about where the idea of Weird Elephant came from and his choice to show a movie weekly for Tacoma people to enjoy. He covers the movies they’ve played, how they choose the movies, and their upcoming shows.

14:00 – Wade talks about partnering with local businesses to offer customers a more in-depth Experience for the show. He then goes into what drew him into movies as a child and him taking his love for comics, sci-fi, and horror films to work at Stadium Video. He then dives into the first sci-fi and horror movies he watched.

Around the halfway mark, Kathly, Wades wife explains what she does for the cinema, how they encourage people to dress up to go to the show much like may Rocky Horror Picture Show attendees. Justin tells about a place that recently did a screening of Lady and The Tramp where people were allowed to bring their dogs and they had plates of spaghetti setup. They then turn to their plan to do a showing of The Big Lebowski at the end of March where they plan to offer WII bowling and encouraging people to cosplay.

42:20 – Kathlyn talk about movies she loved and shared with Wade and Wade discusses moved he’s shared with Kathlyn. Justin talks about the importance of people to go to the cinema for the full magical experience of watching movies in the cinema vs watching them at home.

This show comes to a close with discussion of other movies Wade is planning to feature in the upcoming months and where people can find them online. Wade also shares other plans The Grand Cinema will be doing in the upcoming months.

Thanks you both for joining the guys for an insightful conversation on Weird Elephant!

Special Guest: Wade and Kathlyn.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Weird Elephant | The Grand Cinema — Weird Elephant at The Grand Cinema
• Weird Elephant at The Grand Cinema - Home | Facebook — Weird Elephant on Facebook

11:42 – Chris discusses his MMA career, turning pro May 2016, his current stats at 4 and 1, and his premier debut at the Emerald Queen in Tacoma. He tells the guys about his gym, Gig Harbor MMA, how he reads other fighters that he goes up against and how 80% of the fight is mental with 20% physical. Chris also talks about that amount of time that goes into training at them gym, which is typically every day.

At the midway point, they dive into different types of marijuana, the strains on the market and Misha’s recommendation for shoppers to use leafly.com, a website that offers Marijuana Dispensary & Strain Reviews to assist with picking the strain that works for them. Terrance then tells the guys about what brought him to Tacoma 2 ½ years ago and what got him in the marijuana industry.

40:11 – Misha discusses upcoming events put on by Mary Mart, including the Black Sushi Event (3/03/2018), a fashion show with models showcasing clothing of local artists from the Tacoma and Seattle Areas. The topic then turns to Mary Marts plans for Mary Mart’s Got Talent, an open mic event with mixtures of comedians, slam poets, and live musicians, hosted by T. People interested in the future events can find more information on Mary Mart’s website or FaceBook page.

The show winds down with Chris discussing taking over the gym in Gig Harbor and his decision to leave his job and run the gym full time. Chris further explains that at the time he was also making his pro debut in the MMA. Discussion then covers the guys running their own business and where people can find Mary Mart and Gig Harbor MMA.
Thanks to Bill, Misha, T, and Chris for joining the podcast again to catch up with the guys, we look forward to having you on again soon!

Special Guests: Billy, Chris Stone, Misha, and T.

Sponsored By:

• Wizard's Keep Games: Building Community Through The Power Of Games. Stop by and check out the weekly events. Commander, D&D, Friday Night Magic, It all happens at Wizard's Keep Games in Renton. 17148 116th Ave SE Renton WA, 98058

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Gig Harbor MMA
• Gig Harbor MMA on Facebook
• Mary Mart Website
• Mary Mart on Facebook
• Mary Mart on Instagram

Just had a great experience here. I'm a new mom, dealing with some postpartum issues as well as chronic joint pain. I wanted something to help me that won't leave me unable to care for my son. Devon was of wonderful help! He answered my questions, offered suggestions and was kind and knowledgeable. I left feeling like I have some good medicine and was not judged. I really like the overall atmosphere of Mary Mart too. – Magnolia Jane

The show kicks off with conversation of what Mary Mart is, where it’s located, and Billy and Misha’s want to deflate the stigma around the use of cannabis. They also discuss the strict state laws on how recreational stores can market to customers.

15:45 – Misha discusses the first time being introduced to cannabis. Billy also shares his first time trying it when he was 16 and that Weed, California was named after his great, great, great uncle that helped build the railroads throughout the city. He dives into using marijuana medically and the different types of it on the market including marijuana bath salts, which like cannabis topicals, are non-psychoactive cannabis-infused that help relieve things like cellulitis.

At the halfway point they discuss isolation tanks and the usage of psychedelics while floating. Talk then turns to Brogans love of baths and the presents his customers bring into his shop. Justin tells the guys of his first experience with marijuana and they talk about the different types of food that can be deep friend, including cold pizza and Stouffer’s lasagna.

32:31 – Billy talks about his love of stoner culture and the fun parts of it that he embraces, including the creative ways of taking cooking to the next level and the other benefits of using marijuana. They discuss Mike Tyson’s plans to use ½ of his property in CA to grow cannabis and the other ½ as a new resort. Misha also discusses working with Foot Traffik, the largest marketing agency in the cannabis industry, to help them create a plan for the marketing direction they want to go into.

As the show comes to an end, Billy chats about Mary Mart’s location, their hours, and the ability for customers to order online. Brogan discusses his great experience at the shop and they cover upcoming Mary Mart events including Open Mic night. Misha finishes up talking about their focuses for 2018, including having discussions with people like doctors talking about the benefits of using marijuana.

Thank you Billy and Misha for joining the guys for a great a conversation!!! We’re looking forward to talking with you again soon!!!

Special Guests: Billy and Misha.

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They’re back!!!

After taking some time to re-coop the guys are back and better than ever! This season they’re also joined by Justin, the newest member of the podcast!!

They kick off this season with none other than comedian Rusty who has been with them from the start. He first joined them on episode 1 then came back on episode 49!! The show kicks off with an introduction of Justin and how Brogan, Justin, and Rusty first met 20'ish years ago. They reminisce about Norwescon and the great debate on what play Justin and Brogan were in when they were still in school. Brogan also introduces his sister to the show with a quick call to confirm what play the guys were in together, which turned out to be The Hobbit. They also discussed their beards, skinny jeans, and what else they’ve been up to during their break.

16:43 – Rusty talks about his podcast Rated 80’s and his new dating life. They discuss roommate arguments over cat videos posted online then dive into their fascination with drones. A quick turn to men getting pedicures with their significant others, fish pedicures, and back to drones. Talk then dives deeper into different types of drones on the market including ones that can go as far as Tacoma to Port Angeles.

At the halfway mark, discussion goes to suspended reality and the appreciation of production value of videos online. They talk about childhood scavenging for adult magazines and after a quick drink break, Rusty dives into his 17 year comedy career and his last show at The Airport Lounge in Tacoma. He then discusses how he got into comedy.

47:24 – Rusty talks about the ups and downs of performing then they discuss comedy in Tacoma and how it’s changed over the years from a violent place to live to a place with good food and entertainment. There is also a small debate over whether the Tacoma park is known as ‘Wright’ or ‘Wrights’ Park, which a Google search sided with those that pronounced it as ‘Wright’ Park.The show comes to an end with chat about ‘Gorilla’ Comedy where comedians hijack karaoke by paying the karaoke DJ $5 for a song and then try see how long they can drag out the performance before the DJ shuts them down. Rusty tells the team where they can find him online and the guys give a shout out to Wizards Keep Games in Renton.

Thanks Rusty for joining the guys on their returning show!!!

Special Guest: Rusty.

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