You are going to be on a remote location for 30 days, by yourself. While there you can only listen to one album, watch one TV series and watch one movie. @PabloDeTejas
ALEX: I wouldn’t take a music album -- believe it or not, I’m not much of a music listener as much as I am a music maker. I love nothing more than playing music, but I don’t love listening to it as much as I did as a child. If I took an album, I wouldn’t listen, so I’d rather take an audiobook. A long, 30-hour one I could listen to for an hour a day. The TV Series (assuming we’re in football season would be NFL’s Red Zone Channel so I could still see every TD of the NFL season live and the movie would be the Three Amigos as I’ve seen it more than any other and am still not tired of it.
ANWAR: Okay, I need a few basics to survive this stay. When it comes to music, give me T.D. Jakes Live From The Potter’s House. It’s an older gospel album, but I will definitely need something uplifting while I am there. To pass time during the day, I will watch The Wire for umpteenth time. I am sure there are things that I missed that will keep me entertained and help avoid boredom. Finally, give me Talladega Nights for comedy. I have watched Ricky Bobby countless times, and it still never gets old. By the way, how the heck did I end up on this island in the first place?
Roadhouse: great movie or the greatest movie of all time? @Jester East Alumni President
ALEX: Neither. It’s a pretty good movie that’s seriously overrated if we’re even discussing it as the GOAT. It’s not even the best Patrick Swayze movie which is a toss up between Dirty Dancing and Ghost.
ANWAR: I do not have a man-crush of Patrick Swayze. I thought the movie was pretty average. I was never into the forced pretty boy movies of the 80s, which is one reason I avoided Tom Cruise in Cocktail.
Scotch vs Bourbon @dragworm
ALEX: Neither. I drink Tequila or Mezcal. I’ll only drink one of these listed if it’s all you have.
ANWAR: Clearly, Alex has never enjoyed Basil Hayden’s on the rocks. Obviously, Maker’s and Four Roses are easy go-tos. I also a huge fan on Woodford Reserve. Oh, if you ever want something different, try 1835 Apple Pie or Honey bourbon (sold at Spec’s). Okay, who is ready to join me for happy hour?
Texas summers vs Texas winters @Dhatty
ALEX: Winters. The winter in Texas is mild while the summer is extreme and brutal. Saying you prefer Summers in Texas (the most horrible time of the year) to Winters (the time of year where vacationers COME HERE to get out of the true cold of the north) … that is like saying you prefer the brutal winters of Maine to the sunny and crisp summers. That doesn’t make any sense. In a vacuum, I hate cold much more than I hate hot weather, but since we’re comparing the most mild of colds to the most extreme of heats, I’ll take the mild cold. The only time of year I even briefly think I may end up moving away from Texas as some point is in the summer. The humid heat of Central Texas is like a 100-pound weight that saps your energy and soul the minute you leave the house.
ANWAR: Would I rather spend a summer day boating on Lake Travis or worrying about ice on the roads while trying to see Christmas lights at Zilker Park? Sure, the summers in Texas are hot, but that is when you head down to Barton Springs Pool, The Greenbelt, or take the kids to one of those amazing splash pads. It is also the perfect time to grab lunch off Ski Shores Cafe in Austin. Give me the heat.
I35 vs any other road @Dhatty
ALEX: The trek from Austin to Dallas has become basically a war-zone of 18-wheelers and idiot drivers while the construction makes things seem like a third-world country in places. I don’t feel safe even using it. Try living off IH-35 even through Austin as I did for nine years and using it as your main thoroughfare and you’ll see it’s god awful in even its “good patches.”
ANWAR: Have you ever been on I-85 in Atlanta? That has to be one of the worse interstates in America. The interstate is so crappy, a person actually set it on fire and a bridge collapsed. I did not even know that was possible. Anybody who has ever been on I-85 has questioned their life at that moment.
Who can consume more alcohol? Suchomel or Anwar. Defined by blood alcohol level perhaps. @randoke
ALEX: What about me? I drink all the time! Tequila, Mezcal, wine. A creamy Carneros Chardonnay with lots of malolactic fermentation to give a buttery, round bottom to the bright notes of melon and citrus on the tip of your tongue? A big, bold Cab from Yountville or a Mendoza Malbec? I drink them all the time. My tolerance is strong and I think I’m being slept on here.
ANWAR: Clearly, if you heard me making a drink on the podcast, I am about that life. These guys talk a good game, but Suchomel is a beer drink. Alex said he drinks wine, which is cute. I drink a gallon of water a day just to cleanse my system for the bourbon at night. I drink Gatorade before bed so I’m not dehydrated, and pop two Alleve’s in the morning to get my day started. If that is not the resume of a pro, I do not know what is.
Best southern rock band? @randoke
ALEX: Allman Brothers. Two words: Ramblin Man.
ANWAR: Alex did not know Barry Manilow was white. He thought Manilow was a black guy. Are you really going to trust his taste in music?
Bro-job - traditional and integral demonstration of friendship or a fad? @MSFHorn
ALEX: Neither, I had never heard of it before the post @Cdun made.
ANWAR: It is traditional for some people. For instance, guys in jail, and especially prison, perform bro-jobs all the time. It is very prevalent behind bars. In addition, it looks like this is life after She_Hooks_Em for some guys on the board.
When it comes to difficult decisions what do you rely on Instinct vs Data. @danlaw08
ALEX: Data. Listen, I’ve read “Blink” and so many other books, studies and literature regarding this exact subject across numerous disciplines, so I understand the importance of your instincts and how they’ve been built to help you in surviving and navigating the world. With that said, not every “difficult decision” is one that is based in such primordial neurology. Our brains have not evolved as quickly as the world around us has. That is behavioral and evolutionary psychology 101. There is no instinctual reason for knowing whether or not you should buy this house or that house, or who had the better season as an offensive lineman between Jake McMillon and Patrick Vahe. Your instincts, as valuable ones, are those in which you cast a snap judgement on situations that can be either primitively dangerous or advantageous to your survival and well-being. For decisions based squarely within our modern-day realm of existence, instincts are still valuable, but the actual data is most important in understanding what the subject is and its context.
ANWAR: I think the data is good, but sometimes things can look too good. There are plenty of business owners, or successful people, who are given the numbers about a great opportunity, but something in them says it just doesn’t add up. Pyramid schemes use a lot of data to sucker people into a system. How many times have you met a woman that seemed to be the perfect match, but your gut said something just is not right? Six months later, you are considering changing your number. Stats are cool, but sometimes you just have to use common sense.
Who would you rather be for a day...George Clooney or Brad Pitt? @mackbrown
ALEX: Pitt. Again -- Two words: Angelina Jolie.
ANWAR: Clooney has dated Kelly Preston, Kimberly Russell, Lucy Liu and Renee Zellweger. Plus, Pitt does not bathe.
Which of the big three sports has the most watchable all star game? @BoyBlueTwo
ALEX: Oddly, MLB. The Pro Bowl is a game that I actually started boycotting years ago for its entitled play and lack of effort. It makes a mockery of our country’s greatest sport. The NBA All-Star game is a boring track meet with no defense and the slam dunk contest never lives up to its hype. I hand it to the MLB based on the strength of this year’s home run derby and the terrific young hitters that will be looking to showcase for years to come.
ANWAR: Give me the NBA. Fans actually get to see their favorite players, even if those guys are not at the top of their game. You never have to worry about stars not participating in the game. All you see is offense, which makes the game very entertaining.
