Welcome to Men in Gorilla Suits Classic: an old episode as Christopher finishes a book...and while Shawn gets even more buff at the gym.

Oh, sure, Shawn might play the humble card and be like, "No big..." but he's lifting closer to 20 tons a night than 15 -- enough that Christopher started lifting puny weights on work breaks today.

Speaking of that Christopher guy...thanks to all those who understand that him finishing his book is important. He really hates missing a week of Men in Gorilla Suits. In fact, he ALMOST posted the episode recorded a couple days ago and was then about to email Shawn saying, "If we get back to getting things done by mid-week and even double up on episodes, we can stick to the weekly thing!"

Because this IS a pretty impressive unbroken chain.

At the very least, you get this old episode...

Thanks for understanding...

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Ah, to live the life as a National Hockey League rover, or to entertain the cigar-rolling masses as a Lector. To pump gas or serve as the director of photography on pornographic movies. To open your own Blockbuster Video store franchise or manufacture cassette tapes. These are jobs...some totally obsolete, some on their way out...

This week, it's all about jobs that no longer exist: some long gone, and some we've seen die in our own time. We talk about jobs that are fading, many jobs shoved into one catch-all job, and even discuss why outsourcing may not be the evil many believe it to be. (We might not be in the majority on this one.) We discuss how the "Good ol' days," were only good for some, and why our jobs these days is to simply figure things out. Of course, Shawn works Star Trek into the discussion, and Christopher entertains what a future in which computers write novels might be like. (Smash Gerbils reference goes to Deacon McClendon.)

We wrap it up by discussing how the Internet and nostalgia have brought some obsolete or dying jobs back -- kind of a grudging praise for...the Hipster! Also, wanna be a blacksmith? It's still a better option than many jobs that are on the way out! Don't believe us? Then give this episode a listen!

Note: This episode was recorded under the influence of copious amounts of caffeine (Shawn) and a couple Martinis (Chris). It's a bit frantic and wacky, and that, dear listeners = fun!

6:00 a.m.

You wake up in the dark. You don't want to get out of bed. You move in silence to the kitchen to remedy all that ails you with coffee.

Ah, the afternoon. The morning's coffee has worn off. Some return to coffee, but many others resort to tea.

Tea and coffee are the most popular drinks in the world following water. (And, some will argue, behind milk.) But even before sodas and juices, coffee and tea are kind.

Coffee and tea often fuel the Gorillamen, so...we dedicate this week to the beverages of the gods...

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Before we get to coffee and tea, though, a quick note. After 213 episodes, we're temporarily moving Men in Gorilla Suits to an every-other-week schedule. Christopher is moving his other podcast, Not about Lumberjacks, to an every-other-month schedule as he gets his current novel into readable shape. To allow him a bit more focus, we're adjusting the Men in Gorilla Suits schedule until Christopher is done with the book.

And then things will resume as usual.

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What we discuss this week:

• What's your first memory of coffee?
• What's your first memory of tea?
• When was the first time you remember having coffee?
• When was the first time you remember having tea?
• Do you have a preference: coffee or tea?
• Why do you think coffee and tea are such popular drinks?
• What's the best cup of coffee you've ever had?
• What's the best cup of tea you've ever had?
• Have you ever gone a long time not drinking coffee?
• When it comes to iced tea: sweetened or unsweetened?
• Do you think people rely on coffee and tea a bit too much?
• What's the future look like for coffee and tea?

Men in Gorilla Suits started with an idea: "We should do a weekly podcast."

Then we came up with a variety of names...just random things that sounded cool. Shawn liked Christopher's idea to call the show "Men in Gorilla Suits." And that triggered an idea in Shawn: to name every episode beginning with "Last Seen..." as though we are not only Men in Gorilla Suits, but FUGITIVES ON THE RUN in Gorilla Suits.

That's it...that's the idea behind it all. Well, that and, "We can just talk about a geeky topic a week..."

Of course, that idea could have gone nowhere without effort. But 212 episodes into the show, we're finally talking all about ideas!

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Here's what we discuss this episode:

• What's the first original creative idea you remember having?
• Where do you get your ideas?
• Do you do anything with most of your ideas?
• I've heard people say the ideas are the important part (i.e., I have the idea, you write the book, and we split the profits!). Do you agree?
• How important are ideas?
• What's the best idea you've ever had, creatively?
• What about in life?
• What's the worst, creatively?
• In life?
• Has anyone ever stolen your ideas?
• What was the last idea you executed on?
• What's more interesting: ideas or execution?

A list of the weird things we talk about this week...as we talk about...weirdness:

• When did you first become aware of weirdness or weird people?
• Have you ever been called weird?
• Do you think you're weird?
• I've met people who try to be weird. What would motivate a person to be weird – and does weirdness for the sake of weird work for you?
• Who is the weirdest person you know?
• What is the weirdest thing you've ever experienced?
• Why are people attracted to weird things?
• What are some of your favorite weird things?
• Describe yourself when you were at your weirdest?
• Can weird things ever become normal or even mainstream?
• Over time, have you become more normal or more weird? (Why?)
• Will there come a point where nothing is weird anymore?

This week's talking points:

• What was the first talent you discovered you had?
• What was the first talent you wish you had?
• Can talent take the place of hard work and practice?
• Can hard work and practice eventually trump talent?
• Who is the most talented person you know?
• Who is the hardest worker you know?
• Is there one that's better than the other (talent vs. hard work)?
• Which do you possess more of? Talent Or work ethic?
• Is it better to be lucky than good?
• Is it better to be good than prepared?
• Is it better to be prepared than trained?
• What's one talent you'd like to develop?

Busy week this week, but there was still time to turn us into Dumbledore and Snape for the episode art! Here's what we're talking about this week: Fan fiction!

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• When did you first become aware of fan fiction?
• Why do you think people create and consume fan fiction?
• Do you consume much fan fiction? Why or Why not?
• Have you written fan fiction?
• If you could only write fan fiction -- and only from one property at that -- what would you choose to focus on?
• Fan fiction has a bit of a reputation as being sub-par writing. Do you find that to be true?
• More than a couple writers have taken issue with fan fiction from their work...while others don't care. As a writer yourself, where do you stand on that?
• How much does emotion play into the success of a work of fan fiction?
• All right, let's go there. Slash/shipping/whatever we're into this year. What's up with that?!
• A lot of people have consumed fan fiction and not known it. Any examples of mainstream pieces of fan fiction.
• What's your favorite work of fan fiction?
• What's the future look like for fan fiction?

Christopher might be writing this from Earth-13. But in Earth-27, Shawn is Christopher...but he might be a minotaur in a trenchcoat who starred in Earth-975's version of Highlander. Because really, that's all I (I mean Shawn) has ever aspired to being (and doing).

But in Earth-4,285,792, everything happened exactly like this, but Christopher is a black lab hoping you believe that Shawn is a minotaur.

The best thing about Earth-4,285,792? Obama is still president...and Abe Vigoda is still alive. (Almost as great as Earth 7,926, where Abe Vigoda is president!)

This week, we're talking about other dimensions...

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We kick it off talking about our understanding of the Mandela Effect, and then jump to discussing if we believe in parallel universes/multiverse theories.

Find out how we conceive alternate realities, and find out if we believe we are all moving among different realities all the time.

Then we talk about something we can prove is real: stories about alternate realities. (At least in the dimension/reality in which you are listening to this. Unless it's a dimension where you can listen to podcasts from other dimensions. Anyway...) We talk about the best, worst, and silliest works of alternate realities fiction.

After that, we chat about what advice we'd hope other versions of ourselves would offer us if we somehow visited other dimensions where other versions of us exist.

Then we discuss whether or not we find much credibility in the conspiracy theory that "aliens" are from an alternate dimension (disclaimer: credibility AS COMPARED TO the conspiracy theory where they come from other planets)?

We talks about what the best -- and worst -- versions of ourselves might be doing in other dimensions. And we wrap it all up with a discussion about our belief (or disbelief) that science will find a way to not only prove, but view/visit other planes in the multiverse?'

In another dimension, you've already left a comment below, but in this reality you have not. Feel free...we do not bite!

In honor of talking about architecture this week, we share with you the framework this episode was built upon:

• When did you realize there was this thing called architecture?
• What is your favorite thing about architecture?
• Your least favorite?
• Do you have a favorite architectural period? When?
• What are some of you favorite architectural works (or even architects)?
• Neither of us live in architectural masterpieces, but...there are cool things about where we live. What are some of your favorite architectural aspects of your home and neighborhood?
• If money and location were no issue, what would your dream home look like?
• Does architecture matter? i.e. Why make something visually appealing vs. simple boxes?
• Has the architecture of a place of employment ever affected the way you looked at work?
• Places like Dubai are known for its architecture. But can such grand places be sustained for decades to come?
• Amazon filed a patent for floating distribution centers. How do you think advances in technology will affect architecture in the near future?
• What is the future of architecture?

Friday, it even snowed in Texas. (It was enough that many blow-hards who ignored recent days in the low to mid 80s are saying, "Haw haw haw, to much for climate change!")

Much of the nation, all the way down to Florida, is in the grip of cold and snow and ice.

It seemed like a good time to talk about winter.

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We kick this week off talking about the first winters we remember, and then leap to where winter ranks for us compared to other seasons. After that, we talk about the worst -- and best -- winters we remember. Sticking to best and worst, we also share our favorite winter memory...as well as a winter horror story.

Find out the coldest winter weather we've ever experienced...and what we like most -- and least -- about winter.

We discuss how winters have changed for us since childhood before chatting about some of our favorite winter activities...and the winter activities we aren't so fond of.

And we wrap it all up with why we love (or hate) winter.

You're probably cold and maybe even snowed in; it's a good time to leave a comment below...

According to many people, 2016 was a dumpster fire. A lengthy election season in the US and a bunch of dead celebrities didn't help matters. Others didn't see it as bad.

For our first episode of Men in Gorilla Suits of 2017, we take a look back at the year that was...

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We begin with how we rang in 2016. From there, we jump right to our best memory of 2016.

A lot of celebrities died in 2016. We talk about the celebrity death that hit us hardest -- and then we chat about how we plan to deal with the results of the 2016 election this year...and beyond.

We discuss things we discovered in 2016, and then devote some time to our favorite -- and least favorite -- things about the year.

We talk about things we brought into our lives in 2016...and some things we shed.

After that, we talk about our favorite accomplishments of the year...and chat about some of the trips we took.

As nice as it is looking back, we like to end by looking toward the future. We wrap up the episode with our feelings about 2017 holds.

How was 2016 for you? Any resolutions or plans for 2017?