We're on our annual corporate retreat, vending podcasts and paddling boards to bring you more thoughts and history than you could ever want. We learn about Matthew's time shagging newspapers before we cross the line to receive the key to city and break into tobacco vaults. We introduce (yet another) segment and a brand new Glycine Max offering (!!) before Molly gets too honest.
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Matthew Amster-Burton 0:00
Hi I'm Matthew and I'm mom and this is spilled milk the story cook something delicious. Eat it all and you can't happen.
Molly 0:10
Today we are talking about vending machine.
Matthew Amster-Burton 0:13
I am excited about this. I'm excited because I want to talk about vending machines. I'm excited because it's our annual pledge drive episode, where we ask you to be our vending machine know where we are your vending machine because you put money into us. There we go. And podcasts and bonus materials. Yeah, that's
Molly 0:33
right. You know, I also want to say that this episode was suggested by one of our listeners,
Matthew Amster-Burton 0:39
it sure was Molly, Ella,
Molly 0:40
Malia on Reddit. We should say that we're on our annual corporate retreat.
Matthew Amster-Burton 0:44
They sound a little more echoey than usual. It's because we are we are in the living room of our Airbnb overlooking the Pickering passage. Yeah,
Molly 0:52
we're in the South Puget Sound Yes. Did not know what to call this area until like yesterday. Yeah, kind of were like do west of Tacoma. Yeah, yeah, you
Matthew Amster-Burton 1:02
could all y'all have. You can can visualize that for sure.
Molly 1:05
Anyway, June was like wanting to know what we do on our corporate retreat. And I told her that we watch movies,
Matthew Amster-Burton 1:11
corporate stuff, or you know, we write our annual report. That's right. Our board meeting we
Molly 1:15
discuss things like you know, what is the best platform for subscriber payments and subscriber emails, things? And also, we're recording this episode, which is on vending machines. Yes. And June, I've never been more proud. June goes, do you mean, like vending machines in the US? Or in Japan? Oh, wow. I was like, raise this kid. Right. I have raised this kid. Right. And not to brag, but this was a big, big parenting moment for me. Yeah,
Matthew Amster-Burton 1:44
I totally get that.
Molly 1:45
I mean, it hadn't even occurred to me that this could be about Japanese spending. Yeah. Do you?
Matthew Amster-Burton 1:49
Do you think we should talk about Japanese vending?
Molly 1:50
I think you're I think now that I look at it. You've got Japanese vending machines on your memory lane, but
Matthew Amster-Burton 1:55
I had not even thought of it. Yeah, why don't we Why don't we go down vending machine memory lane?
Molly 2:00
Yeah. Did your like middle school or high school have a vending machine?
Matthew Amster-Burton 2:04
Yes, my high school did my middle school had a student store where you could like go buy stuff from a human during recess. But then my high school had vending machines that were like, full of junk food. And that made me really, really happy as a high school student.
Molly 2:17
This is really interesting. My situation was reversed. My middle school had vending machines. They were in like the back hallway. Like my school was one of those that like every school has been added on to many times, right? And so always like the the gym is kind of in this like no man's land, it's been added on to multiple times. Like there's always like these, like a weird hallway to get to the locker room that makes more sense, etc. So in my middle school, the women's locker room and the men's locker room, were separated by this hallway. That was the library. Okay. Okay. And so to access the vending machines, which were right outside the men's locker room, you either had to go through the gym and around, or you walked all the way through the library to get to the vending machine.
Matthew Amster-Burton 3:09
So the library library is like a vending machine for books. That's right, the vending machine is like a library for Snickers. That's right.
Molly 3:16
The vending machine was a big deal in middle school. We weren't allowed to eat in class, as I've discussed on the show before.
Matthew Amster-Burton 3:22
Right. And so like, it never makes sense. Anytime. No,
Molly 3:26
no, it doesn't make any sense to me either. But anyway, the vending machine was a big deal. You know, of course, everybody went through phases and like what kind of drink was like the coolest? Or, you know, considered to be the coolest by this particular group at any given time? Horse? Yeah. So sometimes it was Orange Crush. Yes. Or it's crashed sometimes it was barks root beer. Love barks root beer? Yeah, never. It was never any kind of cola. And then as far as snacks go, I don't remember ever getting anything sweet. Although I do remember Twizzlers? Were in that bedroom. I think on the extruded corn snacks episode I talked about this but Funyuns are a big deal in this vending machine
Matthew Amster-Burton 4:09
when I was in middle school Funyuns were a big deal all so I'm sure we talked about that. Yeah,
Molly 4:12
so yeah, my middle school vending machine super big deal. In high school. We had a store that was actually staffed by a student and I do remember getting things like sweet tarts there.
Matthew Amster-Burton 4:23
Yeah, I don't really remember like which specific items I gret gravitated toward in high school. I don't think I honestly use the vending machine that much because I would like to go off campus and buy junk food off campus.
Molly 4:37
That's really good. That's a really good point. Did you have an open campus you can leave at any time okay, we did not have an open campus.
Matthew Amster-Burton 4:44
Okay. Often I would go to the was a coffee people that was Boyd's coffee, like during, like before first period and like just not come back until maybe after second period. I was the worst high school student but it wasn't I wasn't one of the better ones
Molly 4:59
or less listeners need to go back and listen to the episode that we recorded on our corporate retreat in early 2020. Right before the pandemic, because we recorded it on a college, Kelowna College which is where Matthew spent his first two years Yeah. And I am continually shocked by what a like nonchalant student you were Matthew because I was so serious Yeah,
Matthew Amster-Burton 5:26
I was I was like sometimes serious like I was serious if I cared about the class and then then kind of like stopped caring about class so you would
Molly 5:34
just like in high school you would just like leave before first period II Yeah. I can't even get my head around this. But so okay, I
Matthew Amster-Burton 5:44
mean at some point like I learned you could skip class and nothing terrible happened and as far as I know nothing terrible ever happened except like I didn't get very good grades junior year only junior year only junior year as I recall.
Molly 5:55
Interesting Okay, but what about like other memory lane vending machines? Okay,
Matthew Amster-Burton 6:01
so when I was younger when I was like, like an elementary school I used to hang out with my friends at sell wood market I just still there so we would be in a neighborhood neighborhood in Portland and we were playing video games and we would buy candy sometimes from the candy section and sometimes from the from the vending machines. I remember they literally had a one penny gumball machine
Molly 6:22
hold on does a gumball machine count as a vending machine? I think it like in that you put in money and it dispenses the thing Yeah,
Matthew Amster-Burton 6:29
I think technically that is called a bulk vending machine because it's like vending from a bulk supply of times rather than discrete items. I mean, not the gumballs aren't discrete items. And I was very discreet you have our gumball Of course I'm sure.
Molly 6:43
You know this reminds me so I don't think Crescent market had vending machines. I mean, bulk vending machines. I don't sure No, it had a gumball one okay. You don't have like grocery stores used to always have a vending like bulk vending machines right inside the door like right where you would get the
Matthew Amster-Burton 7:01
part Yeah, that's exactly what I'd sell would market also they were right inside the door
Molly 7:04
is this something store still have I think I've seen it at like Fred Meyer QC Did
Matthew Amster-Burton 7:09
you ever see this might have been like after we were no longer small kids like the big gumball machine where the gumball comes down like a spiral shaped pan. Oh, those seems like so well designed to like make kids feel like if my parents don't buy me one of these I will literally die right here. Yeah,
Molly 7:25
yeah. I have fond memories of taking a little bit of money to the like corner convenience store. That was kind of like behind my cousin's house in Northern California. We could we would like cross the street at like a traffic say, wow. And this was a big deal because in the neighborhood where I grew up there were definitely like no crosswalks. It was just highly residential. You definitely would never have to push a button to cross the street. Sure. So we would take a little money we would get non vending machine items like oh my god, they had like, plastic tubs of beef jerky that you could just reach into
Matthew Amster-Burton 8:04
that is yeah, I've certainly seen that like, Screw
Molly 8:09
it's so disgusting. And we would get pints of what was then brand new Ben and Jerry's. I feel like
Matthew Amster-Burton 8:15
I feel like beef jerky sort of has like the perfect texture for like, whatever like gross thing was on your hand to transfer to
Molly 8:22
that's exactly I got a little little grippy little little bit. So like got like some some COVID Yes,
Matthew Amster-Burton 8:29
some COVID like some some like industrial chemical. Yeah, I guess yeah, whatever
Molly 8:34
it is. Yeah. athlete's foot. Yep.
Matthew Amster-Burton 8:37
If you're like putting your foot in there like grabbing it between your toes, prehensile toes I'm thinking I'm pretty good at like picking things up with my toes. Oh, okay. Is that a useful skill? It's
Molly 8:47
too bad that you're wearing socks it is now bad yeah, anyway, but whatever change we would have I remember feeling excited when there was enough change after buying the beef jerky and the ice cream to put a little money in the gumball machine that was pretty it
Matthew Amster-Burton 9:01
was it just like the like classic like multicolored like to achieve
Molly 9:05
goals are always there never it's never a right time for a gumball No
Matthew Amster-Burton 9:11
You're absolutely right like it's a bad product that that yet somehow is so appealing.
Molly 9:16
It's so big I would even if we had one here Well, I mean I don't even want to
Matthew Amster-Burton 9:19
eat it but like if there was a gumball machine here if they if in this Airbnb, they put in a gumball machine totally. Anytime. We would pay like an extra $200. Yes. Okay, okay, I'm gonna blow your mind right now. I want to talk about a vending machine that doesn't vend food. Because this is on my vending machine memories.
Molly 9:43
Like those like Apple vending machine like the phones.
Matthew Amster-Burton 9:47
No, this is gotcha pawn newspaper vending machine. Oh, I we're not gonna talk about God. Okay, it's too big. It's too big of a can of worms. Okay, but one of the first jobs I ever had and one of the worst jobs I've ever had ad which I'm sure I've talked about before, was what we call shagging newspapers. And this was not like Austin Powers style. shacking, you're looking over what were you with yet? You look to the side. I hope no one heard you say shag laughs Okay. All right. I saw Abby last. Okay. I didn't even realize Abby was over. Yeah, he's behind you. Okay, so we called the shagging newspapers, which meant switching out the newspapers in the newspaper vending boxes to the new edition. Oh, what first of all, would you call that a vending machine? I think it is he put money in?
Molly 10:38
This definition is getting way too big Matthew.
Matthew Amster-Burton 10:41
Well, I believe you when we get into the history of vending machines, there's going to be some things that definitely crossed the line into not vending machines.
Molly 10:48
Okay. I mean, maybe especially the ones where you do actually have to pay money.
Matthew Amster-Burton 10:53
Yes. There's that was this. This was the Oregonian newspaper. Okay. Yeah, this job is so bad. Yeah, this sounds terrible, like have to run from machine to machine carrying a stack of newspapers, which is heavy, and would like get ink all over me.
Molly 11:08
When did you get paid?
Matthew Amster-Burton 11:09
I don't remember, but not much. And
Molly 11:11
how old were you?
Matthew Amster-Burton 11:13
16.
Molly 11:14
Wow. And how long was this your job?
Matthew Amster-Burton 11:17
I think I'd made it like two weeks before I quit. Wow. Okay.
Molly 11:20
Yeah, this was probably around the era when I was working sometimes, like seasonally for a caterer like snapping like entire cases of green beans.
Matthew Amster-Burton 11:31
Oh, that sounds terrible.
Molly 11:32
I got 750 an hour, which was a lot back then.
Matthew Amster-Burton 11:36
Yeah, I think maybe I got like $50 a week, which probably seemed like a lot of money at the time. But it was like very like it was very physical work. And I was not in good shape. And like the whole thing. I never should have taken the job of the first now if you were to do it now though. You're in such good shape. If I were to do it now like yeah, people like have such a huge appetite for printed newspapers. Like this job is probably exploded at this point probably pays like $1,000 a week. Yeah. Okay.
Molly 12:07
Wait a minute. I want to talk about some subway platforms that I have fond memory. I mean, some some subway. Vending, forgot what
Matthew Amster-Burton 12:15
did I say? So. Okay,
Molly 12:17
so I remember when I was a student in Paris, like during college subway
Matthew Amster-Burton 12:23
platform vending machines in Paris. Oh, yeah. Sounds great. What was in them?
Molly 12:27
So I would always get peanut m&ms but they would also have like, what are those like
Matthew Amster-Burton 12:31
in Maltesers? Rashid?
Molly 12:36
Me? No, no, they were called m&ms and I think maybe it would say
Matthew Amster-Burton 12:43
Hey, Lee m&ms,
Molly 12:45
no caca wet cocoa. What?
Matthew Amster-Burton 12:47
What's the machine and Koco wet? Why are there two words for peanut I look it up. Now
Molly 12:54
with the caca wet is peanut butter. But But Bill
Matthew Amster-Burton 12:58
data sheet is also peanut butter. Fine.
Molly 13:02
heavies, like this episode's terrible. caca wet, versus she'd
Matthew Amster-Burton 13:08
definitely use the word caca who had when talking about the nuts some people might not know what an alpha sheet is. Even though it's a synonym. It is not used in Paris. So you don't want to take the risk. The word aka sheet is used for the oil never kaka wet. Wow. So I was right. And you were wrong? Yeah, caca sheet is the plant and is used when talking about oils or allergy. But a sheet is a more popular term in quarterback.
Molly 13:32
Fine, whatever. Anyway,
Matthew Amster-Burton 13:34
wow. So the people, the people of Quebec had just they here local here. Next time I go to Quebec, which I've never been to, they're going to present me with a metal and the key to the city.
Molly 13:44
It's gonna be in the shape of a peanut.
Matthew Amster-Burton 13:47
It's gonna be up the Pineda key to the city. Like can we talk about the key to the city for a minute? Yeah,
Molly 13:52
how does that happen? Are their gates every city was
Matthew Amster-Burton 13:56
like, yeah, there it opens it invisible gate. Wouldn't it be awesome to get the key to the city? Like
Molly 14:02
what city would you want the key to I think Quebec city I go Montreal go Montreal. Okay, big time. Okay, time. Okay. But anyway, so yeah,
Matthew Amster-Burton 14:11
I went to the intense memory lane.
Molly 14:13
I've been through a big peanut m&m phase when I was in college. And it was, I think it was because it was one of the few candies that were reliably in those vending machines on subway platforms and I would be like, coming home from school and I'd be like hungry or I'd be coming home from like a friend's apartment or
Matthew Amster-Burton 14:33
say phase as if I haven't seen you eat peanut Avenue but I mean, I 100 times since
Molly 14:39
but no, but it was like it was like a like my thing. Okay,
Matthew Amster-Burton 14:43
did people did you have like a nickname based on this?
Molly 14:46
I remember coming home from a school trip that we took, like all of us who were in the Paris program, and we had taken a train somewhere. We had gotten to the train station late. We didn't have time to get any Food everything was closed. And I remember I had like part of a, like a loaf of bread that we bought at a blue laundry earlier in the day. And I bought a bag of peanut m&ms and between the peanut m&ms and the loaf of bread like I truly felt that I had a complete meal you know, it's like peanut butter that sounds pretty grind bread and chocolate. I mean vending machines on subway platforms. That is how to make your millions I have
Matthew Amster-Burton 15:27
fond memories of the first time I went to London, the Cadbury vending machines on the two platforms and they're all like Cadbury that's how I remember it. I'm sure they had other Big Macs in them in them also but I would always get like a Cadbury Dairy Milk or something like that. Yes. Okay, so satisfying. I have more vending machine memory late the first time I went to Japan with my family. You know, we lived in in Nakano, Tokyo and we there was a cluster of vending machines right near our apartment. We'll talk more later about vending machines in Japan, but we called it vending machine corner, and we were there in the summer. And like I feel like vending machine corner like saved our lives multiple times because it is so hot and sweaty and humid and gross in Japan in the summer. And our apartment was like a 10 minute walk from the from the train station. And like by the time we got to vending machine corner we were like we can't make it any further without getting some of some E low Hass bread, water or something else from the vending machine. The ubiquity of vending machines in Japan is really delightful.
Molly 16:27
I remember being with you on a like a cold day on a subway platform and open air subway platform somewhere in Paris, excuse me somewhere in Tokyo,
Matthew Amster-Burton 16:36
we should go to Paris to go should go to Paris. Well,
Molly 16:38
you know, maybe this will be the year that our pledge drive yields enough money for us to do our corporate retreat in Paris. Puget Sound but no it's great. I love South Puget Yeah, it's very nice. We went out on a paddleboard today we did. We did we paddled together Matthew and I on the same paddle paddle together. You said we were like frog and toe. We were
Matthew Amster-Burton 16:59
like frog and toad. Yeah, so cute. One is the neurotic one. Is that toad. That's you? Yeah, I think I was gonna say I think anyway.
Molly 17:09
I remember getting some sort of a warm, like, sweetened coffee drink at a vending machine or Tokyo with you like Georgia bread or something. Absolutely. I still am fascinated by how they're dispensed from the machine warm, but only some of the ones in the machine.
Matthew Amster-Burton 17:27
Yeah, so I didn't research that. But there must be like a warm box inside the box. Yeah, that's
Molly 17:34
nice. Yeah. What else Matthew?
Matthew Amster-Burton 17:38
Oh, the only other thing is like, I don't remember the specifics of where this happened. But I do remember that, like one of the angriest moments of my entire life was a time when like, I really wanted something from a vending machine. Probably like m&ms and like I put in my money and the the you know, the coil turned and it like got stuck hanging there. I was like, I want to punch my fist through this vending machine. I think this
Molly 18:02
is a I think this is a universal human experience. Like you haven't lived until you have like paid for something that's gotten stuck in a vending machine.
Matthew Amster-Burton 18:13
I work in Customer Support. Can you imagine how much it must fucking blow to work in customer support for a vending machine? I
Molly 18:21
think they have customer support anymore. Yeah, I wouldn't know I don't think they do. Or at least if they do. The phone number is not like right there on the side of the machine. I don't I feel like maybe it is like maybe there's a law. We try it the next time we encounter a vending. Let's
Matthew Amster-Burton 18:35
check it out next time we encounter a vending machine. Okay,
Molly 18:38
speaking of encountering vending machines, when did mankind first encounter vending machines?
Matthew Amster-Burton 18:44
Okay, so I researched that was a great segue. So that that is like lawfarm Alka sheet right there. Yeah, I figured the history of vending machines would be fun to research and it did not disappoint. So when was the first vending machine? Wow, does this depend on how you define the term vending machine? Okay, in particular, does it actually have to be built or is it or is if it's just someone's idea does that count?
Molly 19:09
Is that like a vending machine of the mind? Because my mind is there for a vending machine.
Matthew Amster-Burton 19:13
Well, like in that advance thoughts?
Molly 19:15
Well, yeah, like I put food in my like my brain makes
Matthew Amster-Burton 19:19
it and then and then the thoughts come back out your mouth. Like is there a vending machine where you like put put the money in the slime place that this stuff? That's called a cloak?
Molly 19:37
Oh, gross dress.
Matthew Amster-Burton 19:38
Yeah, birds, you're so gross. Okay, so Hero of Alexandria, I'm sure you knew was going to come up. A Greek mathematician. That's a Hero of Alexandria. Like how I'm the hero of Quebec. Okay. I hear of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician and inventor in the first century. Ed developed a quote holy water vending machine where you put in, put in a coin, okay, and it falls onto it a pan, and the weight of the coin would tip the pan which would then cause it to dispense a set amount of holy water. Oh, this
Molly 20:16
is pretty cool. It's
Matthew Amster-Burton 20:17
pretty cool. Apparently, he came up with the idea because he saw people taking more than their fair share in his opinion of holy water. I got pissed off about this. Wow. And it seems
Molly 20:30
that this man was a self declared hero. MLM sure
Matthew Amster-Burton 20:34
sounds like it. And as far as I can tell, he never actually built the machine. Like he just like, drew it in his journal like Leonardo style.
Molly 20:42
Did Leonardo da Vinci invent any vending machines? Like what's that diagram of like? A human body in a circle? That's a vending machine.
Matthew Amster-Burton 20:52
Yes, that's that's like Yeah, like that. That was his vending machine of the mind concept that you just claimed you came up with, but actually, it was DaVinci Yeah, it sounded like a secondary like you were trying to set me up for a segue and I was like, I don't remember putting anything about Leonardo in here. I mean, I put in I put in like Donatella and Raphael so yeah, so then we then we jump forward to to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Okay, no. So then a lot of sources refer to brass tobacco vending machines found in English pubs in the 1600s Is this like Brass Monkey? That was a funky design because as far as I could tell, I did my best
Molly 21:35
brass or is this the type of tobacco and brass brass tobacco?
Matthew Amster-Burton 21:39
It was brass brand tobacco, like you know, cash cash brass or grass. Okay, so, so let you know it was not like a cast for brass concept. I think they were made of brass. As far as I could tell, it sounds like the proprietor of the pub would carry this from table to table and you would put a coin in and the machine would pop open and you would take the the, I guess cigarettes and kept calling it tobacco and then you had to close it manually. And I think the idea was just like so that so that the bartender didn't have to make change and like it was kind of novel and so they would sell more tobacco that way. It doesn't really sound like a vending machine like a little tobacco vault. It sounds like a little tobacco ball
Molly 22:31
Yeah, like basically the coin just like opens the door and then you can like withdraw all your Yeah, all of your your keys and your diamonds and your tobacco
Matthew Amster-Burton 22:43
leaves little safe Yeah, I guess you did say vault and that's what's it like a vault is like a big safe, but yeah, it's right. Okay, so then the first like what we would unequivocally call vending machines were developed in England in the 1880s and sold you guessed it postcards. They were invented by someone with an incredible name. Percival Everett e v e r i t t wonderful and became popular fixtures at post offices and train stations and they also sold stationery other than postcards.
Molly 23:15
I would love to wouldn't that be wonderful? Yes. Oh, this is delightful. Okay, okay. First
Matthew Amster-Burton 23:21
Vending Machine Company was founded in 1887 in England and was called the sweet meat automatic delivery company
Molly 23:28
that's adorable I
Matthew Amster-Burton 23:30
think like as a corporate name has not been exceeded since
Molly 23:34
sweet meat Automatic Delivery Company. Yeah,
Matthew Amster-Burton 23:37
or Sadko Hold
Molly 23:38
on. So in this sense like what were they vending?
Matthew Amster-Burton 23:42
I tried that out. I guess we probably candy because because like community called sometimes called Sweet meats in England.
Molly 23:50
Oh, okay. Like cause like, really dear. Yeah, very dear.
Matthew Amster-Burton 23:54
The first American vending machine sold GM and it was still installed on New York City train platforms in 18, starting in 1888. Later, and I could not figure out what this meant, but I wanted to share it anyway. Okay, I'm gonna quote Wikipedia now. Quote, the idea of adding games to these machines as a further incentive to buy came in 1897 when the Pulver manufacturing company added small figures, which would move around whenever somebody bought some gum from their machines. This idea spawned a whole new type of mechanical device known as the trade stimulators. First of all, it sounds sounds like they're selling sex toys in a
Molly 24:33
very vibrators. Yes, but
Matthew Amster-Burton 24:35
like, I tried to find like, what what did this look like? Did you like put a coin in and like it would like play music and little mechanical figurines would dance? I guess. So I couldn't find a video of it.
Molly 24:46
Hmm. Okay, okay, trade stimulators.
Matthew Amster-Burton 24:50
That's kind of it for the history of vending machines. I do have one question like, like, serious philosophical question for you. You know, when you go to the arcade, and you put in a like, $5 bill and A bunch of quarters come out. Is that a vending machine? No. Okay, it has to be like a product and money isn't a product. Yeah, no,
Molly 25:06
because you're putting in the same amount that you're taking out. It's just in a different form.
Matthew Amster-Burton 25:11
Okay. Yeah, that's a good point.
Molly 25:12
What about games? like video games? Video games like that, you know, live in like an arcade? Like
Matthew Amster-Burton 25:19
a like an arcade cabinet? I don't think that's a vending machine. There's an element of product has to come out.
Molly 25:27
What if I put in money and Zoltar gives me my fortune.
Matthew Amster-Burton 25:32
Oh, like in like in the movie Big. That's right. And the fortune says you will. You'll be big. You get to have sex with a lady. It's weird that they put it that way. Unfortunate for kids. So one needs to investigate the operator of this arcade? Is the Zoltar machine a vending machine? Or is it or is it just like an entertainment device? It's sort of a vending machine. It's dispensing fortunes really straddling the line.
Molly 26:05
Like, what if I, what if I put in what Oh, what about this? What about when you get like a like a commemorative? Like, smashed? Penny?
Matthew Amster-Burton 26:13
That is a really good question. You
Molly 26:15
know what, like, you put in like a penny orders a quarter or whatever, and you get a smash Penny.
Matthew Amster-Burton 26:21
But like, that's, that's the thing you said before, like the same thing you put in is coming out? No, but you're paying more, but you're paying more, right? So but no, you're under your definitions. If you put in $5 into the change machine, and got back like eight quarters, that would be that would count as a vending machine. Because you're putting in more than you get. I guess I would doubt count count as like, like, you know, federal crime. I
Molly 26:47
think you're right, this is not working.
Matthew Amster-Burton 26:52
It's that time of year again, you treat us as a vending machine. It's our annual pledge. Right?
Molly 26:56
That's what you meant it was my birthday.
Matthew Amster-Burton 27:00
You ought to be treated as a vending machine on your birthday. If that's what you want.
Molly 27:04
You said it's that time of year again. Do you remember? Do you remember when we did the pledge drive on my birthday?
Matthew Amster-Burton 27:10
Oh, I don't I don't remember that. But I like how when I said it's that time of year again, we're both looking at this at this screen that says Record pledge drive message and USD or die event that I was talking about your birthday. So this is this is your favorite show hosted by a couple of narcissists. And we are asking you to support us for another year so we can keep bringing you this thing.
Molly 27:34
That's right. I want to mention something that's really important to me, which is that so this is an independent comedy show.
Matthew Amster-Burton 27:41
Yeah. And that means we are not part of any sort of Podcast Network. We are not owned by some media corporation. We are just us usually sitting in my dining room recording an independent comedy show about food, just because we love for you to hear it.
Molly 27:59
That's right. We have a staff of three that including us. Yes. So it's the two of us and producer Abby, we have made over 600 episodes. We have incredible employee retention. Matt's
Matthew Amster-Burton 28:12
been with us for 10 years now and
Molly 28:14
Matthew and I have been here since the beginning. Can you even
Matthew Amster-Burton 28:18
that's right there. Yeah, if you even if you go back to Episode One, which we shouldn't do, you're not gonna you're not gonna fight it episode with like, totally different hosts. No.
Molly 28:26
But yeah, Abby celebrating 10 years with us this year,
Matthew Amster-Burton 28:30
and you our subscribers pay 100% of Abby's salary. That is
Molly 28:35
exactly right. So here's how it works. The money that you pledge to us each month goes to us directly, and you can sign up at three different
Matthew Amster-Burton 28:45
levels. Yes, so let's go through that level one is called Little limber twig that's $5 a month.
Molly 28:51
And in addition to that warm, fuzzy feeling they talk about in public radio that you can just play, which
Matthew Amster-Burton 28:56
is very important. I mean, I want to make clear every time like you absolutely get cool stuff for subscribing. But the most important thing you get is the feeling of like I helped make that thing that I love to listen to every
Molly 29:08
which is real. I feel this for all the publications, podcasts and newsletters that I saw. Big time. At the little limber twig level, you not only get that good feeling but you get a handwritten postcard from the two of us. You also get our What is it quarterly newsletter?
Matthew Amster-Burton 29:26
What do you call it? Something that comes out three times a year our trimester? No, that's not what a trimester is.
Molly 29:34
Anyway, we do it three times a year we take turns writing it, it's always delightful. And you also get our bonus episodes, which also come out three times a year.
Matthew Amster-Burton 29:45
Yes. And of course if you subscribe now you will get all of the bonus episodes going back to the beginning of time. That's right, which is quite a few at this point. There was one one where our kids hosted the show. So we lied when we said there were no episodes with different hosts It was there was one where we went to a nude beach, which we've been talking about ever since is if it's something people care about, and they don't we also
Molly 30:08
have I am really pleased with the ones we have planned for the remainder of 2020s. Yeah,
Matthew Amster-Burton 30:13
we've got stuff coming up. Involving learning learning more about ourselves. That's
Molly 30:20
right. Okay, that's at the $5 level at the $10 level, you are what is called a Magnum bonum subscriber Magnum bonus, sustaining member. And you get all the same things as the little limber twig subscriber, however, you also get one thing you get one piece of merch. So that's either a spilled milk tote bag, t shirt or mug.
Matthew Amster-Burton 30:42
Yes, and we're trying something new this year. First of all, before we even go any further, like if you've heard this, you've already decided this is the year for me, I'm going to sign up, go to spilled milk podcast.com/donate. That's how you do this. We'll mention it again. At the end, we are trying something new this year at our $20 a month level, which is called the glycine Max super member, you get all of the stuff that we mentioned the postcard, the mailing list, the bonus episodes, the merch, and we will make you a five minute custom episode. On the topic of your choice. That's right.
Molly 31:13
So when you go to spilled milk podcast.com/donate And you say I want to be a glycine Max super member, there's going to be a little field there where you can suggest three episode topics that you would like us to do a custom episode on, we'll pick one of them and we will make you a five minute custom episode. Yes,
Matthew Amster-Burton 31:33
we'll just put your name in it, we'll put your name and address in it will release it publicly. No, this will be just for you. Like you will have a token of our appreciation that you can like, play for your friends or never share with anyone.
Molly 31:48
That's right. So yeah, you've got three levels to choose from little limber twig Magnum, bonum, glycine, Max, that's 510 or $20 a month. And you also of course, get our eternal gratitude. Absolutely.
Matthew Amster-Burton 32:00
And that goes for like, you know, people who have subscribed in the past and are no longer able to you still have our gratitude.
Molly 32:07
Matthew, what if somebody who is subscribing at say the $5 level wants to go up to the $10 level?
Matthew Amster-Burton 32:13
Yeah, you know what the best way to do that is just to drop me an email contact at spilled milk podcast.com. And of course, like, if you move up from five to 10, you'll get the merch if you move up to the $20 level, you will get the custom episode. Fantastic. So I was genuinely excited about recording these five minute custom episodes, I think it's gonna be super fun. I think it allows us to do topics that we never would have done otherwise, and probably be sillier than we would have been otherwise. That's right.
Molly 32:40
So if you don't remember anything, we just said go to spilled milk podcast.com/donate, you can see all these levels explained to you. And you can sign up at whatever level works for you. Our goal for this pledge drive is to hit 60 new or upgrading subscriptions. Yeah,
Matthew Amster-Burton 32:58
and you can check when you go to that link, you will see where we are in terms where we I'm not actually going to put one of those thermometers on because I don't know how to do it. But it'll say like, you know, we're up to like 42 of 60. And you'll if you're if you're the 60 if you don't get anything special, but it's probably gonna feel really good. You get a great feeling. You got a great like a really intense crave. Great feeling like in your whole body. I guarantee
Molly 33:26
Wow, well, subscribers, thank you for giving us that warm feeling every time we record a podcast because we really, really get that we would not be able to do it without you. And I think we turned off the air conditioning before we recorded that getting that warm feeling all over. Anyway, this job is seriously the best job I've ever had every pledge drive and I mean it so thank you to everyone who subscribes now in the future and in the past. Yeah, thanks for supporting work that you and we enjoy so much
Matthew Amster-Burton 33:59
spilled out podcast.com/donate We won't bug you about this again till next year. And now let's talk more about vending machines.
Molly 34:07
Before we talk about vending machines in Japan, which is a whole thing. So are there vending machines in Seattle or in your regular life that you frequently use?
Matthew Amster-Burton 34:19
That's a really good question. Okay. So one immediately jumped to mind so the the basic answer is no, because I don't leave the house that much. But what
Molly 34:29
you leave the house all the time do I most of the time, by the time I am like waking up and reaching for my phone. You have already been out of the house on a walk.
Matthew Amster-Burton 34:40
That's true, but my walk doesn't take me past any vending machines. Well, that still counts as a walk there was there was a famous vending machine in my neighborhood in Seattle that would like that was like out on the street in front of a locksmith and no one knew for sure like who was restocking it but I think it's not there anymore. That's disappointing, however, so one did come to mind that like Seattle vending machine that's important to me. Sometimes we haven't done it in a while, but I would love to go maybe before the summer's over canoeing on Lake Washington, and you rent canoes at the University of Washington boathouse and take them out on the lake. And afterwards you're usually very thirsty. And there is a there's a soda machine in the boathouse you return your boat you go and I like feel like I always want an orange soda and they've got an orange soda and it's just the best
Molly 35:28
that is so lovely. The vending machines that I use most often in my like regular Seattle based life are the ones on ferries. Yes, so salutely So a lot of our Washington State ferries have like a galley where they sell, you know, hot food. It's usually like Iver's clam chowder. Some kinds of like weird nachos with the little
Matthew Amster-Burton 35:52
Dianna the nachos with Ronnie cheese sauce. I
Molly 35:55
can't do that. I feel like it's it's a minority of boats that have an actual galley. Most of them have instead vending machines and June, June and I have long had a tradition of getting Skittles on a ferry nice. We always get Skittles we like to sit inside and share a bag of Skittles and it is delightful.
Matthew Amster-Burton 36:18
If you're faced with like a typical snack vending machine, like would usually go peanut m&ms.
Molly 36:25
It depends on the day. I would say sometimes peanut m&ms If I'm like actually hungry. Peanut m&ms are a pretty good choice. You're either that or those like crackers like those garish orange cheese crackers with peanut butter. Yes. peanut butter sandwich crackers.
Matthew Amster-Burton 36:44
I think I think like we've been asked a couple times to do an episode on those are like we I don't think we have enough to say about it for a whole episode. But those really do hit the spots.
Molly 36:53
They really do. If I'm not really hungry, but I want something to put in my mouth Skittles where I'll go. And that is I would say most of the time.
Matthew Amster-Burton 37:02
If I'm not really hungry, I want something to put it into anyway, I felt like a long select piece of hay.
Molly 37:07
Oh, okay. I was thinking maybe like your wife's tongue or
Matthew Amster-Burton 37:11
Wow. Sneak preview of upcoming but it's
Molly 37:18
okay, anyway, all right, Matthew, vending machines in Japan go.
Matthew Amster-Burton 37:22
Okay, so Japan has more vending machines per capita than any other country. It's kind of like a popular like, you know, look what wacky thing is going on in Japan article in the Western press to like, talk about like, you know, there's a vending machine in Japan where you can get ramen or like, you know, any any like, you know, unusual thing. Really, most of them are drink machines, the vast majority, but they're really good drink machines. Yes, there are some that are really cool. Like most most of them are just like, you know, you put in like somewhere between like, like 100 and 150 yen, which is like about $1. And you get like a hot drink like it can hot canned coffee or a cold drink that's always going to be ice cold. And you know, water, water or soda or tea.
Molly 38:06
So good.
Matthew Amster-Burton 38:07
There are usually usually found like on train platforms, they've become pretty popular vending machines. They have like a huge digital display showing pictures of what's inside. Oh, so
Molly 38:19
not like it clear glass front,
Matthew Amster-Burton 38:21
right? And so then you just like, tap on the thing you want and it comes out how this is superior to the clear glass front? I don't know. But it is cool.
Molly 38:29
Well, I bet that there's a lot that they can achieve in like heating or cooling that wouldn't be very pretty to look at. That's possible. You know what I mean? So if you hide it behind like images, then you can
Matthew Amster-Burton 38:42
What do you think's going on back there? I
Molly 38:44
think like little tiny humans like work in gears are blowing hot air with like a bellow. There's Oompa Loompas Yes, I do. Are there particular I mean, this is an obvious question, but there must be really sophisticated technologies in Japanese vending machines and Japanese companies that are doing these
Matthew Amster-Burton 39:03
I think they're I think there must be like you know, you they they're like incredibly like efficiently stocked like it's rare for things to be out like sold out and like I think I think people like restock them very quickly
Molly 39:16
like the way that only girI are restocked at companies What is it multiple times a day times a day so cool.
Matthew Amster-Burton 39:23
But so like if you go back like a few decades the vending machine situation like there was there was like a period when it was when it was like very trendy to to like come up with new things to be sold out of vending machines and to be clear like they're like ice cream vending machines. They're very good. I like got curry out of a curry vending machine once like three heat at home. Yes, which was very satisfying. But if you want to see like the sophisticated Japanese vending machines of your the place you go is the Sagamihara vending machine Park, which is in Kanagawa Prefecture outside Tokyo, which has over 100 Vintage machines stocked by the owner of the vending machine Park. Okay. And to quote Wikipedia, quote, It was created by Tatsuhiko, the president of the rat sunrise used tire shop, originally to entertain waiting customers.
Molly 40:13
Wow, I would totally go get used tires there
Matthew Amster-Burton 40:17
just because there's rats on rise. That's exactly.
Molly 40:22
So I somehow didn't even register on that somehow I read it as write surprise,
Matthew Amster-Burton 40:28
which is also weirdly one of the more popular vending machines. So still quoting Wikipedia, the collection is more time consuming than the tire shop and Saito has as many employees to restock and cook for the machines as his tire shop. The kitchen makes more than 600 meals a day. In 2022 Saito estimated that the collection Drew 300 to 400 customers on weekdays and 1000 customers on weekends. I've never been to this place. I would like to check it out at some point. I'm still surprised it would be a great day for something.
Molly 41:02
I'm picturing it as like a bug vending machine
Matthew Amster-Burton 41:05
on the show Judy Amster hates rats more than anything else.
Molly 41:09
rats in a clear coin and it dispenses one of them
Matthew Amster-Burton 41:15
but you don't know which one is going to be that's the surprise the rat is also surprised to have been chosen. upsetting and I like it.
Molly 41:31
Mom in the show Judy hamster hates
Matthew Amster-Burton 41:33
hates hates rats and doesn't want to experience a rat surprise. I don't know just because they're like, you know, vermin.
Molly 41:40
Okay, fine. Wow, I
Matthew Amster-Burton 41:43
have no problem with rats personally.
Molly 41:45
Wow. Okay, I am really I want to hear from listeners what they buy out of vending machines.
Matthew Amster-Burton 41:52
Yeah, why don't you pop onto the you can either email us contact at Spielberg podcast.com or hop over to our Reddit everything spilled milk.reddit.com We already did a pledge drive segment this week. Let's take a week off of segments we'll be back with with double the segments next week. We're gonna have a new segment called Rat surprise where you don't know which route we're gonna highlight this week. Like you know how the week Norway rat Yeah, we've done the week now we're gonna do rodents of the moment
Molly 42:25
proud of myself all right. So if you if you are interested in this concept, or even if you're not
Matthew Amster-Burton 42:35
interested in this guy.
Molly 42:38
I said even if you're not okay, please go to spilled milk podcast.com/donate
Matthew Amster-Burton 42:43
And that is where you'll be supporting us including producer Abby.
Molly 42:47
Thank you everyone for listening to the show. Whether this is your first time or whether you've been listening for 613 episodes
Matthew Amster-Burton 42:57
this is the first time you've listed listen there's there's no way you're going to become a subscriber. Yeah,
Molly 43:02
no but thanks for listening but next week, we owe a lot of what makes the show so great to our producer Abby sir Catella we would say that even if she wasn't sitting behind me That's right. But she is you can rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts but you know what we would rather that you just donate
Matthew Amster-Burton 43:19
it but you could certainly do both maybe you already are a subscriber and you've done your part but also you want to review the show. Fine You can I always want to say you can hook up with other listeners everything spelled out.reddit.com Let's just leave that in. Okay, perfect. Until next time,
Molly 43:36
thanks for listening to spilled milk the show that is known as the trade stimulator
Matthew Amster-Burton 43:42
I'm Matthew Alka she'd die Molly caca
Molly 43:45
with
a road of the moment rolled into the moment rap where it's at
Matthew Amster-Burton 44:04
surprise that was perfect. That's the best jingle we've ever done.
Molly 44:10
Alright, everybody, we only do this once a year, thank goodness because nobody likes it.
Matthew Amster-Burton 44:19
Well, we have our outtake now so let's start out
Molly 44:31
I really believe in honesty, so
Matthew Amster-Burton 44:34
well stop. Let's let's really lean into into like lies and deception.
Molly 44:42
Okay, okay, here we go, everybody.
Matthew Amster-Burton 44:46
Wow, I knew this was gonna go smoothly.
Molly 44:48
Okay, here we go.