Episode 210: Yippee Ki-yay, Holy Father

Outline
00:45 - Intro - Justin installs a baby car seat

06:31 - I have a problem with speaking up; I frequently have to repeat myself and people often tell me that I talk to quietly. When I increase the volume, it feels like I'm yelling, or that my voice takes on an unpleasant or harsh tone. What can I do to make sure that I'm being heard without feeling as though I'm shouting in people's faces? -- Whispering in Wisconsin

11:40 - Y - Sent in by Drew Davenport, from Yahoo! Answers user Jorge, who asks: "My 14 year old son wants to be naked for Halloween? In July we usually buy are halloween costumes because the Halloween shop that we go to stays open until July then everything is 75% off! I know crazy right! I have 3 children one 3 year old, one 6 year old, and one 14 year old. All boys. I got this cute bumble bee costume for my 3 year old and my 6 year old wanted to dress up as Darth Vader (funny how he still loves Star Wars though) but my 14 year old son says he just wants to go trick or treating naked and when I asked him again if he wanted a costume, he said he wanted to go completely naked and that it would save us money anyway. I am the very nice kind of dad and I don't like to be stern or be mean but I don't know but is it ok for my 14 year old son to trick or treat naked?"

16:43 - Is there a way I can ask my husband to lose a little weight? He has always carried a little weight, but in the last year it's getting blubbery. He doesn't listen to this podcast. I'm an active person and am pretty disciplined about portion sizes and eating healthy. Is there a way I can ask him to trim down without absolutely hurting his feelings? - Sydnee McElroy in Huntington, West Virginia [no, not really]

22:44 - MZ - Sponsored by Hulu Plus. Personal message from your friend Tim. Personal message from Majdi. Personal message from Mark's friend Mike. Advertisement for The Goosedown.

30:11 - Elizabeth Gilbert joins the show

31:52 - I am a lowly bookstore employee here in sunny North Vancouver, Canada and what I want to know is, how should I be selling your books? Do you have a favorite? Should I stick to the classic "Eat, Pray, Love" or is "The Signature of All Things" your new baby?

36:00 - I have a backed up sink that I can't get running smoothly, Elizabeth Gilbert. I've tried Drano product with no luck, any help would be greatly appreciated. -- Backed Up in the Bay

38:29 - When I get interested in some creative pursuit, I tend to go hard on consuming the behind the scenes media/content for it. I'll start listening to a bunch of podcasts, follow various related public figures, reading blogs, etc. I started wondering if steeping myself in all this peripheral content is prematurely satisfying the desire to actually go and do. Did you guys (Ms. Gilbert and brothers alike) experience anything like this before you started actively creating? Is the trade off of insight vs. potential stalling worth it? Am I completely imagining this problem? -- Interested but Inactive

46:41 - A year and a half ago, my sister began travelling around South America; she saved up her money, sold her house and car, and quit her corporate job. I'm so proud of her and her journey, but I'm also a little uneasy; I can't really relate to her desires for experiences, I also worry about her safety at times. How can I be supportive, even if I feel a little left behind? -- Helpless at Home Base

52:27 - My friend and former roommate came home a while back with a tattoo that said, "For whom" on his chest. When I asked him what it meant, he explained it as "a reference to a poem he wrote inspired by the motion picture "Eat, Pray, Love". The tattoo in question has become the focal  point of a lot of teasing. How long can I use this tattoo against him before it gets too mean? I love the kid and cherish his friendship, but I also like pointing out that his tattoo is horrible. -- Terrible Tattoo at Temple University

59:45 - Elizabeth Gilbert leaves the show

59:55 - Y - Sent in by Drew Davenport, from Yahoo! Answers user Ds, who asks: "Best battle ever?  Takes place in the same area than goku fought vegeta the first time 50 ft robot Jeremiah with laser eyes and the mobility of 8/10. Ability to fly but only for 3 minutes before a charge up of 5 minutes. Low class shields and 5 rockets. Machine gun, 200 bullets a mag, 1 minute reload time and unlimited mags. Vs 75 ft Alan Rickman with tentacles for arms and beefy legs, mobility of 5/10 and mid class shields. Machine gun fire from suckers in tentacles, reload and mag size the same as above, unlimited mags and mouth laser equivalent to 3 eye lasers. Added bonus that he can jump 200 feet higher than Jeremiah can fly but can also smash the ground with the power of 3 missiles but can only to it twice or his shields will break."

64:20 - Housekeeping

66:37 - FY - Sent in by Drew Davenport, from Yahoo! Answers user Scott, who asks: "Which restaurants in New York City serve wolf meat?"