Dear Spill Crew,

I’d recently taken my best friend to see the movie for her birthday. While she enjoyed it (despite being rather irritated by the ending), I hated it. To this day I consider “New Moon” to be one of the single worst films I have ever seen. Upon discovering Spill’s video review, and laughing hysterically through it, I was amazed to realize that Korey, Cyrus, Carlyle, and Leon had sequentially listed off every single problem I had with the movie. Not only did I find critics who entertained me and provided valid “every man” movie opinions, but they thought the same way I did. I immediately started perusing Spill’s youtube account to see more and was NOT disappointed. In fact, I keep the audio review on my iPod solely for the purpose of being able to put it on whenever I need a laugh.

And that is, in fact, why I’m writing this letter to you now. From the moment I first joined spill.com, from the download of my first podcast, not once have you failed to make me laugh or, perhaps more importantly, make me think. I still vividly recall my first trip aboard the LDT Bullshit Train. I was hanging out at home, listening to Let’s Do This one November evening. Korey and Co-Host were talking about local burger joints in Austin when, as I was walking into my bathroom, the conversation suddenly switched from burger places to sodomy jokes so fast and so flawlessly that I still remember desperately grabbing onto the bathroom doorway to keep myself from collapsing to the floor as a result of excessive laughter. Not only was it some of the funniest stuff I have ever heard in my life, but Korey and Co-Host demonstrated a degree of comedic skill and timing that I can give nothing less than my utmost respect. For the guarantee of entertainment whenever I am in need, I both thank you and proudly hold a lifetime pass to ride on the Bullshit train with you.

Korey and Carlyle, as an owner of an iPad I must also thank the two of you specifically. I will readily admit that when the iPad was first announced, I was one of the people who wanted one solely because I was caught up in the hype. Your discussion about the iPad on a January edition of ACOCO, however, caused me to sit down and ask myself “Do I really need one of these? How would it truly benefit me? What would I use it for?” It was because of you that I sat down and researched the iPad to determine exactly what it was capable of. I am very happy to report that I purchased one this past summer and it has consistently done every single thing I have asked of it. I couldn’t possibly be happier.

I would be remiss if I wrote this thank you letter without giving a very special thank you to the League of Extremely Ordinary Gentlemen. Cyrus, Leon, Beau, Grant, Greg, Fish, Merry, Randy, Harris, Cat, Alison, Kristin, and everyone who has come and gone, your show has allowed me to embrace my inner nerd. In college, all the friends I lived with in residence were in computer courses while I was in “Human Services: Child and Youth Care” and as such I referred to myself as a “geek by association.” Over the course of roughly a full volume of LEOG episodes, you have re-ignited my love of comic books and allowed me to realize that I am not a mere “geek by association,” but a full out, saying it loud and proud, NERD. While there are plenty of things we will never agree on (I’m in the position of loving “Heroes” passionately, while hating Tim Kring and Jeph Loeb with equal passion), your themed shows have allowed me to re-experience the love I had for the things I enjoyed in my youth. It is also because of you that I sat down and read “In Blackest Night,” and I am so very, very glad that I did.

There is, however, one themed episode that I must thank you for more than any of the others: The Doctor Who episode. Since first airing here in Canada on the CBC in 2005, I would often see ads for Doctor Who (Christopher Eccelston’s “Nice to meet you Rose, I’m the Doctor. Now run for your life!” scene in “Rose” has been how I identified Doctor Who for five years now) but, while intrigued, I was never really able to sit down and check out the show. After listening to you relate your Doctor Who experiences, and the series being brought back on the Space Channel (Canada’s Syfy network), I felt that I had no choice but to check it out. I would have it on, surfing the net during commercial breaks, but due to various things coming up, I wasn’t able to sit and watch every episode of series one. When I came to “The Parting of the Ways,” I realized what I was seeing and could only think “Wait, I’m not ready for this yet!” That was the moment I decided to get a hold of the DVDs, then sit down, watch this show and give it the respect it deserves. I’m currently at the beginning of Series Three, and already this show has touched my heart like nothing else I have ever watched. Frankly, I am man enough to say that Doctor Who has reduced me to tears on three separate occasions and this is a feat no other television program can claim. I cannot thank you guys enough for introducing me to this wonderful show.

Sincerely,

Mike Montgomery aka Hannibal Smith.