This week GWC turned five, and we take this opportunity to relax, be self-referential, and tell a few of those “meetup only” stories we always mention. If this is your first time listening to GWC, you might want to check out the last (or next) podcast to get a better sample of what we normally do every week, but you’ll find no better example of how awesome this community is. We’re joined by GWC tech guru and podcast host Juan and long-time GWCer Shooter, who present GWC with some gifts from the community.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GWC!!!
Cant say enough amazing things about this place. The friends I’ve made, things I’ve learned, and the fun I’ve had with both will always be with me.
Thank you to all GWCers for making this place as amazing as it is fun and memorable.
So Happy Birthday GWC - And especially to Emily and the 2010 meetup crue - MUCHO QUESO FOR EVERYONE, POR FAVOR!
Galaxy Ranger was the first OG…now Alpaca Prime!
Happy Birthday GWC! Sorry I didn’t call in…caught a cold and lost my voice for most of the week.
I also want to wish the cast and the community a big happy 5th Birthday. I’ve been listening since somewhere around cast #40? I think? I don’t really remember, but I do remember all the excitement as we approached #50, and 100 (which I missed out on the live-ness because we were doing something that day), and the painfully long breaks between seasons of GWC, and listening to the Direct-To-Archive episodes - I was thrilled you guys dove into Tron and The Last Starfighter, I felt like the only guy who knew and loved that movie.
I don’t find myself much in the Forum, but GWC is something I look forward to every week, and in spite of never having met you guys, I feel like we’re all old friends. Thanks for a great podcast, and a great community (and all the other cool stuff you do)
Happy Birthday!
(also, really enjoying this weeks cast 
)
This episode is so amazing! I love hearing about all the inside jokes and stories (and the explanation of why I’m an alpaca). I lurk a lot on the forums and haven’t gotten very involved, so listening to all these great stories about the community is really awesome.
Juan talking about dealing with customs on his way to a meet-up reminded me of a similar situation I had with customs. Last summer I was on my way to visit a friend in Canada who I’d met on Runescape. At the border, the customs guy asked why I was visiting, so I explained I was meeting a friend I had met on WoW (figuring that he definitely would have heard of WoW, but maybe not Runescape). All I got was this blank look and “What’s World of Warcraft?” After a headdashboard, I tried to explain the concept of an MMO and why I would drive to Canada to meet someone from one. I think it blew his mind, and he eventually just waved me on.
I loved all the origin stories. I think it says so much about GWC’s professionalism that, 300 shows/500+(?) hours in, there’s still so much about the hosts’ personal lives that listeners don’t know.
Happy Birthday GWC.
Strange, as I listened to the cast, while sitting on the Brooklyn shore of the East River, it made me feel a little better. Of late I’ve been very depressed, and it helped me forget and laugh for a little while to listen to it. Thanks guys.
Happy birthday, GWC. I never thought when I stumbled upon your blog in mid-2007 that in mid-2011 GWC would be a huge part of my life, often the thing I look forward to doing most once I get home from work. Shows what I know! I am so thankful that y’all have put your energy and talent and sweat into creating this community–and even more thankful that we have all grown this magical space into the force of crazyawesome that it is.
I haven’t listened to the cast yet. I’m saving it for after my upcoming exam because I’m too emotionally wobbly right now to handle the happy-tear-fest that the birthday cast promises to be. Plus, it gives me an excellent motivation to kick the LSAT’s ass.
Well, I’m gonna jump in and shoot out a happy GWC birthday to everybody!
As for me, I’m finally starting to catch back up as I have some regular travelling to do. I’m working on staying more on top of it, so I’ll be back caught up with things. I’m super disappointed I missed FSL3, but I’ll try to stick around to make sure I don’t miss 4, whenever it may come!
Well here goes, this is my first time in the forum. Happy 5th GWC! I really enjoy listening to you guys at work, my
geekness really feels at home when I listen to you. I also get so many great suggestions for books and movies when I listen to you. I am a little behind in the episodes, but I am catching up quickly, today I was listening to the meetup episode. It sounded like so much fun, I really wish I had been there.
Keep up the wonderfulness.
Welcome, elb001! Hope this is just your first post of many.
this is late but better than never, happy 5th GWC! i’m pretty new myself but i’m so happy that i got to hang out and meet you guys and many from this community last year at the meet up. best group of ppl ever! so here’s to many years to come and hugs to all! thanks guys!
Happy Birthday GWC! How can it be five years already? Ya’ll are family and we appreciate what you do!
-Trey
Happy Fifth y’all. I started tearing up when Juan told his origin story and it continued right on through to Jenny’s call when I had to stop listening. It made me think about one thing most geeks seem to have in common: a feeling of isolation and that nobody gets us or would ever like us enough to give a hoot about our having a rough go. Thank the FSM for the internet and communities like GWC.
A couple other random thoughts:
Audra, I cannot believe you were self-conscious about what you sounded like on air. You have such a beautiful gentle voice (and that laugh!). I love it when I hear this angel voice saying something about Fleshlights and wood. Aiyesha Tyler & Adam Reed coined a term on her podcast that describes you to a T: Smilthy - smart and filthy. You get away with so much more than either Chuck or Sean could!
Sean: it was nice to learn the origin of the nickname Squeaker. I always assumed you grabbed it from All Dogs Go to Heaven. I’m always delighted to hear about Squeak and can’t wait for her podcast debut.
Chuck: I don’t know how you do all you do and stay so cheerful and together. Forget about James Brown. I think you’re the hardest working man in show biz.
There’s so many more, but I’ll stop before I make myself cry. Besides I have to log into LOTRO and do some leveling.
Well, I’m late to our own birthday once again! But it’s never too late to party!
I really dug that meta Juan call, making fun of himself. And the latest in the series, GWC Origins: Juan.
One great thing about GWC is that as great as we all know we are, we are never above making fun of our selves.
What can I say that has not been said already? Thanks so much to everyone for making this a place where anything and everything is fun and informative. GWC means so much to all of us, and it means even more that you guys are wiling to put so much time and effort into making this all possible.
To the entire GWC crew and family, I salute you!
As a frequent listener but very infrequent poster, I have to say this episode inspired me. I’m getting warm fuzzies all the way here in Delaware. It made me feel I need to pay better attention to the forums.
Happy birthday everyone, and here’s to many more.
Well I just typed out my long response on this other Happy 5th Birthday thread
Specific to the 'cast, thank you for including my call and for the kind words. I truly appreciate it!
This is such a fun and sweet and touching podcast! Thanks for recording all the stories, and the nice things we say to each other, and keeping on keeping on!
P.S. your comments about me sounding nice - my students were joking about the same thing today. As in “our presentations sucked, but you say it in such a nice way!” Makes me laugh
I was riding the train this morning and listening to this 'cast. I was giggling and tearing up. I’m only about an hour into the 'cast. I couldn’t continue without blubbering like the doorman of Oz.
That was beautiful. I’ve been listening since around the Tron casts (I think anyways) so not as long as many of you lovely people, but since then its been a highlight of every week, entertaining me and introducing me to so much cool new stuff (Clear Skies jumps to mind immediately )
Although I am tempted by the no (non spammer) has ever been banned statistic. I never get to be first at anything… The Alpaca sucks and they are certainly not our homies! Hides from Ban Hammer