Thank You For Calling!

Just over three years ago, Matt Alexander founded Need, a publication that releases exclusive, curated clothing and products for "the modern gentleman". They later added Foremost, a line of affordable, American-made clothing for men and women. This month, Need became Imprint and launched an iOS app.

This is the origin of Need's customer service model, and how it helped them grow and evolve from a sensation (Need) into a tangible, formidable Imprint in the world of fashion.

Matt Alexander will return. (cue "James Bond Theme")

One of Austin's most iconic taco joints turns 35 years old in July.

Juan in a Million is known as much for their triple-sized signature "Don Juan" breakfast tacos as they are for owner Juan Meza's legendary handshake.

Get the "Don Juan" with chorizo. You won't be sorry.

Brought to you by

The man with the handshake, Juan Meza

On the highway from one major city in Texas to another, there's always at least one really good, locally-owned place to eat. A little over 40 miles outside of Austin on the way to Houston is Taqueria Chihuahua, a place full of good food and good people who have been serving customers for over 20 years.

Be ready for a taco that it takes two hands to eat.

Running a movie theatre is one thing. Running free movie screenings for non-paying guests is a production. It involves a theatre's staff, lots of excited movie fans, and an contracted rep or two whose job it is to manage concentrated chaos.

What happens when (once a week at minimum) the same 40 customers are willing to wait over twelve hours to watch one movie for free?

Annie used to do Elvis' nails, doesn't care about famous people, and is the best designated driver on the planet. We need more "Annies" in the world.

Emily Nagoski talks about her work as a sex educator and the misconceptions she's faced with when people stop her in the grocery store to ask about their sex lives.

• Come As You Are: Dr. Nagoski's new show, where she talks with people 1-on-1 about sex. Anyone is welcome as a guest. All you need are questions and concerns about sex. It's launching next week right here on ESN. RSS feed here, iTunes feed still to come.
• Our Founding Sponsors: made ESN happen a year ago on 7 February 2014. Visit them and support what they do.

• Emily's new book is also called Come As You Are, and is out in the US on 3 March 2015.
• Emily is doing a book tour, so go see her and be a lovely fan.
• Emily is on Twitter. Be nice.

Liz Furl left waiting tables behind to work in a call center. Little did she realize how much more difficult it would be to tell Medicare applicants that "there's no update on your status" for a living.

Listen to learn the art of the Polite Hang-Up, and whether you're dying fast enough.

• Warner Archive Instant: the classic cinema and TV streaming service you've been waiting for, on Roku and iPad, supporting AirPlay to AppleTV.

• Twitter
• LadyBits Podcast on 5by5

• In 2015, Thank You For Calling! is going to continue to follow up on specific themed stories, including this one about customer service inside healthcare.

• Systematic, hosted by Brett Terpstra: an interview show unlike many others, hosted by the friendliest introvert you'll ever meet. This past week, he took a long, hot shower with Merlin Mann.

Venturing out during Black Friday weekend can be fascinating when you go not to shop, but to assess how American shopping culture has become its own form of zombie pandemic.

• Harry's: even if already a customer, or if you've used a discount code, get $5 off the Winter Winston set with "THANKYOUHOLIDAY"

Before Friar Gabriel Mosher joined the Dominican Order, he worked in both fast food and bill collection. How does dealing with people who demand a "Medium" Frosty inform taking on religious life?

• Backblaze: unlimited, unthrottled backup for $5/month

• Brother Gabe is on Twitter.
• Historical note in the style of Dungeons & Dragons: "Brother Gabe" levels up to "Father Gabe" on 30 May 2015.
• The header photo is explained by this Yahoo! article. He can't help it, he's a Jesuit.
• The after-show for this episode will end up edited into a bonus episode of Electric Shadow, but it'll also be available here.

Drew Westphal and Anna Bartenstein run the customer service machine behind musician Jonathan Coulton. They cover everything, from emails about orders or general questions to the still-being-fulfilled, massively successful Code Monkey Save World Kickstarter from 2013.

They talk about their professional histories and why they love doing what they're doing for musicians like They Might Be Giants and "JoCo".

Special Guest Stars: Jonathan Coulton and Greg Pak!

• Backblaze: back that Mac up for only $5 a month (less if you sign up for longer). Whatever kind of computer you’re using, make sure you’re backing it up. Set up Backblaze for yourself or a family member (or both) today.
• The Magazine Book 2: Back their ending-in-24-hours Kickstarter to get some uncommonly great content. Salute and bid a fond farewell to a great publication. An eBook of the first one is now free!
• Symbolicons: by Jory Raphael, designer of all our new artwork. Get 40% off any icon set bundle with ESN1

• Artist Edition 21: City of Monkeys (Greg Pak & Jonathan Coulton) is excerpted in part here. The interview was conducted just a few days into the Code Monkey Kickstarter.

• "Code Monkey"
• "See You All in Hell"
• "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions"
• "The Whiffenpoof Song"
• "Big Bad World One"
• "Shop Vac"
• Buy them all (and more) here.

• Drew Westphal on twitter
• Jonathan Coulton's website, and direct links to buy both songs and merch.
• The Yale Whiffenpoofs are ballers in white ties and tails.
• Six decades of Whiffenpoofs singing "The Whiffenpoof Song" at their 100th Anniversary celebration in 2009.
• Eric Carle is a national hero
• UPrinting