Hey, wonderful's welcome to episode 315 of the podcast, also known as Week One of Max Fun Drive.

I bet you didn't expect that little sweetness I put on the end of that, huh? Friends, colleagues, comrades, buddies, amigos, amis, janitors.

It's my very first Max Fund Drive.

I'm very excited.

I always felt like watching the Max Fund Drive

happen on the outside.

It was like this cool club of people who were

sort of more in like the public radio realm. Something about fundraising seemed

super legit to me. Now I'm on the inside, I gotta tell you, it feels real good to be on the inside. I have known

Jesse Thorne who founded Maximum Fun for almost 20 years. I have known many of the people on its various podcasts for many years.

I've been a fan of Max Fun and its podcast for many years.

So it feels like a real privilege, to be able to try and raise some money for these guys.

So I welcome you to this episode.

I welcome you to take into consideration pledging. It's a listener supported network. Hopefully we've

already made that clear. I am taking this opportunity to ask listeners to

pledge your support to the show. Max Fund Drive is also a huge celebration of all things

maximum fun. You know that. There's going to be a little more information

elsewhere in the episode. For now I want you to enjoy this episode. I do also want to give you as a special bonus,

because this is a maximum thumb.

My new puppy has this very creepy stuffed koala that giggles. Yeah, it's horrifying, it haunts my dreams and that is

what it does. I only had to squeeze it once for you to hear all of that.

Now I have to give it back to the dog. It's covered in slime.

...