This week, GTS sat down with Threadless Engingeer/Project Manager - Joe Curlee. We talk about cryogenics, glow in the dark awesomeness and the glory of fake meat.

GTS: Alrighty folks, we're back with another installment of Gettin' The Skinny - today's guest is Joe Curlee. What's happpening Joe?

Joe Curlee: just the usual awesome tech madness. we launched the new threadless design today so things are extra fun today!

GTS: yeah, i noticed that. can you talk about how the awesome new changes came about?

Joe Curlee: Recently we launched the new typetees.com and theselectseries.com this new threadless design will tie these sites together we now have a persistent cart between the 3 sites and this new features is something that really helped drive this revision of threadless.com forward that what you were looking for?

GTS: indeed! what's your role within Threadless' tech dept.?

Joe Curlee: I handle project management as well as being an engineer.

GTS: So you make sure everybody meets deadline, etc.

Joe Curlee: More or less. I'm pretty much responsible for keeping track of the various tech projects we have going on.

GTS: Any other aces up your sleeve aside from today's overhaul?

Joe Curlee: you mean more awesomeness coming down the road? If so, then yes. As for what that is I can't say yet of course.

GTS: how far down the road are we talking here?

Joe Curlee: a million years... or possibly less.

GTS: fair enough. hopefully cryogenics makes some awesome advancements between now and then too.

Joe Curlee: I hear they can clone from dead frozen tissue now, so there's always that option. You can wake up with Walt Disney and check out the awesome new Threadless stuff. What's your favorite Threadless shirt?

GTS: hey, your stealing my questions - i was just about to ask you that!

Joe Curlee: I like Popping Wheelies. it's my all time favorite... it's an amazing design because it encompasses everything I love in one shirt. Namely: bikes.

GTS: right on. that one is definitely in my t-shirt drawer - i'm also very fond of Now That's Dope

Joe Curlee: Mister Mittens' Big Adventures is also really cool because it's a cat head with lasers in space. The only way Speedy could have improved on this shirt is if the cat head had a bike for a body, know what I'm saying?

GTS: word. huffys in space. where were you working before you started @ Threadless?

Joe Curlee: DoubleClick. Actually Performics which was owned by DoubleClick.

GTS: How did you make your way into the Threadless universe?

Joe Curlee: Well after my departure from Performics I knew I still wanted food. I've grown accustomed to it's taste." So I hit up my network of friends a couple of really cool people I know happened to know Harper Reed. They put me in touch (Threadless happened to be looking for a developer at the time) and three days later I was a proud new Threadless employee.

GTS: Sweet!

GTS: I think it's time for blogger questions - I've asked my fellow Threadless bloggers to submit questions for you to answer. iDanSimpson wants to know: What is your Quest?

Joe Curlee: My quest is a simple one: I want to become rich and insane. I'm already one of those two things (extra points: guess which one!)

GTS: I'll leave that up to my fellow bloggers. Next question comes from jess2002: What's your favorite thing about Christmas and why?

Joe Curlee: My favorite thing is when it ends, because I don't like Christmas... NEXT QUESTION.

GTS: Our first Threadless staffer submitted question comes from aycacha: what is the best prank that has been pulled in the tech dept since you've been at threadless?

Joe Curlee: oh man... wow... there have been a few. let me think about this for a second. I guess my favorite prank is one I've already blogged about. It involved hiding Tristan's cell phone on top of an air-duct and calling it repeatedly.he searched for it for nearly an hour and then once he spotted it and headed out to get a ladder i climbed up, grabbed the phone and hid it again. he was so frustrated that he just gave up. that was a pretty hilarious prank, mainly because i wasn't the target.

GTS: Did you eventually give him his phone back?

Joe Curlee: unfortunately, yes.

GTS: Here's an interesting question from chipmnk: How long do you chew a piece of gum?

Joe Curlee: I'm not big on gum, but when I do have a piece I chew it until one of the following occurs:
1. the sugar starts hurting my teeth
2. i choke on it
3. i feel like the flavor of whatever I last ate is sufficiently masked by the new gum flavor. all scenarios are pretty horrible in their own way.

GTS: so true - here's a quick question from me: what's with the moustache in your avatar?

Joe Curlee: it's awesome. makes me look like a biker. for a closer look, visit joecurlee.com

GTS: will do! alright joe we're hitting the home stretch - it's time to play Pick One. Do you know how Pick One works?

Joe Curlee: no.

GTS: I'll give you two random choices and you pick one.

Joe Curlee: that seems difficult but i'll do my best to remember the rules

GTS: i think you'll do just fine. #1 Old Talkers: Phil Donahue or Sally Jesse Raphael?

Joe Curlee: i like people with several names, and dislike Phil Donahue... so Sally Jesse Raphael it is

GTS: #2 Almost There Tech: Holograms or teletransportation?

Joe Curlee: teletransportation

GTS: #3 Gears of War: Tank or helicopter?

Joe Curlee: I'll go with helicopter, i like flying

GTS: #4 Bad Ass Boxers: Clubber Lang or Apollo Creed?

Joe Curlee: Apollo Creed

GTS: #5 Kick the Habit: Nose picking or fingernail biting

Joe Curlee: fingernail biting... i have chewed all my nails away to an uncomfortable state of existence and just continue to gnaw away like a rat. It's an awful affliction

GTS: sick!

Joe Curlee: haha

GTS: #6 Tee Off: Belt print or specialty ink?

Joe Curlee: specialty ink!! I love glow in the dark stuff especially. people are all: "omg! it's like an alien... oh wait no, it's some cool guy instead!"

GTS: ha ha word!

GTS: #7 Chasin' Chevy: Fletch or Clark Griswald?

Joe Curlee: huh? oh right... chevy chase. no.

GTS: moving on...#8 Lunchtime: Turkey Club or Rueben?

Joe Curlee: oh man... 1 year ago I would have picked both, but now I'm a vegetarian. Actually it's been 1 year and 5 days and this question alone is enough to make me regret that decision. if i still ate meat i'd choose Turkey Club.

GTS: no regrets joe, stick to your veggie guns! how about a Tofurkey Club?

Joe Curlee: no. i'll go with Buffalo Nuggets from Morning Star Farms... nothing beats fake meat... NOTHING. do you remember real hotdogs? those are delicious, man. so are gyros.

GTS: hot dogs are a gift from the Almighty

Joe Curlee: verily!

GTS: #9 Sportastic: Bowling or Curling?

Joe Curlee: Bowling I suppose... but I prefer bone crushing NFL and also not-so-bone-crushing volleyball

GTS: Bears fan?

Joe Curlee: absolutely... since I was about 5 years old.

GTS: hopefully Rex can carry you guys until Orton gets back on the field.

Joe Curlee: We'd have a better chance if we employed the janitor

GTS: Ouch! #10 Ecto Cooler: Gate Keeper or Key Master?

Joe Curlee: man, i'm not cool. I don't like ghostbusters. but in order to pretend to be cool i'm going with... Gate Keeper?

GTS: Gate Keeper it is. Joe - that's all the time we have for today. Just two more things - which Threadless staffer should we interview next?

Joe Curlee: Atkins. i'll let him know you're coming for him.

GTS: Right on. And lastly, any parting words for the folks at home?

Joe Curlee: Yes: when the zombie attack comes (and friends, it is coming) remember that being alone has it's advantages. Also, be sure to never not be who you are because being the real you is way more hilarious than being the fake you.