May 2, 2024 • 57 mins
Dramos deep dives into trending stories including changes to Marijuana regulations, the "Unseen Missing Latino Children Crisis in the US, Latina activist saving the environment, Lion King music getting some salon and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Alright, let me talk about talk. Here we go. He said,
you live in life as a ringle. Wait you question
when you fit in? Every time you mingle, they say
you do this with not that. This life as a gingo. Yes, hello,
and welcome to another episode of Life as a get Ingo.
(00:25):
I am dramas of course, and it is Thursday. Sent me.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's time for our Thursday Trends episode. Lying solo on
today's show. I am still recovering from from traveling and
and just like hitting the ground running djaying uh, you know,
both the nights of the weekend that I came back
and flying in on a red eye and just trying
(00:52):
to get my life together. I am out here yesterday
I will say just quick little you know, inside insight
into my life. But yesterday did to go out and
just my bike riding. Was a beautiful day here in
New Jersey. I happed on my bike and I went
riding around my old my.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Old city with a friend. So we just got to
get out in nature, and it was really nice to
just be able to kind of disconnect a little bit
and exercise and enjoy the luxuries of life. You know,
I've I've been pondering on a lot of things that's
not about today's episode, but just in general, just something
(01:34):
I want to touch on. It. I probably post on
like social media to kind of, you know, scratch this
itch if you will, that I have about this topic.
But I was there. I was just like riding my bike.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
We were in the park and there's a view of
New York City from this park, and I'm like, man,
how lucky am I on a Wednesday afternoon. I'm out
here getting to experience this beautiful day with a friend
of mine and getting some fresh air, looking at this
beautiful view and just enjoying the fruits of life essentially, right,
(02:06):
And yeah, I think what I begun to realize about
goals and my career and all these different things. It's
not about the job titles, the accolades, the money, the houses,
all these different things.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Instead, I think the focus is what type of life
do I want to live? You know, what type of
luxury do I want for me? I want to be
able to on a Wednesday afternoon if.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I choose to close up shop and just go ride
bikes and enjoy the weather. And then it's how do
you make everything around you work with that idea of
what your lifestyle should be or what you want it
to be, right, And I'm still kind of like clarifying
what that you know means in being able to articulate it.
(02:48):
But you know, I think this is where we go
wrong with like kids, where it's like what do you
want to be when you grow up?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
It should be what do you want your life to
look like when you're older?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And then from there we could sort of plug it
play whatever might make sense for you.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
You know, what job title, what type of job, what job.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Arrangement, whatever it might be, gives you the ability to
live out the ideal lifestyle, right, but too utimate base
our lives around these goals, around this job title, around
this project that we want to complete, and we're forgetting
that all of those things are merely tools, or should
be tools to allow us to live the type of
(03:25):
life that we want at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
So just a group of thought, I know, Thursday trends.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
I'll probably do a full episode of this at some
point in time if this is sort of resonating with anybody,
But just the things I've been thinking about as I
begin to ponder what's next, right, the inevitable question of
what's next. Anyway, back to Thursday Trends, We're gonna touch
on some things here. I'm happy to report that we
have equal number of negative and positive stories or serious
and positive stories. So we will talk a bit about
(03:53):
what's happening with marijuana, the Wacki tobacci in this country,
and the restrictions that are potentially can be eased up
as far as classifications go of the marijuana. We'll also
talk about missing children and the disproportionate amount of Latino
(04:13):
children missing in comparison to other ethnicities. On the positive
side of things, Lion King got themselves a Latino musical composer,
which is.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Amazing, amazing, amazing, legendary stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
And also, man, when you talk about people, you know,
putting their money where their mouth is, you have this
amazing young woman, this young Latina of course, who is
not just talking about it, but being about it when
addressing air pollution in California. So we'll touch on that.
But first, as we always do, let's start with the nonsense.
The BS in a segment call for the people in
(04:45):
the back, say a lot of.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
The people in the say a lot of the people
in the They're not the people who's that.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
All right, let's start talking about the Mary Jane. Right,
let let's talk about that marijuana, all right, for for all,
my my fans of of of weed, of pot whatever
whatever the kids are calling it these days. You know, personally,
it's never been my thing. But I also am not
(05:26):
somebody who's like, just because it's not my thing, I
think it should be illegal for all. I think it's
a fair argument that's no worse than alcohol essentially, and
there is, you know, I think I would I support
a lot of reform around it, even though it's not
my thing. I'm not, you know, participating in the extracurricular
(05:48):
activities around it. I do think that it has sort
of because of racism and the War on drugs, which
was very racist. It did get an unfair rap, right,
and and we are seeing a lot of reform around
it these days, which is much needed.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
So you have the.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
US being poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in a
historic shift. Now the US Drug Enforcement Administration will move
to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Associated
Press has learned that a historic shift to generations of
American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across
(06:25):
the country.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Of course, some gainness from the Associated Press. The proposal,
which still must be reviewed by the.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the
medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential
for abuse than some of the nation's most dangerous drugs. However,
it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. Once
themb science off the DEA will take public comments on
(06:50):
the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as
a Schedule one drug alongside things like heroin and LSD,
which is absolutely wild.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
That's why reform is needed.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I think even if you are not a proponent for
marijuana use, I think we all could agree that it
is not deserving of being held up alongside things like
heroin and LSD. Now, the proposal would move pot to
a Schedule three alongside things like kennymede and anabolic steroids.
(07:21):
Following a recommendation from the Federal Health and Human Services Department,
after the public combat period and a review by an
administrative judge, the agency would eventually publish the final rule.
It comes after President Joe Biden has called for a
review of federal marijuana law. In October twenty twenty two
and moved to part in thousands of Americans convicted federally
(07:42):
of simple possession of the drug. He has also called
on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to
erase marijuana convictions.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Quote. Criminal records for marijuana and possession have imposed needless
barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Biden said in December,
too many lives have been upended because of our.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Failed approach to marijuana. It's time that we right these wrongs.
So positive stuff here again.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
And also, the cannabis industry is like a multi billion
dollar industry.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
I think even if let's just go peer capitalists, baby,
let's go peer American American dream here, right, A lot
of money is being left on the table by this
shit just not being legal nationwide essentially.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Right, And I'm in New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
There are dispensaries popping up all over the place, lines
out the door where they open, like it's big business,
Like there's money to be made here that then helps
the state, helps the country as a whole. Obviously, there's
questions about the people giving being given these licenses to
open these dispensaries, right, and it not going to the
(08:55):
people who have been disproportionately affected by the over policing
of marijuana, black community specifically. I think that's a very
fair topic of conversation to continue to have. But in general,
it's been a positive I think experience in easing these
restrictions and opening it up to public consumption.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
You know, again, this is money to be made.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
For the states that already have begun to legalize it,
be for recreational or medicine or whatever it might be.
And also, you know, I think in terms of like
the election that's coming up and things like that, we
also have to look to stuff like this. I mean,
you know, communities of color when asking what has bought
(09:40):
and done for us. And obviously there's so much more
that could be done. I think there's been a lack
of police reform that had been a promise and all
things like that. But you know, the man did pardon
thousands of people who were you know, arrested on petty
marijuana offenses basically, right, and you have to look at
(10:01):
that as a positive. And also him calling for reform
again has to be a positive, you know. I think again,
even if you are not somebody who is a proponent
of you know, weed.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Or drugs whatever.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
But be I think we all could agree again that
heroin and LSD are far more heavy drugs than marijuana.
They shouldn't be said in the same sentence, you know.
And I think we're moving in a good direction when
it comes to stuff like this. Also when it comes
to crime, it's like when stuff like this is illegal,
you know, and so many people participate in it, be
(10:37):
it illegal or legal, you have a criminal element that
evolves within it, right, And now you have people putting
themselves in harm's way to obtain these things, right or
potentially buying it from shady practitioners of drug sales, and
that adds a criminal element that could be eradicated if
(10:59):
weed was just made more accessible for those who want
to partake in it. And again like I don't fuck
with it, but it's not my thing. But I drink,
and I've spoke before, and I could honestly say, like, yeah,
me being pitch drunk is just as bad, if not worse,
than me being stoned, you know, as far as my functionality.
(11:20):
And if liquor is going to be legal and accepted
widely socially, I believe the same should be for weed.
And cannabis related you know things. So I think this
is a good shift in the right direction. I think
the fact that we're also having the conversation around prison
reform for it, and hopefully further discussion around who's actually
(11:41):
going to be given these licenses as we move forward
is another important topic of conversation. But in general, I
like where we're going with this. Personally, you know, I
just think that it's long overdue.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And again, if you are somebody who is like, but
what is Biden done, we can look through these things.
I think, you know, he's.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Addressing certain issues that many people are passionate about, particularly
of a younger generation.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So good stuff there, appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Now onto a shocking story that I read on Army
two dot com.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Now, this is this is what they're calling. I think
it's completely appropriate.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
They said the unseen crisis of missing Latino children in
the US, and I think it's a perfect way to
put it, because that's read it. I'm like, fuck, this
is actually a bit scary when you think about it.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Right now.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
In the article, they talk about how every forty seconds
a child goes missing in the United States. That means
approximately eight hundred and forty thousand children are reporting missing
each year, and although authorities resolve most reports within hours,
many children are still missing today.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Most of them are Latino children. This blows my mind,
they said.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
According to a Telemundo News analysis, as of April fourth,
twenty twenty four, four hundred and fourteen children up to
the age of twelve are reported missing in official reports
from two thousand and three to twenty twenty three in
the United States. The analysis based on data from the
National Center for Missing and Exposed Children or NMC. Latino
(13:11):
children led the statistics with one hundred and thirty reported cases.
So out of what is that four hundred and fourteen cases,
one hundred and thirty of them were Latinos. NMEC figures
indicate that approxiy one out of every three children up
to the age of twelve reported missing during the past
two decades are Latino quote. In general, we have about
(13:34):
four thousand, five hundred missing miners in the United States
who have active wanted posters on our website.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Those are only the cases that we know of.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Of that number, around twenty three percent are Hispanic slashed Latinos.
It is certainly a large population that worries US said
John Bischoff, the Center's vice president of the Missing Miner's Division.
Now it make matters worse. According to Bischoff, the data
is now always accurate. According to NMEC, they say that
most and the other ones with the most accurate figures.
(14:03):
They're saying other agencies record ethnicity differently. They're saying this
registration is often optional, as it is not federally mandated,
but voluntary. Right when you're checking off the box that
you are Hispanic, Latino, other, whatever, it might be right,
and they say this could explain why there are often
discrepancies in the overall number of missing persons in the
United States.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Quote.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Collecting data on missing people of color poses numerous problems,
they'd yell slack Off of criminal Justice, professor at California
State University, Sacramento, told Telemundo, saying in official data sources,
Hispanics are often grouped with whites, missing Indigenous people are
often misclassified.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Whatever the case, the disappearances have patterns in common.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
As Bishoff continued, although Hispanics represent nineteen point one percent
of the US population, they account for twenty three percent
of missing children's cases. This implies that missing Latino children
exceed the national APPA, and that is a cause for concern,
they say. When explaining the reasons for disappearance, Bischoff assures
that the patterns are always the same. The Center groups
(15:08):
the reports into several sections, including fugitives in danger, family abductions,
non family abductions, and missing, injured or missing for other reasons.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
So then the question is what makes Latino children more vulnerable?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
As Trent Steele, director of the Anti Predator Project, told
NBC News, the higher incidents of Latino children reported missing
has to do with quote specific issues plaguing marginalized communities.
I think that in the Latino and Black community the
numbers are a little higher because they are affected by
situations of poverty and inequity, adding that many are put
(15:43):
in situations where they disappear and flee. They say, Similarly,
some Latino parents consider you as safer than their home
countries and let their children play in the street more freely.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
My last part was definitely not the case.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
In my upbringing, assumed everybody was a murderer or kidnapper
and kept a close eye on us, So I was
not playing the street more freely as a kid. That
is false for me, but maybe for others, But this
is a really interesting conversation.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
I don't want to make light of it.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Because it really there's a lot of issues for us
within this country and a lot of things because we're
not categorized properly, right, the idea of checking boxes or
indigenous people and all these things, like we don't know
where we belong.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Right, there's otherness that has sort of been been set up.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
And I think I've talked about this before in like,
you know, when you check at the doctor's office, like
what are you?
Speaker 1 (16:45):
What's your race, your euthicity, blah blah blah.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Right, And all of that affects the approach that might
be taken to revetting situations that are plaguing our community,
you know, in a more widespread way. And as they say,
with right, the number is already incredibly high when it
comes to missing Latino children in comparison to other groups,
(17:07):
but it could be even higher because we're actually not
all accounted for as being Latino or Hispanic.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Right. And I think also the line that really got
me in reading.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
This was talking about these specific issues plaguing marginalized communities, right,
saying that Latino and black communities are affected by situations
of poverty and inequity at a higher rate.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
And this brings me back. And I'm not trying to
stir up the fucking pot, you know, or anything like that,
but when we talk about the idea of privilege in
this country, and regardless of you know, where you were
brought up or.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I'm trying to fair a way to kind of get
to this idea properly here in my head, this is
the idea of privileges that statistically, because of generational racism
in this country, we have found ourselves as marginalized communities
born into situations that are not the best, right, to
(18:15):
put it lightly, right, when you talk about the idea
of poverty and inequity and things like that, right, not
coming from places of money, and therefore oftentimes having to
grow up in areas that are crime wridden, right where
people are in survival mode, crabs into barrel mentality, which
then leads to over policing or just complete lack of
(18:39):
policing at all, right, or you know, police ignoring particular
areas the way that they wouldn't if it was one
of affluence, right, or or one of white let's be honest,
and then that leads to things like this where kids
are disappearing at higher rates or running away at higher rate,
(19:01):
and these sort of cycles of generational trauma begin to continue.
And this is where we talk about privilege, right, because
it's just you know, if you're born into a blue
collar town as a white kid, yeah, your parents bust
their ass for everything they have, but you're still born
(19:24):
into a situation that is.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Miles and miles ahead of a poor black or Latino
kid born in the hood.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
And your family is also generationally, just from when you
talk about migration and opportunities that we're given in this country,
generationally ahead of marginalized communities like Latino and black. So
even if you struggled, your parents struggled, they worked their
(20:01):
ass off for everything they had.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Being born white was a privilege regardless, and statistics like
this show that, right, And I think this is is
I don't I don't.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
I don't say that to like stir the pot, but
I just say it to sort of bring up and
further validate what most of us already know just being
born into this community, right, And yeah, it saddens me
(20:41):
when I think when I look at numbers, you know,
statistics and numbers like this, and when they, you know,
blatantly say like, yeah, it's it's probably because we are
more often than not born into very particular circumstances.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
And man, that's not.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Like an easy problem to fix overnight, right, And that's
what's scary, you frustrating about it all when you look
at this type of stuff.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
And I also think it's a reminder of why the
work is so incredibly important, you know, and even for me,
you know, when I think about, like why have I
made it my life's work to just be positive and
do positive things and this is the harder route your
right of finding success and things like that and breaking
(21:26):
through the noise, it's because I want to just do
my part in breaking this cycle, right, And I'm fortunate that.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
My parents broke the cycle for me, right, even though
both of them, you know, my dad was didn't grow
up with much at all in Puerto Rico, you know,
and my mom was in the bronx. You know, they
managed to get themselves out of that and get into
a middle class neighborhood in this sub you know, where
(22:00):
I got to spend my informative years for the most part, right,
So they broke that cycle, and obviously I'm then building
upon that and good do even better. But it's why,
you know, I firmly believe us as members of these
communities that they speak about that traditionally are are, you know,
(22:25):
born sort of behind our white counterparts. We have to
operate with a chip on our shoulder because there's something
larger happening, you know, potentially there is there is.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Our existence. I don't want to say that has more meaning, but.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
We're born with a certain burden on our shoulder, whether
we like it or not. And maybe it's.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Fair, it's not fair, whatever the case may be.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
But personally, I'm like, Okay, I have to do better,
not only for myself, not only for my family, but
also for the next generation of people who look like me,
so that they can potentially have a better life, even
in some sort of small way beyond like platforms of
podcasting and blah blah blah, even me just being a
business owner who then potentially can hire somebody for my
(23:20):
community and inspire them in some sort of way to like, hey,
this guy started business. Now I could sort of.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
All those little things, right. That's why I talk.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
About conscious living, and the whole thing would just be
social call. It's like intentionality, I really, you know, and
I get to argument. I was I'm about to go
around here, but I think about an argument. I was
just having a heated conversation with a friend of mine
when I was in Puerto Rico and we were talking
about like the bad bunnies of the world. I'm like, man,
(23:50):
they should be doing more with the privilege that they have,
and not that they aren't already, but there's so much
more they could be doing with the money and access
they have. And her argument is, oh, well, that's not
fair to put on that they didn't sign up for that.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
And my whole thing is, yeah, you didn't sign.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Up for it, but unfortunately you were bored into it,
and you've been blessed with the gift of talent, attention, money,
and access now and regardless if you signed up for
it or not. Morally, if you are a person who
(24:27):
gives a shit about anything other than yourself, you should
feel it to be your duty to do something in
your power or do all that you can that's within
your power within reason, to help out your community and the.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
World around you.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
And this goes back to like and I'm fucking just
going off on a tangent, So I apologize, and I
was giving you a story about missing children. But to me,
this goes back to like tribe native mentality, which was
increa to be healthy, where it was like everybody sort
of had a role, and as the hunters, you weren't
just hunting for yourself to eat or your children and
(25:11):
your companion. You guys were hunting for the entire tribe
as a whole.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Right. It was like this communal.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Feast that was happening, essentially, right. And it was because
you knew that you were all playing a role, playing
a part, and you're all united within nature essentially right.
And what's good for everyone else is good for you.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
It's this importance of like I want everybody to be
happy and flourishing, essentially, right. I don't want just my
belly to be filled, but it's important for my neighbor's
belly to be filled.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
I just saw a TikTok the day where a woman
was reading the People's History of the United States and
they were mentioning Columbus and how Columbus and his journy
wrote as.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
A negative how the Natives.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Were so inclined to give him and his people whatever
they asked for.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
They were so happy to share all.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
That they had, and he was like making fun of
them as how naive they were. I believe they were
even called them the perfect slave because of this. And
that's the fucked up, like sick European mentality that I
think was the poisonous seed for the society that we
live in today. The idea that somebody wanting to build
(26:39):
and give and essentially nourish their community around them and
be so open to giving the shirt off their back
to someone who might be in need or want. The
fact that that is a negative and to be looked
down upon is like the poisonous seed that has us
in this sort of very selfish existence that we live.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
In as a society.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
And I know I just got off on a complete
like kind of tangent on all we talk about, but yeah,
I mean I read again, bring it back full circle.
I read articles like this one, and when there's a
direct correlation to the fact that we are consistently generationally
born into poverty essentially or dire circumstances, I can't help
(27:25):
but feel like, how do I do my part to
try and alleviate some of that and I share that
in hopes that we all begin to adapt that sort
of mindset, because I think that's what's so much of
our lack of fulfillment and happiness comes from, like this
lack of this lack of companionship, because we're not living
(27:50):
in accordance with like nature.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
We think we're the center of the universe, us in
like our immediate family or whatever it might be.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
And I was reading.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
This this uh, this book with it has like the
writings of the philosopher Nietzsche or Nietzsche what however you
pronounce it. And his sort of a thing that he
pointed out that that really like stuck out to me
was like we as human beings, we don't live in
a quarters with nature because we think we're the center
of the universe. And he said, ironically, the mosquito also
(28:21):
thinks that it's the center of the universe, right, Or
the fly, the fly doesn't give a shit that you're
out at the you know, at the cookout, having having
your backyard barbecue and you don't want it laying its
nasty ass eggs all of your food as you're trying
to eat, or you don't want it fly in your face.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
But the fly.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
To itself, it's got its own agenda, right, it's trying
to fuck around and find out what that you know,
terasco tastes like.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
And I think that's sort of you know what, we
have to begin to adapt as.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
A mentality of like, we're all coexisting on this thing together.
None of us is more important than the other one,
and we all should be looking around each and every
day of thinking how do I make my immediate surroundings
or the greater good just.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Slightly better each day?
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Be it the way I treat those around me, be
it the way that I spend my time, or my energy,
my resources, volunteering, whatever it might be. But like, I
really think that that's far more the key to happiness
and building a beautiful world is sort of recognizing the
fact that we can never have a truly happy and
fulfilled society if there's still large, widespread suffering happening amongst
(29:39):
our fellow brothers and sisters of this world, our fellow
co inhabitants of this world. Right, or when it comes
to animals and the earth, and we're gonna get into
a story like that, we need clean air to breathe
at the end of the day, right.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
And it's the irony, Like think about how fucked up
that is? Right?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
We have We have literally prophesized and made this thing
called money to have like this godlike level that we're
literally willing to kill ourselves little by little each day
as it means to being able to create more money.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Right, Like, we've created industries that pollute and and continue
to support and fight for for.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Gasoline and things like that to continue to exist even
though it's proven to be something that's contributing to like
our death each day, where our breathing is getting worse
and you've got all types of fucked up chemicals in
our lungs probably right.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Or the food industry is like feeding us garbage. But again.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
It's the idea that we've purposed money as the highest
thing to like value over human life as as a whole.
We've done that same argument like guns and shit. It's
our ride as Americans bro as human beings. Why the
fuck would we want to create and fight for and
(31:16):
obtain something and give it to anybody that literally has
the power to take life.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Life is the most utmost.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Thing we should be fucking like worshiping and embracing and
celebrating yet again we go against all of like rationalist
human beings and support these sort of false idols.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
And I just got all over.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
The place on this conversation. This is kind of where
my head is at. I think I was alluding to
it the beginning of the podcast. I'll have to do
a full episode to get this off my chest completely,
But yeah, I just think we all need to begin
to have a bit of a cup to Jesus moment
about like the way we view things in this life,
what we're valuing, the idea of maybe a little bit
(32:03):
less or the idea of what's truly important, and letting
that be the thing that we sort of let lead
ourselves down our path. Right, Let that be the light
that leads us down the dark path of this life.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Right.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah, just some food for thought, Just just throwing some
shit out there and seeing if it makes anybody else
think like I've been thinking.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
But again, like.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
I remind myself of all of this, to keep the
fucking like blinders on, Like, let everybody else, you know,
drive the fancy car. Let everybody else get the gigantic
house or the fame, whatever it might be. Like, let
your prize being intentionality, living with intention living consciously, and
(32:54):
knowing that you are being a positive contributor to this
world and this community as a whole, right, this tribe
that we are are as just human beings, right, and
trying our best to honor the nature around it that
(33:14):
keeps us breathing and energized and nourished and all of
these things. Right, Just recognizing what's important and understanding that
it is your job to do something, to be a contributor,
to be better, because you are a part of a
ecosystem and each member of the ecosystem has to.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Do something right. Last thing I was say on that topic,
because now I'm doing you think about like bees. I
have a rational fear of bees, hate bees, But bees
have a purpose, right, they pollinate. Right.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
It's like all these different animals and insects that scare
us or whatever, they're all a part of a larger
ecosystem that without them we would notice a drastic difference
in a negative aspect.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Right. It's like in Puerto Rico, I went on.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
This tour of the caves like a while back, and
they talk about how Puerto Rico's coffee industry has suffered
post Hurricane Maria, because many of the bats were killed
during that time period, and the bats actually like nourish
the coffee plant. I think it's what they're dumb by.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
I hate to say, I hate to be crash or
be disgusting and make you think about that whenever you
drink coffee. But the bats in some way contribute to that.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
And because there's been less bats, there have been less
harvesting of coffee beans because there haven't been as many.
You know, growing essentially right and an expert on this,
so I apologize, I fuck up the terminology, but.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
You get what I'm saying. That little example right there shows.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
You that each member of nature is contributing in their
own way, and we as human beings are like the
only ones who think that it's just our job to take, take, take,
and we refuse to realize that we're actually a part
of a larger system and that we have a purpose
to fulfill, whether we like it or not, whether we
(35:13):
want to be selfish or not. We're going against nature
by not trying to positively make a contribution to this
ecosystem that we are all a part of just by
being born. I'm gonna leave it at that, I'm gonna
(35:34):
leave it at that. And I'm still trying to figure
this out, y'all. I like, I'll believe at that, but
I'll do a whole podcast episode this. But and when
I'm speaking to you, I'm not speaking to you holier
than thou. I don't fucking volunteer enough. I don't do
enough of this shit. Like I'm literally just beginning to
come to a realization of Like, Bro, the beautiful.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
House that you have, imagine that you want to live in.
Awesome if it happen. Amazing. I hope it does. I
think it will.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
But that's just like a little side effect of you
just living a positive life in.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Accordance with the nature. Right, That is literally a blip
on the radar here.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
That can't be the thing that determines your decisions in
this life, right Because in order to get the house,
I have to have a bigger check. So order to
get a bigger check, I got to work another job.
That job might pay me more, but it also might
have nothing to do with being a positive, contributing member
to society. Yet I'm gonna spend whatever forty hours a
week doing that doesn't really make sense. And again we're
(36:39):
all in different situations. There's levels of privilege that I'm
speaking of here. But I think what I'm saying from
like as a child, that should be the mentality of like, no,
what is the lifestyle you want?
Speaker 1 (36:50):
What is the contribution you want to make to this society?
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Then what job or what experiences will contribute to you
living out that lifestyle. I'm bound now. I'm really bouncing all.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Over the place. So I will pause at the tablet
here because this will become a whole different kind of
episode than Thursday Trends. But this is where my head
is apt.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
These are the conversations I'm beginning to have with myself
and anybody who listen, and just questioning my existence, questioning
the goals that I've set for myself, and questioning my
definition of happiness at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
And yeah, that's that.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
I don't know how I got to that from missing
Latino children, but yeah, we're here. This is a part
of the conversation. This is I listen. If you've stuck
through that, I appreciate you. I don't know, hit me up.
I want to have these conversations.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
Maybe this is something we could do, Like but as
we begin to open up the just be social club.
I want to like to be able to like really
have like a rapport and a back and forth within,
like going back and forth with comments and messaging and
things like that.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
I'm trying to open that up at Seal Goes because
I just want to keep sharing ideas like this. I
know there are a lot of people listening to this
who probably are volunteering or doing community work. I mean, shit,
my business partner, Brenda is doing so much amazing community
organizing in her region and like being an advocate for
the natives of that region, And like that's that's fucking
(38:23):
living in accordance with nature right there, right ingratiating yourself
in the community and being a part of it, and
being somebody who's taking action on things that are important
that would you know, continue to uplift the community and would.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Continue to.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Have positive effects for generations to come, right, working with children,
like all those things, and like that to me is like, oh,
that is is very much in line with how she
views her life. And then basically she got a job
that allows her to do that, right, and there's going
to be more and more opportunities for her down the line.
But that's that that that these are things I'm talking
about what you know, and and that's why I love
(39:03):
meeting different people and having conversations because, like you know,
I put me onto something I don't even know existed, right,
I didn't even know about comunity organizing, and I met
her in that way, right, So like, yeah, just I
don't know, just sharing ideas here. That bike ride really
did a number on me and like allow me to
just release a lot of energy and get a lot
(39:23):
of clarity. So I apologize dumping it on to you
for listening right now.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
But that's where we are. Now.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Let's move on to our positive side of the podcast
Army Head segments. We'll take a quick break. You might
need it right now if I just talk to your offer.
God knows how long.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
I'm gonna take a breathe and get back up track
and then we'll be right back. I think. All right.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
So I'm gonna talking about two topics here today. They're
very positive and amazing. I kind of alluded to this one,
but you have this in credible Latina activists by the
name of Andrea vid I think it's her name, and
she wins the Green Noble, which I guess is like
the Nobel Prize for green and she's trying to protect
the southern California is Latino community from air pollution.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Right, so she's an activist.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
She won an award that recognizes people on six continents
who take quote extraordinary actions to protect the planet. Now,
if you talk about living accordance to nature, this is
the ultimate thing. Like somebody who's really putting their money
where their mouth is something I need to start doing
more of. Right, And she was actually raised in California's
in an empire, which is a reason that's like an
hour east of Los Angeles. It actually has some of
(40:41):
the worst air quality in the entire country. And a
lot of this is caused by the industries there. Right,
they're saying in nineteen eighty they are about two hundred
and thirty four warehouses in the empire. Today there are
more than four thousand. And they're saying this has radically
transformed the quality of life for communities of color who
mostly in with those areas. And this is this is
(41:05):
what I was like really alluding to. I mean, think
about this, man, Like, first of all, the people that
are really profiting from this are are not living in
those areas and experiencing that horrendous air quality.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Right, But they're.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Saying that there's been many studies that the diesel exhaust
has contributed to worsening air quality and saying, quote, we're
breathing these toxic chemicals every single day, as she Andrews
said to NBC News, more people being exposed to it
because there has been so much encroachment and expansion of warehousing.
And on one hand, yes, it has created more jobs, right,
(41:39):
people are able to work and make money. Cool, That's
that's important. We all we all need that in this life.
But this is what my point kind of has been
for it as as well, is the fact that we
are literally choosing money over human existence, over somebody's quality
of life, over your ability to breathe cleaned.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
Fresh air.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
It's like, listen, do you either want a paycheck or
you want it or you're gonna complain about breathing in
these chemicals. That's like, well, you know what in the
world we live in today, I got to make this paycheck,
Let me breathe in some toxins, right, And this is
sort of the mentality. I feel like that is a
great example of much of what we've adapted as a society.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
You know, is really choosing so much bullshit over what
should actually be important to us and what we should
be value, which is human life itself. Right.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
And that's why I braave up this artic because I
salute people like her who have really been you know,
who are taking it upon themselves and making this their
life's work. And you know, she she just won this
award that believe they give her two hundred thousand dollars.
I'm sure much of that is going to end up
going back into the organization, but this is like, you know,
not work that's going to get her fucking famous or
(42:55):
get her rich, right, but it's going to create a
change for her community in some sort of way.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
And they even had their first victory, it says the
program that she started had their first victory in twenty
twenty three where the People's Collective for Enviroral Justice succeeded
getting California state officials to adopt two transportation regulations to
limit transportation emissions. And they're saying they're also trying to
create a path to one hundred percent zero emissions for
(43:24):
freight truck sales by twenty thirty six. So this is
important work that will potentially change generations to come who
might be living in that area, you know, helping them
have a higher quality of life. We talk about living
in accordance with nature. This is what the fuck it is, man,
And I don't know, I'm so hyped up on that
(43:45):
fucking phrase, right. I really think Nietzsche fucked me up
when you talked about the mosquito thing, like just the idea,
like we're all just coexisting here, nobody's more important than
the other one.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Right, But this is why the work is so important.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
This is why, like, regardless of what selfish society has
told you, like, oh, it's not your job to do
these things, you're fucking You are a member of this ecosystem,
whether you want to admit it or not. You were
born into this world. You're a member of a larger ecosystem,
and being a member, you have a contribution to make right.
(44:20):
And you can either be a shitty member of the
ecosystem or you can be a positive one, right, And
that's really what it comes down to. That choice is
yours at the end of the day. And I would
hope more people than not begin to start choosing to
be a positive contributor to that once you recognize that
we are all a part of this, whether we want
to admit it or not, and we all have some
sort of effect.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
And why would you want your effect.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
To be a negative one when you can easily make
it a positive one? Right, And if we begin to
change our value systems, Like I don't know what her
financial situation is, I hope.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
She becomes the richest person of the world.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
Continue to do this work, right, But what a blessing
it would be if she can do this work and
keep getting these grants that allow her to at least
have a comfortable way of living where her needs are
met and her quality of life is good. But knowing
that she's doing amazing work that is bigger than just herself, Like, that's.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
The fucking goal at the end of the day. Man,
So beautiful stuff, beautiful.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Stuff right them, and not just something that maybe feels
a little bit less important, which it kind of is,
but it's still incredible. You have Mauel Miranda as the
new person behind the music for Disney's with Fossil the
Lion King, the new movie that is coming out. He's
actually been writing all of the original songs out here
and the film is being directed by Barry Jenkins, who's
(45:34):
the Oscar Winner. Cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyonce
is not Les, Seth Rogan as Pumba, and Billy Eisner
as Timo. And I also believe Blue Ivy is going
to be playing a character in it. But also somebody
pointed this out online. This means that Beyonce and Linn
Meluel Miranda are going to be collaborating on music as
a part of this, And this is incredible for latinos, right.
(45:57):
I think it pushes the boundaries of what were came
of doing in this life, you know, and I know
Mama Miranda has used his voice for you know, things
outside of entertainment.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
To help uplift the community, which is a beautiful thing. Again,
Like I celebrate this because this is a vessel.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
This is a platform, right, him having this voice being
this successful allows him them to hopefully pass the baton
back down and help other people out and be an
activist and do all these different things.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
Right, So I don't shown anybody who is taking this path, right.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
His gift is his gift, and his gift has allowed
him to exist within like the matrix, if you will,
right within the world of entertainment, within art and things
like that, and as a result, it now allows him
to create a vehicle of change because he has the connections,
he has the finances to do so.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
Right, That's what the goal is, you know.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
And that is again, if I think about my mindset
and resetting it all these different things, it's like, okay,
understanding that. It's like if I'm blessed enough to get
into a position where I'm incredibly wealthy, it's not the goal.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
It's not like, Okay, awesome. I mean, now I finally
get to get this house. Life is fulfilled. No no, no, no, no. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
I want to be able to get the house. But
more than the house, I want to be able to
say that life is now opening itself up to me
being able to be an advocate for change at the
end of the day, and that is bigger than anything else,
(47:27):
and that is the end all, be all goal I
think in this life, and what I'm beginning to come
to grips with and come to terms with at the
end of the day is is that's the main focus
or the main reason for me wanting to find any
sort of monetary success in this life is because of
what it's going to make me capable of doing and
when it comes to creating lasting change for this world
(47:50):
and specifically for.
Speaker 1 (47:51):
My community as a whole.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
I'm literally I'm bucking bouncing around thoughts ideas this and that.
I'm literally just key. You're like, A'm processing this all
you know, clarity and things like that in real time.
This is why I loved this podcast. It's like my
fucking journal, but just amazing stuff. Solute these these people
Miranda as well as.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
I don't want to fuck Andrea v you today for
for all their work that they're doing. Positive stuff here
on me. Hit this segment, love to see it. Now.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
With that said, let's tie up that we talked about
today in a neat little boat in a segment called
conclusion stew But first to take a quick break and
then we'll be right back.
Speaker 3 (48:35):
Time for com So.
Speaker 2 (48:42):
All right, so we like we touched on so much
today that I feel like has zero to do it
with Thursday trends.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
We got super existential.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
I appreciate you coming along for the ride with me,
and I'm just trying to find a place to focus.
It's fucking energy, like cause I'm I don't know, man,
I think I'm about to go another fucking tangent. I
just think, as you get older or you I've been
lucky enough to get close to the success that I
thought was what I wanted, or be in proximity to
(49:10):
people who had said success. And the closer I get to,
the more I realize I really am not interested in
ninety percent of the things that I thought I was
actually interested in, Right, And the more I unplug from
the constant grind and hustle of everything, the more I
recognize how much happiness lies outside of that. And I'm
(49:37):
in like a very much reevaluation period of my life.
So maybe the podcast takes weird turns this season. Right,
this is where I'm at, you know where I'm really like,
all right, you've gone one hundred miles an hour for
the last ten years, and you've achieved a hell of
a lot, But like, what do you really want? Like,
what is this evolved version of you want? I've done
(50:00):
fucking VIP treatment in Vegas, you know where it's like,
oh my god, you know, nothing's off limits. I've made,
you know, more money than my parents have lost, and
spent more money than my parents. I've done, I've done
all these stupid things. I've driven the fucking BMW. I've done,
you know, I've hung out with the celebrities. I've done
all all the superficial shit that I was chasing after.
(50:22):
And instead of trying to one up it, thinking that
it's just I haven't achieved a next level of superficial shit,
I'm now like, actually, let's strip some shit away instead
of adding more shit on, and let's really get down
to like what makes you happy, what energizes.
Speaker 1 (50:37):
You in a real fucking way.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
And that's kind of where I'm at right now, where
I'm like reevaluating everything, reevaluing my place in this world, right,
and like really recognizing them, Like what do I want
to be known for or really feeling passionate about wanting
change to happen within my community? And how do I
become a vessel for that more than anything else, And
how do I stop thinking about.
Speaker 1 (51:01):
Success or.
Speaker 2 (51:03):
Achieving monetary milestones and instead just give myself the freedom
to explore what makes me the most happy and most
happy and just be a positive member of this ecosystem
of life, right, And I think that's where I'm at,
That's why we're going on tangents right now is because
I'm like asking those myself, those questions, really trying to
dig deep into them and make that sort of where
(51:26):
my life's focus is, you know, moving forward for now.
So yeah, so summarize that was my summary of the
existential crisis you might have just been witnessing via this episode.
But also let's summarize marijuana, the wacky tobacky.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
Listen, enough with the nonsense. This is is something.
Speaker 2 (51:47):
A drug that is very much judged and police based
upon racism. And I say that as somebody who if
it didn't exist, I wouldn't even notice, like it's zero
interest in.
Speaker 1 (51:59):
It in my everyday life.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
But I also can admit that the policing of it
and the criticism of it and the sort of just
like societal judgment of it is too much like it
it's not doesn't add up for what it is right,
(52:25):
and too many lives have been destroyed over nothing, essentially,
and reform does need to happen because logically makes sense,
and I love to see that happening.
Speaker 1 (52:35):
And again, for all.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
The criticism of Biden, there's a lot of things we
can we can go and look at as well, him
partning thousands of people understand pushing for reform to happen.
If this is an issue that is near and dear
to your heart, that should speak to you right there, like, Okay,
he's not perfect, but he's doing shit that I actually
am in support of, and he's trying to contribute in
a positive way.
Speaker 1 (52:58):
There's that.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
And when it comes to the unseen crisis of missing
Latino children, it's crazy. It's crazy, but also it is
not surprising when you think about it, when they put
it in terms of Latino and Black children are born
into very much so dire circumstances, oftentimes statistically speaking, And
this is where I got on my tangent of like,
how do I become a better member of this community
to hopefully, over generations, alleviate the fact that we are
(53:22):
statistically going to be born into dire circumstances that lend
themselves to missing children or runaways or violence.
Speaker 1 (53:28):
Right And.
Speaker 2 (53:31):
You know, again, it's just important to be aware of
these things. And I think this is the beauty of
the Internet. I was arguing my dad about this the
other day in differently I'll get to that another episode.
But we now have the ability to have awareness to
a lot of this shit that is going on in
(53:52):
this life, and with awareness we then can actually create change.
Now I'm aware of this being an issue, and it
adds another sort of fuel to the fire of why
the work is so important to uplift our community. And
it's a reminder of how important this work is. And
(54:15):
that's why it's important to share stories like this one,
as much as it scares.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
Me to think about.
Speaker 2 (54:20):
On the positive side of things, Again, you have a
girl in a part of California doing some work, you know,
a part of California that I've never been to that
I'm now able to learn about and be inspired by
because of the Internet.
Speaker 3 (54:34):
Right.
Speaker 1 (54:34):
You have Andrea Vida.
Speaker 2 (54:35):
Jurre out here in California creating an organization addressing a
problem in her local community, and actually because of her
organizing efforts, creating substantial change, you know, and having things
be passed to stop or alleviate the pollution that's happening
in that area. And again, this is our duty. I
(54:57):
don't I don't think it's like a volunteer thing more.
It shouldn't be.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
This is like it's our job as members of this ecosys.
I keep pushing that out there right like that.
Speaker 2 (55:07):
We all have a job to do that is outside
of the selfish, capitalistic, societal and European mentality that has
been poisoned in us.
Speaker 1 (55:18):
That's why this world has so many dark corners.
Speaker 2 (55:21):
That's why so many of us are depressed, anxious, miserable
because we've been led astray, and it continues to get
worse and worse regarding a mentality of what's supposed to
make us happy, when in reality it only brings us
further and further away from leading a complete, healthy and
(55:42):
fulfilled life right against the idea of these corporations are
literally run by people are saying, yeah, I want money
so bad, We're okay.
Speaker 1 (55:52):
With poisoning other human beings.
Speaker 2 (55:54):
We're okay at poisoning our fellow members of this ecosystem
because money supersedes even life. That's the world we live
when you really break it down, and that's what I'm
trying to correct and think about with these stories. And
then again, big shotl Mama Miranda, for really now gaining
a larger platform, a bigger stage, you know if you
(56:14):
will to hopefully again be a vehicle for positive change
in this world by having now the ability to create
the sound check for something as.
Speaker 1 (56:22):
Massive as Lion King just absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (56:26):
Love to see this kind of stuff and hopefully love
to see more of what he's going to be able
to do with this platform and the financial aspect that
of course is going to come along with it. Now
with that said, Just Be Social Club I talked about
some last episode again, we're doing a friends and family
roll out a little by little of the contents going on there.
Speaker 1 (56:42):
My other podcast, the Street Stoic podcast, is.
Speaker 2 (56:44):
Actually only going to exclusively be available on the Just
Be Social Clubs, So if you were into that podcast,
I'm moving it over there.
Speaker 1 (56:53):
Hopefully I'm going to be actually be able to do the
same thing for other people's podcasts as well, and that's
why we're you know, there's a membership monthly because I
want to be able to pay people for the work
that they do as well. So I want to bring
scare of this entire community. That's the vision of long term.
Speaker 2 (57:06):
So you want to be a part of the friends
and family roll out, DM me at dj Dramas on
Instagram or email brand Atmindevoryonglord dot com and we'll send
you a link to start getting on board with that's
and man, that's it. Have an amazing weekend. Thank you
for giving me a place to vent my emotions.
Speaker 1 (57:21):
And frustrations of this life.
Speaker 2 (57:23):
I'll talk to you on Tuesday with a brand new episode,
so then stay safe and we'll talk soon. Life as
a GREENO is a production of the micro Thura podcast
network and iHeartRadio
Alright, let me talk about talk. Here we go. He said,
you live in life as a ringle. Wait you question
when you fit in? Every time you mingle, they say
you do this with not that. This life as a gingo. Yes, hello,
and welcome to another episode of Life as a get Ingo.
(00:25):
I am dramas of course, and it is Thursday. Sent me.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's time for our Thursday Trends episode. Lying solo on
today's show. I am still recovering from from traveling and
and just like hitting the ground running djaying uh, you know,
both the nights of the weekend that I came back
and flying in on a red eye and just trying
(00:52):
to get my life together. I am out here yesterday
I will say just quick little you know, inside insight
into my life. But yesterday did to go out and
just my bike riding. Was a beautiful day here in
New Jersey. I happed on my bike and I went
riding around my old my.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Old city with a friend. So we just got to
get out in nature, and it was really nice to
just be able to kind of disconnect a little bit
and exercise and enjoy the luxuries of life. You know,
I've I've been pondering on a lot of things that's
not about today's episode, but just in general, just something
(01:34):
I want to touch on. It. I probably post on
like social media to kind of, you know, scratch this
itch if you will, that I have about this topic.
But I was there. I was just like riding my bike.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
We were in the park and there's a view of
New York City from this park, and I'm like, man,
how lucky am I on a Wednesday afternoon. I'm out
here getting to experience this beautiful day with a friend
of mine and getting some fresh air, looking at this
beautiful view and just enjoying the fruits of life essentially, right,
(02:06):
And yeah, I think what I begun to realize about
goals and my career and all these different things. It's
not about the job titles, the accolades, the money, the houses,
all these different things.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Instead, I think the focus is what type of life
do I want to live? You know, what type of
luxury do I want for me? I want to be
able to on a Wednesday afternoon if.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I choose to close up shop and just go ride
bikes and enjoy the weather. And then it's how do
you make everything around you work with that idea of
what your lifestyle should be or what you want it
to be, right, And I'm still kind of like clarifying
what that you know means in being able to articulate it.
(02:48):
But you know, I think this is where we go
wrong with like kids, where it's like what do you
want to be when you grow up?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
It should be what do you want your life to
look like when you're older?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And then from there we could sort of plug it
play whatever might make sense for you.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
You know, what job title, what type of job, what job.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Arrangement, whatever it might be, gives you the ability to
live out the ideal lifestyle, right, but too utimate base
our lives around these goals, around this job title, around
this project that we want to complete, and we're forgetting
that all of those things are merely tools, or should
be tools to allow us to live the type of
(03:25):
life that we want at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
So just a group of thought, I know, Thursday trends.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
I'll probably do a full episode of this at some
point in time if this is sort of resonating with anybody,
But just the things I've been thinking about as I
begin to ponder what's next, right, the inevitable question of
what's next. Anyway, back to Thursday Trends, We're gonna touch
on some things here. I'm happy to report that we
have equal number of negative and positive stories or serious
and positive stories. So we will talk a bit about
(03:53):
what's happening with marijuana, the Wacki tobacci in this country,
and the restrictions that are potentially can be eased up
as far as classifications go of the marijuana. We'll also
talk about missing children and the disproportionate amount of Latino
(04:13):
children missing in comparison to other ethnicities. On the positive
side of things, Lion King got themselves a Latino musical composer,
which is.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Amazing, amazing, amazing, legendary stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
And also, man, when you talk about people, you know,
putting their money where their mouth is, you have this
amazing young woman, this young Latina of course, who is
not just talking about it, but being about it when
addressing air pollution in California. So we'll touch on that.
But first, as we always do, let's start with the nonsense.
The BS in a segment call for the people in
(04:45):
the back, say a lot of.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
The people in the say a lot of the people
in the They're not the people who's that.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
All right, let's start talking about the Mary Jane. Right,
let let's talk about that marijuana, all right, for for all,
my my fans of of of weed, of pot whatever
whatever the kids are calling it these days. You know, personally,
it's never been my thing. But I also am not
(05:26):
somebody who's like, just because it's not my thing, I
think it should be illegal for all. I think it's
a fair argument that's no worse than alcohol essentially, and
there is, you know, I think I would I support
a lot of reform around it, even though it's not
my thing. I'm not, you know, participating in the extracurricular
(05:48):
activities around it. I do think that it has sort
of because of racism and the War on drugs, which
was very racist. It did get an unfair rap, right,
and and we are seeing a lot of reform around
it these days, which is much needed.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
So you have the.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
US being poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in a
historic shift. Now the US Drug Enforcement Administration will move
to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Associated
Press has learned that a historic shift to generations of
American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across
(06:25):
the country.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Of course, some gainness from the Associated Press. The proposal,
which still must be reviewed by the.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the
medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential
for abuse than some of the nation's most dangerous drugs. However,
it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. Once
themb science off the DEA will take public comments on
(06:50):
the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as
a Schedule one drug alongside things like heroin and LSD,
which is absolutely wild.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
That's why reform is needed.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I think even if you are not a proponent for
marijuana use, I think we all could agree that it
is not deserving of being held up alongside things like
heroin and LSD. Now, the proposal would move pot to
a Schedule three alongside things like kennymede and anabolic steroids.
(07:21):
Following a recommendation from the Federal Health and Human Services Department,
after the public combat period and a review by an
administrative judge, the agency would eventually publish the final rule.
It comes after President Joe Biden has called for a
review of federal marijuana law. In October twenty twenty two
and moved to part in thousands of Americans convicted federally
(07:42):
of simple possession of the drug. He has also called
on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to
erase marijuana convictions.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Quote. Criminal records for marijuana and possession have imposed needless
barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Biden said in December,
too many lives have been upended because of our.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Failed approach to marijuana. It's time that we right these wrongs.
So positive stuff here again.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
And also, the cannabis industry is like a multi billion
dollar industry.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
I think even if let's just go peer capitalists, baby,
let's go peer American American dream here, right, A lot
of money is being left on the table by this
shit just not being legal nationwide essentially.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Right, And I'm in New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
There are dispensaries popping up all over the place, lines
out the door where they open, like it's big business,
Like there's money to be made here that then helps
the state, helps the country as a whole. Obviously, there's
questions about the people giving being given these licenses to
open these dispensaries, right, and it not going to the
(08:55):
people who have been disproportionately affected by the over policing
of marijuana, black community specifically. I think that's a very
fair topic of conversation to continue to have. But in general,
it's been a positive I think experience in easing these
restrictions and opening it up to public consumption.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
You know, again, this is money to be made.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
For the states that already have begun to legalize it,
be for recreational or medicine or whatever it might be.
And also, you know, I think in terms of like
the election that's coming up and things like that, we
also have to look to stuff like this. I mean,
you know, communities of color when asking what has bought
(09:40):
and done for us. And obviously there's so much more
that could be done. I think there's been a lack
of police reform that had been a promise and all
things like that. But you know, the man did pardon
thousands of people who were you know, arrested on petty
marijuana offenses basically, right, and you have to look at
(10:01):
that as a positive. And also him calling for reform
again has to be a positive, you know. I think again,
even if you are not somebody who is a proponent
of you know, weed.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Or drugs whatever.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
But be I think we all could agree again that
heroin and LSD are far more heavy drugs than marijuana.
They shouldn't be said in the same sentence, you know.
And I think we're moving in a good direction when
it comes to stuff like this. Also when it comes
to crime, it's like when stuff like this is illegal,
you know, and so many people participate in it, be
(10:37):
it illegal or legal, you have a criminal element that
evolves within it, right, And now you have people putting
themselves in harm's way to obtain these things, right or
potentially buying it from shady practitioners of drug sales, and
that adds a criminal element that could be eradicated if
(10:59):
weed was just made more accessible for those who want
to partake in it. And again like I don't fuck
with it, but it's not my thing. But I drink,
and I've spoke before, and I could honestly say, like, yeah,
me being pitch drunk is just as bad, if not worse,
than me being stoned, you know, as far as my functionality.
(11:20):
And if liquor is going to be legal and accepted
widely socially, I believe the same should be for weed.
And cannabis related you know things. So I think this
is a good shift in the right direction. I think
the fact that we're also having the conversation around prison
reform for it, and hopefully further discussion around who's actually
(11:41):
going to be given these licenses as we move forward
is another important topic of conversation. But in general, I
like where we're going with this. Personally, you know, I
just think that it's long overdue.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And again, if you are somebody who is like, but
what is Biden done, we can look through these things.
I think, you know, he's.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Addressing certain issues that many people are passionate about, particularly
of a younger generation.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So good stuff there, appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Now onto a shocking story that I read on Army
two dot com.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Now, this is this is what they're calling. I think
it's completely appropriate.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
They said the unseen crisis of missing Latino children in
the US, and I think it's a perfect way to
put it, because that's read it. I'm like, fuck, this
is actually a bit scary when you think about it.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Right now.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
In the article, they talk about how every forty seconds
a child goes missing in the United States. That means
approximately eight hundred and forty thousand children are reporting missing
each year, and although authorities resolve most reports within hours,
many children are still missing today.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Most of them are Latino children. This blows my mind,
they said.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
According to a Telemundo News analysis, as of April fourth,
twenty twenty four, four hundred and fourteen children up to
the age of twelve are reported missing in official reports
from two thousand and three to twenty twenty three in
the United States. The analysis based on data from the
National Center for Missing and Exposed Children or NMC. Latino
(13:11):
children led the statistics with one hundred and thirty reported cases.
So out of what is that four hundred and fourteen cases,
one hundred and thirty of them were Latinos. NMEC figures
indicate that approxiy one out of every three children up
to the age of twelve reported missing during the past
two decades are Latino quote. In general, we have about
(13:34):
four thousand, five hundred missing miners in the United States
who have active wanted posters on our website.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Those are only the cases that we know of.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Of that number, around twenty three percent are Hispanic slashed Latinos.
It is certainly a large population that worries US said
John Bischoff, the Center's vice president of the Missing Miner's Division.
Now it make matters worse. According to Bischoff, the data
is now always accurate. According to NMEC, they say that
most and the other ones with the most accurate figures.
(14:03):
They're saying other agencies record ethnicity differently. They're saying this
registration is often optional, as it is not federally mandated,
but voluntary. Right when you're checking off the box that
you are Hispanic, Latino, other, whatever, it might be right,
and they say this could explain why there are often
discrepancies in the overall number of missing persons in the
United States.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Quote.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Collecting data on missing people of color poses numerous problems,
they'd yell slack Off of criminal Justice, professor at California
State University, Sacramento, told Telemundo, saying in official data sources,
Hispanics are often grouped with whites, missing Indigenous people are
often misclassified.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Whatever the case, the disappearances have patterns in common.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
As Bishoff continued, although Hispanics represent nineteen point one percent
of the US population, they account for twenty three percent
of missing children's cases. This implies that missing Latino children
exceed the national APPA, and that is a cause for concern,
they say. When explaining the reasons for disappearance, Bischoff assures
that the patterns are always the same. The Center groups
(15:08):
the reports into several sections, including fugitives in danger, family abductions,
non family abductions, and missing, injured or missing for other reasons.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
So then the question is what makes Latino children more vulnerable?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
As Trent Steele, director of the Anti Predator Project, told
NBC News, the higher incidents of Latino children reported missing
has to do with quote specific issues plaguing marginalized communities.
I think that in the Latino and Black community the
numbers are a little higher because they are affected by
situations of poverty and inequity, adding that many are put
(15:43):
in situations where they disappear and flee. They say, Similarly,
some Latino parents consider you as safer than their home
countries and let their children play in the street more freely.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
My last part was definitely not the case.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
In my upbringing, assumed everybody was a murderer or kidnapper
and kept a close eye on us, So I was
not playing the street more freely as a kid. That
is false for me, but maybe for others, But this
is a really interesting conversation.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
I don't want to make light of it.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Because it really there's a lot of issues for us
within this country and a lot of things because we're
not categorized properly, right, the idea of checking boxes or
indigenous people and all these things, like we don't know
where we belong.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Right, there's otherness that has sort of been been set up.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
And I think I've talked about this before in like,
you know, when you check at the doctor's office, like
what are you?
Speaker 1 (16:45):
What's your race, your euthicity, blah blah blah.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Right, And all of that affects the approach that might
be taken to revetting situations that are plaguing our community,
you know, in a more widespread way. And as they say,
with right, the number is already incredibly high when it
comes to missing Latino children in comparison to other groups,
(17:07):
but it could be even higher because we're actually not
all accounted for as being Latino or Hispanic.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Right. And I think also the line that really got
me in reading.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
This was talking about these specific issues plaguing marginalized communities, right,
saying that Latino and black communities are affected by situations
of poverty and inequity at a higher rate.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
And this brings me back. And I'm not trying to
stir up the fucking pot, you know, or anything like that,
but when we talk about the idea of privilege in
this country, and regardless of you know, where you were
brought up or.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I'm trying to fair a way to kind of get
to this idea properly here in my head, this is
the idea of privileges that statistically, because of generational racism
in this country, we have found ourselves as marginalized communities
born into situations that are not the best, right, to
(18:15):
put it lightly, right, when you talk about the idea
of poverty and inequity and things like that, right, not
coming from places of money, and therefore oftentimes having to
grow up in areas that are crime wridden, right where
people are in survival mode, crabs into barrel mentality, which
then leads to over policing or just complete lack of
(18:39):
policing at all, right, or you know, police ignoring particular
areas the way that they wouldn't if it was one
of affluence, right, or or one of white let's be honest,
and then that leads to things like this where kids
are disappearing at higher rates or running away at higher rate,
(19:01):
and these sort of cycles of generational trauma begin to continue.
And this is where we talk about privilege, right, because
it's just you know, if you're born into a blue
collar town as a white kid, yeah, your parents bust
their ass for everything they have, but you're still born
(19:24):
into a situation that is.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Miles and miles ahead of a poor black or Latino
kid born in the hood.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
And your family is also generationally, just from when you
talk about migration and opportunities that we're given in this country,
generationally ahead of marginalized communities like Latino and black. So
even if you struggled, your parents struggled, they worked their
(20:01):
ass off for everything they had.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Being born white was a privilege regardless, and statistics like
this show that, right, And I think this is is
I don't I don't.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
I don't say that to like stir the pot, but
I just say it to sort of bring up and
further validate what most of us already know just being
born into this community, right, And yeah, it saddens me
(20:41):
when I think when I look at numbers, you know,
statistics and numbers like this, and when they, you know,
blatantly say like, yeah, it's it's probably because we are
more often than not born into very particular circumstances.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
And man, that's not.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Like an easy problem to fix overnight, right, And that's
what's scary, you frustrating about it all when you look
at this type of stuff.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
And I also think it's a reminder of why the
work is so incredibly important, you know, and even for me,
you know, when I think about, like why have I
made it my life's work to just be positive and
do positive things and this is the harder route your
right of finding success and things like that and breaking
(21:26):
through the noise, it's because I want to just do
my part in breaking this cycle, right, And I'm fortunate that.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
My parents broke the cycle for me, right, even though
both of them, you know, my dad was didn't grow
up with much at all in Puerto Rico, you know,
and my mom was in the bronx. You know, they
managed to get themselves out of that and get into
a middle class neighborhood in this sub you know, where
(22:00):
I got to spend my informative years for the most part, right,
So they broke that cycle, and obviously I'm then building
upon that and good do even better. But it's why,
you know, I firmly believe us as members of these
communities that they speak about that traditionally are are, you know,
(22:25):
born sort of behind our white counterparts. We have to
operate with a chip on our shoulder because there's something
larger happening, you know, potentially there is there is.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Our existence. I don't want to say that has more meaning, but.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
We're born with a certain burden on our shoulder, whether
we like it or not. And maybe it's.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Fair, it's not fair, whatever the case may be.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
But personally, I'm like, Okay, I have to do better,
not only for myself, not only for my family, but
also for the next generation of people who look like me,
so that they can potentially have a better life, even
in some sort of small way beyond like platforms of
podcasting and blah blah blah, even me just being a
business owner who then potentially can hire somebody for my
(23:20):
community and inspire them in some sort of way to like, hey,
this guy started business. Now I could sort of.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
All those little things, right. That's why I talk.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
About conscious living, and the whole thing would just be
social call. It's like intentionality, I really, you know, and
I get to argument. I was I'm about to go
around here, but I think about an argument. I was
just having a heated conversation with a friend of mine
when I was in Puerto Rico and we were talking
about like the bad bunnies of the world. I'm like, man,
(23:50):
they should be doing more with the privilege that they have,
and not that they aren't already, but there's so much
more they could be doing with the money and access
they have. And her argument is, oh, well, that's not
fair to put on that they didn't sign up for that.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
And my whole thing is, yeah, you didn't sign.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Up for it, but unfortunately you were bored into it,
and you've been blessed with the gift of talent, attention, money,
and access now and regardless if you signed up for
it or not. Morally, if you are a person who
(24:27):
gives a shit about anything other than yourself, you should
feel it to be your duty to do something in
your power or do all that you can that's within
your power within reason, to help out your community and the.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
World around you.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
And this goes back to like and I'm fucking just
going off on a tangent, So I apologize, and I
was giving you a story about missing children. But to me,
this goes back to like tribe native mentality, which was
increa to be healthy, where it was like everybody sort
of had a role, and as the hunters, you weren't
just hunting for yourself to eat or your children and
(25:11):
your companion. You guys were hunting for the entire tribe
as a whole.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Right. It was like this communal.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Feast that was happening, essentially, right. And it was because
you knew that you were all playing a role, playing
a part, and you're all united within nature essentially right.
And what's good for everyone else is good for you.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
It's this importance of like I want everybody to be
happy and flourishing, essentially, right. I don't want just my
belly to be filled, but it's important for my neighbor's
belly to be filled.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
I just saw a TikTok the day where a woman
was reading the People's History of the United States and
they were mentioning Columbus and how Columbus and his journy
wrote as.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
A negative how the Natives.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Were so inclined to give him and his people whatever
they asked for.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
They were so happy to share all.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
That they had, and he was like making fun of
them as how naive they were. I believe they were
even called them the perfect slave because of this. And
that's the fucked up, like sick European mentality that I
think was the poisonous seed for the society that we
live in today. The idea that somebody wanting to build
(26:39):
and give and essentially nourish their community around them and
be so open to giving the shirt off their back
to someone who might be in need or want. The
fact that that is a negative and to be looked
down upon is like the poisonous seed that has us
in this sort of very selfish existence that we live.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
In as a society.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
And I know I just got off on a complete
like kind of tangent on all we talk about, but yeah,
I mean I read again, bring it back full circle.
I read articles like this one, and when there's a
direct correlation to the fact that we are consistently generationally
born into poverty essentially or dire circumstances, I can't help
(27:25):
but feel like, how do I do my part to
try and alleviate some of that and I share that
in hopes that we all begin to adapt that sort
of mindset, because I think that's what's so much of
our lack of fulfillment and happiness comes from, like this
lack of this lack of companionship, because we're not living
(27:50):
in accordance with like nature.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
We think we're the center of the universe, us in
like our immediate family or whatever it might be.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
And I was reading.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
This this uh, this book with it has like the
writings of the philosopher Nietzsche or Nietzsche what however you
pronounce it. And his sort of a thing that he
pointed out that that really like stuck out to me
was like we as human beings, we don't live in
a quarters with nature because we think we're the center
of the universe. And he said, ironically, the mosquito also
(28:21):
thinks that it's the center of the universe, right, Or
the fly, the fly doesn't give a shit that you're
out at the you know, at the cookout, having having
your backyard barbecue and you don't want it laying its
nasty ass eggs all of your food as you're trying
to eat, or you don't want it fly in your face.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
But the fly.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
To itself, it's got its own agenda, right, it's trying
to fuck around and find out what that you know,
terasco tastes like.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
And I think that's sort of you know what, we
have to begin to adapt as.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
A mentality of like, we're all coexisting on this thing together.
None of us is more important than the other one,
and we all should be looking around each and every
day of thinking how do I make my immediate surroundings
or the greater good just.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Slightly better each day?
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Be it the way I treat those around me, be
it the way that I spend my time, or my energy,
my resources, volunteering, whatever it might be. But like, I
really think that that's far more the key to happiness
and building a beautiful world is sort of recognizing the
fact that we can never have a truly happy and
fulfilled society if there's still large, widespread suffering happening amongst
(29:39):
our fellow brothers and sisters of this world, our fellow
co inhabitants of this world. Right, or when it comes
to animals and the earth, and we're gonna get into
a story like that, we need clean air to breathe
at the end of the day, right.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
And it's the irony, Like think about how fucked up
that is? Right?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
We have We have literally prophesized and made this thing
called money to have like this godlike level that we're
literally willing to kill ourselves little by little each day
as it means to being able to create more money.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Right, Like, we've created industries that pollute and and continue
to support and fight for for.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Gasoline and things like that to continue to exist even
though it's proven to be something that's contributing to like
our death each day, where our breathing is getting worse
and you've got all types of fucked up chemicals in
our lungs probably right.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Or the food industry is like feeding us garbage. But again.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
It's the idea that we've purposed money as the highest
thing to like value over human life as as a whole.
We've done that same argument like guns and shit. It's
our ride as Americans bro as human beings. Why the
fuck would we want to create and fight for and
(31:16):
obtain something and give it to anybody that literally has
the power to take life.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Life is the most utmost.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Thing we should be fucking like worshiping and embracing and
celebrating yet again we go against all of like rationalist
human beings and support these sort of false idols.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
And I just got all over.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
The place on this conversation. This is kind of where
my head is at. I think I was alluding to
it the beginning of the podcast. I'll have to do
a full episode to get this off my chest completely,
But yeah, I just think we all need to begin
to have a bit of a cup to Jesus moment
about like the way we view things in this life,
what we're valuing, the idea of maybe a little bit
(32:03):
less or the idea of what's truly important, and letting
that be the thing that we sort of let lead
ourselves down our path. Right, Let that be the light
that leads us down the dark path of this life.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Right.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah, just some food for thought, Just just throwing some
shit out there and seeing if it makes anybody else
think like I've been thinking.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
But again, like.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
I remind myself of all of this, to keep the
fucking like blinders on, Like, let everybody else, you know,
drive the fancy car. Let everybody else get the gigantic
house or the fame, whatever it might be. Like, let
your prize being intentionality, living with intention living consciously, and
(32:54):
knowing that you are being a positive contributor to this
world and this community as a whole, right, this tribe
that we are are as just human beings, right, and
trying our best to honor the nature around it that
(33:14):
keeps us breathing and energized and nourished and all of
these things. Right, Just recognizing what's important and understanding that
it is your job to do something, to be a contributor,
to be better, because you are a part of a
ecosystem and each member of the ecosystem has to.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Do something right. Last thing I was say on that topic,
because now I'm doing you think about like bees. I
have a rational fear of bees, hate bees, But bees
have a purpose, right, they pollinate. Right.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
It's like all these different animals and insects that scare
us or whatever, they're all a part of a larger
ecosystem that without them we would notice a drastic difference
in a negative aspect.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Right. It's like in Puerto Rico, I went on.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
This tour of the caves like a while back, and
they talk about how Puerto Rico's coffee industry has suffered
post Hurricane Maria, because many of the bats were killed
during that time period, and the bats actually like nourish
the coffee plant. I think it's what they're dumb by.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
I hate to say, I hate to be crash or
be disgusting and make you think about that whenever you
drink coffee. But the bats in some way contribute to that.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
And because there's been less bats, there have been less
harvesting of coffee beans because there haven't been as many.
You know, growing essentially right and an expert on this,
so I apologize, I fuck up the terminology, but.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
You get what I'm saying. That little example right there shows.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
You that each member of nature is contributing in their
own way, and we as human beings are like the
only ones who think that it's just our job to take, take, take,
and we refuse to realize that we're actually a part
of a larger system and that we have a purpose
to fulfill, whether we like it or not, whether we
(35:13):
want to be selfish or not. We're going against nature
by not trying to positively make a contribution to this
ecosystem that we are all a part of just by
being born. I'm gonna leave it at that, I'm gonna
(35:34):
leave it at that. And I'm still trying to figure
this out, y'all. I like, I'll believe at that, but
I'll do a whole podcast episode this. But and when
I'm speaking to you, I'm not speaking to you holier
than thou. I don't fucking volunteer enough. I don't do
enough of this shit. Like I'm literally just beginning to
come to a realization of Like, Bro, the beautiful.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
House that you have, imagine that you want to live in.
Awesome if it happen. Amazing. I hope it does. I
think it will.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
But that's just like a little side effect of you
just living a positive life in.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Accordance with the nature. Right, That is literally a blip
on the radar here.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
That can't be the thing that determines your decisions in
this life, right Because in order to get the house,
I have to have a bigger check. So order to
get a bigger check, I got to work another job.
That job might pay me more, but it also might
have nothing to do with being a positive, contributing member
to society. Yet I'm gonna spend whatever forty hours a
week doing that doesn't really make sense. And again we're
(36:39):
all in different situations. There's levels of privilege that I'm
speaking of here. But I think what I'm saying from
like as a child, that should be the mentality of like, no,
what is the lifestyle you want?
Speaker 1 (36:50):
What is the contribution you want to make to this society?
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Then what job or what experiences will contribute to you
living out that lifestyle. I'm bound now. I'm really bouncing all.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Over the place. So I will pause at the tablet
here because this will become a whole different kind of
episode than Thursday Trends. But this is where my head
is apt.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
These are the conversations I'm beginning to have with myself
and anybody who listen, and just questioning my existence, questioning
the goals that I've set for myself, and questioning my
definition of happiness at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
And yeah, that's that.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
I don't know how I got to that from missing
Latino children, but yeah, we're here. This is a part
of the conversation. This is I listen. If you've stuck
through that, I appreciate you. I don't know, hit me up.
I want to have these conversations.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
Maybe this is something we could do, Like but as
we begin to open up the just be social club.
I want to like to be able to like really
have like a rapport and a back and forth within,
like going back and forth with comments and messaging and
things like that.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
I'm trying to open that up at Seal Goes because
I just want to keep sharing ideas like this. I
know there are a lot of people listening to this
who probably are volunteering or doing community work. I mean, shit,
my business partner, Brenda is doing so much amazing community
organizing in her region and like being an advocate for
the natives of that region, And like that's that's fucking
(38:23):
living in accordance with nature right there, right ingratiating yourself
in the community and being a part of it, and
being somebody who's taking action on things that are important
that would you know, continue to uplift the community and would.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Continue to.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Have positive effects for generations to come, right, working with children,
like all those things, and like that to me is like, oh,
that is is very much in line with how she
views her life. And then basically she got a job
that allows her to do that, right, and there's going
to be more and more opportunities for her down the line.
But that's that that that these are things I'm talking
about what you know, and and that's why I love
(39:03):
meeting different people and having conversations because, like you know,
I put me onto something I don't even know existed, right,
I didn't even know about comunity organizing, and I met
her in that way, right, So like, yeah, just I
don't know, just sharing ideas here. That bike ride really
did a number on me and like allow me to
just release a lot of energy and get a lot
(39:23):
of clarity. So I apologize dumping it on to you
for listening right now.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
But that's where we are. Now.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Let's move on to our positive side of the podcast
Army Head segments. We'll take a quick break. You might
need it right now if I just talk to your offer.
God knows how long.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
I'm gonna take a breathe and get back up track
and then we'll be right back. I think. All right.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
So I'm gonna talking about two topics here today. They're
very positive and amazing. I kind of alluded to this one,
but you have this in credible Latina activists by the
name of Andrea vid I think it's her name, and
she wins the Green Noble, which I guess is like
the Nobel Prize for green and she's trying to protect
the southern California is Latino community from air pollution.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Right, so she's an activist.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
She won an award that recognizes people on six continents
who take quote extraordinary actions to protect the planet. Now,
if you talk about living accordance to nature, this is
the ultimate thing. Like somebody who's really putting their money
where their mouth is something I need to start doing
more of. Right, And she was actually raised in California's
in an empire, which is a reason that's like an
hour east of Los Angeles. It actually has some of
(40:41):
the worst air quality in the entire country. And a
lot of this is caused by the industries there. Right,
they're saying in nineteen eighty they are about two hundred
and thirty four warehouses in the empire. Today there are
more than four thousand. And they're saying this has radically
transformed the quality of life for communities of color who
mostly in with those areas. And this is this is
(41:05):
what I was like really alluding to. I mean, think
about this, man, Like, first of all, the people that
are really profiting from this are are not living in
those areas and experiencing that horrendous air quality.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Right, But they're.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Saying that there's been many studies that the diesel exhaust
has contributed to worsening air quality and saying, quote, we're
breathing these toxic chemicals every single day, as she Andrews
said to NBC News, more people being exposed to it
because there has been so much encroachment and expansion of warehousing.
And on one hand, yes, it has created more jobs, right,
(41:39):
people are able to work and make money. Cool, That's
that's important. We all we all need that in this life.
But this is what my point kind of has been
for it as as well, is the fact that we
are literally choosing money over human existence, over somebody's quality
of life, over your ability to breathe cleaned.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
Fresh air.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
It's like, listen, do you either want a paycheck or
you want it or you're gonna complain about breathing in
these chemicals. That's like, well, you know what in the
world we live in today, I got to make this paycheck,
Let me breathe in some toxins, right, And this is
sort of the mentality. I feel like that is a
great example of much of what we've adapted as a society.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
You know, is really choosing so much bullshit over what
should actually be important to us and what we should
be value, which is human life itself. Right.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
And that's why I braave up this artic because I
salute people like her who have really been you know,
who are taking it upon themselves and making this their
life's work. And you know, she she just won this
award that believe they give her two hundred thousand dollars.
I'm sure much of that is going to end up
going back into the organization, but this is like, you know,
not work that's going to get her fucking famous or
(42:55):
get her rich, right, but it's going to create a
change for her community in some sort of way.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
And they even had their first victory, it says the
program that she started had their first victory in twenty
twenty three where the People's Collective for Enviroral Justice succeeded
getting California state officials to adopt two transportation regulations to
limit transportation emissions. And they're saying they're also trying to
create a path to one hundred percent zero emissions for
(43:24):
freight truck sales by twenty thirty six. So this is
important work that will potentially change generations to come who
might be living in that area, you know, helping them
have a higher quality of life. We talk about living
in accordance with nature. This is what the fuck it is, man,
And I don't know, I'm so hyped up on that
(43:45):
fucking phrase, right. I really think Nietzsche fucked me up
when you talked about the mosquito thing, like just the idea,
like we're all just coexisting here, nobody's more important than
the other one.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Right, But this is why the work is so important.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
This is why, like, regardless of what selfish society has
told you, like, oh, it's not your job to do
these things, you're fucking You are a member of this ecosystem,
whether you want to admit it or not. You were
born into this world. You're a member of a larger ecosystem,
and being a member, you have a contribution to make right.
(44:20):
And you can either be a shitty member of the
ecosystem or you can be a positive one, right, And
that's really what it comes down to. That choice is
yours at the end of the day. And I would
hope more people than not begin to start choosing to
be a positive contributor to that once you recognize that
we are all a part of this, whether we want
to admit it or not, and we all have some
sort of effect.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
And why would you want your effect.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
To be a negative one when you can easily make
it a positive one? Right, And if we begin to
change our value systems, Like I don't know what her
financial situation is, I hope.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
She becomes the richest person of the world.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
Continue to do this work, right, But what a blessing
it would be if she can do this work and
keep getting these grants that allow her to at least
have a comfortable way of living where her needs are
met and her quality of life is good. But knowing
that she's doing amazing work that is bigger than just herself, Like, that's.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
The fucking goal at the end of the day. Man,
So beautiful stuff, beautiful.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Stuff right them, and not just something that maybe feels
a little bit less important, which it kind of is,
but it's still incredible. You have Mauel Miranda as the
new person behind the music for Disney's with Fossil the
Lion King, the new movie that is coming out. He's
actually been writing all of the original songs out here
and the film is being directed by Barry Jenkins, who's
(45:34):
the Oscar Winner. Cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyonce
is not Les, Seth Rogan as Pumba, and Billy Eisner
as Timo. And I also believe Blue Ivy is going
to be playing a character in it. But also somebody
pointed this out online. This means that Beyonce and Linn
Meluel Miranda are going to be collaborating on music as
a part of this, And this is incredible for latinos, right.
(45:57):
I think it pushes the boundaries of what were came
of doing in this life, you know, and I know
Mama Miranda has used his voice for you know, things
outside of entertainment.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
To help uplift the community, which is a beautiful thing. Again,
Like I celebrate this because this is a vessel.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
This is a platform, right, him having this voice being
this successful allows him them to hopefully pass the baton
back down and help other people out and be an
activist and do all these different things.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
Right, So I don't shown anybody who is taking this path, right.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
His gift is his gift, and his gift has allowed
him to exist within like the matrix, if you will,
right within the world of entertainment, within art and things
like that, and as a result, it now allows him
to create a vehicle of change because he has the connections,
he has the finances to do so.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
Right, That's what the goal is, you know.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
And that is again, if I think about my mindset
and resetting it all these different things, it's like, okay,
understanding that. It's like if I'm blessed enough to get
into a position where I'm incredibly wealthy, it's not the goal.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
It's not like, Okay, awesome. I mean, now I finally
get to get this house. Life is fulfilled. No no, no, no, no. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
I want to be able to get the house. But
more than the house, I want to be able to
say that life is now opening itself up to me
being able to be an advocate for change at the
end of the day, and that is bigger than anything else,
(47:27):
and that is the end all, be all goal I
think in this life, and what I'm beginning to come
to grips with and come to terms with at the
end of the day is is that's the main focus
or the main reason for me wanting to find any
sort of monetary success in this life is because of
what it's going to make me capable of doing and
when it comes to creating lasting change for this world
(47:50):
and specifically for.
Speaker 1 (47:51):
My community as a whole.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
I'm literally I'm bucking bouncing around thoughts ideas this and that.
I'm literally just key. You're like, A'm processing this all
you know, clarity and things like that in real time.
This is why I loved this podcast. It's like my
fucking journal, but just amazing stuff. Solute these these people
Miranda as well as.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
I don't want to fuck Andrea v you today for
for all their work that they're doing. Positive stuff here
on me. Hit this segment, love to see it. Now.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
With that said, let's tie up that we talked about
today in a neat little boat in a segment called
conclusion stew But first to take a quick break and
then we'll be right back.
Speaker 3 (48:35):
Time for com So.
Speaker 2 (48:42):
All right, so we like we touched on so much
today that I feel like has zero to do it
with Thursday trends.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
We got super existential.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
I appreciate you coming along for the ride with me,
and I'm just trying to find a place to focus.
It's fucking energy, like cause I'm I don't know, man,
I think I'm about to go another fucking tangent. I
just think, as you get older or you I've been
lucky enough to get close to the success that I
thought was what I wanted, or be in proximity to
(49:10):
people who had said success. And the closer I get to,
the more I realize I really am not interested in
ninety percent of the things that I thought I was
actually interested in, Right, And the more I unplug from
the constant grind and hustle of everything, the more I
recognize how much happiness lies outside of that. And I'm
(49:37):
in like a very much reevaluation period of my life.
So maybe the podcast takes weird turns this season. Right,
this is where I'm at, you know where I'm really like,
all right, you've gone one hundred miles an hour for
the last ten years, and you've achieved a hell of
a lot, But like, what do you really want? Like,
what is this evolved version of you want? I've done
(50:00):
fucking VIP treatment in Vegas, you know where it's like,
oh my god, you know, nothing's off limits. I've made,
you know, more money than my parents have lost, and
spent more money than my parents. I've done, I've done
all these stupid things. I've driven the fucking BMW. I've done,
you know, I've hung out with the celebrities. I've done
all all the superficial shit that I was chasing after.
(50:22):
And instead of trying to one up it, thinking that
it's just I haven't achieved a next level of superficial shit,
I'm now like, actually, let's strip some shit away instead
of adding more shit on, and let's really get down
to like what makes you happy, what energizes.
Speaker 1 (50:37):
You in a real fucking way.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
And that's kind of where I'm at right now, where
I'm like reevaluating everything, reevaluing my place in this world, right,
and like really recognizing them, Like what do I want
to be known for or really feeling passionate about wanting
change to happen within my community? And how do I
become a vessel for that more than anything else, And
how do I stop thinking about.
Speaker 1 (51:01):
Success or.
Speaker 2 (51:03):
Achieving monetary milestones and instead just give myself the freedom
to explore what makes me the most happy and most
happy and just be a positive member of this ecosystem
of life, right, And I think that's where I'm at,
That's why we're going on tangents right now is because
I'm like asking those myself, those questions, really trying to
dig deep into them and make that sort of where
(51:26):
my life's focus is, you know, moving forward for now.
So yeah, so summarize that was my summary of the
existential crisis you might have just been witnessing via this episode.
But also let's summarize marijuana, the wacky tobacky.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
Listen, enough with the nonsense. This is is something.
Speaker 2 (51:47):
A drug that is very much judged and police based
upon racism. And I say that as somebody who if
it didn't exist, I wouldn't even notice, like it's zero
interest in.
Speaker 1 (51:59):
It in my everyday life.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
But I also can admit that the policing of it
and the criticism of it and the sort of just
like societal judgment of it is too much like it
it's not doesn't add up for what it is right,
(52:25):
and too many lives have been destroyed over nothing, essentially,
and reform does need to happen because logically makes sense,
and I love to see that happening.
Speaker 1 (52:35):
And again, for all.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
The criticism of Biden, there's a lot of things we
can we can go and look at as well, him
partning thousands of people understand pushing for reform to happen.
If this is an issue that is near and dear
to your heart, that should speak to you right there, like, Okay,
he's not perfect, but he's doing shit that I actually
am in support of, and he's trying to contribute in
a positive way.
Speaker 1 (52:58):
There's that.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
And when it comes to the unseen crisis of missing
Latino children, it's crazy. It's crazy, but also it is
not surprising when you think about it, when they put
it in terms of Latino and Black children are born
into very much so dire circumstances, oftentimes statistically speaking, And
this is where I got on my tangent of like,
how do I become a better member of this community
to hopefully, over generations, alleviate the fact that we are
(53:22):
statistically going to be born into dire circumstances that lend
themselves to missing children or runaways or violence.
Speaker 1 (53:28):
Right And.
Speaker 2 (53:31):
You know, again, it's just important to be aware of
these things. And I think this is the beauty of
the Internet. I was arguing my dad about this the
other day in differently I'll get to that another episode.
But we now have the ability to have awareness to
a lot of this shit that is going on in
(53:52):
this life, and with awareness we then can actually create change.
Now I'm aware of this being an issue, and it
adds another sort of fuel to the fire of why
the work is so important to uplift our community. And
it's a reminder of how important this work is. And
(54:15):
that's why it's important to share stories like this one,
as much as it scares.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
Me to think about.
Speaker 2 (54:20):
On the positive side of things, Again, you have a
girl in a part of California doing some work, you know,
a part of California that I've never been to that
I'm now able to learn about and be inspired by
because of the Internet.
Speaker 3 (54:34):
Right.
Speaker 1 (54:34):
You have Andrea Vida.
Speaker 2 (54:35):
Jurre out here in California creating an organization addressing a
problem in her local community, and actually because of her
organizing efforts, creating substantial change, you know, and having things
be passed to stop or alleviate the pollution that's happening
in that area. And again, this is our duty. I
(54:57):
don't I don't think it's like a volunteer thing more.
It shouldn't be.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
This is like it's our job as members of this ecosys.
I keep pushing that out there right like that.
Speaker 2 (55:07):
We all have a job to do that is outside
of the selfish, capitalistic, societal and European mentality that has
been poisoned in us.
Speaker 1 (55:18):
That's why this world has so many dark corners.
Speaker 2 (55:21):
That's why so many of us are depressed, anxious, miserable
because we've been led astray, and it continues to get
worse and worse regarding a mentality of what's supposed to
make us happy, when in reality it only brings us
further and further away from leading a complete, healthy and
(55:42):
fulfilled life right against the idea of these corporations are
literally run by people are saying, yeah, I want money
so bad, We're okay.
Speaker 1 (55:52):
With poisoning other human beings.
Speaker 2 (55:54):
We're okay at poisoning our fellow members of this ecosystem
because money supersedes even life. That's the world we live
when you really break it down, and that's what I'm
trying to correct and think about with these stories. And
then again, big shotl Mama Miranda, for really now gaining
a larger platform, a bigger stage, you know if you
(56:14):
will to hopefully again be a vehicle for positive change
in this world by having now the ability to create
the sound check for something as.
Speaker 1 (56:22):
Massive as Lion King just absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (56:26):
Love to see this kind of stuff and hopefully love
to see more of what he's going to be able
to do with this platform and the financial aspect that
of course is going to come along with it. Now
with that said, Just Be Social Club I talked about
some last episode again, we're doing a friends and family
roll out a little by little of the contents going on there.
Speaker 1 (56:42):
My other podcast, the Street Stoic podcast, is.
Speaker 2 (56:44):
Actually only going to exclusively be available on the Just
Be Social Clubs, So if you were into that podcast,
I'm moving it over there.
Speaker 1 (56:53):
Hopefully I'm going to be actually be able to do the
same thing for other people's podcasts as well, and that's
why we're you know, there's a membership monthly because I
want to be able to pay people for the work
that they do as well. So I want to bring
scare of this entire community. That's the vision of long term.
Speaker 2 (57:06):
So you want to be a part of the friends
and family roll out, DM me at dj Dramas on
Instagram or email brand Atmindevoryonglord dot com and we'll send
you a link to start getting on board with that's
and man, that's it. Have an amazing weekend. Thank you
for giving me a place to vent my emotions.
Speaker 1 (57:21):
And frustrations of this life.
Speaker 2 (57:23):
I'll talk to you on Tuesday with a brand new episode,
so then stay safe and we'll talk soon. Life as
a GREENO is a production of the micro Thura podcast
network and iHeartRadio
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