December 22, 2022 • 40 mins
In today's weekly roundup we talk about a cop that dresses up as the Grinch and passes out onions to speedsters, Krampus parades, nuclear fusion, and more! And we're joined by special guest-host Lenise Lyons! Follow Lenise @luhneez and check out our comedy videos @markkendallcomedy
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ridiculous News is a production of our heart radio and
cool Cool Cool Audio. Yeah yeah, yeah, we're amazing and
crazy topics. To begin to Jews, you would now tune
me into Ridiculous News. We get us their viewers are
working the rules of broadcasts then and all sorts of
while reports to keep us at brand up the journalism,
(00:22):
the strange and unusual stories, and well we gave a win.
It's all about ridiculous News. Everywhere we told about ridiculous
News over here. Hey everyone, welcome to Ridiculous News, not
your average news show. We cover stuff you didn't realize
was news, from the wild and funny, to the deep
and hidden to the absolutely ridiculous. This is our weekly
round up where we take some of the weirdest stories
(00:42):
in the news and dive a little deeper into them.
As always, we might even have a few guests pop
in along the way. I'm Mark Kendall. I'm an Lanta
based comedian and you know, yeah, I'm looking forward to
the artist. This weekend's gonna be pretty fun. Uh. My
amazing co host Bill is a way today, but we
are joined by the phenomenal in these lines Lennis Hilarious improviser, actor,
and stand up comedian to perform all over Atlanta and
(01:04):
you can follow her on Instagram at Lenise. That's l
U H and e Z. Welcome, Leannise. I'm so happy
to have you back on the podcast. Thanks for inviting me,
bag Mark. Yeah. Absolutely. So we're gonna kick things off
with a segment that we like to call giving them
their flowers. So we do this every time we have
a guest. Uh, Lenise, I'm gonna give you some flowers.
(01:25):
Only rules you can't return it with a compliment anyway. So, uh,
the Lenise. Another thing that I really enjoy about you
that I think is so great. Uh, last time I
kind of talked about like your joy performance and the
joy you spread when being on stage, and the other
thing I gotta say is you're so dang funny, you
know what I'm saying, like whether you're performing or also
like your Instagram stories. I gotta say your Instagram story
(01:46):
game was off the hook these past couple of weeks.
You're cracking me up. It was so great, So thank
you for making me laugh always. I appreciate you. Cool, awesome.
All right, so let's hop into our next segment. These
are called our news nibbles. So these are some quick,
ridiculous headlines a week found that caught or I recently.
(02:07):
So this first one is by the Associated Press for
w g x A News, and the headline is Grinch
hands out onions instead of tickets to drivers speeding in
school zone. Yes, that's correct. Uh So several motorists who
were speeding through an elementary school zone on the Florida
Keys Overseas Highway received an odorous onion as a reminder
(02:30):
to slow down from a County Sheriff's deputy dressed as
the Grinch. So this is Colonel Luke Caputo, a thirty
seven year veteran of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, who
conjured up the concept more than twenty years ago. Uh
And so drivers who travel about five miles per hour
or less above the school zone speed limit can choose
(02:52):
between traffic citations and an onion presented by the Grinch.
Those speeding beyond that likely received a costly ticket. What
do you think about this, lenis I first saw? Honestly weird, y'all. Yeah,
(03:12):
what kind of promotion is this that the cops are
coming up with in the Monday meeting like it's uh,
what you guy? Actually, you know, Lenn, it's so funny.
We actually have some uh footage of that conversation. So
(03:34):
do you want to maybe cut to that right now? Yeah,
let's get to that, all right, cool, cool, cool, alright, alright, y'all, welcome,
we got a meeting up here. Capuodo. Your hand has
been up this entire time. You got something. Let's hear
what you got, Capodo. Well, it's my favorite time of year,
and um, you know, I just came back from from
(03:56):
all these and what I don't understand what that's you're
on track this week? Caputo? What what? What's what's the deal? Yeah?
And I've been at the local elementary school and I
just just to do some brecon. And I've noticed there
are a few motorists that are about five miles per
hour over and last year we had such a wonderful
(04:18):
promotion with the onions. I brought the onions. Okay, so
you're saying that the onions will decrease speeding increased speeding?
Are you just saying you have extra onions? You're just
trying to offload. The research is still out on whether
or not the onions actually and decreased the number of motors.
(04:40):
You know, don't just you know what, do your onion
thing again? All right, you go ahead and do it.
I don't care. Have a great time. Merry Christmas. But oh,
thank thank you, this is great. I just have to
get the stinky onions smell out of the Greek costume.
That's also cool to wear, right, yeah, whatever, get out
(05:04):
of your Caputo. Just just don't talk to me again
until the new year. All right, Merry Christmas. Onion. So
wow that that I was not expecting hearing that footage,
but hearing that gives some give some context for sure.
The article goes on to say that Caputo said he
portrays the fictional character created by the children's author Dr.
Seuss to give motorists a quote gift, but also to
(05:27):
call attention in a nice way to the need to
obey speed limits in school zones. Yeah, and so the onion. Yes,
saw that if there under the five like under five over,
(05:50):
they get an onion. Anything over that that is a scentation. Um,
and I wonder if the parents are like hit to
his game. M h and copudos, who is so in
a green and a cop car with his imagine getting
(06:10):
pulled over, and then the grinch steps out. You're looking
for your license registration and then never hurry green hand.
You're like, the yeah, that would that would certainly throw
me onf Did you see where he's said there, he's
(06:31):
even made a few people eat the onion. Yeah, I
saw that. Yeah, so the okay, yeah, So the article
goes on to say it quotes Computero further and he
says it catches them off guard in regards to handing
them an onion or a citation. He goes on to say,
but when I give them a clear choice of a
citation or the onion, they will take the onion. Makes sense,
uh to me? All right? So then he goes on
(06:52):
to say, and I've had them eat the onion right
in front of me. I don't I don't like eating
food from stranger, even if it's an onion. Also, eating
an onion raw in your car like your personal vehicle. Honestly, actually,
you know what? Let me look, all right, So, if
I was going like less than five miles over the hour,
I get pulled over by the grinch, he gives me
(07:14):
he's like, onion or citation, I'd be like, Okay, the
onion and then he's like eating in front of me.
I'm like, give me the citation, give me two citations, please. Yeah,
Because if you're dropping off your kids on the way
to score, you know that's probably a residential neighborhood. It
is early in the morning, probably also heading to work.
And do you want to go into your insurance office
(07:36):
smelling life a good morning and coffee? Like that's just
you gotta deal with what comes after that. They work
like kindles in here. Have you smelled it? Kindle reason? Yeah?
(08:02):
Absolutely absolutely. We're gonna go onto our next headline, and
this is a A C. G. T N by Johanna's Pleshburger,
and the headline is Austria's Crampus parades too violent for
insurance companies. So the article goes on to say that
Austria's Crampus fright fest is starting to decline in popularity
because many insurance companies deem the pre Christmas custom to violent.
(08:24):
During these traditional parades, which are held in almost all
mountain villages, people dressed as horn crampus creatures were meant
to scare children into good behavior. Anyone who makes fun
of the monster impersonators gets whipped on the leg with
a rod. So I did not, like I knew that
there was a crampus. It was like all scary and
(08:47):
things like that. I did not know the kids were
getting smacked in the legs with rocks at these parades.
He just did not know that the thing, you know
what I mean? Okay, yeah, first of all, I didn't
know what a crampus was, Like did that Google image search?
And it's scary. Yes, yeah, this is like for this
(09:12):
is this isn't Halloween, he day and the day, this
is Christmas. This is the joyful Mary Christmas, you know,
but this is pre Christmas. This is how the start
the season. Yeah yeah, yeah, oh my god, because you're amazing. No, no,
I cannot. So there's a quote. There's a quote that
(09:34):
said it's a very normal custom. Those who don't like
it should stay home. And that's for Michael Puffic, who
is protecting his young son with his arms during a
parade in the town of Colvin's. I think it's funny
when they hit the people, adds another spectator. I don't know, like,
I don't think i'd be laughing watching a kid in
(09:57):
a parade unsuspectingly gets smacked in the leg just because
they were like, yo, that crampus is scary, and they're like,
what you say smacks back? You know, that would be
that would be the most silent parade, like you should
know what's up? Like I know, it's just no one's
don't don't. You don't even point out the creature. I know.
(10:20):
It seems like, yeah, a lot of prefacing needs to
go into taking my family into that. And the insurance
companies are like, look, you crampuss, I have lost your mind. Yeah,
so yeah, we need uh, we need someone to come
ensure the grampus parade. But uh it says here that
(10:43):
if someone looks at you wrong, you will smack them. Yeah,
oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's a very simple tradition,
you know. Basically, insurance company, we need you to insure
us the parade that happens every year all the mountain villages.
It's very simple. It's really pretty safe, okay. Yeah. And
and and the purpose is to scare the children into
(11:05):
behaving well, you know, rather than just asking them of
communicating them or like parenting, we just use fear fear, fear, fear,
fear fear, you know, Okay, Rod to the legs for
anyone that right, well, that's that's only. That's only for
the kids that like make fun of the monster, you
know what I'm saying. Because these are performers and costumes.
(11:27):
Performance is a very vulnerable thing, you know. So the
tradition is if the kids get if the kid gets
to yapping, we get to smacking with the rods on
the leg. You know what I'm saying, A very common
Austrian phrase. They get to smacking, they get to smack talk.
We smack with the rods, you know, little tap tap tapping, Yeah,
tap tap tap smack, smack smack. So we we got
(11:50):
a lot of complaints over over the history of this parade.
I'm gonna guess that's from the kids not wanting to
get smacked. Yes, and it's I don't know how that
forget every single year that that is going to happen.
But we can't. We can't carry this burden anymore. You're
gonna have to crowdsource that money for the future. Camp Crampus.
(12:15):
You know what challenge accepted this year is gonna be
a Crampus miracle. Great, let's let's just switch that rod
out to a feather boa Maybe no, tradition is tradition.
Who am I to stand in the way while and
he's getting getting some of that footage from that call
(12:35):
was really interesting. That makes a lot of sense though, Yeah, yeah,
I can, I can. We can see how the inner
workings of insurance works for parade. Who knew parade insurance
isn't that interesting? Yeah? Yeah, who knew that that would
be the thing that puts a stop to some of
the stuff the insurance companies? You know, Yeah, because in Louisiana,
(13:00):
some the Martyr Gras parades are certainly a lot of
the parade. They're launching stuff at you off a float
and some of them are coconuts, right, wow, bags of ramen, noodles.
They would throw anything off their float, and there's no
one I've never heard that there's insurance comes like, can
(13:22):
you stop throwing beer kigs? Oh my gosh, it's part
of the It's part of the celebration. Oh wow. They
throw everything dang dan full pelicans beads, you know, the
pelicans like the bird Like okay, okay, I thought there
(13:44):
was like that would be I was like, I don't
know if this is a cooked pelican. Is it's like
a pelican. That's just like toss me, tossed me, you know,
like taxidermy, tell it's a piece of art, you know,
like but up for your right put this next to
the flamingo, you know, well back to Austria in this article, right.
(14:09):
Uh So the article goes on to say that, uh,
some parades were scaled back or canceled altogether because insurers
have stopped covering these events. As we've been discussing. Right. So,
there's a quote that says, we wanted to ensure our
Crampus association, but the insurance companies didn't want us because
we are high risk group. There's too much risk of damage.
And that's from Marcus Eder, who's the head of those
(14:30):
Land Crampus group. Uh for local insurance broker Alexander Urtle
doing business with the monstrous tradition. That's what the article says,
no longer pays off their quoted as saying some years ago, insurers,
we're still tolerating a few crampus incidents, but now the
number of damages and injuries has risen too much, he said. So.
(14:51):
Medical doctor Ulric Grandnister says that about two people are
injured every parade, and I'm like it's just like, yeah,
every so many, that's so many people for parade, for
a parade, there's like with the mountain folks, like it's
(15:13):
not even in mainland. Austria's just in the huge lane
every year, every year. Got a couple last year. Yea, yeah,
can get me out of there. We're gonna take a
quick break to hear a word from our sponsor. Yeah yeah, yeah,
(15:40):
with an amazing and crazy compic to choose, you would
now ridiculous news. All right, and we're back with more
ridiculous news. I'm joined by my amazing guest co host,
Lenise Lions Lennie. We've been talking about some silly headlines
and this next one no less silly. So this one's
out of w l k Y Digital Team via CNN,
(16:02):
and the headline reads, Kentucky woman wins one hundred seventy
five thousand dollars with a lottery ticket given as an
office gift and the white elephant gift exchange. So according
to the Kentucky Lottery, Lori Jaynes works at Harmon Dental
Center as the office manager and treatment cordinator. Her company
(16:23):
holiday party on Tuesday featured a white elephant gift exchange
where people have the opportunity to steal other people's gifts,
and I say stealing quotations, right, You can steal other
people's gifts if something is unwrapped that they like, forcing
the original recipient to pick a new wrapped gift. So
James at first selected a twenty dollar t J Max
(16:46):
gift guard a uh but she said she was disappointed
when it got quote stolen in the game. But she
chose another gift that included dollars of scratch off lottery tickets.
All right, uh so, she says in the article, she
says that once it got to me, it was done
(17:06):
in mind to keep. That's when everyone was telling me
to scratch them off. She won fifty dollars on the
first ticket. When she scratched off the ten dollar hit
the jackpot ticket, she won the games one hundred seventy
five thousand dollars top prize. She goes on to say
everyone was going insane. People were getting their calculators out
(17:28):
and double checking. A couple of people even scanned the
ticket on the lotteries app just to make sure, Jane said.
Lottery officials said. James called her husband and kids to
share the news. But they had a hard time believing
her at first, which makes sense. It's like, what was
the limit on this white elephant gift? You know, it's
like wait wait wait wait wait wait ho he went
(17:52):
to a party? That party that you had me by
a Roadblocks gift card for you pull the TJ Mexic
you get it taken? And what did you get to
scratch offs? Oh? What? I don't know how Mrs James
(18:19):
made it past. I got the tickets. I wouldn't have
scratched nothing. And people I know, I'm like, look, they
seem like nice people. But did she get out of
the tail office. I'd be like, look, you need to
give that ticket back. You need to at least Patrese.
Was that you who gave me? Yeah? Yeah I did that. Yeah,
(18:44):
well no we're not No, I don't know. Now we're
in this sick Yeah. Now up that that Monday with
your dollars worth of Starbucks and me and the me
(19:05):
and the family. Yeah, I headed to the steely Dan
cat can't who resort right out? Yeah? That is yeah?
What would you do if you gotta scratch off tickets
any kind of way? I'm my mom's has a friend
that every holiday, will send her scratch off tickets and
(19:28):
like if you hit on one or like your I
sent you the tickets, you're gonna tell me if you
if you hit that jack part. I think it'd be
mean if I told you, right, because it's like, because
it passed through your hands and went to me, it
would be thoughtless to me. I feel like that would
be me. And it's just like, hey, Lenise, you know
(19:50):
how you gave me a gift out of the kindness
of your heart. Yeah, because I really value our friends you. Yeah,
you know, and that's such a nice thing about you.
Uh you know that was ten million dollars um in
his mind now, Uh, just because you didn't scratch it
off first, you know. So so so there you don't
(20:14):
like some of the money that you had to set
it side? Maybe, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Lennise. I'm sorry.
I'm closing the window. I'm on my yacht right now.
And so there was these there are these pelicans. I
brought these pelicans from Louisiana on my on my yacht
with me. I'll close the window now. They tax these
are live pelicans. They're gonna be lunch later today. Havier,
my chef. He's making like this pelican bolonets. This sounds disgusting.
(20:37):
I'm gonna eat the whole thing. You know. Well, I hope,
I hope you don't run into Caputo out there. Maybe
he's got some mixture audience when you speeding on the boat.
Curse you, my kiddo. He he Well. The article concludes
by saying that Jane's along with her husband and two
(20:59):
children and showed up at lottery headquarters just hours later yep,
it makes sense, and got a check for a h
thousand dollars after taxes. Uh. She went on to say,
this is so crazy. I'm truly blessed. Yeah, yeah, I
wonder if it was like at night, but they're trying
to figure out cannot can we just put it in
the the night deposits? I mean, this is a clear,
(21:25):
amazing Yeah, I'm with you. I wouldn't tell a soul
and we went my all bummer and nothing. Guys. Well,
did you ever see what was that bow Wow movie
where he wins a lottery ticket? He finds a lot
you know what I'm talking about. You know what I'm
talking about. I never saw it, but just like so,
(21:51):
he gets a lottery ticket and people find out that
he has the winning ticket. Is that kind of the idea? Yes,
he so he purchases one of the number drawing the
number when you draw the number tickets, and it's like
with the last of their money, of his money, and
he's with his best friend I think is Brandon T.
Jackson's in the movie, and they're trying to get there.
(22:15):
They're poor though, so they have to figure out a
way to get to the lottery office. But they get
there and it's clothesed. So now they have to sit
with the ticket all weekend until Monday to like go
to the office. I forget how the entire neighborhood finds out,
but so everybody's after them, like the dope dealers after them,
(22:38):
like like the hot girls in the neighborhood after them.
I think his mom messed around and told and so
that's all it is, is like trying to hold home
to this ticket, like it's the ring that you gotta
throw in the mortar, uh to get his family out
of poverty. It falls out with Brandon T. Jackson like
this's just a whole it's silly, silly fund from the
(23:01):
two thousands. Yeah, when Bow and Brandon T. Jackson. We're
heart throbbing it. Yeah, yeah, I think Tierra Marie was
in it. Loretta Divine Oh wow. Yeah. You know it's
one of those movies that they play h one back
to back is like that there roll bounds and then
(23:25):
like oh yeah it's a Tyler parent presents a roll bounds.
You know. I gotta say, like with bow wow. I
didn't want to admit it when I was a kid,
but it's like, man, those first couple of albums, I
love them so much. I said a little bad one.
But so your boss out across the Yes, you ain't.
(23:57):
Why not just let myself enjoy it? You know, yeah, like,
don't even deny it. Now. I was a talent that
whole so so deaf era like with him escaped the brand. Yeah,
that was a time we tried to act it was
a good kid. Yeah, mean white like turn that up.
(24:21):
Yeah on the loan, Yeah, I could dance continue, yes,
because he's like still killing it out there on the
screen tour, the Millennium Tour. Uh, who's that? There be
two k I don't even know a Marian it's a
(24:44):
he had. Yeah. Well we'll move on from the breakthrough
that was the so so deaf era to another breakthrough
in the world of science. So this article is from
BBC News from Esme Stanard and the headline is breakthrough
in nuclear fusion and or you announced. So the article
goes on to say a major breakthrough has been announced
by US scientists in the race to recreate nuclear fusion.
(25:07):
Nuclear fusion is described as the quote holy grail of
energy production. Uh do you know much? I don't know
much about nuclear fusion. They needs to any any thoughts
on nuclear fusion? Just is this sounds like we're not
not supposed to be doing it, like recreating something that's
in the stars right here? Okay, well reason isn't that.
(25:32):
Well the article goes on to say, it is the
process that powers the Sun and other stars that you
were saying, like, so here nice put on this they
need to do anyway. So it works by taking pairs
of light atoms and forcing them together. This fusion releases
a lot of energy. So physicists have pursued the technology
for decades. It promises a potential source of near limitless
(25:53):
clean energy. So recently researchers confirmed they have overcome a
major barrier producing more ergy from a fusion experiment that
was put in, but experts say there is still some
way to go before fusion powers homes. Dr Melanie wind Ridge,
CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, told BBC fusion has been
(26:14):
exciting scientists since they first figured out what was causing
the sun to shine. Wow. Wow. They go on to say,
these results today really put us on the path to
commercialization of the technology. Jeremy Chittenden, professor of plasma physics
and co director of the Center for Inertial Fusion Studies
at Imperial College London, called it a true breakthrough moment.
(26:37):
It proves that the long sought after goal, the holy
grail of fusion, can indeed be achieved. He said. So
this has been the sentiment echoed by physicists globally who
praised the work of the international science community. Uh so yeah,
so a lot a lot happening in the world of
nuclear fusion. And so the article goes on to say
(26:57):
on the question of how long before we could see
few being used in power stations. Uh Livermore National Laboratory
Director Dr Kim Boudill said there were still significant hurdles,
but that quote with concerted efforts and investment a few
decades of research on the underlying technologies to put us
in a position to build a power plant. So this
(27:18):
is progress from when scientists used to say fifty to
sixty years an answer to that question. So it sounds
like they made a leap forward, which is interesting to
hear and that that's uh yeah, I don't I don't
did they use that and back to the future or
anything like that. That's a great question. I do not
know that makes sense though, that it would be you know, yeah,
(27:43):
I don't think that. I've seen a positive movie about
nuclear face like, but you know, I think that's like
when movies they contemplate science and there is not real scientists.
Oh no, we better not do that. Uh yeah it is.
(28:05):
If it has something to do with sun and stars.
I just feel like there's a reason why it's up
there and we gotta figure it out down here. Um.
I like that quote though, uh, the one about ever
since scientists wanted to know how the sun works, Like
(28:26):
we know that's just a ball of gas that's on fire,
and we want to recreate this. Well, I think I'm
cautiously optimistic in that. Okay, look, if they figure out
how to power homes with clean energy, you know, and
they can make energy for folks more equitable if that's
what the end result is a little earlier than we anticipated,
(28:48):
Like I'm down for that, but I also understand that,
oh yeah, go ahead, no, no, you go. But I
also understand how it's like, at least in the movies,
it doesn't always work like though, Yeah, and I guess
you need that for conflict in the movie to make
it interesting. Um uh, but this sounds like really expensive technology,
(29:10):
and I'm sure there's some rich people that are dying
to try this sound and then, um, they'll let us
know if they come out with the third Yeah. Yeah,
so so we'll see. So you know, I feel real good,
my fingers on each head. Yeah, h so we'll see
(29:31):
what happens. I mean, it's like, I don't understand a
lot about nuclear fusion hardly at all, you know, but
it is cool to see like, oh, they've made through
this barrier, being able to produce more energy from a
fusion experiment than was put in. I don't know how
you even do that, you know, like you know, right,
and they're like, it's so simple, and then they draw
out an equation on the chalkboard for six hours and
(29:53):
then you see it here. Yeah, and we car right
carry the one there you go, and then it's just
an infinity loop right here. You're Georgia Power bill is
now seventeen seas right right. Yeah. We will be right
back with more ridiculous news after this short break. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah,
(30:19):
don't confused, ridiculous news. All right, y'all, we're back. Drawn
by Lenise Lines. She's awesome, she's here. We're talking about
the news. So this next headline really cool stuff. So uh,
this is from NPR by Vanessa Romo, and the headline
is US Postal Service honors the late civil rights leader
John Lewis with a stand So uh. The article goes
(30:42):
on to say civil rights giant former US Rep. John Lewis,
who spent decades fighting for racial justice, would be honored
with a POSTS stamp next year. His public service career
spanned nearly sixty years. As a young student, he joined
the lunch counter protests. Later, he became a member of
the Freedom Writers, and at twenty one, he was the
youngest speaker at the March on Washington. After serving on
(31:04):
the Atlanta City Council, Lewis was elected to Congress, where
he spent more than thirty years representing the Atlantic Area
and the House of Representatives. Great guy was always an
honor to get the chance to vote for him, you know,
like really amazing. Um so. In a recent announcement, the
US Postal Service said, the stamp uh quote celebrates the
life and legacy of the leader from Georgia who risked
(31:27):
his life protesting against segregation and other injustices in the
violent Jim Crow era South. I mean taking shots to
the head in the skull, you know what I mean,
like not like no joke. You know, it's hard to
watch movies about civil rights as day so true to
(31:49):
life and like very graphic and even reading about it
is this, this is horrifying. Why stamp my hope is
like the stamp which is John Lewis his ass pointed
to leak two pointed to Yeah, I did all of this,
and y'all still like our haldfast and voting rights. It's yeah. Uh,
(32:15):
I always want, yeah, I want to see what the
stands would look like. I want I want Oh, I
see you can look him up. They look pretty cool.
Oh nice, it's his very very serious face. Um yeah,
it's interesting. I haven't I haven't seen the stand, but
it's interesting that they choose a serious face because it's like,
I mean, what he did obviously incredibly serious, incredibly serious work.
(32:37):
But one of the things that sticks out for me
and John Lewis and the good trouble that he made,
it was also just like the joy that he had
as well, and he never really lost that. I mean
you would think that someone that had seen and has
been through as much as he went through you would
lose some of that, but it's like I never really
(32:57):
lost that light, you know what I mean, like up
until the end if you did right. Um. I had
a one of my friends from high school to work
for him, UM, and he said he gets up every
mon he get would get up every morning and read
every single newspaper available to him, uh, just every single day. UM.
(33:19):
And he was working for him when he was into
his late uh late late parts of his age. So
there's a dynamic man that we lost, UM that really
just has seen it all. Like uh, I couldn't imagine
like going Marshan and nice suits and just just singing
one of single song with my friends and get bopped
(33:39):
in head, get arrest and then get arrested on top
of that. Truly, Uh a phenomenal man. Uh, we owe
him better than a stamp. Yeah, yeah, we're at a
stamp for sure. The stamp is nice too, but like, yeah,
for sure, like his legacy is so much bigger, so
(34:01):
much larger than that. Absolutely right man. But these look
like I guess some of these renderings of them are
really cool. Oh nice, Well, I look forward to look
forward to getting some you know. Uh yeah, we got
one more headline, lens. This one's from BBC News by
James Gregory, and the headline is New Zealand passes legislation
(34:21):
banning cigarettes for future generations. So New Zealand will phase
in a near total tobacco band from next year. So
legislation passed by parliament recently that means that anyone born
after two thousand eight will never be able to buy
cigarettes or tobacco products. I've never really heard of a
band like this before. The article goes on to say
(34:44):
it will mean the number of people able to buy
tobacco will shrink each year, so by for example, forty
year olds will be too young to buy cigarettes. Health
Minister Aisha Viral, who introduced the Bill said it was
a step quote war is a smoke free future. They
said that the thousands of people will live longer, healthier
(35:05):
lives and health system will be better off from not
needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking. What do
you what do you think? Wow? I think that is
a very very very strong progressive thing to do. Um.
But I always think when you do things like this,
like outright prohibition of things, that you just force it underground. Um.
(35:31):
But I think smoking would be a hard thing to
like get away with, Like you don't smell that tobacco, Like,
uh is not a mall Borough. I remember mab Bird?
Remember that? Yeah. I wonder if there's like I wonder
if this applies to vaping too, or maybe like vaping
(35:53):
is such a millennial thing, like yeah, they're like, yeah,
we don't smoke those cancer sticks. Bro all about uh
water in our lungs? Right right? Right? Uh? What about
you five billion dollars, say New Zealand dollars? Yeah, yeah, potentially.
I mean, like, I love the idea of people not smoking,
(36:15):
but I'm with you where it's just like an all
out band, you know what I'm saying. Like, But but
I do appreciate the efforts to make it so that
people cannot smoke. However, just like an all out band,
people you know, are going to find a way. I
would imagine, you know what I'm saying, people are gonna
find to get their tobacco. You know. I think something
that's interesting about this article it says about New Zealand
(36:36):
is that you know, they're smoking rate is already at
historic lows. The article says, with just eight percent of
adults smoking daily, and that's according to government statistic that
was released in November, and that's down from nine point
four p last year. So it seems like they might
naturally be getting there anyway, you know, right like, it
looks eight percent of adult smoking and in New Zealand
(37:01):
it's not. It doesn't sound very profitable for to even
sell the secrette right the returning investment is gone and
you can get show them you realize it better even
through medical the medical expenses you're avoiding, which means they
must have Nations sponsored healthcare if you can count their costs.
(37:22):
Does New Zealand have That's a good question. I do
not know that about New Zealand. I don't know a
lot about New Zealand. I would like to go, and
I've never been before. It seems really nice, really pretty,
you know, but I've never been. Have you Have you
been before? No? I used to watch Flight of the Concourse,
so yes, oh yeah, yeah, yeah the Concourse was great.
(37:45):
I saw them in college and that was definitely one
of the best live comedy shows I've ever been to.
Is real, Yeah it was. Chris and Shaw opened up
for them with stand up and then Fly to the
Concourse they did their like music video. It was they
were so good. They're so ridiculous. The show was so
(38:05):
much fun. Yeah. But they do have universal healthcare. Wow. Wow,
something to aspire to, you know, for sure? For sure?
Yeah you hear that, America. Can we trade cigarettes for healthcare? Yeah?
Absolutely please? Yeah. Yeah. Well, y'all, Uh, it's been great
(38:26):
talking the news today. We're gonna move on to our
next segment, which is the spring of inspiring inspiration. So
this is where we read a quote to end things
on a positive note. We had mentioned John Lewis earlier,
so here's a quote from the wonderful John Lewis, which
is freedom is not a state. It is an act.
It is not some enchanted garden perched hie on a
(38:47):
distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest.
Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and
each generation must do its part to create an even
more fair, more just society. Word yeah yeah, uh, Lennize,
it's been so great. Have you back on the podcast.
It's always so fun to get to talk about the
(39:08):
news with you. Uh. How how can people stay in
touch with you? Support you or anything that you just
want to shout out before we close out to that? Um?
Follow me on Instagram? Uh, mostly where I like to
post stuff with my family and funny things I find online.
Um and uh, maybe not anymore this year, but because
(39:31):
it's my birthday month, but next year is certainly be
performing with Village Theater. Um and uh sometimes in Dynamic
and wherever you can find me, you're finding on all
on my Instagram. Is I just don't like saying no
to having fun. If you're in Atlanta, do yourselfs a favor.
Go see Lenniz perform. You won't regret it. And it's
(39:53):
always thank you all for tuning in to ridiculous news.
We realize that you have a lot of choices of
what to listen to so we say genuinely thank you,
thank you, thank you, And you can email us at
Ridiculous News at iHeartMedia dot com and on Facebook and
i G follow Ridiculous News, and you can check out
our comedy videos at Mark Kendall Comedy by'all have a
Great risk of Ridiculous News is hosted by Mark Kendall
(40:26):
and Bill Warley. Executive producers are Ben Bolland and Noel Brown,
produced and edited by Terry Harrison. Research provided by Casey Willis,
and theme music by Four Eyes and Dr Delight. Four
more podcasts from my Heart Radio visit the iHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Ridiculous News is a production of our heart radio and
cool Cool Cool Audio. Yeah yeah, yeah, we're amazing and
crazy topics. To begin to Jews, you would now tune
me into Ridiculous News. We get us their viewers are
working the rules of broadcasts then and all sorts of
while reports to keep us at brand up the journalism,
(00:22):
the strange and unusual stories, and well we gave a win.
It's all about ridiculous News. Everywhere we told about ridiculous
News over here. Hey everyone, welcome to Ridiculous News, not
your average news show. We cover stuff you didn't realize
was news, from the wild and funny, to the deep
and hidden to the absolutely ridiculous. This is our weekly
round up where we take some of the weirdest stories
(00:42):
in the news and dive a little deeper into them.
As always, we might even have a few guests pop
in along the way. I'm Mark Kendall. I'm an Lanta
based comedian and you know, yeah, I'm looking forward to
the artist. This weekend's gonna be pretty fun. Uh. My
amazing co host Bill is a way today, but we
are joined by the phenomenal in these lines Lennis Hilarious improviser, actor,
and stand up comedian to perform all over Atlanta and
(01:04):
you can follow her on Instagram at Lenise. That's l
U H and e Z. Welcome, Leannise. I'm so happy
to have you back on the podcast. Thanks for inviting me,
bag Mark. Yeah. Absolutely. So we're gonna kick things off
with a segment that we like to call giving them
their flowers. So we do this every time we have
a guest. Uh, Lenise, I'm gonna give you some flowers.
(01:25):
Only rules you can't return it with a compliment anyway. So, uh,
the Lenise. Another thing that I really enjoy about you
that I think is so great. Uh, last time I
kind of talked about like your joy performance and the
joy you spread when being on stage, and the other
thing I gotta say is you're so dang funny, you
know what I'm saying, like whether you're performing or also
like your Instagram stories. I gotta say your Instagram story
(01:46):
game was off the hook these past couple of weeks.
You're cracking me up. It was so great, So thank
you for making me laugh always. I appreciate you. Cool, awesome.
All right, so let's hop into our next segment. These
are called our news nibbles. So these are some quick,
ridiculous headlines a week found that caught or I recently.
(02:07):
So this first one is by the Associated Press for
w g x A News, and the headline is Grinch
hands out onions instead of tickets to drivers speeding in
school zone. Yes, that's correct. Uh So several motorists who
were speeding through an elementary school zone on the Florida
Keys Overseas Highway received an odorous onion as a reminder
(02:30):
to slow down from a County Sheriff's deputy dressed as
the Grinch. So this is Colonel Luke Caputo, a thirty
seven year veteran of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, who
conjured up the concept more than twenty years ago. Uh
And so drivers who travel about five miles per hour
or less above the school zone speed limit can choose
(02:52):
between traffic citations and an onion presented by the Grinch.
Those speeding beyond that likely received a costly ticket. What
do you think about this, lenis I first saw? Honestly weird, y'all. Yeah,
(03:12):
what kind of promotion is this that the cops are
coming up with in the Monday meeting like it's uh,
what you guy? Actually, you know, Lenn, it's so funny.
We actually have some uh footage of that conversation. So
(03:34):
do you want to maybe cut to that right now? Yeah,
let's get to that, all right, cool, cool, cool, alright, alright, y'all, welcome,
we got a meeting up here. Capuodo. Your hand has
been up this entire time. You got something. Let's hear
what you got, Capodo. Well, it's my favorite time of year,
and um, you know, I just came back from from
(03:56):
all these and what I don't understand what that's you're
on track this week? Caputo? What what? What's what's the deal? Yeah?
And I've been at the local elementary school and I
just just to do some brecon. And I've noticed there
are a few motorists that are about five miles per
hour over and last year we had such a wonderful
(04:18):
promotion with the onions. I brought the onions. Okay, so
you're saying that the onions will decrease speeding increased speeding?
Are you just saying you have extra onions? You're just
trying to offload. The research is still out on whether
or not the onions actually and decreased the number of motors.
(04:40):
You know, don't just you know what, do your onion
thing again? All right, you go ahead and do it.
I don't care. Have a great time. Merry Christmas. But oh,
thank thank you, this is great. I just have to
get the stinky onions smell out of the Greek costume.
That's also cool to wear, right, yeah, whatever, get out
(05:04):
of your Caputo. Just just don't talk to me again
until the new year. All right, Merry Christmas. Onion. So
wow that that I was not expecting hearing that footage,
but hearing that gives some give some context for sure.
The article goes on to say that Caputo said he
portrays the fictional character created by the children's author Dr.
Seuss to give motorists a quote gift, but also to
(05:27):
call attention in a nice way to the need to
obey speed limits in school zones. Yeah, and so the onion. Yes,
saw that if there under the five like under five over,
(05:50):
they get an onion. Anything over that that is a scentation. Um,
and I wonder if the parents are like hit to
his game. M h and copudos, who is so in
a green and a cop car with his imagine getting
(06:10):
pulled over, and then the grinch steps out. You're looking
for your license registration and then never hurry green hand.
You're like, the yeah, that would that would certainly throw
me onf Did you see where he's said there, he's
(06:31):
even made a few people eat the onion. Yeah, I
saw that. Yeah, so the okay, yeah, So the article
goes on to say it quotes Computero further and he
says it catches them off guard in regards to handing
them an onion or a citation. He goes on to say,
but when I give them a clear choice of a
citation or the onion, they will take the onion. Makes sense,
uh to me? All right? So then he goes on
(06:52):
to say, and I've had them eat the onion right
in front of me. I don't I don't like eating
food from stranger, even if it's an onion. Also, eating
an onion raw in your car like your personal vehicle. Honestly, actually,
you know what? Let me look, all right, So, if
I was going like less than five miles over the hour,
I get pulled over by the grinch, he gives me
(07:14):
he's like, onion or citation, I'd be like, Okay, the
onion and then he's like eating in front of me.
I'm like, give me the citation, give me two citations, please. Yeah,
Because if you're dropping off your kids on the way
to score, you know that's probably a residential neighborhood. It
is early in the morning, probably also heading to work.
And do you want to go into your insurance office
(07:36):
smelling life a good morning and coffee? Like that's just
you gotta deal with what comes after that. They work
like kindles in here. Have you smelled it? Kindle reason? Yeah?
(08:02):
Absolutely absolutely. We're gonna go onto our next headline, and
this is a A C. G. T N by Johanna's Pleshburger,
and the headline is Austria's Crampus parades too violent for
insurance companies. So the article goes on to say that
Austria's Crampus fright fest is starting to decline in popularity
because many insurance companies deem the pre Christmas custom to violent.
(08:24):
During these traditional parades, which are held in almost all
mountain villages, people dressed as horn crampus creatures were meant
to scare children into good behavior. Anyone who makes fun
of the monster impersonators gets whipped on the leg with
a rod. So I did not, like I knew that
there was a crampus. It was like all scary and
(08:47):
things like that. I did not know the kids were
getting smacked in the legs with rocks at these parades.
He just did not know that the thing, you know
what I mean? Okay, yeah, first of all, I didn't
know what a crampus was, Like did that Google image search?
And it's scary. Yes, yeah, this is like for this
(09:12):
is this isn't Halloween, he day and the day, this
is Christmas. This is the joyful Mary Christmas, you know,
but this is pre Christmas. This is how the start
the season. Yeah yeah, yeah, oh my god, because you're amazing. No, no,
I cannot. So there's a quote. There's a quote that
(09:34):
said it's a very normal custom. Those who don't like
it should stay home. And that's for Michael Puffic, who
is protecting his young son with his arms during a
parade in the town of Colvin's. I think it's funny
when they hit the people, adds another spectator. I don't know, like,
I don't think i'd be laughing watching a kid in
(09:57):
a parade unsuspectingly gets smacked in the leg just because
they were like, yo, that crampus is scary, and they're like,
what you say smacks back? You know, that would be
that would be the most silent parade, like you should
know what's up? Like I know, it's just no one's
don't don't. You don't even point out the creature. I know.
(10:20):
It seems like, yeah, a lot of prefacing needs to
go into taking my family into that. And the insurance
companies are like, look, you crampuss, I have lost your mind. Yeah,
so yeah, we need uh, we need someone to come
ensure the grampus parade. But uh it says here that
(10:43):
if someone looks at you wrong, you will smack them. Yeah,
oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's a very simple tradition,
you know. Basically, insurance company, we need you to insure
us the parade that happens every year all the mountain villages.
It's very simple. It's really pretty safe, okay. Yeah. And
and and the purpose is to scare the children into
(11:05):
behaving well, you know, rather than just asking them of
communicating them or like parenting, we just use fear fear, fear, fear,
fear fear, you know, Okay, Rod to the legs for
anyone that right, well, that's that's only. That's only for
the kids that like make fun of the monster, you
know what I'm saying. Because these are performers and costumes.
(11:27):
Performance is a very vulnerable thing, you know. So the
tradition is if the kids get if the kid gets
to yapping, we get to smacking with the rods on
the leg. You know what I'm saying, A very common
Austrian phrase. They get to smacking, they get to smack talk.
We smack with the rods, you know, little tap tap tapping, Yeah,
tap tap tap smack, smack smack. So we we got
(11:50):
a lot of complaints over over the history of this parade.
I'm gonna guess that's from the kids not wanting to
get smacked. Yes, and it's I don't know how that
forget every single year that that is going to happen.
But we can't. We can't carry this burden anymore. You're
gonna have to crowdsource that money for the future. Camp Crampus.
(12:15):
You know what challenge accepted this year is gonna be
a Crampus miracle. Great, let's let's just switch that rod
out to a feather boa Maybe no, tradition is tradition.
Who am I to stand in the way while and
he's getting getting some of that footage from that call
(12:35):
was really interesting. That makes a lot of sense though, Yeah, yeah,
I can, I can. We can see how the inner
workings of insurance works for parade. Who knew parade insurance
isn't that interesting? Yeah? Yeah, who knew that that would
be the thing that puts a stop to some of
the stuff the insurance companies? You know, Yeah, because in Louisiana,
(13:00):
some the Martyr Gras parades are certainly a lot of
the parade. They're launching stuff at you off a float
and some of them are coconuts, right, wow, bags of ramen, noodles.
They would throw anything off their float, and there's no
one I've never heard that there's insurance comes like, can
(13:22):
you stop throwing beer kigs? Oh my gosh, it's part
of the It's part of the celebration. Oh wow. They
throw everything dang dan full pelicans beads, you know, the
pelicans like the bird Like okay, okay, I thought there
(13:44):
was like that would be I was like, I don't
know if this is a cooked pelican. Is it's like
a pelican. That's just like toss me, tossed me, you know,
like taxidermy, tell it's a piece of art, you know,
like but up for your right put this next to
the flamingo, you know, well back to Austria in this article, right.
(14:09):
Uh So the article goes on to say that, uh,
some parades were scaled back or canceled altogether because insurers
have stopped covering these events. As we've been discussing. Right. So,
there's a quote that says, we wanted to ensure our
Crampus association, but the insurance companies didn't want us because
we are high risk group. There's too much risk of damage.
And that's from Marcus Eder, who's the head of those
(14:30):
Land Crampus group. Uh for local insurance broker Alexander Urtle
doing business with the monstrous tradition. That's what the article says,
no longer pays off their quoted as saying some years ago, insurers,
we're still tolerating a few crampus incidents, but now the
number of damages and injuries has risen too much, he said. So.
(14:51):
Medical doctor Ulric Grandnister says that about two people are
injured every parade, and I'm like it's just like, yeah,
every so many, that's so many people for parade, for
a parade, there's like with the mountain folks, like it's
(15:13):
not even in mainland. Austria's just in the huge lane
every year, every year. Got a couple last year. Yea, yeah,
can get me out of there. We're gonna take a
quick break to hear a word from our sponsor. Yeah yeah, yeah,
(15:40):
with an amazing and crazy compic to choose, you would
now ridiculous news. All right, and we're back with more
ridiculous news. I'm joined by my amazing guest co host,
Lenise Lions Lennie. We've been talking about some silly headlines
and this next one no less silly. So this one's
out of w l k Y Digital Team via CNN,
(16:02):
and the headline reads, Kentucky woman wins one hundred seventy
five thousand dollars with a lottery ticket given as an
office gift and the white elephant gift exchange. So according
to the Kentucky Lottery, Lori Jaynes works at Harmon Dental
Center as the office manager and treatment cordinator. Her company
(16:23):
holiday party on Tuesday featured a white elephant gift exchange
where people have the opportunity to steal other people's gifts,
and I say stealing quotations, right, You can steal other
people's gifts if something is unwrapped that they like, forcing
the original recipient to pick a new wrapped gift. So
James at first selected a twenty dollar t J Max
(16:46):
gift guard a uh but she said she was disappointed
when it got quote stolen in the game. But she
chose another gift that included dollars of scratch off lottery tickets.
All right, uh so, she says in the article, she
says that once it got to me, it was done
(17:06):
in mind to keep. That's when everyone was telling me
to scratch them off. She won fifty dollars on the
first ticket. When she scratched off the ten dollar hit
the jackpot ticket, she won the games one hundred seventy
five thousand dollars top prize. She goes on to say
everyone was going insane. People were getting their calculators out
(17:28):
and double checking. A couple of people even scanned the
ticket on the lotteries app just to make sure, Jane said.
Lottery officials said. James called her husband and kids to
share the news. But they had a hard time believing
her at first, which makes sense. It's like, what was
the limit on this white elephant gift? You know, it's
like wait wait wait wait wait wait ho he went
(17:52):
to a party? That party that you had me by
a Roadblocks gift card for you pull the TJ Mexic
you get it taken? And what did you get to
scratch offs? Oh? What? I don't know how Mrs James
(18:19):
made it past. I got the tickets. I wouldn't have
scratched nothing. And people I know, I'm like, look, they
seem like nice people. But did she get out of
the tail office. I'd be like, look, you need to
give that ticket back. You need to at least Patrese.
Was that you who gave me? Yeah? Yeah I did that. Yeah,
(18:44):
well no we're not No, I don't know. Now we're
in this sick Yeah. Now up that that Monday with
your dollars worth of Starbucks and me and the me
(19:05):
and the family. Yeah, I headed to the steely Dan
cat can't who resort right out? Yeah? That is yeah?
What would you do if you gotta scratch off tickets
any kind of way? I'm my mom's has a friend
that every holiday, will send her scratch off tickets and
(19:28):
like if you hit on one or like your I
sent you the tickets, you're gonna tell me if you
if you hit that jack part. I think it'd be
mean if I told you, right, because it's like, because
it passed through your hands and went to me, it
would be thoughtless to me. I feel like that would
be me. And it's just like, hey, Lenise, you know
(19:50):
how you gave me a gift out of the kindness
of your heart. Yeah, because I really value our friends you. Yeah,
you know, and that's such a nice thing about you.
Uh you know that was ten million dollars um in
his mind now, Uh, just because you didn't scratch it
off first, you know. So so so there you don't
(20:14):
like some of the money that you had to set
it side? Maybe, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Lennise. I'm sorry.
I'm closing the window. I'm on my yacht right now.
And so there was these there are these pelicans. I
brought these pelicans from Louisiana on my on my yacht
with me. I'll close the window now. They tax these
are live pelicans. They're gonna be lunch later today. Havier,
my chef. He's making like this pelican bolonets. This sounds disgusting.
(20:37):
I'm gonna eat the whole thing. You know. Well, I hope,
I hope you don't run into Caputo out there. Maybe
he's got some mixture audience when you speeding on the boat.
Curse you, my kiddo. He he Well. The article concludes
by saying that Jane's along with her husband and two
(20:59):
children and showed up at lottery headquarters just hours later yep,
it makes sense, and got a check for a h
thousand dollars after taxes. Uh. She went on to say,
this is so crazy. I'm truly blessed. Yeah, yeah, I
wonder if it was like at night, but they're trying
to figure out cannot can we just put it in
the the night deposits? I mean, this is a clear,
(21:25):
amazing Yeah, I'm with you. I wouldn't tell a soul
and we went my all bummer and nothing. Guys. Well,
did you ever see what was that bow Wow movie
where he wins a lottery ticket? He finds a lot
you know what I'm talking about. You know what I'm
talking about. I never saw it, but just like so,
(21:51):
he gets a lottery ticket and people find out that
he has the winning ticket. Is that kind of the idea? Yes,
he so he purchases one of the number drawing the
number when you draw the number tickets, and it's like
with the last of their money, of his money, and
he's with his best friend I think is Brandon T.
Jackson's in the movie, and they're trying to get there.
(22:15):
They're poor though, so they have to figure out a
way to get to the lottery office. But they get
there and it's clothesed. So now they have to sit
with the ticket all weekend until Monday to like go
to the office. I forget how the entire neighborhood finds out,
but so everybody's after them, like the dope dealers after them,
(22:38):
like like the hot girls in the neighborhood after them.
I think his mom messed around and told and so
that's all it is, is like trying to hold home
to this ticket, like it's the ring that you gotta
throw in the mortar, uh to get his family out
of poverty. It falls out with Brandon T. Jackson like
this's just a whole it's silly, silly fund from the
(23:01):
two thousands. Yeah, when Bow and Brandon T. Jackson. We're
heart throbbing it. Yeah, yeah, I think Tierra Marie was
in it. Loretta Divine Oh wow. Yeah. You know it's
one of those movies that they play h one back
to back is like that there roll bounds and then
(23:25):
like oh yeah it's a Tyler parent presents a roll bounds.
You know. I gotta say, like with bow wow. I
didn't want to admit it when I was a kid,
but it's like, man, those first couple of albums, I
love them so much. I said a little bad one.
But so your boss out across the Yes, you ain't.
(23:57):
Why not just let myself enjoy it? You know, yeah, like,
don't even deny it. Now. I was a talent that
whole so so deaf era like with him escaped the brand. Yeah,
that was a time we tried to act it was
a good kid. Yeah, mean white like turn that up.
(24:21):
Yeah on the loan, Yeah, I could dance continue, yes,
because he's like still killing it out there on the
screen tour, the Millennium Tour. Uh, who's that? There be
two k I don't even know a Marian it's a
(24:44):
he had. Yeah. Well we'll move on from the breakthrough
that was the so so deaf era to another breakthrough
in the world of science. So this article is from
BBC News from Esme Stanard and the headline is breakthrough
in nuclear fusion and or you announced. So the article
goes on to say a major breakthrough has been announced
by US scientists in the race to recreate nuclear fusion.
(25:07):
Nuclear fusion is described as the quote holy grail of
energy production. Uh do you know much? I don't know
much about nuclear fusion. They needs to any any thoughts
on nuclear fusion? Just is this sounds like we're not
not supposed to be doing it, like recreating something that's
in the stars right here? Okay, well reason isn't that.
(25:32):
Well the article goes on to say, it is the
process that powers the Sun and other stars that you
were saying, like, so here nice put on this they
need to do anyway. So it works by taking pairs
of light atoms and forcing them together. This fusion releases
a lot of energy. So physicists have pursued the technology
for decades. It promises a potential source of near limitless
(25:53):
clean energy. So recently researchers confirmed they have overcome a
major barrier producing more ergy from a fusion experiment that
was put in, but experts say there is still some
way to go before fusion powers homes. Dr Melanie wind Ridge,
CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, told BBC fusion has been
(26:14):
exciting scientists since they first figured out what was causing
the sun to shine. Wow. Wow. They go on to say,
these results today really put us on the path to
commercialization of the technology. Jeremy Chittenden, professor of plasma physics
and co director of the Center for Inertial Fusion Studies
at Imperial College London, called it a true breakthrough moment.
(26:37):
It proves that the long sought after goal, the holy
grail of fusion, can indeed be achieved. He said. So
this has been the sentiment echoed by physicists globally who
praised the work of the international science community. Uh so yeah,
so a lot a lot happening in the world of
nuclear fusion. And so the article goes on to say
(26:57):
on the question of how long before we could see
few being used in power stations. Uh Livermore National Laboratory
Director Dr Kim Boudill said there were still significant hurdles,
but that quote with concerted efforts and investment a few
decades of research on the underlying technologies to put us
in a position to build a power plant. So this
(27:18):
is progress from when scientists used to say fifty to
sixty years an answer to that question. So it sounds
like they made a leap forward, which is interesting to
hear and that that's uh yeah, I don't I don't
did they use that and back to the future or
anything like that. That's a great question. I do not
know that makes sense though, that it would be you know, yeah,
(27:43):
I don't think that. I've seen a positive movie about
nuclear face like, but you know, I think that's like
when movies they contemplate science and there is not real scientists.
Oh no, we better not do that. Uh yeah it is.
(28:05):
If it has something to do with sun and stars.
I just feel like there's a reason why it's up
there and we gotta figure it out down here. Um.
I like that quote though, uh, the one about ever
since scientists wanted to know how the sun works, Like
(28:26):
we know that's just a ball of gas that's on fire,
and we want to recreate this. Well, I think I'm
cautiously optimistic in that. Okay, look, if they figure out
how to power homes with clean energy, you know, and
they can make energy for folks more equitable if that's
what the end result is a little earlier than we anticipated,
(28:48):
Like I'm down for that, but I also understand that,
oh yeah, go ahead, no, no, you go. But I
also understand how it's like, at least in the movies,
it doesn't always work like though, Yeah, and I guess
you need that for conflict in the movie to make
it interesting. Um uh, but this sounds like really expensive technology,
(29:10):
and I'm sure there's some rich people that are dying
to try this sound and then, um, they'll let us
know if they come out with the third Yeah. Yeah,
so so we'll see. So you know, I feel real good,
my fingers on each head. Yeah, h so we'll see
(29:31):
what happens. I mean, it's like, I don't understand a
lot about nuclear fusion hardly at all, you know, but
it is cool to see like, oh, they've made through
this barrier, being able to produce more energy from a
fusion experiment than was put in. I don't know how
you even do that, you know, like you know, right,
and they're like, it's so simple, and then they draw
out an equation on the chalkboard for six hours and
(29:53):
then you see it here. Yeah, and we car right
carry the one there you go, and then it's just
an infinity loop right here. You're Georgia Power bill is
now seventeen seas right right. Yeah. We will be right
back with more ridiculous news after this short break. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah,
(30:19):
don't confused, ridiculous news. All right, y'all, we're back. Drawn
by Lenise Lines. She's awesome, she's here. We're talking about
the news. So this next headline really cool stuff. So uh,
this is from NPR by Vanessa Romo, and the headline
is US Postal Service honors the late civil rights leader
John Lewis with a stand So uh. The article goes
(30:42):
on to say civil rights giant former US Rep. John Lewis,
who spent decades fighting for racial justice, would be honored
with a POSTS stamp next year. His public service career
spanned nearly sixty years. As a young student, he joined
the lunch counter protests. Later, he became a member of
the Freedom Writers, and at twenty one, he was the
youngest speaker at the March on Washington. After serving on
(31:04):
the Atlanta City Council, Lewis was elected to Congress, where
he spent more than thirty years representing the Atlantic Area
and the House of Representatives. Great guy was always an
honor to get the chance to vote for him, you know,
like really amazing. Um so. In a recent announcement, the
US Postal Service said, the stamp uh quote celebrates the
life and legacy of the leader from Georgia who risked
(31:27):
his life protesting against segregation and other injustices in the
violent Jim Crow era South. I mean taking shots to
the head in the skull, you know what I mean,
like not like no joke. You know, it's hard to
watch movies about civil rights as day so true to
(31:49):
life and like very graphic and even reading about it
is this, this is horrifying. Why stamp my hope is
like the stamp which is John Lewis his ass pointed
to leak two pointed to Yeah, I did all of this,
and y'all still like our haldfast and voting rights. It's yeah. Uh,
(32:15):
I always want, yeah, I want to see what the
stands would look like. I want I want Oh, I
see you can look him up. They look pretty cool.
Oh nice, it's his very very serious face. Um yeah,
it's interesting. I haven't I haven't seen the stand, but
it's interesting that they choose a serious face because it's like,
I mean, what he did obviously incredibly serious, incredibly serious work.
(32:37):
But one of the things that sticks out for me
and John Lewis and the good trouble that he made,
it was also just like the joy that he had
as well, and he never really lost that. I mean
you would think that someone that had seen and has
been through as much as he went through you would
lose some of that, but it's like I never really
(32:57):
lost that light, you know what I mean, like up
until the end if you did right. Um. I had
a one of my friends from high school to work
for him, UM, and he said he gets up every
mon he get would get up every morning and read
every single newspaper available to him, uh, just every single day. UM.
(33:19):
And he was working for him when he was into
his late uh late late parts of his age. So
there's a dynamic man that we lost, UM that really
just has seen it all. Like uh, I couldn't imagine
like going Marshan and nice suits and just just singing
one of single song with my friends and get bopped
(33:39):
in head, get arrest and then get arrested on top
of that. Truly, Uh a phenomenal man. Uh, we owe
him better than a stamp. Yeah, yeah, we're at a
stamp for sure. The stamp is nice too, but like, yeah,
for sure, like his legacy is so much bigger, so
(34:01):
much larger than that. Absolutely right man. But these look
like I guess some of these renderings of them are
really cool. Oh nice, Well, I look forward to look
forward to getting some you know. Uh yeah, we got
one more headline, lens. This one's from BBC News by
James Gregory, and the headline is New Zealand passes legislation
(34:21):
banning cigarettes for future generations. So New Zealand will phase
in a near total tobacco band from next year. So
legislation passed by parliament recently that means that anyone born
after two thousand eight will never be able to buy
cigarettes or tobacco products. I've never really heard of a
band like this before. The article goes on to say
(34:44):
it will mean the number of people able to buy
tobacco will shrink each year, so by for example, forty
year olds will be too young to buy cigarettes. Health
Minister Aisha Viral, who introduced the Bill said it was
a step quote war is a smoke free future. They
said that the thousands of people will live longer, healthier
(35:05):
lives and health system will be better off from not
needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking. What do
you what do you think? Wow? I think that is
a very very very strong progressive thing to do. Um.
But I always think when you do things like this,
like outright prohibition of things, that you just force it underground. Um.
(35:31):
But I think smoking would be a hard thing to
like get away with, Like you don't smell that tobacco, Like,
uh is not a mall Borough. I remember mab Bird?
Remember that? Yeah. I wonder if there's like I wonder
if this applies to vaping too, or maybe like vaping
(35:53):
is such a millennial thing, like yeah, they're like, yeah,
we don't smoke those cancer sticks. Bro all about uh
water in our lungs? Right right? Right? Uh? What about
you five billion dollars, say New Zealand dollars? Yeah, yeah, potentially.
I mean, like, I love the idea of people not smoking,
(36:15):
but I'm with you where it's just like an all
out band, you know what I'm saying. Like, But but
I do appreciate the efforts to make it so that
people cannot smoke. However, just like an all out band,
people you know, are going to find a way. I
would imagine, you know what I'm saying, people are gonna
find to get their tobacco. You know. I think something
that's interesting about this article it says about New Zealand
(36:36):
is that you know, they're smoking rate is already at
historic lows. The article says, with just eight percent of
adults smoking daily, and that's according to government statistic that
was released in November, and that's down from nine point
four p last year. So it seems like they might
naturally be getting there anyway, you know, right like, it
looks eight percent of adult smoking and in New Zealand
(37:01):
it's not. It doesn't sound very profitable for to even
sell the secrette right the returning investment is gone and
you can get show them you realize it better even
through medical the medical expenses you're avoiding, which means they
must have Nations sponsored healthcare if you can count their costs.
(37:22):
Does New Zealand have That's a good question. I do
not know that about New Zealand. I don't know a
lot about New Zealand. I would like to go, and
I've never been before. It seems really nice, really pretty,
you know, but I've never been. Have you Have you
been before? No? I used to watch Flight of the Concourse,
so yes, oh yeah, yeah, yeah the Concourse was great.
(37:45):
I saw them in college and that was definitely one
of the best live comedy shows I've ever been to.
Is real, Yeah it was. Chris and Shaw opened up
for them with stand up and then Fly to the
Concourse they did their like music video. It was they
were so good. They're so ridiculous. The show was so
(38:05):
much fun. Yeah. But they do have universal healthcare. Wow. Wow,
something to aspire to, you know, for sure? For sure?
Yeah you hear that, America. Can we trade cigarettes for healthcare? Yeah?
Absolutely please? Yeah. Yeah. Well, y'all, Uh, it's been great
(38:26):
talking the news today. We're gonna move on to our
next segment, which is the spring of inspiring inspiration. So
this is where we read a quote to end things
on a positive note. We had mentioned John Lewis earlier,
so here's a quote from the wonderful John Lewis, which
is freedom is not a state. It is an act.
It is not some enchanted garden perched hie on a
(38:47):
distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest.
Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and
each generation must do its part to create an even
more fair, more just society. Word yeah yeah, uh, Lennize,
it's been so great. Have you back on the podcast.
It's always so fun to get to talk about the
(39:08):
news with you. Uh. How how can people stay in
touch with you? Support you or anything that you just
want to shout out before we close out to that? Um?
Follow me on Instagram? Uh, mostly where I like to
post stuff with my family and funny things I find online.
Um and uh, maybe not anymore this year, but because
(39:31):
it's my birthday month, but next year is certainly be
performing with Village Theater. Um and uh sometimes in Dynamic
and wherever you can find me, you're finding on all
on my Instagram. Is I just don't like saying no
to having fun. If you're in Atlanta, do yourselfs a favor.
Go see Lenniz perform. You won't regret it. And it's
(39:53):
always thank you all for tuning in to ridiculous news.
We realize that you have a lot of choices of
what to listen to so we say genuinely thank you,
thank you, thank you, And you can email us at
Ridiculous News at iHeartMedia dot com and on Facebook and
i G follow Ridiculous News, and you can check out
our comedy videos at Mark Kendall Comedy by'all have a
Great risk of Ridiculous News is hosted by Mark Kendall
(40:26):
and Bill Warley. Executive producers are Ben Bolland and Noel Brown,
produced and edited by Terry Harrison. Research provided by Casey Willis,
and theme music by Four Eyes and Dr Delight. Four
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