Black Friday, Mashed Potatoes, And Coffee Longevity

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Holiday noise gets loud fast, from doorbuster ads to breathless headlines, so we took a slower route: a grateful recap of a Thanksgiving that felt right, a hard look at a tragic news story, and a practical sift through food claims and wellness studies. We start with why Black Friday isn’t worth the 6 a.m. scramble, then share the joy of a daughter’s home decked out for Christmas, great turkey, and the small win of not overeating. It’s the kind of family moment that makes the next segments matter more—because what we read and repeat shapes how we show up for the people we love.

When the conversation turns to the death of a National Guardsman, the emotions are raw. We question accountability and the rush to certainty, acknowledging how hard it is to balance grief, facts, and responsibility. From there, we pivot to the viral clip about Campbell’s and so-called “3D printed chicken.” The company denied it and moved quickly, which raises the bigger question: how do we maintain trust in the brands that anchor our holiday tables? Marketing surveys like the State of the Sides can be part ad and part mirror, but they tell a story—mashed potatoes vs. stuffing, mac and cheese rising, and the way regional tastes become family identity.

We close with a curious find: a study linking three to four cups of coffee a day with slower biological aging in people with severe mental illness, potentially through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It’s nuanced and not a free pass for everyone, but it’s a nudge to read beyond the headline and appreciate how daily rituals—like a cup of black coffee—can support well-being. Along the way we keep it candid, a little nerdy, and grounded in what actually improves a day: honest talk, good food, and the habits that help us feel more like ourselves.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves mashed potatoes, and leave a quick review—what’s your number one side, and how do you take your coffee?

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:30):
Hello, good morning.
Happy Black Friday, I guess.
Have you guys do you guysparticipate in Black Friday?
That is not the question of theday.
I do not.
I've never have.
I thought it was a bunch ofbunk.
It's not real.
It's just hyped up sales.
They hype up the hype up theamount and then say they marked

(00:53):
it down.
It's all dumb.
No, especially with onlinenowadays.
But I have worked a few BlackFridays in retail, and I'm going
to tell you something.
I loved it.
I loved working in retail.
I know I'm a strange one.
Alright, we need to.
I hope you guys had a greatThanksgiving.
We went over to the daughter'shouse.

(01:14):
It's our second year in a rowwith her hosting it.
And I'm going to tell yousomething, and I need to tell
her this instead of telling youall this.
She has really made a cozylittle home for herself.
I am so happy and proud of her.
She had her Christmasdecorations up and she did a
really good job with the turkey.

(01:35):
We brought some sides, you know,she did some sides, and my son
brought the dessert with hisfamily.
But um, it was a good time.
It was a really good, good, goodtime.
I did not overstuff myself,believe it or not.
Normally I do.
Every year I will eat myselftill I will eat so much that I
feel miserable for three daysafterwards.

(01:57):
But I didn't do that lastyesterday.
But it was all real good.
Alright, we need to move on.
I hope you again hope you had agreat Thanksgiving.
I have a couple of stories outhere.
Oh my gosh, those NationalGuardsmen.
The woman um passed away.
Some of the reports that I hadread were that the guy shot her

(02:18):
in the chest and then came upclose to her and got her gun and
then shot her in the head.
I don't know how true that is,and I know I shouldn't even be
re repeating it if I don't knowthat it's true.
I don't know.
But obviously it was fatal.
She passed away of her of thegunshot wounds.

(02:38):
Oh my gosh, just horrible,horrible, horrible.
And this guy is here.
But Joe Biden has this on hishands.
I don't care how old anddecrepit or cancer ridden he is.
I would like to see himprosecuted for this and put in
prison.
I would.
There, yes, I said it.

(02:59):
I don't care if he had I don'tcare.
Somebody, maybe somebody aroundhim needs to do this since he
wasn't really in charge.
Who else was around him that didthis?
Maybe those people need to go toprison.
It's just, it's horrible.
Horrible, horrible, horrible.
There's a few N New York Postpieces out there too, talking

(03:20):
about how this American familyhosted him and how he worked for
this, you know, he was one ofthe assets that we had for the
CIA, working on the ground overthere in Afghanistan.
And then there's a there is aorganization group that helped
them get over here because theyhelped us.

(03:42):
Oh, it's just horrible allaround.
Horrible.
I can't, I can't even imagine.
I can't.
But we're not gonna talk aboutthat.
We're gonna go talk about someother stories that I put out
here.
I'm trying to find light piecesthat are not gonna be horrible.
But you know, let's say we'regonna move on.
Campbell's says it doesn't use3D printed chicken, and it fires

(04:05):
the executive who allegedly madethose shocking remarks for the
New York Post.
You you guys saw the video onPat Gray.
Um, Campbell's Vartin Bali wascaught describing the soup as
bioengineered meat and saying, Idon't want to eat a piece of
chicken that came from 3Dprinter.
Now, obviously, he was notsaying I mean he was just

(04:29):
implying that maybe he wastrying to use an analogy or
comparison that fake meat, youknow, I don't know.
Campbell said the remarks wereuntrue and that the executive
was no longer at the company onTuesday.
Damn.
The comments heard on therecording about our food are not
only inaccurate, they arepatently absurd.

(04:51):
The 155-year-old company statedon its website, uh-huh, sure.
We do not use lab grown chickenor any form of artificial or
bioengineered meat in our soups.
Uh-huh, sure.
Yeah, tell us more how you don'tuse that.
Okay, you can go finish readingthat if you'd like.
We need to move on.
I know I really didn't cover ithard.

(05:13):
Um right, since we were talkingabout Thanksgiving, let's talk
about this beloved cheesy,cheesy dish is rising the ranks
of America's most popularThanksgiving side.
Find out where your holidayfavorites fall.
Again for the New York Post.
Let's see what they're gonnasay.

(05:34):
And if it's BS or not.
Turkey Schmirky.
When it comes to Thanksgiving,everyone knows it's all about
the sides.
Campbell's, of course, we'regonna talk about Campbell's
again, one of the mostwell-known soup and sauce brands
in America, has released theirfourth annual State of the Sides
report analyzing holiday sidedishes and recipe trends to or

(05:56):
for the November holiday.
The report, which surveyed over5,000 Americans across all 50
states, emphasized America'slove for the side dishes, with
63% saying they prefer eatingsides over turkey at
Thanksgiving.
Okay, I love it all.
I love turkey.
I do, I like turkey.
Generations have turned toCampbell's to create their

(06:18):
holiday side dishes over theyears.
Blah, blah, blah.
All right.
Obviously, it's an advertisementfor Campbell's.
Um, for those who cookThanksgiving meal, 81% said that
preparing the side dishes is howthey show love for their family.
Well, can we get on to what yousay is the is the side dish?
Let me see if I can oh uh upfrom fifth place last year.

(06:40):
Mac and cheese is ranked fourththis year, and green bean
casserole is now in fifth placedown from fourth last year.
While stuffing kept the crownfor the favorite side
nationwide, ooh, gross.
Some states had a different topchoice.
New York and Florida are moreinto the cheesy stuff, choosing
mac and cheese as their numberone side dish.

(07:02):
So I guess mac and cheese is it?
What about corn casserole?
Here we go.
Overall, stuffing, also calleddressing, was named the top side
dish this year.
Gross, those 5,000 Americans arewrong for the second year in a
row with mashed potatoes keepingit second place.
No, mashed potatoes need to bein first.

(07:24):
Corn casserole can be second.
I love meat some mashedpotatoes.
I could eat mashed potatoes forbreakfast, lunch, dinner, every
day, a snack, a midnight snack.
I could eat mashed potatoes overice cream any day.
I love meat some mashedpotatoes.
Okay.
Alright, next thing up, theirlast one is about coffee, of

(07:45):
course.
Again for the New York Post.
And this many cups of coffee aday may help slow the biological
aging.
I'm all about this article.
I have not read it, so we'regonna read it together.
Go ahead and pour yourself thatextra cup of Joe.
Coffee drinkers may already knowthe benefits that come with
their morning pick-me-up fromfeeling happier to fending off

(08:08):
illnesses such as type 2diabetes, heart disease, and
even Parkinson's disease.
What?
And now your morning ritual mayadd healthy years to your life.
No wonder I feel so young.
I drink a ton of coffee.
That's why.
And I drink at black, unless I'mgetting Starbucks, which I don't
get Starbucks anymore.
Haven't had it in going on twoweeks now.

(08:30):
Although the husband did buy meone of those store-bought
Starbucks drinks in a bottle,and I did have one yesterday.
But it wasn't from the st fromthe store store.
It still had a ton of sugar.
And I think I can drink it as atreat every once in a while.
Alright, moving on.
But mainly I drink my hot coffeeblack with nothing in it.
Unlike chronological age, whichis the number of years you we've

(08:53):
been alive, biological agingmeasures the age of our cells
and organs.
It's influenced by factors likegenetics, lifestyle, that is
true.
Lifestyle for sure.
Environmental exposures anddiet, yes, and apparently the
amount of coffee we drink.
A study published this week inthe BMJ Mental Health Journal

(09:14):
found that three or four cups ofcoffee a day may slow biological
aging in individuals with severemental illness.
Oh.
Well that's a letdown.
What the hell?
What do they mean with severe?
Maybe I have severe mentalillness.
Maybe that's why I feel like I'mso young.
Why do they have to attack thaton?

(09:36):
They could have started off withthat.
Oh dear, oh dear.
I mean, do you really want tocaffeinate the severe mental
illness people?
Compared to non-coffee drinkers,those who downed mug after mug
gained five additionalbiological years.
Holy cow! But this is sayingwith severe mental illness, this

(09:59):
is crazy.
That's what the paragraph saidabove, right?
Okay.
Four eight ounces cups are aboutthe recommended daily amount of
caffeine for adults by the Foodand Drug Administration.
The new research suggests thatcoffee consumption may improve
aging by reducing oxidativestress and imbalance between

(10:19):
antioxidants and free radicalsthat damages cells and DNA.
But why does this only affectthe severe mental illness
people?
Huh?
I guess they're not going toaddress that.
Oxid okay, now we're going toget in some scientific terms.
Oxidative stress can affecttelomere length.
I don't even know what thatmeans, or the caps at the end of

(10:42):
the chromosomes that keep themfrom fraying, like the plastic
tips on a shoelace.
Okay, shortened telomeres can bean indication of biological or
cellular aging.
Okay, that's interesting.
While shortened chromosomeshappen naturally, the
researchers noted that theyappear more often in those with
severe mental disorders, such asschizophrenia or bipolar

(11:06):
disorder.
What?
The study authors show okay,whatever.
Do I need to go on with this?
I'm kind of disappointed now.
I'm still gonna take it as mebeing aging slowly.
Okay.
One reason that researchersthink coffee slows biological
aging, that it's powerfulantioxidant and

(11:29):
anti-inflammatory compounds.
It's an interesting article, Iguess.
If you want to go finish readingthat, you can.
Alright, question of the day.
Alright, you know what?
I am gonna do the Black Fridayquestion of the day.
Do you or have you everparticipated in going out at six
o'clock in the morning on aBlack Friday to get a deal?

(11:51):
No, I have not.
And no, I will never do it.
Okay.
I gotta go.
Thanks for listening.
The gent and I should be back onSunday with an episode of our
Brood Awakening.
And then I'll be back on Mondaytoo.
Okay.
I gotta go.
Thanks for listening.
Have a great weekend.