Behind the Curtain: Oscars Voting Secrets and NFL Draft Drama for 4/30/25

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Lawrence and Meryl dive into shocking news that Oscar voters weren't required to watch all nominated films before voting, raising questions about the integrity of past Academy Award winners.

• The NFL draft controversy surrounding Shedeur Sanders, who dropped to the fifth round despite expectations of a higher selection
• A cruel prank call to Sanders from the son of an Atlanta Falcons coordinator who obtained his number
• Jack in the Box's announcement to close up to 200 underperforming restaurants and possibly sell Del Taco
• Shannon Sharpe's $50 million lawsuit alleging rape and physical abuse from a former girlfriend
• The bizarre story of Bachelor Nation's Caitlin Bristow calling out her ex-fiancé for naming his dog "Teddy," a name she wanted for her future baby
• Elon Musk stepping back from Doge as Tesla profits plummet 71%
• Trump's controversial proposal to offer $5,000 bonuses for women to have babies
• Common skills Gen Z lacks according to boomers, including map reading and telling time on analog clocks
• The growing trend of embracing gray hair as a natural sign of aging

Support Meryl at her upcoming free show in Dana Point on Friday, May 2nd.

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Hello, and thank you for listening to Thirsty Topics podcast! I'm Lawrence Elrod, and every week Meryl Klemow and I dive deep into the stories that matter, the conversations that shape our world."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hello everyone, welcome to this week's episode
of Thirsty Topics.
I'm Laurence Elrod.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
And I'm Meryl Clemo.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Hey Meryl, how are you?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
I'm really good.
How about you Doing fantastic?
It was 80 degrees today whereI'm at.
It was oh yes, whoa.
Now does everyone act like whenthat happens?
Is everyone out and about?
Does it feel like a summer day?

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Oh yeah, everyone's out and about People working in
their yards, so it was a niceday.
How about by you?

Speaker 2 (00:44):
By me.
It was actually.
It was overcast at first.
Don't tell anyone that I workwith, but I kind of played hooky
today.
So I went to downtown LA withmy boyfriend, which is like if
anyone's ever been there, it'san experience like altogether.
It just seems like a Disneyland, but not in the opposite way.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
So it was fun, though we're gonna have some
disneyland like uh adventuresduring these conversations here?

Speaker 2 (01:13):
yes, I know.
Yep, definitely so.
Do you want me to kick it off?

Speaker 1 (01:16):
yep, I will let you start off okay, cool.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
I thought this was pretty interesting.
Um, the the Academy justannounced that, starting next
year, oscar voters will have towatch all the movies in a
category before making theirfinal round picks, which, you
know that obviously surprised alot of people, because we're
just like wait, don't you guyswatch the movies that you're
voting on?
I don't understand how that'shappening.

(01:40):
You know how would otherwisepeople know who to vote for?
Yeah, it's as we learned.
Oscar voting has kind of littleto no integrity, as the Oscar
ballot anonymous interviews withvoters have demonstrated in
recent years.
People have been kind of likeon the hook sometimes for
letting letting it slip out ininterviews that they've really

(02:02):
never seen movies but yet theyvoted for certain actresses, or
you know, a friend in theacademy has told them that
something's really good, so theykind of got swept up in that um
, and I just think that's socrazy.
So, pretty much the articlealso said that the field will um
, not, it will narrow, not onlybefore nominations but before

(02:23):
anybody sees the movies.
So it's a little weird where itseems like sometimes, based on
the buzz alone, they'll eventalk about Oscar nomination
before it even comes out andpeople have the chance to decide
as a whole whether they like it.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
I was really shocked to hear that they how has that
been allowed?

Speaker 2 (02:47):
And honestly too, I feel like some of the whiniest
people are like the Hollywoodelite people, so you would think
like this would have stopped along time ago or actors that
didn't get voted, that shouldhave or didn't get picked, that
were like kind of in the leadingcharge.
You would think that this wouldhave been like brought up a lot
of times before oh, definitely.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
And you know the other thing too is it kind of
makes you look at the winnersdifferently over the years now,
because if you hadn't seen allthe movies, what are you voting
on?
How are you coming up with thisvote?

Speaker 2 (03:21):
yeah, no, if you were in the academy like you're,
you're very honest and like Ifeel, like I like to think so am
I?
I really feel like we wouldboth truly watch the movies
before we go again.
Yeah, I know you would, I knowyou would.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah, I just think it's kind of sad because you
know you always hear aboutpeople getting snubbed or why
wasn't this person, this movie,whatever, nominated?
And you know, this kind ofreally kind of throws some
gasoline on those arguments alittle bit.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
I know and I really think it's becoming less and
less like the gravity of Oscarwinning in general too, just
because it does seem sometimeslike there's such weird choices
that I think the general public,it just seems it's taking the
awards a little bit lessseriously than we used to.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
I agree, but the crazy thing about it is is that
you know someone that wins anOscar.
That affects your pay, your paygrade too.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, that's true, that is true.
And then remember like someonelike Demi Moore like didn't get
one and Mikey Madison did getone this year and stuff, and
it's just like okay that thatthat one I was thinking of
completely that movie and noraand I was like I wonder, I would
bet that there was people thatvoted that hadn't seen the movie
oh yeah, because I know Ilooked at the article and what I

(04:34):
was actually surprised is isthat, even though they're
requiring people to watch this,it's based on the honor system.
Yeah, and it's like okay, yeah,yeah, you're trusting the wrong.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
That's like the biggest oxymoron, yeah they're
sitting in the theater on thephone, you know, talking to
their manager, their cousins andstuff.
Yeah, I watched the movie.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
I was there yeah, and I bet there's probably so much.
Uh, the same way that therealways is just political things
where, okay, this person's withthis agency and this agent wants
the person to vote for theirclient, so they're going to have
, like, bradley Cooper vote forthis person and you know, like
I'm sure it's all and not evenjust the actors, it's like the
directors and thecinematographers and the

(05:20):
production people.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Yeah, I think that now that this has slipped out
the bag, I wonder if this isgoing to make the Oscars a
little less important or alittle less worthy now, because,
let's face it, if you didn'twatch the movie or see the
actors, you're literally justvoting on who you like.

(05:42):
That's really what you do.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
I'm surprised there isn't more of an uproar about
this, because this is definitelyalso the sector of people that
would get the most mad aboutthings, too.
If it wasn't happening to themdirectly, they would be mad
about it if it was an outsidegroup doing it.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
That's true.
It would be kind of fun to seehow this honor system wink wink
works I know, yeah, yeah,because how are we ever gonna
know if someone's not?

Speaker 2 (06:11):
I guess the only thing is just to like do
interviews with people and tryto catch them off guard and be
like what did you think of whenthe main character died?
And then it's like that didn'thappen, you know right actually
you know we should.

Speaker 1 (06:23):
We should hire jim, hire Jimmy Kimmel to do that.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
Have you ever seen that?
When he does that on his shows?
Oh yeah, with the fake bandnames and oh my god, people just
, instead of just saying I don'tknow, they just come up with
the weirdest things.
They should do that to theactors.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yes, yes, I feel like we'd catch a lot more.
Yeah, like I said, that was verysurprising.
I know it makes me also wondertoo, even past that, like I mean
the grammys, like what ifpeople aren't even listening to
the albums?
Or you know, like every awardshow and and for the most part
I'm sure a lot of it is riggedlike the people's choice awards,

(07:01):
when they always do those liketext this number to win or to
vote for your favorite, I'm sureyou know I don't really think
they're like sitting behind aphoto booth, like counting
things.
I think they're probably fakingit.

Speaker 1 (07:13):
Yeah, that's true.
It does make you wonder.
It really does Talk aboutwonder.
I'm quite sure you heard of thebig scandal going on now with
the NFL draft.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
And for anyone who doesn't know, which will be kind
of surprising, but ShaduraSanders is the son of legendary
NFL player, deion Sanders.
Deion Sanders is a Hall ofFamer.
He's also a head coach InColorado Great talent.
Some people may call him alittle cocky, but he is talented

(07:50):
.
Well, his son Was expectedprobably to be picked In either
the first or second round Of thedraft.
He wasn't picked until thefifth round.
Basically overall, he was the144th pick.
So there's speculation ofpeople thinking that well, maybe
you know, shador is very cocky,you know he needs to humble

(08:15):
himself.
Some people feel that, well,they're kind of punishing him
because some people don't likeDeion Sanders.
Yeah, so there's a whole lot ofwhat-ifs going on.
What do you think about that,meryl?

Speaker 2 (08:28):
Oh my gosh, okay, I'm well-versed in this, I know too
much about this.
Surprisingly, props to myboyfriend for always shoving the
sports stuff in my face,because now it's at least the
shining moment is that I get totalk about this with you.
I'm always like, okay, I atleast know stuff with Lawrence.
But first of all, on TikTok, wewatched that they like set up a

(08:50):
whole room for him.
I don't know if you saw this,but they set up like a room
because they and that's where Icouldn't I cringed so bad and I
felt so, so bad because like,even if someone is cocky, the
thought of people taking thetime and effort to like set up a
big place in their house andthen him having to stand there
and in front of all of hisfriends be like, oh, I guess I

(09:11):
didn't get picked and and Ihonestly think he had a good
attitude for all of thatrejection, I feel like he could
have gone even more off thewalls and like really been a
brat or really been like bitterand stuff and and like I mean
maybe I'm not catching all of it, but the stuff that I've seen
he has stayed like reallypositive in the face of
embarrassment and but yeah, theyset up that room and it was

(09:33):
supposed to be where he wasgoing to do his interviews and
then it just like sat thereempty.
I can't take it.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah it was, it was pretty bad, I mean, and then you
know, supposedly.
I mean, and then you know,supposedly I guess I don't know
if it was a coach or maybe itwas a manager of a team stated

(10:02):
that ever had.
And I remember, watching onGood Morning America, michael
Strahan was saying that you knowwhat, if you're going to say
derogatory stuff and really saystuff like this, then put your
name to it.
You know, don't just do itanonymously.
And I think he has a greatpoint.
You know, if you put that outthere, who are?

Speaker 2 (10:20):
you Say who you are, don't, don't just throw it out
there, you know, say who you are.
Don't just throw it out there.
Say who you are to the personthat interviewed Sanders.
Yeah, the person that said that, sanders.

Speaker 1 (10:30):
Interviewed so horribly.
Don't just let that part slipout.
Put your name to it.

Speaker 2 (10:36):
What kind of reputation Now does Deion
Sanders have, like a good one ora not good one?

Speaker 1 (10:43):
I mean, one thing is he was a great player, he's a
Hall of.
One thing is he's a great was agreat player, he's a hall of
famer, he's a great coach.
No one can take that away fromhim.
But you know, a lot of peoplefeel that he is a little bit on
a cocky side, you know reallyarrogant and they feel that his
son is picking up those traitsum.
Some people feel that he is,some people feel that he's not.
He's just really talented.
So it's all over the spectrum.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
That's so tough because it's like, where do we
draw the line in sports?
Where like cocky and confidenceand arrogance, and you know
what I mean- Because like.
I could think of a lot of peoplelike Manny Machado on the
Padres, like I don't know.
You know he has like a bravadoto it, but it's not annoying, or
it's not harmful to people, butlike some people may think it's
annoying, some people thinkit's just fine, like it's so
subjective.
Um, I also wrote down aboutthis that, like trump had said

(11:32):
something like that people werethe stupidest, like nfl or
whatever.
Was he's like so stupid?
I'm like, don't you have alsomore things to think about than
like this situation?
And then the other thing wasthat I think someone, like a
teen, somehow got his numberfrom a friend's dad, was the
coach or something, and theypranked him.
And it's like, even if someoneis arrogant or mean, I just

(11:58):
don't want to watch someone gethumiliated, no matter what.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
I mean for me.
I think there should beconsequences to that because, to
say well and for people whodon't know, it was actually the
son of one of the coordinatorsfor the Atlanta Falcons.
Supposedly he left his computerup and his son saw the

(12:23):
information.
It's amazing that Sanders' nameand number was just right there
on the screen.
But okay, whatever we'll go withit yeah, yeah, yeah and you
just happen to call it and youplay this little game for one.
You know, only coaches aresupposed to have all these, um,
all these numbers for theserookies coming in.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
Specifically for this reason, and then to sit there
and call someone play games,like you know, hey, you know you
got to wait a little longer.
You know this is so-and-so, youknow, I think that's so cruel.
I know it's cruel, it is cruel,it's cruel, it's very
disrespectful, silly.
Now, it's one thing if it's a15, 16 year old.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
His son is 21 years old.
You know, yeah, yes, yeah, andat the end of the day, like
dion's son is just, he was justraised how he's raised, like
unless he's physically hurtingpeople or like being emotionally
mean, like then maybe he couldget knocked down a few pegs in
terms of his attitude.
But like that, I, I still don'twant to see someone like be
humiliated or like around theirfriends.
You know, it's almost um, it'sweird now too, with tiktok and

(13:31):
everything, where we're seeingdifferent angles of it, like we
see inside his home and we seelike all the different stories,
instead of just like the one onthe news yeah and you know, I
think, even if he has the statsto be in the first or second
round.

Speaker 1 (13:47):
You know, the beautiful thing is he was
drafted OK, so now he has toshow what he can do, and that's
for any rookie coming into theNFL, yeah.
But I don't like the playinggames thing because you play
with people's emotions.
I mean, you're talking aboutlife changing moment in person's
life.
That's, to me, is very crueland I don't know, do you think

(14:10):
that his father should bepenalized by the team for what
his son did?

Speaker 2 (14:15):
Um, if he really just got the number, then no, I
really don't think so.
Like if he just got, if the kidjust really broke into the
computer or if it was just there.
Um, like, maybe not, maybe notlike penalizing, not fired or
anything, but but talk to yes,and maybe he should apologize to

(14:36):
, to the kid, you know, to thefamily mm-hmm, because you know,
based on what his son did, youknow, atlanta Falcons can easily
be like.

Speaker 1 (14:45):
You know what.
You can't control your stuff.

Speaker 2 (14:49):
That's what I can do.

Speaker 1 (14:51):
That your son access, which is a 21-year-old man.
Goodbye, we don't need you.
Literally, they can do that.
There's nothing stopping them.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
That's a tough one.

Speaker 1 (15:04):
I'm quite sure that his son has had a very stern
talk with his dad after that.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah, and where did the guy end up getting drafted
to Like who picked him overall?

Speaker 1 (15:22):
Oh, he went to the Cleveland Browns on the fifth
round.

Speaker 2 (15:27):
I hope that also doesn't.
I hope the self-esteem of theCleveland Brown players are
still there.
I hope they're not feeling like, oh God, it's such a mockery
now that this guy is joining our, that Sanders is joining our
team.
I hope they still feel goodabout it and I also hope that no
one's bullying each other toomuch once he joins the team.

Speaker 1 (15:46):
Well, I think they're professional players.
I think they're going towelcome him in because he is a
part of the team now.

Speaker 2 (15:50):
Yeah, I hope they welcome him.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
The real test is going to be in preseason,
because you know that oppositeteams are going to be testing
them.

Speaker 2 (16:01):
Okay, you're supposed to be this good let's see how
good you are, you come in withthis chip on your shoulder that
you can do these things.
They're gonna make you prove it.
Oh, this is like the oppositeof nepotism.
I don't think I've ever seenlike such an anti-nepotism case
ever.
Maybe the only other one islike Tom Hanks' weird son, colin

(16:26):
Hanks, who like has nothing todo with Tom and is like always
popping off very weirdly on theinternet.
Besides those two sons, I don'tthink I've ever seen someone
like go off the course so bad.

Speaker 1 (16:37):
Yeah it's going to be interesting because there's a
lot of heated debate on thissubject.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
I know.

Speaker 1 (16:43):
From how he got recruited to the prank call.
You know there's a lot ofheated emotion on this.
So, it'll be kind ofinteresting to see, once all the
dust clears, how he plays.

Speaker 2 (16:55):
Exactly.
I just don't know how like as agrown adult, I would never take
pleasure in seeing like a uh,still a younger person, even
like a grown adult, be likethink they're gonna get called
for something and then not getcalled or like have no one show
up to their party or you know.
Like no matter how annoyingthat person was, I don't.
I would never like takepleasure of actively seeing

(17:15):
someone waiting for something tohappen and then kind of like
being embarrassed.

Speaker 1 (17:20):
Yeah, and, and you know, the other thing too is a
lot of people are makingpredictions about you know, is
he really as good as he say?
He is, this and that?
Now, I personally don't watch alot of college ball, so I can't
really comment on it too well.
But you know, when, when teamsin NFL are drafting their
players, there's a team ofpeople in a room and there's so

(17:43):
many things going on and,depending on who you like,
someone picks that person.
Now you got to hurry up andpick someone else.
How they're going to fit in,and you have to make these
decisions like really quick.

Speaker 2 (17:54):
Yeah, yep.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
So there's a whole lot of things going on in the
background that none of us areprivy to.

Speaker 2 (17:59):
No, and I bet Dion has some friends that he thought
was going to draft him.
And just being out in thecommunity for so many years, I'm
sure Dion is probably like whatthe heck that's embarrassing
for him too, being part of theindustry and having that happen.

Speaker 1 (18:14):
Yeah, I mean, hopefully it's not anything
nefarious behind the scenes.
The NFL's got a little bit of ablack eye as far as minorities,
uh, years ago, you know it's alot different now, obviously,
but you know there wasn't awhole lot of black quarterbacks
and other key positions andstuff like that years ago.
Um, that's changed now,obviously, and just hopefully

(18:35):
hopefully, um, you know, wedon't see that ugly head pop up,
you know no, and just trumpcalling the NFL stupid.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
He's like it's a stupid move, it's stupid.
I'm like, oh my God.

Speaker 1 (18:48):
If I was a betting man?

Speaker 2 (18:49):
I don't think the NFL cares what he thinks.
But it's also like I don'tthink you want to mess with a
giant sports franchise as apresident, or you know what I
mean.
Just because, also, I think alot of his voter base does watch
the nfl, and it's just.
It's true.
You know, I don't want trumpshould not be beefing with like
the, like mlb or anything wellhe shouldn't be, but we'll see.

Speaker 1 (19:15):
Exactly, we'll see we'll see.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
Yeah well, I can't wait to hear about how the
sanders kids does, because, likeI, secretly want I need to see
how arrogant he is and then makemy own decision.
So far, the only thing I'veseen is just kind of like a
little teenager getting likekind of embarrassed.
But we'll see.
I'm open-minded.
You know what I would love tosee him come in there and just
kick ass left and right, me too,me too, me too, me too, it's

(19:44):
like except when he plays thebears, though, yeah, but in that
case you're gonna be like, okay, okay, well, uh, I hope this
doesn't get me canceled, but I'mmy next article.
I am saying that this is and Iam a white woman and I am saying
that this is like hashtag whitepeople problems for sure,
because this is, this is soannoying in general.
This is first world annoyingproblems where Caitlin Bristow,

(20:07):
who was in the Bachelor beforeshe was a bachelorette Bachelor
Nations.
Caitlin Bristow called out herex-fiance, jason Tardik, for
naming his new golden retrieverTeddy, a name that she said
she's always wanted for herfuture baby.
They've been beefing.
This was like a very weirdbreakup.
I feel like I don't know if youknow anything about this, but

(20:29):
like caitlyn bristow obviouslywas like a kind of a few
bachelorettes ago, um, and nowshe's definitely one of the more
like independent women shelives in nashville and she has
her own podcast and like she wasengaged to this guy, jason
tardick he was also in thebachelor franchise and then then
they broke up and it was one ofthose things.
Like for a week they were likeoh, we still love each other and

(20:51):
it's really amicable.
And then, like somethinghappened on day eight where it
was just like we hate each other, you know, and so she.
She makes it seem a little bitlike jason was using her for
clout a little bit and likewanting to start a podcast and
she already had a successfulpodcast and just she paints him
a little bit as like riding hercoattails because she was like

(21:11):
the bigger star in therelationship.
Um, so now this has popped up,where caitlin recently revealed
that jason, who she dated forfour years before their 2023
breakup, gave his new goldenretriever the baby name she'd
been hoping to use one day.
She said I think it's mean andpathetic to name your dog that.

(21:31):
And then it just sparked awhole big discussion about, like
, if you're a couple and youtalk about baby names, then,
like out of respect, you justkind of always leave that name
alone.
Or is that kind of petty forhim to name his dog that?
It is named Teddy, which couldbe a dog name, but also that's a
pretty specific thing.

(21:52):
If your ex-girlfriend wants toname the baby that and you name
your dog it there's so manynames in the world Just pick a
different one.

Speaker 1 (22:01):
Yeah, I kind can agree with you.
I think it is petty.
I don't think it's acoincidence that he picked that
name Me too.

Speaker 2 (22:08):
That's like a low blow.
Especially they broke up in2023 Like move on, and you know.

Speaker 1 (22:16):
People do stuff to get back at their exes, which I
don't understand, because to me,if you're going to be that
petty, that means you haven'tgot over them.
No matter what you say, youhaven't got over them.
If you're that petty, now Ithink if she wants to name her
child Teddy, I don't think thatshould stop it.
I really don't.

Speaker 2 (22:33):
Exactly because now they're strangers.
At this point it's like whatdoes that even mean to you?

Speaker 1 (22:45):
Jason and his golden retriever should be like off in
the universe and you don't evenlike know about them anymore.

Speaker 2 (22:47):
you know, exactly exactly, but I think it's a
little childish personally.
I mean, I think it's childishtoo, and if I had a platform and
, like my ex was doing annoyingthings, I do think she's okay to
call that out and just be likelook, you guys, this is how
weird he is, you know.

Speaker 1 (22:58):
And I'm quite sure he remembered that that was the
name that she wanted for herfirst child.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeah, yeah, but yeah, I've never had.
I mean I don't want, I don'thave any baby names because I
don't want any babies.
But this conversation opened up, like on the podcast thread and
everything.
It just opened up all thesecrazy stories of like women
sharing that people took theirbaby names and, like, not even

(23:23):
for a dog, their friends namedtheir babies the name.
You know just all these thingsof like sister-in-laws stealing
the baby names and peoplementioning it once at a party
and then, like four months later, they see that this couple that
they told it to is named thatname.
So I know it's a tricky subjectfor people, but it's pretty
weird if you hear from someonethat that's like their main name

(23:43):
and then you go in and steal it.
It is.

Speaker 1 (23:46):
It is, but you know some people.
Just again, I don't think he'sgotten over if he's going to do
that.

Speaker 2 (23:53):
Yeah, that's pretty petty.

Speaker 1 (23:54):
You know it's like I know.

Speaker 2 (23:57):
And then I also on the devil's advocate part, I do
feel like also it is a littlesilly if you are single with
like no part, no baby in sight,really.
You're just kind of dreaming upnames and at that point, like
you can't really have the lockon it because like you don't
really I mean you could meetsomeone tomorrow, but it's like
if it's not like kind of soon onits way, you can't have like a
running list and like claimthose names for the next like

(24:19):
four decades, you know.

Speaker 1 (24:23):
Oh exactly, and claim those names for the next four
decades.
Exactly the thing, too, is whatif you get a hold of someone
and they already have a childnamed Teddy, or they have a pet
named?

Speaker 2 (24:29):
Teddy, exactly.

Speaker 1 (24:30):
Are you going to give up the name because of that?

Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah, the only name I ever thought I wanted.
I wanted to have a boy namedElbert E-L-B-E-R-T, that was it.
I'm not even going to have aboy named Elbert E-L-B-E-R-T,
that was it.
Oh nice.
So I don't think I ever, I'mnot even going to have a baby,
but I don't think I don't thinkanyone's ever going to steal the
name Elbert.

Speaker 1 (24:49):
Hey, it's a very unique name.

Speaker 2 (24:51):
Right, I think it's a cute name, but I could just get
like a hermit crab named Elbertor something.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
Talking about interesting names, well, I'm
quite sure Everyone knows whoElon Musk is.
Yeah too much.
Well, now Elon Musk Is steppingback from Doge.
From Doge, as Telza Profitshave plunged 71 71%.

Speaker 2 (25:22):
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 (25:23):
For the first three months of this year.

Speaker 2 (25:26):
Oh my Lord.

Speaker 1 (25:28):
So yeah, so he's going to step back to spend more
time in his business and stufflike that.
Well, this is what happens tome.
When you just throw people in aposition that they probably
shouldn't be in, let them gocrazy, do what they want, blow
things up left and right.
And then to me, when you're abusiness person, you're either a

(25:51):
business person or you're apolitician.
I've never seen it work whereyou can do both.

Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yes, yeah, because I think Elon was trying to do to
like fire fast and to do, youknow, like a business where it's
like you're done like buy,leave tomorrow, and you can't do
that for governmentinstitutions and like actual,
real, like federal things thatwe need.
You can't just act like it's acorporate entity and like fire
everyone or close down a sectorwithout like explaining or, you

(26:18):
know, without taking it, takingyour time.

Speaker 1 (26:20):
Well, and then also too, you kind of need to know
what they do before you startfiring them too.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
Exactly what a mess.
And it's like if he knew thatit was going to be this
short-lived his tenure therethen like why, I don't know, I
feel like there's so much likesuch a mess was done in the
first couple months.

Speaker 1 (26:37):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:55):
And then his business suffered gravely.
I mean, I mean, do you thinkthat his business will ever
bounce back forever like kind oftarnished, a little bit, like
they definitely have a scarletletter.
But I see a scenario down theroad where Elon kind of like
comes back and maybe helps hisimage a little bit.
Maybe he starts working morewith like environmental groups

(27:15):
or maybe he kind of has like aturnaround and, like you know,
starts just turning thingsaround.
I could see that happening.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
I don't know.
I hope you're right, but Idon't see it.
I think he is so entrenchedwith trying to please someone
that he'll basically do and saywhatever he needs to just to be
close to that person.
That's just my personal opinion, especially from what I've seen
, and it's like he has no carein the world.

(27:47):
Well, American people have asay and when you want a business
they can show you by notspending their money with you.

Speaker 2 (27:56):
Exactly, and I feel like there should be constant
communication of how the Dogestuff.
Now, with Elon stepping away alittle bit, like now, tell us
how you've made things better.
You know what I mean.
Like in what way are thingsimproved?
Because I've heard horrorstories about people about, like
kids in Africa not gettingtheir medication that they need,
and you know, like real lifethings that are like affecting

(28:18):
people with medications and allthat stuff, things that are
affecting people withmedications and all that stuff.
So it's like I also feel likeno one understands why they did
what they did and if it'shelping or not.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
I don't see where it's helped so far.
No, none of us, if you thinkabout how many people have been
laid off.
And then they had to turnaround and rehire people because
they didn't realize what theydid and they were so poor.
Then they had to turn aroundand rehire people because they
didn't realize what they did andthey were so poor and they had
to get back in there.
I mean, it was a bigclusterfuck is probably the
easiest way to say it.
And then, on top of that, helost hundreds of billions of

(28:56):
dollars, with a B over this aswell too, and I don't care how
rich you are when you startusing losing billions of dollars
.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, you pay attention to that yeah, yeah, I
think they could have been soconservative at not in the
political way, but just in theway that at first, where they
could have really just seen likewhere the excess spending is,
and then slowly started to trimthat back and then been like,
okay, no one has lost their, butwe've also somehow got back
like $1.3 trillion for us and noone has been affected by this,

(29:26):
but we've been able to do it.

Speaker 1 (29:28):
Oh yeah, and you know what?
No one's going to argue that,hey, there's a lot of waste in
government, but figure out whatit is and then make the
appropriate changes.
Don't just come in there with abutcher axe and just start
shopping.
Just start shopping.
That's not how you do stuff,you know, and they go.

Speaker 2 (29:45):
Oh, we forgot, we need to bring them back it
reminds me I once talked tosomeone who was no, she might
have had a little bit somemental issues as well, but she
was telling us that like everynow and then she would get in
this mood where she decided sheneeded like just 70 or just a
little bit of money and shewould like sell, put, put
everything on craigslist on herfor her house, like she would

(30:05):
like sell her dining room andsell her sofa, and then she'd
end up making a bunch of money.
But then she'd look around andshe's like I have no furniture,
I have nowhere to sit, I havenowhere.
And it was like and then it'slike kind of that feeling now
where it's like you've done toomuch and too fast and now you
have to just kind of pay for itand then you have to like rebuy
the things and refurnishyourself and it just seems like
and it's like who's going to bein charge now?

(30:27):
And but I wonder if Elon wasstarting to see like oh god,
this is not going to bode wellfor me, or like he was on, he
was starting to be on like alosing team.
Yeah you kind of?

Speaker 1 (30:39):
wonder, you know?
I mean, for all we know, he mayhave gotten out, but right
before the uh, everythingexploded like, okay, let me head
out before the ceiling comesdown.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
Yeah yeah, at one point I don't know why this is
the most I will ever quote trumpin like a um you know recording
but at one point trump wassaying like elon's a good guy,
and then he was like he has kids.

Speaker 1 (31:00):
He has so many kids he only has about 20 kids, you
know that's what Trump wassaying about him.

Speaker 2 (31:09):
He's like he has kids , so many kids that's a whole
story in itself.
I know, I know we'll get tothat for sure.
But yeah well, one place that Idon't know if maybe this was a
doge cut or not, but Jack in theBox, the fast food chain.
Do you guys have Jack in theBox where you live?

Speaker 1 (31:29):
Where I live.
No, there are Jack.
Jack in the Box is here inIllinois, just not in the
Chicago area.

Speaker 2 (31:35):
OK, there was.
There's tons by where I used tolive in San Diego because it's
San Diego based.
There's tons by where I used tolive in San Diego because it's
San Diego based.
Jack in the Box just said onWednesday it's planning to close
between 150 to 200underperforming restaurants and
it could sell the Del Taco brandthat it acquired three years
ago.
The San Diego based chaincurrently operates and

(31:57):
franchises 2,200 restaurantsacross the 22 states.
And yeah, it just said a lot ofthe things are like
underperforming.
It's so funny.
They the name of like the, thekind of plan is the Jack on
track.
I mean we don't need to havelike a menu item like named this
and so.
But I mean, good for them.

(32:18):
At least they're saying likethis is a plan to improve long
term financial performance.
Jack in the Box acquired DelTaco for $585 million back in
March 2022, which I didn't know.
That either.
Us it seems to be where there'sa Jack in the Box, there's also

(32:40):
like a Burger King, a Wendy's,like there's they always seem to
be by a lot of other optionsand I just think for the most
part, like you know, it's toughcompetition and I think also
people people don't really knowlike what, why?
Like what exactly you would getat Jack in the Box.
you know, like I know, they havejalapeno poppers and the menu
is kind of random and I don'tknow if they've really done a

(33:02):
wonderful job at like.
Recognition of like.
Okay, I go to this fast foodplace for like, this item or
this thing, you know yeah,that's true.

Speaker 1 (33:10):
I mean, I know that a lot of fast food places do that
, where literally, if you see amcdonald's, nine times out of
ten you're gonna see a wendy's,you're gonna also see a burger
king and the tacos I to also seea Burger King and a Taco Bell.
I mean literally in a cluster.
Yeah, I guess the reasoning isthey feel that if one restaurant
brings people to them by beingat your restaurant.
you can peel off some of thosecustomers there, but I would

(33:33):
think that you would want tokind of be off to yourself a
little bit to drive morebusiness, exactly.
I mean, what do I know?
I don't know drive more exactly.

Speaker 2 (33:43):
I mean what?
do, I know, I don't know, I mean, they've been doing it, so
maybe they don't know what I do,and it's just tough with, like
a place like jack in the boxwhere it's like, okay, they have
burgers, but then you might goto mcdonald's or burger king and
then they have tacos, but thenthere might be like a delt the
taco bell, you know.
So it's like you have to really, I don't know you have to like
really want jack in the boxbecause I feel like their menu,
anything they have there.
There's another place with amore famous item, like In-N-Out

(34:05):
or something, and let's face it,none of these restaurants are
the healthiest on the menu.
No.

Speaker 1 (34:12):
Nowhere near healthy and it would be kind of cool.
I don't think it'll happen, butit'd be kind of cool if a fast
food restaurant was onlydedicated to healthy stuff that
you can get on a budget, youknow, reasonable amount of money
and get served quickly.
That would.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
I think that would be a game changer, but no one
wants to invest in that I know,I know, and also just to like
make it taste so good, because Ifeel like the other thing with
with like places likejack-in-the-box is just kind of
like people will go there andthen it's kind of like you know,
you're left feeling just howyou said it's not healthy, but
it also doesn't really tastelike like somehow the burger
tastes exactly the same as likethe quesadilla, like it all

(34:53):
weirdly tastes, but theydefinitely are so good for like
really late night food.
You know, like um, I thinkthat's the place with either
mozzarella sticks or like thejalapeno poppers, and those are
good that's true.

Speaker 1 (35:06):
That's true.
I mean, it's almost like whitecastle for some.
Yeah, after you've beendrinking late at night, white
castles tastes really good forsome reason.

Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yes, yes, it's like the guilty.
It's like the guilty food whereyou just have to yeah, oh, here
it is.
I'm looking now and it's likethe stuffed jalapenos which are
just like fried and then creamcheese.
And you know, the next morningI always wake up like what did I
do?
But yeah, and like I feel likejack in the box has egg rolls.
I'm like there's just no needfor.

(35:34):
Like they might want to likerethink their menu in terms of
what they are and like whothey're wow, jack in and brocks
sells egg rolls yeah, yeah, Iwould have never thought that.
I know, I know.
And then it's like the normalstuff, like vanilla shake,
chocolate shake, but um, yeah, Idon't know interesting.

Speaker 1 (35:53):
Now you make me want to go to a jack on the box just
to see I was just thinking thatI was like I might want that for
dinner.

Speaker 2 (35:58):
That's like so funny.
But then you just feel so grossafter, like Like I'm all for
you know, like I don't know justkind of splurging here and
there, but it's like almost notworth the 30 minutes of eating
it.

Speaker 1 (36:09):
Yeah, that's true.
You'll definitely recognize itwhen you wake up in the morning,
though.

Speaker 2 (36:14):
Yeah, oh God, yeah, the jalapeno poppers are so good
and it's like yeah, that's justwhen you're driving and you're
like I just need something rightnow.

Speaker 1 (36:23):
Yes, yes, that is so true.
Talk about needing somethingright now.
This is a good one here ShannonSharp.
He has a very popular podcast.
He's an ex-professionalfootball player.
He is being sued for 50 milliondollars.

(36:45):
Yeah, so it's kind of like thisweird situation here with him
where he dated this, this youngwoman I'm gonna pull my up here.
I want to say she was let's see, okay, shanna Sharp, nfl Hall

(37:09):
of Famer.
Basically was accused of rape.

Speaker 2 (37:14):
Was he the one that went really famous, that he had
an interview with Cat Williams?
Yeah, I'm sure he has done waymore, but that's of course how
he came into my zeitgeist.

Speaker 1 (37:26):
Yes, so Basically he has this Girlfriend.
I want to say she's like 2021,real young.
Okay, here it is, I got it Infront of me.
A young woman and this is fromCBS News here Says a young woman
who says she was raped andthreatened by retired NFL player
Shannon Sharp during a rockyconsensual relationship has

(37:51):
filed a civil lawsuit againstthem seeking $50 million in
damages.
Attorneys filed the lawsuitSunday in Clark County, nevada,
for a woman listed in courtdocuments as Jane Doe.
The lawsuit also accuses Sharpof using physical force on her
and inflicting emotionaldistress.

Speaker 2 (38:11):
Wow, whoa.

Speaker 1 (38:14):
And I was right.
Let's see.
Let's see.
The woman first met Sharp at agym in Los Angeles in 2023, when

(38:36):
she was 20, and nearly two year, a nearly two year relationship
followed.
According to court documents,sharp, 56, is accused of raping
the woman in October 24 andagain in January.
Court documents said Now thething that makes this to me a
little bit difficult is that andagain, I think if someone cries
rape or they've been abused,you have to listen to them, you

(38:57):
have to let them speak.
But you kind of wonder.
You know you have to look atall the facts, because it's kind
of tricky when they're in arelationship.
This isn't a stranger.
So you kind of wonder okay, didhe really do anything, or is
this a money play?

Speaker 2 (39:17):
I know and I've heard that it was $50 million that
they're going to have $50million.

Speaker 1 (39:22):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (39:23):
And I've heard, like you know, because remember the
whole Blake Lively thing,everyone's like suing each other
for like $30 million and stuffand I was just reading that
people are doing that even moreand more because they like even
if they don't get that amount,then they think they're still
going to get, like, okay, youmight not get $50 million, but
now you're going to get $7million, or you know, to like,
aim for the moon, basically, andthen you're on something way

(39:43):
more plausible.
Yeah, that's true, that's reallytough because it's like you
know, if someone of course haslike emotional or physical
damage, yes, but it's like $15million just seems so
unbelievably high and crazy yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:01):
And you know, the crazy thing about it, meryl, is
that Sharp was in the news alittle while ago because a tape
of him having intercourse withanother woman leaked out on
social media.
Okay, don't know, a lot ofpeople think he put that out

(40:22):
himself.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
Yeah, probably.

Speaker 1 (40:25):
This isn't a good look based on that kind of I
know.
Yeah, I really hope this is nottrue.
But if it is, obviously youknow he deserves I have to speak
to the fire for it.
But it's just so hard to reallycall this without knowing all
the facts, because you know youhave to look at the age
difference yes and I'm I'm notsaying you know you shouldn't

(40:49):
date anyone you know so manyyears younger.
I'm not saying anything likethat.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
But you know, you have to look at all the facts to
see, ok, what happened, whatwas said, what was done, what
led up to it, because it's soeasy for someone to claim to
claim victim these days yeah,yep you know, we, we, we as a
society, sometimes we're soquick to automatically label

(41:15):
someone guilty without firstchecking to make sure that
exactly yeah, and like I mean Ihope this doesn't make me like a
horrible female or any, if itwas on anyone's side but like 50
million just seems like so, socrazy, like that.
I don't know that, that justseemed I would.
I would need to know, like whyof the breakdown of that.
Maybe I'm thinking too smalland for many people that's just

(41:38):
like okay, that's like threeyears worth of working or
whatever you know, but to methat's it seems like such a
greedy chunk, but I don't know.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
Yeah, I know that when Shannon had when she had,
was that Monique on his show,and Monique was teasing him
saying you need to get yourself,you need to get yourself an old
I forgot what he said an olderwoman that could you cook your
grits.
And I mean, you know, if you'veever listened to Monique I'm

(42:10):
trying to clean it up because ifyou've ever heard Monique,
there's a lot I can't really say.
Yeah, yeah yeah, basically,she's telling them hey, you need
to get yourself somebody yourage, stop messing with your
family.

Speaker 2 (42:23):
Exactly.

Speaker 1 (42:25):
I don't know.
There's possibly a little truthto it too, you know yes yeah,
it just seems like I thinkthere's truth in everything.

Speaker 2 (42:33):
Obviously, if someone mistreats someone else, they
should absolutely haveconsequences and pay financially
and in every other Way.
And also, 50 million does seemGreedy to me, but I don't know.
You know, like I don't know howmuch he has like.
If he makes that A year, then Idon't know.
You know, like I don't know howmuch he has Like if he's, if he
makes that a year, then I don'tknow.
You know, like I feel likethese are numbers that seem so
big to us but for them thatcould just be like okay, I'll

(42:55):
give her like $10 million,easily, you know.

Speaker 1 (42:59):
And you know it is.
It is kind of a a very highspecific number there 50 million
.

Speaker 2 (43:04):
Yeah, very high specific number there 50 million
.
Yeah, exactly.
And it's also like who?
Who am I to be like?
Okay, you're not, you shouldn'tlike buy a purse with that
money or something like you know, I don't know, because I
definitely have a tendency toalmost just be like, okay, well,
what are you to like?
Show that you're using themoney in a positive way.
But I'm like that's not reallyfair either, because someone
could use the money like.

Speaker 1 (43:24):
I would hate to see that money spent in like a very
vapid way, you know yeah, now,allegedly I heard that this
person also made an allegationagainst someone else
entertainment industry false.
I'm saying allegedly because,again, I don't know if that's
true or not, but let's say for asecond argument that is true,

(43:48):
then I think that's gonnaprobably help.
You know shannon sharp's case alittle.

Speaker 2 (43:52):
Yes, and I feel like, I feel like there should be
like huge consequences for whenthat happens, whether it's male,
female, whoever because thenyou're ruining the credibility
of like future victims thatreally are have.

Speaker 1 (44:05):
I'm so glad you said that, meryerald, because I
believe that a hundred percentoh yeah, like a million percent
you know.
You know it's no secret.
You know I was abused as achild, so I take it personally
when people make up stuff,because when you purposely lie
to on someone because you're inspite, you want to try and get

(44:25):
at them, whatever you hurtpeople that really are going
through that.
Yeah, and also what happens isthat it makes it more difficult
because now the person, whetherit be the police or whoever that
you're talking to, they mayhave a little bit of hesitation
because now they have to makesure are you really telling us
the truth?
Yeah, you know.

(44:45):
So we don't go following down arabbit hole because some people
are spiteful like that, whichto me, is just sick.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
Yeah, that's crazy.
And if you do falsely accusesomeone and then later on down
the road something does happento you, then you're going to
wish you didn't hand in thatcard before, like in a fake way.
You're going to want to getlike the real.
You know the real.

Speaker 1 (45:05):
For like in a fake way you're going to want to get
like the real, you know the realFor people watching, because I
know some people are like well,what if I really feel like I was
assaulted?
Oh yeah, I'm talking aboutpeople who knowing yeah, exactly
, exactly yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:17):
Who just truly makes them up out of like thin air,
that's, that's, that's totallywhat I'm talking about too.

Speaker 1 (45:21):
Exactly, Exactly, I mean to me.
I think there should be.
I think there should be jailtime.
If you knowingly lie about,about being assaulted, you know
what you're doing just to tryand get someone in trouble, you
should be locked up.

Speaker 2 (45:33):
Yeah, definitely, and I understand too.
On the other end of things,there's probably people
listening that are like good forthat woman for trying to take
50 million.
Like if a man does somethingwrong, take him for all that
he's worth, and that's liketotally valid for people to feel
that way.
I just want to know, like why50 million?
Or you know what, like yeah, so, yeah, that's.
I think people are allowed andshould have way different types

(45:54):
of feelings on this, becauseit's not like a one size fits
all situation that's true.
I can't wait to see how thisturns out oh my gosh, soon she,
the woman's gonna be accusingDeion Sanders' son of something,
suing him for the $8 that he'smaking on the Cleveland Browns

(46:16):
or something so sad, oh my God.
Okay, I thought this was aninteresting one, really cool.
So your son is Gen Z, right.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
Let's see.

Speaker 2 (46:30):
He's 20.
Yeah, he's 20.
Yeah, he's gen z.
Okay, we won't bring him toomuch into this, because I know
he's wonderful and we love him,but this was a funny article.
So, um, a website has put outanother list of quote-unquote
common skills that boomers areshocked that gen z-ers don't
know how to do.
So they listed five, so I'mgoing to run through the five.
You know, really quickly, youcould tell me if, like if you

(46:50):
think you're.
We don't talk about your sondoing it or not, but just we'll,
we'll give our thoughts on it.
Um, okay, number one how toread a map and figure out
directions without gps.
Now, I'm a millennial and Icould barely do that, so no
judgment here.

Speaker 1 (47:05):
I don't even think my son has seen an actual map.

Speaker 2 (47:08):
Aww, I mean, it's fun to look at a map.

Speaker 1 (47:13):
In fact, when I even talked about a record, he was
like what's that?

Speaker 2 (47:17):
Are you kidding Really?
I'm surprised he's not intovinyl or anything.

Speaker 1 (47:22):
Well, he is now as he got older and I explained what
it was, but younger he didn'tknow what it was.

Speaker 2 (47:26):
Oh, that's so cute.
I mean I think it's like it'ssuper, it's fun to read a map,
but like I couldn't.
Reading a map and following thedirections definitely are two
different things for me, where Icould like study a map and look
at the different countries andcities, but like actually
navigating it would be tough Alot of times.

(47:51):
I know I'm not alone where.
A lot of times I'll catchmyself looking at my GPS and I'm
like two blocks away from myhouse and I'm like wait, I know
how to get here.
This is where I live.
But I use a GPS for likeeverything embarrassingly, for
everything.

Speaker 1 (47:57):
Thank you.
And I say thank you because mywife gives me so much shit,
because I love my shit.
Oh, my God.

Speaker 2 (48:08):
It's almost just like unconsciously even if I don't
need it, I just it like helps mefollow along.
Yeah, I mean all day long, likestuff that places I go all the
time and like freeways I get onand off every day.

Speaker 1 (48:14):
I'm still like oh okay, I make it right here, like
yeah, I'm gonna show my wifethis clip so she's seeing good
it's.

Speaker 2 (48:22):
it's like I, probably , but it's probably good for our
brains to like turn it off andshow that we can get from place
to place without it every nowand then.
So I know, but I do.
Okay, number two how to addressa piece of mail.
So you know, like putting yourin the return address.
Yeah, you know something likethat.
Okay, I feel like that shouldstill be taught in schools, I

(48:44):
would think.

Speaker 1 (48:46):
You would think, but they don't even teach cursive
anymore at school.

Speaker 2 (48:53):
Sure, they don't even know what in God's name they're
teaching.
Okay, number three.
Oh, this is hilarious how tounclog a toilet using a plunger
Ooh, that's a good question Does?
He know how to do that.
I don't know.
Hopefully his dad taught him.

Speaker 1 (49:07):
I think I taught him.
I hope so.
He has an apartment now.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
so oh God, we hope.
I mean, it's pretty easy, it'spretty self-explanatory, it's
like literally just you know.
I think for me, though, thenext step would also be not only
using a plunger, but liketaking the lid off and, like you
know, and the little waterdrain, snake.
I feel like that scared me, andI don't know how to do that.

Speaker 1 (49:30):
Yeah, I don't think I did not teach him that he won't
know how to do that.

Speaker 2 (49:35):
This takes us back like a million years in feminist
time, but I would just alwaysfind whoever the male in the
household was and be like Ican't do this.
Okay, number four how to telltime on a clock with the hands
moving.

Speaker 1 (49:50):
Now he can do that, yes.

Speaker 2 (49:51):
Okay, yep, I can do that too, but like it definitely
takes me a minute, like youknow, I'm just like okay, 625 or
something, and then number fivehow to count.
Correct change.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
I would Hope he would know how to do that.

Speaker 2 (50:06):
Yeah, yeah, I think so.
Yeah, you know, yeah, like pennthat yeah.

Speaker 1 (50:07):
Yeah, I think so yeah .

Speaker 2 (50:09):
Yeah, like pennies, nickels, dimes, he knows all
those, I think everyone shouldknow how to do that.
I do too, but don't you thinktoo, working backwards just at
registers.
Now it's so much electronicthat I think a lot of people
were like you know, if it was $5and someone gave them $3.12 or
something like knowing that,yeah, that's true?

Speaker 1 (50:29):
Yeah, that's true, because I'm good at that.
When I pay something, I'llfigure out in my mind what the
change is before.

Speaker 2 (50:36):
I get it Really, you do.
Oh, I don't Really so.

Speaker 1 (50:40):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (50:43):
Those aren't too bad.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
Yeah, they're not too bad at all.
I feel like simple things.
Mm-hmm, talk about somethingsimple.
Well, maybe not so, so I can'twait to get your feeling on this
yeah.
Trump has made an announcementthat he's offering $5,000 bonus
for women to have a baby.
You know being you know lesschildren are being born now.

(51:10):
So they figure, hey, to get thepopulation up, let's offer
$5,000 bonus for women to have ababy.
I can't wait.
I got my opinion on this.
I can't.

Speaker 2 (51:24):
I think you already know I mean it should be.
I mean that's so crazy, likethat's so so, so crazy.
I mean the first thing is howwould they track that, the way
that Doge and everything hasgone Like in his mind?
Do you just email someone, doyou just email Elon and you know
say hey, here's my baby.
And how would you even know andbe like that is such a little

(51:44):
amount of money that even justbuying the supplies for a baby
you're gonna be like out of yourfive thousand dollars they
would have to be like you don'tpay taxes.
Here's the down payment to yourhouse.
You know like I think it shouldbe a lot more and maybe
unpopular opinion, but I don'tthink we need to encourage
people to like randomly havemore babies.
I don't know if that wouldreally that's not helping our

(52:06):
environmental issues andfinancial issues.
I just don't think adding moreand more people is exactly what
we need.
We need to fix what's happeningnow.

Speaker 1 (52:16):
No, you're right.
I think for some women thiswould be very offensive, Just to
put it bluntly, and I can saythis because I have a child and
I know how much it costs.
What the fuck Are they going todo with?

Speaker 2 (52:32):
$5,000.
Seriously, that's truly.
That's almost like buying theclothes and the crib and the
store and then a few diapers.
And even if you can make thatstretch For the first year or
something, Then now you have arandom baby that has to go to
college or go to trade school orjust in general eat a lot of

(52:54):
food.
Oh yeah.

Speaker 1 (52:56):
I mean, you're talking just for the first year
alone.
$5,000 won't even coverdelivering a baby in a hospital.
Yeah, and we're not eventalking about, like you said,
the crib, food, clothing and youknow, until they become
teenagers, kids grow very fast.
So you're constantly buying newshoes, you're constantly buying

(53:17):
new clothes.
Again, what are they going todo with $5,000?

Speaker 2 (53:21):
Exactly and, if anything, I feel like what they
I mean this would be a longerterm thing but just more
programs in place where, likemoms, if they want to, could go
back to work, and more companieshiring moms and you know same
things and like I know they'reso big on having like the family
unit together and stuff andjust making sure that, like the
dads have jobs or that they havefree health or free childcare.

(53:43):
You know, like I have, I havesome friends that it's like they
work.
My friends are teachers but yetthere's no child care for them
at like their schools oranything.
So I'm like I really think morepeople would have kids if it's
it's easier to have child careand, like both parents are able
to find jobs and you knowabsolutely.

Speaker 1 (54:02):
I think you hit it on the nail.
If you, if you do somethingwith health care costs, child
care, yeah.
Another one that we keep overthe beginning is you know, set
the parents up for success.
Let's say they don't have acollege degree or they want to
go to college, send them to atechnical school.
So in other words, they're notworking.
Minimum wage that will go along way.

(54:25):
That $ five thousand dollarsused any of those ways will far
more benefit that family.
Yeah, because again, it'salmost like the old adage you
know, I can teach you how tofish or I can give you a fish.
If I give you a piece of fish,I feed you for a day, but teach
you how to fish, I feed you fora lifetime yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 (54:46):
It's crazy too, because I would totally think
that, like trump's plan wouldnot like the people that would
have a baby just for fivethousand dollars, because in in
that you know what I mean like Idon't know that just seems like
the type of uh sector that they, they wouldn't really want.

Speaker 1 (55:02):
But so it's just yeah I was actually pretty stunned
when I saw it myself, but I waslike wow that's, it's not enough
and it's flea.

Speaker 2 (55:10):
And then all of a sudden, now you just have a
random baby because of like oneand and you don't want people to
be like if they do need somemoney, you don't want someone
just to be like, oh, let mebirth a child and make five
thousand dollars, and it's likeyou might end up with moms that
don't really want to be moms inthe first place and like who
might not have.
You know, and it's just.
I don't feel like we shouldcharge like a breeding fee.

(55:30):
Basically it's not good.

Speaker 1 (55:32):
That's true.
Something tells me that thiswon't fly when he tries to push
it.
But no.
We're, we're your.
Things have happened, so we'llsee.

Speaker 2 (55:41):
Exactly it's also.
I just think people need toaccept that like maybe it's okay
if more and more people don'twant to have kids, because
that's just okay with them andit's also in and still.
And then it's lots of peopleare still having children and
getting you know, like that's awonderful thing too.
So it's.
I think it will balance out alittle bit more.

Speaker 1 (55:59):
But yeah, here's a weird thought instead of taking
that 5 000 to give to a woman tohave a baby, how about about
say we double that to $10,000and help people adopt?
Yeah exactly A lot of kids thatneed to get into a loving home,
and you have people that can'tafford the adoption fees but

(56:20):
will make great parents.

Speaker 2 (56:22):
Yep, that bridges the gap.
Yep, absolutely Absolutely.
Yep, and like absolutelyAbsolutely.

Speaker 1 (56:28):
Politicians, you know .

Speaker 2 (56:29):
Exactly, I know, and then it's like then we could
hire good people to be childcareworkers and then there would be
childcare everywhere.
Yeah, well, I think this is sointeresting.
My final one is they mapped thesearches for the most popular

(56:50):
Disney villains all across theUnited States.
And so you know, like I knowthere's been a lot of talk
lately just about what was theone that just came out.
Was that Snow White that kindof got banned and everything,
yeah, so you know there's been alot of ones popping up, um, but
they looked at by thegeneration and by, like the
google maps, who's searching fordifferent ones?

(57:11):
Now, okay, so by generation,google found that millennials
searched.
Is it oogie boogie from like,uh, I think it's oogie boogie,
maybe oogie boogie, uh, I thinkthat one's from like nightmare
before christmas, uh, gen Zersand Boomers preferred.
Oh, this is so bad, I don'teven know this.
Flotsam and Jetsam Do you knowwho those are?

Speaker 1 (57:33):
I have no idea.

Speaker 2 (57:35):
I have no clue who those people Ursula's.
We know Ursula from LittleMermaid and the Horned King from
the Black Cauldron.
I've literally never heard ofhalf of those.
And then, let's see, it's sofunny, it's not a lot of the
ones that we've heard before.
And then, location-wise, thetop three, let's see, was Lion

(58:00):
King.
They searched for that Onceagain, oogie Boogie on the West
Coast, but Nightmare BeforeChristmas is huge here on the
West Coast.
Nightmare Before Christmas ishuge here on the West Coast.
Yeah, it's weird.
Wyoming is the Queen of Hearts.
For no reason Ursula.
It's so funny.
Ursula from Little Mermaid isjust randomly main in Vermont.

(58:20):
The rest of it is Scar.
Scar is America's overallfavorite and that's Mufasa's
conniving sibling of it is Scar.
So Scar is America's overallfavorite and that's Mufasa's
conniving sibling from the LionKing, of who I like I'm so I
thought it would be like Cruellafrom like the Disney movies, or
who is it?

(58:41):
Is it the evil step inCinderella?
Is it like the evil stepmom orsomething, or evil witch?

Speaker 1 (58:47):
Evil stepmom.
And then there's the sistersthat are evil.
Oh, evil stepsisters.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (58:54):
And so like okay, so if you, who would you like?
Who's the Disney villain thatyou think about the most, if you
had to?

Speaker 1 (59:02):
Oh, that's a good one Disney villain that I would
think about the most.

Speaker 2 (59:12):
Who was Bambi?
Who killed Bambi's mom?
I'm mad.
I want to talk to them.
I want to talk to their manager.

Speaker 1 (59:19):
Oh, that's hard to see Because, you know, I don't
know.

Speaker 2 (59:26):
There's, like I just searched Queen of Hearts, alice
in Wonderland, captain Hook,Peter Pan, jafar from Aladdin
which I forgot that he was evenbad Cruella de Vil, 101
Dalmatians, maleficent SleepingBeauty, but like I've literally
never heard of that person orthing, so that's crazy.

Speaker 1 (59:48):
I think Mufasa is probably.
Is it Mufasa?

Speaker 2 (59:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (59:53):
I think Mufasa is probably the one that will come
to mind.
Okay.

Speaker 2 (59:58):
Disney movies stress me out too much.
I feel like they're too sad foryoung kids to watch.
Now that I remember, jafar fromAladdin was pretty evil too.

Speaker 1 (01:00:09):
Yes, yes, he was.

Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
Yeah, I feel like that was a bad one, but like,
yeah, I feel like the ones withanimals, like the old school
ones, like whoever was hurtingDumbo, or like Lady and the
Tramp like you know what I mean.
Like, if anyone's hurting ananimal, then I would.
I hate them.

Speaker 1 (01:00:27):
That's true.
Oh, that's a good one, thoughwho would be my villain, I mean,
if it was a Marvel character?

Speaker 2 (01:00:36):
yeah, I have plenty of people I could probably say
Really Like who would be one,who's a Marvel character that
you think about?

Speaker 1 (01:00:43):
I would say he actually was in the Fantastic
Four.
What's his name?
Oh my goodness, what's thatvillain's name from the
Fantastic Four?
He was actually pretty cool,cool.
He's from another planet.
What's his name?
I can't think of his name.

(01:01:03):
I'm quite sure people areprobably listening they're
probably screaming at theircomputer.
I can't even think of the nameright now, but yeah, he rode on
this surf, on this surf whatever, and he was coming to destroy
the Earth.
What the heck was his name?
I can't think of it.

Speaker 2 (01:01:20):
I don't know, it'll come to us next week.
We'll update people.

Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
Watch.
I'm waking up in the middle ofthe night going yeah, totally
yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
Yeah, you can always edit yourself being like answer
this.
And then they say Gaston fromBeauty and the Beast.
But I must have been watchingthese movies all wrong Because I
thought he was the handsome.
I thought he was handsome, Ithink he was evil, I think I'm
not really getting the mainpoint of these Disney movies,
but I thought that wasinteresting.

Speaker 1 (01:01:48):
Yeah, definitely very interesting.
Well, my last one is actually afun one.
Yeah, new trend right now.
It's a new trend right now.
It's all over social media.
Gray is the new hair trend.
I've heard things like theSilver Sisters Club and all
those things.
I love that, and basically whatthey're doing is they're gray

(01:02:11):
hair, so whether you're older oryounger or whatever gray is in
now, I always thought it waspretty cool.
I mean, what do you think?

Speaker 2 (01:02:23):
I mean I think it's beautiful.
I think, like me personally,like I don't know how I'll feel,
I think I found one or two grayhairs on myself and then they
went away.
Now I have, like I had myhairdresser plucked one for me,
um, but I don't know how I'llfeel like, to be honest, when
that happens.
Um, I have a feeling I'llprobably cover it up for a while

(01:02:44):
, but I think more and morewomen in their 40s, 50s, 60s,
70s are just like embracing amore natural, earthy moment,
especially with just like I feellike we're moving so much
towards like synthetic, fakeplastic stuff that like that's
going to swing back and justmore people are going to be
embracing the beauty of it and Ilove it.

(01:03:04):
I mean, I think like gray hairedmen are very attractive as well
.
But you know, but I love I havea few friends that I know that
have like gone fully gray andthey're they're hot, like
they're cool.
But it's funny because, likeall the women that I know that
have like gone fully gray andthey're they're hot, like
they're cool.
But it's funny because, likeall the women that I know that
have just accepted their grayhairs, are also really like
fearless women and they're superinvolved with their passions
and they're just like it's.

Speaker 1 (01:03:23):
They're pretty badass in general yeah, I know when,
when I started getting my graysbecause I I have a little salt
and pepper in my grave and I Itold my wife say, hey, you want
me to start using just for me,she said no.
I said really.
I said no, I like your salt andpepper.
Look, yeah, it's distinguished.
But what's weird is I don'thave any gray up top.

(01:03:44):
It's literally in my beard.

Speaker 2 (01:03:46):
I know that's so funny A lot of my guy friends
too, they'll have gray beardsand then like just brown hair.
But I think that's cool.
I mean, I think that's likeit's beautiful.
And I feel like other countriesseem to like Italy and a few
other different countries, justseem to have that more natural
approach to aging and I thinkthat's awesome.

Speaker 1 (01:04:04):
Yeah, I think it's cool in a way of it's kind of
telling everyone that you'rehappy in your own skin.

Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
Yeah, yep, yep and we did.
I wish we really did.
Uh, just as a culture realizethat that's more like I'm like
okay that's someone with justmore wisdom or more anything,
and I have felt that too, andeven just with aging, like
having I mean especially beinghere in la it's I am truly one
of like the the only friends orlike I, most of my friends have

(01:04:31):
had botox or have something Ilike really haven't and, of
course, like anyone could havewhat they want.
But it's like like I don't careabout having like forehead
lines or you know crow's feet oranything like that, like I
don't care that much aboutwrinkles and I hope that that's
kind of with the gray hair.
I hope that's like also cool ina few years.

Speaker 1 (01:04:50):
You know, I think personally your imperfections
make you who you are.

Speaker 2 (01:05:00):
Yeah, yeah, and I've never talked to someone where
I'm like sorry, I'm sodistracted by your wrinkles Like
I'm disgusted.
You know, like I kind of likeit, I prefer it to just feeling
like I'm talking to someone'sface, not moving.

Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
Oh yeah, definitely, and you know, just like you know
now.
You know, for men, especially,being bald is no big deal, in
fact, you know a lot of womenlike bald men.
Bald is beautiful.
I told my wife, if my hairlineever got back way back here,
it's just let me know, becauseit's time to let go at that
point.
You know what I mean.
We've all seen, let's face it.

(01:05:29):
We've all seen someone who kindof held on a little bit too
long.
You know what I mean, oh.

Speaker 2 (01:05:35):
Oh yeah, for sure.
Your hairline's supposed to beup here, but it's behind you I
know, especially like guys thatonly wear hats too, and I'm like
, come on, dude, like we, justwe know, like if you're
constantly, if you're likeinside, like a funeral, wearing
a baseball hat or something, I'mlike just let it be, however
you are, it's how we like it.
I think the gray falls in lineand it's coming at a good time,

(01:05:58):
because especially young womenare augmenting their face a lot
when they don't need to.
But also, if people want to doit, I don't care.
I have a libertarian approachto people's bodies.
You could have 18,000 surgeriesor none.

Speaker 1 (01:06:14):
Whatever, I think if you're gonna change your body,
change your hair, whatever, doit for you, don't do it to
impress anyone don't try and fitin, because I still feel that a
lot of times people do stuff totry and um fit into the click
of a crowd yes, yes, rememberthe the time during covid,
though we're like no one.

Speaker 2 (01:06:36):
It was the beginning where really no one was getting
their hair cut and people werehaving to learn to wax their
eyebrows on their own.
That was crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:06:44):
What was weird is during the pandemic prior to the
pandemic, I could never grow abeard.
It looked all spotty, it lookedlike I got buck shots, but
during the pandemic I justdidn't shave.
And I kid you, not, meryl, Ihad like this giant.

Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
Whoa.

Speaker 1 (01:07:01):
Beard I got to show you.
I mean it was like yeah.
And you know, I cut it down andkept it real nice, kept it for
a long time and then one day Ijust, you know, cut it off.
I should have never did that,because now I can't get it to
grow back in anymore.
It was thick, it was thick andlong too.

Speaker 2 (01:07:22):
It felt like the prohibition days, where a girl
would text me and be like okay,I have an underground barber
shop that you can come to.
I felt like we were makingalcohol.
I could cut your split ends,but you have to come through
this alley so no one could seeyou that was a very interesting
time.
Yeah, yeah it was, but that'scool.

Speaker 1 (01:07:44):
Well, talk about interesting.
What do you have coming up?

Speaker 2 (01:07:49):
Oh, okay, I think people are listening to this.
On a Friday, if you are Friday,may 2nd, I have a show in Dana
Point which is just like kind ofconsidered Orange County-ish,
you know, just a little south ofLos Angeles, and that's a
really fun show.
It's free and that is coming up, and then, yeah, that's my next

(01:08:09):
one.

Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
Cool, I bet you everyone's going to love that
price.

Speaker 2 (01:08:15):
Yeah, exactly, free, exactly.
I just did another free one ata brewery In downtown LA and I
had so much fun.
It was called like CreatureComforts and the hosts were so
cute and I had such a fun show.
But I like doing shows inbreweries and wineries too,
because people are always justin good moods.

Speaker 1 (01:08:33):
Nice, nice.
I got to make sure we come outand check one of those out.

Speaker 2 (01:08:37):
I know, or I want to come to a show by you guys.
Oh, definitely You'll have totell me that if you see that
kind of local fun shows.
Yeah, we'll get it going.

Speaker 1 (01:08:47):
Absolutely Well.
This has been a great houreveryone.

Speaker 2 (01:08:52):
It flew by.
It's my favorite time of theweek.

Speaker 1 (01:08:55):
Yes, I look forward to this every week, myself and
for everyone.
Please continue to support us.
Go out and support Meryl ifyou're in the area, and also
continue to watch our show,listen to it if you're on
podcasts, and always have thosegreat conversations, those
thirsty topic conversations.
I'm Lawrence Elrod, I'm MerylClemo.

(01:09:15):
Those great conversations,those thirsty topic
conversations.
I'm Lawrence Elrod, I'm MerylClemo.
Take care everyone.