March 7, 2025 • 57 mins
From Oscars drama to workplace surveillance, Lawrence Elrod and Meryl Klemow tackle the zeitgeist of our current moment with humor and insight.
The duo kicks off with a spirited debate about the Oscars, questioning whether Demi Moore was truly "snubbed" for her performance in "The Substance" - a film ironically about youth and beauty being valued above all else. Their conversation reveals how award shows operate in ways that often confound viewers' expectations while exploring celebrities' fading mystique in our modern era.
Shifting to workplace culture, Lawrence and Meryl examine Elon Musk's controversial approach to federal workers and the alarming rise of employee monitoring technologies. "A person that micromanages doesn't know how to manage," they assert, advocating for trust-based work relationships over invasive surveillance. Drawing from their own remote work experiences, they highlight how true productivity isn't measured by mouse movements or keystrokes but by actual results.
The hosts then dissect fascinating consumer phenomena - from Erewhon's viral $20 luxury strawberries to the concerning "gold bar scams" targeting seniors. Their conversation around Hooters' potential bankruptcy reveals surprising insights about casual dining economics and cultural perceptions. They also unpack the concept of being "California sober" (abstaining from alcohol while using cannabis), and share a humorous story about a man who successfully sued a movie theater over excessive pre-show advertisements.
Want thought-provoking conversations that navigate current events with equal parts humor and substance? Subscribe to Thirsty Topics wherever you get your podcasts!
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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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hello everyone, welcome to this week's episode
of Thirsty Topics.
I'm Lauren Zellrod.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
And I am Meryl Clemo.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Meryl, welcome back.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you.
A week felt like a year.
I'm so happy to be back.
It was too long.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
How did your comedy event go?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
You know, at least to me, it was fun.
If you ask the people in thecrowd, they might say different,
but no, it was very, very fun.
We had actually the show I didlast week.
Why I missed it?
It was it was like a fun themeshow about um.
It's called like I'm a reallygood person and basically you're
supposed to convince theaudience that you're a good
person and I I co-won it withsomeone else.
(00:55):
So nice, so super fun.
It was me and this other guyand my, my friend julian, who's
a great comedian here, and um,they were going to pick one of
us and we demanded that wewanted to co-win it.
I hate choosing one winner, soit's good to co-win things.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
That's true.
That's true.
Everyone's a winner.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Exactly.
We're still like little leagueeight-year-olds where we want to
go home with the trophy, all ofus.
But I'm happy to be back.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Well, I am definitely happy you're back as well and
we have a lot to talk about.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I know, do you want?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
to start us, since you've been so patient and nice.
You know what I'll go ahead andstart off.
Yay, don't know if everyonewatched the Oscars or if they
watched the whole thing, but onenotable incident that happened,
which I wouldn't call anincident, but a little bit of a
snub, as people say.
Demi Moore was, I guess, poisedto win an Oscar last night and
(01:58):
some people felt that she wassnubbed.
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I forget.
Do you know who ended upwinning it in her place?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Let me think here.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
It's so funny.
My opinion will rest upon that.
If I don't like the person,then yes, she was absolutely
snubbed.
And if I like the person, Icould see where that would
happen.
So, um, I mean, while we, whilewe look at that, my first is
yes, just because I felt like Imean it's sad with the Oscars
that they just can't makewinners just because we want
(02:29):
some people to win.
You know, people have voted andthe Academy has whatever
criteria to do.
The word snubbed has become sowe use it so much.
Now you know how like at theGrammys, billie Eilish was
snubbed, but really I feel likesnubbed has just become another
way to say like someone didn'twin.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, it was Mikey Madison that beat her to the
covered Best Actress Award.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Okay.
So yes, she was snubbed.
Okay In my mind then.
Yes, from what I believe withMikey Madison.
I don't know, people will maybethink differently, but I feel
like she's maybe a new,up-and-coming person and I felt
like to me this is Demi, she'sthe young hot thing and I'm like
(03:19):
that's so funny because that'sall what Demi's whole movie, the
Substance, is about is kind ofgetting you know, having youth
and beauty be like the winner.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So, yeah, I think Demi should have gotten it.
What do you think?
You know?
I mean, from the way everyonewas talking, I'm surprised she
didn't get it.
But I would say that just to benominated is a great thing.
And you know what?
She took it in stride.
I kind of like the fact thatshe poked fun at herself.
She had two big bowls of frenchfries that she was eating
(03:53):
afterwards.
So you know, she poked fun atherself, had fun with it and
stuff.
But you know, the thing is, I'mnot even sure how they vote.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I know.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
You know it's like this big secret.
I know the thing is.
I'm not even sure how they vote.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I know, you know it's like this big secret, I know, I
know, and it's like never whatyou think it would be.
I feel like they almost hardlyever choose the obvious, popular
one.
It always seems like there'ssome type of twist.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, so I mean it's interesting.
I mean it was a very, veryformal show.
Yeah, I, I mean, um, it was a avery, it was a very, very
formal show.
You know, yeah, um, I wouldn'tsay it was over the top great,
it was okay, you know it wasokay.
Some people like I don't knowwhat, do you?
Think, did you?
Did you like it?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I was just like, whoever is paying to get timothy
chalamet shown?
Like I'm like, can we just likenot see him?
For I mean, I like him a lot,but I but I'm like, why is it
like literally the TimotheeChalamet Oscars was award?
I don't know.
I've gotten to the point.
I think we all feel this waythat like these big stars just
seem not as like shiny, as maybewe're just getting older or
(04:58):
like I don't know, I'm growingout of stuff.
But you're right where I don'treally seem as like captivated
now by Hollywood which is sofunny because I live in Los
Angeles but like it just seems,like you're right, there's not a
lot of captivating celebritiesand it's it's not as like fun as
it used to be like in 2014,2015.
(05:18):
I thought Conan did a good job.
I like I love Conan and Ithought like as much as so.
It's such a hard job and I feellike, no matter what, it's
probably so hard making thatwhole room of people laugh and I
think I think Conan is likereally funny and just like did
the best job that human probablycould you know.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
You know, I got to put you on the spot.
Did you like Conan better ordid you like Jimmy Kimmel better
when he did it?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Um, that is a good question, probably Okay.
That is a good question,probably okay, I think.
I think conan does a better job, but I find jimmy just more
likable and like jimmy seemslike he's friends with all of
them and stuff, and conan justseems like he's, you know like
obviously he's, he's his ownplanet coming in, but I think
jimmy's really warm and makes itfeel like someone's hosting,
(06:03):
like a barbecue with someone oryou know like.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
That's true.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
But like I don't know , I like Conan as a performer, I
think, a little bit better andI think his jokes are funnier,
but he clearly is like he feelsstill like an outsider, even
though he's not like.
He is like so Hollywood, but hejust feels like even at times
he even joked about like that hewon't be invited back again.
I think he's a little scared ofpeople.
(06:28):
He also seems like he wasn'treally going for it too bad, and
I think Jimmy Kimmel just feelsa little bit more loose and
like more.
You know, he's just kind ofroasting his friends, that's
true, that's true.
Did you like?
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Jimmy better you know what.
It's hard to compare the twobecause their styles are totally
different.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, you know what.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
It's hard to compare the two because their styles are
totally different.
Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm a bigJimmy Kimmel fan.
I watch his show every nightwhen it's on during the week.
So you know, I'm probably alittle bit partial towards Jimmy
Kimmel.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Totally.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
But you know, conan did a good job too.
Nothing I can say bad aboutthat.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Exactly, yeah, I think Jimmy Kimmel is so
adorable and likable.
Conan, just for some like.
I feel like his jokes are sofunny and they're not.
They're almost like against theOscars.
You know, if you're, he'salmost like I feel like in a
good way he's like subvertlymaking fun of everyone.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
That's true, that's true.
So what do you think?
You think Conan will be backnext year.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
No, wow year, no, wow .
I think I mean it's crazy.
Not why would you want to?
But I think maybe he'll just belike that was good for me and
then maybe someone else will.
Maybe timothy chalamet will heyyou never know exactly.
But yeah, you're right, overallI thought it was like a little
bit weird, um, and just kind ofnot that interesting, but I I
(07:42):
think.
But whatever it is, it is whatit is.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
That's true, that's true.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
This year's movies weren't really that captivating.
I think that was the other partof it too.
It's like a lot of the moviesweren't like we didn't really
have, like a Titanic or like youknow something like that.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know what?
I was talking with my wifeabout this and I don't know.
It just seemed like it wasn'tany.
There were some good movies,but I wouldn't say a lot of
great movies.
Right.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Dune was one of the biggest ones and I know that
just feels so far away ago andit just kind of seems like no
one I know really talked thatmuch about Dune.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
It was just old news, that's true.
Well, let's hope that thissummer we'll have some more
blockbusters.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Exactly, we need some fun.
I was going to say bring WillSmith back, but I don't know if
we want to do that.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
I think Will has learned his lesson.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I know I do too.
What if he's the host next year?
That would be crazy.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Was it the Oscars he was banned from, or was it the?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
I think it was the Oscars.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah, so yeah, it's going to be a while before he's
back.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I know.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
So ouch I know, okay.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Well, I thought this one is good because it's come up
lately in the government and inwork in general.
So basically we're going totalk about like tracking your
workers, work in general.
So basically we're going totalk about like tracking your
workers.
But the first thing I wanted totalk about is that, like a few
weeks ago, elon basically said,if you're in the federal
government, if you don't want tocome in, you know you can
either be remote or you can goback into work.
(09:16):
And if you don't want to goback into work, you can just
email us with the subject lineas like I don't want to or
something.
And then somehow the governmentis going to know by all those
emails and then they're going tolet people go.
But like, in theory, an emailwould be enough to tell them
that you don't want to workthere anymore and then you'd be
getting your severance.
But like we know how thegovernment does stuff and how
(09:37):
hard it is to like get anythingsorted out I've never seen
anything organized very wellfrom the government, so that who
knows how that will be.
But like he's basing that a loton Tesla work.
Just you know how Tesla kind ofhas the work rules where he
doesn't want any remote workers.
Tesla's really big on havingemployees like write back things
(09:59):
right away, you know, likeespecially where employees will
have to say what they did.
He's asking for federalemployees to also write like
five things of what they did inthe past week or month, just to
basically show that their job isimportant, and then, in theory,
ai will take that data and likesynthesize it and then be able
to tell who's important andwho's not.
(10:20):
And this is kind of just comingoverall, as a lot of companies
are now going back to work, butthey're also using corporate
worker tracking and they're likekeyboard.
Let's see.
I saw here some of the waysthat people are monitoring their
employees include everythingfrom keystroke logging, screen
time analytics to GPS trackingfor remote or mobile workers,
(10:43):
which is just crazy to me.
That's like putting an anklebracelet on you and yeah, it's
just.
I wanted to bring up the topicof just workplace surveillance
and, like you know, the balancebetween knowing that your
employees are working hard andthen treating people like caged
animals.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, I mean, I think the whole thing, what's going
on with Elon Musk and what he'sdoing is just absolute, effing
stupid.
It's just real stupid.
And to kind of give you someexamples, okay, there's a group
and I don't know the proper nameof the group, but they watch
over our nuclear missiles tomake sure they know where
(11:24):
they're at.
And you know, you know, noneare unaccounted for and
everything's kosher.
Well, he had to fire a bunch ofthem.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
No, because he didn't know what they did so.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Now they're rushing to try and hire them back and
they can't.
They can't get a hold of them,oh my gosh, because obviously,
when you let go, you no longerhave a company phone.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You don't yeah, so if you don longer have a, company
phone.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
You don't have a personal email.
You really don't have a way tocontact them.
And then also the group that iskind of in charge of making
sure we don't have an issue withthe bird flu.
That group was let go and thenthey're going to come back and
try to find them Now.
These are the instances that weknow about.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
And the thing is, government and private business
are not alike.
They're nowhere close.
And then plus the other thingtoo is how are you letting
people go if you don't know whatthe hell they do?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
And then me, if I'm a government worker which I'm not
and let's say I work in asensitive area like law
enforcement or something, orsecurity, how are you going to
know what my four things arethat I'm telling you because you
haven't done this job before?
And also, too, you know some ofthese people have high security
clearances that they probablyshouldn't be sending over Gmail
(12:42):
or something like that.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Right.
Could you imagine like thegeneral of the military thinking
of his five things and he waslike okay, I detected a bomb in
Syria.
He's like bullet pointing, likeflying to London to like disarm
I don't know?
I mean, I agree and I justthink, for I think the general
(13:05):
feeling is that they should havebeen auditing.
Like I'm on, I'm totally on theteam that we shouldn't be
randomly spending money where wedon't need to, but I feel like
we should be like auditing thatfor months and then then making
the proper thing.
It just seems so weird where Iheard like an analogy that that
was really good, that was likehe like hit it with a hammer
(13:30):
instead of going through withlike a fine tooth comb and
basically he like smashedeverything and now you're trying
to pick up the pieces insteadof like digging through it, yeah
, and and also it, it.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
It's going to cause a bigger problem, because if you
were a federal worker and youjust got fired for no reason,
you let go.
What motivation do you have tocome back?
Speaker 2 (13:47):
right.
I mean seriously, yeah,especially like in this
administration and, like I said,people can vote for whoever
they want to.
But, like I wouldn't have a lotof faith in this administration
of like stability, and if thatperson has a family, you know
know how I would they'reprobably going to look for other
channels of work before goingback to the government.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Oh, absolutely Absolutely, Because I wouldn't
trust them, cause it's like howdo you, how do I know you're
going to do this crap again?
It's like, no, I'm not going todo this.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
And then, how do you feel about just like remote work
overall, like the fact thatElon kind of not not even just
at Tesla, but like how elon waslike if I had to be in tesla
growing up and you know,launching this thing that you
guys have to put?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
in the work too.
It's stupid.
Yeah, I mean, there's certainpositions, uh, certain office
positions.
You can do remote and you cando hybrid.
Now, obviously, if you're doingsomething like a factory work
or something like that, youcan't do hybrid or remote.
You have to be in the factory.
I get that, but you have to usesome common sense.
There are some managers thatliterally want to want you in
(14:53):
the office just because theywant to see your face, which is
yeah not because of anything youknow doing with your workload.
And then the other thing, too,is there are a lot of companies
that's going to keep havingremote working and hybrid
working, which means now youhave a whole new set of
companies that you're competingwith, because guess what?
A lot of people that hybrid orworking from home is a huge,
(15:17):
huge advantage.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Exactly Like I.
I don't even.
It would have to be like areally, really good deal for me
to go back to full-time becauseI've been remote since 2017.
And now it would be insane ifsome employer was saying, okay,
you could be remote, but we'regoing to put a GPS tracker on
you.
You would hope that thesecompanies just start treating
(15:39):
people like adults and if theycan't trust them to get their
work done or just in general,then just in general, then like
don't hire someone that youcan't trust.
I think.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Exactly, because here's the reality Whether
they're in the office or whetherthey're at home, you know if
the work is getting done.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
And the other thing too, is a lot of people who work
from home actually work morehours that they may not.
You know, always clock for.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
You know what I?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
mean yeah, so you're actually getting a benefit
without even realizing it.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Exactly.
No, I feel like when I firstwake up, I check emails.
When I'm back home I checkwhere at the end of the night I
check emails.
But yeah, it's like you can't,and I mean I don't know how
people would even want to takeadvantage of it.
But for me, I'm not likegetting my toes done during the
day and like pretending to beworking.
I actually am working and youknow like it's hard for most
people.
(16:29):
I think it's hard to do both.
It's hard to be on like anisland and work at the same time
.
But, um, even if someone was togo on vacation or be away, as
long as they're getting theirwork done, I think it's fine.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Oh, exactly because that's the whole idea of it.
And then then, plus too,there's a lot of benefit to
having remote or hybrid workers,because one without them being
in the office, all yourutilities and everything like
that that you'll be using, thosego down because you don't have
a use for them.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yep, and overall I just feel like the spiritual
feeling of just having someonelike track your mouse to see if
you're still busy and like Idon't know.
I feel like we as adults needto push back on that and just
say the workforce should nottreat people like weird children
and I have and then what youget is like I have some friends
that bought the software thatbasically show that their
(17:18):
computer's on it like jigglestheir mouse for them, and so
it's like you're making like a35 year old man, just basically
buy like a mouse jiggler onTeemu and you know what are you
doing.
And so this person anyway wouldbe someone that would just work
nicely and doesn't need to betracked all the time.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
That kind of stuff drives me crazy.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
And like I don't know how managers do that.
I'm sure they have to adhere tosome stuff, to stuff to have
their job go well, but it justseems very soulless.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Well, to me, a person that micromanages doesn't know
how to manage.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
And if you have that kind of time to micromanage
everyone on your team, then whatare you doing there?
Some people argue well, there'ssome people that take advantage
of it.
Most people don't do that.
Now are you going to have somepeople to take advantage of it?
Yes, but you deal with thatperson one-on-one.
You don't punish the whole teamfor one or two people.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Exactly, and you know both of us have had office jobs
before.
You don't have to confirm ornot.
But like I, took way moreadvantage of the office job I
was at oh yeah, I mean basically, it's a great work-life balance
is what it is.
Yeah, I'm so passionate aboutthis because I just think it's
so sad to be tracking keywordstrokes.
It just makes people feel Idon't know.
(18:32):
I hate it a lot yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It kind of makes you feel like a number instead of a
person is what it does.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Yeah, we forgot to tell people that during our Zoom
calls you installed softwarewhere you can see.
If my eyes look to the side alittle bit and I get, I actually
have an electronic.
Trying to call her on that, youzap me.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
I'm watching you.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Earthquake that hit right after the Oscars was done.
Did you feel it, Meryl?
Speaker 2 (18:59):
I was at home dreaming of thirsty topics and
what we were going to talk aboutand all of a sudden I was on
the next topic and I was rudelyawoken by an earthquake.
And yes, I definitely felt it.
I live in Burbank, very closeto North Hollywood, and it felt
like a normal one to me.
I'm part of like a BurbankFacebook group and people were
(19:21):
saying it felt really, reallybig to them.
I secretly I like earthquakes alot.
They're my most fun disaster.
But I mean, I don't likeearthquakes if I'm up in an
elevator, like driving across abridge or anything.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah, I think I've, literally I've only had one
earthquake, believe it or not,here in the Midwest.
Really, this was, I want to say, this was over 10 years ago.
We were sitting at the house.
I mean, we're in the Midwest.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
You wouldn't think that, but yeah, it happened one
time.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
And it never happened again.
Never happened again.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
That's so random, Like I said it didn't do any
damage, but it was enough thatyou noticed it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, one a few months ago that felt really
weird but really cool, where youreally felt like the ground
rolling underneath you and itlasted for a really really long
time and then even afterwards,like I felt a little bit dizzy
and kind of ungrounded.
And my friend said the samething, where, like that one was
enough to be like whoa, that youjust felt like that really
happened.
But, um, yeah, it's, it's weird.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
be great yeah, that's true.
I know they keep talking aboutyears from now, most of
california is going to beunderwater.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
I know, I know, but it's so funny because then it's
like also, it's on fire, whichone is it going to be?
But we'll see.
But it's so funny that we're soused to it now that I just
called out to my boyfriend andI'm like you felt that, and he's
like yep, and then I went rightback to bed.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
I don't know if that's a good or bad thing when
you're used to it that much.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
I know, I know I'm telling you, though for some
reason I really do like it, likeI'm not scared by them and they
make me it's fun.
But nothing makes after anearthquake.
Nothing makes LA feel betterthan spending $20 on a
strawberry.
I'm sure by now a lot of peoplehave seen this.
If you're on TikTok, you sadlycouldn't escape it or Instagram
(21:16):
that Air One, which is a grocerhere in Los Angeles, I don't
think.
I think they're only in LA fornow, but I think they have plans
to expanding in New York.
But you know, obviously theymake the news quite often
because of their kind ofridiculous slash rage bait type
stuff where it's like you'llhave a smoothie that's $28 or
you'll have like a $40 bottle ofwater.
But every now and then theyhave these really ridiculous
things that kind of go viral,and this is one.
(21:38):
It was a luxury strawberry thatis from Kyoto, japan, and a lot
of people said that it's justlike the best strawberry, picked
at the perfect time, and it'sthe sweetest strawberry and it
comes in these individualplastic like domes and it's $20.
And, of course, a lot ofinfluencers were getting it and
it's funny watching people eatit because they're just like a
(21:59):
strawberry, ok, cool.
So to me, like my, my hot takeon this is I love these, it's
kind of funny.
I mean it's funny and stupid,but like it's.
If you're doing it as like aflex, that you can afford a $20
strawberry.
That's not very impressive, Ithink, to me and anyone, and I
feel like really rich people arenot doing that they're like a
(22:21):
growing their own strawberriesor be just eating whatever they
can from, like a market.
So I think a lot of people arelike I know this is ridiculous,
but let me buy the strawberry.
But I think a lot of people arelike I know this is ridiculous,
but let me buy the strawberry,but I don't even care, like I
just don't even care to seepeople eat them.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
What do you think?
You know, I just think it's oneof those ridiculous fads.
Personally, there is nostrawberry on earth.
To me is worth 20 bucks for onestrawberry.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
But to each his own.
You know, to each his own.
What if it's laced with ecstasyor something?
Speaker 1 (22:58):
I don't know.
It's just crazy to me and it'samazing how an influencer could.
Here's an idea An influencercould get a cockroach, put
chocolate on it, and to theaverage person it's disgusting,
but if their favorite influencerdoes it, well, so-and-so's
trying to hey let's try, yeahyes, and yeah, yeah, it's like
(23:21):
everything you don't have to try, you know, and I see it out
here too, even there's.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
There's one coffee shop that justin bieber and
hayley bieber go to a lot I feellike it's called like community
goods or something like thatand every time I drive by it's
like 150 people deep in a line.
Like people will wait an hourand a half just to get this cup
of coffee, even if, like, theBiebers aren't there.
And then there's all these goodcoffee places across the street
with like no one, no line, andit's just goes to show like
(23:48):
sheeple mentality.
I think you know so.
And, of course, if you'revisiting and you want to do
these things in LA, it's good,but a $20 strawberry is just
kind of like okay, you're.
There's other ways to kind ofwaste your money in like a cool,
funny, cheeky way, I think.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Yeah, but you know, it's one of those things and
most likely they're probablygoing to get on social media.
Look, I bought the $20strawberry strawberry it was
delicious yeah, when I see ithere.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Okay, so it's the omakase variety.
Um, it's a specific brandbehind airwands fancy berries is
known for, like the omakasestrawberry they use indoor
vertical farming techniques, uh,to make sure that it's ultra
sweet and super fragrant.
So I'm I'm sure like it tastesgreat.
But yeah, 20, 20 bucks, likeyou, you can get really, really
(24:35):
good farmer's marketstrawberries for probably like
five dollars or six hey, you geta dozen eggs for 20 bucks now
yeah, when is eric one gonnacome out with like a 300 rooster
egg or something like?
Speaker 1 (24:49):
hey, don't tip them, they'll'll do it.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, that's an interesting thing, because I
feel like luxury produce isdefinitely a thing in Los
Angeles, especially with snacks,where people will buy these
like high end pretzels or likeeverything has turned into this
kind of luxury commodity andit's a lot of food and a lot of
money and I think it's like.
(25:11):
I think now like a lot of youngpeople spend their money on
snacks the same way that theywould with clothing where they
like, buy specific brands, andyou know it kind of has to be
aesthetic now I have to ask youis it really worth it, or is it
pretty much just kind of a fadthat they go through?
just a fad, I think.
I mean, some of them are reallygood, like in terms of um, like
(25:31):
remember the the tin fish crazewhere people were eating a lot
of like tinned fish.
That is an example of like theluxury ones are really good
because those are.
They just like taste betterbecause they're farmed really
well and like a lot of um youknow the way that they're
packaged and like the extravirgin olive oil that they use.
In that case, like you cantaste the difference and with
(25:51):
like high-end sparkling sodasand all that stuff.
But for the most part, like tome, pretzels and pastas and
stuff is all kind of the same,like I'm like, give me a
beefaroni, I'm okay with it Idefinitely understand yeah, but
some of these things are, so I Idon't mind like this.
(26:12):
you know, when the smoothiescome out, I don't mind people
spending money and just it beingstupid.
But like the strawberries italmost just seemed like follower
behavior and it just kind ofdrove me crazy.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, that's true, that's true, but you know what
the crazy thing about it?
I tip my hat off to thosebusinesses.
If you could come up with amarketing plan that people buy
into, go for it, milk it, forall you can Exactly.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Using organic milk that costs organic almond milk.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah Well, we're going to talk about a not so
nice subject.
You know, I don't know if it'sme or not, but I've gotten so
many approvals for loans that Inever applied for.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Yeah, yes.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
The scams are like through the roof right now, and
one scam that's, you know, sadlybecoming pretty popular which
shocks me is called the Gold Barscam, and basically what's
happening is there's people thatget these calls saying that,
you know, either you owe moneyto the IRS or a loved one is
going to jail.
They got a warrant for yourarrest.
(27:19):
So, you know, in order for usto take care of this, you need
to go buy a gold bar, the littlesmall gold bars, buy a whole
bunch of them and, you know,drop them off at this location
or put this in this vehicle.
And as I'm saying this, it'slike how are people still
falling for?
Speaker 2 (27:36):
this I know a gold bar.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
It was like I don't think they're going to do that.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
You know, I think yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
But you know, sadly enough, the majority of what
I've seen have been, you know,you know older people.
Yeah what I've seen have been,you know, you know older people,
yeah, and you know the sad partis there are people that have
been scammed out of anywherefrom a few thousand to almost
$100,000, which is shocking.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Their whole savings.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Oh yeah, big time.
I'm just surprised that so manypeople are falling for it.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Me too.
The gold bar one is ridiculousto me.
I can totally see how peopleget scammed when they're like
Bank of America.
You know they get really closenowadays with like people saying
that I'm the bank or basicallyyou're going to have to like um,
there's one where they'll likerecord your voice, like they
would record, you know, yourspouse's voice, and then they
(28:28):
have one saying like this isfrom your wife or something, and
then you think it's the otherperson that needs money that's
really scary.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
But yeah, you're right and you know the thing is
too, is there are ways to see ifit's real or not?
Um, like I had one call thatwere like we're calling from
your bank.
I said really, yeah, we gotthis issue.
Whatever, you know, we need toverify who you are.
I said tell you, I'll call youright back.
Well, let me give you thenumber.
(28:56):
No, you don't have to give methe number.
If you're my bank, I alreadyhave the number.
Yeah, yes, yes, and then theyjust got mad and I'm like, well,
if you got a problem, I couldtap in the police too.
It's no big deal, I love that,that's the way to do it.
And they go, you know, theybasically tell me f you hung up
on me.
So I'm like, yeah, you're notin the bank.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
See, and that's, and that's.
I tell my parents all the time,like your bank will not just
randomly call you and need money, you know, say that you're
going to go into a center.
The one that I think people gettripped up on as well, which I
could see, is when they call andsay, um, someone just charged
gas on your phone.
We're going to have to likefreeze your credit card, but
until then we're going to needthis information and then
(29:37):
they'll have a read your.
They'll say, okay, we need youto like read your debit card,
just so we're sure.
And that can seem like becauseon any other world it could be
like, okay, someone stole mycredit card and they're charging
to Walmart.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
But charging to Walmart, but that's like a very
popular scam.
But you know what?
And probably because you knowwith online banking I've
probably gotten a little bitlazy because I haven't done a
ledger in years, becauseliterally I go in my account
every day because you know it'sonline, I look at my phone and
log in.
So if I get a like I used toget these text messages saying
someone is hacked into yourAmazon account and they spent
(30:16):
all this money, OK, so I'll goin there like nobody's been in
my account, so I just deletedand mark it as junk.
But when someone says youraccount's been charged, it's so
easy to verify that becauseliterally, when stuff gets
charged, it's charged instantly.
Literally, when stuff getscharged, it's charged instantly.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yes, exactly, you can just see it.
I can't imagine these peoplethat are so rich that like,
don't they miss like a $2,500payment?
They're like, oh, I didn'tnotice that was missing.
I'm like I noticed if like $7was missing.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Well, you know, our money situation and a wealthy
person is totally different.
I always tell people theirbankruptcy is different than our
bankruptcy.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, yeah, their bankruptcy is.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
You know, they may owe 10 million, but they only
have like about 7 million.
Our bankruptcy is okay we owe100,000 and we got $30 in the
bank.
You know.
It's a big difference, exactly.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
More money, more problems, right, but so every
now and look, it's nice to thinkof being like rich and famous
or whatever, but don't you?
Every now and then I'm likealways grateful sometimes when
things are just simple and likethe IRS isn't coming after me
and there's not like a milliondifferent penalties that you're
getting paid for, like I don'tknow.
I think it's, it's a.
(31:27):
There's pros and cons.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
That's true.
That's true.
I mean mean, the thing is, isthat it's nice to have money,
but it's even better if you havemoney and no one knows about it
exactly.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
And money, and like simplicity, like you don't,
you're not paying off, like 10000 boats and a watch that you
can afford, and you know, likemoney and everything is just
owned outright and you have nodebt.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
That's like the, the dream, I think yeah, I mean the
real crazy thing about our mail.
Believe it or not, more poorpeople buy high-end stuff than
people who actually could affordit.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I know, I know, and the really rich people wouldn't
be buying the strawberries.
You know they wouldn't bebuying the strawberries.
They would think that's likeembarrassing almost.
But yeah, the moral of thestory is, I think we need to be
more aware of all these scamsbecause it's just happening more
and more.
And I love what you said aboutlike okay, let me get the police
on the line.
I think that's like so perfect.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Oh, they get angry when you do that?
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, I think I had that once too and I was like, oh
my gosh, they are, someone ischarging my account, like I need
to get the police immediately.
This is, and then click.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Or Like I need to get the police immediately.
This is, and then click, or thebest one is, you know,
especially if they sit for yourbank is like okay, you know, I'm
gonna call you right back.
Well, I'll give you the number.
No, I have the number.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I always try to tell my parents, who are like little sweet
people in their sixties, likeI've trained them I'm like walk
into your actual branch of yourbank and they will tell you if
something is wrong.
You know like, don't ever, ever, ever give your information
away.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
That's true, that's true.
And then don't fall for thetrick of someone calling you
saying they have your son ordaughter hostage either.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Exactly, my parents would probably be like keep her,
it's good, we're not going tobuy a bar of gold for her, it's
okay, we're not gonna buy a barof gold for her, it's okay.
Um, okay, I'm so excited forthis next one.
I'm obsessed with the story.
So a man in india wins twohundred dollars talk about rich
two hundred dollars in a lawsuitover a movie theater showing
(33:25):
too many commercials.
So, uh, so this happened inBangalore, bangalore in India.
Um.
So he went to a movie and he hiscomplaint against the theater
said okay.
So he said the film had beenscheduled to end at 630 at night
, but it didn't end just beforeseven.
So not that long, you know,probably about 15 or 20 minutes
(33:47):
late.
But because of this he missed,uh, some work.
And then he was suing for $547in damages for what he called an
unfair trade practice, as wellas $57 for mental agony and $115
for legal costs.
So he ended up gettingbasically $230 plus 90.
(34:10):
He ended up getting a littlebit less than what he wanted,
but he said the ruling said inthe new era, time is considered
as money.
25 to 30 minutes is aconsiderable amount of time to
just sit idle in the theater andbasically it had 17 commercials
in the movie before, 17commercials before the movie
(34:31):
started.
So it had two public serviceannouncements and 17 commercials
before the movie before 17commercials before the movie
started.
So it had two public serviceannouncements and 17 commercials
before the movie.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
So I think this is hilarious and I'm happy that the
guy sued um, I mean, I get it'sridiculous, but because you
know I I actually like watching.
Um, you know the previews yeahyeah, and you know, used to be
like about, you know about aboutnine, ten minutes.
Okay, no big deal, yes, butthey have been getting a little
bit longer now for real now,when they say movie starts at
(35:01):
like 6 40.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
If you show up at the theater at like 7 20, the movie
hasn't even begun yet exactly.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
That's to me.
That's a little bit too much.
That's to the yeah, you know.
I say you know, have a set time.
Let me say okay, when we startthe movie, the movie is starting
10 minutes after the start time.
First 10 minutes is is, um, allyour previews or whatever.
It makes everyone happy.
Right?
Who wants to see the previews?
I'll be there.
(35:28):
The people who don't want tosee them, they know what time to
show up.
Everybody's happy, exactly.
That is one of the good thingsabout like, uh, I don't want to
see them.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
They know what time to show up.
Everybody's happy.
Exactly.
That is one of the good thingsabout.
I don't know if they're at thetheater, if they have this too,
but at the AMC that I go to, youhave reserve seats.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Oh yes.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
That has been the biggest game changer, because
you don't have to stress outabout you can either get there
for the previews or you can showup whenever you could show up
halfway through the movie if youwant.
You know like that's the nicestfeeling ever of having like
your reserve.
I think you're right.
Like the trailers have been solong lately.
They're almost like three and ahalf four minutes and if you
have like five of those, it'sclose to a half hour of just
(36:06):
previews.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Yeah that's very excessive.
Yeah, yeah, they're really long.
So, yeah, that's very excessive, yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yeah, they're really long, so would you sue?
Are you going to?
Speaker 1 (36:16):
sue your local.
I think my time is worth morethan $200.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Yeah, me too, and I love the judge having to read
through mental duress, mentalagony, he said, and I'm like,
okay, the movie didn't go ninehours.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Over the time it was about a half hour, and you know
what, if they do that for allmovies, okay, then you know what
time you have to be there.
It's getting a little bit tothe excessive now.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
I know I always forget when they say run time,
if it's an hour and 38 minutes,I always have to mentally be
like they mean the movie, notthe whole experience, exactly.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
That is so so the whole experience, you know,
because Exactly that is so, sotrue, hey don't you think 17
commercials before is a littlecrazy.
It is, it definitely is.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
I just think of a whole movie that are sitting
there and commercial 13 justended and now they have to go
into a bunch more.
I don't know why this story isso funny to me.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Yeah, it's amazing but, like I said, hopefully they
kind of cut back on it becauseit is a little bit on the
ridiculous side.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Yeah exactly, they could even do more movies if
they just make the.
It is a little bit on theridiculous side.
Yeah exactly, they could evendo more movies if they just make
the trailers maybe a little bitshorter, I'd be happy for.
Give me eight movies.
Just make every single trailera minute and a half or something
.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
That is true.
That is true.
Well, I have a story here.
I don't know if you're going tobe happy or sad.
Let's see.
Just like other big franchisesthat we grew up with, hooters
looks like they're going to befiling bankruptcy and, who knows
, they may be going out ofbusiness soon.
No, okay, I'm just sad aboutthat Because of the pandemic is
(37:59):
one reason.
A lot of people feel thatbecause of the Me Too movement
and their Maybe that's anegative thing.
I don't know.
What's your take on it?
Speaker 2 (38:10):
So funny.
I don't feel like Hooters badlyobjectify.
If they do to me, it's all ingood fun and it's a fun type of
objectification that they'redoing.
It's not the worst thing in theworld.
I am one of those people that Iactually really do like the
wings, because the wings arelike fatty and juicy, and so I
think the same problem as likethe Red Lobsters and the TGI
(38:33):
Fridays is like it's becomingjust very expensive for people
to go to places like this anyway.
So because I was just thinkingabout that, where I'm like what,
what is what is like RedLobster have to do to make
themselves cool and popularagain, and I feel like it's just
make it an affordable, likeeasy, nice time, and I think
Hooters has to have that too.
Or like bring back the whatever50 cent wings or you know, I
(38:56):
don't know, just to make it alittle bit nicer.
Um, yeah, and that's sadbecause I mean I can see that
too, but I still think there's ademand for like men that want
to go and watch sports and womenthat still want to work there
and just have fun and hopefullynot get harassed, and I'm sad.
I'm pro Hooters.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Yeah, I mean, I'm with you on the wings.
They have excellent teams, theydo.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
And it's like a fun place, like I like the ambiance
the ambiance.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Like I like the colors and like it's like kind
of kitschy, it's just fun ohyeah, and you know what?
Have you had their, theirshrimp?
Their shrimp is actually prettygood too, really.
Oh yeah, very, very good, Ithink.
And one person, uh, I I read anarticle and a person said, well
, how about if they just revampit?
Not get rid of it, just mayberevamp it a little bit?
Speaker 2 (39:42):
I don't want to see the women wearing like suits and
ties.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
But yeah, but you know the crazy thing.
No, maybe I'm weird or anything, but the uniforms aren't that
really scantily.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
No, they're not bad at all.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
The reason why I say that is because, yeah, they have
little short shorts, but theyhave on stockings underneath it.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
I remember a few years ago they redid it, they
updated their uniforms and itgot a little bit less skimpy.
And I feel like now it justlooks cute and the Hooters girls
.
The times that I've gone theydon't seem traumatized or sad.
It's very different, I think,to me from strippers or other
workers.
To me the Hooters girls justseem like fun, cute college
(40:23):
girls that are just making a lotof money.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Oh yeah, definitely.
And you know, like I say, it'san actual sports bar, is what it
is.
Yeah, you know, I think that itstill has a place in society.
No one is going to, you know,grope them or grab them or
whatever, because you knowobviously they'll get thrown out
or go to jail.
Laws take care of that.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
But I don't know, I just think that it's a little
bit of an overkill.
I just think that maybe justrebrand a little bit.
Don't change any ingredients,don't change your food, all
that's good but maybe justchange the branding a little bit
.
On it, I agree with you Don'tgo crazy with the having them
dress up too much to wear Now.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
You don't even recognize where you're at.
But you know they should allwear big bird costumes.
But it's becoming more and morelike a lot of families that I
know and just people in general.
They don't have the extraspending money to just go out
and, like I know we've talkedabout this a lot before with
like Applebee's and TGI Fridayswhere a meal can cost someone
(41:26):
$25 or $30, where you can't justdo that on a Wednesday,
thursday, friday in thislandscape right now.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
Yeah, I mean if you go out to a restaurant, it could
be a Ruby Tuesdays, it could beHooters, whatever a meal for
two people, it could be Hooters,whatever you know, a meal for
two people.
And let's say, if you get acocktail with it or whatever,
you're easily spending about 70,80 bucks.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
I know.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Without even trying.
I know.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
I feel like a lot of people probably feel similar to
how I do too, is I'll have thatexperience and then I'll almost
feel like guilty because it justwasn't worth it.
You know like I'm all for likecatching up with friends and
seeing people, but I'm tryingnow to divert more hangouts into
like going on walks or doingstuff that isn't going to cost
everyone like $70.
Cause the next day I just evenif it was a good meal, I'm just
(42:16):
like I probably could have madethat at home and I kind of feel
like a little bit bad and guilty.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
So, yeah, yeah, I hear you, but I hope they don't
go away though.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
I know.
I think what we need to do istake the money that we're saving
from Doge and all the federalwe need to put it into Red
Lobster and Hooters.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Those are the two important things.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Those should not be cut in any way.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
Now speaking of Red Lobsters.
It'll probably never happen,but you know what I would love
for them to do Bring in kingcrabs, real king crabs.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Because you know, I really don't buy crabs anymore
when I go out, because they'reall the little small skimpy
stuff.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
I know, yeah, and when you try to, open them up,
it just pisses you off.
Yeah, see, if they're so wimpyand there's like little meat.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Yeah, I mean you finally get it open.
It's like, wow, just be strandshere, you know.
I mean, bring back true kingcrabs.
I would splurge, maybe once amonth or once every other month,
on some king crabs.
Yes, they're very expensive,but hey, you bust it out.
The meat's that big, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
It's so good.
Yeah, maybe that's anotherthing to make the food good.
What if I just thought aboutthis?
What if, to save everyone, redLobster and Hooters combined,
and now all the girls arewearing lobster claws?
Basically, you get two optionsyou can only get chicken wings
or lobster, and now it's one bighybrid restaurant.
Cheddar biscuits and all thegirls have their bottoms, have
(43:44):
cheddar biscuits.
We're going to have cheddarbiscuits and all the girls like
have their bottoms, are likehave like cheddar biscuits like,
yeah, we're gonna have to youtry to get them soup, yeah, but
but it's sad because I don'twant all these restaurants to go
away, because they also in inmy mind they're just like a fun,
nice place to go.
But something has to changebecause, yeah, these, these
places are becoming extinct andthat's so sad you know one place
(44:06):
that we don't have here in thearea.
Speaker 1 (44:08):
I don't know if they're still in business, but
um tjf friday oh, I love them Idon't know, do you still have?
Yeah, yeah a few and farbetween, but we have them oh my
god, I loved it, especially theuh, the uh, the sauce and
everything that you hadappetizers oh my god, it was so
good, the jack daniel sauce Iyeah, me too and it's just like
(44:30):
fun to go to.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
Like that was something where you feel like
you are going out to like adinner or lunch with someone.
I think it's.
It's also just nostalgia forpeople like our ages, and so
yeah that is so true.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
That is so true.
But let's just hope that RedLobster can survive.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
And Hooters can survive.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
They got Flavor Flav as a spokeman now.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
Yeah, I'm blaming Gen Z for all of this.
Gen Z doesn't want Hooters.
Gen Z doesn't want Hootersunless there's every type of
rights up there.
Maybe they should make it everymonth.
It goes to like a new, a new,like cause or something.
Okay, well, I thought this onewas good.
(45:14):
Have you heard the termCalifornia sober before?
No, I haven't.
You haven't, okay.
Okay, that was good because Ididn't know how widespread it
was.
So basically, california sobermeans you don't drink.
You know you don't drinkalcohol, but you pretty much
just do like marijuana and maybelike other stuff here and there
, and so it's very funny, so youbasically just do cannabis
(45:36):
products.
It's very common here, like Ihear all the time people at
parties will say like it happensa lot when people either like
go to rehab for alcohol or likethey've they've gotten clean.
You know what I mean.
It's not just like people likeme that don't really just drink,
but it's like you've gottensober but you're California
sober.
Demi Lovato shared her ownversion of being California
(45:59):
sober, but then she realizedlater that like sober, sober is
the only way to go, cause I, Ithink a lot of people it's like
a transition and then they'relike okay, I don't want to do
cannabis or weed either.
Um my, so this is on the risenow I think less people are
drinking and more people arejust using cannabis.
Maybe that's also why hootersis doing so well, no one wants
(46:20):
to just have a beer and everyoneis at home stoned.
Uh, but to me, I think, I thinkto me like unpopular opinion,
but like a lot of marijuana andcannabis also has a lot of
psychiatric risks and I think wedon't know how much that
affects us and like affects ourpersonality and like I'm not the
most like pro weed person, Ithink it does in natural form.
(46:43):
It does have like somebeautiful healing properties,
but overused and kind of usedsynthetically I am I'm not a fan
of.
I think it like dulls people'spersonalities and stuff.
So not a fan.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Yeah, I mean I'm not.
I'm not a weed person either.
Yeah, I mean I do know somepeople that really love their
weed.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Yeah, yeah, a lot of I mean a lot of artists and
musicians and stuff do and Ithink, like to me it's like if
you can still be a fun,functional, happy human on it,
like of course that's fine.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Yeah, that's true.
I mean I know a lot ofCalifornia sober people.
I mean I'll have a beer everyso often and you know I get
teased all the time because youknow I'll have a beer every so
often and you know I get teasedall the time because you know I
don't smoke weed, I don't dobrownies, stuff like that.
I'm like, nah, I don't needthat kind of feeling in my life,
I'm good.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Me too.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
I would much rather have like one martini or one
alcohol drink.
And it's so funny too, becausein.
California.
I'll go to all these partiesand they won't have any alcohol
and people will just be stonedand I'm like this is so boring.
Yeah, like I said.
Speaker 2 (47:59):
I tip my hat off to them.
I'm good.
Me too, I'll be a square.
I'm okay with that In theory.
One of the pros of this is thatyou have less people drinking
and driving and you know they'reunder the influence of cannabis
instead.
But I still think that canchange your response time and
you're still under the influence, you know like, unless you have
it here legally.
But for the most part, I don'tknow.
It's something that I feel likeis irritating.
I haven't.
(48:20):
I don't know it's so funnybecause I have a lot of
judgmental thoughts on this.
I haven't.
Speaker 1 (48:23):
I don't know it's so funny because I have a lot of
judgmental thoughts on this.
Yeah, I mean, even if you're ina state where it's legal to
smoke, you still have to beaware that, just like you can't
be drunk at your job, you can'tbe high at your job either.
Speaker 2 (48:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
You know, if you have a CDL, which means you drive
the big trucks, you drive atractor trailer.
Just like you can't be drunkdriving a tractor trailer, you
can't be drunk driving a tractor.
You can't be high driving atractor trailer either exactly
you know, so there's stillresponsibility.
That comes with that.
You know it doesn't mean thatyou know you can smoke it like a
cigarette, you know, likedriving down the street, you
know it's not a good thingexactly, I'm still trying to get
(48:58):
myself to the point where, like, I'm not dependent on caffeine.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
So because I just feel like it's not good to be
dependent on like a certain drug, and I just feel like I don't
know, like I don't think we knowhow much ingesting drugs every
day, whether it's like asocially accepted one, like
caffeine, you know, I think itchanges our personalities in a
way that we might not knowunless we're like fully off
those things.
But to me it's like it's OK todo if you don't have an issue
(49:27):
with it.
It's OK to like do things hereand there, but to need something
every day and to be dependenton anything is not good.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
That's true.
I mean, you know if you're toodependent, if you have to have
it, because there's a differencebetween wanting to have
something and having to have it.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
You know what I mean.
Yeah, I always forget that withcoffee, where if I go a day or
two and I get like a splittingheadache and I'm tired, I'm like
, oh yeah, I'm withdrawing froma drug.
I always forget that caffeineis A drug.
It's the best one.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
I think that's true, wow, we had a great show today.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Was yours all done, yep mine's all done, oh my gosh,
that's crazy.
I was just going to say Is your,is your?
Your, your's all done.
Yep, mine's all done.
Oh, my gosh, that's crazy.
Well, I was just gonna say oneone, one quick minute.
This came through, I just sawwhen we were filming, but sadly,
(50:20):
dolly Parton's husband passedaway.
Her husband, carl Dean, justpassed away at the age of 82 in
Nashville, and so I just thoughtthis was so sad, because I just
heard a podcast where Dollytalks a lot about him and
they've been together for so, so, so long.
But like I love that you wouldnever know because he's not in
the spotlight.
And like the interview Ilistened to, she talks all about
how he's so funny and they weretogether for 60 years.
(50:43):
But like you just didn't know.
But she had this huge privatelife and he was like the number
one thing in it.
So I thought that was so sad,but still cute.
Speaker 1 (50:50):
So we're thinking about Dolly yeah, that is very
sad, you know, and you know,like you said, he never, in fact
, I don't think I've ever seenhis face.
To be honest, I know me neither.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
That's like my dream goal, because the podcast I
listened to she talked all abouthow he's so funny and he's so
like you could just tell after60 years she was obsessed with
him still, but he just didn'treally want any of the spotlight
.
But my main takeaway from thatwas just he let her be Dolly
Parton and he supported her andkind of took a back seat to her
(51:24):
career and I think he evenhelped her with her career.
Um, but they just sounded likeamazing partners for 60 years
and like I think that's sobadass.
Like someone like Dolly had tohave a husband that you love but
who's kind of like away andlike you just get to shine so
completely.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
I think that's so cool yeah, and you know, of
course, you know we should alsosend our condolences out to the
family for Gene Gene Hackman.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
Oh yeah, Him his wife and one of his dogs.
That was strange.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
It's incredibly strange.
I mean, when you first heard it, you know a lot of people kind
of thought it was probablycarbon monoxide, because all
three of them.
But you know lot of people kindof thought it was probably
carbon dioxide.
Yeah, all three of them.
But um, you know a few thingswhich I'm surprised they let
come out was one, um, because hehad a pacemaker.
They were able to see when heactually passed away and oh,
(52:16):
like nine or ten days that he'sbeen passed.
Oh, my gosh so they I think theysaid that the body started
decomposing, you know.
And then one of the dogs,because I guess they have
multiple dogs, but one of thedogs passed away and they
changed it from um from um, adeath of a investigation to
(52:38):
suspicious oh my gosh, that'scrazy, it's, it's really weird,
it's really weird, it's reallyweird.
Speaker 2 (52:47):
The training that the people go through, to have to
walk through the crime scene andsee two people and a dog dead.
It's just like I don't know.
I hope those people get activetherapy all the time.
I know that's just a lot forpeople to see.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
Oh, absolutely.
And the thing is too, whensomeone has passed away that
long, you don't know, becausethey said the door was open,
because I guess a caretaker hasstopped by to do a well-being
check on them.
Wow, and that's why I say youknow, check on your people, you
(53:20):
know.
Yeah, you know.
Just a simple text call orwhatever.
If you ever talk to anyone in alittle bit, just give them a
little call One to make sure youknow everything's okay.
Just to you know.
And also, too, if they're goingthrough some dark times,
because I always say this, younever know what kind of demons
people are fighting.
Speaker 2 (53:38):
Yeah, you know reach out Just say hey, how you doing.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Everything good.
You'd be surprised that justchecking in with them does so
much.
Speaker 2 (53:48):
I agree, except if any of my friends are listening.
Don't check in on me.
I get checked in on too much.
If this is a PSA to my friendsand family, leave me alone.
Speaker 1 (53:56):
I just want to be alone.
Speaker 2 (53:59):
Literally, I'm like I just want to be alone.
But yes, and to everyone else,please check it out.
Speaker 1 (54:05):
Nice.
Well, Meryl, what do you havecoming up?
Speaker 2 (54:10):
Oh my gosh.
Actually, this weekend I'mtaking my parents to Vegas for
the first time.
They've never gone.
I've been there before, butthey've never seen Vegas.
It's not a comedy show, but itwill be.
I'm sure when I join you backon Monday I'll have lots of
stories about that Are when Ijoin you back on Monday.
Speaker 1 (54:25):
I'll have lots of stories about that Now.
Are you going to be bringingsome money hitting the slots?
Speaker 2 (54:28):
I'm going to ask my parents for it.
My parents are going to give me$20.
Speaker 1 (54:32):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
I think we're going to see Penn Teller the magic
show.
Oh nice, so that should be good.
Speaker 1 (54:42):
And then we're going to hit the Wynn Buffet because
that's like one of my favoritebuffets.
Ooh, nice we're going to belittle fatties.
Hey, my dream is to have youever watched Bar Rescue with Jon
.
Speaker 2 (54:53):
Taffer.
Speaker 1 (54:54):
Yeah, my dream is to go to a bar that he's about to
work on and be one of the onesthere right before they start
working on it and watch him gocrazy.
And you know have watch them gocrazy and everything.
And then watch how it turnsinto a nice bar, whatever.
That'd be so cool, that wouldbe so nice.
And then you know, be on tvlike who do you think?
(55:15):
So yeah, they need to get stuff.
Speaker 2 (55:17):
You know everything you know, I feel like that dream
is possible for you.
He's like really buff too right.
Speaker 1 (55:23):
He's like ridiculously buff he right, he's
like ridiculously buff.
You know what he wears jacketsand suits and stuff all the time
.
You know like a blazer orwhatever, but you know he's been
in this business over 30 years.
Wow, he's passionate and it'samazing how much science goes
into running a profitable bar.
(55:44):
Yeah, it's shocking, but youknow, I guess it would be if you
know when you look at bigplaces that make a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (55:51):
Maybe Hooters needs to hire him.
Speaker 1 (55:54):
You know as crazy as that sounds, they probably
should.
Speaker 2 (55:56):
I know, because that would bring awareness and all
that stuff.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
That's true.
That's true.
Maybe we should do something.
Speaker 2 (56:09):
Give us a little fee on that.
Every week we come up with anew business idea that honestly
sounds good to me.
Speaker 1 (56:17):
So we need to start putting these in an Excel
spreadsheet.
We can bring them all tosomeone there you go.
Speaker 2 (56:19):
I like that idea.
Well, this has been fun.
Speaker 1 (56:23):
It has been a great day, everyone.
Thank you so much Forsupporting us and watching us.
Don't forget to tell peopleabout our podcast.
We're on all the major podcasts, whether that's Apple, whether
that's iHeartRadio, and then allthe other ones too.
So we're on all the major ones.
You can always pull us up andlisten to us at any time.
(56:45):
Um again, I'm laurence alrodI'm meryl clemo and always,
always, always remember tosupport us and, you know, kind
of stay sane in these crazy days, because it's probably going to
get even crazier.
Speaker 2 (57:05):
yeah, bye everyone, bye everyone, bye-bye.
Hello everyone, welcome to this week's episode
of Thirsty Topics.
I'm Lauren Zellrod.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
And I am Meryl Clemo.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Meryl, welcome back.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you.
A week felt like a year.
I'm so happy to be back.
It was too long.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
How did your comedy event go?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
You know, at least to me, it was fun.
If you ask the people in thecrowd, they might say different,
but no, it was very, very fun.
We had actually the show I didlast week.
Why I missed it?
It was it was like a fun themeshow about um.
It's called like I'm a reallygood person and basically you're
supposed to convince theaudience that you're a good
person and I I co-won it withsomeone else.
(00:55):
So nice, so super fun.
It was me and this other guyand my, my friend julian, who's
a great comedian here, and um,they were going to pick one of
us and we demanded that wewanted to co-win it.
I hate choosing one winner, soit's good to co-win things.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
That's true.
That's true.
Everyone's a winner.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Exactly.
We're still like little leagueeight-year-olds where we want to
go home with the trophy, all ofus.
But I'm happy to be back.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Well, I am definitely happy you're back as well and
we have a lot to talk about.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I know, do you want?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
to start us, since you've been so patient and nice.
You know what I'll go ahead andstart off.
Yay, don't know if everyonewatched the Oscars or if they
watched the whole thing, but onenotable incident that happened,
which I wouldn't call anincident, but a little bit of a
snub, as people say.
Demi Moore was, I guess, poisedto win an Oscar last night and
(01:58):
some people felt that she wassnubbed.
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I forget.
Do you know who ended upwinning it in her place?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Let me think here.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
It's so funny.
My opinion will rest upon that.
If I don't like the person,then yes, she was absolutely
snubbed.
And if I like the person, Icould see where that would
happen.
So, um, I mean, while we, whilewe look at that, my first is
yes, just because I felt like Imean it's sad with the Oscars
that they just can't makewinners just because we want
(02:29):
some people to win.
You know, people have voted andthe Academy has whatever
criteria to do.
The word snubbed has become sowe use it so much.
Now you know how like at theGrammys, billie Eilish was
snubbed, but really I feel likesnubbed has just become another
way to say like someone didn'twin.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, it was Mikey Madison that beat her to the
covered Best Actress Award.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Okay.
So yes, she was snubbed.
Okay In my mind then.
Yes, from what I believe withMikey Madison.
I don't know, people will maybethink differently, but I feel
like she's maybe a new,up-and-coming person and I felt
like to me this is Demi, she'sthe young hot thing and I'm like
(03:19):
that's so funny because that'sall what Demi's whole movie, the
Substance, is about is kind ofgetting you know, having youth
and beauty be like the winner.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So, yeah, I think Demi should have gotten it.
What do you think?
You know?
I mean, from the way everyonewas talking, I'm surprised she
didn't get it.
But I would say that just to benominated is a great thing.
And you know what?
She took it in stride.
I kind of like the fact thatshe poked fun at herself.
She had two big bowls of frenchfries that she was eating
(03:53):
afterwards.
So you know, she poked fun atherself, had fun with it and
stuff.
But you know, the thing is, I'mnot even sure how they vote.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I know.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
You know it's like this big secret.
I know the thing is.
I'm not even sure how they vote.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I know, you know it's like this big secret, I know, I
know, and it's like never whatyou think it would be.
I feel like they almost hardlyever choose the obvious, popular
one.
It always seems like there'ssome type of twist.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, so I mean it's interesting.
I mean it was a very, veryformal show.
Yeah, I, I mean, um, it was a avery, it was a very, very
formal show.
You know, yeah, um, I wouldn'tsay it was over the top great,
it was okay, you know it wasokay.
Some people like I don't knowwhat, do you?
Think, did you?
Did you like it?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I was just like, whoever is paying to get timothy
chalamet shown?
Like I'm like, can we just likenot see him?
For I mean, I like him a lot,but I but I'm like, why is it
like literally the TimotheeChalamet Oscars was award?
I don't know.
I've gotten to the point.
I think we all feel this waythat like these big stars just
seem not as like shiny, as maybewe're just getting older or
(04:58):
like I don't know, I'm growingout of stuff.
But you're right where I don'treally seem as like captivated
now by Hollywood which is sofunny because I live in Los
Angeles but like it just seems,like you're right, there's not a
lot of captivating celebritiesand it's it's not as like fun as
it used to be like in 2014,2015.
(05:18):
I thought Conan did a good job.
I like I love Conan and Ithought like as much as so.
It's such a hard job and I feellike, no matter what, it's
probably so hard making thatwhole room of people laugh and I
think I think Conan is likereally funny and just like did
the best job that human probablycould you know.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
You know, I got to put you on the spot.
Did you like Conan better ordid you like Jimmy Kimmel better
when he did it?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Um, that is a good question, probably Okay.
That is a good question,probably okay, I think.
I think conan does a better job, but I find jimmy just more
likable and like jimmy seemslike he's friends with all of
them and stuff, and conan justseems like he's, you know like
obviously he's, he's his ownplanet coming in, but I think
jimmy's really warm and makes itfeel like someone's hosting,
(06:03):
like a barbecue with someone oryou know like.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
That's true.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
But like I don't know , I like Conan as a performer, I
think, a little bit better andI think his jokes are funnier,
but he clearly is like he feelsstill like an outsider, even
though he's not like.
He is like so Hollywood, but hejust feels like even at times
he even joked about like that hewon't be invited back again.
I think he's a little scared ofpeople.
(06:28):
He also seems like he wasn'treally going for it too bad, and
I think Jimmy Kimmel just feelsa little bit more loose and
like more.
You know, he's just kind ofroasting his friends, that's
true, that's true.
Did you like?
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Jimmy better you know what.
It's hard to compare the twobecause their styles are totally
different.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, you know what.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
It's hard to compare the two because their styles are
totally different.
Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm a bigJimmy Kimmel fan.
I watch his show every nightwhen it's on during the week.
So you know, I'm probably alittle bit partial towards Jimmy
Kimmel.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Totally.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
But you know, conan did a good job too.
Nothing I can say bad aboutthat.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Exactly, yeah, I think Jimmy Kimmel is so
adorable and likable.
Conan, just for some like.
I feel like his jokes are sofunny and they're not.
They're almost like against theOscars.
You know, if you're, he'salmost like I feel like in a
good way he's like subvertlymaking fun of everyone.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
That's true, that's true.
So what do you think?
You think Conan will be backnext year.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
No, wow year, no, wow .
I think I mean it's crazy.
Not why would you want to?
But I think maybe he'll just belike that was good for me and
then maybe someone else will.
Maybe timothy chalamet will heyyou never know exactly.
But yeah, you're right, overallI thought it was like a little
bit weird, um, and just kind ofnot that interesting, but I I
(07:42):
think.
But whatever it is, it is whatit is.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
That's true, that's true.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
This year's movies weren't really that captivating.
I think that was the other partof it too.
It's like a lot of the moviesweren't like we didn't really
have, like a Titanic or like youknow something like that.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know what?
I was talking with my wifeabout this and I don't know.
It just seemed like it wasn'tany.
There were some good movies,but I wouldn't say a lot of
great movies.
Right.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Dune was one of the biggest ones and I know that
just feels so far away ago andit just kind of seems like no
one I know really talked thatmuch about Dune.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
It was just old news, that's true.
Well, let's hope that thissummer we'll have some more
blockbusters.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Exactly, we need some fun.
I was going to say bring WillSmith back, but I don't know if
we want to do that.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
I think Will has learned his lesson.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I know I do too.
What if he's the host next year?
That would be crazy.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Was it the Oscars he was banned from, or was it the?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
I think it was the Oscars.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah, so yeah, it's going to be a while before he's
back.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I know.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
So ouch I know, okay.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Well, I thought this one is good because it's come up
lately in the government and inwork in general.
So basically we're going totalk about like tracking your
workers, work in general.
So basically we're going totalk about like tracking your
workers.
But the first thing I wanted totalk about is that, like a few
weeks ago, elon basically said,if you're in the federal
government, if you don't want tocome in, you know you can
either be remote or you can goback into work.
(09:16):
And if you don't want to goback into work, you can just
email us with the subject lineas like I don't want to or
something.
And then somehow the governmentis going to know by all those
emails and then they're going tolet people go.
But like, in theory, an emailwould be enough to tell them
that you don't want to workthere anymore and then you'd be
getting your severance.
But like we know how thegovernment does stuff and how
(09:37):
hard it is to like get anythingsorted out I've never seen
anything organized very wellfrom the government, so that who
knows how that will be.
But like he's basing that a loton Tesla work.
Just you know how Tesla kind ofhas the work rules where he
doesn't want any remote workers.
Tesla's really big on havingemployees like write back things
(09:59):
right away, you know, likeespecially where employees will
have to say what they did.
He's asking for federalemployees to also write like
five things of what they did inthe past week or month, just to
basically show that their job isimportant, and then, in theory,
ai will take that data and likesynthesize it and then be able
to tell who's important andwho's not.
(10:20):
And this is kind of just comingoverall, as a lot of companies
are now going back to work, butthey're also using corporate
worker tracking and they're likekeyboard.
Let's see.
I saw here some of the waysthat people are monitoring their
employees include everythingfrom keystroke logging, screen
time analytics to GPS trackingfor remote or mobile workers,
(10:43):
which is just crazy to me.
That's like putting an anklebracelet on you and yeah, it's
just.
I wanted to bring up the topicof just workplace surveillance
and, like you know, the balancebetween knowing that your
employees are working hard andthen treating people like caged
animals.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, I mean, I think the whole thing, what's going
on with Elon Musk and what he'sdoing is just absolute, effing
stupid.
It's just real stupid.
And to kind of give you someexamples, okay, there's a group
and I don't know the proper nameof the group, but they watch
over our nuclear missiles tomake sure they know where
(11:24):
they're at.
And you know, you know, noneare unaccounted for and
everything's kosher.
Well, he had to fire a bunch ofthem.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
No, because he didn't know what they did so.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Now they're rushing to try and hire them back and
they can't.
They can't get a hold of them,oh my gosh, because obviously,
when you let go, you no longerhave a company phone.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You don't yeah, so if you don longer have a, company
phone.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
You don't have a personal email.
You really don't have a way tocontact them.
And then also the group that iskind of in charge of making
sure we don't have an issue withthe bird flu.
That group was let go and thenthey're going to come back and
try to find them Now.
These are the instances that weknow about.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
And the thing is, government and private business
are not alike.
They're nowhere close.
And then plus the other thingtoo is how are you letting
people go if you don't know whatthe hell they do?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
And then me, if I'm a government worker which I'm not
and let's say I work in asensitive area like law
enforcement or something, orsecurity, how are you going to
know what my four things arethat I'm telling you because you
haven't done this job before?
And also, too, you know some ofthese people have high security
clearances that they probablyshouldn't be sending over Gmail
(12:42):
or something like that.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Right.
Could you imagine like thegeneral of the military thinking
of his five things and he waslike okay, I detected a bomb in
Syria.
He's like bullet pointing, likeflying to London to like disarm
I don't know?
I mean, I agree and I justthink, for I think the general
(13:05):
feeling is that they should havebeen auditing.
Like I'm on, I'm totally on theteam that we shouldn't be
randomly spending money where wedon't need to, but I feel like
we should be like auditing thatfor months and then then making
the proper thing.
It just seems so weird where Iheard like an analogy that that
was really good, that was likehe like hit it with a hammer
(13:30):
instead of going through withlike a fine tooth comb and
basically he like smashedeverything and now you're trying
to pick up the pieces insteadof like digging through it, yeah
, and and also it, it.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
It's going to cause a bigger problem, because if you
were a federal worker and youjust got fired for no reason,
you let go.
What motivation do you have tocome back?
Speaker 2 (13:47):
right.
I mean seriously, yeah,especially like in this
administration and, like I said,people can vote for whoever
they want to.
But, like I wouldn't have a lotof faith in this administration
of like stability, and if thatperson has a family, you know
know how I would they'reprobably going to look for other
channels of work before goingback to the government.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Oh, absolutely Absolutely, Because I wouldn't
trust them, cause it's like howdo you, how do I know you're
going to do this crap again?
It's like, no, I'm not going todo this.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
And then, how do you feel about just like remote work
overall, like the fact thatElon kind of not not even just
at Tesla, but like how elon waslike if I had to be in tesla
growing up and you know,launching this thing that you
guys have to put?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
in the work too.
It's stupid.
Yeah, I mean, there's certainpositions, uh, certain office
positions.
You can do remote and you cando hybrid.
Now, obviously, if you're doingsomething like a factory work
or something like that, youcan't do hybrid or remote.
You have to be in the factory.
I get that, but you have to usesome common sense.
There are some managers thatliterally want to want you in
(14:53):
the office just because theywant to see your face, which is
yeah not because of anything youknow doing with your workload.
And then the other thing, too,is there are a lot of companies
that's going to keep havingremote working and hybrid
working, which means now youhave a whole new set of
companies that you're competingwith, because guess what?
A lot of people that hybrid orworking from home is a huge,
(15:17):
huge advantage.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Exactly Like I.
I don't even.
It would have to be like areally, really good deal for me
to go back to full-time becauseI've been remote since 2017.
And now it would be insane ifsome employer was saying, okay,
you could be remote, but we'regoing to put a GPS tracker on
you.
You would hope that thesecompanies just start treating
(15:39):
people like adults and if theycan't trust them to get their
work done or just in general,then just in general, then like
don't hire someone that youcan't trust.
I think.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Exactly, because here's the reality Whether
they're in the office or whetherthey're at home, you know if
the work is getting done.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
And the other thing too, is a lot of people who work
from home actually work morehours that they may not.
You know, always clock for.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
You know what I?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
mean yeah, so you're actually getting a benefit
without even realizing it.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Exactly.
No, I feel like when I firstwake up, I check emails.
When I'm back home I checkwhere at the end of the night I
check emails.
But yeah, it's like you can't,and I mean I don't know how
people would even want to takeadvantage of it.
But for me, I'm not likegetting my toes done during the
day and like pretending to beworking.
I actually am working and youknow like it's hard for most
people.
(16:29):
I think it's hard to do both.
It's hard to be on like anisland and work at the same time
.
But, um, even if someone was togo on vacation or be away, as
long as they're getting theirwork done, I think it's fine.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Oh, exactly because that's the whole idea of it.
And then then, plus too,there's a lot of benefit to
having remote or hybrid workers,because one without them being
in the office, all yourutilities and everything like
that that you'll be using, thosego down because you don't have
a use for them.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yep, and overall I just feel like the spiritual
feeling of just having someonelike track your mouse to see if
you're still busy and like Idon't know.
I feel like we as adults needto push back on that and just
say the workforce should nottreat people like weird children
and I have and then what youget is like I have some friends
that bought the software thatbasically show that their
(17:18):
computer's on it like jigglestheir mouse for them, and so
it's like you're making like a35 year old man, just basically
buy like a mouse jiggler onTeemu and you know what are you
doing.
And so this person anyway wouldbe someone that would just work
nicely and doesn't need to betracked all the time.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
That kind of stuff drives me crazy.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
And like I don't know how managers do that.
I'm sure they have to adhere tosome stuff, to stuff to have
their job go well, but it justseems very soulless.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Well, to me, a person that micromanages doesn't know
how to manage.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
And if you have that kind of time to micromanage
everyone on your team, then whatare you doing there?
Some people argue well, there'ssome people that take advantage
of it.
Most people don't do that.
Now are you going to have somepeople to take advantage of it?
Yes, but you deal with thatperson one-on-one.
You don't punish the whole teamfor one or two people.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Exactly, and you know both of us have had office jobs
before.
You don't have to confirm ornot.
But like I, took way moreadvantage of the office job I
was at oh yeah, I mean basically, it's a great work-life balance
is what it is.
Yeah, I'm so passionate aboutthis because I just think it's
so sad to be tracking keywordstrokes.
It just makes people feel Idon't know.
(18:32):
I hate it a lot yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It kind of makes you feel like a number instead of a
person is what it does.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Yeah, we forgot to tell people that during our Zoom
calls you installed softwarewhere you can see.
If my eyes look to the side alittle bit and I get, I actually
have an electronic.
Trying to call her on that, youzap me.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
I'm watching you.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Earthquake that hit right after the Oscars was done.
Did you feel it, Meryl?
Speaker 2 (18:59):
I was at home dreaming of thirsty topics and
what we were going to talk aboutand all of a sudden I was on
the next topic and I was rudelyawoken by an earthquake.
And yes, I definitely felt it.
I live in Burbank, very closeto North Hollywood, and it felt
like a normal one to me.
I'm part of like a BurbankFacebook group and people were
(19:21):
saying it felt really, reallybig to them.
I secretly I like earthquakes alot.
They're my most fun disaster.
But I mean, I don't likeearthquakes if I'm up in an
elevator, like driving across abridge or anything.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah, I think I've, literally I've only had one
earthquake, believe it or not,here in the Midwest.
Really, this was, I want to say, this was over 10 years ago.
We were sitting at the house.
I mean, we're in the Midwest.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
You wouldn't think that, but yeah, it happened one
time.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
And it never happened again.
Never happened again.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
That's so random, Like I said it didn't do any
damage, but it was enough thatyou noticed it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, one a few months ago that felt really
weird but really cool, where youreally felt like the ground
rolling underneath you and itlasted for a really really long
time and then even afterwards,like I felt a little bit dizzy
and kind of ungrounded.
And my friend said the samething, where, like that one was
enough to be like whoa, that youjust felt like that really
happened.
But, um, yeah, it's, it's weird.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
be great yeah, that's true.
I know they keep talking aboutyears from now, most of
california is going to beunderwater.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
I know, I know, but it's so funny because then it's
like also, it's on fire, whichone is it going to be?
But we'll see.
But it's so funny that we're soused to it now that I just
called out to my boyfriend andI'm like you felt that, and he's
like yep, and then I went rightback to bed.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
I don't know if that's a good or bad thing when
you're used to it that much.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
I know, I know I'm telling you, though for some
reason I really do like it, likeI'm not scared by them and they
make me it's fun.
But nothing makes after anearthquake.
Nothing makes LA feel betterthan spending $20 on a
strawberry.
I'm sure by now a lot of peoplehave seen this.
If you're on TikTok, you sadlycouldn't escape it or Instagram
(21:16):
that Air One, which is a grocerhere in Los Angeles, I don't
think.
I think they're only in LA fornow, but I think they have plans
to expanding in New York.
But you know, obviously theymake the news quite often
because of their kind ofridiculous slash rage bait type
stuff where it's like you'llhave a smoothie that's $28 or
you'll have like a $40 bottle ofwater.
But every now and then theyhave these really ridiculous
things that kind of go viral,and this is one.
(21:38):
It was a luxury strawberry thatis from Kyoto, japan, and a lot
of people said that it's justlike the best strawberry, picked
at the perfect time, and it'sthe sweetest strawberry and it
comes in these individualplastic like domes and it's $20.
And, of course, a lot ofinfluencers were getting it and
it's funny watching people eatit because they're just like a
(21:59):
strawberry, ok, cool.
So to me, like my, my hot takeon this is I love these, it's
kind of funny.
I mean it's funny and stupid,but like it's.
If you're doing it as like aflex, that you can afford a $20
strawberry.
That's not very impressive, Ithink, to me and anyone, and I
feel like really rich people arenot doing that they're like a
(22:21):
growing their own strawberriesor be just eating whatever they
can from, like a market.
So I think a lot of people arelike I know this is ridiculous,
but let me buy the strawberry.
But I think a lot of people arelike I know this is ridiculous,
but let me buy the strawberry,but I don't even care, like I
just don't even care to seepeople eat them.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
What do you think?
You know, I just think it's oneof those ridiculous fads.
Personally, there is nostrawberry on earth.
To me is worth 20 bucks for onestrawberry.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
But to each his own.
You know, to each his own.
What if it's laced with ecstasyor something?
Speaker 1 (22:58):
I don't know.
It's just crazy to me and it'samazing how an influencer could.
Here's an idea An influencercould get a cockroach, put
chocolate on it, and to theaverage person it's disgusting,
but if their favorite influencerdoes it, well, so-and-so's
trying to hey let's try, yeahyes, and yeah, yeah, it's like
(23:21):
everything you don't have to try, you know, and I see it out
here too, even there's.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
There's one coffee shop that justin bieber and
hayley bieber go to a lot I feellike it's called like community
goods or something like thatand every time I drive by it's
like 150 people deep in a line.
Like people will wait an hourand a half just to get this cup
of coffee, even if, like, theBiebers aren't there.
And then there's all these goodcoffee places across the street
with like no one, no line, andit's just goes to show like
(23:48):
sheeple mentality.
I think you know so.
And, of course, if you'revisiting and you want to do
these things in LA, it's good,but a $20 strawberry is just
kind of like okay, you're.
There's other ways to kind ofwaste your money in like a cool,
funny, cheeky way, I think.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Yeah, but you know, it's one of those things and
most likely they're probablygoing to get on social media.
Look, I bought the $20strawberry strawberry it was
delicious yeah, when I see ithere.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Okay, so it's the omakase variety.
Um, it's a specific brandbehind airwands fancy berries is
known for, like the omakasestrawberry they use indoor
vertical farming techniques, uh,to make sure that it's ultra
sweet and super fragrant.
So I'm I'm sure like it tastesgreat.
But yeah, 20, 20 bucks, likeyou, you can get really, really
(24:35):
good farmer's marketstrawberries for probably like
five dollars or six hey, you geta dozen eggs for 20 bucks now
yeah, when is eric one gonnacome out with like a 300 rooster
egg or something like?
Speaker 1 (24:49):
hey, don't tip them, they'll'll do it.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, that's an interesting thing, because I
feel like luxury produce isdefinitely a thing in Los
Angeles, especially with snacks,where people will buy these
like high end pretzels or likeeverything has turned into this
kind of luxury commodity andit's a lot of food and a lot of
money and I think it's like.
(25:11):
I think now like a lot of youngpeople spend their money on
snacks the same way that theywould with clothing where they
like, buy specific brands, andyou know it kind of has to be
aesthetic now I have to ask youis it really worth it, or is it
pretty much just kind of a fadthat they go through?
just a fad, I think.
I mean, some of them are reallygood, like in terms of um, like
(25:31):
remember the the tin fish crazewhere people were eating a lot
of like tinned fish.
That is an example of like theluxury ones are really good
because those are.
They just like taste betterbecause they're farmed really
well and like a lot of um youknow the way that they're
packaged and like the extravirgin olive oil that they use.
In that case, like you cantaste the difference and with
(25:51):
like high-end sparkling sodasand all that stuff.
But for the most part, like tome, pretzels and pastas and
stuff is all kind of the same,like I'm like, give me a
beefaroni, I'm okay with it Idefinitely understand yeah, but
some of these things are, so I Idon't mind like this.
(26:12):
you know, when the smoothiescome out, I don't mind people
spending money and just it beingstupid.
But like the strawberries italmost just seemed like follower
behavior and it just kind ofdrove me crazy.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, that's true, that's true, but you know what
the crazy thing about it?
I tip my hat off to thosebusinesses.
If you could come up with amarketing plan that people buy
into, go for it, milk it, forall you can Exactly.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Using organic milk that costs organic almond milk.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah Well, we're going to talk about a not so
nice subject.
You know, I don't know if it'sme or not, but I've gotten so
many approvals for loans that Inever applied for.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Yeah, yes.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
The scams are like through the roof right now, and
one scam that's, you know, sadlybecoming pretty popular which
shocks me is called the Gold Barscam, and basically what's
happening is there's people thatget these calls saying that,
you know, either you owe moneyto the IRS or a loved one is
going to jail.
They got a warrant for yourarrest.
(27:19):
So, you know, in order for usto take care of this, you need
to go buy a gold bar, the littlesmall gold bars, buy a whole
bunch of them and, you know,drop them off at this location
or put this in this vehicle.
And as I'm saying this, it'slike how are people still
falling for?
Speaker 2 (27:36):
this I know a gold bar.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
It was like I don't think they're going to do that.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
You know, I think yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
But you know, sadly enough, the majority of what
I've seen have been, you know,you know older people.
Yeah what I've seen have been,you know, you know older people,
yeah, and you know the sad partis there are people that have
been scammed out of anywherefrom a few thousand to almost
$100,000, which is shocking.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Their whole savings.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Oh yeah, big time.
I'm just surprised that so manypeople are falling for it.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Me too.
The gold bar one is ridiculousto me.
I can totally see how peopleget scammed when they're like
Bank of America.
You know they get really closenowadays with like people saying
that I'm the bank or basicallyyou're going to have to like um,
there's one where they'll likerecord your voice, like they
would record, you know, yourspouse's voice, and then they
(28:28):
have one saying like this isfrom your wife or something, and
then you think it's the otherperson that needs money that's
really scary.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
But yeah, you're right and you know the thing is
too, is there are ways to see ifit's real or not?
Um, like I had one call thatwere like we're calling from
your bank.
I said really, yeah, we gotthis issue.
Whatever, you know, we need toverify who you are.
I said tell you, I'll call youright back.
Well, let me give you thenumber.
(28:56):
No, you don't have to give methe number.
If you're my bank, I alreadyhave the number.
Yeah, yes, yes, and then theyjust got mad and I'm like, well,
if you got a problem, I couldtap in the police too.
It's no big deal, I love that,that's the way to do it.
And they go, you know, theybasically tell me f you hung up
on me.
So I'm like, yeah, you're notin the bank.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
See, and that's, and that's.
I tell my parents all the time,like your bank will not just
randomly call you and need money, you know, say that you're
going to go into a center.
The one that I think people gettripped up on as well, which I
could see, is when they call andsay, um, someone just charged
gas on your phone.
We're going to have to likefreeze your credit card, but
until then we're going to needthis information and then
(29:37):
they'll have a read your.
They'll say, okay, we need youto like read your debit card,
just so we're sure.
And that can seem like becauseon any other world it could be
like, okay, someone stole mycredit card and they're charging
to Walmart.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
But charging to Walmart, but that's like a very
popular scam.
But you know what?
And probably because you knowwith online banking I've
probably gotten a little bitlazy because I haven't done a
ledger in years, becauseliterally I go in my account
every day because you know it'sonline, I look at my phone and
log in.
So if I get a like I used toget these text messages saying
someone is hacked into yourAmazon account and they spent
(30:16):
all this money, OK, so I'll goin there like nobody's been in
my account, so I just deletedand mark it as junk.
But when someone says youraccount's been charged, it's so
easy to verify that becauseliterally, when stuff gets
charged, it's charged instantly.
Literally, when stuff getscharged, it's charged instantly.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yes, exactly, you can just see it.
I can't imagine these peoplethat are so rich that like,
don't they miss like a $2,500payment?
They're like, oh, I didn'tnotice that was missing.
I'm like I noticed if like $7was missing.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Well, you know, our money situation and a wealthy
person is totally different.
I always tell people theirbankruptcy is different than our
bankruptcy.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, yeah, their bankruptcy is.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
You know, they may owe 10 million, but they only
have like about 7 million.
Our bankruptcy is okay we owe100,000 and we got $30 in the
bank.
You know.
It's a big difference, exactly.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
More money, more problems, right, but so every
now and look, it's nice to thinkof being like rich and famous
or whatever, but don't you?
Every now and then I'm likealways grateful sometimes when
things are just simple and likethe IRS isn't coming after me
and there's not like a milliondifferent penalties that you're
getting paid for, like I don'tknow.
I think it's, it's a.
(31:27):
There's pros and cons.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
That's true.
That's true.
I mean mean, the thing is, isthat it's nice to have money,
but it's even better if you havemoney and no one knows about it
exactly.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
And money, and like simplicity, like you don't,
you're not paying off, like 10000 boats and a watch that you
can afford, and you know, likemoney and everything is just
owned outright and you have nodebt.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
That's like the, the dream, I think yeah, I mean the
real crazy thing about our mail.
Believe it or not, more poorpeople buy high-end stuff than
people who actually could affordit.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I know, I know, and the really rich people wouldn't
be buying the strawberries.
You know they wouldn't bebuying the strawberries.
They would think that's likeembarrassing almost.
But yeah, the moral of thestory is, I think we need to be
more aware of all these scamsbecause it's just happening more
and more.
And I love what you said aboutlike okay, let me get the police
on the line.
I think that's like so perfect.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Oh, they get angry when you do that?
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, I think I had that once too and I was like, oh
my gosh, they are, someone ischarging my account, like I need
to get the police immediately.
This is, and then click.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Or Like I need to get the police immediately.
This is, and then click, or thebest one is, you know,
especially if they sit for yourbank is like okay, you know, I'm
gonna call you right back.
Well, I'll give you the number.
No, I have the number.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I always try to tell my parents, who are like little sweet
people in their sixties, likeI've trained them I'm like walk
into your actual branch of yourbank and they will tell you if
something is wrong.
You know like, don't ever, ever, ever give your information
away.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
That's true, that's true.
And then don't fall for thetrick of someone calling you
saying they have your son ordaughter hostage either.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Exactly, my parents would probably be like keep her,
it's good, we're not going tobuy a bar of gold for her, it's
okay, we're not gonna buy a barof gold for her, it's okay.
Um, okay, I'm so excited forthis next one.
I'm obsessed with the story.
So a man in india wins twohundred dollars talk about rich
two hundred dollars in a lawsuitover a movie theater showing
(33:25):
too many commercials.
So, uh, so this happened inBangalore, bangalore in India.
Um.
So he went to a movie and he hiscomplaint against the theater
said okay.
So he said the film had beenscheduled to end at 630 at night
, but it didn't end just beforeseven.
So not that long, you know,probably about 15 or 20 minutes
(33:47):
late.
But because of this he missed,uh, some work.
And then he was suing for $547in damages for what he called an
unfair trade practice, as wellas $57 for mental agony and $115
for legal costs.
So he ended up gettingbasically $230 plus 90.
(34:10):
He ended up getting a littlebit less than what he wanted,
but he said the ruling said inthe new era, time is considered
as money.
25 to 30 minutes is aconsiderable amount of time to
just sit idle in the theater andbasically it had 17 commercials
in the movie before, 17commercials before the movie
(34:31):
started.
So it had two public serviceannouncements and 17 commercials
before the movie before 17commercials before the movie
started.
So it had two public serviceannouncements and 17 commercials
before the movie.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
So I think this is hilarious and I'm happy that the
guy sued um, I mean, I get it'sridiculous, but because you
know I I actually like watching.
Um, you know the previews yeahyeah, and you know, used to be
like about, you know about aboutnine, ten minutes.
Okay, no big deal, yes, butthey have been getting a little
bit longer now for real now,when they say movie starts at
(35:01):
like 6 40.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
If you show up at the theater at like 7 20, the movie
hasn't even begun yet exactly.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
That's to me.
That's a little bit too much.
That's to the yeah, you know.
I say you know, have a set time.
Let me say okay, when we startthe movie, the movie is starting
10 minutes after the start time.
First 10 minutes is is, um, allyour previews or whatever.
It makes everyone happy.
Right?
Who wants to see the previews?
I'll be there.
(35:28):
The people who don't want tosee them, they know what time to
show up.
Everybody's happy, exactly.
That is one of the good thingsabout like, uh, I don't want to
see them.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
They know what time to show up.
Everybody's happy.
Exactly.
That is one of the good thingsabout.
I don't know if they're at thetheater, if they have this too,
but at the AMC that I go to, youhave reserve seats.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Oh yes.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
That has been the biggest game changer, because
you don't have to stress outabout you can either get there
for the previews or you can showup whenever you could show up
halfway through the movie if youwant.
You know like that's the nicestfeeling ever of having like
your reserve.
I think you're right.
Like the trailers have been solong lately.
They're almost like three and ahalf four minutes and if you
have like five of those, it'sclose to a half hour of just
(36:06):
previews.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Yeah that's very excessive.
Yeah, yeah, they're really long.
So, yeah, that's very excessive, yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yeah, they're really long, so would you sue?
Are you going to?
Speaker 1 (36:16):
sue your local.
I think my time is worth morethan $200.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Yeah, me too, and I love the judge having to read
through mental duress, mentalagony, he said, and I'm like,
okay, the movie didn't go ninehours.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Over the time it was about a half hour, and you know
what, if they do that for allmovies, okay, then you know what
time you have to be there.
It's getting a little bit tothe excessive now.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
I know I always forget when they say run time,
if it's an hour and 38 minutes,I always have to mentally be
like they mean the movie, notthe whole experience, exactly.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
That is so so the whole experience, you know,
because Exactly that is so, sotrue, hey don't you think 17
commercials before is a littlecrazy.
It is, it definitely is.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
I just think of a whole movie that are sitting
there and commercial 13 justended and now they have to go
into a bunch more.
I don't know why this story isso funny to me.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Yeah, it's amazing but, like I said, hopefully they
kind of cut back on it becauseit is a little bit on the
ridiculous side.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Yeah exactly, they could even do more movies if
they just make the.
It is a little bit on theridiculous side.
Yeah exactly, they could evendo more movies if they just make
the trailers maybe a little bitshorter, I'd be happy for.
Give me eight movies.
Just make every single trailera minute and a half or something
.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
That is true.
That is true.
Well, I have a story here.
I don't know if you're going tobe happy or sad.
Let's see.
Just like other big franchisesthat we grew up with, hooters
looks like they're going to befiling bankruptcy and, who knows
, they may be going out ofbusiness soon.
No, okay, I'm just sad aboutthat Because of the pandemic is
(37:59):
one reason.
A lot of people feel thatbecause of the Me Too movement
and their Maybe that's anegative thing.
I don't know.
What's your take on it?
Speaker 2 (38:10):
So funny.
I don't feel like Hooters badlyobjectify.
If they do to me, it's all ingood fun and it's a fun type of
objectification that they'redoing.
It's not the worst thing in theworld.
I am one of those people that Iactually really do like the
wings, because the wings arelike fatty and juicy, and so I
think the same problem as likethe Red Lobsters and the TGI
(38:33):
Fridays is like it's becomingjust very expensive for people
to go to places like this anyway.
So because I was just thinkingabout that, where I'm like what,
what is what is like RedLobster have to do to make
themselves cool and popularagain, and I feel like it's just
make it an affordable, likeeasy, nice time, and I think
Hooters has to have that too.
Or like bring back the whatever50 cent wings or you know, I
(38:56):
don't know, just to make it alittle bit nicer.
Um, yeah, and that's sadbecause I mean I can see that
too, but I still think there's ademand for like men that want
to go and watch sports and womenthat still want to work there
and just have fun and hopefullynot get harassed, and I'm sad.
I'm pro Hooters.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Yeah, I mean, I'm with you on the wings.
They have excellent teams, theydo.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
And it's like a fun place, like I like the ambiance
the ambiance.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Like I like the colors and like it's like kind
of kitschy, it's just fun ohyeah, and you know what?
Have you had their, theirshrimp?
Their shrimp is actually prettygood too, really.
Oh yeah, very, very good, Ithink.
And one person, uh, I I read anarticle and a person said, well
, how about if they just revampit?
Not get rid of it, just mayberevamp it a little bit?
Speaker 2 (39:42):
I don't want to see the women wearing like suits and
ties.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
But yeah, but you know the crazy thing.
No, maybe I'm weird or anything, but the uniforms aren't that
really scantily.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
No, they're not bad at all.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
The reason why I say that is because, yeah, they have
little short shorts, but theyhave on stockings underneath it.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
I remember a few years ago they redid it, they
updated their uniforms and itgot a little bit less skimpy.
And I feel like now it justlooks cute and the Hooters girls
.
The times that I've gone theydon't seem traumatized or sad.
It's very different, I think,to me from strippers or other
workers.
To me the Hooters girls justseem like fun, cute college
(40:23):
girls that are just making a lotof money.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Oh yeah, definitely.
And you know, like I say, it'san actual sports bar, is what it
is.
Yeah, you know, I think that itstill has a place in society.
No one is going to, you know,grope them or grab them or
whatever, because you knowobviously they'll get thrown out
or go to jail.
Laws take care of that.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
But I don't know, I just think that it's a little
bit of an overkill.
I just think that maybe justrebrand a little bit.
Don't change any ingredients,don't change your food, all
that's good but maybe justchange the branding a little bit
.
On it, I agree with you Don'tgo crazy with the having them
dress up too much to wear Now.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
You don't even recognize where you're at.
But you know they should allwear big bird costumes.
But it's becoming more and morelike a lot of families that I
know and just people in general.
They don't have the extraspending money to just go out
and, like I know we've talkedabout this a lot before with
like Applebee's and TGI Fridayswhere a meal can cost someone
(41:26):
$25 or $30, where you can't justdo that on a Wednesday,
thursday, friday in thislandscape right now.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
Yeah, I mean if you go out to a restaurant, it could
be a Ruby Tuesdays, it could beHooters, whatever a meal for
two people, it could be Hooters,whatever you know, a meal for
two people.
And let's say, if you get acocktail with it or whatever,
you're easily spending about 70,80 bucks.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
I know.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Without even trying.
I know.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
I feel like a lot of people probably feel similar to
how I do too, is I'll have thatexperience and then I'll almost
feel like guilty because it justwasn't worth it.
You know like I'm all for likecatching up with friends and
seeing people, but I'm tryingnow to divert more hangouts into
like going on walks or doingstuff that isn't going to cost
everyone like $70.
Cause the next day I just evenif it was a good meal, I'm just
(42:16):
like I probably could have madethat at home and I kind of feel
like a little bit bad and guilty.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
So, yeah, yeah, I hear you, but I hope they don't
go away though.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
I know.
I think what we need to do istake the money that we're saving
from Doge and all the federalwe need to put it into Red
Lobster and Hooters.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Those are the two important things.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Those should not be cut in any way.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
Now speaking of Red Lobsters.
It'll probably never happen,but you know what I would love
for them to do Bring in kingcrabs, real king crabs.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Because you know, I really don't buy crabs anymore
when I go out, because they'reall the little small skimpy
stuff.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
I know, yeah, and when you try to, open them up,
it just pisses you off.
Yeah, see, if they're so wimpyand there's like little meat.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Yeah, I mean you finally get it open.
It's like, wow, just be strandshere, you know.
I mean, bring back true kingcrabs.
I would splurge, maybe once amonth or once every other month,
on some king crabs.
Yes, they're very expensive,but hey, you bust it out.
The meat's that big, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
It's so good.
Yeah, maybe that's anotherthing to make the food good.
What if I just thought aboutthis?
What if, to save everyone, redLobster and Hooters combined,
and now all the girls arewearing lobster claws?
Basically, you get two optionsyou can only get chicken wings
or lobster, and now it's one bighybrid restaurant.
Cheddar biscuits and all thegirls have their bottoms, have
(43:44):
cheddar biscuits.
We're going to have cheddarbiscuits and all the girls like
have their bottoms, are likehave like cheddar biscuits like,
yeah, we're gonna have to youtry to get them soup, yeah, but
but it's sad because I don'twant all these restaurants to go
away, because they also in inmy mind they're just like a fun,
nice place to go.
But something has to changebecause, yeah, these, these
places are becoming extinct andthat's so sad you know one place
(44:06):
that we don't have here in thearea.
Speaker 1 (44:08):
I don't know if they're still in business, but
um tjf friday oh, I love them Idon't know, do you still have?
Yeah, yeah a few and farbetween, but we have them oh my
god, I loved it, especially theuh, the uh, the sauce and
everything that you hadappetizers oh my god, it was so
good, the jack daniel sauce Iyeah, me too and it's just like
(44:30):
fun to go to.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
Like that was something where you feel like
you are going out to like adinner or lunch with someone.
I think it's.
It's also just nostalgia forpeople like our ages, and so
yeah that is so true.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
That is so true.
But let's just hope that RedLobster can survive.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
And Hooters can survive.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
They got Flavor Flav as a spokeman now.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
Yeah, I'm blaming Gen Z for all of this.
Gen Z doesn't want Hooters.
Gen Z doesn't want Hootersunless there's every type of
rights up there.
Maybe they should make it everymonth.
It goes to like a new, a new,like cause or something.
Okay, well, I thought this onewas good.
(45:14):
Have you heard the termCalifornia sober before?
No, I haven't.
You haven't, okay.
Okay, that was good because Ididn't know how widespread it
was.
So basically, california sobermeans you don't drink.
You know you don't drinkalcohol, but you pretty much
just do like marijuana and maybelike other stuff here and there
, and so it's very funny, so youbasically just do cannabis
(45:36):
products.
It's very common here, like Ihear all the time people at
parties will say like it happensa lot when people either like
go to rehab for alcohol or likethey've they've gotten clean.
You know what I mean.
It's not just like people likeme that don't really just drink,
but it's like you've gottensober but you're California
sober.
Demi Lovato shared her ownversion of being California
(45:59):
sober, but then she realizedlater that like sober, sober is
the only way to go, cause I, Ithink a lot of people it's like
a transition and then they'relike okay, I don't want to do
cannabis or weed either.
Um my, so this is on the risenow I think less people are
drinking and more people arejust using cannabis.
Maybe that's also why hootersis doing so well, no one wants
(46:20):
to just have a beer and everyoneis at home stoned.
Uh, but to me, I think, I thinkto me like unpopular opinion,
but like a lot of marijuana andcannabis also has a lot of
psychiatric risks and I think wedon't know how much that
affects us and like affects ourpersonality and like I'm not the
most like pro weed person, Ithink it does in natural form.
(46:43):
It does have like somebeautiful healing properties,
but overused and kind of usedsynthetically I am I'm not a fan
of.
I think it like dulls people'spersonalities and stuff.
So not a fan.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Yeah, I mean I'm not.
I'm not a weed person either.
Yeah, I mean I do know somepeople that really love their
weed.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Yeah, yeah, a lot of I mean a lot of artists and
musicians and stuff do and Ithink, like to me it's like if
you can still be a fun,functional, happy human on it,
like of course that's fine.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Yeah, that's true.
I mean I know a lot ofCalifornia sober people.
I mean I'll have a beer everyso often and you know I get
teased all the time because youknow I'll have a beer every so
often and you know I get teasedall the time because you know I
don't smoke weed, I don't dobrownies, stuff like that.
I'm like, nah, I don't needthat kind of feeling in my life,
I'm good.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Me too.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
I would much rather have like one martini or one
alcohol drink.
And it's so funny too, becausein.
California.
I'll go to all these partiesand they won't have any alcohol
and people will just be stonedand I'm like this is so boring.
Yeah, like I said.
Speaker 2 (47:59):
I tip my hat off to them.
I'm good.
Me too, I'll be a square.
I'm okay with that In theory.
One of the pros of this is thatyou have less people drinking
and driving and you know they'reunder the influence of cannabis
instead.
But I still think that canchange your response time and
you're still under the influence, you know like, unless you have
it here legally.
But for the most part, I don'tknow.
It's something that I feel likeis irritating.
I haven't.
(48:20):
I don't know it's so funnybecause I have a lot of
judgmental thoughts on this.
I haven't.
Speaker 1 (48:23):
I don't know it's so funny because I have a lot of
judgmental thoughts on this.
Yeah, I mean, even if you're ina state where it's legal to
smoke, you still have to beaware that, just like you can't
be drunk at your job, you can'tbe high at your job either.
Speaker 2 (48:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
You know, if you have a CDL, which means you drive
the big trucks, you drive atractor trailer.
Just like you can't be drunkdriving a tractor trailer, you
can't be drunk driving a tractor.
You can't be high driving atractor trailer either exactly
you know, so there's stillresponsibility.
That comes with that.
You know it doesn't mean thatyou know you can smoke it like a
cigarette, you know, likedriving down the street, you
know it's not a good thingexactly, I'm still trying to get
(48:58):
myself to the point where, like, I'm not dependent on caffeine.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
So because I just feel like it's not good to be
dependent on like a certain drug, and I just feel like I don't
know, like I don't think we knowhow much ingesting drugs every
day, whether it's like asocially accepted one, like
caffeine, you know, I think itchanges our personalities in a
way that we might not knowunless we're like fully off
those things.
But to me it's like it's OK todo if you don't have an issue
(49:27):
with it.
It's OK to like do things hereand there, but to need something
every day and to be dependenton anything is not good.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
That's true.
I mean, you know if you're toodependent, if you have to have
it, because there's a differencebetween wanting to have
something and having to have it.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
You know what I mean.
Yeah, I always forget that withcoffee, where if I go a day or
two and I get like a splittingheadache and I'm tired, I'm like
, oh yeah, I'm withdrawing froma drug.
I always forget that caffeineis A drug.
It's the best one.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
I think that's true, wow, we had a great show today.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Was yours all done, yep mine's all done, oh my gosh,
that's crazy.
I was just going to say Is your,is your?
Your, your's all done.
Yep, mine's all done.
Oh, my gosh, that's crazy.
Well, I was just gonna say oneone, one quick minute.
This came through, I just sawwhen we were filming, but sadly,
(50:20):
dolly Parton's husband passedaway.
Her husband, carl Dean, justpassed away at the age of 82 in
Nashville, and so I just thoughtthis was so sad, because I just
heard a podcast where Dollytalks a lot about him and
they've been together for so, so, so long.
But like I love that you wouldnever know because he's not in
the spotlight.
And like the interview Ilistened to, she talks all about
how he's so funny and they weretogether for 60 years.
(50:43):
But like you just didn't know.
But she had this huge privatelife and he was like the number
one thing in it.
So I thought that was so sad,but still cute.
Speaker 1 (50:50):
So we're thinking about Dolly yeah, that is very
sad, you know, and you know,like you said, he never, in fact
, I don't think I've ever seenhis face.
To be honest, I know me neither.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
That's like my dream goal, because the podcast I
listened to she talked all abouthow he's so funny and he's so
like you could just tell after60 years she was obsessed with
him still, but he just didn'treally want any of the spotlight
.
But my main takeaway from thatwas just he let her be Dolly
Parton and he supported her andkind of took a back seat to her
(51:24):
career and I think he evenhelped her with her career.
Um, but they just sounded likeamazing partners for 60 years
and like I think that's sobadass.
Like someone like Dolly had tohave a husband that you love but
who's kind of like away andlike you just get to shine so
completely.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
I think that's so cool yeah, and you know, of
course, you know we should alsosend our condolences out to the
family for Gene Gene Hackman.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
Oh yeah, Him his wife and one of his dogs.
That was strange.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
It's incredibly strange.
I mean, when you first heard it, you know a lot of people kind
of thought it was probablycarbon monoxide, because all
three of them.
But you know lot of people kindof thought it was probably
carbon dioxide.
Yeah, all three of them.
But um, you know a few thingswhich I'm surprised they let
come out was one, um, because hehad a pacemaker.
They were able to see when heactually passed away and oh,
(52:16):
like nine or ten days that he'sbeen passed.
Oh, my gosh so they I think theysaid that the body started
decomposing, you know.
And then one of the dogs,because I guess they have
multiple dogs, but one of thedogs passed away and they
changed it from um from um, adeath of a investigation to
(52:38):
suspicious oh my gosh, that'scrazy, it's, it's really weird,
it's really weird, it's reallyweird.
Speaker 2 (52:47):
The training that the people go through, to have to
walk through the crime scene andsee two people and a dog dead.
It's just like I don't know.
I hope those people get activetherapy all the time.
I know that's just a lot forpeople to see.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
Oh, absolutely.
And the thing is too, whensomeone has passed away that
long, you don't know, becausethey said the door was open,
because I guess a caretaker hasstopped by to do a well-being
check on them.
Wow, and that's why I say youknow, check on your people, you
(53:20):
know.
Yeah, you know.
Just a simple text call orwhatever.
If you ever talk to anyone in alittle bit, just give them a
little call One to make sure youknow everything's okay.
Just to you know.
And also, too, if they're goingthrough some dark times,
because I always say this, younever know what kind of demons
people are fighting.
Speaker 2 (53:38):
Yeah, you know reach out Just say hey, how you doing.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Everything good.
You'd be surprised that justchecking in with them does so
much.
Speaker 2 (53:48):
I agree, except if any of my friends are listening.
Don't check in on me.
I get checked in on too much.
If this is a PSA to my friendsand family, leave me alone.
Speaker 1 (53:56):
I just want to be alone.
Speaker 2 (53:59):
Literally, I'm like I just want to be alone.
But yes, and to everyone else,please check it out.
Speaker 1 (54:05):
Nice.
Well, Meryl, what do you havecoming up?
Speaker 2 (54:10):
Oh my gosh.
Actually, this weekend I'mtaking my parents to Vegas for
the first time.
They've never gone.
I've been there before, butthey've never seen Vegas.
It's not a comedy show, but itwill be.
I'm sure when I join you backon Monday I'll have lots of
stories about that Are when Ijoin you back on Monday.
Speaker 1 (54:25):
I'll have lots of stories about that Now.
Are you going to be bringingsome money hitting the slots?
Speaker 2 (54:28):
I'm going to ask my parents for it.
My parents are going to give me$20.
Speaker 1 (54:32):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
I think we're going to see Penn Teller the magic
show.
Oh nice, so that should be good.
Speaker 1 (54:42):
And then we're going to hit the Wynn Buffet because
that's like one of my favoritebuffets.
Ooh, nice we're going to belittle fatties.
Hey, my dream is to have youever watched Bar Rescue with Jon
.
Speaker 2 (54:53):
Taffer.
Speaker 1 (54:54):
Yeah, my dream is to go to a bar that he's about to
work on and be one of the onesthere right before they start
working on it and watch him gocrazy.
And you know have watch them gocrazy and everything.
And then watch how it turnsinto a nice bar, whatever.
That'd be so cool, that wouldbe so nice.
And then you know, be on tvlike who do you think?
(55:15):
So yeah, they need to get stuff.
Speaker 2 (55:17):
You know everything you know, I feel like that dream
is possible for you.
He's like really buff too right.
Speaker 1 (55:23):
He's like ridiculously buff he right, he's
like ridiculously buff.
You know what he wears jacketsand suits and stuff all the time
.
You know like a blazer orwhatever, but you know he's been
in this business over 30 years.
Wow, he's passionate and it'samazing how much science goes
into running a profitable bar.
(55:44):
Yeah, it's shocking, but youknow, I guess it would be if you
know when you look at bigplaces that make a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (55:51):
Maybe Hooters needs to hire him.
Speaker 1 (55:54):
You know as crazy as that sounds, they probably
should.
Speaker 2 (55:56):
I know, because that would bring awareness and all
that stuff.
Speaker 1 (55:59):
That's true.
That's true.
Maybe we should do something.
Speaker 2 (56:09):
Give us a little fee on that.
Every week we come up with anew business idea that honestly
sounds good to me.
Speaker 1 (56:17):
So we need to start putting these in an Excel
spreadsheet.
We can bring them all tosomeone there you go.
Speaker 2 (56:19):
I like that idea.
Well, this has been fun.
Speaker 1 (56:23):
It has been a great day, everyone.
Thank you so much Forsupporting us and watching us.
Don't forget to tell peopleabout our podcast.
We're on all the major podcasts, whether that's Apple, whether
that's iHeartRadio, and then allthe other ones too.
So we're on all the major ones.
You can always pull us up andlisten to us at any time.
(56:45):
Um again, I'm laurence alrodI'm meryl clemo and always,
always, always remember tosupport us and, you know, kind
of stay sane in these crazy days, because it's probably going to
get even crazier.
Speaker 2 (57:05):
yeah, bye everyone, bye everyone, bye-bye.
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