November 4, 2025 • 46 mins
Fame without flesh, voices without consent, and systems without support—this conversation traces a line through our cultural pressure points and asks what we’re willing to trade for speed, spectacle, and status. We start with an AI “actress” marketed as the next big star and pull apart what gets lost when studios optimize for control over humanity. SAG’s pushback isn’t anti-tech; it’s a reminder that artistry, likeness, and labor are not raw materials to scrape without permission or pay.
That concern intensifies around deepfakes. Viral videos that mimic Robin Williams may dazzle the eye, but they also reopen wounds for families and confuse viewers about what’s authentic. We talk consent, platform accountability, and how media literacy can help audiences pause before they share. Then the focus shifts from screens to runways: a tower closure at Burbank exposes an FAA workforce stretched thin. Controllers keep aviation safe under immense pressure, and delayed pay or chronic shortages ripple into delays and anxiety. The fix is pragmatic—recruit earlier, train thoroughly, compensate on time, and respect the 24/7 reality that keeps flights moving.
We also break down the sentencing of Sean “Diddy” Combs, separating celebrity spectacle from the long shadows cast on lesser-known victims whose careers and lives were derailed. Leadership comes under the lens as a viral clip shows Rep. Katie Porter berating a staffer—proof that policy positions mean less when everyday behavior erodes trust. High-altitude drama on Mount Everest sparks a hard look at adventure ethics: experience, weather, and rescue risk don’t bend to willpower. And a Real Housewives insurance case underlines a familiar theme—when image becomes the goal, integrity becomes collateral.
If you care about AI ethics, deepfakes, aviation safety, justice, leadership, and the consequences of image culture, this conversation connects the dots with clarity and heart. Listen, share your take, and help us keep the dialogue smart and humane. If you’re in San Diego on October 29, come say hi at the La Jolla Comedy Store. Subscribe, rate, and leave a review—what topic should we dig into next?
Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.
Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.
Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.
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."
Please help support our show by following us and telling others about our show. New podcasts weekly.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:15):
Hello everyone.
Welcome to this week's episodeof Thirsty Topics.
I'm Lawrence Elrod.
SPEAKER_01 (00:21):
And I'm Meryl Climo.
SPEAKER_00 (00:23):
Hey Meryl, how are you?
SPEAKER_01 (00:24):
Hi, I'm so good.
How are you doing?
SPEAKER_00 (00:27):
I am doing fantastic.
How was your weekend?
SPEAKER_01 (00:30):
It was so nice.
I spent a mix of East Coast andWest Coast.
And so I have some fall vibes.
I'm very happy.
I got to see some orange leaves,which is nice out here.
SPEAKER_00 (00:41):
Nice, nice.
Yeah, my weekend was pretty nicetoo.
Um, participated in an event,um, working on some new
projects.
So I am very stoked at what'scoming up.
SPEAKER_01 (00:53):
Yay, you're a busy man.
SPEAKER_00 (00:55):
Trying to be, trying to be.
Well, we have a lot to talkabout.
SPEAKER_01 (01:00):
So yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:02):
I'm gonna let you start this week.
SPEAKER_01 (01:04):
Okay.
I'm starting with somethingpretty dystopian, but um I can't
believe it within its presentday, but I actually can believe
it.
So I don't know if you've heardof the AI actress Tilly Norwood
yet.
Uh yeah, I know.
She's made or her AI hologramversion has made um quite a stir
in the past month or two.
But basically, the first she'sthe first digital actress from
(01:27):
um a UK-based company calledParticle Productions.
And, you know, she's all AI.
Her creator, who's a a physicistturned producer, um, Alain
Vandervelden, which sounds likea already like a movie, you
know, the evil villain name orwhatever, says Tilly was about
was built to be the kind of starthat people dream about.
(01:49):
Um, they want Tilly to be thenext Scarlett Johansson or
Natalie Portman, and they'rejust saying, like, hey, we don't
need real humans anymore, or wecan just use Tilly Norwood.
And supposedly some of thetalent agents were even looking
at booking her and like havingher on the roster, which I don't
even understand how that wouldwork.
And you know, there's clips ofher.
She's a pretty young woman, youknow, an A AI young woman, but
(02:12):
you know, just looks likeBrunette and just the typical
kind of actress person.
Um, clearly, this is met with alot of critical nature and also
um like you know, disdain fromthe acting community.
And I just think this is soweird.
What do you think?
SPEAKER_00 (02:30):
I think it's incredibly weird and scary at
the same time.
And the reason I say that isokay, I can see using an AI
actor or actress for acommercial, you know, for you
know, some type of advertisementor whatever.
I can see that, I really can.
But to make a full-blownproduction out of an AI
(02:50):
character, yeah.
So what are you saying?
Actors and actresses can justeasily be replaced by
intelligence.
I think it's a little crazy.
And then plus you take thecreativity out of it too,
because you know, you still haveto tell that character what to
do, what to say.
And one of the things that anactor and an actress bring to
(03:11):
the table is they become thatpart.
And some of the memorable thingsthat I know I love in things
that I watch is things thataren't necessarily written on
the script.
SPEAKER_01 (03:21):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And I think too, this is like aslippery slope before if we
start accepting this, then it'sgoing to be AI musicians
playing, going on tour, and AIpodcast.
And yeah, they already do havelike AI podcasters and stuff,
but I don't know.
Maybe there will be a world toowhere it's like you have the
option to go see like ahuman-based movie and then an
(03:42):
option to go see an AI actormovie.
But I just feel like oh, ourworld is already missing a lot
of soul and like we're alldisconnected.
This is like an example of whatwe don't need more of.
SPEAKER_00 (03:53):
I agree, I agree.
And like I said, it's a veryslippery slope because even if
you try and make a full-fledgedpicture out of it, you're gonna
have to, if you're trying to mixthat with real actors, you're
still gonna have to uh uh hiresomeone to do exactly what the
AI uh character does, just sothe characters around them can
(04:16):
still, you know, be in sync withthat with that particular part.
Yeah.
So it's like it initially itsounds like a great idea, but I
think that as you look atdifferent projects, I don't know
how feasible that is because youcan, you know, you can easily
run those production coststhrough the roof.
And it's like instead of doingall that, why don't we just hire
(04:37):
an actor?
SPEAKER_01 (04:38):
That's what they were saying, like no trailers,
no eight, no meltdowns, nomakeup.
And then this was the the lastthing with this I thought was
really interesting is that umSAG, the Screen Actors Guild,
put out a statement saying TillyNorwood is not an actor, it's a
character generated by acomputer program trained on the
work of countless professionalperformers without permission or
compensation.
(04:58):
So I think I think more of theacting as if the acting
community and writing doesn'thave enough to deal with in the
past like year with all thestrikes and the you know
writers' guild stuff.
Um people are just saying like,no thank you to this.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
Well, I think part of it is too, is I mean, I don't
know what the wording is, but Iknow part of the strike was
dealing with AI.
SPEAKER_01 (05:22):
Yeah, yeah, that they could just scan someone.
Exactly.
That basically an actor wouldlike scan say yes to having
their likeness scan, and thenthen your AI character would be
in like any movie, or they wouldgenerate you, you know, for
years to come, and people werenot okay with that.
Oh no, that was just one of themany things.
SPEAKER_00 (05:38):
I mean, think about it like this, Merle.
You sign up to do a movie andyou sign off on that, on that
little statement, and next thingyou know, your AI character is
doing 10 other movies, andyou're not getting one dime out
of that.
SPEAKER_01 (05:50):
I know it's the money part.
I have to admit though, somesome nights when I don't want to
leave my house.
If I did have like an AI Meryldoing stand-up, I would I'm
like, maybe you could just scanme and like put me in Atlantic
City or something, and I don'tactually have to go.
But but yeah, this is weird, andI'm I think even more than like
the business part with the partthat gets me the most is just
(06:10):
the heart and soul of like whatwe were missing out on.
Because you know, like I justwant my experience on this
planet to be nice and like fullof life and um you know,
friendly faces.
So this seems like the oppositeof it.
SPEAKER_00 (06:24):
I agree, I agree.
Well, Meryl, talk about AI onthat same subject.
Um, there's videos going aroundthat are viral of people
creating uh AI videos of RobinWilliams, and his daughter wants
those videos to stop.
SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (06:45):
Um, I don't know.
What do you think about that,Meryl?
SPEAKER_01 (06:48):
I think completely like I think it's crazy.
I mean, now it's out of controlwith TikTok.
Like, I know there's been likethe Jake Paul on that Sora app
that is like going around, andI've seen a bunch of the Robin
Williams ones, and it's it'sweird, it's like morose and sad,
and I think a lot of peoplemight not even know it's AI.
Like, you know, it's obviouslythe more the media literate ones
(07:10):
like us, like that are on it, orthe ones people that are online
a lot could tell, but peoplethat may just log on may think
obviously we know Robin Williamsisn't with us, but they may
think it's like an old clip orum that it was actually from
him.
So yeah, I think that's socreepy and weird.
And if it was one of my lovedones, I would agree.
SPEAKER_00 (07:28):
Yeah, I agree.
And and and and the thing is,some people have to understand,
okay, that Robin Williams stillhas a family.
Yeah, you know, the grievingperiod may be still going on for
his daughter and other membersof the family.
So to see a loved one that haspassed away some time ago come
back to life in an AI version,you know, that could hit
(07:50):
emotions in a very negative way.
SPEAKER_01 (07:52):
Yeah, absolutely.
And I just think that's weird,and it's not what the person
said, like it's not slander, butit is a form of just making up,
like I feel like it has to besome type of breaking the love,
like false accusation, or Idon't know, I don't know what
the term would be, but it seemslike it should be illegal.
SPEAKER_00 (08:11):
Yeah, and and the the one thing you have to be
careful about with this AIstuff, there are some AI
software out there where it'sreally difficult to know is
fake.
SPEAKER_01 (08:22):
Yeah, yeah.
But I don't know if you've seenthe the Jake Paul ones on
TikTok, but those ones that youknow because he's just like
Tinkerbell, and it was like himcoming out as gay, and like it's
just ridiculous.
I mean, it it's uh and I guesshe's part of it, like he he's in
on the joke.
I guess he owns like some sliverof a company or something, but
um yeah, the Robin Williams oneseems sad, and especially the
(08:46):
way that he died, it just seemslike extra not nice to be making
false videos of him.
SPEAKER_00 (08:52):
No, I agree.
And and again, regardless of thereason, you know, it's sad when
someone takes their life andthinks that that's the only
option that they have.
So, you know, there's also and Idon't think I don't think it's
it's it's um warranted orjustified, but there's some
people close to them that mayeven have guilt thinking, why
(09:14):
didn't I see this?
Yeah, no, you know what I mean?
So it's kind of like pouringsalt on the wound, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Yeah, definitely.
I wonder if I feel like it'sjust a matter of time, but
before we get AI videos ofeveryone, like of Ozzie Osborne,
of like you know, Diane Keatonjust passed away.
I'm sure there'll be videos ofher.
It's just I think it's gonna bethe next, like bored um type of
like you know, for people thatare bored or like you know, we
(09:42):
made memes too of people.
I feel like maybe AI videos arejust gonna be like the next
memes.
SPEAKER_00 (09:46):
Yeah, no, I agree with you.
I agree.
Um I don't know.
What do you what do you thinkabout that?
Do you think that people shouldreally stop doing that?
Because it's kind of like reallyout of control now.
You know, you can I've even seenvideos of Whitney Houston and
her daughter.
Um videos of it, and it's like,wow, you know, I don't know.
(10:07):
I mean do you think do you thinkpeople should stop doing that?
Do you think it's it's okay?
SPEAKER_01 (10:12):
No, I definitely think it's weird, and um I think
sometimes people think like thecelebrities, like the big ones,
like Robin Williams and MichaelJackson, they think of them as
like not people and just kind ofcharacters, you know, but we
always have to remember thatthey these are people with
children or spouses or you know,just friends.
And so um, no, I don't thinkit's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (10:34):
Yeah.
Well, let's just hope it atleast slows down, and you know,
again, I hope that they um kindof think about the family before
they do that.
SPEAKER_01 (10:42):
Yeah, yep.
And it's so weird, like the likeRobin Williams and George Carlin
and all these comedians.
I'm happy for them that theydidn't have to live through this
time because this is weird, andit you're it's fine to miss out
on like this weird version ofhumanity.
SPEAKER_00 (10:59):
I agree.
SPEAKER_01 (11:01):
Well, if I had oops, if I had an AI video version of
me, um it would have beenscreaming the other day because
this was about so you know, likewhen I fly places, I typically
fly into in and out of Burbankbecause it's a very small but
mighty airport near me, and it'slike very, you know, compared to
LAX, it's like such a nicerairport, and they it's things
(11:24):
are easy, but things weren'teasy last week when um the the
Burbank airport was forced toclose its tower for several
hours because it had no airtraffic controllers.
Now, FAA we know have been likeon a strike, you know, they've
been working without pay.
A lot of them have been callingout um the air traffic
controllers called out for sickleave, but like I don't blame
(11:46):
them because it's also you can'texpect people to work forever
and work tirelessly, like withno pay and no benefits and just
an unsafe um or un you know,whatever, unrespectful
workplace.
So the airport remained open,but flights were delayed on
average more than two and a halfhours.
And then controllers from a SanDiego facility handled traffic
(12:06):
in and out of a Burbank duringthe tower closure.
Now, I learned from all myGoogling and freaking out and
looking on Reddit that like it'snot as scary as the headlines
make it look.
Because of course, the headlinesmake it look like no one is at
the airport.
And they, you know, they're justthey make it seem like the
pilots are just gonna be like,whoa, you know, we don't know
where we're going.
But really, a lot of placesdon't have air traffic
(12:29):
controllers and they use remotepeople all the time.
And like I was reading from alot of pilots on Reddit were
saying, like, don't let thisfreak you out in the way that
you shouldn't be flying.
But it still is not a greatthought to be thinking when
you're about to fly intoBurbank, like wondering if
there's going to be air trafficor not.
Um, and Burbank is known forhaving like really, really short
runway.
So I don't know why, but I'mlike, they just don't even know.
(12:51):
So I was texting my friends,meaning like, can you get there
and like guide us in?
I told my friends to show up andlike hold up, hold their phone
light so I could just see it.
But um luckily I I was so luckywhere like I didn't get delayed,
but I heard of just like peoplethat were flying that whole day.
It was just a nightmaresituation, whether you had TSA
pre-check or whatever.
I just heard from like New Yorkto all the way to the West Coast
(13:15):
was just a nightmare for a lotof people.
Um, and it seems like just likethe writers and the actors, it
seems like the air trafficcontrollers are also going
through a tough time right now.
SPEAKER_00 (13:25):
Oh, yeah.
And you know the real sad partis air traffic controllers was
facing these issues for years.
It just basically exploded now.
You know, there's been anational shortage for a long,
long time.
SPEAKER_01 (13:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (13:42):
And then on top of that, you know, there's not a
lot of people becoming airtraffic controllers.
So I don't think they've donethe greatest job recruiting
because um you don't wait untilyou have a shortage to start
looking, because it, you know, alot of people don't realize it
takes a long time to become anair traffic controller, you
know.
Yeah, I mean, and relative toother careers, maybe not that
(14:04):
long, but I want to say it'sanywhere from a few months to a
year.
So it's not something that youcan just say, hey, I want to
become an air traffic controllerand I start in four weeks.
You know, it's not that simple.
SPEAKER_01 (14:14):
Right.
And to me, that's like one ofthe most important jobs ever.
Like that is such an importantjob, I think, of just directly,
or you have so many lives inyour hands, like pilots are
depending on you, safetyaviation safety people are
depending on you.
Like, that's a huge job.
I feel like that should be onethat's like a highly respected
and well-paid job.
And I know like a lot of timespeople have said the hours
(14:37):
alone, like you know, they'rereally tired, they they work for
really long hours, they'vefallen asleep.
Um, I don't think I've everlaughed so hard as in 2024, like
last year.
Remember when Trump was sayingthat like they were hiring air
traffic controllers that justhad that they were only hiring
based on like DEI stuff, butremember he was reading out that
they they were looking for likeparalyzed people with no limbs.
(15:02):
Like, I really don't think Ilaughed so hard the whole year.
SPEAKER_00 (15:08):
And then I think I I read something, and I don't know
what true true it is.
Maybe somebody was just making ajoke out of it, but I read
something about what he said orTrump said, you know, they're
hiring blind people.
It's like, dude, seriously.
SPEAKER_01 (15:19):
Yeah, no, he said that that was part.
I mean it's like reading out thequalifications.
Yeah, he's like, we want blind,paralyzed people with no limbs.
Like so, so all that to say,yes, they've had for many years,
they have had some situations.
Um, and I think at a time whenmore and more people are flying,
there's more airplanes like outin the sky than ever.
(15:41):
It's just, yeah, you're right,there should be more air traffic
controllers and more ability tohave these people be onboarded
and trained appropriately andlike treated like with dignity.
SPEAKER_00 (15:53):
Yeah, and you know, the other thing too, Meryl, is a
lot of other things are beinghighlighted right now where a
lot of people forget that airtraffic controllers run 24 hours
a day.
So if you're on a late night orovernight shift and you have
kids, you have to hirebabysitters.
Yeah, kinda hard to do that ifyou're not getting paid.
SPEAKER_01 (16:14):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (16:15):
And then, you know, on top of that, and I hope it's
just a bluff, but then to bethreatened that, you know, some
people may not be paid back pay.
SPEAKER_01 (16:24):
I know, or it may take months, like it may take a
long time.
And most people I know don'thave like three months to wait
for their salary, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (16:32):
And the thing is, you know, you can make this
worse by people saying, you knowwhat, screw this, this isn't
worth this.
I'm gonna move on to anothercareer.
SPEAKER_01 (16:40):
I know, I know, yeah.
I think about that a lot too.
So we'll see.
It and then the media doesn'thelp because instead of like
working with everyone, ofcourse, they just want to create
hysteria and make it sound asthough like we're flying into
nothing land and no one's thereto help, you know.
So it's just I feel like there'sa few different like
(17:01):
organizations making it worsefor everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (17:04):
Yeah, I agree.
I agree.
Uh just have to be patient anduh, you know, kind of do a
little bit of printing when youget on that plane now.
SPEAKER_01 (17:15):
Like, I really am looking into like a small
prescription of Atavan because Inever used to self-medicate or
anything, but I'm like, I needsomething because this is just
crazy.
I saw the person in front of mewas texting because like, I
mean, we I flew jet blue andthey were so nice and so
professional, and it was a theydid a great job.
But right when we came on, theywere like, we don't have air
traffic people.
(17:36):
There's a pin in the door thatwe're waiting for, and there's
gonna be like a really bad stormin Tennessee.
And like I saw the guy ahead ofme, he was texting his
girlfriend.
I I forgot my Xanax.
SPEAKER_00 (17:47):
I hear you.
Well, talk about interestinghere.
Um, don't know if you like ordislike this, but Sean Diddy
Combs was sentenced to 50 monthsin prison for two counts of
transportation for prostitution.
He was also fined a half amillion dollars and will serve
five years of supervised releaseafter his prison term.
(18:10):
The judge stated that thesentence was to send a message
against exploitation and abuse,acknowledging Combs' actions
were a form of subjugationrather than consensual
relationships.
What do you think about that?
SPEAKER_01 (18:27):
Uh I mean uh 50 months, you said?
SPEAKER_00 (18:31):
Uh 50.
SPEAKER_01 (18:32):
50.
So wait, I'm doing I'm doinggirl math here.
So that's like four years,basically.
SPEAKER_00 (18:39):
I think if they count time served, he could send
so uh I think he could do aslittle as three years or really
three years.
Um assuming that you know hegets out with good behavior,
because I think the way it worksis he has to he has to do a
minimum of 85% of his sentence.
SPEAKER_01 (18:59):
Oh wow.
Okay.
I guess I don't know how I feel.
I I guess like to me, I I wouldlike to think that this is a
situation where the judge andthe the sentencing is
appropriate to like what theyheard and the facts that they
know and that not that he's notgetting less time because of his
celebrity or because of anyother situation.
(19:21):
So like I guess my first thoughtwas I I guess you don't even
know who the judge is, but likeI would hope that the judge
would have thought this fairlylike thought this through and
this is like an appropriatesentencing.
Um, because I feel like theyprobably know a lot of things
that I don't know, but I don'tknow, it's weird.
Like I I don't think he shouldget like maybe I'm like totally
wrong here, but I'm not like oneof those like throw him away in
(19:43):
prison forever and ever andever.
Like I still think that heshould obviously go to prison,
but I feel like there's othersteps that he could take to like
hopefully make things morepositive and to repay for his
like big, giant, awful mistakes.
Um, but I don't know, maybe I'mway off base and everyone's
like, nope, we want him inprison forever.
Like this doesn't seem like adeath penalty type thing to me,
(20:03):
it but it does seem like itshould be jail time.
But I'm open to hearing whatevery what you and everyone else
thinks.
SPEAKER_00 (20:10):
Well, I I think that um no amount of no amount of
time was gonna be enough for thevictims.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:18):
But what I feel sorry for the most is the lives
that he destroyed along the way,people you never heard of,
because there's a lot of peoplethat had their careers not even
damaged, but destroyed by himover time.
SPEAKER_01 (20:33):
Yeah, that's true.
SPEAKER_00 (20:34):
I think are victims that you know people don't talk
about the most.
You know, there's artists outthere that probably would have
been, you know, a top 10 or top20 uh pop star or RB artists
that you'll you'll never mostlikely hear from because of what
they went through.
Because they decide to play thegame, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (20:56):
Exactly.
And maybe that is maybe like themore I would find out about what
he's done and who he's hurt,maybe I would be like, Yeah, let
him think about that in prisonfor like the rest of his life,
and who cares, you know.
So I just have to imagine thatlike what they heard in the
courtroom would be met with likea uh a fair sentencing, but um
(21:16):
you know you never know withthese things because there's so
much at play.
SPEAKER_00 (21:19):
That's true.
I just hope that he um he reallytakes stock of his life and his
legacy, and I I hope he comesout a better man in the end.
SPEAKER_01 (21:30):
Yeah, I know it's hard to know though, because
someone like that, they it wouldeither just all be a mask and
like they I could see him beinglike, ha ha, you know, I got
out.
Because you'd really have tolike I feel like someone like
that would have to change theirwhole being.
And I I don't know if that'spossible.
If like you're a man in your 40sor 50s or however old he is,
(21:50):
like to change your whole likeethos and just the way you
think.
SPEAKER_00 (21:54):
Yeah, I I mean I think if he really wanted to, he
could.
You know, I've always said thatas long as you got breath in
your body, you have time, youcan always change.
SPEAKER_01 (22:04):
Yeah, definitely.
Unless, unless, like, I knowsome people, if you have like a
genuine, genuine likepersonality disorder, or like
you're so narcissistic or likeso sociopath, or you know, like
maybe there are some people thatare just like, nope, but this I
could have everything happen tome and I still like wouldn't
feel bad or wouldn't truly feelguilt.
You know, there are some peoplelike that that are just truly
(22:26):
like monsters in evil.
I don't I don't know.
I I don't I don't know if I likefeel like he's one of them.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_00 (22:33):
That's true, that's true.
But you know, like I said, we'llsee.
And another thing that'sinteresting too is I was a
little surprised at how fast hedid it, but his team did ask for
a pardon from Trump.
Now, whether Trump does it ornot, we'll see.
SPEAKER_01 (22:50):
Um my gosh, that's gonna be the new running, the
new running team in 2028.
SPEAKER_00 (22:58):
So we'll we'll see.
SPEAKER_01 (22:59):
Um oh my gosh, I bet he will.
This is exactly something Icould see Trump pardoning him.
Yeah, I could.
It it depends on if if Diddy waslike, I love Trump, Trump's the
man, I think he would work.
I think it would, I actuallythink he would.
SPEAKER_00 (23:15):
The scary part is I agree with you.
SPEAKER_01 (23:17):
Yeah, and then I bet there's some weird tie.
I mean, this is my fullconspiracy mode, but I'm like,
then maybe like Diddy could helphide the Epstein things even
more.
I'm like, I'm sure it goes deepwhere Trump's like, okay, if I
do this for you, you know thisand this, so you have access to
these files, you have to makethis go away.
SPEAKER_00 (23:37):
The crazy thing about it, I can see him doing
that as a distraction.
SPEAKER_01 (23:41):
I really me too.
SPEAKER_00 (23:43):
Because it would take over the airwaves.
SPEAKER_01 (23:46):
Yeah, it would.
Then I feel like somehow KimKardashian will get involved in
all of it too, but uh, I don'tknow how.
Well, we'll see.
This is one that I likeintentionally haven't paid that
much attention to just becauseit's like I don't know, I I
don't even want to give himextra thought and like
consideration just because Ifeel like he doesn't deserve our
like little precious brains.
SPEAKER_00 (24:09):
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
I mean, like I said, um I justhope he comes out a better man
and I hope he learned somethingabout this because no one should
be treated the way he treatedthose people.
SPEAKER_01 (24:21):
I know, I know.
I know, and I would I would likereally, really love to hear what
people think.
I still feel like I have somespeck of hope for him as like a
person.
I don't know, you know,obviously I don't know him
personally.
I don't know, like I don't knowif he's fully evil or not, but
he is someone that I'm like,okay, I could see maybe
something cracking through andlike him having a change of
(24:42):
heart or having like a a full-onbreakdown to be like, okay, this
is my life.
I'm gonna try to build it backup.
But I'm sure you know, I reallywould in a nice way.
I'd love to hear what peoplethink.
SPEAKER_00 (24:52):
I would too.
So if you're watching orlistening, definitely reach out
to us on social media.
We'd love to hear what you haveto say.
SPEAKER_01 (25:00):
Yeah, I welcome all opinions, unless it's that you
hate basset hounds, and I don'tagree with you at all because I
love that sound.
That's just an opinion that Ireally don't agree with, but
it's okay.
Um, okay, this next one, uh thisis like I this is why I'm so
excited for the whole episodetoday.
I'm obsessed with the stories,and I even I texted the video to
you because I'm like, I neededyou to watch it.
(25:22):
So um, you know, obviously it'sspecial to me because
California, but like uh repKatie Porter is running for
governor, you know, like as ourlittle Gavin Newsom does, maybe
does bigger and better things.
Who knows?
She was one of the people in therace.
Um, and then I to be honest,like I didn't even know who she
was.
This was my first time hearingabout her.
(25:42):
So who knows?
Like, I just have yet I've beenkind of under a rock about her.
Um, but then Politico obtained avideo of Katie Porter berating a
staff member in 2021 forentering her live shot while she
was recording a video, um,talking about with the energy
secretary back then.
And pretty much if you watch thevideo, she says something wrong
(26:05):
and the staffer goes in the backand is in the shot.
And you know, is that isprobably a no-no, and that's
probably annoying and stuff too,you know, because she like she's
like actually it, but she wantsto make sure that Katie Porter
isn't saying wrong information,and so she's looking out for her
and trying to correct her withthe details.
And then Katie Porter, excuse mylanguage, goes into like full
(26:25):
bitch mode and screams, like,you're in my shot, get out of my
shot.
And I guess it probably happenedonce before on the conversation
because she said, like, you werein my shot before.
And the way that she yells,like, get out of my shot, it she
is just like a freaking tyrant,and it is scary and mean and
just enough to like make me belike, Well, I'll never vote for
(26:46):
her.
Like, you know, and like I neverwrite mean things to people on
social media, and I really I didnot, but I like had the so
desire to just go and comment,like, you're done, you know.
And so then there was anothervideo with CBS News that aired
this week, um, where Porter toldthe interviewer pretty much
like, I'm done with thisinterview, I'm not going to
(27:08):
answer that.
And then there's definitely aheated back and forth, at which
point the it the reporter waslike, everyone else was able to
answer these questions.
Why can't you?
And then Katie Porter was justlike a downright, you know,
every every bad word you want touse, um, I found her to be.
And so, like, I don't care ifsomeone's Democrat or
Republican, like I will not, Idon't want my leader to A, not
(27:30):
be able to work under pressurelike this, and B, when like the
cameras are off, just to havelike that sort of weird ass like
attitude, no way.
SPEAKER_00 (27:37):
I agree with you, and and I video too, and it's
like, you know, sometimesaccidents happen, okay.
Yeah, but you know, the thing istoo, these are people that give
their heart and soul to supportyou.
You don't have to be an assholeto them, you really don't, you
know.
SPEAKER_01 (27:54):
Exactly.
Yeah, we all uh the any of usthat have done like I feel like
in productions and everything,it's totally okay to it's not
okay, but it's likeunderstandable to lose your
temper or just like let a littlestress valve out and be like,
ah, you know, and and to have itlike a minor situation of like,
can you please get out of myshot?
Or you know, I'm really stressedout about this.
But the way she acted was justlike horrific, and I don't know
(28:16):
what that struck a cord in mebecause I'm like, I like hate
her.
SPEAKER_00 (28:20):
So and you know, the other thing too is if she can do
that in front of the camera, howdoes she treat them when the
camera's not there?
SPEAKER_01 (28:31):
And like I don't care if someone is the same
party as me, if they're going totreat someone like that.
Like, that doesn't mean anythingto me if you're Democrat and you
treat a staffer like that.
And I still think we should weshould treat our uh teach our
young people to like I thinkthere's a difference of being
disrespectful back, you don'thave to do that, but also like
(28:51):
you don't have to take peoplelike that.
Like when I hear all the storiesabout how like Ellen used to be
to people, and I think we needmore people just to say it is
like our higher-ups and be like,okay, you're important, but
you're not going to talk to melike that.
And like I'm I'm all for that.
SPEAKER_00 (29:05):
I definitely agree with you, and and you know the
thing is the number one reasonwhy people leave company is not
money.
Money's up there, don't get mewrong, but the number one reason
is management.
SPEAKER_01 (29:20):
Yeah, yeah, and we just we we can't let people like
that are like quote unquotehigher than us treat us like I
don't know.
I just think there needs to bemore of like a united front.
Now, that doesn't mean also ifsomeone says, hey, you can't
take the day off, then you know,that's not like you're harassing
me.
Like, then I think it could gointo like a snowflake category
of being too much, like, youknow, you're scaring me or
(29:42):
whatever.
But I think like a situationlike this, where there's no
reason for someone to talk totheir staff like that, you know,
she could very sternly say, Iunderstand that you're trying to
help me get the rightinformation, but like please
always stay out of my shots orlike please never be in the
background.
You know, you could do that,but.
But to yell at her the way thatyou did.
Like she's not she treated herlike a like a piece of trash or
(30:05):
something.
SPEAKER_00 (30:06):
Yeah, I agree with you, which is pretty silly.
I don't know.
It'd be interesting to see ifthat staffer is still working
for her, though.
SPEAKER_01 (30:14):
No, I've I love that staffer probably leaked the
video because that was a fewyears ago.
And so I'm like, ha ha, likekarma is a bitch and the karma
will get you.
And from what I've heard fromother things too, people are
saying, oh, she's known like inthe industry to have people, it
was just a matter of time beforelike a lot of people that worked
for her came out and said whatlike a horrible boss and person
(30:35):
she is.
SPEAKER_00 (30:36):
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (30:37):
So like they said that this was like not a
surprise because of how shetreats her staff, and that's
just like, I don't know.
Like I don't know, even like Inever write on people, but I
really had to stop myself fromlike messaging her like, you
lost my vote, you know, eventhough I wasn't even gonna vote
for her.
So but this gets me so heated,uh like just because like I I
(30:59):
don't know.
So I it almost seems very like1998 for someone to talk to
someone like that.
You know what I mean?
I feel like we've advanced, itseems very like old school.
SPEAKER_00 (31:09):
Yeah, and you know the sad part is with everything
going on, um, some employersthink that this nonsense is
acceptable.
SPEAKER_01 (31:17):
Yeah, yeah.
And like I think that's one ofthe reasons I like I'm freelance
and I whatever, is because likeI wanted to build a life where
no one could, of course, peoplecould like criticize me or give
me notes or you know, like havethings to say, but like no one
uh to be to have a situationwhere if someone was like that
to me, I'd be like, uh-uh, youknow, not taking it.
So um people always have toremember, even if you're in like
(31:39):
a lesser position, you don'thave to be talked to like that.
SPEAKER_00 (31:43):
Absolutely, absolutely.
Well, um I don't want to gothrough um our episode today and
not give condolences to thevictims of the explosion in
Tennessee.
Um in case anyone's not heard ofit, which I'd be surprised,
(32:04):
there was a massive explosion ata uh factory um in Tennessee.
And I want to say it was like 16people that was working there,
and all 16 lost their lives.
Wow.
And when they showed the the umthe video of the aftermath, you
cannot tell what was therebecause it was just debris
(32:24):
everywhere.
I mean, it was black smithings.
So, you know, right now we youknow I don't want to speculate,
um, but they're trying to figureout what happened and what was
the massive cause of it.
So definitely we want to giveour prayers out to the yeah,
those sounds sad.
SPEAKER_01 (32:43):
Yeah, I saw that very, very sad.
SPEAKER_00 (32:45):
Yeah, definitely.
Well, you have an interestingsubject.
SPEAKER_01 (32:51):
Come on, I definitely do.
Well, this was like my I don'tknow why I might my subject or
my topics this week is likeraising my blood pressure.
Even in a good way.
That's why I'm always like it'sit's I'm so happy that we have
this because like I see the newsand I'm like, okay, I have a
place to put this to.
Um, okay, so hopefully most ofthem are okay now, but it's been
(33:14):
crazy if we've been watching onsocial media the firsthand
accounts of people um stuck andthen hopefully ultimately
rescued at Mount Everest.
And I've been watching like alot of live TikToks of people
that are like have their facesfrozen off, or you know, they're
starting to like go intohypothermia and they're crying
and they've they're saying,like, we got stuck in Mount
Everest.
(33:35):
Um, around 880 people weresafely taken from the camps by
the weekend storm.
And so a lot of the mountaineersand their guides were trying to
tackle the world's tallest peak,and they were caught um at a
blizzard of an altitude morethan 16,000 feet.
It was an intense rescuemission.
Uh, people were safely taken tocamps.
(33:56):
And the I don't know, I guessthis opens up like a bigger
conversation because I'm feelinglike the public discourse,
especially that I'm seeing, isthat people are growing weary of
people risking their own livesgoing to Mount Everest and like
risking the lives of the Sherpasand all the guides that are
putting themselves out there andlike finding it kind of a
selfish endeavor to do this whenyou know that like a lot of
(34:19):
people do pass away and it is areally like risky thing.
Um, and when you get stuck, nowyou're like creating extra, you
know, potential danger for a lotof other people.
So I'm not as callous as some ofthe people I've seen, because
obviously someone may have hadthis as their dream and then
they go out here and thishappens.
But I don't know.
(34:39):
What do you think?
SPEAKER_00 (34:42):
I mean, the sad part is there's a lot of people that
attempt this that shouldn't beattempting it in the first
place.
SPEAKER_01 (34:48):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:50):
Um, because if you're not a highly skilled
hiker, you should not evenattempt this.
You know, I don't know how youwould stop inexperienced people
from doing this, but that seemsto be the major problem.
Because again, like you said,you get out there, um, you get
into trouble, all of a suddenpeople need to come out and save
(35:11):
you, they risk their lives, andit's a lot of money, you know,
let's face it, to rescue someonebecause you got equipment, you
got people, resources.
Um, sometimes, depending on ifthey can't find you, they're
trying to locate you, maybe theyneed to bring out rescue dogs.
So it's a big production to savesomeone.
And, you know, at some point yougotta kind of ask yourself, is
(35:34):
like you say, is it really worthit, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (35:36):
Right.
Yep.
I mean, I know you and I bothdon't have that gene where we're
like, we have to just jump offof every cliff and parachute.
I'm like, you know, so Iunderstand for some people it is
like their dream and they wantto do it, but I think it's
starting to get more and morewhere they they could just be
like, sorry, Mount Everest isn'tfor hiking and like conquering
quote unquote anymore.
Like I'm just enjoy it from likean aerial view or something, but
(35:59):
like I'm you know, noteverything needs to be like
captured by humans.
SPEAKER_00 (36:04):
I agree, I agree.
And like I said, I don't want toqu squash anyone's dream or
whatever, but you know, you haveto ask yourself, are you really
up to this too?
SPEAKER_01 (36:14):
I know, but it's crazy.
Like, I don't know how many arebots or not, but like seeing
people that are posting likecrying saying like I'm stuck on
Everest, and just the amount oflike hundreds of comments being
like, I don't care, you did thisyourself.
Like, I wouldn't do that at thatpoint if someone is in that
situation.
I may think it, but like Iwouldn't be mean to someone like
that.
SPEAKER_00 (36:33):
I agree, I agree, and you know the thing is, I
don't know how you would stopthis, Merle.
Um, but I I just hope thatpeople watching or listening
just understand if you want todo something like this, ask
yourself an honest question inthe mirror.
Do you really think you have thestanoma and the knowledge and
the experience to do somethinglike this?
(36:55):
And if you say no to any ofthose, I don't think you should
be doing it.
I know, and there's othermountains, there's other,
there's other beautiful views,like I you know because, like
you said, there are othermountains of stuff that you
could climb that aren't nearlyas high and as dangerous as
well.
Too.
SPEAKER_01 (37:11):
Yeah.
I think I'm missing a part of mybrain because I'm like, I don't
care that much.
I'm like, I could just likewatch it from like an IMAX
theater and be like, awesome, Igot it.
Like, I don't know, any of theviews that I've seen are so
beautiful, but I could just belike wonderful, it's a it's a
nice sunset.
SPEAKER_00 (37:27):
Moving on, like all right, for our last topic of the
day, um, we're gonna talk aboutsomething interesting.
The real housewives uh Ponomac.
Um this is interesting.
Um Wendy Osafo and her husband.
(37:48):
Um her husband, let's see, hereis Edward Osaffel.
They were in arrested forinsurance fraud.
Oh gosh, and uh they werecharged on multiple accounts of
insurance fraud for over$450,000.
SPEAKER_01 (38:07):
No way.
SPEAKER_00 (38:08):
And I guess the thing that really kind of set
things into motion was she wasdoing, I guess, a podcast or
some type of show, and it showedher wedding ring on her finger.
Well, the problem is the weddingring on her finger was one of
the items listed as beingburglarized and stolen.
Kind of possible to say yourstuff was stolen if you're
(38:30):
wearing it.
SPEAKER_01 (38:31):
Yeah.
Like, whoopsie, that's righthere.
SPEAKER_00 (38:35):
And then I guess they submitted multiple claims
to multiple insurance companieson some of the same items.
So I guess that's what kind oftriggered everything.
And then I guess from um doingan investigation from there,
they found that they literallyorchestrated this falsehood
(38:56):
about being robbed and thingsbeing stolen to create this
insurance fraud.
Now we're gonna say allegedly,because yeah, we don't know.
But if this is true, a couple ofthings.
One, like I said before, justbecause you see people on TV
don't mean they're making money.
SPEAKER_01 (39:14):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (39:15):
You wouldn't be doing this, right?
And secondly, is how stupid canyou be?
SPEAKER_01 (39:22):
Exactly, and how greedy can you be, too, you
know?
SPEAKER_00 (39:25):
Yes, and it's like I don't know, it's like the
everybody wants to show how muchmoney they got, how rich.
How about show how happy youare, yeah, in your life?
How about that?
SPEAKER_01 (39:35):
I agree.
I think I would yes, I totallyagree.
It also seems like the RealHousewives franchise has had a
lot of people go to jail, haveinsurance things, have faking
things.
So it just goes to show that Ithink a lot of these people feel
the need to kind of keep up withthe Joneses, if you will, or you
know, have like a fakelifestyle, and it shows that
they are deeply unhappy, or youknow, there are some not perfect
(39:59):
moments.
SPEAKER_00 (40:00):
I agree.
And and you know, the thing thatpeople have to understand is if
you're a person that is verymaterialistic, to me, you're a
miserable individual.
I don't care what you say,because there's always gonna be
someone with more money thanyou, there's gonna always be
someone that has the newest car,there's gonna always be someone
that has the bigger house.
So you're never happy withanything, you're not settled on
(40:23):
anything, it's always chasingsomething.
Right.
And to me, that's a miserableexistence because you miss so
much of life when you're doingthat.
SPEAKER_01 (40:32):
Exactly.
Especially since, like, I feellike if you do things in a way
that has fraud or is stealingfrom someone, it's it's never
going to work out well for you.
Like if you earn your money in agood way and like you're
hardworking and you want tospend it on material items,
that's fine to me.
But if you're like claimingfraud and just being weird about
it, then I think things aregonna come bite to bite you.
SPEAKER_00 (40:54):
I agree.
Now, this is kind of a littlebit of a sad note, but maybe
it's just me.
But why do some people when theyget arrested, smile and mugshot?
I I just don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (41:04):
I don't know.
I feel if I'm crazy enough to beone of them, I'd be like, I
could see me doing that becauseit's I think it's a little bit
of like, ha ha, like I don'tcare, I'm gonna get out of this
anyway.
And then there, then it's likethen there's the the other side
that's like deranged enoughwhere it's like, okay, if you're
gonna go full like monster, whynot have a good headshot like
(41:25):
that?
SPEAKER_00 (41:26):
I guess so, because uh I was very surprised that
they were smiling in theirmugshots, but I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (41:32):
I think it's kind of cheeky because it's like you do
know that this is gonna be usedin the magazines and everything.
SPEAKER_00 (41:38):
That's true.
I guess they're uh trying tocontrol the narrative, I guess.
SPEAKER_01 (41:42):
Yeah, you you to me you almost have to commit one
way or another.
You have to look like so bad andso ragged that it's like that's
almost impressive that you justlook so like downtrodden, or you
have to like kind of look cuteand being on the joke.
SPEAKER_00 (41:55):
That's true, that is true.
Well, this was a great episode.
And Merle, what do you havecoming up?
SPEAKER_01 (42:03):
Ooh, it was such a great episode.
I'm so happy that um we did it.
And so, yes, I'm excited aboutum calling all San Diego people
again.
I have a show, I'm actuallyco-headlining it.
So I'm one of the headliners,which is super cool, on um
October 29th at the La JollaComedy Store.
So um it's it's a women one, soit'll be all women.
(42:25):
So especially if there's anylike San Diego women or if you
have any relatives in San Diegoor whatever, just please tell
them because I'm really hopingwe can pack the place.
So October 29th, La Jolla ComedyStore.
SPEAKER_00 (42:37):
Nice.
So anyone out there that's goingto be in the San Diego area,
please go out and supportMerrick.
SPEAKER_01 (42:42):
Yeah, yes, and like we've said this before, but if
you're by yourself, come to it.
If you're like it's open to allpeople, if you've never been to
a comedy show before, come toit.
So if you know anyone in SanDiego, yeah, please, please,
please.
SPEAKER_00 (42:55):
Definitely.
And as always, this was a greatepisode.
I enjoyed it, and um pleasecontinue to support us and uh
definitely let other people knowwho we are so they can come join
us as well.
Absolutely.
I'm Lord Zellrod.
SPEAKER_01 (43:10):
I'm Meryl Climo.
SPEAKER_00 (43:12):
Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone.
SPEAKER_01 (43:14):
Bye bye.
SPEAKER_00 (43:15):
Bye.
Hello everyone.
Welcome to this week's episodeof Thirsty Topics.
I'm Lawrence Elrod.
SPEAKER_01 (00:21):
And I'm Meryl Climo.
SPEAKER_00 (00:23):
Hey Meryl, how are you?
SPEAKER_01 (00:24):
Hi, I'm so good.
How are you doing?
SPEAKER_00 (00:27):
I am doing fantastic.
How was your weekend?
SPEAKER_01 (00:30):
It was so nice.
I spent a mix of East Coast andWest Coast.
And so I have some fall vibes.
I'm very happy.
I got to see some orange leaves,which is nice out here.
SPEAKER_00 (00:41):
Nice, nice.
Yeah, my weekend was pretty nicetoo.
Um, participated in an event,um, working on some new
projects.
So I am very stoked at what'scoming up.
SPEAKER_01 (00:53):
Yay, you're a busy man.
SPEAKER_00 (00:55):
Trying to be, trying to be.
Well, we have a lot to talkabout.
SPEAKER_01 (01:00):
So yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:02):
I'm gonna let you start this week.
SPEAKER_01 (01:04):
Okay.
I'm starting with somethingpretty dystopian, but um I can't
believe it within its presentday, but I actually can believe
it.
So I don't know if you've heardof the AI actress Tilly Norwood
yet.
Uh yeah, I know.
She's made or her AI hologramversion has made um quite a stir
in the past month or two.
But basically, the first she'sthe first digital actress from
(01:27):
um a UK-based company calledParticle Productions.
And, you know, she's all AI.
Her creator, who's a a physicistturned producer, um, Alain
Vandervelden, which sounds likea already like a movie, you
know, the evil villain name orwhatever, says Tilly was about
was built to be the kind of starthat people dream about.
(01:49):
Um, they want Tilly to be thenext Scarlett Johansson or
Natalie Portman, and they'rejust saying, like, hey, we don't
need real humans anymore, or wecan just use Tilly Norwood.
And supposedly some of thetalent agents were even looking
at booking her and like havingher on the roster, which I don't
even understand how that wouldwork.
And you know, there's clips ofher.
She's a pretty young woman, youknow, an A AI young woman, but
(02:12):
you know, just looks likeBrunette and just the typical
kind of actress person.
Um, clearly, this is met with alot of critical nature and also
um like you know, disdain fromthe acting community.
And I just think this is soweird.
What do you think?
SPEAKER_00 (02:30):
I think it's incredibly weird and scary at
the same time.
And the reason I say that isokay, I can see using an AI
actor or actress for acommercial, you know, for you
know, some type of advertisementor whatever.
I can see that, I really can.
But to make a full-blownproduction out of an AI
(02:50):
character, yeah.
So what are you saying?
Actors and actresses can justeasily be replaced by
intelligence.
I think it's a little crazy.
And then plus you take thecreativity out of it too,
because you know, you still haveto tell that character what to
do, what to say.
And one of the things that anactor and an actress bring to
(03:11):
the table is they become thatpart.
And some of the memorable thingsthat I know I love in things
that I watch is things thataren't necessarily written on
the script.
SPEAKER_01 (03:21):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And I think too, this is like aslippery slope before if we
start accepting this, then it'sgoing to be AI musicians
playing, going on tour, and AIpodcast.
And yeah, they already do havelike AI podcasters and stuff,
but I don't know.
Maybe there will be a world toowhere it's like you have the
option to go see like ahuman-based movie and then an
(03:42):
option to go see an AI actormovie.
But I just feel like oh, ourworld is already missing a lot
of soul and like we're alldisconnected.
This is like an example of whatwe don't need more of.
SPEAKER_00 (03:53):
I agree, I agree.
And like I said, it's a veryslippery slope because even if
you try and make a full-fledgedpicture out of it, you're gonna
have to, if you're trying to mixthat with real actors, you're
still gonna have to uh uh hiresomeone to do exactly what the
AI uh character does, just sothe characters around them can
(04:16):
still, you know, be in sync withthat with that particular part.
Yeah.
So it's like it initially itsounds like a great idea, but I
think that as you look atdifferent projects, I don't know
how feasible that is because youcan, you know, you can easily
run those production coststhrough the roof.
And it's like instead of doingall that, why don't we just hire
(04:37):
an actor?
SPEAKER_01 (04:38):
That's what they were saying, like no trailers,
no eight, no meltdowns, nomakeup.
And then this was the the lastthing with this I thought was
really interesting is that umSAG, the Screen Actors Guild,
put out a statement saying TillyNorwood is not an actor, it's a
character generated by acomputer program trained on the
work of countless professionalperformers without permission or
compensation.
(04:58):
So I think I think more of theacting as if the acting
community and writing doesn'thave enough to deal with in the
past like year with all thestrikes and the you know
writers' guild stuff.
Um people are just saying like,no thank you to this.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
Well, I think part of it is too, is I mean, I don't
know what the wording is, but Iknow part of the strike was
dealing with AI.
SPEAKER_01 (05:22):
Yeah, yeah, that they could just scan someone.
Exactly.
That basically an actor wouldlike scan say yes to having
their likeness scan, and thenthen your AI character would be
in like any movie, or they wouldgenerate you, you know, for
years to come, and people werenot okay with that.
Oh no, that was just one of themany things.
SPEAKER_00 (05:38):
I mean, think about it like this, Merle.
You sign up to do a movie andyou sign off on that, on that
little statement, and next thingyou know, your AI character is
doing 10 other movies, andyou're not getting one dime out
of that.
SPEAKER_01 (05:50):
I know it's the money part.
I have to admit though, somesome nights when I don't want to
leave my house.
If I did have like an AI Meryldoing stand-up, I would I'm
like, maybe you could just scanme and like put me in Atlantic
City or something, and I don'tactually have to go.
But but yeah, this is weird, andI'm I think even more than like
the business part with the partthat gets me the most is just
(06:10):
the heart and soul of like whatwe were missing out on.
Because you know, like I justwant my experience on this
planet to be nice and like fullof life and um you know,
friendly faces.
So this seems like the oppositeof it.
SPEAKER_00 (06:24):
I agree, I agree.
Well, Meryl, talk about AI onthat same subject.
Um, there's videos going aroundthat are viral of people
creating uh AI videos of RobinWilliams, and his daughter wants
those videos to stop.
SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (06:45):
Um, I don't know.
What do you think about that,Meryl?
SPEAKER_01 (06:48):
I think completely like I think it's crazy.
I mean, now it's out of controlwith TikTok.
Like, I know there's been likethe Jake Paul on that Sora app
that is like going around, andI've seen a bunch of the Robin
Williams ones, and it's it'sweird, it's like morose and sad,
and I think a lot of peoplemight not even know it's AI.
Like, you know, it's obviouslythe more the media literate ones
(07:10):
like us, like that are on it, orthe ones people that are online
a lot could tell, but peoplethat may just log on may think
obviously we know Robin Williamsisn't with us, but they may
think it's like an old clip orum that it was actually from
him.
So yeah, I think that's socreepy and weird.
And if it was one of my lovedones, I would agree.
SPEAKER_00 (07:28):
Yeah, I agree.
And and and and the thing is,some people have to understand,
okay, that Robin Williams stillhas a family.
Yeah, you know, the grievingperiod may be still going on for
his daughter and other membersof the family.
So to see a loved one that haspassed away some time ago come
back to life in an AI version,you know, that could hit
(07:50):
emotions in a very negative way.
SPEAKER_01 (07:52):
Yeah, absolutely.
And I just think that's weird,and it's not what the person
said, like it's not slander, butit is a form of just making up,
like I feel like it has to besome type of breaking the love,
like false accusation, or Idon't know, I don't know what
the term would be, but it seemslike it should be illegal.
SPEAKER_00 (08:11):
Yeah, and and the the one thing you have to be
careful about with this AIstuff, there are some AI
software out there where it'sreally difficult to know is
fake.
SPEAKER_01 (08:22):
Yeah, yeah.
But I don't know if you've seenthe the Jake Paul ones on
TikTok, but those ones that youknow because he's just like
Tinkerbell, and it was like himcoming out as gay, and like it's
just ridiculous.
I mean, it it's uh and I guesshe's part of it, like he he's in
on the joke.
I guess he owns like some sliverof a company or something, but
um yeah, the Robin Williams oneseems sad, and especially the
(08:46):
way that he died, it just seemslike extra not nice to be making
false videos of him.
SPEAKER_00 (08:52):
No, I agree.
And and again, regardless of thereason, you know, it's sad when
someone takes their life andthinks that that's the only
option that they have.
So, you know, there's also and Idon't think I don't think it's
it's it's um warranted orjustified, but there's some
people close to them that mayeven have guilt thinking, why
(09:14):
didn't I see this?
Yeah, no, you know what I mean?
So it's kind of like pouringsalt on the wound, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Yeah, definitely.
I wonder if I feel like it'sjust a matter of time, but
before we get AI videos ofeveryone, like of Ozzie Osborne,
of like you know, Diane Keatonjust passed away.
I'm sure there'll be videos ofher.
It's just I think it's gonna bethe next, like bored um type of
like you know, for people thatare bored or like you know, we
(09:42):
made memes too of people.
I feel like maybe AI videos arejust gonna be like the next
memes.
SPEAKER_00 (09:46):
Yeah, no, I agree with you.
I agree.
Um I don't know.
What do you what do you thinkabout that?
Do you think that people shouldreally stop doing that?
Because it's kind of like reallyout of control now.
You know, you can I've even seenvideos of Whitney Houston and
her daughter.
Um videos of it, and it's like,wow, you know, I don't know.
(10:07):
I mean do you think do you thinkpeople should stop doing that?
Do you think it's it's okay?
SPEAKER_01 (10:12):
No, I definitely think it's weird, and um I think
sometimes people think like thecelebrities, like the big ones,
like Robin Williams and MichaelJackson, they think of them as
like not people and just kind ofcharacters, you know, but we
always have to remember thatthey these are people with
children or spouses or you know,just friends.
And so um, no, I don't thinkit's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (10:34):
Yeah.
Well, let's just hope it atleast slows down, and you know,
again, I hope that they um kindof think about the family before
they do that.
SPEAKER_01 (10:42):
Yeah, yep.
And it's so weird, like the likeRobin Williams and George Carlin
and all these comedians.
I'm happy for them that theydidn't have to live through this
time because this is weird, andit you're it's fine to miss out
on like this weird version ofhumanity.
SPEAKER_00 (10:59):
I agree.
SPEAKER_01 (11:01):
Well, if I had oops, if I had an AI video version of
me, um it would have beenscreaming the other day because
this was about so you know, likewhen I fly places, I typically
fly into in and out of Burbankbecause it's a very small but
mighty airport near me, and it'slike very, you know, compared to
LAX, it's like such a nicerairport, and they it's things
(11:24):
are easy, but things weren'teasy last week when um the the
Burbank airport was forced toclose its tower for several
hours because it had no airtraffic controllers.
Now, FAA we know have been likeon a strike, you know, they've
been working without pay.
A lot of them have been callingout um the air traffic
controllers called out for sickleave, but like I don't blame
(11:46):
them because it's also you can'texpect people to work forever
and work tirelessly, like withno pay and no benefits and just
an unsafe um or un you know,whatever, unrespectful
workplace.
So the airport remained open,but flights were delayed on
average more than two and a halfhours.
And then controllers from a SanDiego facility handled traffic
(12:06):
in and out of a Burbank duringthe tower closure.
Now, I learned from all myGoogling and freaking out and
looking on Reddit that like it'snot as scary as the headlines
make it look.
Because of course, the headlinesmake it look like no one is at
the airport.
And they, you know, they're justthey make it seem like the
pilots are just gonna be like,whoa, you know, we don't know
where we're going.
But really, a lot of placesdon't have air traffic
(12:29):
controllers and they use remotepeople all the time.
And like I was reading from alot of pilots on Reddit were
saying, like, don't let thisfreak you out in the way that
you shouldn't be flying.
But it still is not a greatthought to be thinking when
you're about to fly intoBurbank, like wondering if
there's going to be air trafficor not.
Um, and Burbank is known forhaving like really, really short
runway.
So I don't know why, but I'mlike, they just don't even know.
(12:51):
So I was texting my friends,meaning like, can you get there
and like guide us in?
I told my friends to show up andlike hold up, hold their phone
light so I could just see it.
But um luckily I I was so luckywhere like I didn't get delayed,
but I heard of just like peoplethat were flying that whole day.
It was just a nightmaresituation, whether you had TSA
pre-check or whatever.
I just heard from like New Yorkto all the way to the West Coast
(13:15):
was just a nightmare for a lotof people.
Um, and it seems like just likethe writers and the actors, it
seems like the air trafficcontrollers are also going
through a tough time right now.
SPEAKER_00 (13:25):
Oh, yeah.
And you know the real sad partis air traffic controllers was
facing these issues for years.
It just basically exploded now.
You know, there's been anational shortage for a long,
long time.
SPEAKER_01 (13:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (13:42):
And then on top of that, you know, there's not a
lot of people becoming airtraffic controllers.
So I don't think they've donethe greatest job recruiting
because um you don't wait untilyou have a shortage to start
looking, because it, you know, alot of people don't realize it
takes a long time to become anair traffic controller, you
know.
Yeah, I mean, and relative toother careers, maybe not that
(14:04):
long, but I want to say it'sanywhere from a few months to a
year.
So it's not something that youcan just say, hey, I want to
become an air traffic controllerand I start in four weeks.
You know, it's not that simple.
SPEAKER_01 (14:14):
Right.
And to me, that's like one ofthe most important jobs ever.
Like that is such an importantjob, I think, of just directly,
or you have so many lives inyour hands, like pilots are
depending on you, safetyaviation safety people are
depending on you.
Like, that's a huge job.
I feel like that should be onethat's like a highly respected
and well-paid job.
And I know like a lot of timespeople have said the hours
(14:37):
alone, like you know, they'rereally tired, they they work for
really long hours, they'vefallen asleep.
Um, I don't think I've everlaughed so hard as in 2024, like
last year.
Remember when Trump was sayingthat like they were hiring air
traffic controllers that justhad that they were only hiring
based on like DEI stuff, butremember he was reading out that
they they were looking for likeparalyzed people with no limbs.
(15:02):
Like, I really don't think Ilaughed so hard the whole year.
SPEAKER_00 (15:08):
And then I think I I read something, and I don't know
what true true it is.
Maybe somebody was just making ajoke out of it, but I read
something about what he said orTrump said, you know, they're
hiring blind people.
It's like, dude, seriously.
SPEAKER_01 (15:19):
Yeah, no, he said that that was part.
I mean it's like reading out thequalifications.
Yeah, he's like, we want blind,paralyzed people with no limbs.
Like so, so all that to say,yes, they've had for many years,
they have had some situations.
Um, and I think at a time whenmore and more people are flying,
there's more airplanes like outin the sky than ever.
(15:41):
It's just, yeah, you're right,there should be more air traffic
controllers and more ability tohave these people be onboarded
and trained appropriately andlike treated like with dignity.
SPEAKER_00 (15:53):
Yeah, and you know, the other thing too, Meryl, is a
lot of other things are beinghighlighted right now where a
lot of people forget that airtraffic controllers run 24 hours
a day.
So if you're on a late night orovernight shift and you have
kids, you have to hirebabysitters.
Yeah, kinda hard to do that ifyou're not getting paid.
SPEAKER_01 (16:14):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (16:15):
And then, you know, on top of that, and I hope it's
just a bluff, but then to bethreatened that, you know, some
people may not be paid back pay.
SPEAKER_01 (16:24):
I know, or it may take months, like it may take a
long time.
And most people I know don'thave like three months to wait
for their salary, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (16:32):
And the thing is, you know, you can make this
worse by people saying, you knowwhat, screw this, this isn't
worth this.
I'm gonna move on to anothercareer.
SPEAKER_01 (16:40):
I know, I know, yeah.
I think about that a lot too.
So we'll see.
It and then the media doesn'thelp because instead of like
working with everyone, ofcourse, they just want to create
hysteria and make it sound asthough like we're flying into
nothing land and no one's thereto help, you know.
So it's just I feel like there'sa few different like
(17:01):
organizations making it worsefor everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (17:04):
Yeah, I agree.
I agree.
Uh just have to be patient anduh, you know, kind of do a
little bit of printing when youget on that plane now.
SPEAKER_01 (17:15):
Like, I really am looking into like a small
prescription of Atavan because Inever used to self-medicate or
anything, but I'm like, I needsomething because this is just
crazy.
I saw the person in front of mewas texting because like, I
mean, we I flew jet blue andthey were so nice and so
professional, and it was a theydid a great job.
But right when we came on, theywere like, we don't have air
traffic people.
(17:36):
There's a pin in the door thatwe're waiting for, and there's
gonna be like a really bad stormin Tennessee.
And like I saw the guy ahead ofme, he was texting his
girlfriend.
I I forgot my Xanax.
SPEAKER_00 (17:47):
I hear you.
Well, talk about interestinghere.
Um, don't know if you like ordislike this, but Sean Diddy
Combs was sentenced to 50 monthsin prison for two counts of
transportation for prostitution.
He was also fined a half amillion dollars and will serve
five years of supervised releaseafter his prison term.
(18:10):
The judge stated that thesentence was to send a message
against exploitation and abuse,acknowledging Combs' actions
were a form of subjugationrather than consensual
relationships.
What do you think about that?
SPEAKER_01 (18:27):
Uh I mean uh 50 months, you said?
SPEAKER_00 (18:31):
Uh 50.
SPEAKER_01 (18:32):
50.
So wait, I'm doing I'm doinggirl math here.
So that's like four years,basically.
SPEAKER_00 (18:39):
I think if they count time served, he could send
so uh I think he could do aslittle as three years or really
three years.
Um assuming that you know hegets out with good behavior,
because I think the way it worksis he has to he has to do a
minimum of 85% of his sentence.
SPEAKER_01 (18:59):
Oh wow.
Okay.
I guess I don't know how I feel.
I I guess like to me, I I wouldlike to think that this is a
situation where the judge andthe the sentencing is
appropriate to like what theyheard and the facts that they
know and that not that he's notgetting less time because of his
celebrity or because of anyother situation.
(19:21):
So like I guess my first thoughtwas I I guess you don't even
know who the judge is, but likeI would hope that the judge
would have thought this fairlylike thought this through and
this is like an appropriatesentencing.
Um, because I feel like theyprobably know a lot of things
that I don't know, but I don'tknow, it's weird.
Like I I don't think he shouldget like maybe I'm like totally
wrong here, but I'm not like oneof those like throw him away in
(19:43):
prison forever and ever andever.
Like I still think that heshould obviously go to prison,
but I feel like there's othersteps that he could take to like
hopefully make things morepositive and to repay for his
like big, giant, awful mistakes.
Um, but I don't know, maybe I'mway off base and everyone's
like, nope, we want him inprison forever.
Like this doesn't seem like adeath penalty type thing to me,
(20:03):
it but it does seem like itshould be jail time.
But I'm open to hearing whatevery what you and everyone else
thinks.
SPEAKER_00 (20:10):
Well, I I think that um no amount of no amount of
time was gonna be enough for thevictims.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:18):
But what I feel sorry for the most is the lives
that he destroyed along the way,people you never heard of,
because there's a lot of peoplethat had their careers not even
damaged, but destroyed by himover time.
SPEAKER_01 (20:33):
Yeah, that's true.
SPEAKER_00 (20:34):
I think are victims that you know people don't talk
about the most.
You know, there's artists outthere that probably would have
been, you know, a top 10 or top20 uh pop star or RB artists
that you'll you'll never mostlikely hear from because of what
they went through.
Because they decide to play thegame, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (20:56):
Exactly.
And maybe that is maybe like themore I would find out about what
he's done and who he's hurt,maybe I would be like, Yeah, let
him think about that in prisonfor like the rest of his life,
and who cares, you know.
So I just have to imagine thatlike what they heard in the
courtroom would be met with likea uh a fair sentencing, but um
(21:16):
you know you never know withthese things because there's so
much at play.
SPEAKER_00 (21:19):
That's true.
I just hope that he um he reallytakes stock of his life and his
legacy, and I I hope he comesout a better man in the end.
SPEAKER_01 (21:30):
Yeah, I know it's hard to know though, because
someone like that, they it wouldeither just all be a mask and
like they I could see him beinglike, ha ha, you know, I got
out.
Because you'd really have tolike I feel like someone like
that would have to change theirwhole being.
And I I don't know if that'spossible.
If like you're a man in your 40sor 50s or however old he is,
(21:50):
like to change your whole likeethos and just the way you
think.
SPEAKER_00 (21:54):
Yeah, I I mean I think if he really wanted to, he
could.
You know, I've always said thatas long as you got breath in
your body, you have time, youcan always change.
SPEAKER_01 (22:04):
Yeah, definitely.
Unless, unless, like, I knowsome people, if you have like a
genuine, genuine likepersonality disorder, or like
you're so narcissistic or likeso sociopath, or you know, like
maybe there are some people thatare just like, nope, but this I
could have everything happen tome and I still like wouldn't
feel bad or wouldn't truly feelguilt.
You know, there are some peoplelike that that are just truly
(22:26):
like monsters in evil.
I don't I don't know.
I I don't I don't know if I likefeel like he's one of them.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_00 (22:33):
That's true, that's true.
But you know, like I said, we'llsee.
And another thing that'sinteresting too is I was a
little surprised at how fast hedid it, but his team did ask for
a pardon from Trump.
Now, whether Trump does it ornot, we'll see.
SPEAKER_01 (22:50):
Um my gosh, that's gonna be the new running, the
new running team in 2028.
SPEAKER_00 (22:58):
So we'll we'll see.
SPEAKER_01 (22:59):
Um oh my gosh, I bet he will.
This is exactly something Icould see Trump pardoning him.
Yeah, I could.
It it depends on if if Diddy waslike, I love Trump, Trump's the
man, I think he would work.
I think it would, I actuallythink he would.
SPEAKER_00 (23:15):
The scary part is I agree with you.
SPEAKER_01 (23:17):
Yeah, and then I bet there's some weird tie.
I mean, this is my fullconspiracy mode, but I'm like,
then maybe like Diddy could helphide the Epstein things even
more.
I'm like, I'm sure it goes deepwhere Trump's like, okay, if I
do this for you, you know thisand this, so you have access to
these files, you have to makethis go away.
SPEAKER_00 (23:37):
The crazy thing about it, I can see him doing
that as a distraction.
SPEAKER_01 (23:41):
I really me too.
SPEAKER_00 (23:43):
Because it would take over the airwaves.
SPEAKER_01 (23:46):
Yeah, it would.
Then I feel like somehow KimKardashian will get involved in
all of it too, but uh, I don'tknow how.
Well, we'll see.
This is one that I likeintentionally haven't paid that
much attention to just becauseit's like I don't know, I I
don't even want to give himextra thought and like
consideration just because Ifeel like he doesn't deserve our
like little precious brains.
SPEAKER_00 (24:09):
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
I mean, like I said, um I justhope he comes out a better man
and I hope he learned somethingabout this because no one should
be treated the way he treatedthose people.
SPEAKER_01 (24:21):
I know, I know.
I know, and I would I would likereally, really love to hear what
people think.
I still feel like I have somespeck of hope for him as like a
person.
I don't know, you know,obviously I don't know him
personally.
I don't know, like I don't knowif he's fully evil or not, but
he is someone that I'm like,okay, I could see maybe
something cracking through andlike him having a change of
(24:42):
heart or having like a a full-onbreakdown to be like, okay, this
is my life.
I'm gonna try to build it backup.
But I'm sure you know, I reallywould in a nice way.
I'd love to hear what peoplethink.
SPEAKER_00 (24:52):
I would too.
So if you're watching orlistening, definitely reach out
to us on social media.
We'd love to hear what you haveto say.
SPEAKER_01 (25:00):
Yeah, I welcome all opinions, unless it's that you
hate basset hounds, and I don'tagree with you at all because I
love that sound.
That's just an opinion that Ireally don't agree with, but
it's okay.
Um, okay, this next one, uh thisis like I this is why I'm so
excited for the whole episodetoday.
I'm obsessed with the stories,and I even I texted the video to
you because I'm like, I neededyou to watch it.
(25:22):
So um, you know, obviously it'sspecial to me because
California, but like uh repKatie Porter is running for
governor, you know, like as ourlittle Gavin Newsom does, maybe
does bigger and better things.
Who knows?
She was one of the people in therace.
Um, and then I to be honest,like I didn't even know who she
was.
This was my first time hearingabout her.
(25:42):
So who knows?
Like, I just have yet I've beenkind of under a rock about her.
Um, but then Politico obtained avideo of Katie Porter berating a
staff member in 2021 forentering her live shot while she
was recording a video, um,talking about with the energy
secretary back then.
And pretty much if you watch thevideo, she says something wrong
(26:05):
and the staffer goes in the backand is in the shot.
And you know, is that isprobably a no-no, and that's
probably annoying and stuff too,you know, because she like she's
like actually it, but she wantsto make sure that Katie Porter
isn't saying wrong information,and so she's looking out for her
and trying to correct her withthe details.
And then Katie Porter, excuse mylanguage, goes into like full
(26:25):
bitch mode and screams, like,you're in my shot, get out of my
shot.
And I guess it probably happenedonce before on the conversation
because she said, like, you werein my shot before.
And the way that she yells,like, get out of my shot, it she
is just like a freaking tyrant,and it is scary and mean and
just enough to like make me belike, Well, I'll never vote for
(26:46):
her.
Like, you know, and like I neverwrite mean things to people on
social media, and I really I didnot, but I like had the so
desire to just go and comment,like, you're done, you know.
And so then there was anothervideo with CBS News that aired
this week, um, where Porter toldthe interviewer pretty much
like, I'm done with thisinterview, I'm not going to
(27:08):
answer that.
And then there's definitely aheated back and forth, at which
point the it the reporter waslike, everyone else was able to
answer these questions.
Why can't you?
And then Katie Porter was justlike a downright, you know,
every every bad word you want touse, um, I found her to be.
And so, like, I don't care ifsomeone's Democrat or
Republican, like I will not, Idon't want my leader to A, not
(27:30):
be able to work under pressurelike this, and B, when like the
cameras are off, just to havelike that sort of weird ass like
attitude, no way.
SPEAKER_00 (27:37):
I agree with you, and and I video too, and it's
like, you know, sometimesaccidents happen, okay.
Yeah, but you know, the thing istoo, these are people that give
their heart and soul to supportyou.
You don't have to be an assholeto them, you really don't, you
know.
SPEAKER_01 (27:54):
Exactly.
Yeah, we all uh the any of usthat have done like I feel like
in productions and everything,it's totally okay to it's not
okay, but it's likeunderstandable to lose your
temper or just like let a littlestress valve out and be like,
ah, you know, and and to have itlike a minor situation of like,
can you please get out of myshot?
Or you know, I'm really stressedout about this.
But the way she acted was justlike horrific, and I don't know
(28:16):
what that struck a cord in mebecause I'm like, I like hate
her.
SPEAKER_00 (28:20):
So and you know, the other thing too is if she can do
that in front of the camera, howdoes she treat them when the
camera's not there?
SPEAKER_01 (28:31):
And like I don't care if someone is the same
party as me, if they're going totreat someone like that.
Like, that doesn't mean anythingto me if you're Democrat and you
treat a staffer like that.
And I still think we should weshould treat our uh teach our
young people to like I thinkthere's a difference of being
disrespectful back, you don'thave to do that, but also like
(28:51):
you don't have to take peoplelike that.
Like when I hear all the storiesabout how like Ellen used to be
to people, and I think we needmore people just to say it is
like our higher-ups and be like,okay, you're important, but
you're not going to talk to melike that.
And like I'm I'm all for that.
SPEAKER_00 (29:05):
I definitely agree with you, and and you know the
thing is the number one reasonwhy people leave company is not
money.
Money's up there, don't get mewrong, but the number one reason
is management.
SPEAKER_01 (29:20):
Yeah, yeah, and we just we we can't let people like
that are like quote unquotehigher than us treat us like I
don't know.
I just think there needs to bemore of like a united front.
Now, that doesn't mean also ifsomeone says, hey, you can't
take the day off, then you know,that's not like you're harassing
me.
Like, then I think it could gointo like a snowflake category
of being too much, like, youknow, you're scaring me or
(29:42):
whatever.
But I think like a situationlike this, where there's no
reason for someone to talk totheir staff like that, you know,
she could very sternly say, Iunderstand that you're trying to
help me get the rightinformation, but like please
always stay out of my shots orlike please never be in the
background.
You know, you could do that,but.
But to yell at her the way thatyou did.
Like she's not she treated herlike a like a piece of trash or
(30:05):
something.
SPEAKER_00 (30:06):
Yeah, I agree with you, which is pretty silly.
I don't know.
It'd be interesting to see ifthat staffer is still working
for her, though.
SPEAKER_01 (30:14):
No, I've I love that staffer probably leaked the
video because that was a fewyears ago.
And so I'm like, ha ha, likekarma is a bitch and the karma
will get you.
And from what I've heard fromother things too, people are
saying, oh, she's known like inthe industry to have people, it
was just a matter of time beforelike a lot of people that worked
for her came out and said whatlike a horrible boss and person
(30:35):
she is.
SPEAKER_00 (30:36):
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (30:37):
So like they said that this was like not a
surprise because of how shetreats her staff, and that's
just like, I don't know.
Like I don't know, even like Inever write on people, but I
really had to stop myself fromlike messaging her like, you
lost my vote, you know, eventhough I wasn't even gonna vote
for her.
So but this gets me so heated,uh like just because like I I
(30:59):
don't know.
So I it almost seems very like1998 for someone to talk to
someone like that.
You know what I mean?
I feel like we've advanced, itseems very like old school.
SPEAKER_00 (31:09):
Yeah, and you know the sad part is with everything
going on, um, some employersthink that this nonsense is
acceptable.
SPEAKER_01 (31:17):
Yeah, yeah.
And like I think that's one ofthe reasons I like I'm freelance
and I whatever, is because likeI wanted to build a life where
no one could, of course, peoplecould like criticize me or give
me notes or you know, like havethings to say, but like no one
uh to be to have a situationwhere if someone was like that
to me, I'd be like, uh-uh, youknow, not taking it.
So um people always have toremember, even if you're in like
(31:39):
a lesser position, you don'thave to be talked to like that.
SPEAKER_00 (31:43):
Absolutely, absolutely.
Well, um I don't want to gothrough um our episode today and
not give condolences to thevictims of the explosion in
Tennessee.
Um in case anyone's not heard ofit, which I'd be surprised,
(32:04):
there was a massive explosion ata uh factory um in Tennessee.
And I want to say it was like 16people that was working there,
and all 16 lost their lives.
Wow.
And when they showed the the umthe video of the aftermath, you
cannot tell what was therebecause it was just debris
(32:24):
everywhere.
I mean, it was black smithings.
So, you know, right now we youknow I don't want to speculate,
um, but they're trying to figureout what happened and what was
the massive cause of it.
So definitely we want to giveour prayers out to the yeah,
those sounds sad.
SPEAKER_01 (32:43):
Yeah, I saw that very, very sad.
SPEAKER_00 (32:45):
Yeah, definitely.
Well, you have an interestingsubject.
SPEAKER_01 (32:51):
Come on, I definitely do.
Well, this was like my I don'tknow why I might my subject or
my topics this week is likeraising my blood pressure.
Even in a good way.
That's why I'm always like it'sit's I'm so happy that we have
this because like I see the newsand I'm like, okay, I have a
place to put this to.
Um, okay, so hopefully most ofthem are okay now, but it's been
(33:14):
crazy if we've been watching onsocial media the firsthand
accounts of people um stuck andthen hopefully ultimately
rescued at Mount Everest.
And I've been watching like alot of live TikToks of people
that are like have their facesfrozen off, or you know, they're
starting to like go intohypothermia and they're crying
and they've they're saying,like, we got stuck in Mount
Everest.
(33:35):
Um, around 880 people weresafely taken from the camps by
the weekend storm.
And so a lot of the mountaineersand their guides were trying to
tackle the world's tallest peak,and they were caught um at a
blizzard of an altitude morethan 16,000 feet.
It was an intense rescuemission.
Uh, people were safely taken tocamps.
(33:56):
And the I don't know, I guessthis opens up like a bigger
conversation because I'm feelinglike the public discourse,
especially that I'm seeing, isthat people are growing weary of
people risking their own livesgoing to Mount Everest and like
risking the lives of the Sherpasand all the guides that are
putting themselves out there andlike finding it kind of a
selfish endeavor to do this whenyou know that like a lot of
(34:19):
people do pass away and it is areally like risky thing.
Um, and when you get stuck, nowyou're like creating extra, you
know, potential danger for a lotof other people.
So I'm not as callous as some ofthe people I've seen, because
obviously someone may have hadthis as their dream and then
they go out here and thishappens.
But I don't know.
(34:39):
What do you think?
SPEAKER_00 (34:42):
I mean, the sad part is there's a lot of people that
attempt this that shouldn't beattempting it in the first
place.
SPEAKER_01 (34:48):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:50):
Um, because if you're not a highly skilled
hiker, you should not evenattempt this.
You know, I don't know how youwould stop inexperienced people
from doing this, but that seemsto be the major problem.
Because again, like you said,you get out there, um, you get
into trouble, all of a suddenpeople need to come out and save
(35:11):
you, they risk their lives, andit's a lot of money, you know,
let's face it, to rescue someonebecause you got equipment, you
got people, resources.
Um, sometimes, depending on ifthey can't find you, they're
trying to locate you, maybe theyneed to bring out rescue dogs.
So it's a big production to savesomeone.
And, you know, at some point yougotta kind of ask yourself, is
(35:34):
like you say, is it really worthit, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (35:36):
Right.
Yep.
I mean, I know you and I bothdon't have that gene where we're
like, we have to just jump offof every cliff and parachute.
I'm like, you know, so Iunderstand for some people it is
like their dream and they wantto do it, but I think it's
starting to get more and morewhere they they could just be
like, sorry, Mount Everest isn'tfor hiking and like conquering
quote unquote anymore.
Like I'm just enjoy it from likean aerial view or something, but
(35:59):
like I'm you know, noteverything needs to be like
captured by humans.
SPEAKER_00 (36:04):
I agree, I agree.
And like I said, I don't want toqu squash anyone's dream or
whatever, but you know, you haveto ask yourself, are you really
up to this too?
SPEAKER_01 (36:14):
I know, but it's crazy.
Like, I don't know how many arebots or not, but like seeing
people that are posting likecrying saying like I'm stuck on
Everest, and just the amount oflike hundreds of comments being
like, I don't care, you did thisyourself.
Like, I wouldn't do that at thatpoint if someone is in that
situation.
I may think it, but like Iwouldn't be mean to someone like
that.
SPEAKER_00 (36:33):
I agree, I agree, and you know the thing is, I
don't know how you would stopthis, Merle.
Um, but I I just hope thatpeople watching or listening
just understand if you want todo something like this, ask
yourself an honest question inthe mirror.
Do you really think you have thestanoma and the knowledge and
the experience to do somethinglike this?
(36:55):
And if you say no to any ofthose, I don't think you should
be doing it.
I know, and there's othermountains, there's other,
there's other beautiful views,like I you know because, like
you said, there are othermountains of stuff that you
could climb that aren't nearlyas high and as dangerous as
well.
Too.
SPEAKER_01 (37:11):
Yeah.
I think I'm missing a part of mybrain because I'm like, I don't
care that much.
I'm like, I could just likewatch it from like an IMAX
theater and be like, awesome, Igot it.
Like, I don't know, any of theviews that I've seen are so
beautiful, but I could just belike wonderful, it's a it's a
nice sunset.
SPEAKER_00 (37:27):
Moving on, like all right, for our last topic of the
day, um, we're gonna talk aboutsomething interesting.
The real housewives uh Ponomac.
Um this is interesting.
Um Wendy Osafo and her husband.
(37:48):
Um her husband, let's see, hereis Edward Osaffel.
They were in arrested forinsurance fraud.
Oh gosh, and uh they werecharged on multiple accounts of
insurance fraud for over$450,000.
SPEAKER_01 (38:07):
No way.
SPEAKER_00 (38:08):
And I guess the thing that really kind of set
things into motion was she wasdoing, I guess, a podcast or
some type of show, and it showedher wedding ring on her finger.
Well, the problem is the weddingring on her finger was one of
the items listed as beingburglarized and stolen.
Kind of possible to say yourstuff was stolen if you're
(38:30):
wearing it.
SPEAKER_01 (38:31):
Yeah.
Like, whoopsie, that's righthere.
SPEAKER_00 (38:35):
And then I guess they submitted multiple claims
to multiple insurance companieson some of the same items.
So I guess that's what kind oftriggered everything.
And then I guess from um doingan investigation from there,
they found that they literallyorchestrated this falsehood
(38:56):
about being robbed and thingsbeing stolen to create this
insurance fraud.
Now we're gonna say allegedly,because yeah, we don't know.
But if this is true, a couple ofthings.
One, like I said before, justbecause you see people on TV
don't mean they're making money.
SPEAKER_01 (39:14):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (39:15):
You wouldn't be doing this, right?
And secondly, is how stupid canyou be?
SPEAKER_01 (39:22):
Exactly, and how greedy can you be, too, you
know?
SPEAKER_00 (39:25):
Yes, and it's like I don't know, it's like the
everybody wants to show how muchmoney they got, how rich.
How about show how happy youare, yeah, in your life?
How about that?
SPEAKER_01 (39:35):
I agree.
I think I would yes, I totallyagree.
It also seems like the RealHousewives franchise has had a
lot of people go to jail, haveinsurance things, have faking
things.
So it just goes to show that Ithink a lot of these people feel
the need to kind of keep up withthe Joneses, if you will, or you
know, have like a fakelifestyle, and it shows that
they are deeply unhappy, or youknow, there are some not perfect
(39:59):
moments.
SPEAKER_00 (40:00):
I agree.
And and you know, the thing thatpeople have to understand is if
you're a person that is verymaterialistic, to me, you're a
miserable individual.
I don't care what you say,because there's always gonna be
someone with more money thanyou, there's gonna always be
someone that has the newest car,there's gonna always be someone
that has the bigger house.
So you're never happy withanything, you're not settled on
(40:23):
anything, it's always chasingsomething.
Right.
And to me, that's a miserableexistence because you miss so
much of life when you're doingthat.
SPEAKER_01 (40:32):
Exactly.
Especially since, like, I feellike if you do things in a way
that has fraud or is stealingfrom someone, it's it's never
going to work out well for you.
Like if you earn your money in agood way and like you're
hardworking and you want tospend it on material items,
that's fine to me.
But if you're like claimingfraud and just being weird about
it, then I think things aregonna come bite to bite you.
SPEAKER_00 (40:54):
I agree.
Now, this is kind of a littlebit of a sad note, but maybe
it's just me.
But why do some people when theyget arrested, smile and mugshot?
I I just don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (41:04):
I don't know.
I feel if I'm crazy enough to beone of them, I'd be like, I
could see me doing that becauseit's I think it's a little bit
of like, ha ha, like I don'tcare, I'm gonna get out of this
anyway.
And then there, then it's likethen there's the the other side
that's like deranged enoughwhere it's like, okay, if you're
gonna go full like monster, whynot have a good headshot like
(41:25):
that?
SPEAKER_00 (41:26):
I guess so, because uh I was very surprised that
they were smiling in theirmugshots, but I don't know.
SPEAKER_01 (41:32):
I think it's kind of cheeky because it's like you do
know that this is gonna be usedin the magazines and everything.
SPEAKER_00 (41:38):
That's true.
I guess they're uh trying tocontrol the narrative, I guess.
SPEAKER_01 (41:42):
Yeah, you you to me you almost have to commit one
way or another.
You have to look like so bad andso ragged that it's like that's
almost impressive that you justlook so like downtrodden, or you
have to like kind of look cuteand being on the joke.
SPEAKER_00 (41:55):
That's true, that is true.
Well, this was a great episode.
And Merle, what do you havecoming up?
SPEAKER_01 (42:03):
Ooh, it was such a great episode.
I'm so happy that um we did it.
And so, yes, I'm excited aboutum calling all San Diego people
again.
I have a show, I'm actuallyco-headlining it.
So I'm one of the headliners,which is super cool, on um
October 29th at the La JollaComedy Store.
So um it's it's a women one, soit'll be all women.
(42:25):
So especially if there's anylike San Diego women or if you
have any relatives in San Diegoor whatever, just please tell
them because I'm really hopingwe can pack the place.
So October 29th, La Jolla ComedyStore.
SPEAKER_00 (42:37):
Nice.
So anyone out there that's goingto be in the San Diego area,
please go out and supportMerrick.
SPEAKER_01 (42:42):
Yeah, yes, and like we've said this before, but if
you're by yourself, come to it.
If you're like it's open to allpeople, if you've never been to
a comedy show before, come toit.
So if you know anyone in SanDiego, yeah, please, please,
please.
SPEAKER_00 (42:55):
Definitely.
And as always, this was a greatepisode.
I enjoyed it, and um pleasecontinue to support us and uh
definitely let other people knowwho we are so they can come join
us as well.
Absolutely.
I'm Lord Zellrod.
SPEAKER_01 (43:10):
I'm Meryl Climo.
SPEAKER_00 (43:12):
Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone.
SPEAKER_01 (43:14):
Bye bye.
SPEAKER_00 (43:15):
Bye.
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