October 10, 2024 • 38 mins
ICYMI: Hour Two of ‘Later, with Mo’Kelly’ Presents – Wellness Wednesday with wife, mother, fitness expert, and masterful storyteller Claudine Cooper recounting her Vegas getaway, wedding vow renewal and ways to stay healthy & fit while adulting…PLUS – A look at the top 10 best places to retire in California AND another ticket price hike at Disneyland - on KFI AM 640…Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty am.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
KFI O'Kelly live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app as wellness Wednesdays.
It's time now to talk to Claudine Cooper. Go to
Claudinecooper dot com of course to find out more about her.
But it's good to see you, Claudine. You're back from
Las Vegas. What were you doing in Sin City?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I was in Sin City and I was sinning. Now
I'm just kidding. Yeah, well I was sitting. I was
eating too much.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
You know. We actually went to Vegas on a whim
to renew my husband and I to renew our wedding vows.
And you've been married for how many years now twenty one?
Was this on a whim or you planned this out?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (00:50):
No, I didn't really plan this out very well because
I wanted it to be as spontaneous as possible. I
remember when we first started dating. My husband was like, like,
you want to have a big wedding. I was like,
I have a big family. It's like, you know, it's
only right, blah blah blah. He's like, shoot, I would
just I would just go to the justice of the
peace or something.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It doesn't even have to be a big thing.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
And I have been thinking over time, like it would
be nice to do something, but neither of us wants
to do another big thing.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
You know, Mo, did you guys do a big thing?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yes? Okay, Yes? And I was told by a number
of my male friends that weddings are for the bride,
They're not for the groom, right, It's not about you. True,
you serve a purpose, but you're not the reason. Well, so, yeah,
I showed up and I stood at the appointed you know,
the chosen place. Yeah, and I was told what to
(01:45):
say when to say it. I did my job, you did,
But the whole wedding itself was about her, you know,
from the food, to the decorations, to the time, the pictures,
all of that had nothing to do with me. Now,
anticipated of course you did, but it wasn't about me.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Well, and this is the thing, right, Over time, I've
kind of gotten away from wanting to do anything big
where you have to do all this planning and their
stress and all this stuff. And it's like, at the
end of the day, you know, I was like, let's
do something chill. If we're gonna renew our vows. But
we went to Walgreens. You see this ring, I'm wearing
(02:23):
this ring and picked up a couple of rings and
went into the chapel and have a couple friends who
are in Vegas. We just said, hey, meet us here.
Just so happened. Those friends were the original bridesmaid and
best man at our wedding. Really, yep, yep. As luck
would have it, they're both in Vegas that weekend, and
so it just worked out.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
You know. Yeah, Now, when you think of the past
twenty one years, how have you changed as individuals and
how have you changed as a couple, Because I know
the person in my twenties is not the person that
I am now.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Well, nobody is.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
You would hope that everyone evolves and changes and everything,
but one thing that has remained consistent. I was actually
just talking about this is that both my husband and
I love exercise. We love to work out, and so
I think that having a partner who is also very
passionate about movement and about healthy living, it truly enhances
(03:21):
your relationship. And although two people are going to change
the way they, you know, view the world, or they're
going to change the way they parent or whatever, you
still have to have a consistent through line, right And
for us, because we're both very committed to two things,
our faith and our fitness, those things kind of have
(03:42):
remained step fast and have been the you know, the
connecting factor.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Okay, I got to ask, did you all work out
together while you're out in Vegas?
Speaker 5 (03:51):
Mo?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
It was one hundred degrees.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I was like that stuff inside. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
No, we didn't actually work out, but we take the
stairs and the in the airport in Lax and at
the Vegas airport we did a lot of walking. And
I do want to say this to people who are listening.
If you overthink working out and you maybe just don't
want to get into the gym, walking is an amazing exercise.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
So Mo is raising his hands and tell us Mo.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Well, I do at least an hour on the treadmill
every single day, and it's like mo an hour. Yeah,
and I'm watching TV. So it's mindless exercise.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And I get in I don't know, maybe four miles
or so.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And it's an easy way to get I would say
low grade cardio, but I'm always moving. And I ran
into Mark Ronner the other day and he saw me.
We have bathrooms all around this building. Yes, some are
much further in location than some others that are closer.
And he did, what us coming from the one way
over there? And I was explaining to him, It's like, look,
(04:57):
I'm just getting my extra steps and in between segments
a walk around the studio, go upstairs and walk around
and come around. Because for me, anymotion and movement is
good motion and movement.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
And that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
A workout doesn't have to be specifically designated to the
gym or to a class or a pilate studio. A
workout can simply be walking around Las Vegas in one
hundred and one degree weather. Well, hopefully you don't fall
off from heat stroke. I have to be honest with you.
Since we've been having this gloomy weather here in La
I was like, this is kind of nice, huh. And
(05:32):
the friends who are in Vegas were like, ah ah,
this is not kind of nice. So I say that
to say, there's a lot of different ways we can
stay active without having to necessarily show up at a gym.
And one of those ways, and I've been observing this
at my gym is that we can.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Park further away.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Have you ever noticed people are going to the gym
fighting for the closest markings.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I don't, and you're in my life that regard. Whenever
I go to a mall or any place, I am
just fine with parking far away. If I'm not escorting
my mother somewhere who needs to be right next to
the curb, I am fine with parking at the back
and walking all the way up, as opposed to doing
(06:17):
laps for fifteen minutes trying to find the prime parking space.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Again, if you have somebody who has limited abilities, that's
a whole other conversation, right, But for an able bodied
person to be searching for the nearest spot, you're robbing
yourself of the opportunity to add more steps to your day.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Do I have a little time to tell a quick story?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yep?
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Okay, So many years ago, when I had just had
my child. I don't know how old she was, but anyways,
one of my friends was asking could we work out together?
But I knew at the time she wasn't of the right.
I shouldn't say right, she wasn't in her best shape,
so I knew that if she worked out with me,
it might feel intimidating because anyone who knows me knows
(06:59):
I go hard and definitely.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yes, you do.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Ahha, definitely twenty years ago, I was going much harder
than I am today.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
But I say that to say.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
When she asked me if she could work out with me,
my advice to her was start walking first, get your
endurance up, and then come see me.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Once your endurance is up, you'll.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Be ready to do these boot camp style workouts, especially
back then. So she started walking. She started walking seven
days a week for one hour a day, going outside,
simply walking around Inglewood right.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
She used to use the Forum as a place where
she would walk.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
A lot of people did yes.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Let me tell you.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
In four weeks of her committing to every day one
hour a day in her neighborhood walking laps around the forum,
she lost thirty pounds. Okay, at that point, I said,
you're ready and we started training together. Over the course
of a year, she lost ninety pounds. Start small, that's all,
but be consistent and that's it.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
It's later with mo Kelly Clauding Cooper joins me in
studio on this Wellness Wednesday. We're live everywhere at the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I'm joined in studio on this Wellness Wednesday by Claudine
Cooper Claudinecooper dot com and Claudine is just back from
Las Vegas, where she renewed her vows with her husband
twenty one years and we were talking, Claudine during the
break about the evolution of people, not only in marriage,
(08:31):
but also in what we do. And I suspect, tell
me if I'm wrong. I suspect that the person who
comes to the gym, the person who comes to work
out for a body transformation, a life transformation, is very
different now than twenty years ago. And I'm quite sure
you're a different instructor now than twenty years ago.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
I'm definitely a different instructor. I was so hard on
people when I was in my twenties. I was a
boot camp style training coach and very unforgiving. I remember
I used to tell people this is a level ten class.
If you're not level ten, it's probably not for you.
You know, things have changed so much, you know, we
(09:12):
don't do that anymore.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, but there's also a change in people. I think
kids today are soft. I think kids, if you look
at them wrong, you raise your voice. And I'm talking
about this from like a martial arts perspective. You know,
the mommy wants to hug the kid on the mat.
It's like, no, they're here to learn about dealing with
high emotionally stressed situations and be able to defend themselves. Yeah,
(09:37):
we're going to mix some some games, but you can't
keep hugging your kid. It's okay. If they cry, you
know they're gonna get kicked. That's the part of it.
The kids are soft, the parents are helicopter. I think
there's a lot of that as well. Would you agree
or disagree?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Oh, I am feeling so convicted. Right I'm probably a
helicopter mom. My kids are probably soft. But I will
say this. You know I was a boot camp coach,
So you expect to come to boot camp and you
expect the instructor to yell at you.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
I mean, is there a better way to say it? Yes,
boot camp?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Right now.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
What has happened over the years that I've noticed is
that when you yell at people, when you come at
them in an aggressive way, you don't attract them to you,
you repel them from you.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
So if for me the goal is to have.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
People in my class and retain people in my class,
then I may have to make a shift.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I may have to grow in a different direction.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
There isn't just one way of doing things, and I
feel like in fitness, I've been fortunate to have a
career that has spanned three decades. I've seen how coaching
has evolved from being unforgiving hardcore foot on your neck
to now, hey, everybody's welcome. We want people to get
(11:08):
the workout. If you need a modification, take it. Don't
feel like you can't be here.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I think there's also something else. There is more of
a business consideration. You don't want to push away customers,
and you know that these customers have other options they do.
They can work out at home, they can get YouTube
videos and get a personal trailer and go to a
different gym, or you know, to just stay home all
(11:36):
together and not work out.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
I'm quite sure that's actually probably the option that most
people get into.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
And I know we encountered that with my martial arts school,
because there are other easier paths for people to take,
and we can't yell at the kids or adults all
the time, even though it may be well intentioned, do
the same thing we used to.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I also think you have to leave room for yourself
to be in situations where you're not necessarily an expert either,
and you have to look at this like I do
this all the time. I try to get people to
see things from different perspectives because I want to try
(12:22):
to see things from a different perspective.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I don't want it to always be because I'm such a.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Strong boot camp trainer, then everyone should rise to my level.
I want to also be able to see someone else's
point of view. Hey, maybe you've had a surgery, or
maybe you're like the young lady who was in my
class today. Maybe you've had several surgeries because you had
breast cancer. And so now you're here and you want
(12:52):
to heal, you want to recover, but you want to
do it in a way that's healthy. So you come
to the gym, you take a group fitness class, and
here comes the instructor, looking all in shape, talking about put.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
More weight on your bar put more so now.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
You feel like mmm, And she actually did say to
me today, Hey, I don't know if this is the
class for me, and I assured her it is you
can do as little weight as you want or as
much weight as I'm doing. I've been teaching this class
for a very long time. I do a lot of weight. Now,
if it's your first day, chances are you might want
(13:31):
to start.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Small, right.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
I imagine that it can be very intimidating in any
of these environments, and hopefully with growth and maturity, we're
more aware of that. I know, and my only reference
point really is martial arts. It's intimidating for some people
to step on the mat and not wear shoes. Maybe
they're self conscious of how their feet look, you know,
(13:54):
or working martial arts, maybe they're self conscious of sweating
and working in close proximity with someone else. Those are
the things that I had to learn over the course
of years. Or if you're an adult, when was the
last time that you had your feet go over your head?
Because we're doing rolling and you know you're putting people.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
In childlike positions.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yes, yes, and they're putting a trust in you and
they haven't developed that rapport and relationship with you. Those
are things that I had to learn. I don't know
if that's similar for you and what you.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Do you know, I will say that I do feel
like there is an intimidation factor any time you enter
a gym.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Right, it's for.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
Many people, and I do love the gym, but I
do see how it could be intimidating as well. They
brought in all new equipment to Iconics where I work,
and it was even intimidating for me.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Think about it.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
A lot of the equipment I've used is probably equipment
from the nineteen hundred is, as my kids would say, right,
and so when they bring in the new weighted equipment,
I'm looking at like, what the hell?
Speaker 3 (14:59):
I don't know how to use this stuff.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
However, I am well versed in the gym, so I
know how to go ask someone who does know and
ask them to train me. So I took up a
cute a few sessions with a trainer so that I
could learn the new machines.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You are better than me, because back when I would
go to the gym, a formal gym, if there was
a machine I didn't know or how to figure out
the buttons and everything the menu, I just wouldn't use
it because I was not going to embarrass myself looking
like I didn't know what I was doing. Get on
the treadmill. It's like, no, I get on the treadmills,
like I can't get this thing to work. I can't
(15:35):
get the treadmill to actually start moving this.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I'm telling you this new age equipment.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
You got to come by the gym mo because it
is it'll take a little bit of time to learn
the stuff before you can really get a good workout.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
And that's a fact.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
All right. You told us about Iconics which is in Inglewood. Yes,
you always have to tell us about your online workout
and you're in person free community workout.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Both the free workouts are still going. We've got Friday
morning strength training on Zoom that link you can find
at Claudinecooper dot com. And then on Saturday morning, it's outside,
open to the public. Modifications welcome, all levels welcome. And
it is on basically kind of Century in Prairie and Englewood.
It's just an outdoor area in the Hollywood, but it's enclosed.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
You're not like on the street.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I mean you're not on the street, absolutely not.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
But when you go over there, you see that there's
a whole new development. So you would be able to
kind of tell that you know there's things going on
in their farmers market. Free workout, nine o'clock on Saturday morning,
and it's every Saturday actually, so.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
When you say everyone is welcome, you do not exaggerate.
I'm talking from six to sixty, all ethnicities, all stations
in life, you know, all different economic backgrounds.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Absolutely, it was developed.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Well, speaking of economic backgrounds, the reason I do developed
this workout program was simply because I wanted to serve
people who may not be able to afford a GIT membership.
So here we are, ten years later with a free
workout that anyone can come to.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
And if you go and you give Claudine my name,
get a free workout. Oh look at that discount. Claudine
is always great to see you. Congratulations on twenty one
years and your renewing of your vows.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I appreciate that. Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
By the way, we found a vegan buffet in Vegas
and really yes, and eate way too much.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
So we did a little sin in in Las Vegas.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
So how is my man your husband? Haven't seen him
in a minute.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Oh he's doing good.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
He over eight, which makes me happy because he's usually
so disciplined.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Yeah, breaking buying again so he can say hello, Absolutely,
it's Later with Mo Kelly, caif I am six forty
live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI six.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Saw this in the La Times, a ranking of the
top ten places to retire here in California, And then
the question is would you choose any of them? And
these ten places were ranked and prioritized relative to four
different factors. Climate the number of days of extreme heat
(18:24):
expected per year based on projections from twenty thirty five
to twenty sixty four. Health and Wellness, a health index
combining dozens of factors. Air quality, access to transportation, proportion
of adults with health insurance. Recreation the proportion of residents
who have a park, beach or open space greater than
(18:46):
one acre within a half mile of their home at affordability,
typical home prices and rental costs in the city. Those
are the factors that they use to generate this list
of the top ten cities to retire in here in California.
Coming in at number ten Belmont, San Mateo County. Number
(19:15):
nine Emeryville that's up north in Alameda County, Number eight, Hey, Stephan,
have you ever heard of Grass Valley? I know it
(19:39):
supposedly is in California, but it's in Nevada County. So
how is it California? Well, I didn't know there was
a Nevada County in California to begin with. That's new
to me. But it's called Grass Valley. Number seven Crescent City,
(20:03):
Del Norte County. I've heard of Creston City. None of
these places I'd like to retire. And if I'm going
to retire, I'm probably going to leave California and go
somewhere else. Number six sair Oaks, which is in Sacramento County.
(20:25):
Notice no Orange County, no Los Angeles County. So far,
I'm not going to retire Sacramento adjacent. Come on, all right.
Number five Signal Hill in Los Angeles County. That's strange
(20:47):
because Signal Hill is not exactly affordable for the most part,
it's pretty damn expensive. But it came on number five.
Number four Big Bear Lake of San Berganino County And
(21:08):
just tuning in, this is the top ten places to
retire in California and would you live here again? It
was across four different criteria climate, health and wellness, recreation,
and affordability. Big Bear Lake comes in at number four.
Number three Benicia, Solano County. I've never heard of these places.
(21:37):
I've lived in California all my life. I've never heard
of these places. The county, yes, with exception Nevada County.
The city No Benicia, like Benicia del Tora. I don't know.
I'm saying it sounds like someone's name. Yeah, yeah, well
most cities are used to number one. That's number three,
and number two and number one are tied, so there's
(21:59):
a double number one. So number one and number two
they are tied for the best places to retire in
the state of California, according to these four criteria. Eureka
(22:22):
heard of Eureka and also Arcada. If you heard of
Arcada a Rcata in Humboldt County, I've heard of Humboldt County.
All these strange remote cities that which must be desolate,
must be remote, not close to any whole foods or anything.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
That I want to live around. That's not it's like
living off the grid. It sounds like the best place
to retire to grow weed.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Yeah, but I'm not into that, so it's not going
to be as appealing to me. But in general they're
all Yeah, like you said, they sound like they're all
in the middle of nowhere, which happened to be in California.
All of these, for most of them, just looking at
some of the descriptions, they're all far away from big cities.
What that means to me is, yes, it's probably idyllic,
it's probably lower in crime. All that's great. But day
(23:14):
to day life, when I need to go to the
grocery store, I need to get this, that, and the other.
To be a long way from a major urban center
is not all that attractive for me. I've always been
a big city guy. Always. I'm not going to live
in La my whole life. I don't think I'm not
planning to, but I still want to be near a
(23:35):
major urban center. And Mark, when you were living in Washington,
what area were you living. I was right in Seattle. Okay,
you're in Seattle, Yeah, in a neighborhood called Ballard. But
Seattle is an urban metropolis.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
You know. You see photos of picturesque places that you think, oh,
I'd like to retire there someday, but no, there's nothing there.
There's nothing to do. Also, though it's cute MO that
you think we're going to get to retire. Oh no, no, no, no,
this is all hypothetical. Yeah, we're all going to work
till we drop that. That much is clear.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I'm pretty sure given what I do, and when I
say work, it may not be in a formal employer
employee environment. I'm quite sure I'll be consulting. I will
do something with an entertainment focus as long as I can,
because after a certain point, you're not going to have
an actual job. Not the way this, I'll say. Labor
(24:29):
economy is evolving well and people are trying to raise
the retirement age. At the same time our lifespans are shortening.
Social Security won't exist probably, Yeah, people want to end
that too, So it's looking great. I expect to work
as long as I physically can, and the only upside
(24:51):
is I'm not working in an industry where I have
to use my hands or dependent upon me being physically able.
For the most I think.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
You would make an outstanding Walmart greeter because you've got
the personality.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I could do that. Yeah, I could do that. Look
if Joe Lewis could do it for a casino. I'm
quite sure I could do it for Walmart. Which Joe
Lewis boxer? Okay, heavoy champion. Well, there's the Joe Lewis
MMA fighter. Oh no, no, no, no, the guy from fours five. No,
I'm talking about that, one of the greatest heavyweight champions
of all time.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
Okay, I'm not better than Joe Lewis either. I guess
I could do that too.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
No, but I'll be working as long as I can,
if all because I don't want to be idle either.
I'm not someone who envisions retirement as sitting in a
chair and doing nothing.
Speaker 5 (25:38):
Well, that whole scenario has changed. I mean, as you know,
I grew up with my grandparents. They retired at a
reasonable age, and they spent the last couple decades of
their life playing golf, you know. And I just don't
see that happening with a ton of people anymore unless
they're really comfortable. And mine weren't. They were lower working
class kind of people. Yeah, and we work in jobs
(25:59):
to your poor. It doesn't lend itself to retirement. My
sister just retired this year. She worked for the City
of Los Angeles for thirty four years. The idea of
working for one company for thirty four years. Unless you're
like a civil servant or a public servant deep state,
you mean right and be able to retire before you're sixty,
(26:23):
those days are gone.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
For the most part.
Speaker 5 (26:25):
We have these conversations at home a lot about how
Americans have been suckered into thinking they should just work
as much as they possibly can their whole lives and
then drop dead. It's not an accident that the Scandinavian countries,
which don't do that to people, are far far happier
in every study that's ever done.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
But see, we are the exception which is against the
rule because we get to do things which I think
have you find great joy in doing I find great
joy in doing this. I don't think I'm punching a clock.
I don't feel as if I'm going to the steel
mill every single day for forty years.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
No, we have to acknowledge the role that fortune has
played in our lives. But you know people who who work,
you know, Steve ad Or's that kind of stuff. You
can't do that into your seventies. Yeah, I'm not here
for the gold watch. I'm not here to work myself
almost to death. So I have five or ten years
of not punching a clock. Now I love doing this.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I will do some form of this up until the
end of my life, but it won't be because I
just have to stay in an office environment or something.
I will stay in entertainment or on the periphery for
the rest of my life. But I don't know how
long I'll have a formal job. Because the way the
economy works, a lot of these jobs won't exist. I
don't know if a radio host will exist in fifteen years,
(27:52):
or at least the way we conceive of it now.
Because of AI, because of syndication, because of automation, these
jobs are just fewer and further in between.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
Yeah, but an AI radio host couldn't taunt me about
being half black or giving the finger in the car
that takes a real human being five years away. Mark,
you think five years away, I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Look I was showing you about how five years ago
AI could call up a barber shop and you know,
reserve an appointment. Who knows in this exponential growth of
that industry what it may lead to. We already have
AI music hosts. A talk radio host is not far behind.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
I don't find you replaceable. Well, well, your sarcasm is
just not as good as.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
It used to. How dare you? How dare you can't
buy a F six forty live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
And if you listen to this show with any regularity,
you'll hear Mark Ronner and me go back and forth
talking about our economy, talking about inflation, talking about the
prices of things, the reasons why the rent is too
damn high, And we can argue back and forth about
(29:14):
what some of those factors may be. But I think
far too often we blame politicians and government for things
they really don't control, and we are being misled. Here's
what I mean. Disneyland absolutely love it, Disney Corporation absolutely
(29:35):
love it. But Disney is entertainment, and usually as a
reflection of the economy. When the economy is doing well,
entertainment industry does well. But Disney, I think, is the
prototype as far as capitalism. It's about making as much
money as possible. We may love Disney, but they're in
the business of making money. Yes, everything costs more, but no,
(30:01):
it is not because of this government action or that
government action. More often than not, companies are charging what
they want to charge, and they'll see how much you
are willing to pay. And this what I'm getting ready
to play for you is proof positive of that.
Speaker 6 (30:20):
It's been every parent's take for years now. Boiler's Place
is expensive, and today it got a little more expensive.
Disney raised ticket prices at Disneyland today. Now the most
expensive single day ticket tops two hundred dollars for the
very first time. Overall ticket prices are up between five
point nine percent and six point five percent. Here's the thing.
(30:42):
The Consumer Price Index comes out tomorrow and it's expected
to show that inflation as of September was running at
two point three percent, meaning at six point five percent,
that's roughly three times the current rate of inflation.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Three times the current rate of inflation. There's inflation. Multiply
that by three and then you have the new Disney prices.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
And if that seems a little well money grubbing, it's
not a great look for the happiest place on Earth,
make no mistake about that. And the price of a
Macy's a Magic Key annual pass is also going to
be going up by as much to as much as
seventeen hundred and fifty dollars. In some cases, that's going
to be a twenty percent increase.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Twenty percent increase last I checked. The inflation rate was
not twenty percent last I checked.
Speaker 6 (31:36):
To be sure, Disneyland still draws crowds, and high ticket
prices are one way to try to control that. So
economically speaking, you can see that there's a little purpose
to all of this. On top of that, Disney is
spending billions on an expansion of Disneyland and new attractions.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Yes, they have bills they have to pay. They're trying
to build, they're trying to expand. Yes, that's going to
take money, but those are decisions made by the company.
And get this, they're passing along those expenditures to you,
the consumer. That's not inflation. That's a corporate decision.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
So there's that as well. But keep this in mind,
Disney's theme parks are wildly profitable.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
What wildly profitable?
Speaker 6 (32:24):
Okay, Well, in the most recent fiscal quarter they brought
in thirty two point five billion dollars in revenue. That
is up sixteen percent from the year before.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Inflation up two point four percent. These price hikes more
than triple that. Disneyland is not raising prices to keep
up with inflation. They're raising prices and also expanding their
profit margins.
Speaker 6 (32:50):
An operating income was up twenty three percent.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Operating income up twenty three percent. They're not hurting to
nearly nine billion dollars. Oh, by the way, they're not broke.
I don't care if you think they've gone woke to.
Speaker 6 (33:04):
Nearly nine billion dollars, Meaning these things aren't losing money.
They're drawing in billions of dollars, which means when you
raise prices by this much, it doesn't seem so happy,
kind of seems greedy.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
Ah.
Speaker 6 (33:18):
Well, when they do this, do they say why or
do they just quietly raise them? It's not so much quiet.
We saw it coming. Disney Fans are not going to
react kindly to sneaking something like this onto them. And
they do make the case that they're spending big, big
bucks on the Disneyland expansion, which is a very big deal,
not just for Anaheim but for the entire Southland. And
also there's new attractions and Disneyland is not a cheap
(33:41):
place to run. But still, if the theme park division
is bringing them bringing in nine billion dollars in profit.
It's kind of hard to make the case that we
need to raise prices by three times the rate of inflation.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
I think you should hear that again.
Speaker 6 (33:55):
But still, if the theme park division is bringing them
bringing in nine billion dollars in nine billion.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
In profit, that's not enough. We don't Americans don't have
a concept of the word enough. By the way, one
of those earlier clips that you played from the same reporter,
he justifies it somehow by implying that the higher prices
keep the riff raff out because Disney gets crowded. What
kind of Stockholm syndrome do you have to have as
a journalist to even say something like that.
Speaker 7 (34:24):
I can tell you, mark as someone who has taken
his family to Disneyland, if I am willing to pay
a higher price and the cost of that high price
is keeping some quote unquote riff raff out, damn it,
riff raft be gone. Because what I don't want to
(34:45):
do when I'm at Disneyland is have to deal with,
you know, two ignorant families fighting and having a scrapple
that ends up in your news report because the riff
raft or they have no business being at Disneyland.
Speaker 5 (34:58):
You saying that is one thing, and it's totally legit,
But a reporter volunteering that as a rationale for the
price gouging is unacceptable.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Well, I will say this. Disney has on various occasions
expressed a desire to thin out some of the attendants.
Now we contingent with riff raft, but that has been
a desire. They want to thin out the attendants, and
if it means that people are going to have to
pay more, they're willing to do that.
Speaker 7 (35:27):
And it's not just a thin out attendance for individuals
here in California or in Florida. Let's not think that
this is thinning out the crowds for people who are
local to the area who want to come. These are
places that attract people internationally. You cannot have a themed
park that's too crowded for people who are coming in
internationally and they can't go. If everyone and their mama
(35:50):
can go, you gotta make it exclusive. Otherwise their mama,
why are you having the park.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
The park should be for those who can go.
Speaker 7 (35:58):
I'm sorry to sound e ladist, but I'm a Disney elitist.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
That's right. Now you have everyone, just not everyone and
their mama. Mama got to stay home, stay home.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
I don't argue with any of that. What I'm arguing
with is the reporter serving at least territorializing, serving as
the pr wing for the corporation.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
You don't do that, I would say, on balance, he
had more negative commentary to offer than positive. He said
that the corporation was being more greedy than worrying about profitability.
I caught that.
Speaker 5 (36:30):
But I always have a high sensitivity to reporters acting
as handmaidens for corporate carrying the water corporate masters. I
just find that so distasteful in journalism.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
But I will say this, this is another example of
corporations doing what corporations do. And sometimes we get so
hung up on believing the narrative that everything costs so
much more because of what's happening in Washington, DC, or
in Sack or mental when in actuality, no, it's just
(37:02):
corporations being greedy. They have record profits. We're talking about
the difference from between their operating costs and the revenue
that they're bringing in. They are making money more money
than ever before, not because they're trying to keep up
with inflation. If they were then the profits would be
relatively similar if they are raising their prices consistent with
(37:24):
the rate of inflation. No, they're not doing that. They're
just price gouging you because you're paying for the inflation
and their greediness on top of it.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
They're getting as much as they can, right up to
the point where you decide Nope. But they're pushing the line.
And I sent you something to read over the weekend
that covered really similar ground. It's not just Disney, it's
almost everyone. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
If I am six forty live everywhere, I mean iHeartRadio
app Critical Thinkers.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Want it ks.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
I'm KOSGHD two Los Angeles, Orange County
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Lot everywhere on the Younger Radio app
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty am.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
KFI O'Kelly live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app as wellness Wednesdays.
It's time now to talk to Claudine Cooper. Go to
Claudinecooper dot com of course to find out more about her.
But it's good to see you, Claudine. You're back from
Las Vegas. What were you doing in Sin City?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I was in Sin City and I was sinning. Now
I'm just kidding. Yeah, well I was sitting. I was
eating too much.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
You know. We actually went to Vegas on a whim
to renew my husband and I to renew our wedding vows.
And you've been married for how many years now twenty one?
Was this on a whim or you planned this out?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (00:50):
No, I didn't really plan this out very well because
I wanted it to be as spontaneous as possible. I
remember when we first started dating. My husband was like, like,
you want to have a big wedding. I was like,
I have a big family. It's like, you know, it's
only right, blah blah blah. He's like, shoot, I would
just I would just go to the justice of the
peace or something.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It doesn't even have to be a big thing.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
And I have been thinking over time, like it would
be nice to do something, but neither of us wants
to do another big thing.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
You know, Mo, did you guys do a big thing?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yes? Okay, Yes? And I was told by a number
of my male friends that weddings are for the bride,
They're not for the groom, right, It's not about you. True,
you serve a purpose, but you're not the reason. Well, so, yeah,
I showed up and I stood at the appointed you know,
the chosen place. Yeah, and I was told what to
(01:45):
say when to say it. I did my job, you did,
But the whole wedding itself was about her, you know,
from the food, to the decorations, to the time, the pictures,
all of that had nothing to do with me. Now,
anticipated of course you did, but it wasn't about me.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Well, and this is the thing, right, Over time, I've
kind of gotten away from wanting to do anything big
where you have to do all this planning and their
stress and all this stuff. And it's like, at the
end of the day, you know, I was like, let's
do something chill. If we're gonna renew our vows. But
we went to Walgreens. You see this ring, I'm wearing
(02:23):
this ring and picked up a couple of rings and
went into the chapel and have a couple friends who
are in Vegas. We just said, hey, meet us here.
Just so happened. Those friends were the original bridesmaid and
best man at our wedding. Really, yep, yep. As luck
would have it, they're both in Vegas that weekend, and
so it just worked out.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
You know. Yeah, Now, when you think of the past
twenty one years, how have you changed as individuals and
how have you changed as a couple, Because I know
the person in my twenties is not the person that
I am now.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Well, nobody is.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
You would hope that everyone evolves and changes and everything,
but one thing that has remained consistent. I was actually
just talking about this is that both my husband and
I love exercise. We love to work out, and so
I think that having a partner who is also very
passionate about movement and about healthy living, it truly enhances
(03:21):
your relationship. And although two people are going to change
the way they, you know, view the world, or they're
going to change the way they parent or whatever, you
still have to have a consistent through line, right And
for us, because we're both very committed to two things,
our faith and our fitness, those things kind of have
(03:42):
remained step fast and have been the you know, the
connecting factor.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Okay, I got to ask, did you all work out
together while you're out in Vegas?
Speaker 5 (03:51):
Mo?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
It was one hundred degrees.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I was like that stuff inside. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
No, we didn't actually work out, but we take the
stairs and the in the airport in Lax and at
the Vegas airport we did a lot of walking. And
I do want to say this to people who are listening.
If you overthink working out and you maybe just don't
want to get into the gym, walking is an amazing exercise.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
So Mo is raising his hands and tell us Mo.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Well, I do at least an hour on the treadmill
every single day, and it's like mo an hour. Yeah,
and I'm watching TV. So it's mindless exercise.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And I get in I don't know, maybe four miles
or so.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And it's an easy way to get I would say
low grade cardio, but I'm always moving. And I ran
into Mark Ronner the other day and he saw me.
We have bathrooms all around this building. Yes, some are
much further in location than some others that are closer.
And he did, what us coming from the one way
over there? And I was explaining to him, It's like, look,
(04:57):
I'm just getting my extra steps and in between segments
a walk around the studio, go upstairs and walk around
and come around. Because for me, anymotion and movement is
good motion and movement.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
And that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
A workout doesn't have to be specifically designated to the
gym or to a class or a pilate studio. A
workout can simply be walking around Las Vegas in one
hundred and one degree weather. Well, hopefully you don't fall
off from heat stroke. I have to be honest with you.
Since we've been having this gloomy weather here in La
I was like, this is kind of nice, huh. And
(05:32):
the friends who are in Vegas were like, ah ah,
this is not kind of nice. So I say that
to say, there's a lot of different ways we can
stay active without having to necessarily show up at a gym.
And one of those ways, and I've been observing this
at my gym is that we can.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Park further away.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Have you ever noticed people are going to the gym
fighting for the closest markings.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I don't, and you're in my life that regard. Whenever
I go to a mall or any place, I am
just fine with parking far away. If I'm not escorting
my mother somewhere who needs to be right next to
the curb, I am fine with parking at the back
and walking all the way up, as opposed to doing
(06:17):
laps for fifteen minutes trying to find the prime parking space.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Again, if you have somebody who has limited abilities, that's
a whole other conversation, right, But for an able bodied
person to be searching for the nearest spot, you're robbing
yourself of the opportunity to add more steps to your day.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Do I have a little time to tell a quick story?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yep?
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Okay, So many years ago, when I had just had
my child. I don't know how old she was, but anyways,
one of my friends was asking could we work out together?
But I knew at the time she wasn't of the right.
I shouldn't say right, she wasn't in her best shape,
so I knew that if she worked out with me,
it might feel intimidating because anyone who knows me knows
(06:59):
I go hard and definitely.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yes, you do.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Ahha, definitely twenty years ago, I was going much harder
than I am today.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
But I say that to say.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
When she asked me if she could work out with me,
my advice to her was start walking first, get your
endurance up, and then come see me.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Once your endurance is up, you'll.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Be ready to do these boot camp style workouts, especially
back then. So she started walking. She started walking seven
days a week for one hour a day, going outside,
simply walking around Inglewood right.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
She used to use the Forum as a place where
she would walk.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
A lot of people did yes.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Let me tell you.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
In four weeks of her committing to every day one
hour a day in her neighborhood walking laps around the forum,
she lost thirty pounds. Okay, at that point, I said,
you're ready and we started training together. Over the course
of a year, she lost ninety pounds. Start small, that's all,
but be consistent and that's it.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
It's later with mo Kelly Clauding Cooper joins me in
studio on this Wellness Wednesday. We're live everywhere at the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I'm joined in studio on this Wellness Wednesday by Claudine
Cooper Claudinecooper dot com and Claudine is just back from
Las Vegas, where she renewed her vows with her husband
twenty one years and we were talking, Claudine during the
break about the evolution of people, not only in marriage,
(08:31):
but also in what we do. And I suspect, tell
me if I'm wrong. I suspect that the person who
comes to the gym, the person who comes to work
out for a body transformation, a life transformation, is very
different now than twenty years ago. And I'm quite sure
you're a different instructor now than twenty years ago.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
I'm definitely a different instructor. I was so hard on
people when I was in my twenties. I was a
boot camp style training coach and very unforgiving. I remember
I used to tell people this is a level ten class.
If you're not level ten, it's probably not for you.
You know, things have changed so much, you know, we
(09:12):
don't do that anymore.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, but there's also a change in people. I think
kids today are soft. I think kids, if you look
at them wrong, you raise your voice. And I'm talking
about this from like a martial arts perspective. You know,
the mommy wants to hug the kid on the mat.
It's like, no, they're here to learn about dealing with
high emotionally stressed situations and be able to defend themselves. Yeah,
(09:37):
we're going to mix some some games, but you can't
keep hugging your kid. It's okay. If they cry, you
know they're gonna get kicked. That's the part of it.
The kids are soft, the parents are helicopter. I think
there's a lot of that as well. Would you agree
or disagree?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Oh, I am feeling so convicted. Right I'm probably a
helicopter mom. My kids are probably soft. But I will
say this. You know I was a boot camp coach,
So you expect to come to boot camp and you
expect the instructor to yell at you.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
I mean, is there a better way to say it? Yes,
boot camp?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Right now.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
What has happened over the years that I've noticed is
that when you yell at people, when you come at
them in an aggressive way, you don't attract them to you,
you repel them from you.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
So if for me the goal is to have.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
People in my class and retain people in my class,
then I may have to make a shift.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I may have to grow in a different direction.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
There isn't just one way of doing things, and I
feel like in fitness, I've been fortunate to have a
career that has spanned three decades. I've seen how coaching
has evolved from being unforgiving hardcore foot on your neck
to now, hey, everybody's welcome. We want people to get
(11:08):
the workout. If you need a modification, take it. Don't
feel like you can't be here.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I think there's also something else. There is more of
a business consideration. You don't want to push away customers,
and you know that these customers have other options they do.
They can work out at home, they can get YouTube
videos and get a personal trailer and go to a
different gym, or you know, to just stay home all
(11:36):
together and not work out.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
I'm quite sure that's actually probably the option that most
people get into.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
And I know we encountered that with my martial arts school,
because there are other easier paths for people to take,
and we can't yell at the kids or adults all
the time, even though it may be well intentioned, do
the same thing we used to.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I also think you have to leave room for yourself
to be in situations where you're not necessarily an expert either,
and you have to look at this like I do
this all the time. I try to get people to
see things from different perspectives because I want to try
(12:22):
to see things from a different perspective.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I don't want it to always be because I'm such a.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Strong boot camp trainer, then everyone should rise to my level.
I want to also be able to see someone else's
point of view. Hey, maybe you've had a surgery, or
maybe you're like the young lady who was in my
class today. Maybe you've had several surgeries because you had
breast cancer. And so now you're here and you want
(12:52):
to heal, you want to recover, but you want to
do it in a way that's healthy. So you come
to the gym, you take a group fitness class, and
here comes the instructor, looking all in shape, talking about put.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
More weight on your bar put more so now.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
You feel like mmm, And she actually did say to
me today, Hey, I don't know if this is the
class for me, and I assured her it is you
can do as little weight as you want or as
much weight as I'm doing. I've been teaching this class
for a very long time. I do a lot of weight. Now,
if it's your first day, chances are you might want
(13:31):
to start.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Small, right.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
I imagine that it can be very intimidating in any
of these environments, and hopefully with growth and maturity, we're
more aware of that. I know, and my only reference
point really is martial arts. It's intimidating for some people
to step on the mat and not wear shoes. Maybe
they're self conscious of how their feet look, you know,
(13:54):
or working martial arts, maybe they're self conscious of sweating
and working in close proximity with someone else. Those are
the things that I had to learn over the course
of years. Or if you're an adult, when was the
last time that you had your feet go over your head?
Because we're doing rolling and you know you're putting people.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
In childlike positions.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yes, yes, and they're putting a trust in you and
they haven't developed that rapport and relationship with you. Those
are things that I had to learn. I don't know
if that's similar for you and what you.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Do you know, I will say that I do feel
like there is an intimidation factor any time you enter
a gym.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Right, it's for.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
Many people, and I do love the gym, but I
do see how it could be intimidating as well. They
brought in all new equipment to Iconics where I work,
and it was even intimidating for me.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Think about it.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
A lot of the equipment I've used is probably equipment
from the nineteen hundred is, as my kids would say, right,
and so when they bring in the new weighted equipment,
I'm looking at like, what the hell?
Speaker 3 (14:59):
I don't know how to use this stuff.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
However, I am well versed in the gym, so I
know how to go ask someone who does know and
ask them to train me. So I took up a
cute a few sessions with a trainer so that I
could learn the new machines.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You are better than me, because back when I would
go to the gym, a formal gym, if there was
a machine I didn't know or how to figure out
the buttons and everything the menu, I just wouldn't use
it because I was not going to embarrass myself looking
like I didn't know what I was doing. Get on
the treadmill. It's like, no, I get on the treadmills,
like I can't get this thing to work. I can't
(15:35):
get the treadmill to actually start moving this.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I'm telling you this new age equipment.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
You got to come by the gym mo because it
is it'll take a little bit of time to learn
the stuff before you can really get a good workout.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
And that's a fact.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
All right. You told us about Iconics which is in Inglewood. Yes,
you always have to tell us about your online workout
and you're in person free community workout.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Both the free workouts are still going. We've got Friday
morning strength training on Zoom that link you can find
at Claudinecooper dot com. And then on Saturday morning, it's outside,
open to the public. Modifications welcome, all levels welcome. And
it is on basically kind of Century in Prairie and Englewood.
It's just an outdoor area in the Hollywood, but it's enclosed.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
You're not like on the street.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I mean you're not on the street, absolutely not.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
But when you go over there, you see that there's
a whole new development. So you would be able to
kind of tell that you know there's things going on
in their farmers market. Free workout, nine o'clock on Saturday morning,
and it's every Saturday actually, so.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
When you say everyone is welcome, you do not exaggerate.
I'm talking from six to sixty, all ethnicities, all stations
in life, you know, all different economic backgrounds.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Absolutely, it was developed.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Well, speaking of economic backgrounds, the reason I do developed
this workout program was simply because I wanted to serve
people who may not be able to afford a GIT membership.
So here we are, ten years later with a free
workout that anyone can come to.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
And if you go and you give Claudine my name,
get a free workout. Oh look at that discount. Claudine
is always great to see you. Congratulations on twenty one
years and your renewing of your vows.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I appreciate that. Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
By the way, we found a vegan buffet in Vegas
and really yes, and eate way too much.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
So we did a little sin in in Las Vegas.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
So how is my man your husband? Haven't seen him
in a minute.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Oh he's doing good.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
He over eight, which makes me happy because he's usually
so disciplined.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Yeah, breaking buying again so he can say hello, Absolutely,
it's Later with Mo Kelly, caif I am six forty
live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI six.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Saw this in the La Times, a ranking of the
top ten places to retire here in California, And then
the question is would you choose any of them? And
these ten places were ranked and prioritized relative to four
different factors. Climate the number of days of extreme heat
(18:24):
expected per year based on projections from twenty thirty five
to twenty sixty four. Health and Wellness, a health index
combining dozens of factors. Air quality, access to transportation, proportion
of adults with health insurance. Recreation the proportion of residents
who have a park, beach or open space greater than
(18:46):
one acre within a half mile of their home at affordability,
typical home prices and rental costs in the city. Those
are the factors that they use to generate this list
of the top ten cities to retire in here in California.
Coming in at number ten Belmont, San Mateo County. Number
(19:15):
nine Emeryville that's up north in Alameda County, Number eight, Hey, Stephan,
have you ever heard of Grass Valley? I know it
(19:39):
supposedly is in California, but it's in Nevada County. So
how is it California? Well, I didn't know there was
a Nevada County in California to begin with. That's new
to me. But it's called Grass Valley. Number seven Crescent City,
(20:03):
Del Norte County. I've heard of Creston City. None of
these places I'd like to retire. And if I'm going
to retire, I'm probably going to leave California and go
somewhere else. Number six sair Oaks, which is in Sacramento County.
(20:25):
Notice no Orange County, no Los Angeles County. So far,
I'm not going to retire Sacramento adjacent. Come on, all right.
Number five Signal Hill in Los Angeles County. That's strange
(20:47):
because Signal Hill is not exactly affordable for the most part,
it's pretty damn expensive. But it came on number five.
Number four Big Bear Lake of San Berganino County And
(21:08):
just tuning in, this is the top ten places to
retire in California and would you live here again? It
was across four different criteria climate, health and wellness, recreation,
and affordability. Big Bear Lake comes in at number four.
Number three Benicia, Solano County. I've never heard of these places.
(21:37):
I've lived in California all my life. I've never heard
of these places. The county, yes, with exception Nevada County.
The city No Benicia, like Benicia del Tora. I don't know.
I'm saying it sounds like someone's name. Yeah, yeah, well
most cities are used to number one. That's number three,
and number two and number one are tied, so there's
(21:59):
a double number one. So number one and number two
they are tied for the best places to retire in
the state of California, according to these four criteria. Eureka
(22:22):
heard of Eureka and also Arcada. If you heard of
Arcada a Rcata in Humboldt County, I've heard of Humboldt County.
All these strange remote cities that which must be desolate,
must be remote, not close to any whole foods or anything.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
That I want to live around. That's not it's like
living off the grid. It sounds like the best place
to retire to grow weed.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Yeah, but I'm not into that, so it's not going
to be as appealing to me. But in general they're
all Yeah, like you said, they sound like they're all
in the middle of nowhere, which happened to be in California.
All of these, for most of them, just looking at
some of the descriptions, they're all far away from big cities.
What that means to me is, yes, it's probably idyllic,
it's probably lower in crime. All that's great. But day
(23:14):
to day life, when I need to go to the
grocery store, I need to get this, that, and the other.
To be a long way from a major urban center
is not all that attractive for me. I've always been
a big city guy. Always. I'm not going to live
in La my whole life. I don't think I'm not
planning to, but I still want to be near a
(23:35):
major urban center. And Mark, when you were living in Washington,
what area were you living. I was right in Seattle. Okay,
you're in Seattle, Yeah, in a neighborhood called Ballard. But
Seattle is an urban metropolis.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
You know. You see photos of picturesque places that you think, oh,
I'd like to retire there someday, but no, there's nothing there.
There's nothing to do. Also, though it's cute MO that
you think we're going to get to retire. Oh no, no, no, no,
this is all hypothetical. Yeah, we're all going to work
till we drop that. That much is clear.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I'm pretty sure given what I do, and when I
say work, it may not be in a formal employer
employee environment. I'm quite sure I'll be consulting. I will
do something with an entertainment focus as long as I can,
because after a certain point, you're not going to have
an actual job. Not the way this, I'll say. Labor
(24:29):
economy is evolving well and people are trying to raise
the retirement age. At the same time our lifespans are shortening.
Social Security won't exist probably, Yeah, people want to end
that too, So it's looking great. I expect to work
as long as I physically can, and the only upside
(24:51):
is I'm not working in an industry where I have
to use my hands or dependent upon me being physically able.
For the most I think.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
You would make an outstanding Walmart greeter because you've got
the personality.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I could do that. Yeah, I could do that. Look
if Joe Lewis could do it for a casino. I'm
quite sure I could do it for Walmart. Which Joe
Lewis boxer? Okay, heavoy champion. Well, there's the Joe Lewis
MMA fighter. Oh no, no, no, no, the guy from fours five. No,
I'm talking about that, one of the greatest heavyweight champions
of all time.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
Okay, I'm not better than Joe Lewis either. I guess
I could do that too.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
No, but I'll be working as long as I can,
if all because I don't want to be idle either.
I'm not someone who envisions retirement as sitting in a
chair and doing nothing.
Speaker 5 (25:38):
Well, that whole scenario has changed. I mean, as you know,
I grew up with my grandparents. They retired at a
reasonable age, and they spent the last couple decades of
their life playing golf, you know. And I just don't
see that happening with a ton of people anymore unless
they're really comfortable. And mine weren't. They were lower working
class kind of people. Yeah, and we work in jobs
(25:59):
to your poor. It doesn't lend itself to retirement. My
sister just retired this year. She worked for the City
of Los Angeles for thirty four years. The idea of
working for one company for thirty four years. Unless you're
like a civil servant or a public servant deep state,
you mean right and be able to retire before you're sixty,
(26:23):
those days are gone.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
For the most part.
Speaker 5 (26:25):
We have these conversations at home a lot about how
Americans have been suckered into thinking they should just work
as much as they possibly can their whole lives and
then drop dead. It's not an accident that the Scandinavian countries,
which don't do that to people, are far far happier
in every study that's ever done.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
But see, we are the exception which is against the
rule because we get to do things which I think
have you find great joy in doing I find great
joy in doing this. I don't think I'm punching a clock.
I don't feel as if I'm going to the steel
mill every single day for forty years.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
No, we have to acknowledge the role that fortune has
played in our lives. But you know people who who work,
you know, Steve ad Or's that kind of stuff. You
can't do that into your seventies. Yeah, I'm not here
for the gold watch. I'm not here to work myself
almost to death. So I have five or ten years
of not punching a clock. Now I love doing this.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I will do some form of this up until the
end of my life, but it won't be because I
just have to stay in an office environment or something.
I will stay in entertainment or on the periphery for
the rest of my life. But I don't know how
long I'll have a formal job. Because the way the
economy works, a lot of these jobs won't exist. I
don't know if a radio host will exist in fifteen years,
(27:52):
or at least the way we conceive of it now.
Because of AI, because of syndication, because of automation, these
jobs are just fewer and further in between.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
Yeah, but an AI radio host couldn't taunt me about
being half black or giving the finger in the car
that takes a real human being five years away. Mark,
you think five years away, I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Look I was showing you about how five years ago
AI could call up a barber shop and you know,
reserve an appointment. Who knows in this exponential growth of
that industry what it may lead to. We already have
AI music hosts. A talk radio host is not far behind.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
I don't find you replaceable. Well, well, your sarcasm is
just not as good as.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
It used to. How dare you? How dare you can't
buy a F six forty live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
And if you listen to this show with any regularity,
you'll hear Mark Ronner and me go back and forth
talking about our economy, talking about inflation, talking about the
prices of things, the reasons why the rent is too
damn high, And we can argue back and forth about
(29:14):
what some of those factors may be. But I think
far too often we blame politicians and government for things
they really don't control, and we are being misled. Here's
what I mean. Disneyland absolutely love it, Disney Corporation absolutely
(29:35):
love it. But Disney is entertainment, and usually as a
reflection of the economy. When the economy is doing well,
entertainment industry does well. But Disney, I think, is the
prototype as far as capitalism. It's about making as much
money as possible. We may love Disney, but they're in
the business of making money. Yes, everything costs more, but no,
(30:01):
it is not because of this government action or that
government action. More often than not, companies are charging what
they want to charge, and they'll see how much you
are willing to pay. And this what I'm getting ready
to play for you is proof positive of that.
Speaker 6 (30:20):
It's been every parent's take for years now. Boiler's Place
is expensive, and today it got a little more expensive.
Disney raised ticket prices at Disneyland today. Now the most
expensive single day ticket tops two hundred dollars for the
very first time. Overall ticket prices are up between five
point nine percent and six point five percent. Here's the thing.
(30:42):
The Consumer Price Index comes out tomorrow and it's expected
to show that inflation as of September was running at
two point three percent, meaning at six point five percent,
that's roughly three times the current rate of inflation.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Three times the current rate of inflation. There's inflation. Multiply
that by three and then you have the new Disney prices.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
And if that seems a little well money grubbing, it's
not a great look for the happiest place on Earth,
make no mistake about that. And the price of a
Macy's a Magic Key annual pass is also going to
be going up by as much to as much as
seventeen hundred and fifty dollars. In some cases, that's going
to be a twenty percent increase.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Twenty percent increase last I checked. The inflation rate was
not twenty percent last I checked.
Speaker 6 (31:36):
To be sure, Disneyland still draws crowds, and high ticket
prices are one way to try to control that. So
economically speaking, you can see that there's a little purpose
to all of this. On top of that, Disney is
spending billions on an expansion of Disneyland and new attractions.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Yes, they have bills they have to pay. They're trying
to build, they're trying to expand. Yes, that's going to
take money, but those are decisions made by the company.
And get this, they're passing along those expenditures to you,
the consumer. That's not inflation. That's a corporate decision.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
So there's that as well. But keep this in mind,
Disney's theme parks are wildly profitable.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
What wildly profitable?
Speaker 6 (32:24):
Okay, Well, in the most recent fiscal quarter they brought
in thirty two point five billion dollars in revenue. That
is up sixteen percent from the year before.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Inflation up two point four percent. These price hikes more
than triple that. Disneyland is not raising prices to keep
up with inflation. They're raising prices and also expanding their
profit margins.
Speaker 6 (32:50):
An operating income was up twenty three percent.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Operating income up twenty three percent. They're not hurting to
nearly nine billion dollars. Oh, by the way, they're not broke.
I don't care if you think they've gone woke to.
Speaker 6 (33:04):
Nearly nine billion dollars, Meaning these things aren't losing money.
They're drawing in billions of dollars, which means when you
raise prices by this much, it doesn't seem so happy,
kind of seems greedy.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
Ah.
Speaker 6 (33:18):
Well, when they do this, do they say why or
do they just quietly raise them? It's not so much quiet.
We saw it coming. Disney Fans are not going to
react kindly to sneaking something like this onto them. And
they do make the case that they're spending big, big
bucks on the Disneyland expansion, which is a very big deal,
not just for Anaheim but for the entire Southland. And
also there's new attractions and Disneyland is not a cheap
(33:41):
place to run. But still, if the theme park division
is bringing them bringing in nine billion dollars in profit.
It's kind of hard to make the case that we
need to raise prices by three times the rate of inflation.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
I think you should hear that again.
Speaker 6 (33:55):
But still, if the theme park division is bringing them
bringing in nine billion dollars in nine billion.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
In profit, that's not enough. We don't Americans don't have
a concept of the word enough. By the way, one
of those earlier clips that you played from the same reporter,
he justifies it somehow by implying that the higher prices
keep the riff raff out because Disney gets crowded. What
kind of Stockholm syndrome do you have to have as
a journalist to even say something like that.
Speaker 7 (34:24):
I can tell you, mark as someone who has taken
his family to Disneyland, if I am willing to pay
a higher price and the cost of that high price
is keeping some quote unquote riff raff out, damn it,
riff raft be gone. Because what I don't want to
(34:45):
do when I'm at Disneyland is have to deal with,
you know, two ignorant families fighting and having a scrapple
that ends up in your news report because the riff
raft or they have no business being at Disneyland.
Speaker 5 (34:58):
You saying that is one thing, and it's totally legit,
But a reporter volunteering that as a rationale for the
price gouging is unacceptable.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Well, I will say this. Disney has on various occasions
expressed a desire to thin out some of the attendants.
Now we contingent with riff raft, but that has been
a desire. They want to thin out the attendants, and
if it means that people are going to have to
pay more, they're willing to do that.
Speaker 7 (35:27):
And it's not just a thin out attendance for individuals
here in California or in Florida. Let's not think that
this is thinning out the crowds for people who are
local to the area who want to come. These are
places that attract people internationally. You cannot have a themed
park that's too crowded for people who are coming in
internationally and they can't go. If everyone and their mama
(35:50):
can go, you gotta make it exclusive. Otherwise their mama,
why are you having the park.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
The park should be for those who can go.
Speaker 7 (35:58):
I'm sorry to sound e ladist, but I'm a Disney elitist.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
That's right. Now you have everyone, just not everyone and
their mama. Mama got to stay home, stay home.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
I don't argue with any of that. What I'm arguing
with is the reporter serving at least territorializing, serving as
the pr wing for the corporation.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
You don't do that, I would say, on balance, he
had more negative commentary to offer than positive. He said
that the corporation was being more greedy than worrying about profitability.
I caught that.
Speaker 5 (36:30):
But I always have a high sensitivity to reporters acting
as handmaidens for corporate carrying the water corporate masters. I
just find that so distasteful in journalism.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
But I will say this, this is another example of
corporations doing what corporations do. And sometimes we get so
hung up on believing the narrative that everything costs so
much more because of what's happening in Washington, DC, or
in Sack or mental when in actuality, no, it's just
(37:02):
corporations being greedy. They have record profits. We're talking about
the difference from between their operating costs and the revenue
that they're bringing in. They are making money more money
than ever before, not because they're trying to keep up
with inflation. If they were then the profits would be
relatively similar if they are raising their prices consistent with
(37:24):
the rate of inflation. No, they're not doing that. They're
just price gouging you because you're paying for the inflation
and their greediness on top of it.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
They're getting as much as they can, right up to
the point where you decide Nope. But they're pushing the line.
And I sent you something to read over the weekend
that covered really similar ground. It's not just Disney, it's
almost everyone. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
If I am six forty live everywhere, I mean iHeartRadio
app Critical Thinkers.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Want it ks.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
I'm KOSGHD two Los Angeles, Orange County
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Lot everywhere on the Younger Radio app
Later, with Mo'Kelly News
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