Thirsty Topics
A weekly podcast dedicated to trending topics on social media, pop culture and entertainment.
Thirsty Topics
Exploring Robotic Policing, Celebrity Legacies, and Surprising Debate Decorum
What if the future of policing is more about robots than officers? Join us as we explore the controversial allocation of police resources to combat retail theft, sometimes involving SWAT teams, while more serious issues like violent crime seem to be sidelined. Lawrence Elrod and Meryl Clemo spark a conversation about our current security practices and the potential role of technology in addressing societal challenges, questioning the empathy and priorities of our time.
From serious societal issues to heartwarming stories, we reflect on the legacy of John Amos, a true television icon known for his roles in "Good Times" and "Roots." He has left an indelible mark on our screens and culture. On a lighter note, we share the delightful tale of Joshua, the adventurous goat who joined a marathon in Newfoundland, offering a humorous reminder of life's unexpected joys and the importance of embracing spontaneity.
In a surprising twist, we analyze the recent vice presidential debate where civility took center stage, a rarity in today’s political landscape. This unexpected decorum prompts a humorous discussion on cross-party debate pairings. We also dive into the world of impulse buys, from Mark Cuban’s lifetime flight pass to the thrill of art collecting. Finally, we tackle critical issues like labor disputes and automation, underscoring the evolving dynamics of the workplace and the urgent need to address unfavorable job conditions. Join our lively discussion and find out why these topics matter more than ever.
Hello everyone, welcome to this week's episode of Thirsty Topics. I'm Lawrence Elrod.
Speaker 2:And I am Meryl Clemo Lauren Selrod.
Speaker 1:And I am Meryl Clemo. Meryl, this has been one incredible week, I kid you not. I literally had about 20 items that we could have talked about today. Really, it took me a while to kind of trim them down to five.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm always happy.
Speaker 1:Maybe next week we could do like all 20 of them, and it's like speed talking.
Speaker 2:We're like we just list them and then we rapid fire our opinions on them in like nine seconds or less.
Speaker 1:That is so so true, but we got some goodies on here though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, do you want to go first? I feel like I've been going first the past couple times. Sure, I'll go ahead and go first, yay.
Speaker 1:I'm actually going to start off with a very interesting topic here. I'm actually going to start off with a very interesting topic here. Across the United States, a lot of law enforcements have been dealing with, you know, with shoplifting and the mass, you know, rush shopping. As you know, groups go in to steal, so a lot of places are having police officers create special tasks for us and in some cases even use a SWAT team to come in after them. Now I do commend them for wanting to do something about it, but I guess my biggest issue is when you look at some of the crime in some areas, especially violent crimes, and they say that, hey, we don't have the resources and stuff. I just find it kind of hard to swallow that you can make resources to go after things but not people. Yeah, maybe I'm being overly sensitive about it. What do you think?
Speaker 2:about that. I think that one day, when you come, you and your family come to LA, I'm going to show you the stores in Beverly Hills that have like 30 police people standing and guarding one Birkin bag and like I feel like for every store, I mean those are, I think they're private police people. Oh anyway, I mean those are like the police people of Beverly Hills, which is its own movie truly. But I mean I think there's a lot of things going on. I feel like I know a lot of people like are shoplifting in bigger cities. I know we talked about a few weeks ago where now it's just like, instead of persecuting people right off the bat, they're just saying just like, please don't steal anything less than 700 or 900. You know, they're kind of setting their parameters. So I feel like it's weird in general that shoplifting has become a little bit more like acceptable. But I also agree that to put so many resources into something like that when there's obviously bigger things at play in our society is it's not good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong. I mean I'm not saying that, you know, law enforcement should ignore it. I'm not saying that law enforcement should ignore it. I'm not saying that by no means possible. But when you look at people that have missing loved ones, people that have unsolved murders and stuff like that. It's kind of a hard pill to swallow when you see a SWAT team go in to protect items in a store.
Speaker 2:Yes, definitely, absolutely, especially of like people with domestic violence, or they just I've heard a lot of times people will, if they get a restraining order and that like falls through, then they're just living their life in danger or someone will have to go back to a domestic violence situation. So, yeah, I get that. I wonder and we'll get into. This is just a peak of what's coming soon, but if maybe they're going to start having more robot cops with shoplifting, I feel like they should assign human cops to the real issues and more technology to things like items.
Speaker 1:You know what a crazy thing Merrill is. A year or two, I'd probably laugh and be like, oh, I don't think so. But you know what, with AI and robotics and stuff like that, especially the advancement of technology, it may be coming faster than we think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think so too. I don't know if they have this where you are, but I don't like the look of now at CVSs and targets, like everything has to be locked up. I feel like that's really annoying. I don't know. I feel like that's not great. I mean, that's the only solution I can see now, but that's weird, that that's the way we're moving now as a society.
Speaker 1:I remember when I went to visit my son in college and this was the first time I've ever seen. Now I've seen certain expensive items be locked up before. Okay, I get that, but it was the first time I seen things like toothpaste.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Dope and I'm sitting there like seriously, I mean I've never seen that before and it's like wow really yeah, like deodorant things, that and like it's such a pain to call the people over to be like, hey, can I get this crest toothpaste? But I think that says a lot about A it's hard for people to afford those things, which obviously we have empathy for that too. But B it's just as a society I wish they should have more access to. If someone really needs toothpaste and they can't afford it, I know we all agree and we all pay taxes on this kind of stuff. Anyway, afford it.
Speaker 1:I know we all agree and we all pay taxes on this kind of stuff anyway. Yeah, and you also kind of wonder are they really saving money?
Speaker 1:Because you have to pay that worker to come over, unlock it, take it out, relock it and then that process goes on all day long. Now again for expensive items. I could totally see that, but you know, if you're talking about some toothpaste that costs a couple bucks, you know you're probably paying more for him or her to take care of the customer versus just leave it open. And I could be wrong, you know?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Now how would you feel if you went to the police academy and you always dreamed of being a police person and and then they told you, actually your job is you're going to actually be at CVS guarding the paper towels.
Speaker 1:I probably won't be a happy camper.
Speaker 2:No, I'd go into like dentistry or something else.
Speaker 1:I mean, like I said, I'm not saying that you know, let them go and everything, but there's gotta be some common sense to what we do there really does.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, I know, I know and I wonder if that's also going to be retailers, I don't know, Like not shutting down. But I mean we've seen a lot of those types of like the bigger box stores closing down, Like the Best Buys, the things where, like, things are tangible that people could take, and I wonder if it's just going to get like smaller and smaller as time goes on. But who knows?
Speaker 1:It makes you wonder. It does. Well, I think we're probably going to hear about this again later on.
Speaker 2:I know, I know, but yeah, I agree, though I don't think we need hundreds of people at like a local Target when there's lots of other things that need repair and fixing. I feel that way about the like getting stopped for a traffic ticket, or getting stopped especially here in los angeles, because there's like 800 other things happening on the street that need attention, and sometimes when I get like a 42 parking ticket for being late for a minute, I'm like there's literally someone defecating, like like a drug needle to my left. So I'm going to please like I don't know.
Speaker 1:I hear you on that one. I definitely hear you. Ooh, you got a fun one coming up.
Speaker 2:I got a fun one. Okay, I'm going to pick we're going to switch it up here because I want to piggyback on what you just said. I'm going to pick a different one because we just talked about robots. One day and I think that's not too far off in the future where, basically, a Texas man got in a shootout with a robot and a man I don't know if you heard about this. This is crazy.
Speaker 2:A man was arrested for engaging in a shootout with a neighborhood robot. That's right, you heard that right. The man, uh, frustrated by the presence of a security robot and he opened fire and then, in a crazy turn, the robot fought back with pepper spray, leading to the man's arrest. So that was one thing. So the robot, like, pinned him down on the ground and then, ultimately, you know, um, and this was a robot that was controlled by an officer, but they're saying that in the future, pretty soon, they're going to be able to have robots that, like, are able to go into burning fires and obviously they will be bulletproof and you know all the normal restrictions of, like police people in the past.
Speaker 2:Now we will have robots, which I don't know how you feel about this Like. To me. There's obviously good that can come out of it, but it also gets really scary because clearly, like, at one point it's going to pin the wrong person or you know, we don't know how far these robots will go. What if it, like accidentally, you know, stomps someone and kills them? You know, we don't really know.
Speaker 1:I mean in this scenario where there's a physical human being controlling the robot. I'm actually okay with that for a number of reasons. One you're right you don't want the robot making those decisions, because that could be very detrimental if they make a mistake.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then also what it does. I think it protects the citizen the criminal and the police officer. It protects the citizen the criminal because that robot can do things that human can't do. In other words, they can walk up on you while you're shooting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're not going to hurt them, and you know, being pepper sprayed versus being shot with bullets. I will take this pepper spray any day of the week, true. And then for the police officer, they're not in harm's way. So you know what Kudos to him, I think, to them, I think that's a great application for it. What do you think?
Speaker 2:Well, okay, it's so interesting and this is like a whole other. I feel like we need hours to talk about this, but I would wonder the psychology of police I mean, we don't have to get into like a whole police brutality thing but I wonder, like if using a robot would help police people not be so like to get their own emotions and anger into it and if, like, something like that would be a little bit of a barrier to just doing your job and not having some of the you know, obviously very upsetting things that have happened in the past couple years where, like, it does go too far and people's emotions get wrapped into, like you know, what should just be a normal arrest, um, or I wonder if having a robot will almost make the bad people even worse and you know, make like have them carry out something that their anger, um, if it could trigger it worse. So I guess time will tell, basically, in how people use their robots which is, I would say, but you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:I know I might be jumbling my sentiment, but I feel like it could either be good, because it could be like oh, I'm not laying hands on this person, I'm controlling something that is versus. Um, now I have this like machinery that could do even more damage I mean you're right.
Speaker 1:I mean it doesn't take away the fact that you have to make sure that the officer has the right mindset doing it. Yeah, because you're right. The wrong officer controlling a robot can do far more damage than just a normal person could.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I guess it would probably be like a case-by-case basis, but that would be an interesting like psychology study to do, basically, and how, uh, how it works out with, like, human emotions having a robot representative. And then I thought this is a separate but still within the same category. Uh, the lapd has introduced a new member of their crime fighting team, a robot dog named spot. So spot is equipped with cameras and sensors and designed to patrol the streets and assist officers in high-risk situations. Um, you know, sci-fi and reality is really becoming blurrier every minute. So if, if you're on my instagram and you see me getting arrested by a robot dog just you you heard it here maybe you could like help post bail for me or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's true. I mean, unfortunately, robotics, ai, those things are here to stay, those aren't going anywhere.
Speaker 2:I know. So, yeah, interesting thing. Now my last question for you is would you be more embarrassed or less embarrassed being arrested by a robot, being like pinned down by a robot?
Speaker 1:I don't know I mean I guess I'd probably be embarrassed either way, but probably a little bit more that the robot had to take me down, obviously Because that's going to get unwanted viral views.
Speaker 2:I know, but hey, it might be good for us if it happens for us. If that happens to either of us, we've got to get some footage.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to go hey watch us on tvnetworkscom okay.
Speaker 2:The robot would turn away and run away.
Speaker 1:Okay, I do want to take a moment here, unfortunately, you've heard of John Amos, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep.
Speaker 1:John Amos, who is known for a number of great shows that he's been on. Most famously he's been on Good Times. He had appearances on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He was on Coming to America 1 and 2. He was also on Roots Die Hard 2, the Mary Tyler Moore Show and many, many other great programming he had just passed away. Definitely he would be missed. In fact, I really appreciate Good Times more as an adult than I did as a child.
Speaker 1:The reason being that, as an adult, I understand the messages that was within that show and what they were teaching more than I did when I was growing up.
Speaker 2:Definitely growing up, definitely I think I went back and watched some clips of him and I feel like he just had that tv dad personality so well where you know it was kind of no nonsense but also at the same time you could see that he had heart and was loving um, and I miss that. I feel like we don't get a ton of that representation today and you know we get a lot of like homer simpsons and more of like one or the other types of dads. But I feel like I could imagine too he would be for people watching at home that didn't really have like a father figure. I think it's like. You know, you can't underestimate how much someone like that affects someone when they're young and watching TV and just seeing that is that's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the weird part about that story is I guess he died actually about 45 days ago or so, which is really interesting, and I don't know how true it is, but allegedly his daughter found out when the public found out that he passed away.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like on TMZ, which I've heard from so many situations that people don't TMZ seems like they're on it within seconds of you know them, knowing at least and I can't imagine like finding out on TMZ.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, like I said, I really don't want anyone to jump to conclusions because you know family dynamics is very, very, very intricate and without knowing details, I don't think we should, you know, because some people will hear that story and go well, why wasn't she there with her dad or whatever? You got to be careful because you don't know what's going on behind the scenes.
Speaker 2:Right, yep, especially entertainment too. We definitely don't know. There's a lot of things and laws and contracts and all that stuff.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. He definitely will be missed because he was definitely a great person. One fun fact I did not know Was he was married three times, really.
Speaker 2:Wow, get it. What if every TV show he was on he just found a new real life? He's like okay, now I'm on roots, it's time to get a new person. I like that. I can't wait to have my fifth husband. First, I need my first, but I see it yeah.
Speaker 1:From what I see, he has two children, male and a female, son and a daughter, and then he has a granddaughter and I know I've seen some of the pictures of his son. Oh my God, His son literally looks just like him. Really it's so scary. I mean his facial features, mannerisms, I mean it was like scary.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I wonder if his son is in acting too. I don't know. I have to look that up too. You know what I don't know? That's a good question. I have to look that up too. You know what I don't know? That's a good question. Oh yeah, wow, they have such gorgeous eyes. They have gorgeous features. Wow, their nose is exactly the same. The genetics run strong in that family. They look truly exactly the same.
Speaker 1:They really do. He literally looks like a young version of his dad.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he really does John both of them, but John stayed so handsome he really was a handsome man yes, yes, definitely was uh someone that will be missed way to stay handsome rest in peace yeah, I definitely want to make sure I did shout out to him for that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, those were some good shows too, like, I think, in terms of an actor's work and overall portfolio, like rude good times, like, as you said, those were impactful shows. I feel like if I was an actor, you can't be more, uh, hoping for something like that you, you know, like a career with such quality shows.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, I'm going to bring it up for a moment with some another celebrity in the news recently Joshua the Goat. From one goat to another. So in New Finland, canada, an unlikely marathon participant made headlines a goat named Joshua. This is exactly like if I could have the news my way, every single story would be a story about like an animal joining a marathon.
Speaker 2:Joshua joined the Conception Bay South 10 kilometer race alongside human runners. He came seemingly out of nowhere and Joshua ran the full distance. Runners he came seemingly out of nowhere and Joshua ran the full distance. Not only did he cross the finish line, but race organizers awarded him a medal for completing the course. And then, my favorite part ever the goat's owner who had no, who obviously said he had no clue that Joshua would take, would take part said this is just the kind of thing that this goat does, so apparently he's very like, you know, mischievous, um. And then people are mad because the marathon results won't show joshua's name. But you know, obviously he won the hearts of everyone but, I.
Speaker 2:I think joshua should be in the list of the runners. This is like I'm very upset about this, but I think that is so cute, and if I was running a marathon and a goat joined me like that is exactly what I would need for my extra energy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that actually was pretty cool. I saw, I saw videos of that and uh, I mean it can't help but to put a smile on your face.
Speaker 2:It really can and the owner just being like well, that's Joshua.
Speaker 1:That was definitely a fun one for the this week, and actually here's another one that's going to put a smile on your face, our former president, jimmy Walker. I'm sorry, jimmy Carter, sorry.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, JJ.
Speaker 1:Our former president, Jimmy Carter, just celebrated his 100th birthday.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:So he is not only the oldest living president, he's the first president to ever you know, make it to be in 100. And I tip my hat off to him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I wonder. Also too, he seems like he's had a life full of pursuing goals and like even you know because they always ask the secrets of people that make it to 100 and over and I feel like he's a prime example of like staying working, staying engaged. You know he's very like civically busy all the time and I feel like that's you know, all the habitat for humanity things and I think that's pretty cool, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know, I've always said this before is just because you quote unquote. Retired don't mean you sit down in front of a TV and just die. That just means you just change the direction of your life, whether that be working at another job, your own business, volunteering. But retirement doesn't mean you just sit and die because you will die not doing anything, but it just means that you're just in a different chapter of life. Yes, and there's actually some interesting facts. Did you know that there are and these actually shocked me there's 101,000 Americans that are age 100 and over.
Speaker 2:Whoa, that's a lot, that's a lot.
Speaker 1:And what's even crazier is they say that the Centurion population is planned to quadruple over the next 30 years.
Speaker 2:Interesting because it seems like that's so funny. I mean I guess that makes sense. But to me it almost seems like sometimes, I mean I guess the more people we have in general is a bigger population, the more obviously that are going to make it to over a hundred. But that's very interesting. I feel like in this day and age, with all of our environmental toxins and stuff like that's really a big feat to make it to a hundred and over.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, I mean. The thing is, when you look at, you know climate change, you know basically what goes on in life and unfortunately there is the where you live there yeah, yeah a whole lot. You know, whether you're in a suburban area, whether you're in the inner city, whether you're in the country you know that has to me. I think that has a big, big um, a big part as far as how long you're going to possibly live.
Speaker 2:I wonder how me living in LA getting chased by a robot police dog is doing for my overall longevity when I'm like 93, if I'm still here, I'm just going to like, surrender myself to like a robot and just be like, please like, pepper spray me to death, that's okay.
Speaker 1:Well, as long as it can't catch you, you know we're good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, but that's cool. Good for Jimmy Carter. I feel like that's, that's awesome and I feel like that also, once again, is inspiring for people to see that type, to see leaders making it in a long, in a elder age, but also making it how you said it, in a way where you're not just like a vegetable, you're, you're still engaged and you know you're able to do some fun things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause he's been on hospice for over a year now.
Speaker 2:Oh really.
Speaker 1:Which is a long time. So hopefully you know he continues to be with us sometime, but I'm just hoping. I think allegedly you know they were saying that he hoped he'd live long enough to cast his vote.
Speaker 2:Aw, that's so sweet. Imagine like back in the day where they were like, wow, george Washington lived to be 37. We would have been doing a show and we're like this person made it to 33. Like how did you know? How did they do that, with all the dentistry problems?
Speaker 1:That is so so true. But yes, kudos to Former president Jimmy Carter.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, okay. Well, completely opposite of Jimmy Carter Is Lana Del Rey. I can't think of two people more opposed on some things. But so she recently got married to her husband, jeremy. Pretty cool, you know, we all know he's a Louisiana guy giving boat tours alligator man To me.
Speaker 2:That doesn't surprise me and I think that's cool, and I also understand like it seems like the last thing Lana Del Rey would want is to marry another, like like a Hollywood type. I can't see her with a movie executive. I'm sure she's dated a lot of those types of guys and so I could see why she wants completely something different. At her wedding, though, she was upset because there were fans and paparazzi who were using drones to capture unauthorized footage of their event, their intimate event, and she said she expressed that deeply disappointed in the paparazzi and in the fans, obviously calling the invasion of privacy unacceptable. They put efforts in to keep the wedding very low key and I don't know. I just think that's really annoying and in the world where everyone's trying to post everything, like when people aren't trying to do that, I feel like we need to respect it and just setting up drones for someone that doesn't want them is crazy, and I feel like you're not a real fan if you're doing that to someone.
Speaker 1:I agree. I mean, the thing is, if they're having it outside in a public event, have at it, but if they go through the effort to have a private venue and you're having drones, to me that's almost the equivalent of going through someone's window. They're purposely trying to keep this a private event, which they have every right to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And the other thing too you have to be careful about too is sometimes people have ulterior motives when they do stuff Like to sell to make money. You know, the other thing too you have to be careful about too is sometimes people have ulterior motives when they do stuff Like to sell to make money, you mean yeah absolutely Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So no, I don't blame them, I would be pissed too. And unfortunately the only way to really beat that is either A have it inside or B you know have it under a giant open tent where you know the sides are open but the top is covered. Yeah, you got to do that, but that's probably the only way to really kind of thwart that kind of effort from people.
Speaker 2:Yes, You're totally right. It must be that they wanted money too, because I also, even as a fan, like I don't really care about watching someone I love, like a celebrity, get married that much where, like, I need to see that footage. You know, that's a weird thing, especially if you're not part of the wedding. I don't understand why you'd want to see it. So, yeah, it makes a lot of sense that they probably want to get, like, the first photo or, you know, sell it to People magazine, because those can run for a lot of money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2:I mean, we're talking about six digits easily. Yeah, so, but I think that's cool. Do you have any thoughts that lana's got married to like a louisiana alligator tour man?
Speaker 1:well, you know what?
Speaker 2:that's a perfect example of opposites attract yeah, yeah, and from what I've heard from people like or you know people, I've heard that he's like charming and cool and fun. So it's like, yeah, why wouldn't she want that? You know, like a man that is, he's probably really handy and he's the fact that he can wrestle an alligator like that's attractive. That's true, that's true. You know, she's probably sick of like the Hollywood, like weenie LA, like LA singer guys are just not it. So, yeah, an alligator man sounds good.
Speaker 1:Alicia isn't worried about him trying to hog the camera time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, but I hope he doesn't go very Hollywood. But I mean, the fact that he's marrying her is pretty cool. I think that's great.
Speaker 1:That is so, so true. We'll pray for that, because you know that, unfortunately, hollywood weddings don't last very long.
Speaker 2:I know I really don't want to see a reality show next week about them.
Speaker 1:Don't give them any ideas now.
Speaker 2:No ideas.
Speaker 1:Talk about ideas. Did you get a chance to watch the vice presidential debate this week?
Speaker 2:I did.
Speaker 1:I did, you know. I have to admit I was very surprised at how sane it was Now, regardless of whether a person likes Waltz or whether you like JD Vance, I was very pleasantly surprised at how I can't believe we're saying this now, but how sane it was. Yes, no one talked about eating dogs and cats, killing babies and all this other nonsense. There was no disrespect in the name calling. It was like a true debate talking about politics.
Speaker 2:Yes, and we haven't seen that in like a really long time, because I would even go as far back to say, even like the hillary and trump obviously, for I honestly think on both accounts was like a little bit unhinged or you know it, just it felt like a little bit theatrical.
Speaker 1:So I feel like it's been a very, very long time since we've had like a civil debate I agree, I agree, and you, the interesting thing about it was a lot of people kind of were saying that Walt missed an opportunity to call out JD Vance on. You know, I was amazed at how calm and relaxed he was and how sane he was, though he kind of, you know, lied through his teeth on a lot of stuff.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:But I don't know, know, I kind of think that one jd vance, did say out loud that, hey, he's not a great debater. Um, I personally wouldn't have said that out loud me, that's just me, but you know. But he just said, hey, I'm not a great debater. So, and um, I do understand where he was going, because you want to fact check a little bit. You don't want to spend all your time fact checking because then your message won't get out. So I kind of understand the direction he went yeah, I think so too.
Speaker 2:I think it was good. I think both men showed humility and a little bit more of like that personal side that both parties deny that the other side has, and I thought for Walsh too like, I think, side that both parties deny that the other side has.
Speaker 2:And then I thought for Walsh too. I think everyone wants him. The people on the other side want him to be hysterical and overly emotional and that's some of the plans that these people are going to come in and be overly too liberal to whatever. So I felt like he did a great job of just kind of staying steady and grounded. And then same thing, I think J think JD Vance is like the last thing he needs is another cat woman type of comment, or you know to be snarky or like arrogant.
Speaker 2:So I thought I thought both of them seemed totally fine, like you said, it just seemed like obviously both of them have like a level of intelligence and stayed clear-headed. I mean, even on like liberal media I saw a lot of people feeling like that that vance, like won it, but I mean, who knows, that's just kind of I don't know, I know sarah netlatt had a field day with it yeah oh my goodness and once again, good for them.
Speaker 2:I appreciate when they could poke fun at like both sides too. You know, I really like that because for a while there it was a little weird, but yeah yeah, I mean to me.
Speaker 1:Um, it was funny just because of the fact that both of them were trying to be overly nice to each other yeah it was.
Speaker 2:It was kind of funny, though, when you looked at it, because some people and it's sad to say this, but we're so used to all the craziness in politics that a lot of people called it a big boring, because you have all that nonsense yeah, yes, yes, and I think, like tim could have totally gone for the more jugular, like making fun of his stuff, but I like the route that he went, which was just like let's talk about the issues and let's not personally drag each other into this. I thought it was cool, they, but they both remind me, though, of like a guy throwing a party and it's like it's kind of fake, but it's kind of not. You know, you arrive at the party and you're like I think you like me, but you may kill me later on, and I'm not quite sure, as, like, down home and everything as as well as people to like get to this level in politics, there has to be a little bit of Just fakery going on, you know.
Speaker 1:That is so true. That is so true. But of course that's over. So now we're back to reality now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're back to reality, but I think that's how it could be and should be so interesting.
Speaker 1:Very, I think they should switch.
Speaker 2:It could be, and should be, so interesting, very, I think they should switch it up and they should have, like Vance, just like debate with Nancy Pelosi or like you know, they can just choose, like a random roulette where they, like all different members of different parties, are just debating. I think that would be interesting, almost like a what's it called?
Speaker 1:like a cage match or something that would be interesting because certain people, the outcome will be much, much differently.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, okay, ooh, okay, my president, if I could choose one Mark Cuban I would hate to debate with Mark Cuban because I feel like he would put me into a pulp because I love him. But anyway, mark Cuban, there's a story that came out that said he was in an interview. He said that he once got drunk and bought a whole American Airlines lifetime pass. So basically, after selling his first company which I could just imagine how many millions that was for, because you know now he's a billionaire, many millions that was for, because you know now he's a billionaire uh, cuban celebrated by calling up american airlines and dropping 125 000 on a lifetime flight pass, which that means he could fly anywhere anytime for the rest of his life. Um, but in terms of impulse buys, I feel like that's a extremely smart one because if you think especially him, like he's, he's definitely racking.
Speaker 2:I mean, right now he probably has a private plane and so he's probably the one thing that shocks me, though, is that's all it cost I know lifetime, because then it's like, imagine if you fly to like africa you know, once a month, and like ireland, and yeah, I mean we could wrap it, rack that up and like, and I wonder if that also includes um first class, because those you know, one flight alone could be like eleven thousand dollars or so yeah, because I'm thinking like that's all it cost him for a lifetime well, but that was like a really long time ago.
Speaker 2:So that was selling his first company, which I think was probably in the 80s. I had to guess or 80s or probably 90s.
Speaker 1:That would make, make sense, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So that might be like a $600,000 now, which still, I mean, if you're rich, rich just to do that. But then you also have to like I'm sure at a certain point Mark doesn't want to A fly American Airlines commercially and B he like legit, I think, has his own private jet. So you think has his own private jet. He's probably just like oh, I have this lifetime pass if anyone wants to go on this American Airlines flight.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's one hell of an impulse buy, though I know.
Speaker 2:Let's do a little manifestation exercise. Say, if you sold, you're not selling Elrond TV Network anytime soon, but if you sold a different company because I know you want to hold on to your baby for now. But like, say, say you closed on a whole other company and you made like millions and trillions what would be one of your first like impulse buys. Besides, like a house or you know, like, besides, like the normal, like house, car, you know.
Speaker 1:You know, besides the normal stuff, like that, I would say my first impulse buy. My wife would probably get angry, but I would buy like 10 season passes.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's great.
Speaker 1:To the Bears, because I'm a big Bears fan.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That way, you know, obviously I could go, but I could always have people to come with me.
Speaker 2:That's cool, or, you know, maybe get one of the skybox and own one myself yeah, and honestly, those types of things are investment too, because you're, it's a good investment, because it's like you're, you're definitely gonna have a lot of future fun in it, and that's good networking too, because you could bring people to those boxes and like those are. That's a. I think that's a really smart investment for a lot of reasons.
Speaker 1:That's true. That's true, and being that I'm a diehard Bears fan, I would definitely make use of it.
Speaker 2:So what have you just bought? The team I mean at this point you know what?
Speaker 1:I would love to have enough money to buy the Bears, because what's cool about owning the team that you love is you would kind of run it a little bit differently where you still want to at least break even. But I wouldn't be so interested in trying to make money, I just want to build a killer team that you know, dynasty, you know.
Speaker 2:And, would you like, would you try to bring in other players?
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, depending on how the mix goes and who's available but I probably would have a little bit of say so and how they put the roster together. But from what I know about the kent and the caskies? Uh, they're not selling anytime soon, so yeah, see what about you? What's?
Speaker 2:you know I'm. I was just looking now and like anytime I get a little bit of money, I buy stuff. Like I have these like women statues, there's basically like there's like these little ladies that I saw and I love them so much, but like I feel like I don't do well with extra money because I'll just buy like naked cherubic women in art form. So I feel like any art, I feel like mine would be some pretentious piece of art that I saw at a gallery, because I feel like already I tend to get a little bit tipsy and like drink champagne and then I'm always $1,000 away from just purchasing like ridiculous, weird art. So I think that would be my choice.
Speaker 1:Hey you know, what If that's what you like, just as long as you don't go crazy and you see this art. We're starting to bid at $10,000. I'll give you a million.
Speaker 2:It would be things like that. I went to a. There was an event, one of my friends her name is Amy Berkman and she's a wonderful, wonderful speed painter, so she speed paints a lot of things. And then she'll speed paint upside down and she'll flip it around and it will be like the you know wolves or elephants and see, she makes a. She raised a million dollars for charity. That was her like one of her missions and now she's raised that like several times over.
Speaker 2:But she paints a lot for these, these big wig events where, like animals that you know galas, where, like people will save the elephants. And I watch people like she had someone buy her painting from that show downtown Abby, and, and I watch people she had someone buy her painting from that show Downtown Abby, and like I just watch these very, very wealthy people be able to just spend like $30,000 on a painting and it's almost funny to them where they'll be able to like match you know, like ha ha, $50,000. And I'm like whoa, that is so awesome, I think, to be able to just do that like on a whim.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, definitely it's. You know, it gets to the point where you're just enjoying what you're doing yeah, yeah she's.
Speaker 2:She's had auctions before where someone will bid like eight thousand dollars, which is like I feel like what she probably feels like that, what that painting is like worth, you know, in a normal, like retail setting and then someone will just come in for the fun of it and just like drive it up to twenty20,000.
Speaker 2:So I feel like I would be one of those people Like, if I could, if I had my dream world, just for fun, I'd be like laying on the ground drunk, saying like $40,000. And then I'd have to come and ask you for some more money. I'd have to take it out of the Bears money because I spent everything. Hey, well, you know what?
Speaker 1:Hey, well, you know what? As long as you enjoy what you're doing, that's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I feel like Mark Cuban, of course, had a good. That was a good buy, because, you know, a lifetime flight pass is just, I mean, why not?
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely, all righty. Well, this one is a very interesting topic here. As you are aware, and probably the rest of the world by now, the dock workers for the major ports along the east side of the United States are on strike now.
Speaker 2:Ooh. This is what people were warning about. I feel like.
Speaker 1:Yes. So what's interesting is is and I think people should be careful about passing judgment I was a little bit surprised at how well they get paid, you know.
Speaker 1:I think they start off like eighty thousand dollars a year. Some people are making like two hundred thousand dollars a year. So their contract renews every six years and I guess they're trying to get. Originally they wanted a 70 percent raise over I think five or six years and I guess they're trying to get. Originally they wanted a 70% raise over I think five or six years or something, so now it's down to 50%, which is still a huge raise. But I guess the sticking point is the guarantee of not using automation to replace workers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I can't see how they're going to keep them from not agreeing to that, or agreeing to it Cause, you know, cause I could kind of see both sides.
Speaker 2:So, like you know, I wonder if it's going to double down, if that's almost going to be like okay, thank you. Now you're like so out of the out of it. It Now we're going to like right now, start using more automated workers, you know.
Speaker 1:And then the other thing too is, I guess the head of the union allegedly is a big Trump supporter, so a lot of people are saying that this was done purposely to make Joe Biden look bad.
Speaker 2:I can see that this was done purposely to make Joe Biden look bad. I can see that.
Speaker 1:I'm really hoping that's not the case, but that would be really shitty if it is the case. You know to play with people's lives, because now people are like losing their effing minds now. Now they're buying up all the toilet tissue, buying up all the paper towels and stocking up on meats and stuff. It's like, seriously, we're doing this again, seriously stocking up on meats and stuff. It's like seriously, we're doing this again.
Speaker 2:Seriously. I mean it's so funny because right when the pandemic started, I heard a lot of these types of things where people were saying are basically like the supply chain is going to get broken. And you know, we saw a little bit of that. I feel like people all of my like conspiracy slash prepper community were like you know, you better stock up on everything now because pretty soon like there's going to be no vegetables, no meat, no eggs or anything, um, and it seems like now this would be the time that that might happen. But I I agree that like I don't think there's a reason to panic by and to hoard.
Speaker 1:Obviously that's like not nice and not smart for our, your fellow human and I still never got an answer to okay, even though I don't agree with it. Okay, I can see some household items. I can even see meats. Okay, I can see that. What's with the toilet tissue? I never figured that out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, me neither. It's like, what are you going to be doing? Like that's so weird. And I had some friends that were like that bought into it. They're like, okay, it's a virus and we don't have any sort of like anti-cold medicine At home, but we have reams and reams Of paper towels.
Speaker 1:And then the scary part is, you know, when they bought up all the cleaning supplies and it's like I don't know, I was thinking wow, we're a nasty country, because shouldn't you be cleaning all alone? Yeah, you have to have nothing. And it was the strangest time.
Speaker 2:I don't know I was thinking, wow, we're a nasty country because shouldn't you be cleaning all along? Yeah, you have to have nothing. It was the strangest time, and now I feel like I mean, I've been hearing this for a long long coming up of, like just the food chain and the supply chain that it's going to get messed up where they were like. Well, now is the time to also start buying a little bit more local and transitioning into more of your local farmer's markets and local, you know, because as long as, like for the most part, we could be self-sustaining with our own agriculture and everything I don't know, I hope that this this lends itself to like people discovering a little bit more about their community and like buying things within a local realm.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and I think the other thing that it's going to do is is putting a big spotlight on. You know, I understand that we're in a global economy and some stuff has to be made outside of the United States, but there's so many things that don't need to be. It's just pure greed at that point.
Speaker 2:I know I think it's. Yeah, I'm sorry. What were you going to say?
Speaker 1:Oh no, I was going to say. And then like, for example, when we went through COVID and a lot of the vehicles you know it was really hard to get vehicles because a lot of them basically use parts from overseas, but most of them was the same part and it's like seriously, you guys didn't see that maybe this could be a problem one day.
Speaker 2:I know, don't you feel like we're moving in a direction where, especially with some of the past articles we talked about, with, like, the job market already being wacky and like, where, like, like Boeing, workers are striking and everyone? I feel like we need a total overhaul of just the workforce and like how we use humans as tools. And I don't know I really hope this, like I don't know if we're ready for that type of like revolution. You know, just like changing what work means, because that would have to then change our whole economy, and like what money means and wages and everything. But it seems like we're headed in a weird direction where, um, a lot of humans can't be treated like robots.
Speaker 2:When you know, when you're working for companies, like, whether it's a dock worker or an airline worker, boeing people, it's striking. You know, like I know that's happening in the industry a lot here, even with, like, um, writers, guilds and animation guilds and everyone's like. You know it just feels like we're all going through that now. But I wonder at what point will it like geyser up and have to change the whole?
Speaker 1:foundation. I think it's going in that direction now. I remember when you first got a job, and you know it takes generally, depending on the job, anywhere from two to six months to figure out. Is it really as good as you thought or is it a bunch of BS?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know back then, you know you didn't want to jump, so you kind of tried to make it work where the newer generation is. Once they figured out that either a toxic environment that I'm in and or they've been lied to through their teeth, they get the hell out of there. Yes, and you'll hear companies say, oh, people don't want to work. No, they figured out your bullshit. That's why it's not that they don't want to work, because if you have a position, and that position literally has seven people within, one year in that position.
Speaker 2:I don't think it's the employees, no, no, and people want to work. I feel like we're inherently creatures that want to, you know, get up and work and like till our soil, our soil and all that kind of stuff. But I think people don't want their whole souls to be snuffed out and basically to be taken away by their job, and I think it's like human consciousness more and more is that we're wanting to do things that have purpose and not be just like workers doing things with absolutely no purpose for the corporation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree. I mean, um, I know one of the the critiques that some people have was well, president biden can legally stop the um, uh, the strike. But I understand why he doesn't, you know right, because it's really a labor issue between the workers and, you know, between the workers union, you know, and the different entities that run that port. So I can understand why he's not getting involved and I think he's doing the right thing by not getting involved.
Speaker 2:I do too. So yeah, we'll keep an eye on it, but in the meantime at home we just have a normal amount of toilet paper. So next week may be a cry for help if we have nothing to use. I just have a whole bunch of index cards.
Speaker 1:Well, I know that I think they're starting to do limitations in the stores, or they will be. So I hope they do that because I don't want to be in a store and see this guy or this woman with like 12 big, gigantic bundles of paper towels and toilet tissue. You know, obviously people are kind of crazy so you can't say anything, but in your mind you're thinking are you really serious?
Speaker 2:I know, I know, and this is one of those I feel like, as we go along, we should all have a nice little stop. Feel like, as we go along, we should all nice little stop. I I am guilty of like, if a hurricane hit tomorrow, we we don't have a ton of like extra water, extra canned food. You know, like we kind of had those during the pandemic and then I kind of got rid of all of them afterwards. But like I think, uh, it's nice to like, as you go along, to just gather like what you think you may need in an appropriate emergency situation, but instead of panicking and buying it like this.
Speaker 1:That is true. That is true. I mean they say you should have what did they say? I mean ideally 30 days, which okay, most people are not going to have that, but you know, at least maybe a week or two worth of food. You know which is reasonable.
Speaker 2:Right, yep. Well, I have one more, but I didn't know if I wanted Spoiler alert. It's about the wonderful Denzel Washington, but I don't know. Did you want to do that, because I know you love him?
Speaker 1:Oh no, I'm going to let you do that.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay. Well, I saw this and I thought we're a Denzel friendly show so I wanted to include this one. Denzel Washington, apparently, and Diddy apparently got into it at a party and Denzel stormed out. We've talked before about how we like Denzel a lot, but basically I guess Denzel was at a party and confronted Diddy about like this is crazy and basically screamed at him. A few different people have a few different accounts of what was actually said, but he stormed out and you know, as more and more is coming to the surface of like what celebrities were involved in different ways at Diddy parties, it was good to know that at least once Denzel was there, but not part of the madness.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean. The thing is, it doesn't surprise me that he was initially there. But one thing that I do like about Denzel is he stands by his character, yeah, and he stands by his convictions, good or bad. And you know, it also highlights something that most people aren't talking about, and that is, with all the horrible things that that diddy allegedly did. There's a lot of people in tinseltown that knew this.
Speaker 2:This wasn't this big secret no, he had lots of people knew or like were there and I believe some, I believe there definitely was like that. Not every party was a weird freak off. You know, I feel like normally I bet a lot of the parties were just probably hollywood parties and like maybe some drugs and sexual stuff, whatever, but like I don't think it got like weird. Weird until some of the like after parties or like side events, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I've heard some celebrities joke that, yeah, you go to a dating party, you want to get out of there before it gets dark. Yeah, it was like wow, that's a. I mean, this is before all this happened. You're like wow, that's a weird statement to make Totally. But then it kind of like makes sense. And I remember Cat Williams got a lot of heat for an interview he did with Shannon Shark where he had said that you know he, what did he say?
Speaker 1:He passed up $200 million to protect his integrity and to protect his whole oh my god, you know you heard it and it's like okay, you know, I don't know man, you just kind of off on a limb. But now that same video popping up, like oh, maybe he was trying to tell us something you know, yeah, I gave up 200 million to protect that virgin hole. And it's like and it's like you kind of look back like maybe he was telling us something, you know.
Speaker 2:I don't know. Just the level of depravity that you keep hearing. It's like how much weird stuff does one person need? And at one point we talked that it becomes more about power than it does about the actual acts itself. But it's just like so bizarre. It's just so weird to me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then the new thing within the last day or two there's a lawyer, I want to say he's out of Texas at the double check check, but supposedly he's going to be filing over a hundred different lawsuits against Diddy from people who said that you know he's abused them and and all this and um, most of it's been videotaped, um men and women, and the most disturbing part about this is supposedly 25 of those people were underaged. If this comes out and it's true I can't see Diddy bouncing back from this.
Speaker 2:No, me neither, definitely not. Someone's going to get him, whether it's the legal system or someone in a prison or someone. Yeah, he's screwed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just legal system, or someone in a prison or someone yeah, he's, he's screwed. Yeah, it's just really kind of sad, you know, especially looking at it, you know, being a a creator myself, a person of color trying to make it, when you see someone actually make it to that plateau and fall so hard like that, and to me, I think it makes it hard for the people behind them.
Speaker 2:I hope.
Speaker 1:I'm wrong, but that's the way I feel about that.
Speaker 2:No, you're right, You're definitely right. That's why the Denzels of the world are so good too People that just have nowhere. I think was it 50 Cent that posted that thing. He's like here's me, not at a Diddy party. It's like a photo of him and someone else that was very not Kelly Clarkson, but someone like that where he's like here's me, and this person just walking down the street Notice that we're not at a ditty party. I'm like that's so funny.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know a good fun fact too Esther Rose, who played Florida on Good Times she played James Evans' wife Originally Good Times was not supposed to have a father in the house.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:It was supposed to be ran by a single woman, you know, and her thing was and I tipped my hat off because at that time she took a big risk she said she would not do it unless they provide a father for her you know, tv kids. She would not have it where it's a single family household. That was a big risk back then, because they could have easily done one of two things either a replaced her or b just say okay, we'll, just won't do the show yes, yep, yeah, yeah, they could have just been like okay, next actress.
Speaker 1:Thank you so she took a big risk, um, by standing her ground, and you know it just comes to show that you know, sometimes you just have to have a stance on what you believe and most of the time it works out. Sometimes it doesn't.
Speaker 2:You just have to be prepared regardless yeah, you have to stand by your morals, because I think we always underestimate how people are watching us and like how our actions. I feel that way to those with social media too, even with just interactions, where it's like you never know who's watching and who's judging your character, and like seeing the little interactions, I try to remember that all the time and like, you know, just to be kind and and I think, uh, yeah, it's crazy times very crazy times.
Speaker 1:and you know, the crazy thing is, this is only a portion of what I had on my list. Yeah, it's crazy times, very crazy times. You know, the crazy thing is, this is only a portion of what I had on my list. We still had a full hour. I know we did.
Speaker 2:The last thing I wanted to. We won't even have to talk about this, but I thought it was so funny where there wasn't really a lot to talk about but there was some thing where it said, like Ellen reveals her triple diagnosis and it sounded so serious. And then it was like she recently found out that she has osteoporosis, like ADD, like stuff that, like all of us have. I thought that was so funny because, like, whoever set up that headline totally knew what they were doing, because, you know, it was very like a shocking thing to read. And then it's's like Ellen has osteoporosis attention deficit. I'm like, give me a break. Of course those things could be serious, but in the world, of everything.
Speaker 1:Actually, ellen DeGeneres was one of the subjects on my list that.
Speaker 2:I had to cut off. There's so much with her.
Speaker 1:I may bring it up next week.
Speaker 2:It's a good one, Ellen Forever, is like in my soul of who I love, as like just from a standup point of view, and I you know, like I we have mentioned this before too that she, she's like one of my biggest influences in standup, but like not as a person the past two decades, and you know so not with her osteoporosis. Well, Meryl, Her osteoporosis.
Speaker 1:Well, Meryl, what do you have coming up?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, you know, honestly, it's so funny. This week I don't have any stand-up shows, but I write for a publication called the LA Girl and I feel like I asked to go to some Halloween events and now it is like the universe is punishing me because I'm going to every single Halloween event. So, personally, I will just be at every haunted trail tricking and treating and trying to be somewhat scared still. So, like last night I went to a haunted trail, tomorrow I'm going to the CBS lot for some like haunted mansion and it's almost like comical. Now I'm at every Halloween event.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice.
Speaker 2:Now are you going to?
Speaker 1:be changing your costumes or are you just going to wear the same costume? No, now.
Speaker 2:I'm going just dressed in black with a good attitude. But even yesterday I'm like, okay, I'm scared again. This was the ninth Halloween event I've done, and it's so funny because I don't have kids or anything, so I just go to some of these alone, or I just drag a friend who barely wants to go there you go hey, go ahead, bring them all on with you, right?
Speaker 2:yeah, I almost, almost. I didn't do it, but I almost reached out to some of my friends with kids and said hey, do you want me to take your kit? Like I have all these events that I'm going to. Do you want me to? Like want me to lend your kid to me, but then I decided never mind.
Speaker 1:Well, you just watch them. So the cool thing is, you give them back at the end of the night.
Speaker 2:That's what I know. I could do a couple hours. If they give me $50 and only allow me two hours with their child, it'll be fun for everyone.
Speaker 1:There you go.
Speaker 2:It's fun to be the Aunt Meryl that basically gets to show up and leave.
Speaker 1:And what about you? Actually, I've only been invited to one Halloween party at a neighbor's house. That's cool. Yeah, we RSVP, so we're definitely going to go there. Halloween parties are fun. So it'll be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it. Haven't dressed up in a long time, so it'll be kind of fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I kind of forward to it. I haven't dressed up in a long time, so it'll be kind of fun. Yeah, I kind of want to be Mudang. I want to be a lady version of Mudang. I mean she's a lady, but whatever, A spiced up Mudang.
Speaker 1:My wife thinks I should dress up as a Chicago Bear.
Speaker 2:Yes, you totally should.
Speaker 1:I may do that. That would be kind of fun to go there.
Speaker 2:That would be awesome.
Speaker 1:In fact I teased her one year. I said you know what I should do? I should dress up as a pimp. She was like, absolutely not.
Speaker 2:I was like, no, it would be fun Because it would be out of my character.
Speaker 1:She was like absolutely not.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:I. I think a Chicago bear is way less harming. It would definitely turn heads, though, yeah that's true, so funny.
Speaker 2:Well, this was great.
Speaker 1:Yes, it was, and we had a lot, a lot of fun. And you know, just remember to support us, support Meryl by. You know, if you happen to be in the California area where she's doing any shows or any appearances, make sure you go out to support her and celebrate what she does. Also, support us with ElrodTVNetworkcom. Again, I'm Lawrence Elrod.
Speaker 2:And I'm Meryl Clemo.
Speaker 1:Bye everyone you.
