Thirsty Topics podcast
A weekly podcast dedicated to trending topics on social media, pop culture and entertainment. Lawrence and Meryl have healthy discussions with multiple perspectives.
Thirsty Topics podcast
Unfiltered: Life Quitting, AI Fraud, and Taylor Swift's Engagement for 9/10/25
What happens when childhood pranks turn deadly? Why are middle-aged women leaving their marriages in record numbers? And how did Cardi B charm her way to a courtroom victory? These questions and more take center stage in our latest deep dive into cultural phenomena both fascinating and frightening.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement kicks off our conversation, as we examine why this celebrity coupling has captured such intense public attention. But we quickly pivot to the concerning trend of "life quitting" – the practice of quitting your job live on social media for all to see. While it might feel empowering in the moment, we explore the potential career suicide this represents for most professionals.
The episode takes a somber turn as we discuss an 11-year-old boy fatally shot while playing "ding-dong ditch" in Houston. This tragedy forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about childhood mischief in a society where some homeowners are quick to reach for weapons. The contrast between innocent pranks and deadly consequences has never been starker.
From Will Smith's bizarre AI-generated concert video to Kevin O'Leary's $12.9 million sports card purchase, we navigate the increasingly strange landscape of celebrity culture. Meanwhile, "meno-divorce" emerges as a powerful social trend as women in their 50s reassess marriages during menopause, choosing independence over unhappy partnerships.
The deepfake dating scam that cost a woman her life savings highlights the dangerous evolution of romance fraud, while our discussion of hikers requiring rescue after psychedelic mushroom trips in the Catskills serves as a cautionary tale about recreational drug use in wilderness settings.
Have you heard about friends creating joint bank accounts for group vacations? We close with a spirited debate about the "girls trip cost plan" and why mixing friendship with shared finances might be a recipe for disaster. Join us for these conversations and more on Thirsty Topics!
Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.
Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.
Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.
Hello, and thank you for listening to Thirsty Topics podcast! I'm Lawrence Elrod, and every week Meryl Klemow and I dive deep into the stories that matter, the conversations that shape our world."
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Hello everyone, Welcome to this week's episode of Thirsty Topics. I'm Lawrence Elrod.
Speaker 2:And I'm Meryl Clemo.
Speaker 1:Hey Meryl, how are you doing today?
Speaker 2:I'm good. I'm bursting with news. I feel like there's been so much good stuff. I was really looking forward to our recording today.
Speaker 1:Yes, there's been a lot going on, good and bad, unfortunately.
Speaker 2:I know, I know. Sometimes it's good to remind ourselves that there's both, because I feel like I can get stuck in a doom scroll situation.
Speaker 1:That is so true. Well, Meryl, let's start off on something positive.
Speaker 2:Okay, good, we'll bring some levity to the situation. And I can't believe at this point it feels like it's been a year already but a few weeks ago the wonderful Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey announced their engagement, which I think is very cute. I wouldn't classify myself as a Swifty, but it's so funny because my boyfriend was like Swift and Travis Kelsey announced their engagement, which I think is very cute. I am not, I'm not, I wouldn't classify myself as a Swifty, but it's so funny because my boyfriend was like I don't know if we're non Swifty, you sure like a lot of her songs and like got very excited about this engagement. So I feel like I'm Swifty adjacent, where you know, like I'm not obsessed, but I can see why people really like her.
Speaker 2:And you know, of course, there's things about this couple that people say are not real or if it's just for pr. To me this would have to be like really playing the long game and getting engaged to someone that just for pr, when you don't have to, it just seems like you're committing to a bit a lot. Um, I hope they're real and I think that they're a very cute couple and I don't know, I can't help but just feel very excited when I saw that maybe it's like the disney princess girl in me or something, but I do. You know, like I feel like a lot of people. Even though I know that we don't know taylor swift, she has a wonderful way of like making us all feel like we do know her. So I feel like that's why there's an element of extra excitement for this, because we it just feels like you're watching like a friend get engaged, but I understand she's not my friend, she's everybody's friend. Yeah, no, how did you feel? And also like Travis Kelsey is pretty hunky.
Speaker 1:Well, am I surprised that got engaged? No, I don't think anyone is. The only thing that really surprised me is how much news coverage it got when it happened. Whoa that surprised?
Speaker 2:me the most. I mean, they really are like a brand deal, where the fact that Google was like updating what it looked like on their people's search terms I didn't love. I think like the next day he had posted, travis had posted something I don't know if it was American Eagle or some business collaboration the next day and I'm just kind of like, oh, that's a little bit like I know life goes on and he had stuff to post, but it's like a little opportunistic To me. It's like if you're them and you're getting engaged, I don't know like wait a week or just have that week be that, before you post some type of sponsorship or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you know what I think he's probably thinking okay, my girlfriend's going to get coverage, no matter where she goes. If she sneezes too hard, it's going to make the headlines. So let me take a little bit of advantage of this, without going too far. So I understand what he did and I don't blame him, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I'm also. I'm not the kind where, like, I don't need to know every single thing about either the engagement or like their wedding details or what she was wearing or her dress or anything like that, like I'm just happy for them. Are you someone?
Speaker 1:I mean, I don't think you're like dying to know about the ring or how much it cost or anything, not really, I mean, I'm happy for it, but not really.
Speaker 2:There was a big in like the the girl engagement ring world. There was definitely a big uh talk about I think my camera went out but I'll fix it a big talk about like, uh, what type of ring and if it was like an old source diamond or like a new diamond or something like that, is that? That's not. That didn't make its way past your algorithm, right?
Speaker 1:No, that one I didn't get. I know that. The last thing I heard that I don't know if it's official or not, but a lot of people are speculating she's going to get married in her home in the backyard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I feel like the same thing is. I feel like when you're as famous as her, you just probably want your immediate friends and family, and I feel like her and Travis seem pretty family-oriented.
Speaker 1:Keeping it small yeah, that's true, Even though I really did expect a big lavish type wedding similar to Bezos, but I figured maybe she's a little bit on the opposite when it comes to all the attention.
Speaker 2:I know, but yep, I thought it was very cute. I think having the podcast with them a few weeks before made everyone extra excited for their engagement, because we got to see, like a longer form, look at them as a couple. So it's funny, though, because everything they do definitely is very calculated and very intentional, but I still can't help be happy for them.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, you know there's so much attention on them that I don't know if you knew it or not, but I guess when Travis was playing his first game for this season, the opposing player I'm not going to call him out, but the opposing player, I guess slapped him across the face, you know.
Speaker 2:Yes, I saw that.
Speaker 1:Everybody's all up in arms and I and I'm like, okay, you do realize he's wearing a helmet and all this. He's not, you know. Yeah, more spectacular than anything, but that kind of shows you how strong this uh, the taylor swift travis kelsey effect is right now I know, I know I can't help it.
Speaker 2:I think they're very cute. I also have some very diehard Swifty friends that are fans. I texted them as though they were getting engaged. My friend Kendall, I texted her. I'm like congratulations.
Speaker 1:Now tell me, are your friends Swifties?
Speaker 2:Definitely not all of them. I run the gamut. I have friends that will not put her on a playlist and they're not into her. I have some friends that are in the gayler category, which, like they think she's gay and they're pretty convinced that she's a lesbian. And then I have friends that are Like weary, diehard Swifties. So it runs the gamut of Taylor Swift friends that I have.
Speaker 1:Wow, okay, I learned something new.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, there's the Gaylor community and then there's the Hetler community that believes that she's heterosexual. I kind of don't care, like that is like beyond none of my business and like, like I said, I don't know her well enough to know, like or care, what the secret of all that is. But in this timeline I'm excited for them.
Speaker 1:I think it's cute I agree, and besides, with all this negativity going on, we definitely need something positive to talk about every now and then yeah, exactly to me.
Speaker 2:They're not harming anyone and so it's just, it's fun to look at and think about, so it's cute got to do now.
Speaker 1:This next subject. I don't know if you're going to find it so cute or not. Have you ever heard of this new thing out and I hate when they come out with these new acronyms but it's called life quitting. No, Okay, Life quitting is when you're quitting your job, but you're doing it live on social media.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God oh my God, when I saw this on TV I thought this was just a fad, you know, just whatever. But it's a real thing and it's actually very popular, and just so. People are aware what someone does. Let's say, they want to quit their job. So the way that people typically do it is they'll either send an email, they'll write out their resignation letter and they give it to HR, give it to their manager With live quitting, they go live on social media, on any of the platforms, and they announce that they're quitting. Oh my gosh, I get it. You know, you get your 15 minutes of fame or whatever, but think about that. That could come back to bite you in the butt.
Speaker 2:Yeah, are there any HR violations to that? Not really, because you're filming yourself.
Speaker 1:I don't think there's any HR violations. I think the problem that you have is that, let's say, you're trying to find a new job.
Speaker 2:Like, if you're on the job.
Speaker 1:That may keep you from finding one or the other things. Let's say you do have a job and you go on to that next job. How do you know they won't rescind your offer after you see you do this?
Speaker 2:Right, they're going to be like well, we checked out your social media in the last five videos. Is you quitting every job that you've had? But I wonder, if you post, say, if you're live quitting and you're telling like an HR manager that you're leaving, or even your supervisor, wouldn't that be like recording someone that didn't give their permission and posting it? Or, and I don't even know if that's okay nowadays, I don't even know.
Speaker 1:See, I don't know how that works. I know you can't record someone in certain States without their permission. Now what when you're putting them live?
Speaker 2:I don't know how that goes, and that's actually an excellent question. Yeah See, I do love the inverse of that, which is sometimes people say like I have a feeling I'm getting fired from my job, so let's watch. And then they film them and then, sure enough, it's like their HR manager very coldly telling them you know, we're going to do part ways with you. I think that's okay because it's kind of like funny and everyone's there to support. But I don't know, live quitting. I don't know. There's a part of me that's always like yeah, like leave your job. But I can see if I was like a hiring person being wary of that.
Speaker 1:Now, in certain situations let's say, for example, you're getting out of the workforce, have at it. Or let's say, you started your own business Again, have at it, because you know you're not going to fire yourself. So you know no big deal. But I don't know. I mean again, is this something I would do? Absolutely not. I don't know, meryl, would you do life quitting?
Speaker 2:do, absolutely not. I don't know, meryl, would you, would you do live quitting? No, it's so funny. I really only like quote unquote quit two jobs and I in like one of them if I was live. Both of them have been the nicest breakups in the entire world with like me and the other person and I feel like if people were watching they would be like this is a hallmark movie because because, like the other one of them, I just quit and then she was so nice to me and ended up really supporting me in my next careers and then the other quitting took almost four months for me to leave.
Speaker 2:So people watching live would have been really bored. They wouldn't have gotten anything juicy. So, yeah, I think I would much rather watch someone in film myself getting fired than I would quitting, because there's something about getting fired where you kind of are the victim a lot of times and so watching it it's like I think I'm more interested in that. Watching someone be let go, not from like a mean point of view, just an interesting point of view. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:I mean, do you think that the person is really trying to get back at the company or basically just getting their 15 minutes of fame?
Speaker 2:um, that's a good question. I think it can be both, I think. Sometimes I do think people feel alone in jobs that aren't kind to them or that are stressful, and I feel like we are like a little tribe and a little community. So in some ways I almost feel like maybe this can keep people accountable, and and also if the job like tries to talk them out of quitting or a lot of times I think employers are like mean to the people when they quit, you know they'll say good luck finding something else out there, or like it'd be insulting, and so I think this would make someone feel like there's like an audience helping them or watching them. But I think it's what exactly what you said. Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's just for attention.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. I'm just amazed at all these new terms that's coming up now Quiet, quitting, live, quitting, all these different things. It's like who has time to sit back and think these things out.
Speaker 2:Exactly, you need to film yourself live, quitting, quiet, quitting. Now. Have you ever left a job and had an employer be like outright mean to you or like you know, kind of say, like, oh, you're not going to amount to anything?
Speaker 1:um, yeah, I've had mean employers in the past. Um, I'm not gonna call them out because you know everybody likes us, but yeah, I've had.
Speaker 2:I've had mean employers in the past definitely see, this is where I wish I could like teach everyone just to have like. I definitely have like a Miss Piggy attitude where if someone was to tell me that I'm like who are you talking to? Like who be me, you know, so I feel like in a good way, people know not to do that you would think so, most people do.
Speaker 1:But you find that the one asshole every so often that you know proves you wrong and just some of the horrific place. And you know the other thing too, and I guess, looking at it from devil's advocate, you know if you work in a place that you're going through hell and it's miserable to you. You know, I may not agree with it, but I definitely understand it too.
Speaker 2:You know miserable it, but I definitely understand it too. You know, oh yeah, miserable. Where you at. You know exactly. I feel like people taking jobs and leaving jobs is so personal to them. It's like people just have to do what's right for them and their family and we can't really judge, like if it, you know, if you're at a job and someone else leaves, it may not be right for them and like, yeah, I think it's everyone has to to decide what jobs are, like you know, workable for them.
Speaker 1:I agree, I agree. You know, I know I've said this many times before in previous episodes. I commend the young workers right now, without dating myself. You know, coming into the workforce, you know you generally, it takes generally about two to six months for you to realize where you really work at what kind of people they really are. Yeah, a lot of times you go in you find out they lie through their teeth but you're gonna. Okay, I don't want to bounce around, let me try to work it out, whatever. Well, the new generation coming in, they don't do that. Once they figured out that you've lied to them, they're gone yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I also saw a real a video, like a real video, of um a girl saying that she was interviewing and then she didn't get the job.
Speaker 2:But she had gone through like three or four interviews and they sent her an email saying just a word for the future that during an interview you're not expected to talk about salary. So that that was really weird, that you asked us what the salary was for this position and she was like I was on my third interview with them and I just asked what the salary range was and they were saying like they were almost saying for the future, it's not nice to ask what the salary is. Wow, isn't that crazy? Yeah, they said you didn't get the job and it was like in so many words, but it was like almost they were being kind of like, you know, cheeky, just saying oh, in the future you may not want to ask what the salary is because that's not appropriate. And I'm like when would you find that out? Like on your first day of work or something that's so weird but I, I guess I'm what the candidate there's like.
Speaker 1:okay now if. If this is your first interview, I can see that that's a valid yeah. If you're on your third interview, I don't see that as being off limits. I really don't.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think to me. I think at least the range of salary should be posted on the, on the description, just so people aren't even wasting their time. Because even if someone is going through like a whole big long interview, even if it's their first one, and like the salary range is so off for both parties, that's like a waste of everyone's time. So I feel like it's completely like why wouldn't you ask that's what we're working for, is the salary I agree.
Speaker 1:I mean, there are states that require that to be listed, but it's not in all states. I really think it should be on a federal level. And again, if you don't want to put the exact down, I agree with you, at least put the range in there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It seems like a waste of time to not do that, but yeah, anyway, that would be a job that I would live, quit in front of everyone so well. I thought this was super interesting. Mr Wonderful from Shark Tank bought the most expensive Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant card ever. So the world of sports collectibles has been rocked by this news. It left lots of people speechless where Kevin O'Leary, known as Mr Wonderful on Shark Tank, along with his partners, had acquired the most expensive card in history, a unique piece featuring two NBA legends, michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He bought it for $12.9 million.
Speaker 1:Must be nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly. So he just said you know I'm proud to own it. He's been watching this card for three years and the decision was not taken lightly. And so, yeah, I don't know, would you ever, if you have the resources, would you buy a? Or do you have like a sports thing that you would buy if money wasn't a thing?
Speaker 1:I would say for me it would be some type of a Chicago bear memorabilia, because I'm a big. So it would be a Chicago bears. Yeah, if I had the means, yeah, I would definitely do fan. So it would be a Chicago Bears item. Yeah, if I had the means, yeah, I would definitely do it. What about you?
Speaker 2:I would buy something Padres-ish for my boyfriend and then something Philly. Actually, neither of them are going to watch it, but my first thing would be something Philly for my dad Interesting.
Speaker 1:Interesting.
Speaker 2:So I don't know what like a card or something I'm trying to think about. I don't know something that would would age well but also be like a very unique memorabilia thing.
Speaker 1:That's true, you can always get a painting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true, or maybe I would. If money was no object, I would buy them like my dad could hang out with, like John Crook for the day or something. I find them a gift of time.
Speaker 1:You know what One thing I have to admit about Mr Wonderful is to the average person that's a lot of money, oh my God, but to him it's like probably spending 40 bucks, won't even think twice about it. You know Exactly. I know he's a lot of money, oh my God, but to him it's like probably spending 40 bucks, won't even think twice about it, you know.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I know he's a big watch collector too, Like he's known for I think he likes the finer things in life, which I don't blame him. I think that's pretty cool, I'm not. I'm not mad about it, that's true.
Speaker 1:I mean and it's one thing you know a watch collection you could pass on from generation to generation. So that's a good, safe name piece that would continue to grow in appreciation, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep.
Speaker 1:Interesting, but I don't know if I would buy what he bought though. Well, he probably wouldn't buy a Chicago Bears memorabilia, so I can't really say he probably wouldn't buy a Chicago Bears Memo B, so I can't really say.
Speaker 2:I wonder what the most expensive Michael Jordan thing alone would be. I mean, I can't believe it. There's a card shop in Burbank, here where I live, and some of the things are like $30,000. I mean there's nothing there that's $12 million, but I still can't believe there's things there that are like the price of a car. That's crazy to me. And also I wonder what type of security he has with these things, because also, now that people know that like this I'm sure along with other stuff is in his house, you have to have it locked up pretty good oh, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:I mean remember we talked about that security guard who broke into the team's the professional team's locker room, and so in fact it was I want to say it was the Lakers and it was LeBron's jersey and the amount of money that those items cost was unbelievable, and I want to say like, say, millions of dollars worth of items right out of the locker room, I guess, when they're out playing and stuff, and I guess I don't really pay attention to memorabilia so I really don't know values or anything, but it's amazing what some of those things cost these days.
Speaker 2:Now, I'm completely ignorant about that, but who sets the price? Who determines that at $12?
Speaker 1:million. Know that's a great question. I mean, I guess you know my guess would be that they would probably check with some uh collectors and say, hey, how much do you think this is worth? Start from there. And then, you know, probably go to an auction and then, or maybe look at previous auctions based on similar items and say, this will probably go for this much here, based on these that were sold in the past.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I get that. I wonder, if you're Michael Jordan, if you think it's ridiculous that, could you imagine something of yours selling knowing that someone bought it for $12 million? If I was Michael Jordan, I would just be like Mr Wonderful, I'll just hang out with you on your boat, it's okay?
Speaker 1:He probably already does that too. We never know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I also think, too, the fact that it said that his acquisition was with his partners in the industry. They bought it together. I'm wondering how that works where it's just like you get to own it for six months at a time. They probably had to have some legal stuff written up too, the fact that more than one person bought it.
Speaker 1:That's true. That's true. Like I said, I would never have that issue.
Speaker 2:That $12 thing.
Speaker 1:Well, jumping from something funny to something pretty sad, wow, I was talking previously about all these little silly games that they do on social media.
Speaker 1:And one of them is they call the Ding Dong Ditch game, where basically what these kids do is they go ring people's doorbells and they run away. And again, they've been doing this kind of nonsense for years. Now they're putting it on social media. Well, there's been a tragedy because of that. An 11-year-old boy named Julian Goof Gooseman was fatally shot in Houston, texas, on September this year after participating in a ding-dong ditch prank. A man identified as Gonzalo Leon has been charged with the murder in connection with the incident. The shooting occurred late at night as the boy and his friend rang the neighbor's doorbell and ran with the homeowner opening the door, firing as the children fled, and basically he was shot in the back and he died.
Speaker 1:And you know, there's a few things with this Number one. I always say this there are consequences to things. With this Number one, I always say this there are consequences to what you do. You think this stuff is fun and all this stuff like that. And I said before, someone's going to get hurt or killed, yeah, especially in this time. And what made it even worse? The homeowner, you know. He ran out with the gun, chasing after him, shooting and shot him in the back.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, that's wrong.
Speaker 1:That's different than when someone's kicking your door in.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, you protect yourself because you don't know what's going on. You just see someone coming in through your door. But that's why I say these games are just silly and stupid and they need to stop. I mean, what do you think, Meryl?
Speaker 2:I completely agree with you. I feel like it's one thing if it's 2 am and someone kicks down your door and you think you're defending yourself, you know that is something. But when you see an 11-year-old running away and you do have time to think and stop and just even if you are mad, that's like, and just even if you are mad, that's like, it should never be a shooting situation, that's just very, very sad.
Speaker 1:No, I agree with you and you know the thing is, and I guess the biggest question is for the homeowner to me is if someone rings your doorbell but they never tried to break in, why are you going outside shooting and just start shooting randomly? That's just stupid, because if you're going after them you can clearly see that's a child.
Speaker 2:I know, I know and I also think too, like I agree that the stupid games need to stop, but we should be allowed or kids should be allowed, sometimes to just be like kids, and I'm not saying that's a good thing, but just to say we're the adults, so just to be like. Okay, they're being stupid kids. You know. They're digging the doorbell and then running away. It's not like they're hurting our pet or anything like that, you know. Just to realize it, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know there was another, unfortunately, incident where these three kids were out at four o'clock in the morning. I want to say they were 13, 14, and 15. Or 14, 15, and 16. They were still young teenagers when they kicked in a man's door and they had guns and when they came through the door the homeowner who was a veteran, also was a gun owner shot and killed all three of them that came through the door. So one died instantly at the scene. The other two, um, passed away at the hospital. So he got a lot of flack from their parents saying he should be charged this and that. That's a totally different situation to me right one.
Speaker 1:What are your teenagers doing out at four o'clock in the morning? Let's just be real about that. Second thing is you don't know what's going on. Your door is being kicked in. Yeah, you're announcing to them. Hey, you have a gun, don't come in. They come in anyway, and I guess you know one of them shot first. So he, oh my gosh, I mean what?
Speaker 2:are they doing? What were they? Were they actively trying to just shoot? I don't know what they were trying to do.
Speaker 1:To me. If you're wearing a mask and you're a kid breaking into someone's house at 4 o'clock in the morning with guns in your hands and again, I don't know how many guns it was, but one gun is too many You're not in there for the best reason. You're in there to do harm and do wrong. Again, I know that this is very controversial, but that man has a right to protect himself, period. I don't care if you're 13 or 33. You come into someone's house.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That person has a right to protect himself. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Yep, I agree, I definitely agree. But yeah, but this is just a total like this situation. I could just imagine how this kid's parents feel to you know, or I can't imagine it, but, like you know, just knowing that their kid did like one stupid move and then all of a sudden it cost him his life, and it's just very sad yeah, and, and what these kids have to understand today and this is that kind of sad thing is they don't realize that a mistake that takes a few seconds can change your entire life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there needs to be some fun like a prank outlet, because we did that growing up. We definitely rang people's doorbells and then ran away. But I feel like there needs to be some type of like I don't know like fun pranking or just harmless nowadays, you know, but like. But it is different knowing that way more people have guns or people have ring cameras on their phone and people are just like close to snapping anyway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, if somebody rang my doorbell and ran, you had to piss me off. Am I going to try and chase them? Absolutely not. No, I'm not going to chase them. And you know it's like what's going on with the public that you're ready to chase the little kids down the street for ringing your doorbell. Piss me off too, but not to the point where I want to, you know. Try and take their life or cause them harm.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the only thing is I definitely watch a lot of horror movies with very creepy kids. I feel like if the 11-year-old is running away, that's one thing, but if they're standing there looking creepy with dark eyes, I may the movie where the kids' eyes are just jet black and they have no pupils. Then I may freak out and think I'm in a horror movie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. I just pray that these kids.
Speaker 2:Stop these silly games, though I really do, I know, yep, yep, I agree, and I think you're right.
Speaker 2:I think it's up to parents to just reason with their kids when they're 11 and say, hey, like, unfortunately you can't do these types of things, but you know, if you want to go have a prank or something like, let's get you all together and we can like put water balloons on each other, like I don't know to think of constructive things, you know that's true, that's true crazy times I know that's what I am a fan of like those I know not everyone can afford it, but like those little play gyms where kids can go together or, you know, like activity centers I feel like, or even like free camps or something, are so good because kids do need to like be silly and play games, but I think having like a set environment for it is so important I agree, I agree but also don't shoot your neighbors unless they're coming into your house.
Speaker 1:Amen to that.
Speaker 2:Okay, this next one I am obsessed with and I feel like I feel like Will Smith got off very easy that Taylor Swift got engaged, because otherwise this would have been like the news story for two weeks. And like I'm bringing it up Cause I go, we need to talk about it more, I kind of flew under the radar, but I'm so obsessed with this that Will Smith posted like an ai generated concert video and it look it's crazy. So, basically, okay, like he posted himself. Uh, it was his comeback tour, called based on a true story, and pretty soon online observers noticed that ai had gone haywire, adding like these, like garbled looking fans, like they're, you know, look like their faces were kind of like glitched out and everything. And then they had signs praising the actor, but it was like the signs were wilted and it looked like ai written things and it just looked like it is.
Speaker 2:If you put into a video, generate an audience for me. I mean, you know, sometimes with ai, where you see the bunnies or you see like a deer, a bunch of deer like the one in the background will be like missing half a body and it just kind of looks like that. This is what it looked like for the audience. And so I mean Will Smith like really knows how to just keep us talking about him like every couple of months. But people, he posted this and all of a sudden people were like oh, this seems pretty AI. And then people started laughing about it and posting it and, yeah, it started to make its way a little bit onto going viral. But then I think, truly I think, taylor Swift got engaged and knocked him out of the media.
Speaker 1:And, you know, the sad part about it is that it was only a matter of time before AI was going to make its way into music Videos, just like it's made its way into other things In life. Like I said, I really didn't hear about this, probably because, like you said, it came out around the same time Of the Taylor Swift Announcement, so that kind of knocked a little bit of steam out of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I also I think I saw something too the Taylor Swift announcement, so that kind of knocked a little bit of steam out of it. Yeah, Now I also I think I saw something too that like he he might have been in on the bit and like he trolled people because there was even like a crowd of cats AI in the thing, so like I think he was part of it. I feel like he's very good about making like. I remember when he first got on Tik TOK, he was making like amazing videos and whoever his tiktok person was was like out of control because it was like the best of the best. But I don't know, to me this doesn't really build credibility and it's like it's funny, but it kind of I don't know. I think not enough people got the joke or were in on it if it was one and it just made him look a little bit foolish. I don't know. What do you think about it?
Speaker 1:You know what A lot of times artists try to do something, to step outside the box, do something different. Above and all that, sometimes it's a swing and a miss.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think this is one of those times where it may have been a little bit of a swing and a miss I know, I know I I also feel like we're not sure as, like a general public, yet how, like how we feel about will smith again, you know, I think that's been fractured for a lot of people, so him just like having weird ai cats and people cut off from, like looking weird. I think it's just kind of like okay, and to me, if me, if you're going to go in on it, make it so obvious that you're trolling everyone. Don't make it look like you're kind of trying to have an audience and kind of not.
Speaker 1:That's true. That's true. I mean again with the AI thing. I think this is just one of many more videos to come using AI.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, there's some things I can pretty much tell Anytime. It's like a grizzly bear going to sleep on someone. I'm like, okay, this looks like an AI. But there was one that I saw where a golden retriever brought a skunk into the couple's bed, and that one looked really real. I was like, oh my God, I looked. I'm like, wait, this is AI.
Speaker 1:That is true. That is true. Now, the only thing about that, what you just said, that could possibly happen, because there are dogs that would do that.
Speaker 2:Right, because it said the caption was something about like oh no, you know, we're going to have to give them a tomato soup bath or something. And I'm like, well, this is silly. And then I looked but it was fake. The Will Smith thing I just think was so ridiculous because if you look at the video it's like people really do look like Picasso paintings where their face is melting and everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, like I said, I get what he's trying to do, but I think it was probably a swing and a miss. People would give him grace because he is well spent.
Speaker 2:So I know, and maybe this was like it also was kind of a fail if he was trying to like spark conversation about it too, because if anything, people were like, oh, that's weird. Moving on.
Speaker 1:That's true. That's true. Now, did you watch the video all the way through?
Speaker 2:no, I did not. I saw cats and weird audience members and I was like this is, this is enough. The signs looked weird too, but I mean, I don't know like. I think I mean you can't blame someone for trying, and I feel like, if anything will, smith is always also not afraid to try. I like that. He works with a lot of different creators. I can't hate someone for trying to be creative.
Speaker 1:That's true Talk about someone being creative. Cardi B gives a masterclass on how to win over a jury. I love it. Well, cardi B is being praised for being a masterclass in charming a jury during her recent civil assault trial, winning a not guilty verdict by using her public image, comedic timing, relatable candor and authentic, unfiltered testimony to connect with the jurors and redefine celebrity defenses. She leveraged moments of humor, bluntness and even her changing hairstyles and wigs to turn the potential damaging situation into a demonstration of her resilience and truth, rather than appearing as a snooty or overly polished professional. Now, I did see some of those videos and it was kind of interesting that you know when she was changing her hairstyles every day. I'm a little surprised, um, at the prosecution asking her said uh, you know her hair, is that your natural color? We know that you change your hair and it's like dude, what?
Speaker 2:are you doing? I know that's not the point of it. Yeah, you kind of like playing into what she's doing. Yeah, talk about not taking it seriously.
Speaker 1:I mean, she played it like a fiddle. I have to give her credit on that. What do you think?
Speaker 2:I think I would definitely be susceptible to Cardi B charming me, charming the pants off of me for sure, like I feel like if she was in a jury, if I was in a jury and she was like up for trial, I totally she would like wink at me and make me laugh and I'm like no guilty. Depending on what she did, though, but I feel like, yeah, I could see her being very charming and I think it's cool. I think there's some things to be taken about it, about just how to face a jury or how to have charisma if you are innocent, but if she did something very serious, then we should all not forget that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, that's true. I mean I don't know if you know the situation, but basically she was. She was basically accused of harming a female security guard, I guess in the event of whatever with her, with her nails, because you know she has very long nails. So I guess, if it's not like her face slashed or whatever like this, I can see how a celebrity can use their ability to connect with fans, because there were probably fans in that jury too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm surprised she just wanted to settle something like that and just give the fan a certain amount of money. I would need to know. Wanted to settle something like that and just give the fan a certain amount of money. I would need to know how badly this person is hurt. This just seems like a ridiculous thing to have a jury for and take up the court's time and everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I think sometimes people use that to try and get as much money out of an entertainer as possible.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if that was my loved one, if she scratched my mom or a friend, entertainer as possible. Yeah, yeah. But if that was like, if that was my loved one, like if she scratched my mom or a friend or something that I would want like, and then I would be mad at people being turned by her, I'd be like, no, this person, she's still a human that like hurt someone or you know, like she should definitely, uh, like have to pay if she really did hurt someone yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you think that whenever a celebrity goes to court, regardless of what the accusation is or the charges, do you think that whenever a celebrity goes to court, regardless of what the accusation is or the charges, do you think that it's harder to convict a celebrity because of their celebrity status? Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2:Maybe, unless it's Gwyneth Paltrow, because everyone wants to convict her, even if she's innocent. They're like, no, she's guilty anyway, she's just annoying. Anyway, she's just annoying. Yeah, definitely, I think we all have probably a little soft spot for certain celebrities, but then in general they get off more, except for Martha Stewart.
Speaker 1:That's true.
Speaker 2:Maybe some, but not all of them, like a Johnny Depp type of situation. I think we're more likely to hear them out and maybe not condemn them right away that's true type of situation. Or I think we're more likely to hear them out and maybe not, um, not like condemn them right away, that's true. Or know if they did something bad, but like like a Chris Brown type of situation which is something terrible that they did. But then there's a lot of people that were like yeah, but he's so talented, you know, not not me, but like I think it's easy to kind of look past some things when, like you, already think the person's amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, and you know, the thing is that sometimes I don't think that fans can separate the event from the person.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, oh yeah for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just think that if someone does something horrible or something bad, you have to take a look at the evidence and you have to make up your own mind on what you believe. But I don't believe in blind loyalty either. You know, if a person is a bad person, they're a bad person. I don't care if they got $100 in their account or a million dollars in their account. You know you have to have a person on their own character.
Speaker 2:I think that happened. Like it's so funny. This is me saying this as, like a white woman, but I was gonna say I think white women are honestly so annoying. Like this doesn't have to be a race thing. But when I think about like blake lively and I just I just feel like sometimes we can be very unlikable in in terms of like, like. I think of someone like a Blake Lively who already, like I would judge her more because I kind of don't like her starting it rather than viewing someone as more innocent.
Speaker 1:Wow, really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not that I'm like I'm sure there's a million trillion white women that I love more than anything. I'm getting myself in hot water now, but basically, when I'm thinking of some of the people that have been on trial, who I find annoying, it has been, it just happens to be that.
Speaker 1:Okay, so note to the jury do not pick Meryl if you've got a celebrity up there.
Speaker 2:Exactly exactly If the singer, Meghan Trainor, needed some help. I'm not the one that should be for that. Cardi B, yes, but yeah, basically. Anyway, I feel like if we view celebrities sometimes already as, like Ellen, someone that doesn't have a great background already, where it's like, okay, there are rumblings that this person may not be the best person behind the scenes, then I feel like I'd probably be the other way, which would be thinking that you know, not good things about them.
Speaker 1:I hear you, public opinion is really hard to overcome sometimes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep, they definitely are. That'd be so funny If I'm like, if I get taken off the jury cause I'm like I just don't really like other white women. Don't be mad at me, people, I'm, I'm a comedian, okay, I love all people. Just I annoy myself. Um, okay, well, feel free to edit that part out if you want to, but anyway, this is. This is perfect.
Speaker 2:Talking about white middle-aged women, is that? Uh met? Something called meno divorce is on the rise. Middle-aged women leave marriages at record rates. Meno divorce is on the rise. Middle-aged women leave marriages at record rates as menopause unleashes built-up resentment. So I think this was very interesting and crazy. Uh, while a decreasing number of marriages are ending in divorce, overall they're uh, the rates continue to climb amongst adults aged 50 and older.
Speaker 2:For some women, menopause can, uh, and I think everyone knows this, but menopause can. I think everyone knows this. But menopause is kind of when you stop menstruating as a woman and then you know the changes happen. A lot of women get hot flashes, your mood can change, you can get brain fog, you know all that kind of stuff, and it can happen to women, you know, in different ages. Usually it's like the late 50s, late 40s, early 50s, but it can be, you know, different.
Speaker 2:And then there's also perimenopause, which is definitely people are talking about, which is like the period of time leading up to menopause, and so, yeah, a lot of times I think this is a time when, like you're together and maybe the kids are off in college now, and like you're just starting to kind of all the things that you haven't been noticing in your relationship because you've been too busy or people just haven't like sweeping it under the rug. I feel like that's when people are like oh man, are we really going to be together for like the whole rest of our lives and resentment starts building. So, yeah, like I know you're in a happy marriage and like I'm obsessed with my boyfriend and stuff, so I feel like, as time goes on, I like it more happy with my relationship.
Speaker 1:I think basically because we're in that situation where we're in a different phase of marriage, because we're empty nesters. Now, you know, my son is off to college and everything. And you're right, you've raised one or more children. You know your life is a certain way. You got to get them off to school, get them off to baseball, basketball, whatever practice or whatever. So your life kind of revolves around your kids. Well, when your kids move out, all that's gone.
Speaker 1:So now it's just you and your spouse and, depending on your situation one or more of you may be retired at the same time, so you go from you know being around each other for maybe a few hours during the week, because you're working hard in the weekend, to every single day all day long. Yep, sometimes people don't know how to react to that, and that's where I think the rub goes. So I think it's one of those situations where either A you basically stick together just because of the kids or something else, or, b the other situation is that you don't really know how to communicate or how to be a couple without all those other things that you had to worry about.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and I feel like the fifties are also the times where people you just don't have to take it anymore. If you have a partner that's like not pulling their own way and this could be any type of it could be man, woman, two men, two women, you know like where, if you're kind of in a relationship where you're not being appreciated or treated really well, at a certain point in your life you just hopefully develop enough like self-esteem where you're just kind of fed up with it and want to like live the the last half of your life in like, either by yourself or in a relationship that appreciates you yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:I mean, the biggest thing is is that people don't understand. But you have to work on your relationship every single day, and when your household changes, you have to work even harder, because now you have to get used to a different type of norm. Yeah, aren't used to that.
Speaker 2:Exactly I'm I'm so grateful to that Like like I feel like I'm in a relationship where I don't have to take care of the person, like I'm not like babying him and we're both like two separate adults and we're helping each other. But I think a lot of women feel that way where they almost feel like their husband is like an extra kid. And then I think it just hits, especially in their fifties, when your hormones are shifting, where you're like Nope, I'm not dealing with that. And you know, it's time for everyone to like live a good life, and sometimes that means leaving for people.
Speaker 1:That's true, and sometimes you have to do what you have to do for yourself. But at the same token, too, is you got to communicate Exactly. You know you can't go, you know all these years or whatever, and your partner's thinking everything is fine.
Speaker 2:You know it's not perfect.
Speaker 1:But wait, we're doing good and then all of a sudden, boom, I hate you, I don't want to be around you, let's get a divorce. And it's like whoa, where else come from?
Speaker 2:exactly, exactly. I I feel too like. I feel like this is an age too where, as we saw with the cold play concert too, a lot of times like men or women too, anyone could do it, but like that's when people also have divorces because they're kind of or not divorces affairs, because they're, like you know, bored with their life, or someone else younger comes along or something, and so I think that could shake up a lot of the times too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you know, like they say, that few minutes of pleasure could cause you a lifetime of unhappiness.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Also, I think it's so funny that the article about this I'm looking at caption says one couple separate toilets saved their marriage.
Speaker 1:So you could either get some horse or get a whole separate other bathroom.
Speaker 2:But, um, yeah, I can totally see how this is and I think for some women that it could be like the best thing ever to happen to them, where maybe they're living in a marriage that's just kind of less than helpful and then all of a sudden're like you know what? I've lived long enough and these hormones got me, you know, feeling away, and so I'm leaving.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, and you know, at the end of the day you got to do what's right for yourself, you know. Yeah, Unfortunately, sometimes that may mean moving on, you know.
Speaker 2:I know it's so interesting to the dynamic of sometimes I feel like, um, I feel like men may like move on quicker after a relationship, but then women like heal faster. Really you know what I mean. Like any breakup that I've seen her happen, men will like kind of move on quicker or at first they seem like they don't care, they're not that affected, but then, like years later the woman is really healed and has really gone through all of it and men are like what? They'll circle back or they'll still be confused or whatever. So I feel like a lot of times with these relationships, if the woman leaves she may have a terrible year or two while she rebuilds her life, but then when she does, she's really moved on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is so true. That is so true. But unfortunately that's the game of life, as they say, right?
Speaker 1:I know yep, yep well, talking about the game of life here. Um, the interesting thing is this is going to be a real big surprise to some people, but you know we talked about these love scams and stuff like that. That goes on. Well, there was a deepfake video of General Hospital star, steve Burton that conned a woman out of her life savings. That conned a woman out of her life savings. Scammers used defaked videos of General Hospital's actors, steve Burton, to con a 66-year-old California woman out of her life savings, leading to her losing her condo. The victim, abigail Revalcuba I think I probably butchered her name, ru Kuba, sorry believes she was in a romantic relationship with Burton after communicating for over a year on Facebook. The scam, which came to light in August of 2025, highlights the increasing sophistication and prevalence of AI-driven fraud. Well, there's a lot I can say on this here.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Please don't hate me when I say this, but why would a TV star be reaching out for money from you?
Speaker 2:I know, come on, remember, we had one of these a few months ago. Was it like Brad Pitt or someone that? Or Keanu Reeves? Yeah, like someone that literally thought they were deeply in a relationship with this person and needed to give rapid money. It's like, I mean, I don't want anyone to get scammed, but you really have to. There's a certain level of awareness that my empathy goes down a little bit when it's a situation like this, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, and I'll give it to them, there's a lot of sophisticated scams. Now you know like.
Speaker 1:I said I get phone calls and stuff all the time about being approved for loans that I never applied for all the time. So there's scams out there. It's very sophisticated, but come on now, why would let's think about this for a minute? That's just like okay, you know you at home and Denzel Washington reaches out to you on Facebook. He has this great social media affair with you. He's like, hey, can you send me $50,000 or whatever it's like. You'd know this isn't Denzel Washington, you know what.
Speaker 2:I mean, as you said, it's so easy to get scammed from when it's like you'd know this isn't Denzel Washington. Yes, as you said, it's so easy to get scammed from when it's like pretend Bank of America calling or they use someone's voice and you're like exactly what you said. There's more sophisticated ways that people can definitely get used of their money, but when it's like Denzel Washington 004 is requesting some money, it's like come on, I can't believe people that fall for that are out there driving and working and being part of society.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean. The thing is, everybody wants companionship, everyone wants to be in love with someone, but don't be so desperate to the point that you're not paying attention to the common sense though yeah, and I'm not saying this to the common sense though, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I'm not saying this to be cold or mean or anything like this, but think about this for a minute A TV star on TV that you see has to reach out to you for money. You've never met this person, right? I mean, at some point you've got to say to yourself this is just stupid, this makes no sense. Or am I just being too mean?
Speaker 2:No, I don't think you're being mean. I really don't know anyone in my life that would fall for this. This is definitely foolish. People like this don't deserve to have their money taken away, but they definitely deserve some type of like. I don't know, it's very silly. I get up in arms about it too. I don't think it's mean. I think it's a little silly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the crazy thing about it, merrill, I'm quite sure there's been more people that's been scammed like this, but this is kind of one of those scams that you're probably too embarrassed to talk about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I, I could see if, like, maybe you think that you're I think I talked about this too but, like, I heard of one situation with a podcaster that I like about, um, like a girl thought she was dating him because this girl really was using his profile picture and like his likeness and stuff and so she thought that they had like some type of like you know situationship going or whatever, where they were talking all day and I could could see if, like, after months of talking, that guy you know in theory, that pretend person was like oh man, you know, I can't access my account. I need like $1,000 or something I can see, maybe if you'd like built up a long relationship with them. But wouldn't you just like make sure you see someone in person or like FaceTime with them or something?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know what? You had a great point, or FaceTime with them or something. Yeah, and you know what? You hit a great point Because this was an AI-generated person. That means you never did FaceTime with this person.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, yeah, it makes me mad, it annoys me and this definitely I don't even have a quarter of the empathy that I do for when it's an older person that gets called by a pretend Walmart or credit card or something like that. Yeah, I agree, I agree that gets called by a pretend Walmart or credit card or something like that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree, I agree. And then the sad part about it is Meryl. Is that because she lost so much money I think she was forced to say something, because you had to file a police report at that point Money she lost If you're a relative of her, you got to be, you know, pull her aside and be like, hey, what's going on?
Speaker 2:you know, I'd almost be more embarrassed about that than like actually losing the money. Like how do you even explain that to people?
Speaker 1:but, um, I just hope that people kind of wake up a little bit. And I'm not saying, you know, don't help anyone in need, or whatever, but again I'm going to say it again the common sense back. They got to kick in at some point you know what I mean, I agree.
Speaker 2:So don't help everyone listening. Don't give money to pretend Cardi B when she says she needs money for her trial. Good point, exactly. Well, I thought this was very silly. I mean not silly, but annoyingly silly.
Speaker 2:Four hikers had to be rescued after suffering debilitating psychedelic mushroom trip in New York's Catskill Mountains.
Speaker 2:So there was a bunch of hikers and they tried to, you know, take some shrooms and shroom out, as they say, and did not have a very good high and so, uh, couldn't continue with their thing and they had to call for help. And, um, the rangers scaled down the trail and helped them back and it took a few hours and people were just like sharing their situations of bad highs and how bad it can be. And then some people are like, if you're going to do mushrooms or acid or drugs like that, like the woods is exactly the place you want to do them. But a lot of people are like, well, you should at least have one person with you. That's not, you know, uh, under the influence or something, just in case something bad happens. So, like you know, whatever, I don't judge too much, I'm not a drug taker by any means, but like that just seems really scary to me, and especially nowadays with like all the different weird scary types of things in drugs. I feel like you should. Just people just need to be more careful.
Speaker 1:I think they're nuts. Because here's the thing You're on the wilderness or wherever you are. Depending on where you are, there are certain wild animals there. Yeah, I do not want to be mushroomed up or anything. Yeah, let's just face the facts. Let's say you're sitting there, you're relaxing, whatever, you had your mushrooms, you're feeling real good, you know like and then all of a sudden, a bear comes creeping up on you Exactly, you know, instead of you either freezing, make yourself look big or whatever, you know you're like hey, what's going?
Speaker 2:on Yogi. Both know that's not going to end very well, right? That's why I think it's good for like I mean, and also I don't know, to me it would just seem boring to like be in the woods and be tripping for hours. I don't know what experience I would want, but not that. But exactly in all four people. Like what? If everyone's on a different wavelength? That would also be weird too, because if one person is like crying, about their history and one person's like in team purple.
Speaker 1:It's just that's a lot to to uh try to base your experience on. It definitely is, and I don't know.
Speaker 2:I mean, if you're gonna do mushrooms or whatever, do it at home, in the safety of your house, you know I know you're right because also that that is like it's not dangerous for other people, but you are right too, where if you're out in public, it's just not the right place and space to do it at. And imagine, like you know, you're using the resources of rangers who have to go and like pull your butt out and just there's other people that are probably like twisted their ankle or that need actual help oh, absolutely, and you know.
Speaker 1:The other thing too is when you're doing mushrooms. My thing is when you're doing mushrooms, you're trying stuff for the first time. You really do not know how it's going to react to your body.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:If everybody has had those mushrooms and one person has a bad reaction to it, that means that there's not going to be a person that will be able to get help right away for that person, and I could be wrong.
Speaker 2:Exactly I have like like to me personally, anyone but like I feel like being out in nature is enough, like I I think we're not like there's more to notice without even being on drugs than like you know I would really try, whether it's like listening to a meditation tape or just going out there or like drinking a vegetable juice or something like. I feel like there's other ways to like connect with your senses and spirit rather than having to like leave it through drugs. I understand some people feel like it's a portal and everything but um like to me, just being in the woods is is like alone and enough. Like I don't think I need a ton of things to like enhance it.
Speaker 1:Exactly, exactly, and again, you know you have something better. Yet let's say, you know, a lion or a tiger or a leopard or something walks up to you and you, so high You're like hey, kitty, kitty, come, let me pet you. You know, imagine being in a hospital, and then what were you doing? What happened? Well, I got a little high and you know, I started petting. Imagine being in a hospital, and then what were you doing? What happened? Well, I got a little high and you know, I started petting the whole.
Speaker 2:And you know the emergency professionals doing their little thing, like what I know, and imagine you're like once again having to explain to people like how your hike went. You're like, well, we actually have to get carried away by rangers, that's when your buddy goes.
Speaker 1:mental note I would never go hiking with you.
Speaker 2:Same thing. I wouldn't do it on a boat either, because then I would jump in the ocean and think that sharks are being friendly with me. Especially, there's an area here called Yosemite which is very, very beautiful but very windy roads and twisty roads, and I've heard of like some I've had some friends too that will like take mushrooms and take things, and then I'm like you're driving with basically like around cliffs and around the mountain, and I just feel like, even if they're just camping, I don't want to be near any of those types of things or I don't want to be driving around people that are oh no, absolutely not.
Speaker 1:And if I see someone taking mushrooms and they're like hey, let's take a ride.
Speaker 2:I'm like no, yeah, not at all.
Speaker 1:Yes, Well, my last topic, this one I've been saving. This is a good one. Well, there's a thing called the girls trip cost plan. So basically what it is is that women get together and they get a joint account check-in or savings account that all of them share. They put money into there and they use that to go on trips or go out or whatever like that, and in their minds, it saves them from the hassles of trying to split a bill or do this and do that. I personally think this is nuts, but I wanted to be fair. I wanted to get your opinion. What do you think?
Speaker 2:This seems like a disaster, absolutely Like. I love the thought of. I mean like why would we need that, if anything? If I plan a trip with my friends, we like like, for example, I have a friend, one of my best friends, I'm going to Vegas with her in November, but like we're staying at the same hotel but we're making all of our arrangements separately, Like I'm doing it out of my own money, she's doing it out of her money, and then when we go to eat, we will just like split it or pay for what we got, or like I don't, we don't need like a group situation, because also sometimes, like people may order alcoholic beverages and some people won't, and like also, I don't need, I don't need, I don't know, I just don't want my, my money, like tied up with other people's, and that just seems like a weird thing. It's going to build resentment one way or another and actually make a good point.
Speaker 1:Because let's say you're out and let's say one person, for whatever reason, can't drink or they don't drink and the other people you know they're drinking up or whatever. So how do you handle that? Because technically it's not even right.
Speaker 2:I mean exactly. Yeah, I also think, too, you're missing out on, everyone's missing out on their individual credit card points. I'm spending credit cards because it's also who's gonna put the like 600 tab on their credit card and get the points for it? Because that's part of something when you travel, like if you can be responsible and pay it off, like it is good to you know, accumulate some points and everything but um, yeah, I think this seems like a crazy thing.
Speaker 1:I feel like I have I don't know one friend group that I could really like picture it going well, and I think it's a recipe for disaster I mean, I know they talked about it on good morning, amer, and I know there was, I think, a camera person or something that was like in the background, like shaking her hand, like absolutely not. And Michael Strahan was a little mean. He's like you wouldn't do that, maybe you need some new friends. Yeah, I'm like no, I agree with that, I wouldn't do that either. I mean.
Speaker 2:I think it's good to like you know, it's always like in the group chat we should go here, we should go. I think it's good, I think it's awesome when someone makes like the first thing and they're like I booked the Airbnb, Like I'm the first one to make the move, but but we don't need to have like a joint account to do it. I feel like everyone can be responsible and like make their travel moves on their own, oh yeah moves on their own.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and the reality is, let's face it, not everybody handles their accounts very well. It's like if the person Because I guess the example that they used this group of women that did it one person had control over the account, but everyone had access to what's in the account and the way they handled the situation. Let's say, if one person, for whatever reason, doesn't drink and the other people handle the situation. Let's say, if one person, for whatever reason, doesn't drink and the other people do, then they would still pay out of the account, but they would calculate what that person would have spent and give them money back and it's like okay.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to turn someone into an accountant?
Speaker 1:now I'm just trying to figure this out?
Speaker 2:Whose account is it in and how are we sure Do you have to really monitor it to make sure they're not taking a little bit? Why don't I just buy this $26 lipstick with the account?
Speaker 1:That's a great point, Meryl, because here's the thing Obviously, if you spend a big amount, everybody's going to see it, but if you pitch off a few dollars here and there, no one's probably going to be watching that account close enough to see that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's never a good idea and like hopefully everyone stays friends forever, but if any point they're not friends, then like trying to get that money back seems like a nightmare. It just seems very weird and there's other ways to like share things as friends. I bet there's other ways to share things as friends. I think there's a lot of good apps set up where you can split bills and I think there's a lot of user-friendly things for friends that travel, but one account just seems really stupid.
Speaker 1:And I would say for the people that watch this and are listening to this, I would love for you guys to come on our social media and tell us what you think, because this will be interesting.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have a feeling that most, most men would not want to do this, but I could be wrong.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I mean, I'm on the I'm on the way other end of things where, like for the most part, my boyfriend, I don't even have like like accounts. So you're right, I grew up with parents that are very like combined with everything, like a family that's like one account, one everything. But. But I think, because my boyfriend and I like started dating a little bit later in life, we just have our own things and, um, yeah, I like keeping things separate. It just seems like easier oh yeah, definitely, definitely.
Speaker 1:Do you think most women would do this?
Speaker 2:No, most smart women? No, definitely not. It just seems kind of like an Immature thing to do, I think.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. It's almost Like you don't trust everyone if you need to do this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I could definitely see Like I'm trying to think like building up some pool, like. If you know like, for example, if my friend and I were gonna like go to vegas and each month we contributed like the same amount for like if we knew that like a spa pass was each gonna cost us 200 or something you know like, if we each put in for like a set amount that we knew, but even something like drinks and dinner. It's just so hard because that can fluctuate. You can get free drinks or you can not be drinking at all. It's just hard to know.
Speaker 1:That is so true. That is so so true.
Speaker 2:That way I don't want them to know what I'm giving money to Denzel Washington Good point, good point yeah. Well.
Speaker 1:Meryl, this was a great great great episode?
Speaker 2:tell us what? Oh yeah, I was so happy to do it. Um, okay, so, uh, if you're listening to this, on sunday night I have a show at um, a place called flappers in burbank, which is one of my favorite venues to perform at, and it's so cute. It's the venue's like 15th birthday, so it's called like Flappy Birthday, which I don't know why. I find that so funny, but it's a free show and it's at 5 pm, so you'll be done with comedy by seven, which is amazing. So that's at Flappers and that is on Sunday.
Speaker 1:Wow, nice flappers. And that is on sunday wow, nice. Well, if you're in the area, definitely come out support meryl. Let her know that you, uh, either heard about it or saw on our on our channel, lrtvnetworkcom. This was a lot of fun, meryl this was so fun.
Speaker 2:This really like is one of the highlights of my whole week I love it for me as well.
Speaker 1:everyone, thank you so much for watching or listening to us. Always make sure that you follow us, tell everybody about us and continue to support our program. We really appreciate it Absolutely. I'm Lawrence Elrott.
Speaker 2:I'm Meryl Clemo. Take care everyone.
