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Crooked River Cast Show 42
30 Plays9 hours ago
Crookedrivercast.com
Crookedrivercast@gmail.com
Rob and Tom discuss what they expect in 2026.
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Transcript
Year-End Show Introduction
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome back to the Crooked River cast year-end show extravaganza buffet all-you-can-eat special. Part two, which would be episode 42, recorded, you know, some other day.
Bourbon and Family Dynamics
00:00:14
Speaker
We got more stuff to discuss, more what's coming up this year, and ah let's do it. All right, we're back. Yeah, I know nobody noticed we were gone, but I had to get some more ice because I like my bourbon on rocks.
00:00:29
Speaker
I think you're a neat person, aren't No, i I started with rocks and I've been drinking enough that it turned into neat. And now it's ah it's back to rocks. Back to rocks.
00:00:41
Speaker
You know, for the first time since the show started, we actually resemble the pictures on our website because we got a glass of bourbon. It's always funny. We had a glass of bourbon. We always do our the podcast in the morning. were We're definitely not in bourbon mode in the morning. It's coffee all the way. You know what? What's funny is basically this show is me and Rob going to the local pub. Yes. And having a bourbon and talking about what's going on.
00:01:08
Speaker
yeah You know, we do we just try to organize it in a way we can present it. That's all. so we're we're We're just doing what we do. But, you know, we we're doing it every week. we We didn't do it every week, but we would get together, you know, quarterly, something like that.
00:01:25
Speaker
Well, definitely on holidays, family, because I don't think we mentioned in the opening, but we're related. Right. We see each other every holiday. Right.
00:01:37
Speaker
but Not only those, but we. So I'm your brother-in-law. We're brother-in-laws. So we did that a lot too that then. But yeah. we Yeah, we did we did it that and that way naturally. And then we also, you know, catch a drink after work couple times a year. have A bitch session, basically what it was. So now we're not going to, you know, my resolution is I'm not talking you to you outside of this ever again.
00:02:03
Speaker
i think it'll make for a better show well i you know it's funny because i definitely hold things back you know things i would funny things that i would text or links or something like that or just well yeah for the show right yeah even like um my daughter wanted a cd player are we recording are we just talking oh okay we're recording uh even like my daughter
00:02:30
Speaker
Oh, it's CD player. I think I held on to that for over almost a week and didn't tell you anything because I wanted your reaction on the show. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's cool.
Reflections on Life and Holidays
00:02:40
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, it's because I want the actual reaction. I don't want, I don't want you to try to fake it.
00:02:45
Speaker
It's hard sometimes because I'm a person who's, I'm very much like, you know, I like to, as you might may have noticed from the show, but like to get my, i like to wear my emotions on my sleeve and I like to vocalize. I was going to say we both wear our heart on our sleeve. It's, yeah um
00:03:03
Speaker
I like to vocalize it more than you. Yeah, no, I, I, I shove my mouth little bit Like just did and cut you off. Yeah. Well, that's okay. But, uh, so next year.
00:03:15
Speaker
Oh, next, what? Next year. Next year's year, the year is up. Wow, it's fast. It just keeps getting faster and faster, older I get. It's the less percentage of our lifetime. That's why. Nobody realizes that.
00:03:30
Speaker
You want to hear, you want to hear something sad? Think about how many more Christmases you have. Stop it. ah Have some more bourbon and think about how many Christmas.
00:03:42
Speaker
yeah I mean, it maybe it's 25.
00:03:47
Speaker
But next year is 24. It doesn't, you know, you like, well that's not that many. No, I think, I think ah to my, like, I started thinking that way a little while ago, not about myself, but like, like, okay, so how many times am I going to see my parents yeah for Christmas?
00:04:06
Speaker
How many more times? I'm going to see my dad in Arizona. and Exactly. i don't see him very often. It could, you know, every time I go down there and come back, I'm like, it could be. It could be the last time. Because you them every day. Yeah, because you don't I don't see them on the regular. don't see them once a week once a day or anything like that. I still think about like family events that way. It's like you only got so many.
00:04:30
Speaker
Yeah. so so Way to bring the show down. Here's my burp. I'm going to have a drink. Nice job. Nice job. Bring the show down. Come on. and But, you know, there are other people that are sitting going, oh, I only got two more. Cool.
00:04:45
Speaker
Thanks. Click. Delete. No, yeah I mean, there there are families that don't look at it the way I do. Or we do. Yes.
00:04:55
Speaker
They're they're like relieved that they're not going to see their families again. ah there are Yeah, there are many. or and I don't know about relieved, but, like, I don't want to make it dark, but.
00:05:08
Speaker
We're already you there, Tom. Oh, okay. The bourbon's kicking in. We're dark. i know do think I do think there are people that don't um appreciate their time with their family. So a few times you have left there, it's okay.
00:05:23
Speaker
Absolutely. Yeah, i know I know a couple of people that way for sure. um But before I forget, because you know it's not in the notes, so of course I didn't mention it in the last hour and a half.
00:05:36
Speaker
CrookedRiverCast.com. Oh. cricketrivercast.gmail.com. Send us a link. Send us your, help help us, help us with the show, help us with, with stories in your area that we're not covering. We can't cover everything. there's only two of us.
00:05:51
Speaker
And from week to week, it's hard. It's really hard. That's one of the hardest things that I've had to to learn how to do is filter this new story. I want to cover everything. Listen, we it's just the two of us yeah that work full-time jobs. There's three of us. Yeah. No, I understand that, but we all work.
00:06:09
Speaker
Yeah. So help us out. Yeah. Send us, send us your stories. If we're missing something, we've had a ah couple listeners and of send us stuff about data centers and this and that. And it's really helped out lot. It's really helped out a lot.
00:06:23
Speaker
That's great.
Political Landscape and Resolutions
00:06:24
Speaker
So quicker river cast.com and ah check us out on, on the, on the web, on the worldwide web. The, and The interwebs. The information superhighway.
00:06:35
Speaker
Oh, I forgot that term. and Information superhighway. Nice. If you're wondering how to find me on X. Me love cookie! There you One of these days I'll get an email saying, I found you!
00:06:50
Speaker
You can find us and then find him. Really easy. It's not, yeah, it's not hard. Alright, so. In the coming year. We got, it's a big year. It's a midterm year. All right. We've got a show on now. We're going to have a major election.
00:07:08
Speaker
Stop this. What? us Let's get away from this. Oh, boy. What's your resolution? Oh. Oh, that's funny that you ask, because i actually have one.
00:07:19
Speaker
ah You know, I haven't had one. I haven't had one in years. That's serious. I've always had one. It's always been like, stop eating less sugar, you know. we're Okay. Okay.
00:07:30
Speaker
It never happens. Let's hear it. Oh, ah I need to take my retirement seriously. Okay. That's a good one. That's a really good one. I don't, I don't, and that, all that kind of stuff financially, just that kind of more serious, so more serious than I ever have because I just, I need to, and I think I'm going to.
00:07:51
Speaker
We'll find Very good. Is there like a plan? oh Yeah. I mean, there's a plan. but I mean, Yes, not really. so maybe this year wait so maybe this year is your year to put together a plan.
00:08:08
Speaker
I have things I need to do to improve my retirement and move the, you know, i I've moved jobs and this and that. I just keep putting it off. It's just one of those things I'm like, oh, don't want to do that. don't want to do that. But it's it's important and I'm missing opportunities.
00:08:26
Speaker
there's There's a plan. It's very loose plan. Very loose. Okay. What about you?
00:08:33
Speaker
You said you had any. Yeah, have, like, I do have resolutions. I haven't had any in years because because I haven't really needed them. I think this year I need them.
00:08:50
Speaker
Okay. And it's more more of a motivation thing. Yeah. You know, okay, so we all got, it you know, things with your health. You want to become more healthy.
00:09:02
Speaker
And this year, I feel like I've been pretty good, but I really want to take ah putting together a workout plan, which is, okay okay yeah okay, everybody has that, right? Very cliche, Tom. It's very cliche, but this year, I really- Not for you, actually. It's not for you, though.
00:09:18
Speaker
No, I've never really said that. I've never heard you say the words, work out. Yeah, no, I actually used to we probably knew but i used to probably, you know, 20 years before you married my sister. That's probably a long time since I've said those words. work Yeah, exactly. So I want to put together something that like has roadmap of getting a little bit more healthy. I'm not, I'm not, ah I'm not awful. what What the hell was that?
00:09:50
Speaker
Whoops. i just just knocked over a music stand. Oops. I got that, and i want to...
00:10:00
Speaker
Besides this, I'm not even going to get into what I want to do with this podcast, but I mean i i do want to record or write songs, enough songs this year to record an album.
Creative Ambitions and Audience Engagement
00:10:15
Speaker
Whoa. Wow, that's crazy. Yeah, which which I've never written. I have many... written i have so many
00:10:26
Speaker
ah I don't know how to... ah yeah I'm stalling because I... Licks. Licks or riffs. Riffs, yep. I don't know to say this in normal terms to people that don't know music. That's normal. Okay.
00:10:39
Speaker
So I have so many ideas for songs. Parts of songs, yeah. Parts of songs. I just want to record and develop songs. That's my goal this year is to...
00:10:52
Speaker
is to develop songs and to write songs. That's awesome. Which is but what should have been doing. That's much cooler than my dumbass resolution. But yeah, okay, so this is dumb too because I should have been doing this 20 years ago Yeah.
00:11:09
Speaker
30 years ago. 20 years ago. Yeah, 30 years ago. Those who don't know, Tom plays guitar. He's a trained guitarist, right? Would that be... Yes. Like they say a trained pianist. I'm an educated musician.
00:11:22
Speaker
actually went to school for music. Yeah, I don't ever really tell people that. ah
00:11:33
Speaker
I have a pretty good... career for a so-called part-time musician. Yeah. I've had a pretty good one, I should say. Yeah. Yeah, you guys used to jam.
00:11:47
Speaker
I've played a little bit. I used to do many times. I guess the only way i put it is that I've played way more gigs than most people know, and I've traveled far more than most people would know.
00:12:05
Speaker
and ah For the band, I should say. And iive I think a lot of, I don't know for sure because I feel like a lot of bands talk crap but about you behind your back.
00:12:22
Speaker
But I've done a lot of things that people wish they could have done as far as being a musician. He played on stage with Rick Derringer. Well, there's that. I've opened up for Motley Crue. I've opened up for... Oh, you opened up Motley Crue? didn't even know that.
00:12:38
Speaker
Yeah. Well, I don't sit there and put that kind of stuff out. yeah that's I mean, that's that's cool. It's better than name dropping every minute. But yeah. tom Tom, actually, you you wrote and played the intro that we that that we normally play on the show. yeah Yeah. I mean, maybe you don't want me to say that. yeah enough no i mean I think it's pretty i would cool. I was hoping people would just assume that I did that. Oh, well.
00:13:02
Speaker
And I'm going to, it's always going to evolve. yeah So. I think for me that I just want to do better shows. That's really what want to, there's so many things that we can add to the show and and we will add, but I think with just having, just having better shows, more for the listener, more content, more meats to the shows, more, don't know. All right, Rob, let's, let's get the, let's get the,
00:13:32
Speaker
people involved that listen to us, text us, email us, uh, access, you know, send us messages on the X and tell us what can, what would you like to see? yeah I, cause, oh man, this is hard, right? Yeah.
00:13:52
Speaker
Yeah. It's hard to know what to do. ah you, I want to grow the show. i'm I'm happy where we're at, but, you know, we're not going to keep doing this if this is where we're at.
00:14:07
Speaker
We've got to keep growing and getting better. I think yeah having being more having more information or just... just
00:14:15
Speaker
it just better shows. Like we talk, we talk, we'd we' work on every show. We try to try to make every show better. And i think a large, a large part of um a large part of that also is the media. And I think, I think we need to do a little bit more, pay more attention to the media and and how they're covering things and,
00:14:33
Speaker
and Okay. stuff because that's it's It's going to get interesting this year because of the midterms, right? Yes. it It is an election year, I guess you could call it. it it's an Yeah, it's a midterm year. Yeah, it's an election year. It's going to be a lot of seats up in both state and the and the nation is are in Washington as well. I think...
00:14:54
Speaker
But for me, I think that how to, you know, what, we what can we bring to the show is just, just better shows. I think I just, I just want to cut straight on that. And I think, you know, bringing some more comedy and I think would be good. Bring some more comedy in because if you don't laugh, you're really just going to cry. Oh, we want to people there, right? Yeah. Yeah. Right. We want to keep people in the, in the game of growing it. Yeah. That's what, that's what we want to do.
00:15:19
Speaker
but what do you What do you see, what's this year, oh you know, what's the big things for you to look out for this year? For? Just Ohio-wise, just for Ohio. Oh, well, we got the governor race. We have, I think we have to really...
00:15:42
Speaker
You know what? It's the governor race. There's nothing else. Governor's race is big. That's the big one. That's going to be the big Midterms, obviously, but governor's race for Ohio. Did a lot of talk about on... the on ah the previous show two shows ago, I get this at this point, maybe on some of the candidates and what's going on the governor's race and the vague acting and whoever else is coming up.
00:16:09
Speaker
If anyone is actually going to be a serious, viable candidate other than those two doesn't seem like it. I mean, but that's a big one. Governor's race for sure. What do you think? what What's the big thing? Well, I got a couple things here.
00:16:24
Speaker
i think there's a couple things nationally. Well, nationally, even as it touches Ohio too, is are we going to see political violence increase or decrease in 26? I don't know how it can increase. You don't know how it can increase?
00:16:41
Speaker
you Well, yeah. I mean, how can it? Oh, a like okay. I can tell you.
00:16:49
Speaker
how it can increase. It could definitely increase. Yes. But I mean, okay. It's already, it's already pretty high. too Okay. Chart. You took Charlie Kirk out. Yeah. What, what's bigger than that?
00:17:01
Speaker
Oh, well, the president getting shot. Exactly. So I don't, I don't really see that.
00:17:09
Speaker
I think there's a little bit too much ah security around him to let that happen. Sure. i mean, but more of do you see it escalating? Is it going to get worse or or better as far? just I don't think it's going to get Obviously, you're not going what you could see more, maybe not as high profile people.
00:17:31
Speaker
I don't think so. But you think it's going to get, you think the political violence is going to go down and in a midterm year? I think it's going to go down in... you're You're not going to get a higher level of exposure than Charlie cook Kirk. I hope Unless you go for the president.
00:17:55
Speaker
Unless you go for like a sitting congressman, maybe.
00:18:02
Speaker
are like Tim Pool is talking about he's getting threats. I even, you know, even, you know, if, if, if something as awful as somebody like that getting taken out, that's not as big as Charlie charlie Kirk. No, uh, no.
00:18:22
Speaker
no That's good point. I just, I i mean, it could still increase without those that kind of stuff happening. You could have more, you know, more events. Okay.
Midterm Elections and Political Strategies
00:18:32
Speaker
You know what I mean? That kind of stuff.
00:18:33
Speaker
i don't agree. is there going to be, you're going to have fights at the polling booth. I mean, you could have that kind of, you know. I don't think so. that kind of stuff. As far as things like that. As far as violence against commentators or, you know, ah public, you know,
00:18:52
Speaker
I think the public officials, you're not going to see anything. I think with commentators like our or creators content creators like Charlie Kirk, i ah that might, as far as like what happens, i don't think anything else happens. i just The threat maybe is what man is there on.
00:19:18
Speaker
escalated occurrences of threats. So what about things like, uh, just happened at Brown university. Yeah. That political violence.
00:19:30
Speaker
We don't know. We don't know anything. Right. Cause terrorism is is, violence with a religious or political, agenda.
00:19:43
Speaker
Well, okay. So, so that's Bondi beach in Australia, right? That happened the same day or the day after? Yeah. Similar. ah was it, I mean, was it the same day? might It could have been the same day. I don't know for sure, but something like that is terrorism, right?
00:19:59
Speaker
Was, yeah we don't know anything about Brown. I know we really don't know. There's speculations, but we don't know anything. That's true. That's true. I don't know. I just don't know how it happened.
00:20:12
Speaker
In California, you're not allowed to have guns in California, so how did he have a gun? It was California, right? Yeah, Broadway versus California. I'm not sure. you can ah It's just impossible. It's impossible. They're banned.
00:20:25
Speaker
um What is, ah guess, what's your take on the midterms? What do you think is going to happen as far as nationally? What do you think is going to happen? I'm going ask you first, Tom. Oh, crap. All right.
00:20:39
Speaker
yeah Because you're you're you're going through a list here. and i am going through a list. react um I have my list and that list. I'm just a drunk guy talking now. have a couple lists. Oh, okay. Hey, okay, in that case.
00:20:53
Speaker
Let's have some fun. I mean, i can i can i can i can help out and start if you like. Yeah, go ahead. Because i have an idea. what happens in every midterm election? Well, I think it's 100%. It always flips, right?
00:21:07
Speaker
Yeah. Something flips. It's been 100%. So whoever won the general election and, you know, president election, it it always flips.
00:21:17
Speaker
It always has. i don't think it ever hasn't. don't think so either. I think this is the only chance we have to maybe change that. Hmm.
00:21:29
Speaker
I hope so. I don't think so. I think i think they're going to get a, Republicans are going get their butts handed to them? I don't think so. No? I don't think... You don't think they're going to lose the They're not to lose the Senate. I don't think that's really in the in the cards, but... No, i don't the Senate for sure. i would I would give the Senate going to the Democrats a about half a percent of a chance, you know?
00:21:53
Speaker
Yeah. It's not going to They're not going to get it Very slight chance. No, it's not good. But they may get the House. They'll probably get the House. And and in that case, what's what can Trump really do?
00:22:06
Speaker
I don't think... Well, that's my... That goes back to what I was saying before. It's like what Trump is has done has been good. Yeah, keep drinking that bourbon.
00:22:19
Speaker
But ah what Trump has done has been great. Now that ah I was giving him a... A C plus B, I think at first. And now I'm kind of like sitting going, no, he gets an A minus.
00:22:34
Speaker
Yeah. And
00:22:38
Speaker
I would say the midterms, the Republican, if if, I should say this, if the Republicans campaign well and
00:22:53
Speaker
the economy takes a good turn, i think they have a chance. But yeah youre you laughed at my Republicans campaign campaigning well. yes Yes, that generally doesn't happen.
00:23:07
Speaker
and No, but they have a chance. if if if they keep going If they keep going with the populist
00:23:20
Speaker
rhetoric And they get they gotta to go they get they have to move away from the gender ideology. Yeah, DEI stuff. Yeah, they have to move away from that and move into affordability, which is what the ah Democrats are doing. Yeah.
00:23:41
Speaker
And they have to move towards that. And as long as the economy is moving in the right directions, they just have to let the general population know.
00:23:53
Speaker
how it's going oh I'm losing my voice you just spelled out a ah an ass kicking but but the difference I don't think it's gonna be I think I think they right now I think the Republicans will lose the house I just don't think it'll be by much it'll be by much yeah I don't like think so that could be promising at least but I think it'll still get them to impeachment yeah I don't care if it's by one. It's going to happen.
00:24:24
Speaker
Impeachment's going to happen. who cares? It'll backfire on him. I really think it'll backfire. It did before. yeah it pretty much did before. and it if they're going to do it again.
00:24:34
Speaker
yeah But what are they going to impeach him on? ah I mean, the the you know what they're going to impeach him on? They're going to impeach him on Venezuelan boats bringing drugs. Speaking of that. Yeah, well, we we never even talked about that. meant to ask you about that at in the beginning, actually, when they're talking about what Trump has done this year.
00:24:52
Speaker
oh ah What is your take on that since you've had a few bourbons? i feel it I feel it's shady. i I feel it's a hard... I i'm ah i'm i am Pardon me?
00:25:07
Speaker
A hard sell for me. hard sell I am okay with it, but i it is not something I'm going to sit there and brag about that he's doing. I am not okay with it.
00:25:19
Speaker
I don't know. but though Those aren't fishing boats. No, I get Those aren't people, you know. I get it. And I don't know. ah i'm I'm not necessarily okay with it, but.
00:25:33
Speaker
I don't think the reaction is genuine because just because it's um a couple hundred or a thousand miles off our shore or a couple hundred miles off our shore, does it really make a difference than Afghanistan or Iraq or Syria or just pick a country? And I'm sure we've done it.
00:25:54
Speaker
We've droned people from the air. We've droned them at weddings. and And they're talking about Obama. well Obama, Bush, ah Clinton, I'm sure. Probably one ah one of the ones who started it. There's no drones back then.
00:26:09
Speaker
but Was there? I don't know. maybe I don't think there was. It wasn't. No, but there was ah guided weapons and stuff like that. Hey, I could blame Clinton if I want to, damn it. I blame clinton Clinton for a lot of things. yeah Yeah, no, I'm just really, but I don't know. Maybe it wasn't, but I'll just say, ah i mean, like it's not like he didn't send assassins in or or steal team this or that to go kill somebody. it So it's not like he didn't do it in other ways. But it's similar to that. It's similar to that kind of BS, except it's even worse because there's almost no skin in the game for us.
00:26:39
Speaker
And we're a judge, jury, and executioner. But yeah i'm not goingnna I'm not going to sit here and go, well yeah, I agree with that guy, even though he didn't he didn't complain about he didn't complain about Obama or Bush doing it at a wedding Afghanistan. Or Obama's nickname on the left was Obama. Okay?
00:26:58
Speaker
don't like any of
00:27:03
Speaker
was obama okay so i don't have a i don't like any of it
00:27:13
Speaker
but you know, it's not going to be something that I'm going to go, oh well in that case, I'm throwing my hands up in here. I'm no longer going to support anything. No, it's, it's one of the things i disagree with him on. It's like I said, with spending, it's one of those things that if somebody who doesn't like Trump could speak to me on, and I could agree with him on, he spends like a drunken sailor in a whorehouse.
00:27:35
Speaker
This is another one of those things, but I would have to say, look, you can't come, you can't come at me with this, if you If you didn't say anything about Obama, you didn't say anything about Bush doing it. And I could say it myself. I probably didn't say enough about Bush doing it.
00:27:49
Speaker
But so I don't, I'd kind of go, well, you know, it's actually, it might be better than them doing it, way better than them doing it when they did it in Afghanistan.
00:28:03
Speaker
don't know. It's definitely easier than you know trying to board them and stuff. It's way easier just to blow up from the sky. It's shady. It's shady. Yeah.
00:28:15
Speaker
i'm not but I'm not totally opposed. I mean, if the if the intelligence is correct, I'm i'm okay with it. Yeah. They're definitely drug boats. I'm not worried that they're not.
00:28:30
Speaker
I'm not worried that they're just bombing innocent people at all. No. I'm just saying it's just not the way we should be doing it. I don't know. That's not us. That's something Russia does. o you know Sometimes you just got to get tough.
00:28:44
Speaker
Yeah. I understand that. I just don't think it's necessary in this particular case. More people have died from fentanyl than anything else.
00:28:57
Speaker
Sure. i don't think that justifies it. I think we could better than that. It's weapon of mass destruction. It is a WMD now, apparently. Well, I'm not. None of that is debated. I'm just arguing from another side. I'm not arguing even. I'm drunk and I'm just throwing stuff out there.
00:29:16
Speaker
Good points. I'm just saying we could do better, and we should, even if that means some will slip through and it'll cost us more money. Do you want to pull over the boats and take them to court? That's what we did before.
00:29:30
Speaker
That's what we currently still do to some extent. I don't know. Now we're just blowing them up from the sky, which is cheaper actually. Something glorious about that. It's way more efficient for sure.
00:29:41
Speaker
And it does send a better message. And I think if you do enough of them, they'll just stop coming altogether because they're not going to take the the chance of getting blown up. I guess the the the thing i don't,
00:29:53
Speaker
Like is it could just be some schlubs on a boat that need to make some money for their families. yep And that's probably what it is. That's point. That's I didn't mean to bring that up.
00:30:04
Speaker
But yes, that's probably a lot of what it is. Not all of it, but there's some there's got to be some of that. Well, you you know none the people in charge are on the boats. Well, no, no, no, no. no They're definitely low-level lackeys, but not too low because you do have like probably tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars of drugs on that boat. so Yeah, but okay, so so there's four let's say there's four people four people on the boat ah you you know there's two guys there that are just nothing.
00:30:32
Speaker
Nothing. They're just labor. Yeah. They're just labor. they' like And they're doing it to... They called area attempts and said, hey, can you send me two guys? Okay, you do that a few times and you're not gonna you're not going to find any more people. That's a good point. Unless you're pointing a gun at innocent people and telling them me this is what you have to do.
00:30:51
Speaker
which There's some of that. Yeah, course. That's those two guys. That's the area temp guys. Yeah. Every time guys show up and like, well, you know, they're going to this. And they're like, yes, you are. Like, okay. Yeah. I mean, it's a suicide mission. Yeah.
00:31:04
Speaker
I, you know, yeah. Now there's, there's a lot of moral,
00:31:12
Speaker
even know how to put it. just You could argue it's, it's, um it's a little, it's more, it's more moral than doing it. for Afghanistan or Iraq or Syria or of things, because it is literally protecting our borders. So it it actually is a better argument because it directly affects the United States as opposed to bombing a wedding and in Afghanistan. oh-ho But I still don't like it.
00:31:39
Speaker
Yeah. i still think could be better. wasn't trying to convince you to like those. Oh, no. Yeah. Yeah. I don't like it either. It's shady. I don't, I don't like it, but I'm not going to, are you against it too hard?
00:31:54
Speaker
I guess. no In a perfect world, I would say, gosh, you can't do that. But you know what? And what, what the thing, unlike we talked about Casey, a guy running for governor, Casey pooch, pooch.
00:32:07
Speaker
ah It's it. I'm not just going to drop everything and, Because of one little thing. or It's not even that little, but you know what mean? It's not a little thing, but it's... In the grand scheme of things.
00:32:18
Speaker
Right. it It's one of those things. and I mean, there's... there's they just He just bombed Syria or something, didn't they? Because of retaliation for killing a couple of our guys. Mm-hmm. At so a certain point, you can't just lay back and let people walk all over you. So that's kind of funny.
00:32:35
Speaker
That's why it. That's of it. guess. So midterms, governor race. Yes. Those are the big things we're gonna watch out for. be talking a lot about that. We're going to have way too many clips of Amy Acton. Way too many clips.
00:32:49
Speaker
what What do you think is going to happen in the governor's race? Yeah.
00:32:55
Speaker
I think, I think Vivek's going to take it. Yeah, same here. He's the front runner. I know the poles are tight. Not so tight. But poles are, it could be not so tight, but poles are poles poles.
00:33:09
Speaker
Poles are not turned tight for this time. They're really spread out. I think... Was it 3% or 4% or something? Yeah, but again, i think we talked about this in the last show. Nobody knows who, what...
00:33:25
Speaker
Amy Acton is. Vivek's got that advantage also. Kind of. You know what? Oh, no crap. I just got myself in a conundrum. Oh, no. Yes. That's what happens when we put a microphone and record things.
00:33:45
Speaker
Yeah, we're just talking, right? yeah I'm talking and thinking. Yeah, i don't. i There is some people don't know much about him, but they do know he ran for president for most people.
00:33:56
Speaker
Yeah, that's not much, though. I think Vivek's weak spot is he sounds like he sounds like an Indian Obama.
00:34:08
Speaker
Obamadot. Obamadot. but he i I like what he says. Yeah. but he sounds very Not all the time. he's Not all the time, but I like what a lot of what he says, but he just sounds way too polished.
00:34:23
Speaker
Way too polished. Maybe it's Trump and Biden. maybe Maybe it's the combination of those two. Trump just saying what he says and then Biden just not knowing what he says. He doesn't have any Trump in him.
00:34:34
Speaker
He's way more towards Biden. i think he's a ah very... ah polished. but Well, I mean... Yeah, no, I know what you're saying. i guess I know what you're saying. he Maybe he sounds more polished because of the past two presidents we've had.
00:34:55
Speaker
But he does sound very slick. Well, he's... You know what?
00:35:02
Speaker
I don't you know. like I'm not sure what you're going to say after that. You know what? You know what? no Here's the thing. i do I used to golf a lot.
00:35:14
Speaker
So I, my wife and I, my wife golfed and she was an excellent golfer. we were, we were good. We were very, uh, we were excellent at golf etiquette and all this stuff. And we, uh, golfed with a few people that were pretty, we point more than a few people that were very educated and very like in, in, uh,
00:35:42
Speaker
they had a lot, you know, CEOs. I mean, they, they, they had a lot of, uh, I don't know how to put it. Corporate world things. yeah Yeah. We, we, we, golf we golfed with a lot of people that were in the corporate world. They were highly educated that definitely went to college.
00:36:01
Speaker
And when you're golfing with somebody that I, this has nothing to do with intelligence when you're duck, golfing and when you're sitting there and chatting with people and they've gone to a higher education, I'm not talking about your community college. I'm talking about like really going to yeah a higher. yeah Harvard, yeah MIT. t and yeah oh Even Ohio State, but you're getting a ah a better diploma than the average person.
00:36:31
Speaker
When you talk to them, you definitely can tell from college
00:36:38
Speaker
higher education. Yeah. Yeah. That's a vague. Yes. He has that, which I don't like. He has that, he has the, the, um, exactly what I'm lacking right now.
00:36:56
Speaker
The, uh, Vocabulary. Vocabulary that you need. Exactly. they vote why that I'm i' i' yeah charging that up to ah too many bourbons at this point.
00:37:08
Speaker
But ah he has that vocabulary that you know he's gone. He's highly educated. Yeah. He's a very so smooth talking person. Yeah. which I don't think people really care about that at this point.
00:37:22
Speaker
ah Yeah, I mean, it it it does sell. It is in quite contrast to Amy Acton. it sells among Democrats. I don't think it sells among conservatives. it's it's You're right. It might be right. It might it might and in ah in in a lot of aspects.
00:37:40
Speaker
I think what we had talked about last show or show before then was what some of my concerns about Vivek was he's what from what I've heard, he's, he's got a lot of, uh, Kasich people on his, on his staff, which kind of concerns me if they're, if they're steering him, but when he's in in contrast with Amy Acton, um, I mean, he sounds, he sounds super educated and slick to where I'm like, I like, I kind of like what you're saying, but almost, you almost make me feel stupid uh,
00:38:15
Speaker
are you Are you really that stupid? It's Amy. Well, you sound like you're drunk. you know You sound like you're you're lying to me. You sound kind of like you're hammered.
00:38:27
Speaker
You kind of sound like Tom. ah you're You're bringing up a very good point right now. so Like, as far as... As far as independence go, oh my God, I'm losing my voice. Hang on one second. I'm going to cough. I'm going to hit the cough. you Check this out. I'm going hit the cough button and I'm going to clear my throat.
00:38:50
Speaker
Thanks for the play-by-play. Thanks for the play-by-play. appreciate it. right But anyways, ask what the hell was I just saying? As far as ah independence go,
00:39:05
Speaker
You, nobody's winning. Neither side is winning the independence over. Oh, the independent vote. Yeah. Yeah. The undecideds. That's what I'm seeing right now. i have a feeling that white liberal women have already decided. i don't think so. You don't think so? oh No. oh if you're going to say i was just thinking white women. Oh, white women. White suburban. or like White suburban women. Which is mostly white liberal women. which are mostly liberal. I don't think they'll go for acting.
00:39:38
Speaker
I think i think the the the the ones that put a little shade of blue in their hair and and maybe have a nose ring will definitely go for Acton. I don't think the average suburban white woman will go for Acton. And it's mainly because she has the most annoying voice I've ever heard next to ah some of the national Congress ladies.
00:40:05
Speaker
Okay, I was to say, because there's... Hillary, which is like, well, yes, exactly. That's a tall order right there. Yes. I think she sounds like a dope.
00:40:18
Speaker
Even when she's sounding more confident, she still sounds dopey. And i don't think she can win over the average white suburban female.
00:40:31
Speaker
i hope you're right. But I don't know. I don't know. i I don't think she'll encourage them. Like, I think the biggest challenge is getting people to the voting polls. That's, it's, b midterms is kind of always that, right?
00:40:49
Speaker
And there gets me into the next topic, which is the LBTQABCDEFG amendment. Plus, minus. Plus, EIA. Cubed, squared, squared.
00:41:01
Speaker
Squared to the fourth is it birth power. To the power. Oh, fifth power now? Is it fifth? I think it's fifth power. I think you're right, fifth power. Whatever power. that that That, like, you know, like, it's funny because one of the amendments that they want to put in on the ballot to reverse the marriage amendment, which states man and the woman, marriage between man and woman, was put in there to get Bush elected.
00:41:26
Speaker
I feel that was a
00:41:30
Speaker
a amendment to be put in to get people to show up to help, help keep at a, at a, that was a Bush's second term in 2004.
00:41:40
Speaker
Yeah. 2004. So I think that's, it's funny because now they're, I think they're doing a similar thing on the other side.
00:41:48
Speaker
um get You know, you put this on a ballot, it gets, it drums up the base and gets people out to vote more than just Amy. They're going to, they need to go vote for this amendment to get this amendment for gay marriage. The same thing with, with gay marriage on the conservative side. I agree. i but the, the fact is there's always wedge issues. Oh yeah. I just think it's funny that they're just reversing though.
00:42:12
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Well, okay. Yeah, you're right. Trying to reverse the thing that they did, the thing they're trying, you I think as far as the outcome goes, I don't think Acton really stands a chance.
00:42:25
Speaker
may You know what? Vivek's going to win by six points if he's the guy. ah and yeah action's gonna And Acton's going to get a good turn but good turnout. But it it really will depend on, oh what did what was that?
00:42:46
Speaker
That was my bottle. Nice. um it's It's really going depend on... If they can get people to the voting. Yeah. And both sides, really. It's kind of always is kind of that way.
00:42:59
Speaker
Democrats are better at it. Oh, they're always, yeah, they are better at that. That's true. Here's the thing. the thing. They're also better at ballot harvesting too. Well, there's that. But the whole thing about conservatives, and I'm not even going to Republicans, it's more like, don't just stay out of my business. I don't want to get involved. Yeah.
00:43:21
Speaker
In midterms, the it seems like Republicans really turn out for the main event, but they never really partake in the smaller elections. Yeah, it's funny because in 2020, Democrats showed up and only voted for Biden, which weird because it's never happened before. Yeah.
00:43:41
Speaker
And ah let's see what else things to look out for in 2026 as far as the show and news and politics and culture.
Technology and Community Reactions
00:43:50
Speaker
And I put a couple on the list.
00:43:52
Speaker
ah One, it keeps popping up because i just saw another story. Drones, drones, drones. So here's a story that was basically I was going to pull for a next show.
00:44:05
Speaker
and it's Ohio Attorney General aims to help local police expand their drone fleets. I think drones are going to be a big thing and probably a big point to deal with because there's going to be more and more of them for police and traffic.
00:44:24
Speaker
they going to start using it for radar? No one's even talked about that. You start using it to get people as for speeding? mean, what a, what a, what a, where is it at? Here it is. here here What a cash cow that is.
00:44:37
Speaker
i have a complete guide to police drones.
00:44:43
Speaker
You do. i do. You happen to have one. This axon.com. Oh, I think they make, I think they make drones. her And let's see here. This is our Republican Dave Yost one. Do this.
00:44:59
Speaker
What do you think? How do you think police? We we talked about this a little bit. How do you think police ah use drones? How do you, how do they currently use them?
00:45:10
Speaker
How do you think they will? And how do you think they currently do? Currently, they don't use much of them at all. There is there are some it municipalities, I'll try to say that after a few bourbons, they ah that use them now.
00:45:26
Speaker
So how they're using them, I don't know. I i think i think it's for, like, they would use helicopters. Right now, what they're using them for is how they would use a helicopter. So if you were, there's an accident, a big accident, there's a shooting, there's a suspect that is on the run.
00:45:48
Speaker
Instead of having a helicopter, you launch a drone or a couple of drones. All right. I'll add to that. Here's one way they're doing it as first responders. If there's an accident, they're sending a drone to the accident to let the team know what they need to send. Yeah.
00:46:10
Speaker
How bad it was. Yeah. um many ambulances you need. I don't, I started thinking about this a little bit and I'm drunk right now, so I don't know how well I'm thinking about it, but um if you're sending a drone there first, like, shouldn't the team be on the way already?
00:46:31
Speaker
Like, how are you really responding with a drone? So that I'm reading this article real, just skimming it. And it's basically sending a drone to, ah let's say, an accident. Yeah. And they're going to tell them how many ah EMTs they need and how many yeah police officers they need to take care of the situation. But shouldn't they be on their way already? Yeah.
00:46:58
Speaker
Yes. Good point. Are they going to sit there and wait for the drone to show up right now? No, I don't think they are. I think 10 years from now. Absolutely. eat But they'll they'll be quicker than there'll be drone. There'll be, there'll already be drones in the air.
00:47:13
Speaker
You just think there'll be some... They'll just have slide over into picture....waving waiting for something to happen? They'll just drone... mean... I don't think so. I think that's far-fetched. You don't think they'll be just... Just control drones? Change the battery technology.
00:47:27
Speaker
Oh, yeah. But they can... If you buy a bunch of them, you could just... You know, one does it for 30 minutes, an hour, and then then that lands. Okay. You know, if you buy enough of them. I think i think there's ways... there i But I think that's how they're going to...
00:47:40
Speaker
I think eventually, yes. 10 years from now, I don't know. But the way things are are moving, I don't see that's unreasonable to say that they you would you would regularly see law enforcement drones in the air in 10 years.
00:47:57
Speaker
Probably sooner than that, but. Okay, so here's another way. I'm going to stop you. don't think they're bad. They're not bad. No, I think it's a waste of money. I think here's another way.
00:48:12
Speaker
There was a standoff in the hotel, right? So they send a bunch of teams. Here's a story. Is
00:48:23
Speaker
this actually something that happened? Yes, yes. You're just making up? Okay. No, no. I'm trying to get through this. I deleted my web, the tab that had. Yeah.
00:48:38
Speaker
Trying to find it Hasn't do podcasting while drinking, yes. so So a suspect entered a hotel waving a firearm and threatened staff and guests. The Alameda... Alameda...
00:48:51
Speaker
Sheriff departments responded to the scene and for a time maintained a visual on the suspect. Then suddenly he disappeared. Fearing he was escalating the situation, officers deployed a drone to attempt to locate him. The drone entered the hotel.
00:49:10
Speaker
And began the search. Went inside the hotel? Yeah. whoa this is This is what I wasn't expecting. And the suspect was found sleeping on a sofa in the lobby and was apprehended. So pretty cool.
00:49:26
Speaker
But I did not expect it entering a hotel. And i so there's a bunch of situations like that happening.
00:49:34
Speaker
That drones have done, which I did not expect. So you're saying it's a waste of money? Yeah, kind of. don't know. Or I should say a waste of money. I think it's going to be overspending.
00:49:53
Speaker
ah I mean, i could i i could see, yes, maybe. i also could see if you can better deploy your resources more, you could deploy your resources more efficiently, you could save money.
00:50:10
Speaker
You know what mean? like So if you're if instead of sending everything to the accident, you only send half your people because it's only offended. How much do you got to spend to be able to accomplish that rather than just sending the team out there?
00:50:25
Speaker
And what i'm what I'm saying is, okay, i don't I personally don't understand how you can get a drone there quicker than actually activating the respondents to start leaving.
00:50:40
Speaker
Yeah. and Maybe you can't. I just think it's another tool. i I just think it's a far-fetched there. i don't I think it could be used...
00:50:52
Speaker
As another tool. Okay. so I really think it could. So here in February, 2023, approximately 700,000 people were expected to attend the Phoenix open, which is a big golf event. Right.
00:51:05
Speaker
And, uh, how do you keep 700,000 people safe and secure while ensuring the safety of, uh, little excellence there uh the security of the personnel the axon monitoring the enormous so they use drones to monitor the yeah how does that help though it it just gives so here's another case we're at a golf event are you expecting a it gives it it's cheaper than a helicopter i don't know it's cheaper than helicopter
00:51:42
Speaker
Okay. Like a lot cheaper than a helicopter. Okay. So anything you would use a helicopter for in the past or policing or that traffic, they're using drones now for traffic for like, you know, the traffic helicopters are basically gone. They're using drones.
00:51:58
Speaker
They use drones. i mean, we talked about the, uh, North Royalton, uh, house that had the lights. The video from that was from a drone. Okay. Yeah. So I think there is, it's a it's a tool that can be used.
00:52:11
Speaker
for For example, you can monitor. So in this article that I have here talking about Yoast and wanting to help It says the Cleveland division of police has drone has had drones since 2022. So it's been three years, four years, but they were grounded for they were grounded for several months starting in November, 2024 after police violated city policy by using a drone to monitor protesters outside Cuyahoga County executive Chris Sornayne's house.
00:52:43
Speaker
How did that, probably What's the policy? but So then Cleveland police resumed using drones late August to monitor the crowd at a Machine Gun Kelly concert. All right.
00:52:55
Speaker
Pause. Yeah. Right there. Because I got takeaways.
00:53:02
Speaker
right. Back at it. Back at it. So.
00:53:09
Speaker
i mean. Drones. I think they're going to waste a lot of money on it. thats Well, I mean, I can't argue with that. it just It's just dumb to argue with that. Of course they're going to waste money. They waste money on everything.
00:53:24
Speaker
But there's a balance between
00:53:29
Speaker
being useful and being a intrusion on your rights. Oh, yeah. what what's What's going to happen with ah Mrs. Smith getting seen by... and A drone outside her window yes and on a Thursday when she's effing Mr. Robinson. You know, it's just going to be a weird thing here.
00:53:54
Speaker
And what about, well, I want to see what you're monitoring. That should be public record at least be able to request it. Sure. Sure. but there's also privacy concerns to that.
00:54:08
Speaker
Like you could, you could get into issues with people use using the police drones to, I mean, thinking ahead when there's a lot of them and they're, kind they're just kind of on patrol. Cause that's what I think is going to happen. They're just going to end up it's not going to be like, you know, the movies where they're everywhere, but I think you're going it will be, it would not be unusual to see a drone just flying around, you know, 50, hundred feet in here.
00:54:33
Speaker
Um, a Okay. I'm just wondering how much it costs. Too much. To run a police helicopter. Oh, that's that's so not cheap. Well, that's what I mean. that You say waste of money. i i can... yeah Listen, for those... You definitely waste money.
00:54:51
Speaker
For those type of things... If you want to pursue a criminal ah going down the road, you know, a car chase like helicopters do sometimes, so a drone makes total sense. A really good drone, let's say it's, I mean, what what could you say the top end for a really good drone was? Oh, I don't know. I have no clue. Get wild. Get crazy. How much? I'm going to say hundred grand.
00:55:17
Speaker
Oh, okay. I was going to say a hundred grand, but okay, fine. I don't know. For the top ones, I... Nope, nope. Keep... That's fine. 50 grand? I can work with 100 grand. We'll go 100 grand. I'm talking military grade. 100 grand. Oh, military grade is millions. but But military grade are like... They're like miniature planes. They're not really... true I'm talking...
00:55:38
Speaker
The best commercial drone that you can buy. a hundred grand. Let's go hundred grand. No, no, no, no. Cause because you're going to have cameras and shit. got really nice cameras on it. Right. Just go a hundred grand. When I say waste money, they're going to be buying things they don't need, which means they're going to be overpaying for a way to like i the drone I want.
00:56:00
Speaker
Yes. A hundred grand. Let's go. I'm going with a hundred grand. A police helicopter is I'm retarded. like No, no, trust me. It's good. You'll see. Just let me let me let me tell you this part. All right, formulate this. police helicopter, according into to LAPD, averages about $3,000 hour.
00:56:19
Speaker
per hour Oh, okay, but not the cost of the helicopter. No, that's not even buying the helicopter. Yeah, right. That's just running it. So the annual operating cost easily reached tens of millions of dollars for large departments at the LAPD, around $47 million. dollars Now, it doesn't mean you're going to buy...
00:56:41
Speaker
a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of drones, and then that's it. You're going to have to have people to run them, and there's somebody behind that. Yeah, and that's the other thing. are you go You're going to spend $10 million dollars a year instead of $50 million. Well, the little pervy Jerry sitting in his parents' basement running this? Yeah, LAPD's going to hire him.
00:57:00
Speaker
But I mean, like, who's going to be running these? Are they going running them out of office, out of home? from like Generally, from what I've seen in documentaries and stuff, it's it is like a command center where there's ah ah people have multiple drones because a lot of them are on autopilot where they just, and then they just kind of go from one to the other to see what's going, you know, so that's, it's, you can have 10 drones with like four people running them or something. I don't know what the numbers are, but something that affect.
00:57:29
Speaker
So it's not a one to one thing. That's my point. But here's where, here's what, yes, they will definitely waste money on, on drones for sure. But they already waste money on helicopters. So just, there's going to hopefully less waste less money.
00:57:44
Speaker
that doesn't at least i At least I see... yeah selling away No, you're right. But at least I see an expense with helicopters.
00:57:55
Speaker
Like i see the... the mechanical part of it. I see the storage part of it. I see like with drones, I'm just like, oh God, what do is this just going to be some weirdos sitting in his basement doing this?
00:58:09
Speaker
Yes. It's just, he's going to cost less than the weirdo, the weirdos now that run the hook out. I don't know. At least he's, I'm not saying it's an NLB. I'm just saying it could, it could, has a possibility.
00:58:25
Speaker
Of saving money. Possibility. Okay. That's all um i'm god that's all I'm getting at. That's all i'm going for. it's That's the best I can do right now. But I think really the point to all this is... ah think it'll be more expensive in helicopters.
00:58:40
Speaker
I think we need to put limitations on this crap because they will be peeking into your living room with the zoom lens, you know, with that 2040-70. If we don't put limitations on them. So I think...
00:58:53
Speaker
That's something we're going to be looking out for this year because here here I'm looking at Yost going, hey, we need more drones. Yeah. And then are you going to be complaining about the legislation that's currently in the Ohio State legislature about limiting the drones?
00:59:09
Speaker
Are you complaining about that too? Because I'm on the side of saying, yeah, I could see them using drones more, but we also need to have some some serious regulations on them for the police.
00:59:22
Speaker
because humans suck and they're going to take advantage of it.
00:59:29
Speaker
Okay. Next, I think a couple more things we'll get to.
00:59:35
Speaker
Data centers are going to be huge, a huge topic. I think it's going be a topic in the election, actually. I think Amy's for for governor. Yeah. I think Amy's going to push on that.
00:59:46
Speaker
And I think she has every right to, I think she, she should push on it. I think that's one of the points from Casey was that I took from was, Oh, you know what? Good point on the, on the data centers.
00:59:57
Speaker
I mean, you delivered it horribly, but good point on it. Like he's a tech bro. Uh, does that mean even more tax breaks for data centers and Google and, and more of buying up land just, just for the water? You know, uh, I think the data centers are definitely an AI, which is all tied together.
01:00:18
Speaker
Data says an AI, cause you know, was it Kardashian chick? You know, she, she argues with it all time. I was telling story. Remember the stories I talked about. is She blames it for her not getting her law degree.
01:00:32
Speaker
Sure. Totally. I'm sure it was totally AI.
01:00:37
Speaker
I think we're going to see more and more pushback on data centers. What do you think? I agree. I think, uh, I think communities, can I say that?
01:00:49
Speaker
I hope so. Communities are going to, I think the, I think townships and I think, uh, Regions are really going to push back against it. And I hope do. said the rural communities are very, very proud about their their land in their and their community and the culture and stuff. They are, but they're not notorious ah about not getting involved. It's that, I don't know, would you call call it a quip?
01:01:19
Speaker
But when Republicans are notorious for this, is' it's like... They just don't want to be ah involved. Like, ah stay out of my business. I'll stay out of your business.
01:01:33
Speaker
and Yes. And i got, I got crap to do. Why do I have to deal with this? Yes. Part of it. Yeah. It is very much a conservative thing. Yeah.
01:01:44
Speaker
Part of the problem with the conservative side And i do think they're I do think they're pushing back against AI and... Not AI. Why am I saying AI? ah Data centers. Data centers, ah which is great.
01:02:02
Speaker
I just hope... That you can rally the people behind the movement. It'd be tough. It'd tough because there's a lot of money. There's a lot of money.
01:02:13
Speaker
And stop it because i our ah my my wife's plan, my plan is to get 10 or more acres this coming up year. And I don't want to have a data center next to me in two, three years.
01:02:32
Speaker
Yeah, it's going to be difficult. And you got to watch out. Something else you got watch out for. Um, yeah, I think, I think we're going hear much more about it and I'm kind of curious and seeing what, what, what kind of a plan is. I'm i really kind of curious to see how a Vake handles it and what his position is on these things. Cause I don't trust him on this. I don't.
01:02:51
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And this, I don't, and this, I don't Casey had a really good point on it.
01:02:57
Speaker
I don't trust him for a lot of things. It was, As far as the Vivek goes, we're going to have to keep keep a close eye on him. Sure. we've Close on everybody, though. Yeah.
01:03:09
Speaker
Yeah, but I just don't want to take him for his word at all. at Not one bit. Unfortunately, if the choice is between him and Amy Acton, i did yes I don't know if there is a choice. There is no choice. No, you have to go with Vivek, but it's still an issue. You you have to you have to stand up and...
01:03:31
Speaker
stand your ground and push back against even the stuff he does that he wants to do. There are things that I'm just kind of like, well, yeah, because these data centers have gotten away and gotten to this point with a Republican run state.
01:03:49
Speaker
Yeah. Sort of. it's, i mean, sort of, I just think a lot of her, Well, yeah. Reps and and yeah they're they're Republican by name.
01:04:03
Speaker
Right. And that's when i that's, you know, you could say that, you could argue that and people have about Vivek. that's And that to my point is, it's run by the Republican Party as it is. So it's not like we can just say, oh, well, he's just like anything else. It's not just because you hire you but vote for a Republican, put them in office, put them in office doesn't mean you can just go lay back and go, oh, it's because, no, Republicans suck.
01:04:27
Speaker
At times worse than the Democrats, let's it that way. At least Democrats stab you in the face. Yeah, yeah. Good point. Speaking of stabbing you in the back, but the last thing on our list.
01:04:39
Speaker
No. No? No. Oh, you said it's the last thing? i'm It doesn't have to be. I'm starting to start this one people are really good right now. Oh, crap. What time to get off the and stop recording. Property. way We can talk about this but oh before we get to this. Before we get to this let me ask you this, let me ask you this question. So data centers, energy costs are rising. So we've got to watch that. But maybe we talked about water. we got to watch about water. It's not just electricity and a lack of. It's, hey, don't suck all our water away. That's it part of that.
01:05:12
Speaker
I talked about the Cleveland Lakefront. This is kind of my list I have on the side. But last one I have on my list is because as we talked about this, there's a, there's a bill in, in the state.
01:05:23
Speaker
Will we get fluoride free water this year? Ooh. Well, there's no way we'll get, well, up which there's no way we'll actually get fluoride free water. Why? it take longer than a year to, to do anything like that? Okay. Will we get a bill?
01:05:41
Speaker
Boy, we talked about this, didn't we? Yeah, one there was one story that there was a bill proposed. It's still in committee and stuff, so it's getting some pushback. I'm not even sure if it'll get to a vote. I got to say, I hope so, but I doubt it. hope so. I highly doubt it. This this year?
01:05:57
Speaker
it would hit Well, this year, there's no way. there's no way i would I think it would have to come from JFK. JFK. RFK.
01:06:08
Speaker
um yeah Yeah, I think you're right. It would have to come nationally to give them cover. Yeah. Because there is a bill. Right. In the state. if i can Yeah, here it is.
01:06:21
Speaker
Oh, it's been a while. Yeah, it's been a little while. It is...
01:06:28
Speaker
I was trying to see the bill number, but it's somewhere in here. But yeah, there's definitely a bill and there's some pushback on it. You know, it's like I said, stone committee. Is it going to get, any ah any Any traction? I'm not sure.
01:06:40
Speaker
But that was just kind of kind of one of the things that popped out when I was going through list of stories. Good one. Will we get fluoride-free water? i don't think we will I don't think we'll have it this year. i think I think it has to happen. I think RFK really wants to do that. Yeah.
01:07:00
Speaker
And I think it'll have to come from there. Yeah. I hope so. So we did touch on it a little bit, but one of the national stories that I just wanted to make sure we didn't lose the opportunity to talk about this WNBA.
01:07:19
Speaker
First of all, I'd embrace it if i'm the WNBA, right? I would shoot those things out of a t-shirt candidate during Pride Month or whatever. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I mean, if if things get wild and people start tuning in, that's great. It's good money, you know? You don't want people to get hurt.
01:07:34
Speaker
And I guess that's disrespectful, but it's like, turn the negative around. Yeah, let's put a positive spin on it. I mean, that lady was excited. Yeah. And I don't know if that's AI. It could be AI.
01:07:46
Speaker
It's allegedly a picture of a woman. um But that's an attractive lady who is very fired up. And then maybe you make it like a, there's one minute during the game. It's almost like where they throw the fish on the ice. Yeah. Yeah. It's like this. There's like, ah if somebody hits three, three pointers in a row, yeah they hit a hat trick.
01:08:04
Speaker
They throw a catfish on the ice. Are they, they, ah you know, they trolling sex toys out there, bro. Yeah. Yeah, make it like a, you know, like a pom-pom. You know how, like ah like in Mississippi, they have the bells. Isn't it like one like Mississippi State has the bells, the cowbells? Yeah. And then like, you know, you have pom-poms and you have different, you could have little vibrators. so Yeah, just a bunch of vibrations. Welcome to the hive. We call your place the hive or whatever. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
01:08:30
Speaker
We're buzzing tonight. And then you also have, yeah, like if somebody has three three-pointers in a row, everybody ah throw a dildo out there, you know? Yeah. You know, bounce a plastic keck off the floor. And then you see people taking them home with them after the game. Oh, yeah. yeah Look.
01:08:49
Speaker
It's like I bought a $20 ticket. I took home a $40 dildo. I made money here. That's why closed that flush. Some kid has a collection in his room from like, you know, I don't know. I mean, look, I think you have to embrace it. You don't get free advertising like this a lot.
01:09:05
Speaker
Who did that? ah Yeah, that's why that's why i I debate that that Claw was actually flushed and that was done in tow because it's like 40, 50 bucks. you know yeah just you I think you're right. It was the other thing.
01:09:15
Speaker
um But yeah, i just i don't I pulled that clip because it was so... Theo is awesome. i love Theo. Theo's pretty good. Yeah, Theo's pretty good. So yeah, and then I think the biggest story out than other than the election probably would be the property tax amendment.
Property Tax Debates and Implications
01:09:35
Speaker
That's a big one in ohio i think it's going to, i don't know, you think it's going to get a signature? You think it's actually going to get ballot? God, I hope. I hope so.
01:09:47
Speaker
Yeah. You know, I have to get moving. i have to go sign it because i we've talked about it and like I'm promoting it I even tell people around me yeah at work and stuff.
01:10:02
Speaker
ah And I have to go, ah i have to go do it. Yeah. Yeah. I got, I know there's a couple of people um in an area that I looked on the website. I just have to call them and make an appointment and just yeah go to the house and sign it real quick.
01:10:14
Speaker
Yeah. Got to do that more. to, got to practice what we preach. I don't, I really,
01:10:24
Speaker
I'm not sure it's going to make it on the, on the ballot. I think it will. Here's why I'm not sure. If it will, if does if it it, I'm so drunk. ah If it does, then i i fear what would happen.
01:10:45
Speaker
What, what, what's going happen?
01:10:49
Speaker
i fear what Congress would do. Oh, local Congress. They're going to fight that even if it wins. Oh, like it's going to, it's going be mayhem.
01:11:02
Speaker
okay. Well, I'm not sure it's ever going to happen. And here's why else I'm not, okay I'm kind of worried about Here's why I really, really wanted to really, really wanted to.
01:11:15
Speaker
So I'm pretty much convinced it's not going to happen because it's exactly what we need. Instead of the band-aid of more legislation and more credits and more percentages and more, this person gets this credit and this person pays this much and your neighbor pays this much and the person across the street pays a different amount and the person next to the person across street pays a different amount and the person next to him pays.
01:11:42
Speaker
That's why I think it's not going to go through because it's really what we need to help make the state just a little more healthy here financially. And i just I just don't think it's in the cards. I i don't know.
01:11:55
Speaker
It's like, I really want the Browns to win the Super Bowl, but they never they're never going to.
01:12:00
Speaker
Maybe they will, but they I just don't know. no not Not in my lifetime. Not in my lifetime. I don't know. I could be wrong. i just i think maybe we have a better chance of fluoride out of the water than we have of no property tax. No property Definitely. i if it didn't make it like legitimately hunt to the ballot, I think it would win, no problem. But I think there would be so much turmoil and legal battles. would be a lot of pearl clutching.
01:12:38
Speaker
Oh, well, before. Yeah, before, during the about during the yes yeah during a run-up. Afterwards, it would just be, ah I don't think it's pearl clutching. It would just be trying to save face. Yeah, take it down the road.
01:12:55
Speaker
Yeah. Hmm.
01:12:58
Speaker
I think that's, think that's kind of you know a couple of big, big issues this year coming up in 26. You know, what's kind of cool is I see, uh, DeSantis in Florida doing a lot of things, property taxes, saying a lot of good things.
01:13:16
Speaker
They have property taxes. They have property taxes. Of course they don't have income tax. Oh, that's right. Okay. State income. Yeah. Right. And, uh,
01:13:28
Speaker
He's talking, he you know, he's making statements like i think one of his bigger statements lately has been like, if I go buy a TV, I pay tax on it. But after I buy it, I never pay tax on it again.
01:13:40
Speaker
Why should I do that with my house? Yes. Yeah. Well, it's true, right? Yes. there's There's nothing.
01:13:50
Speaker
There's nothing there that doesn't make sense. So it's good to see that they're doing it. Maybe we'll catch a little bit of that breeze. When i when i buy a stock
01:14:09
Speaker
and it increases in value, but I don't sell the stock, do I pay taxes on it? No. No. it'ss when i When I buy, i mean, any what other investments are, you know, that it's so stupid and and it's so ingrained in our culture, in our culture, and our Well, it's become part of the thing, right?
01:14:31
Speaker
What's that? Our life. It's become part of our life. Yeah, but it's a national thing. it's there's like i i I remember one show where I assume, i'm like, well, Ohio must be one of the few states that has property. You're like, no, every state does. I'm like, what?
01:14:45
Speaker
No. Yeah, no, I kind of caught you on that. at know ah but But the thing is, it's it's like every state has it. There are states that have very little property.
01:15:00
Speaker
property tax but yeah but uh it doesn't do what ohio it doesn't it's not responsible for well listen if i buy a house for 100 grand why am i paying taxes on it 20 years later and they're telling me it's worth 300 grand you know yeah every year for yeah i don't you know think of think about that i mean like Okay, you own a house for, ten lets let's go 10 years, and you're paying $6,000 a year. 60 grand.
01:15:37
Speaker
For what? Well, I mean, for what? Okay, if I was taking on me income taxes for the service I get, who would be much Okay.
01:15:52
Speaker
60 grand. Yeah. For what isn't the the issue, it's why is it, it why is that the revenue stream that had it has to be? Why can't you send me a bill?
01:16:07
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. You know, it's, it's, it's like, it's like taxes getting taken on your paycheck. Nobody notices it. If they were sent a bill every month or every year. The only time you noticed it is your first check.
01:16:20
Speaker
you you check you yeah You might be 15, you might be 16. You sat there and you said, I'm going to work 40 hours this week. You're making, you know, and in my day was $3.65.
01:16:35
Speaker
I was making $3.65 an hour and I figured it out exactly how much I was going to make for how many hours I worked. And I got my check and I was like, what the hell is this?
01:16:46
Speaker
$146 and you probably got Oh, you probably got 110. Not even. Not even. Yeah. No, it was If you sent me a bill. I'm still upset about that. 40 years later. That's why I'm drinking. 40 years later. 30 some years later. Sorry.
01:17:05
Speaker
I dated you. ah If you sent me a bill. people would revolt. If they sent you a tax bill instead of taking out of your check, people will revolt similar to healthcare insurance.
01:17:18
Speaker
You know, if it's taken out of your check, eventually you don't even know what it is. but If you knew you were paying $600 a month for your healthcare, care you'd probably revolt. Yeah, so everybody that buys their house, and I'm guilty of this, you sit there and go, oh i yeah I took a loan $200,000. payment is ah let's And then all of a sudden, you're like sitting going, why eighteen hundred a the exact um fine go Oh, yeah, because I had to pay the bank and then rent it from the county.
01:17:54
Speaker
Yeah, you never own your house. Never. And hearing you know what? ah as people that you know As a person that's looked for rural land, you you do see auctions coming up that are bankruptcies.
01:18:15
Speaker
And some of them are because they didn't pay their tax. And you're like, so you're going, oh, crap. Yeah. ah Because they got old and... in They might not be able to. and They just, whatever. They paid their house off. They paid they paid their land off. 40 years ago, they've been paying $2,000 year. And all of a sudden,
01:18:38
Speaker
ah grandma wilkes passes away. She can't afford to pay the... Not Grandma Wilkes. well She can't afford to pay the taxes on this land.
01:18:50
Speaker
and it's going up. Now it's going up for auction because she didn't pay for a couple of years. You're like, sitting there going, you're looking at these auctions. And I sit there, I try to figure out, we we do try to figure out what's going on, why why they're selling why they didn't, why it's going up for auction.
01:19:12
Speaker
And most of the time it's because ah they didn't pay their taxes or they didn't pay their mortgage. And when, when they don't pay their taxes, I feel, I'm like, man, like I, how, this is bullshit.
01:19:28
Speaker
You know, the guy owes $7,000 taxes and his house is gone. seven thousand dollars in taxes and his house is gone Under his feet.
01:19:39
Speaker
I'm sorry. I thought you were done. That's why I said Yeah. No, like I was, it's, uh, it's something I think about and it's bullshit. Oh, it is. Yeah. It absolutely is. Cause mean, you have parents right now that are doing it.
Education Funding and Property Taxes
01:19:54
Speaker
Well, yeah. And you know, luckily they paid their house off. Oh, they paid their house off. A couple decades ago. They buy they they bought their house in 75. The house was paid off by 85. So they've been living in a house.
01:20:08
Speaker
They're renting it. Yeah. And they've been renting it. And the thing is, let's say my you know let's say ah my parents didn't have a pension, didn't have, you know, they were, yeah, a good ah good social security plan. Careful.
01:20:27
Speaker
yeah Well, you know what? I'm drunk and I'm trying to say... Social Security, yes. So... um SSI. Say SSI. Good point. Yeah, they they kind of be up up the creek without a paddle. Oh, wait. Yeah. Oh, boy. Here we go.
01:20:46
Speaker
Why? I'd rather be up the creek without a paddle than down the without a paddle. I don't think these people should be paying attention. Taxes on their property. I just think it's total BS.
01:20:58
Speaker
There's a better way to do it. There's a better way to do it. yeah Exactly. That's the thing. they don't have These people don't have kids in schools. They shouldn't be paying property taxes to pay for schools. if if that's what it and Which is what it mostly pays for. yeah and Again, it's in the Constitution. It's the state's the state responsibility to do it. And then we'll go back to, you know, we learned a lot about how schools are funded this year doing this show. Yeah. And one of the things I noticed, the movement across the country that I noticed is so fund the student, not the school, not the system.
01:21:38
Speaker
Make them compete against each other. Is it the best plan? Probably not. Is it way better than... Oh, I don't know. The city of Cleveland spending $60 to $70 million dollars a year renovating and building new schools over a time period when their enrollment went went yeah got cut in half.
01:22:04
Speaker
And then they're crying because they got to close schools down.
01:22:08
Speaker
Cut in half. So there's a better way And if you fund the student, those problems go away pretty quick because if they've got to fend for those those public schools, have to fend for themselves and and compete with the private schools. They're either going to shape up or ship out.
01:22:28
Speaker
It's just, wow. I just, I just, just use the shape up, ship out. Oh, wow. That's, that's, that's pretty crazy. Have another drink. I did. i did pour another one.
01:22:40
Speaker
Uh, shape up or ship out. I don't, where did that come from? I wonder anyway.
01:22:46
Speaker
So that's that, I think.
01:22:49
Speaker
I think
Year-End Reflections and Future Plans
01:22:50
Speaker
that's that. Are you sad? It's the last show of the year.
01:22:54
Speaker
hope everybody had a good Christmas. Pardon me? Hope everybody had a good Christmas. ah Hope everybody had a good New Year.
01:23:05
Speaker
yes to I know I will. Depends on how we split this up. we're gonna yeah This is one show where we're splitting into two. and two and Well, this will be... Yeah, this will be the last. Yes, we'll be but I should be good. I should be good. I think we're all right.
01:23:20
Speaker
I think we're fine. got anything else you want to bring up, Tom? It's scary question to ask you, but I'm asking. I'm asking. think we got it. No, I'm... We hit a bunch of stuff, man. We we we really... i just... I think thank you for putting up with me.
01:23:39
Speaker
thank our listeners. Same. for for tuning in, as they say. Because what else do you say? You know what I'm really happy about is that we have a handful of listeners that
01:23:57
Speaker
partake in what we're doing. you know, i love that. love them. And keep doing it. I'm getting all sentimental. I'm going to You're getting sentimental with your beer. That's fine. I'm going to give you a big drunk hug. oh boy. Lucky it's luck it's virtual andm not and physical and IRL because... oh you in I guess next year, you and I have to talk about... ah Are we going to keep this... Do we start advertising on the show or are we going to make this a kind of... what What's...
01:24:35
Speaker
Value for value? Yeah, value for value. That's good question. That's going to be a question we have to talk about. That's a tough one. Yeah, it is. That's a tough one. I've got my thoughts and okay we'll talk about it.
01:24:51
Speaker
Looking forward to that. It's going to be a good year. It's going busy year. It's going to be a very busy year. I'm looking forward to it. I'm so buzzed right now. I'm looking forward to it. We've gotten ourselves into a rhythm. I'm getting used to this.
01:25:06
Speaker
every Every waking moment that I have i have that i have spare moment, i I look at the news in Ohio. That's my rhythm. But it's it's very rewarding, and um' and and i'm and I'm thankful for everybody listens, and I just appreciate everything, and I'm and i'm i'm getting sentimental now, too.
01:25:25
Speaker
But I can actually say it.
01:25:28
Speaker
And on that note, I think we wrap it up, Tom. I think this is show 41 and 42. this is the end and of of the show for this year, the next year. and this is the end. We'll never see you again. No, this is not the end. This is just the... By the way, by the way, I'm going to interrupt you. go ahead. Because I'm drunk.
01:25:53
Speaker
But... ah
01:25:57
Speaker
I'm going to interrupt you. We're going to have to do a meetup this year. Oh, yeah. Oh, really? I think so. I think we have a couple of listeners, more than a couple. More than a couple.
01:26:12
Speaker
i think we have more than a couple of listeners that would meet up for a drink or two. And we'll we'll find a central location where we can have a a couple of beers and talk shit.
01:26:30
Speaker
I like it. Wow. We just put that out there. Okay. I like it. You know what's going to end up happening? It's just going to be me and you, Rob. Yeah. I mean, and that'll be cool. And that'll be cool. That's all right. And we'll work with it and we'll have a great time by ourselves, but that's fine.
01:26:45
Speaker
um If we do it right, we could do a little ah no agenda meetup, maybe combine it. Yeah, we can do a no agenda meetup. We can do a they make get like four Crooked River meetup.
01:27:00
Speaker
And then we can figure out how we're going start. You know what? I really do want to grow this podcast. Yes. i I enjoy it.
01:27:11
Speaker
But we do need to figure out a way to fund it to grow it. Yeah. Exit strategy. Well, i I don't even, yes.
01:27:22
Speaker
I do want that, but I don't even care about that. I just want to make it worthwhile, I guess. Yeah. Yeah, it's a side gig. It's a lot of work. And anyone who's tried it knows. Anyone who hasn't, give it a try because you'll quickly understand what we're talking about. Yeah, it's no, it's awesome. Try to try to start ah try to start a website.
01:27:48
Speaker
I think, yeah, no kidding. ah Thank you to our webmaster. Yes. She is a master of the web. One of these days she'll get on the show.
01:28:00
Speaker
yeah You know what? I was almost thinking of having her on today, but she's working on our website right now. so Yeah, okay. It's been taking so long, whatever she's doing. I was thinking I was going to go get some ice cubes and have hers pop in.
01:28:17
Speaker
But now she's working on our website. oh okay. She's making it better. That's what she does. Yeah. And we do appreciate her because having that central location for everything is really cool. You could send people to, I've done it.
01:28:32
Speaker
Check out the website. Check out the website. You know, you want to learn about this? It's actually way better than it should be. Yes, it actually is. It's way better. than That's a very good point. It's way better than it should be.
01:28:44
Speaker
It's way, it's far more than we deserve. Yes. Well, Tom, thank you for this, uh, this year and this, uh, this journey that we're on and I appreciate it and let's grow it and let's get bigger and let's, let's make a difference.
01:28:59
Speaker
Let's make a difference.
01:29:06
Speaker
That's it. That's all I got. I was waiting for more. That's all I got. that And that is show 41 42. Happy new happy new year Let's go get them.
01:29:18
Speaker
Let's get them next year. and let's Let's make a difference Ohio. Talk to you later. Peace.