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#39: The Almond Mom
42 Plays3 months ago
#39: The Almond Mom
Turns out Jessica grew up a redneck on Long Island with a pickup truck! Rubber mallets do not solve all engineering problems. We’re still waiting for all the cutting edge tech to really improve and take over our lives, just like Bieber’s NFT which lost 99% of its value. Francis talks Kalshi and how Mamdani can’t really deliver on all his promises. Jessica finally got to see Paisley Park because Minnesota is awesome!
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Transcript
Introduction to The Grocery Stick Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
From a makeshift recording studio in Brooklyn, welcome to The Grocery Stick with Jessica and Francis. Shut the front door. That is not what we agreed upon. Francis and Jessica. Meh, ignore that.
00:00:13
Speaker
We're Brooklynites and friends. We're here to talk, laugh, commiserate, and argue about all things travel sports-related, kid-related, and plain old life-related. It's Francis and Jessica, or I quit.
00:00:23
Speaker
Shh. Three, two, one, go.
Technical Troubles and Post-Production Tools
00:00:26
Speaker
Hello. Episode 39. Hey. it going? am not speaking into the microphone properly still. Still breathing into it. You just need to breathe heavy into it. Or inside of it. I don't know what's going on.
00:00:37
Speaker
Breathe heavy into it. I do the sound editing and I notice it. But we use this thing called Alphonic. I told you this before, right? I told you we use this thing called Alphonic to run our post-production.
00:00:51
Speaker
It's supposed to take away extra static and stuff and then level out our voices and stuff. Does it work for you?
00:01:01
Speaker
Is it not working and that's why you're miffed about your ability to speak properly into the microphone? I think it works for the most part. It's not perfect. If you wanted to be perfect, you would have to have like a sound engineer running a board.
00:01:18
Speaker
And, you know, we don't have money for that. night This is volunteer only. free podcast we don't have money for something oh i thought you had sound engineer background i have editing background Oh, editing background. Yeah, I'm like broadcasting background.
00:01:37
Speaker
Right, right. Okay, that's close enough. But it's outdated. Like I'd have to relearn, you know, recent programming, which is not a big deal. I mean, I could it. Like the concepts are still the same. It's just more advanced now. You know, you want to hear something
Jessica's Ring Camera Mishap
00:01:51
Speaker
funny?
00:01:51
Speaker
Yeah. So I put a ring camera at my desk. Oh, at your desk? Yeah, it's on it's on the shelf above my desk. Because this is the room that I have Caesar's crate in.
00:02:03
Speaker
um So I wanted to know what was going on. Like, you know, when he's in the crate or whatever, when I'm not home and he's, you know, barricaded in here or whatever. But every time I sit at my desk and I forget to unplug it, it monitors me. goes off on the ring app every 30 seconds. So you're watching yourself?
00:02:23
Speaker
Oh, it's so annoying. But all I see is the side of my head. like So I just unplugged it. it's someone else spying on you. Right. right Well, Eric could totally spy on me with it because we both hold the account. Well, he's the account holder and I'm the one who...
00:02:40
Speaker
purchased this stupid camera and now i'm basically spying on myself right violating my own privacy right you hear mojo barking in the background so crazy dog okay so uh nice does he want some oatmeal he's on my oatmeal maybe that'll quiet let's talk about did you go to the doctor No.
Healthcare Delays and Doctor Swap
00:03:04
Speaker
Why? I thought that appointment was supposed to happen this week. Yeah, it was supposed to, but ah
00:03:11
Speaker
my wife hijacked the appointment. Oh, wow. What? Which I was, trust me, which I was all too happy to give. All that anticipation. ah So I have like a few more months of eating oatmeal for the outcome.
00:03:29
Speaker
um God bless. Good for you. needs to see the doctor. You know, the doctor's here. They're always busy. we'll see you like three months from now. like I know. I mean, I'll be... I always tell them I'll be healed or I'll be dead by the time you see me.
00:03:43
Speaker
That's not really helpful. right Anyway, so she wanted the appointment or she needed it. um And she couldn't get an appointment. So I just called her said, hey, give it my appointment to my wife. Give me hers, which is in June. Oh, I'll get one back earlier. There's a wait list. People cancel. And I'm like,
00:04:04
Speaker
because I'm just podcasting with Jessica and advising other stuff, I can always run out at a moment's notice and get this thing. But still. That's true. But still.
00:04:16
Speaker
It's kind of ridiculous. Yeah, I know. That's a long time. And and and the the doctor that I see... is obviously near home because I'm here, but her office in Midtown.
00:04:27
Speaker
So it's not that convenient for her either to go to Midtown and have to come back to Brooklyn for the appointment. But anyways, so that's what happened. So no news yet. ah So, but you still have to eat oatmeal. Your self-imposed oatmeal.
00:04:43
Speaker
so So have we changed anything at all in the
Healthy Eating Habits and Family Nicknames
00:04:46
Speaker
oatmeal issue? Okay, we've changed one thing. I have decided the spirit of being healthy and also not depressing myself that the battle with oatmeal continues but only every other day.
00:05:04
Speaker
okay okay And then on the alternate days, there's no oatmeal, I'm eating raisin bran. Which you've been eating for years. Which I've been eating for years and I like.
00:05:16
Speaker
So that's the middle ground. Interesting. Which I just started last week. So I've ordered it. I'm doing it. Today was an oatmeal day.
00:05:28
Speaker
Do you have a calendar? Like, is it like set out on a calendar so you don't get confused? No, and there's no, one just trust me, there's no confusing it. I hate oatmeal so much that, trust me, it's like, ooh, today's the day. And then tomorrow, ah, raisin bread.
00:05:41
Speaker
Still haven't gone down the avenue of granola, huh? No. Oh, yeah. No, I was looking for the Michelle's granola and then I forgot when I got to Whole Foods. So I will get to that for sure at some I promise you won't be hating your life on oatmeal days. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm going to try that. Because the thing with Raisin Bran is that it does have a little bit too much sugar.
00:06:02
Speaker
Well, I mean, granola can have sugar too, but it varies with what flavor, what brand. Yeah, but a little bit of sugar is not going to be a massive issue as long as you're still doing the heart healthy stuff, if that's really the end goal.
00:06:16
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's really what it is. It's about the heart health and everything else. and Yeah, a little bit of sugar is kind of unavoidable. That's true. That is true. You know, it's kind of in everything. It sneaks up on you. It's, I mean, it's almost in everything.
00:06:29
Speaker
Yeah. You know, so so different how and if you keep it to a minimum, yeah you know, like if you allow yourself to have, let's just say like almond butter granola instead of shitty oatmeal in the morning. Yeah. You know, you just kind of taper it somewhere else during the day where you find it, you know, on the on those days. Right. I mean, it doesn't have to be every day, but on those days. Yeah. And OK.
00:06:52
Speaker
And I. Not that I'm a doctor. I've decided that obviously if I'm going to have sugar, have real sugar, cane sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. Oh, yeah. No, gross. Don't eat that crap. Which is what most of American companies do, right? Yeah. We cheat. Well, you know, um my kids call me the almond mom.
00:07:11
Speaker
Did I ever tell you this? No. What's almond mom? Oh, it's a mom who, you know, goes shopping. Who's the, you know, person in charge for, you know, grocery shopping and food shopping and whatever. And they only bring home things that are healthy.
00:07:24
Speaker
You know, like I don't buy like any general meals and I won't buy like any of that crap. That's the gist. but But the truth is, is like. And you live in Brooklyn. You're perfect.
00:07:35
Speaker
Right. Right. If only I fit all of the criteria to live here. Are you wearing plaid?
00:07:46
Speaker
I'm not. And I'm not wearing hemp either, by the way. Just so we're clear. i'm wearing I am wearing organic cotton, though. There you go. Oh, see, there you go But it's not because it's organic. It's because I really like the style of the leggings I'm wearing. You're just missing the les the white lesbrew.
00:08:03
Speaker
I thought you were going to call me a lesbian. I was like, are we really doing this now? No, you need the white lesbrew. I was into the podcast with... ah And no, I'm not wearing blundstone boots either. Just so we're clear. Like I don't have, I'm wearing Crocs. Broken ones. Amy Poehler has a put her her her new podcast, right? And and she does ads for Subaru. She makes fun of herself. Yes, I drive the white Subaru.
00:08:25
Speaker
And then at her at her best pal, what's your best pal's name again? um Is it Maya
First Cars and American vs. Foreign Manufacturing
00:08:33
Speaker
Rudolph? No, no, the other comedian. was on 30 Rock. oh oh oh um so old get her name tina tina faye thank you she she goes around all the time saying to people oh i drive a white lesbaru that's really funny yeah that kind of sticks that fits oh my god let me tell you when i go visit evan at school upstate that's all i see everyone's driving a subaru i mean they've got a lock yeah
00:09:01
Speaker
If you're not driving ah a truck, like a Ford F-150, whatever they call a yeah me too Pickup truck is my is my jam. I love pickup truck. Those things are cool. Yeah, they're fun. That was my first car. My first car was a pick oh really? Yeah, it was a heavy long-edged pickup. With that rear cab? Mm-hmm.
00:09:21
Speaker
Oh, the rear passenger cab? Yeah, I had a cap on it, and then I took the cap off it. Yeah, it was really cool. It had these jump seats in the back. So I had two main seats, and then there was a narrow area right behind it, and the jump seats came out of the wall of the That's when you were in law on Long Island? Yes.
00:09:40
Speaker
Yep. It was my first car. And I bought it. I actually bought it from my father. That's a little redneck-y. Dude, I loved it. It was red and black. it was kick-ass. What? It was great. It was a great ride. Can you imagine 16-year-old Jessica...
00:09:55
Speaker
Riding through Long Island in a pickup truck? The best part was I didn't have enough room to take massive amounts of people with me because I wouldn't let anybody ride and my in the back of the truck. Oh, right. Like open. ah And so I was always like driving around with only one other person or two other people.
00:10:15
Speaker
Or walk to somebody else's car and not drive. i mean, we're from the same generation. You're not one of those white convertible Mustang chicks. Oh, my God, no. I did end up, though, after after I got rid of the truck, I did end up getting a black-on-black-on-black Chevrolet Cavalier convertible.
00:10:31
Speaker
uh, the convertible. I knew it. I knew it. Yeah, but it wasn't a Mustang. It wasn't some kind of like high hair, white trash car. It was like super subtle. It was black on black on black. Um, and I, I got it when I, I bought it when I bought, when I got my first, uh, corporate job. Yeah. but And I needed it for that job because I drove around a lot for that work. Um,
00:10:57
Speaker
And so I got it for that. And then I ended up selling it to a family friend who ended up keeping it for many more years, actually. yeah So.
00:11:07
Speaker
Nice. right Yeah. I mean, they don't make them the same way anymore. Like I've i've rented some Chevy. Oh, yeah yeah yeah, I don't know what they were. Chevy Equinox or like some other like Chevrolet when I've gone to Chicago and Minneapolis. Right. Those have ended up being my rental cars. And Chevys are not made like they used to be made. I would never buy a Chevrolet now.
00:11:25
Speaker
Not even close. Never, ever, ever. Well, I remember growing up in high school and they would show us videos of, um I think it was a Ford or a GM plant, like manufacturing plant.
00:11:40
Speaker
A stamping plant? Or an assembly plant? An assembly plant. Okay. yeah And it was an indirect sort of like jab because it's like, you look at a Japanese, when the Japanese were coming across. You look at the Japanese...
00:11:56
Speaker
plant a german automaker plant very efficient hyper efficient very very exacting standards and then they would show they would show an american manufacturing plant and it's like oh the door doesn't quite fit and the guy would pull out a rubber mallet and just hammer it smack it in the way this country treats everything it was like it was like don't buy a monday or a friday car another another that you have a you can tell but like if you get a monday or a friday car it's it's not built well because monday they've just been drinking all weekend and then friday's not paying attention because they're getting ready to be drinking that's funny but how would you know and you would know right but if you get one that's a lemon that's what happened and then but that was the best was like hey this door doesn't quite fit no problem and he put the rubber mallet and just bang it in place i'm like oh my god
00:12:47
Speaker
ah it's you know that's it's It's funny. the first The first vision, the first mental vision that it conjures is how the New York City Department of Education treats kids who are little neurodiverse. like like They basically take a rubber mallet and they're like, bang, bang, bang. You'll fit. yeah You'll fit. It's fine. yeah It's first thing that comes to mind.
00:13:06
Speaker
Big time. yeah Big time. Yeah. But you know the stamping plants are cool. Have you ever watched The Stamping Plants? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. yeah The doors, the door frames and that kind of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting.
00:13:18
Speaker
Yeah. I didn't know anything about it until i met people from Michigan. And then all of a sudden I got this education in, in auto manufacturing Well, I mean, those are the jobs that the robots took over.
00:13:29
Speaker
Yeah. Way back then, right? Yeah. But before that, I mean, what you know people doing it. like Yeah. My
Impact of AI on Jobs
00:13:35
Speaker
father-in-law was a dentist. Okay. he had an office in Pontiac. And he would treat all of the auto workers.
00:13:45
Speaker
And so he knew a lot of people um in the auto industry. Yeah. Which is kind of bananas. Yeah. It is. Yeah, it's little weird.
00:13:56
Speaker
It's a little... Well, I mean, and then so we can get back into that AI discussion again. That's why keep telling people, look, AI is a tool. People don't need to be afraid of it. Right.
00:14:08
Speaker
There'll be many jobs. It will create many other types of jobs. And it'll be another efficiency tool. just like I mean, it's like i can keep having this discussion all the time. In recent weeks, everybody is like, i guys, guys, guys. It's like...
00:14:23
Speaker
I mean, Microsoft Excel was supposed to put every accountant out of work. And I was like, no. mean, you end up using it to get better productivity, right? But it's a tool.
00:14:36
Speaker
And you use it, it doesn't put you out of work. right? Et cetera. Every, every bit, you know, new bit of technology and, and just like Bitcoin and crypto and, uh, blockchain technology was supposed to change banking forever. I'm like, I'm, so that's like a 10 year old.
00:14:52
Speaker
I'm still waiting for all these banks to, to go to, this is too technical for most people, but, instant settlement of wire transfers or stock transactions using blockchain technology. Still waiting for it. Not even close. And then don't even get me started on NFTs. I just saw an article about Web3 was supposed to be big and I still believe in Web3 for people not well versed in it. Like, you know, web one is like, you know, basic website comes up. Web two is what we're, we're now where you have platforms like, uh, uh, whatever, eBay or Instagram or social media, where they're making money off of your content.
00:15:31
Speaker
And then you go to Web3 where you're supposed to own your content and your information and be able to monetize it yourself. And in a very basic form of Web3, which is the company I was running back in 21, it was like, hey, if Jessica and I are in the room together and I want to pay you $20 through whatever, Venmo, let's say, right?
00:15:56
Speaker
Right now, I get my phone, open the app, Send you 20 bucks. The signal has to go into the air to the satellite to Venmo back down to your phone.
00:16:09
Speaker
but That's just stupid because yeah I can see you. Right. right you stay I can see you. And so our phones should just be able to identify we're in the same room together. My 20 bucks goes instantly to you.
00:16:22
Speaker
But doesn't that exist? And you shouldn't even need a wallet. Right. Like you shouldn't even need Venmo, but right? So does that not exist for money but exist for information? Because like if you have an iPhone and I have an iPhone and I stand next to you and I put my iPhone on top of your iPhone, you'll be able to get my contact information without ever even having to speak with me.
00:16:38
Speaker
Yeah, but there's no integrity. I mean, like there's no need for security for that, right? So you do that. but I'm just right, but it's the same concept. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. Sure, money, so should be money, shares, like virtually anything. That's Web3, right? Yeah. So hasn't taken off yet, so still waiting for that.
00:16:54
Speaker
And then I read this article. Is it because of a security issue that it hasn't? No, I mean, I think it's a variety of stuff. i think No, I don't think that the actual technology is there. i just think like people don't understand, or engineers tend not to understand, that there's the technology which is should work and does work.
00:17:14
Speaker
And then there's... business life, like real life business, real world business where plenty of incumbents do not want you to have that technology or or want to control it so that they don't go out of business. Understood. Okay. Right.
00:17:29
Speaker
um No different from, you know, Google protecting search engine technology because if suddenly something comes up and you just use AI and you don't need Google search to buy stuff, they lose all their ad, that company ceases to exist, right? Right.
00:17:44
Speaker
So there's a bit of all that all lumped in together. And then, of course, if you dealing with money, um stock transactions, I mean, you have to be 1,000% sure it works and it's correct and doesn't actually ah make a mistake.
00:17:58
Speaker
Right. And so so I saw this thing.
The Realities of NFTs and Web3
00:18:02
Speaker
ah do you remember Do you remember the world of NFTs? Do you remember that? It was like all the rage. you remember You remember the height of the crypto craze? This is probably...
00:18:12
Speaker
three or four years ago. And I posted that thing. I i i bought an NFT, which turned into those self-lacing sneakers from Nike, the Back to the Future sneakers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:18:24
Speaker
But I had to like take money. i was making fun of myself. I had to take money, real money, get on a, turn it into into Ethereum, use the Ethereum to buy the NFT, and then trade the NFT in called minting for Forging, sorry, for the actual right to buy the sneaker. And then the sneaker arrived. And was just laughing. i was like oh, guys, like I could just use a credit card and bought that thing. Right. I didn't have to do all these steps. But it's that was the the crazy NFT Web3 boom. And I was just trying to experience it and see, you know, where the cracks are. Yeah, and I guess you found a lot of them. And well and and then back then, people were buying these, you know, people were $50,000, $100,000 for um a one-of-a-kind skin or clothing or something for their avatars playing games, like all these different games. Yeah. And so...
00:19:16
Speaker
I just saw this newsflash a couple days ago. The Bored Ape NFT that pop star Justin Bieber paid $1.3 million for in 2022 is now for sale at a whopping $12,000. Oh, wow.
00:19:32
Speaker
wow Or a 99% drop in value. And that's assuming somebody buys it. It might go for zero. I mean, I just, you know, people are stuck with this stuff. um So there's that.
00:19:45
Speaker
I was laughing at that. ah Laughing at myself because those stupid Back to Future sneakers which are now sitting in my closet and I can't even sell them on eBay. I want to see them. Oh, yeah. I should charge them up. yeah I mean, they're kind of cool. No, charge them because I want to see them. I don't know that what they look like. You didn't see on my Instagram? I posted it. It's one of my second last posts. You can go back to my... I'll forward it to you. You're going make me dig? I'll forward it to you.
00:20:09
Speaker
My post on Instagram like years. I post like stories that expire. Yeah. The actual post post. It's the second last post on my profile. Anyways, we'll get to that later. Fine. I'm just going to go do it now. You're going to do it now? Yeah. While you're talking, I'm going to go do now.
00:20:27
Speaker
I'm going to find it right now. FCO. FCO. And then, so there's that. And then, so then all this, the fear and fear and fear about AI again. And as usual, and as usual, you know, I've talked to you about those case, that that like that lawyer in Australia who got disbarred for,
00:20:48
Speaker
doing all the casework research on AI and then and then it went to court and then realized that the AI hallucinated. Right? No. Really? Hallucinated fake cases. Oh. Because you have the yeah there you're're always making a you're always making an argument based on precedent, right? Sure. Yep, always. So you use AI and then it hallucinated or created cases. I mean, hallucinate I think is more like an accident. This is not an accident. This is like he used AI. The AI wanted to, well, created cases for the conclusion that this lawyer wanted. but He went to court. He presented it. Didn't check. Schmuck. And then got busted. Okay. Well, no. AI is imperfect. that's not It's not perfect. It's totally, I mean, I tell you what, garbage in, garbage out. So guess what? So then, so then. What a schmuck. so then
00:21:41
Speaker
So then, so then yesterday I read this article. here's ah Here's the headline. We just found out our AI has been making up analytics data for three months and I'm going to throw up.
AI Analytics Gone Wrong
00:21:53
Speaker
Nice. wasn't readit He's like, so we've been using an AI agent since November to answer leadership questions about metrics. It seemed amazing at first fast answers, detailed explanations. Everyone loved it.
00:22:07
Speaker
I just found out it's been hallucinating numbers this entire time. So our VP of sales has made territory decisions based on data that didn't exist. Our CFO showed the board a deck with fake insights and the AI was just inventing plausible sounding percentages. Wow. had to laugh because, like, I mean, obviously it's a terrible outcome because you you hope people no one lost their job over this mistake or whatever else it is. But you know what it's like, if you're going be lazy, this is what happens.
00:22:39
Speaker
Yeah, you don't deserve to have it have that job if you can't manage to, you know, operate with integrity. Yeah. Like, I mean, seriously, all you have to do is cross-reference information. It's not like. You'd be surprised how many people don't, right? No, it doesn't surprise me at all because people are inherently lazy. And they're taking it value and they're getting, and the AI is making them even lazier. And they're just just like the latest sort of couple years of internet saying, if you see the headline, it must be true. No, it's not. Like our kids have to remember almost everything they see on the internet, they have to assume it's fake.
00:23:10
Speaker
And then they have to find a way to confirm that it's true. Right. Right. Right. right um So that that was funny. um But my my morning has been done because because when we started this call, I've been waiting weeks on Calci
Supreme Court Bet and Political Expectations
00:23:26
Speaker
for the Supreme Court to rule on whether the tariffs under Trump are legal or illegal. OK.
00:23:36
Speaker
So I bet 10 bucks. Like three weeks ago that they that the stacked Supreme Court would vote in his favor. Yeah, that makes sense. And my $10 would turn into $33.
00:23:48
Speaker
thirty three I lost. Really? Fuck. And i was it was the decision came out just as we started recording today. ah And i was like, he lost 6-3.
00:24:02
Speaker
So now what? So now I'm like, wait and I thought there's no way they're going rule against him. Right. They'll like, the he'll win barely. back Like he'll, he'll win by one vote and the Supreme court will realize it's impossible to undo.
00:24:19
Speaker
He'd been charging terrorists for like six months. Yes. What do you do with that money? Are you going refund it back to people? No. To countries? No. I mean, he's going to find some other way. Well, first of all, he's just not going to listen. No, that's me. You can't do that. Right. He's not going to do shit. But no but i'm I'm sorry. So they voted against him. So i my bet promptly went to zero.
00:24:38
Speaker
Unfortunate. It's the first one I've lost on Calci, but okay, whatever. um so You can't win them all, man. Shit happens. You can't win them all. You can't win them It was a fun experiment, ah nevertheless. and I still have not bet shit on Calci. You gotta get in there. You gotta get involved in this. I think i think the ones you get involved money in. it I don't have money it. I look at it, I'm like, hmm.
00:24:59
Speaker
I like that bet. Well, do the one the one that i really the one that's clo near and dear to our hearts. Do the one where it's, will Mamdani freeze the rent this year? No, he cannot.
00:25:11
Speaker
That's what I think. I think i think he cannot because freeze the rent means zero. Well, I think every promise he's run his campaign on has fucking blown up in his face. But you know his politics, right? he'll he'll get He'll get instead of the usual 3% to 4% a year, he'll get down to like
Mamdani's Rent Policies Discussion
00:25:27
Speaker
0.5%. And then he's going to say, okay, not quite zero but near zero. But doesn't matter for me. I win the bet because in the bet it has to be zero. It has to be zero. Absolute. Right. Right. Yeah.
00:25:37
Speaker
Anyway, so that was what might be worth it for you because... His whole new tax thing is all insane. No, but a lot of his tax thing, lot of his tax posturing, threatening, even property tax. Like someone called me and says, hey are you goingnna move? Because he's going to increase property tax 10%. was like, hang on a second. First of all, first of all,
00:25:57
Speaker
Let's say your property tax is, don't know, typical property tax in the suburbs, in the house, it's like $40,000 or $50,000 a year. Well, it depends on where you are. I mean, that's like Bedford Hills probably, but let's take an average person. Any good school district. Let's take a $20,000. Let's just call it $20,000. Okay, fine. Even better because that'll prove that my argument is- That's a midline. Let's call it $20,000. Sure, $20,000. So 10% more is $2,000,000.
00:26:21
Speaker
Yeah. I was like i told i told this this friend of mine- Are you going to sell your home, move to, let's say, Connecticut, ride the train to work, and incur all those, the moving cost would be 10 grand. Like you're, I think I'm upset too, but the two grand is not changing your life. No, but what you're presuming is that those people have savings or have money of a nest egg. What you're not assuming is that there's a possibility that those are people who are financially struggling also and just happen to have a house and keeping it afloat. Well, yes. And that's why, and that's, but but that's why i know I took like that, but that's exactly why it's, political posturing because the people that will be hurt by that property tax increases are the people who put them in office. Right. Well, they're they're the lower income brackets. Right. And those are people who yeah he was, he promised to protect. Right. Reduced cost of living, blah, blah, blah, blah. blah so So when he says that and people freak out and they call me,
00:27:20
Speaker
Like my wife is, oh my God. I'm like, it's not going happen. He's trying to squeeze more money out of the governor well and making bail threats because if he does this, the very people...
00:27:31
Speaker
that it hurts are the people that put him in office, yes not the people who voted against him. Right. His constituency. Well, but it's interesting because his constituency really had no idea what they were doing. Oh, yeah. And you see it, you know, like the curtains dropping more and more every single day. right Like, oh, free buses. But the transit fare went up. Can't do it. I know. You can't do it. And it's not up to you. It's a state issue. Right. yeah But transit has gotten more expensive since he even took office. Now, granted, that was in play before he took office. But, i you know, like, I don't know. Is there executive orders for the mayor where you could be like, OK, that is not happening? No, because it's a state thing. The same thing with taxing the wealthy in new York City is a state issue.
00:28:14
Speaker
Yeah. Like they're not city issues. I know. You can't do it. cancel The people voted for him really didn't do their research. No. Or maybe they did and just try and and felt like he'll find a way around it. You can't. City council is so powerful, first of all, here in New York, that the mayor can't just like wave his magic hand right and do stuff with executive order can't do that stuff can't do shit. Anywhere.
00:28:35
Speaker
He can't do it anywhere, which is which is the part where in retrospect, I look at, you know, the campaigning and the election and all the aftermath. And I'm just like, you people are so manipulated. Yeah. Like so easily manipulated. like Did you do any research into what collectivism looks like? Okay, but more importantly, I'm trying to make you money.
00:28:56
Speaker
If you vote on Calci right now, the odds, people are still saying there's only a 30% chance that he cannot freeze the rent. Okay, so where is I'm like, it's no-brainer. I'm like, what? People are that dumb? That means 70% of the people on Calci are saying he will be able to get 0% chance rent increase for stable ed apartments by October of this year.
00:29:26
Speaker
That's insane. All right. So it's one sided bet. So mom, Donnie freeze the rent this year. The answer no. So you could know. Yeah. And then put my 30% 3.18 times payout.
00:29:37
Speaker
So, I mean, what do you normally... Top right, i you can do different ways of betting, or or I always just choose dollar amount. Oh, dollar share. So choose dollars.
00:29:48
Speaker
So what do you normally... want like How much do you normally drop on? It depends. I'm just curious. I usually make... What's the metric? No, no. I mean, it's it's how much you want. But I usually make between $10 and $100 bets on these, like, things.
00:30:02
Speaker
Right? All right. so So for this one, for this one in particular, i look at it. i For this one, open it right now. I put in, where is it? I put in $100 on this one. That's how sure I am.
00:30:17
Speaker
And it pays out $317. Interesting. If I win. Interesting. But you have to wait out until December 31st? No, no, no, no. So let's say, and it moves it moves by the minute or by the day, right? But let's say in July, the Rent Guidelines Board makes some kind of headline about well, you know, if we do zero, all these landlords will go bankrupt and they won't it won't fix the heat or the air conditioning. So we're thing we're we're leaning towards something near zero. Like some some headline will come like that. And then these odds will change. And all of a sudden it can go to from 30% chance of no, or which is 70% chance yes. It could reverse quite quickly. Oh, 70% chance no, 30% chance still yes. And then you can cash out anytime you want.
00:31:09
Speaker
You don't need to wait until the actual decision. And that's the power of of playing in predictive markets as opposed to a normal bet is that you don't have to wait for the outcome. The market changes every day and you can always just exit the trade whenever you want.
00:31:25
Speaker
h Like the stock market to a certain extent, which is how they run it with contracts. So then so yeah, so so any headline can come out. And you and I did that recently. What? Yeah. What trade was I doing? There was a trade that I did. But my point was, this bed is open until December 26. I mean, December 31st. No, because the RGB has to issue the official guideline which normally comes out at the end of October.
00:31:50
Speaker
Right, I see. Okay, right. But if you wait till then face the bed, like the inside information will have leaked. He's appointed RGB people. And then the odds will be like 90-10 or whatever is the one on one side, right? So the last one I made a lot of money on was ah the government shutdown. Will there be a – oh, this is a good example.
00:32:09
Speaker
Will there be another government shutdown? Okay. And technically – ah this I mean, in early January, everyone's like, no, there's no way there's been government shutdown after the last one we just had. No appetite for it, right?
00:32:25
Speaker
So I bet, so it was like a 10% chance of it happening. I bet. And then Minnesota happened two weeks later. And then the Democrats said they weren't going to pass a spending bill.
00:32:37
Speaker
for DHS. right They were going to shut down the government partially. And again, got to read the rules. That's still considered a partial shutdown. But I didn't wait. I didn't wait for that to happen. As soon as Minnesota happened, my bet went from 10% of it chance happening to 75% chance happening.
00:32:54
Speaker
So cashed out.
00:32:56
Speaker
so i cashed out And then it went back down to 10% because they thought, oh, well, they'll get it across the line. And then they didn't. And they went to 100%. So I could have waited and made all the money. I made 75% of the money. That's fine. i don't Okay. Got it. That's really what it is. Anyway, so I think that's the one you should make. I did.
00:33:14
Speaker
Okay. I already did it. Nice. Nice. Stay tuned, everybody, for the updates. ah on yeah I'm not passing up on like the possibility of of of good bets anymore. went in Minnesota this past weekend.
00:33:28
Speaker
oh how did that go? it was fun. you know Wait, wait, wait. Time out. Time out. Time out. You can get into that. Happy Year of the Horse to you and your family and everybody else. Oh, and you. Okay?
00:33:39
Speaker
Happy Looting Year, everybody wishing you happiness, prosperity, healthy, Year of the Horse. Yes. get that out of the way. Happy New Year you and yours as well. Thank you. You're welcome. And then, freaking Olympics, I can't believe the Canadian women lost their 1-0 lead with two minutes left you and then into OT.
Minnesota Trip Highlights
00:33:58
Speaker
Yep, I know. It went quickly.
00:34:00
Speaker
As a Canadian and an American, I am torn. I will tell you, Canadian first, American second, the American team was really the better team. So they shouldn't have yeah they shouldn't even have been down one zero after beating the Canadians in the preliminaries. i didn't I didn't get to watch the game. I was i was out.
00:34:20
Speaker
forgot about it. Okay, but Canada versus, no, you don't care because you care about the American one, but Canada versus Finland men's semifinal on right now. Oh, yeah, I know. And then the final is on Sunday. So you hear some clicking noises the back. I'm going to turn it on, even though it's on mute.
00:34:35
Speaker
Okay, okay. All that's been said, how was Minnesota? Minnesota was warm. What to start? Let's just start with the with the weather, because typically you think of Minnesota, you think it's freezing, it's snowing all the time, it's snow covered, whatever winds, whatnot, you know, because it's flat.
00:34:57
Speaker
It was 50 degrees pretty much almost every day we were there. and There's no snow left. It snowed since we've left. It's dropped back down to 23 and snowed apparently like yesterday or something. but it was so they nice i was roll mass i a jacket They didn't get that massive California storm that led to the avalanche in Lake Tahoe? They didn't while we were there. i don't know if that's the storm that rolled in right after we left.
00:35:25
Speaker
Which is headed this way, by the way. Bomb cyclone, I know. Headed this way. Which is tweaking brain. And we could zero foot of snow. Honestly, tweaking my brain. I really, I just don't want any more.
00:35:36
Speaker
Like it's finally melted. i wouldn't mind one more. Come on. It's finally melted and I kind of feel like a modicum of freedom when I'm walking the can my god sister laughing because knows I love a good story. I don't want one or two inches. I want like a foot or nothing.
00:35:52
Speaker
I got a big one. i still vote for nothing. And then go drive and go shovel and have some fun sledding. It's fun for like 48 hours. I know. And then and then it's not fun anymore. And it's like, you know, and then you sit there and you look at these piles of snow and you're like, oh, shit, this isn't going to go away until April at the rate we're going.
00:36:11
Speaker
Fair. Right. and what i'm is a snowstorm in march And what I'm really hoping for, honestly, is that there's not another cold snap like there was right after the last one, because five degrees is not for New York City.
00:36:25
Speaker
Yeah. You know what? I don't live in Alaska. If you live in Alaska, then you're like on par for five degrees. Like give me Maine, give me Ottawa, like, like all that Northern belt area. Okay. But not here. Five is killer. So it was a success.
00:36:40
Speaker
Minnesota yeah warm and your son's team upset. Some of the top teams in the nation. yeah Congratulations. Thank you. They wait, wait, wait, wait. waiti wait wait people Oh, thank you. Very nice.
00:36:56
Speaker
Very nice. And here's the best part. here's yes Well, for me, one of the best parts. Yes. Well, no, really, probably the best part. So, you know, this is my third. Yeah. My third trip. So the first one yeah planned and like a week before we were supposed to go, my son dislocated his shoulder right we didn't go. Right.
00:37:16
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Trip number two, yeah I planned. And my flight, my very early flight yes that morning got canceled. And then yeah out right they me They didn't fly me out until 8.30 at night. and didn't get there until 1.30 in the morning. They played at like 7 a.m. It really sucked. And it condensed the whole weekend, right? Mm-hmm.
00:37:36
Speaker
Mm-hmm. This time, I planned an early flight, mostly because it was the cheapest one. I was like, forget it. I'm not, good you know, this is like, last time I planned it out meticulously. I paid extra. They made me check my bag and they've canceled my flight. Like, ugh. Yeah, yeah, yeah, So this time, i I planned around cost and I was like, you know what i'm just going to take whatever cheap flight there is. yeah And all the later flights are always expensive. So I was like, oh, okay, fine. So we took a 7.55 a.m. flight.
00:38:02
Speaker
Okay. I didn't plan shit because every time I make a plan for this trip, it goes down the toilet. Yeah. So this time I was like, I'm not planning anything. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, then I'm going to be flexible because would don't, I won't be drowning in my disappointment. already know how this works. And because you didn't plan anything,
00:38:23
Speaker
Everything worked out perfectly. Everything went Exactly. So we get there. We land. I get the car. It's like 1015 Mall of America is three minutes away from the airport. yeah It's going great. We go there to walk around and check it out because we missed it last time. Okay. We didn't buy anything whatever. Oh, no. We got a coffee and walked around.
00:38:45
Speaker
Okay. Because we were tired. You know, like getting up at 4.30 in the morning still for the birds no matter where you go. Yeah. That's brutal. And then while we were having caribou coffee, which is the coffee of Minnesota, we decided that it was time and we were going to go do Paisley Park.
00:39:03
Speaker
Oh. But you're booking events. Yeah. No, you did not. On a Thursday. You got in. I got in. I got in for the one o'clock tour. We only did the 90 minute tour because we were tired. And it was spec-fucking-tacular.
00:39:22
Speaker
Wow. It was so great. And I felt so happy. And it was awesome because when I saw the teen parents later on, like the ones that, you know, we know each other pretty well and spend a lot of time. one of them who I love who uh lives in Rochester she looks at me and with her awesome Rochester accent goes oh my god did you get to go did you go to did you get to go I look at her and I said yeah we went this morning and she was like I'm so happy for you nice yeah nice yeah and then so for those who don't know
00:39:59
Speaker
For one or two people, whoever listens to this. For those who don't know what Paisley Park is, Paisley Park is um in Chowhausen, Minnesota, which is a suburb. used to be farmland. And it is the home and recording studios of Prince.
00:40:17
Speaker
Yes. And it's amazing. Like you walk into this place and it's extremely industrial looking from the outside, which I think was done on purpose by him so that it wouldn't attract, you know, unwanted.
00:40:31
Speaker
ah You walk in and it is just so Prince, man. So he's from Minnesota? Yeah. Yeah. He's originally from Minneapolis. Oh, shit. I didn't know that. And so he went and spent a lot of time in L.A. when he was trying to get into the music business. And then would spend a lot of time going back and forth. And he always stayed in Minneapolis. He never left Minnesota. Okay. And so when it came time for him to make an investment...
00:40:59
Speaker
You know, Minnesota has a lot of space. So we bought a huge swath of land in this farm area. Yeah. And he built it I think it was 65,000 square feet. This whole entire thing. Holy cow. What?
00:41:11
Speaker
Huge. It's massive. It's huge. man. I can't even begin to tell you. i was picturing a really small studio. studio and Like the Beatles were in. No, there's a soundstage. Oh, it's just old you built a on the property. oh That's crazy. It's insane.
00:41:28
Speaker
They have the original motorbikes from. Yeah. Purple Rain. They yeah so they have a a cage when you walk in There's this atrium area and they have a cage on the upper floor, which public isn't allowed to go to. It's like they're okay constantly and there are a lot of employees that still work Is used to make music? It is. no it is. Yeah, people rent out the studios because the studios are spectacular. I mean, they're just like like ok built so well for the purpose, right?
00:41:57
Speaker
Yeah. And so, yeah, they do. they i don't think as many people go there now as they used to. yeah But they still do. And they still rent out the soundstage. Okay. Oh, nice. Yeah. But so upstairs they have this like big birdcage and they always have two doves.
00:42:13
Speaker
Oh, right. Of course. Yeah. They always have doves on the premises. Yeah. It's pretty amazing. That is amazing. Pretty amazing. No protests from PETA? No, because they're treated like like the best treated doves ever. They're still in cages, man.
00:42:28
Speaker
Yeah, but you know what? When you set them free, you know, they're actually more danger. you don't die danger yeah they things They're not like free birds like that. They can't survive that way. So, right you know, they're they're seriously domesticated birds.
00:42:39
Speaker
right At least as far as I know, they're seriously domesticated birds. And so, no, they're treated really well. Like, they're given treats and snacks. And when we walked in, they were sleeping and they woke up from their nap and they were just like fawned all over by the employees that work specifically with the doves.
00:42:54
Speaker
Because, you know, when doves cry. Okay. Yeah, so, okay. So spectacular, yeah trouble-free trip. Yeah. Thank you, Delta. Yeah, it was Delta this time, yeah. Sure, because Minneapolis is a Delta hub, right? so Yeah.
00:43:09
Speaker
So you roll with what you can. I mean, there were people who flew United, but I don't know why you would do that to Minneapolis. Minneapolis is like a big Delta hub. Yeah, it's a huge Delta hub. So is Detroit. Yeah. I mean, why you would fly anything else to those two cities, i don't really know. Did I recount my...
00:43:27
Speaker
i don't think my recent booking on Delta for a trip to Montreal. No. Did we talk about that? I don't think so. Cause I didn't even you were going to Montreal.
00:43:39
Speaker
Very short trip. Uh, friends from Vancouver going to Montreal, uh, for a quick jaunt, Montreal, Quebec. And I think, Oh, it's April. You know what? I'm going to go. We're so close. Cool.
00:43:52
Speaker
Anyways, So it was like, okay, it's a short flight. It's like 90 minutes sitting in economy, whatever. It's like three, 400 bucks for ticket.
00:44:05
Speaker
And then it was like, think it was 800 in first class, something like that. was like, I'm not doing that. That's stupid. And then and then you get through your booking, choose your seats, and then before checkout, it's like, one more time, do you want it first class? Now it's like 650. Right.
00:44:21
Speaker
No, I don't need that. That's fine. And then... and then I finished checking out. No problem. And then I go back in to look. a memory he Remember talked about AI. It's always like seeing how desperate you are when you go. And Delta is the number one airline for squeezing every last penny out of you. Right.
00:44:38
Speaker
Especially for premium seats. So I checked. I was going back in to look at my seats. And the offer was 7,500 points or 75 bucks. Uh-huh.
00:44:52
Speaker
I'm going to be the first client. I'm like, oh, that's a yes. Oh, that's so funny. That's so funny. So for once, I won against Wow. I think.
00:45:03
Speaker
Maybe I didn't, but I think I did. Well, as long as you feel like you won, that's all that matters. So for $75, I got my first class upgrade. So Good for you. I have never gotten an offer that low. Yeah.
Travel Hacks and Airport Preferences
00:45:14
Speaker
Really? i don't think so. I got one. i would i think I would, because I would jump at it if I did.
00:45:18
Speaker
i don't think I've ever gotten an offer that low. I got one Nadia. And I generally don't take a stuff like that for like a 90-minute flight. Because I'm like, fuck. Because i my whole theory is, you know what? Fuck you, Delta. Like, that's my whole theory. Yeah, yeah.
00:45:29
Speaker
Like it's 90 minutes. I, you know, I sat on the subway for 90 minutes. I don't do it for the seat or anything. I just do because I want first on, first off. Oh yeah. I don't care about that. The only time I care about that is when I'm going Florida.
00:45:41
Speaker
oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the only time. Otherwise I'm kind of like, whatever. And as long as manage to get one for 90 for 50 bucks. That's good. I got to find, but since then, not, no such luck. Yeah, I'm trying to find flights to Florida for like March that are reasonable, but they're just really not.
00:46:01
Speaker
What is an unreasonable price to Florida? 300 bucks per traveler to go to Tampa. Yeah. Like that's unreasonable to me. Yeah. You know, there are airlines that just charge less like they're just are, you know, as you could. But then what I would end up doing is probably flying to Orlando and driving the hour and in 15 minutes because flying into Tampa is like almost two or three times more expensive than flying into Orlando, just simply because it's not a it's not a hub of any kind.
00:46:29
Speaker
you know, it's not as popular in airport destination. Yeah. And this probably wouldn't work for you, but think there's a lot of families we know at the prep school that, that live in Tampa. Yeah. And yeah, they're from Tampa. Um, and they fly, and is it breeze or a velo? Anyways, they fly into Hartford.
00:46:52
Speaker
Interesting. For like 49 bucks. Yeah. Yeah, the problem is is Hartford takes me one and a half hours to get to. It's not handy, now obviously, from where we live. now and And you know what? It's funny, too, because I even look at Newark oftentimes because everything's cheaper out of Newark. yeah But then Newark has these clusterfuck moments where they shut down the whole airport because of a plane. You know it's ranked the worst airport in America. I am not surprised. silent And I have to say, I've actually never flown in or out up there. I'd sooner go either up to Westchester or I'd probably go out to um oh yeah MacArthur before. i
00:47:29
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. ah Worst airport in America, especially for delays and cancellations, I think once in a while, and it's a United hub, right? I think once in a while, if you have to fly there on an international route, that's the only way to protect yourself because they they tend to not...
00:47:49
Speaker
try to screw the international ones because where else would you go right and land whereas domestic ones that you're the first to get cut yeah honestly it's it's you know what it really is the bottom line is is like to go and pay the tolls and to go there and yeah you either pay an exorbitant fee for an Uber or have to pay parking yeah to leave my car there the amount of machination and monetary investment that goes in before I even get to the airport and get aggravated is a little too high for me to bother Yeah.
00:48:19
Speaker
That's, you know, because I can go out to MacArthur. It'll take me 90 minutes to drive there, but I'm not paying tolls. that's And the parking's cheap. Good point. You know, same thing with Westchester Airport if I need yeah to. Yeah.
00:48:31
Speaker
You know, it's like no tolls, really. Which I just realized the other day, I keep driving by on I-684. I didn't realize i was driving by that airport all the time. Yeah. And, in and they you know, like JetBlue flies in and out of there all the time. They do? They do. i thought it was a private jet terminal. No, I don't think it is because if you go on to JetBlue, I'm pretty sure this is right, I think. I'm going to go look it up right now. But I think the airport code is HPN. which makes no sense to me. That is correct. Right. And so HPN shows up all the time in my searches to fly JetBlue to Orlando.
00:49:04
Speaker
Like every time I've ever looked for a flight to Orlando, HPN shows up. And I'm always like, what the hell is HPN? I'm like, oh shit, it's Westchester. i didn't know that they flew there. like So you go there and park your car there? Yeah, but it would still be cheaper than parking at Newark, LaGuardia or JSA. my God, big time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right? For sure, for sure, for sure. Yeah. So, you know, it's, i mean, look, i'm not I'm not pinching pennies per se, but I don't want to pay extra for extra aggravation going to Newark. Like, I just don't want to do it. I'd sooner just pay a little extra money and go out of LaGuardia.
00:49:32
Speaker
Yeah. LaGuardia nice these days. It's actually really nice. i fly i think every single time I've flown in the past year, it's been out of LaGuardia. I've not yeah gone through JFK. Super nice, convenient. because o JFK is disaster. It sucks. All the construction and parking and everything. can it It might take you 45 minutes to get there and then like fifth and another 30 to 40 minutes just to like circle and get to the parking lot you want. there Yeah. huge Huge construction project down there oh yeah.
00:49:59
Speaker
Yeah, there's no easy being out of that place. Yeah, we have ah a person, a neighbor that we're friendly with who is on that project. Oh. Who has threatened us like once or twice, you know I'm going to get you hard hats and I'm going to get you in to see the project. And we're like, yeah, that'd be awesome. Yeah, there you Well, the only way in and out of their night conveniently is probably Blade.
00:50:19
Speaker
I don't even know Blade. Helicopter In-N-Out. Oh, that. The helicopter. Yeah, yeah, yeah I don't do helicopters. They do the airport airport and they drop you on the secure side. That's their thing. like You're paying...
00:50:31
Speaker
I mean, 150 bucks each way, but it's dropping you on the secure side. Yeah, I don't just the keyna i don't do heopters helicopters. Helicopters freak me out. Oh, that's so much fun. and Oh, man. and So much fun. should visit my god sister in Hong Kong when she was working there and I was there. And I do these property tours and it's like, oh, it's awesome. There's like a couple of helipads. You go over the city. You go near all the buildings. Yeah, know. But yes, until if something fails, you're kind of out of luck.
00:50:58
Speaker
Yeah, that's nervous laughter from me. it I don't think it's funny at all. But they're amazing. No, no, no, no, no. ah So Minnesota was great. All that to say, like Delta, whatever. And yes, the team did. They they really...
00:51:12
Speaker
you know, the first game they should have won. Yeah. um They had beaten that team before five, and like five to and they will go or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. But it by that time they woke up, it was, you know, they were already hitting the consolation bracket, which incidentally, apparently in volleyball terms, they call it the tinfoil bracket. Okay. Why? That's not nice. Yeah. It's not nice. I don't know. That's because that's your trophy. I guess I get to get nothing. It's like tinfoil, but, um,
00:51:42
Speaker
Oh, man. that was ah That was what was related to me. Wait, so how many games did you actually play? Four. okay. Yeah, so it was three, you know, like again three. um Was it one of those six game crazy weekends?
00:51:56
Speaker
No. I mean, ah you know, look, if you go to Minnesota, if you fly that far, I wouldn't be upset if it was. Yeah. You know, but you don't want injuries happen. You start playing the fourth, fifth game and people are tired, no rest. And well, that's kind of jam it in. Then you get injured. Right. Yeah. I think that's what happened by the time the the last game rolled around. Yeah.
00:52:13
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, it was kind of funny. Like, my son lined up with some kid, yeah you know, in this team. So it was it was the team from Anaheim. It was the Anaheim Ducks.
Youth Hockey Triumphs
00:52:25
Speaker
Okay. They're always good.
00:52:26
Speaker
They were not. They were not good this time? Oh, damn. They weren't even amusing to watch, to be honest. us no They were just not great. And, and you know, and the truth is is my expectations of 18, 18 hockey, you know, varies, right? It's it's like an undulating thing. You've got some really great teams. Yeah. And then you've got teams full of people who wanted to play, but they're either not as good or you know they just wanted to play.
00:52:51
Speaker
right like so Right. Or the 16, 17, the good ones have left for juniors kind of thing. and then Right. Or prep school or right yeah fair whatever top 10 team in the country or whatever. yeah yeah But they weren't good. They were not a great team. And this kid, this black kid lines up against Sam.
00:53:11
Speaker
Yeah. And basically the kid, Sam said something to him like, you guys are really good. i just drift them and the kid drop his job him And the kid turned around and this kid was a very dark skinned individual. And he turned around and called Sam the N word with a hard R.
00:53:30
Speaker
No way. I swear to God. Sam laughed. I wasn't laughing. That was pretty funny. He did. He was laughing. He was like, wait, really? And then the kid called him an Aryan. Okay. And Sam looked at him. He's like, you know, I feel like you have a race identity problem. Exactly.
00:53:46
Speaker
He's like, i can't be both. like Exactly. He's like, can't be both. god And then, of course, you know, the best part was I was telling a friend on the team about it. And, you know, and I told him exactly what he said. And the guy was like, wow, he was so far off the mark on both. exactly So far off the mark on both. You guys killed him.
00:54:06
Speaker
Yeah. what what a What was the score? the score yeah It was really sad. It was, um I could tell you. Let me look it up, though, because I don't want to. i don't want to Well, those aren't very exciting games in the end. It wasn't sided like that, right? i mean No, but you know what made it really bad is, you know, it's the reffing that makes it really Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right? Because the reffing was dog shit. It was so bad. Yeah, we beat them 4-0.
00:54:29
Speaker
But you know, it's getting worse. The same thing we see in our area. is like it's it's it's There's fewer and fewer of them. They're either overworked or there's no they don't have the ability to do quality control because otherwise if you get rid of all the bad refs, there's just no refs. Yeah, but you know, what's interesting is that my daughter was at a tournament in D.C. Capitol Hill this past weekend. And so she mentioned how bad the reffing was. And so, you know, there's excuse me there's a um There's a call, a whistleblown for net touches yep in volleyball, right? And like so most people think it's only the hands.
00:55:07
Speaker
Like you touch the net, you know, as a blocker, mostly the middles and or the outside hitters, right? Right or left outside hitters hit the net. And what people don't realize is that they'll call a net hit, praema a net touch for like your shirt, your shorts. Oh, shit. Really? Ruthie, this past week, she got called a lot for her hair.
00:55:31
Speaker
Oh. But hair is not a legal net touch call, right? Like the jersey is historically. And there's all explanation to the ref like, hey, this hair doesn't count. Invariably, like apparently like the coaches didn't fight about it. Like nobody fought about it and it probably should have been because that was a rule that they consistently got wrong and it was called against the team, you know, you know quite a bit. and And her hair is really long, right? So – um So I was talking to the same friend that I told what happened with yeah you know the the Aryan conversation. And ah he he texted me and he said, you know, what team did she play for? And I told him what was going on. And his niece was there from Ohio at the same tournament.
00:56:18
Speaker
yeah So his wife, who's also my friend, her brother's daughter was at that tournament too. Okay. And so I was telling him about, and he and his wife, the friends, my friends were both college volleyball players.
00:56:31
Speaker
Okay. And they both played the same position that my daughter plays. Oh, right. So there's a lot of like commonality there. And he ah you know, we were talking about one thing, which was apparently there was a transgender oh person playing on a 17. That's always touchy subject. Yep. Yep.
00:56:50
Speaker
So, you know, he was asking me if I had heard about it or, if you know, my daughter had heard about it. And, you know, she said there were some rumblings about it. But, you know, I never saw. Never saw the person. Never saw the person. Never saw it happening.
00:57:03
Speaker
um You know, and and I have strong feelings about that, actually, which, you know, is is a whole other discussion. But then he i was telling him about the NetTouch calls And he was talking to his brother-in-law and he came back and he said, yeah, so my brother-in-law verified that hair is not a net touch call. And yeah the reffing over the weekend, over the entire weekend was dog shit. I was like, okay, perfect. yeah So it's not, my the whole point of the story is it's not just right you know it's not just relegated to hockey.
00:57:35
Speaker
Right. You got a volleyball, you got shitty refs there too. like well i was everywhere soccer everything because end of the day it's just like you know you get what you pay for yeah you know these guys are making 20 bucks 30 bucks a game no that's apparently not true no it's not true that's apparently not true because i was talking to somebody that i know yeah who is like really in it as he's he's like an owner of a junior's team or part owner of a junior's team And he and I were talking and, you know, we were talking about the reffing and I was like, it's you know, I'm like, they think it's a shit job. And he goes, yeah but it's crap because for four refs, it'll cost $1,800. Okay. he Said, i think he said for the game that we were playing. No.
00:58:16
Speaker
Which I was like, one game he was, for the day, it might be for the day, maybe for the day, but okay. But if you break it down, right, that's still 400, $450 day. four hundred and fifty dollars a day If you're reffing, if you're there and you're reffing, let's just... Yeah, but you might be there for like eight to 10 hours. Yeah, but probably not.
00:58:34
Speaker
That's probably not it because we don't even see the same refs for every single game. Oh, really? Right. So i have I'm going to go back. i'm going to circle back next time I see him. Hopefully, I'll see him again. But I'm going to circle back and and find out exactly how that works because... Yeah.
00:58:47
Speaker
You know, everybody thinks that they get paid 30 bucks a game and maybe they do, but if they're making $450 for the day, even if the day, let's say, is nine hours, they're already making more money than like... Okay, but call it like 30 or 40 bucks per hour then, right? Okay, but for revving. So you could be doing, you could get like a $400 day and maybe extra for tournaments and stuff, but...
00:59:08
Speaker
listen I get it. and and and But it's, this training is bad everywhere. People yelling at refs everywhere because nobody wants to be the ref. And then, you know, hockey's worse because you gotta got pick up fights, which you couldn't pay me enough to right do, to be honest. 18-year-old kids trying fights. You're not getting in the way of that. and And, yeah. So, I mean, a I don't know. I sort of feel for them, but at the same time, I don't. But yeah I think a lot of it's just There's a, you're human. You make mistakes. Totally. The problem is that they don't own, it's like, like anything else. It's like managing people, right? It's like, you're a coach. You come in there. Some coaches are assholes, but some coaches are good communicators. It's like, hey guys, like you talked to both coaches. I'm calling this or this. Do you have any questions? blah, blah. You make a call if it was questionable, it was You can own up. a Dude, I missed that one.
00:59:55
Speaker
Sorry. thought it was under the goalie. It wasn't under the goalie. I blew it so quick. Sorry about my bad. like And just own up to it. But most more most importantly, when they lose control of games, especially hockey,
01:00:07
Speaker
it's I think it's because there's no consistency of the reffing. So corrects this hit I called interference, that one I let go. right The kids get confused. Oh, fuck it. a free for all. As opposed to like, hey guys, I'm telling you right now, I'm calling it tight. right And so if you want to be a dick and you say something to me, you're out you're out of here. yeah right kind of thing yeah And then that sets kind of sets the tone Again, I know it's different in volleyball and other sports, which is not as fast moving and the physical aspect to it. But still, ultimately, the the ref is like, it's the tone. And and you what and'm being open. like The ref calling you the the hair touches. yeah If a coach says, hey, can I just confirm his hair touches on the net called or not called? Because I have this book here where it says it's not called. Or the tournament organizer says it's not called. right Can we have a quick...
01:00:58
Speaker
And the thing is that most refs are so touchy that if you even question their knowledge, they get all pissed off. Sure. So that's not helpful. No, but you know what? They should be open. To give them carte blanche to do whatever they want. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Especially if it's not even within the rules themselves. Yeah. You know, it just kind of continues on that arc of, you know, bad reffing, bad temperament, all that shit. And the truth of the matter is, is like, you know, at some point somebody has to rein it in because if you don't, then you basically have all these games being called wrong.
01:01:33
Speaker
Yeah. Damn it. What's the point? Then they just scored. Sorry. Yeah. What the hell? Off the faceoff. Rantanen. Who else? Of course it's Rantanen. And just so I just want to backtrack for one second and yeah like like give props to, you know, my son's hockey team because yeah a they beat Fox Motors. Yeah. That's a serious win. Yeah. Four to two.
01:01:56
Speaker
They beat Anaheim four to nothing. Yeah. And they beat the Milwaukee Admirals four to three. Good for them. That's good weekend. That's a good weekend. That's a happy weekend. Yeah, it's a great
Weekend Playoffs and Opponent Uncertainty
01:02:06
Speaker
weekend. Yet, after all that, they still played the consolation round. What the hell? how Yeah, because they lost the first game lost to Cleveland, the Cleveland Barons, are who, by the way, right they had beaten like once or twice before. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, you know, to lose to them was terrible, but they were just, they couldn't get it together. I think Avon's lost four in a row. Maybe they lost five in a row. its yeah it yeah It happens. Shit happens. Yeah. um And then the playoffs for AY are this weekend, so. yeah.
01:02:30
Speaker
Good luck. Thank you. Good luck. Who's the first game against? I actually don't even know. Okay. All right. all right i Don't worry, but good luck anyways. It doesn't say yet. I guess. I don't know why. Rockets, Avs, Colonials.
01:02:44
Speaker
They don't play schools. These are only club teams. Yeah. Yeah. But I don't know. I don't really know who. I don't know why we don't know who. Hitmen. mean, who's the top team in in Jersey? Hitmen. Hitmen. Rockets are on AY. They're not there.
01:02:57
Speaker
oh they're not there. They don't play AY. Woodbridge. Yeah, probably Woodbridge. Right. for those guys Okay. Well, good luck. Good luck. Good luck. Good luck. We are at the one hour, two minute mark. Elite hockey. Oh, elite. Right. Which is weird because they're not anywhere near her. I know. um Oh, that's who they play first. Elite hockey.
01:03:14
Speaker
I think. Excuse me. I think. Yeah. And
Failed Dad Jokes and Banter
01:03:16
Speaker
we've talked about dog shit nothing. Dog shit. I've said dog shit like 40 times during this conversation. Okay.
01:03:24
Speaker
We have to get to the, we we got like 60 seconds, 120 seconds to get through two jokes. Oh God. Here we go. Yeah. Why do trees get emotional in the spring?
01:03:37
Speaker
Why do trees get emotional? in spring. And by the way, you're on a massive run. So, know, we're high expectations from people now that you get all these jokes because you're at my low level, dad joke level.
01:03:51
Speaker
Why do trees get emotional in the spring? i don't, in the spring? Yeah.
01:03:59
Speaker
Well, I didn't get that buzzer. I need to get that buzzer sound effect for next episode. and We're short on time today, lady. Yeah, know. They always feel a little sappy. Oh, that's so lame.
01:04:13
Speaker
It's kind of lame but kind funny. Okay. All right. All right. Scratch that one off. can hear Scratch that one off. We did that one. Okay. i like that I see the back of the sheet that you've like scribbled out all the. All the ones you got. Okay. Okay. what do What do you call a sad strawberry?
01:04:31
Speaker
Sad strawberry. A sad strawberry.
01:04:46
Speaker
What do you call a strawberry? A blueberry. Okay. that is it that's That's changing an entire berry. That doesn't even fit. I don't make i don't make the jokes. I just read them. It doesn't even fit. I'm not the ref. See? God, that's like beating and switching. That's rude. All right, I'll give you one last one. right i don't want no nope I'm good. Are you sure? Oh, yeah, I'm good. I'm get so offended by both of those jokes that I'm not doing a third one. you got One more.
01:05:13
Speaker
What kind of shoes can frogs wear? I'm on strike. I'm on strike. I'm not even going to. Really? Can try? No. What kind of shoes can frogs wear? No. I'm on strike.
01:05:25
Speaker
Okay. Open toed sandals. Jesus Christ. Come on. Come
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
01:05:34
Speaker
on. I'm so glad I was on strike. Okay.
01:05:37
Speaker
We need to renegotiate the terms for these jokes. Well, it's you're not getting paid and you're still not getting paid. How about that? And as your turn and I'm being forced to answer crazy, crazy dad jokes. That's it, lady.
01:05:50
Speaker
i feel okay well. Happy playoffs. Oh, thank you. I'm not going. I'll be watching on LiveBarn. Right on LiveBarn? Yeah. Look LiveBarn.
01:06:02
Speaker
Go Team Canada. Sorry. Definitely not getting on board with that. Okay. Well, we're going to find out. No, sir. In the next episode, who gets to cheer? No, sir. And good luck with that bet on the rent. Yeah, thank you. Same to you.
01:06:17
Speaker
I'm just going to sit and marinate. wait I'm not changing my mind. You still got both dogs. Oh, yeah. For sure. Okay. We'll get the update next episode. Yeah. Episode 40. End of 39. 40. Take care, everybody. i can't believe yeah listen to us at 40. Bye, everyone. Bye.
01:06:35
Speaker
Well, well, well, you made it to the end. We can't thank you enough for listening to all of our random thoughts. Don't forget to give us a five-star rating. And you know how to reach us on the gram at TGSpod or send email to hello at thegrocerystick.com.