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#44: Adjust The Tip
23 Plays2 months ago
#44: Adjust The Tip
Francis cannot figure out why people leave the payment screen untouched at his favorite coffee shop. Should he tip the barista with someone else’s credit card? Jessica talks about the origin of Vision Zero as the hosts recall speeding tickets and an 8 month old fine from Mallorca’s “Vatican City”. Once again, the junior hockey leagues confirm they just don’t care about their players as the NAHL tries to ban players from the NCDC.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
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.
Episode 44 Challenges and Restart
00:00:21
Speaker
It's Francis and Jessica, or I quit.
00:00:23
Speaker
Shh. Shh. Welcome, episode 44, Jessica. Hi, good morning.
Pandemic Life: Homeschooling and Grocery Shopping
00:00:30
Speaker
and And by the way, I was listening this morning, suffering through my oatmeal again. Episode 44, we got sidetracked originally yeah during COVID after episode 20.
00:00:41
Speaker
So we've now recorded more episodes in... Is that possible? Since we restarted this year? Yeah. I mean, I think it, you know. 24 episodes than we used to record over like the first year in doing COVID. Yeah. I think it's probably easier to commit to it without homeschooling my children.
Missing Proms and College Experiences Due to COVID
00:01:00
Speaker
That's so true. Oh my God. I remember, my God, I remember cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Same. While they were the Zoom classes and I was harassed all day. Oh yeah, and we would record and they would come in and interrupt. They would always need something. Someone would need something. You know, it would take hours to go to the grocery store. yeah. Like hours. They were tweens back then. were tweens.
00:01:25
Speaker
Well, yeah, yours were. My older one was. You had tween and a. Elementary school. Elementary school. Yeah, I think it was fourth grade. Damn. Yeah. Oh my God, and it's so wild because like I was, you know, we were saying I was at University of Pennsylvania with my niece. Yeah. And so after the small animal tour and the hospital tour in the q and the Q&A the first day, we were talking. They did a lot of merch. And so the vet school does this merch because that's how they make money for this end of year formal thing that they do.
00:01:55
Speaker
which is awesome you know and they were like it costs like a small wedding so yeah you know they sell the merch all year long whatever and so we were talking and ryan was like oh she was like a formal she said you know the class that you're looking at the majority of these people never had proms oh right yeah yeah i read about that you know i read Especially the New York kids. Yeah. i read about i read about you didn't have your senior year parties because you it was COVID. And then they went to college and they didn't have it because that was the year of like, was it BLM and all the other protests? Yep. And so then everything got shut down.
Tipping Etiquette and Ethical Dilemmas
00:02:40
Speaker
The pro-Palestinians got shut down again. So there's there are a lot of kids out there who didn't have senior year high school and didn't have senior year college. right
00:02:50
Speaker
Damn, right that hurts. right Damn. yeah yeah Yeah. So public health and social justice have screwed over all the teenagers in this country.
00:03:01
Speaker
There you go. Yeah, we're not going to get off track on that front. I have a question. I have a very... it serious? have a very serious question for you.
Parking Tickets and Speed Cameras
00:03:10
Speaker
Oh, no. And our listeners, our two listeners can weigh in on this. Okay.
00:03:16
Speaker
I'm concerned. um So like I buy my morning coffee. Yeah. Right. um And I go to the the bakery Bien Cui down the street. and And lately when I go there, the people in front of me, you know, they have that square terminal and they you tap your phone, Apple Pay and you pay and then there's a tip screen. Yeah.
00:03:39
Speaker
People just walk away from that screen. No, they do not. I swear to God. no they not. This happens to me every day. I'm not exaggerating. Every day for the last two weeks, I'm going a little bit later than I normally do. So when I go at 7.30, it's just me and whatever. I've been going like 8.15.
00:03:58
Speaker
and it gets busier. And maybe people are in their morning rituals. but So I've been going and I'm in like third or fourth in line. The person in front of me pays for their coffee and whatever big goods.
00:04:09
Speaker
And they walk. Yeah. Okay, so now here's my question. Yeah. I haven't done it yet, but each time I stare at that screen, like that screen doesn't turn off until the cashier just hits whatever, except the next next customer, right? Yeah. And they're busy making coffees, lattes. There's only one person there. Blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, the person just left. And then they walked out the store and i'm like, should I press 20%, 25%, 30% as a lesson to this person to not fucking walk away from your screen until you hit no receipt and end it?
00:04:45
Speaker
i don't know. Karmically, that could be- Is that theft? I don't know. Is that theft? Does that person realize, hey shit, I didn't- Does that person go back and realize that my normal $11 whatever bill for breakfast turned into $14? didn't press that. Who pressed that? And then file a chargeback or bitch at bien cui? I don't think they know. They don't notice. I don't think they notice the $11. Then I'm going to start pressing the I'm going to start pressing the button. Yeah, the $14. I think people mindlessly tap and they don't even pay any attention to what they're spending. Okay, so.
00:05:16
Speaker
I mean, I've seen them do it at Daily Provisions. So should I tap it for someone? What do you think? I think, I mean, you could always try it and see how it feels and then see if karma catches you.
00:05:28
Speaker
I have been a nice guy for the last two weeks and just press done. Yeah. no normally I've normally done that as well. And just done. But like, that's crazy, right?
00:05:38
Speaker
Yeah. It's a little irresponsible. it totally And I feel like i if you're going to do that, I'm going to start fucking pressing 30%. So do it. See what happens. Holy shit. Yeah. So that was my. ah I mean, you know, the people working the counter at Banquist will ah be very appreciative. So it was like all of a sudden we're making an extra $2,000 a week. I know. Holy shit.
00:06:00
Speaker
Oh my God. and they're nice there. They're giving people like, if you're a regular. Yeah. I think they're giving you a 10% discount. Oh, that's nice. On your coffee. not on the food. That's nice. Still.
00:06:13
Speaker
So I'm like, you know what? Coffee's not stealing. 10% off the coffee is a dollar. I'll give you back a dollar from someone else. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, i don't know. i think That's crazy. I would never do that I would never walk away from a screen without hitting done. I wouldn't either. I mean, it's not like walking away from an ATM machine with your freaking screen still there. Like, Yeah. At a certain point, though, the ATM machine requests that you put in your PIN. So, you know, there's in terms of safety there, like it's not that bad. mean, it's still irresponsible. Finish the transaction and then walk away.
00:06:45
Speaker
um But the whole tip thing, like I wonder, i yeah, I don't know. I don't know why people would walk away from it and leave that screen up. I think that that's, you know, unless someone got ah a really bad phone call in the midst of a transaction. Just, you know, how are you? Bye bye bye.
NYC Traffic and Bike Lane Safety
00:07:00
Speaker
Thanks my coffee. See you later. And they walk out and I'm like, dude.
00:07:04
Speaker
you don't know you don't i'm ah And I'm not mad about you not tipping, but you got to hit finished. You can't just walk away yeah that screen after tapping your phone. yeah I don't have anything great to offer for this because i just think it's totally irresponsible to not finish the transaction. I mean, for yourself and also, by the way, for the server. like it's i know.
00:07:25
Speaker
Well, that's scrupulous server. Right. 45%. Thank you very much. Boom. Other type in $20. I mean, come on. Right? That's what 600%. tip me 600%. What?
00:07:40
Speaker
So that was top of mind, number one. Number two. Yeah.
00:07:46
Speaker
On the subject of speeding tickets. ah that or warnings that your child and my child has received in the mail yeah these red light these tickets that no points luckily but they're all moving they come in the mail two weeks later what the fuck you were busted doing 31 in the 20 zone and all that kind of bullshit yeah 50 bucks like the other tax 50 bucks 50 bucks and actually surprised though that if it's 11 over you're not getting some kind of like points because i feel like in the city yeah i know people no because they just want the money right but i know real people who yeah but the points with the money money comes with the points like oh well you know okay oh sorry i'll tell you why there's no more yeah because from elite they would never win that
00:08:34
Speaker
that battle in traffic court because the officer has to witness you doing that. is the red light? This is just a speed camera. These are cameras. Oh, these are speed cameras. These are the speed cameras, right? So they want the money. Yeah, the officer. You're right. They only get the plate.
00:08:51
Speaker
And so they get the money from the owner of the car. Right, you're right. I guess, trust me, there are some there are many places like in Singapore where they would just I don't give two shits who is driving the car. Yeah. You own the car. Right. We're giving you points plus a fine. and It's your problem. You have to go figure it out with your driver, child, wife, husband, whatever, cousin.
00:09:10
Speaker
It's your problem. But in America, we want the money. sometimes even though we want you to like be careful, we don't really want you to be careful because we want the money.
00:09:21
Speaker
Right. Just like the parking tickets, this is bullshit. They'll never stop. They will never resolve the double parking situation no in America because there's so much money involved, revenues for the city, right?
00:09:34
Speaker
Right. But even I mean, it doesn't matter because people know it's not legal.
Valet Parking Costs in Major Cities
00:09:40
Speaker
Yeah. And people don't have a choice but to do it. Yeah. I mean, it's, you know, it's like the, it's like a typical catch 22. Really. yeah Right. The city knows that they are just going to ticket it and the people who do it know that they don't have a choice and they're just going to get a ticket. Yeah.
00:09:54
Speaker
Yeah. So then, okay. So then let's fast forward to, I think about a month ago, maybe. It's a big ticket too, by the way. Oh, yeah. Oh, is it one 25? Yeah. it one twenty five I feel like I got nailed for 250 like five years ago. Holy 250. I was double parked.
00:10:10
Speaker
I know the over meter is 65. Overtime meter is 65, which is crazy. Holy shit, right? It's insane. It is, but it's not. Because I tell people, our friends, that we live in Brooklyn, so it's a bit different. But if you go to Manhattan and you go to Madison Square Garden, you find a street parking, you want to watch a game. lot of money. And you find a meter spot from 6 p.m. to midnight. You can park up to three hours, is it? Or maybe five, six hours. Whatever it was. But like, it's 15 bucks an hour. Yeah. People are like, what? $15 an hour the meter. Mm-hmm.
00:10:43
Speaker
fifteen dollars an hour hu at the meter That's why it's it pays to park really far away from MSG oh yeah and either walk or take an Uber or take the train.
00:10:57
Speaker
Totally. Yeah, don't park around Madison Square Garden. It's a nightmare. like, holy shit, 15 bucks per hour at a meter. Can you imagine if it was the old days and you had to put quarters in the machine? Right? We need $60 worth of quarters in the machine. I don't know how you do that. When they accept quarters, you would never see. Thank God for the apps and the phones.
00:11:17
Speaker
You would never see a price ticket like that. That's so funny. um With quarters. I know. No way. Do you know that I paid stuff for stuff in cash this weekend and because of the the discontinuation of pennies, right even though things cost like something 58 cents, they round up.
00:11:34
Speaker
They don't round down. No way. No shock. They round up. Yeah. So there's no
Travel Tales: Mallorca and Cultural Differences
00:11:40
Speaker
pennies. no You know, that's four four extra cents. it's But, okay.
00:11:44
Speaker
But, I mean, come on. You're a finance guy. Let's be honest. No, listen. It's like the best thing since I spend for every retailer. Oh, yeah. Are you kidding me? Especially grocery stores where their margins are like 1%. Totally. 4X your cents on everything? but i Holy shit. Thank you very get it. But I get it. And I kind of feel like okay about it for most grocery stores except for like Whole Foods.
00:12:03
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. You know, Amazon. like Amazon. Like, no. Wait a minute. That's right. but i mean We loved you before Amazon. Now we hate you. Right. But like like for the little guy... yeah I don't have a problem with that.
00:12:15
Speaker
Yeah. You know, they're constantly suffering for sure. But yeah yeah but like this was like Starbucks. Yeah. This was Starbucks in in Philadelphia. You paid cash?
00:12:27
Speaker
I did because I needed. No, I paid cash because I needed, um I needed change for what does mean no yeah i need to change for the valet for my car. okay. Okay.
00:12:38
Speaker
but So, you know, we were staying at this hotel that's yeah connected to the bookstore and the Starbucks is upstairs. So, you know, we were checking out and getting my car to head out to New Bolton Center, which is about an hour away. Can I ask you how much that valet cost? It was 60 bucks overnight. I was there literally for 24 hours.
00:12:57
Speaker
That might sound egregious, but let me just tell you, on my last trip to San Francisco... Recently, the overnight valet rate in a in a san downtown San Francisco hotel yeah is a nice round number of $100. Okay, but I have to ask, was it was your car was your car parked indoors or outdoors?
Youth Hockey: New Programs and Rules
00:13:20
Speaker
I don't even know. Okay, mine was parked on the street. The valet parked car on the street. In a metered spot. But that might be good. They're watching it. It's available. Instead of running three blocks to the thing, it's fast for you, right? I don't mind that. Yeah, but. As long as it's not damaged when they come back. No. I get it. What'd you pay for? You paid for a human.
00:13:39
Speaker
Right. I paid for somebody to go and park my car, which, you know, effectively I didn't really probably need. Although when I got there, i was running, like I was running. Sometimes don't rejoice. Sometimes don't rejoice. You got to belay it, right? but Yeah. Okay, but in San Fran, $100 to park your car overnight at a hotel.
00:13:56
Speaker
That's crazy. And it didn't matter what hotel. That's insane. I was like, why is it so much money if you're a guest? Is my car getting a room at the hotel? Right. Like, why is it so much money you're a guest the hotel?
00:14:09
Speaker
like But I mean, like, in New York, it's not like that. It's so egregious the way that these companies, home you know, try to make so much extra money. But it's $100 and we're not responsible for a damage to your car.
00:14:20
Speaker
Well, right. Right? It's $100, we'll park it for you, but know what? We're not responsible for damage. You'll park yourself if there's any damage. I mean, I don't want to hear about scratches because that's not my responsibility. Even though you left your car with me and paid me $100 to park it.
00:14:34
Speaker
And I'm telling you, this is not... This is not an example of you and me getting old and bitching and moaning about inflation. $100 to park your car. Yeah.
00:14:46
Speaker
No, I'd be pissed. Yeah, that would piss me off. yeah And I'd be so resentful that I probably, don't want to go back I don't know that I would be nice to the person parking the car even though it's not his fault. Yeah. Because I'd be so resentful about it.
00:14:59
Speaker
Well, then what tipping the guy for $100? mean, but that's the thing. What are going to him? You got to give him 20 bucks to move the car. Here's five, buddy. You give him a 20% tip. You got to give him 20 bucks. No way. No That's crazy.
00:15:12
Speaker
no no, no, no. That's insane. You get five bucks. Right. It's like, okay, thanks for parking the car. But like, you know what? You weren't safeguarding the car. You weren't babysitting my car. Like, you literally drove it 20 feet and parked it. I mean, yeah. So anyway, so there was that. And then, okay.
00:15:27
Speaker
But what brought all this to my mind, was aside from opening my son's speeding ticket thank you very much son for a and not being able to claw back from him because he doesn't have a job was was the fact that if you if you remember like a month ago I probably posted this um as a story on my Instagram I got a parking i got I got mail from the Vatican City so I did didn't see this post you didn yeah and then and then I opened it I didn't follow up on the story but I opened it and I was like
00:15:58
Speaker
It looks like a ticket, like a parking ticket, ah so like some kind of ticket. And then I'm reading a bit more. and I'm like, Vatican City, I didn't go to Rome. And then I realized, like oh, this is a ticket from my trip to Mallorca last August.
00:16:15
Speaker
So first of all, it's like, what, seven, eight months late. That ticket finally arrives with me welcome on a rental car. Yeah, welcome to European time. Right, I rented a mini. Yeah. And it was weird. It was like, I went to the marina in Mallorca and there was like a, it was weird. It's like, you know it's it's Europe. Everything's kind loosey goosey, right? So you're at the marina in Mallorca, in the town, and there's a gate, but I pull up to the gate.
00:16:42
Speaker
It didn't give me a ticket, but it opened. Okay. So I'm like, when I got to the gate, I was like, oh, shit, we're like in a private marina and I don't have a pass.
00:16:54
Speaker
Sorry, guys, we have to park somewhere else. But then I pulled up to the gate and it opened. So, okay, all right. So I went through. And I drove around the marina, I found a parking spot and we went to have lunch.
00:17:08
Speaker
And then on the way out, obviously there's another gate. was oh shit, we're screwed because I don't have a ticket coming in. How am I going get out? I pull up to the gate, it opened. So I left. Oh, wow. Yeah. And then, okay, so now eight months later, have a, I have a, I guess a fine for entering a private area, which by the way, they opened and got the gate for me twice in and out. Yeah. Okay. And it's like a hundred euro fine.
00:17:36
Speaker
ah And on a rental, I'm like, I'm not fucking paying that. Are you stupid? Come get me. Jesus. Are you going to arrest me at the EU the next time I show? And I, you know, I look at our Reddit and everyone's complaining. yeah I got this ticket like eight months a year later. And they don't fucking pay that shit. And the people in the UK are like, we drive our own car there all the time.
00:17:58
Speaker
Get tickets. ah And don't pay it. home. Go back to next year. No one even remembers that that ticket exists. so It's insane so weird. so weird. yeah Vatican City. but the well why But why does a ticket originate from, why is the sender the Vatican City?
00:18:16
Speaker
I have no idea. Yeah. Go figure.
Travel Plans and Cultural Experiences
00:18:20
Speaker
Anyways. No idea. That's kind of wild. Yeah, my son got a warning.
00:18:27
Speaker
It looked like a ticket for speeding in a work zone. That's very nice. It was a warning. It was be more careful in the work zone. Did it say what speed he was driving through the work zone? Yeah. ah It did. I don't remember. i feel I was 69 and a 55, maybe a 40. I don't know. I have to look. Work zone's got to be 35, 45. Yeah, it's probably 45. I'll find out. I'll find out. I'm just curious.
00:18:51
Speaker
We don't incriminate him on the radio. No, I mean, it's hanging on my refrigerator as a reminder. that's pretty funny. That's good. Yeah, it's a reminder. Everybody who goes and opens the refrigerator not to speed. um But, you know, it's like – so Pennsylvania has this – huge highway yeah construction project oh that thing has been going on for years ever right oh my god it's nowhere near finished um yeah and so there's a lot of work zones just everywhere yu and so the initiative is you know be safe drive the reported speed limit in a work zone because workers get killed all the time yes right true well it is true it's very careful it is very so you know it's like the work zone thing like yeah you know I try to explain to them. I'm like, so, you know, yeah it's yeah, you got to drive a little slower.
00:19:37
Speaker
But it's a work zone. Like there are literally people on the road, like walking on the road. Well, you're nice. I basically, I know my wife doesn't listen to this podcast. is She will never listen to this podcast. My kids probably don't listen to anymore. Maybe my daughter does. but Or not.
00:19:51
Speaker
I have to hide the ticket from my wife. Because my wife was on the ticket, she would blow up. Why? It was an accident. It was an accident though. wasn't on purpose. No, no, no. Because like... She boycott Spain?
00:20:05
Speaker
No, no, not that ticket. My son's ticket. Oh, yeah. My ticket too bad for you, buddy. i mean, but my son's to go like, hey, we need you driving safely in the city, not generating speeding tickets, red light tickets, blah, blah, blah, blah. yeah And because you're not paying for it, you don't also don't feel it.
00:20:25
Speaker
Right. The pain. Right, right, right. Of generating that ticket. Yeah. Yeah. Or just, you know, how about just, so like, ab obey the rules? Follow the frickin' rules. They're there for a reason. Exactly. mean, 20 miles per hour is really slow, but, you know, the initiatives... You're driving by PS234, which our kids attended in Tribeca. was like, dude, you know that area. Like, that that's a school you went to. Right. as a Well, the whole school thing, pedestrian thing, like... Yeah. You know, be careful.
00:20:54
Speaker
Yeah. You know, the whole 20 mile per hour thing. um What is it? ah What's the what's the movement called? Zero something or other. Vision Zero. Vision Zero.
00:21:05
Speaker
So that originated in Park Slope, Brooklyn. it didn't really? hmm. So not working very well, by the way. No, but the reason the reason it was because over by 3rd Street in Prospect Park West yeah is an entrance to the park, to Prospect Park.
00:21:23
Speaker
And there are these big columns, these big like marble columns. Yep, yep. one day, it had been raining. i don't know it was still raining. And a kid who lives across the street in the building had gone over and was kicking a soccer ball against the pillars. Okay. He was going to soccer practice. Like, this is the way I remember the story.
00:21:45
Speaker
And so he had cleats on. So he was, like, going. And he was kicking the ball against the column. And the ball went into Prospect Park West instead of going in towards the park. Yeah. And looked. He went to get it He went to go get the ball. Yeah.
00:21:59
Speaker
And the problem wasn't that that he was darting traffic to like save the ball. But the problem was is that he was wearing cleats and he slipped and fell on the wet pavement. Okay.
00:22:09
Speaker
And he got run over by a van. Jesus. The van was obviously going faster than 25 miles per hour, which was the speed limit at the time. And the research um the research of, of ah i guess, you know traffic to body yeah you know ratio damage, whatever you want to call it,
00:22:33
Speaker
um determined that at twenty miles per hour he would have stopped in time he he may have had an opportunity to stop in time, you know, or if his the kid's name was Sammy. if say Only if he saw the kid. Right. think that's the bigger problem. it's not It's not so much the speed itself. It's that in New York...
00:22:52
Speaker
There are so many things happening as a driver. Yeah. And you're watching for so many things that honestly, if somebody, and you have your like your windshield pillar and you're making a turn and there's parked car right at the crosswalk.
00:23:03
Speaker
Usually, by the way, a cop car or some other placard that's not supposed to be there walking the pedestrian. So you come around the corner and you're like, fuck, I didn't see that kid fall down on the road. This was a straightaway though. The guy was coming straight from Grand Canyon Plaza. Okay. He was a MS-51 student. He was middle schooler and he died.
00:23:24
Speaker
yeah And so the parents yeah the parents are vision zero. Oh, interesting. Well, I got news for them. God bless them. It's not working. Yeah. Because I still see the stories of people getting plowed down oh yeah the street all the time. People get hit all the time here.
00:23:38
Speaker
all the time but it's not but it's not just cars either i mean cyclists they're yeah insane people on e-bikes dude almost every day i almost get hit by that's why you by stepping off the curb with the right of way to cross with that's why i'm convinced that the dot of new york when they build these freaking two-way bike lanes oh my god they're so stupid the sidewalk i've showed my friends the sidewalk is my what? This might be the picture. I might have to go. This might be the picture for our episode.
00:24:08
Speaker
as i will I will go outside of my building and take a picture of the sidewalk, the two-way bike lane. then the line of parked cars, and then the line of traffic, and and then and you think that car is going to turn right or left at intersection and be able to look at every bum, pedestrian, no child, e-bike, regular bike, parked car, and not hit somebody? no It's impossible. It's literally impossible. But it's not it's not designed to keep people safe. Right.
00:24:40
Speaker
i Clearly not. It's designed to hold drivers accountable. Yeah. That's what it's designed for. Because if you are a driver and yeah you you you can be going 15 miles an hour or less or less.
00:24:54
Speaker
Yeah. And if you try to make a left turn or a right turn off a one-way street that has this system instituted on it, you can't see. no you're Like, let's say hypothetically I'm making a left turn onto a one-way street, right? Yeah.
00:25:07
Speaker
If I turn my steering wheel towards the left and I start to edge up across yeah first the line of cars, I can't see the bike lane clearly. Cannot see it.
00:25:18
Speaker
Can't see it at all. I can see most of the pedestrian walkway. Most of it. But I have to edge up quite a bit to be able to ascertain whether or not there's a cyclist coming in either direction. By the time yeah I do that, I'm extra slow, even down less than five miles an Even when it looks clear. It's not. And I go through, I'm praying every time that I don't hear a thud yeah of a bike running into me.
00:25:47
Speaker
Right. Or something. Which would, by the way, still be your fault. i know, to be your fault. Because I cannot see shit right on either side. Like that. Well, this is With pillars in your car, with the tinted windows in the back that come from the factory, with me looking for little dogs, little kids, everything else that's going on.
00:26:04
Speaker
And the e-bike delivery guys at 30 miles an hour. Oh, my God. have no freaking idea what's going on. They are the worst, actually. The e-bike. The people on, like the regular civilians on e-bikes and the delivery guys on e-bikes are so bad.
00:26:18
Speaker
Oh yeah, so that's so They don't stop for anything. Back to our kids, because like, you know what, you and I try be our best to be extra careful. Our kids are young. They're 18. Yeah. And they're zooming through the intersection. And if they hit something, it's like, motherfucker. I don't want that phone call thing. So...
00:26:34
Speaker
No, I mean, because that's what our kids call us when there's someone problem. I think my kids like it's not like, hey, this happened. But but it's just like, so daddy. Right. Like, okay spit it out already. I get that text. I'm like, yeah, what the fuck is going on here? Yeah, I mean, but that's like, you know, the going a little bit slower yeah rather than having a life-altering situation occur yeah makes the most sense to me. Of course it does, but no one follows that.
00:27:00
Speaker
Not even I follow that. I do. There's no way 100% of the time you that. i have There are some days you're hurry. You whip around that corner. No, I've gotten. Really? Yeah, no. Because once you almost get hit youre yourself a bunch of times, yeah yeah you're kind of like, no. like ah When I tell you, i so I cross Prospect Park Southwest. I go to the park. That's the craziest street.
00:27:19
Speaker
It's bananas, right? And there are people blowing the light. like Oh, totally. I cross at a light. It's not as if I'm just like randomly darting across a street, like a big avenue. the light i I think that's the worst though.
00:27:31
Speaker
I think the light thing is the worst because when you jaywalk... you're on high alert because you know you're jaywalking. Yeah, but you can't jaywalk. At the light, you assume, oh, fucking red light. I'm going. My right of way. And then some guy blows by, right? Like on any given day during rush hour, it's like jaywalking across the West Side Highway. Yeah, yeah. Like it's two lanes in each direction. Right, you can't even do it. It's hectic. It's between two traffic circles, right? Which are these big, big congestion areas. Yeah. I mean, it's gotten really, it's gotten a lot worse because the street that runs adjacent to where I live,
00:28:04
Speaker
used to be a two way street and they made it a one way street. That's right. Right. That's right. That's right. I remember that. Once they made it a one way street, the traffic on prospect park West became a Southwest became in insane. Just bananas. Yeah.
00:28:16
Speaker
Um, But the problem was, is like the two way street situation was also horrific. Cars were getting hit all the time. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. People were getting hit all the time. it was terrible. Yeah, there's some intersections that you just can't.
00:28:30
Speaker
Yeah, it's just I don't think anything they do here is going to actually fix it. But the light, the traffic light has made it easier to navigate. And at the same time, every e-bike blows the light.
00:28:42
Speaker
yeah this So, you know, like step off with a dog to walk a dog. you know i'm oh my god I'm pausing before now every single time and making sure that I look because... Bring back Sean Avery.
00:28:53
Speaker
Yeah, right? You remember Sean Avery in his videos? I've not, but Sean Avery is a... Sean Avery, ex-New York Ranger. He's the biggest dick in a funny way on Instagram. And he would do that. He would step into... If he would see if he saw a delivery guy...
00:29:11
Speaker
on the sidewalk or, oh my God, that's the worst. He would step in the way. Yeah. And record and say,
00:29:21
Speaker
No, no, no. And he's recording. I mean, it's annoying, but he's pretty funny. And he would do that every time to e-bike guys because they just do not give a shit. No, they don't. And I don't want to step in their way because, know, I mean, I don't want to. Oh, you're on the losing end of that. Oh, 100%. They're going like 24,000 an hour. They're wearing a helmet and blah, blah, blah. They just blow right through you.
00:29:41
Speaker
Right. ski Right. And then they leave. And then I'm left. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm left for dead in a crosswalk somewhere. Oh, for sure. For sure, for sure. Oh, my God. you know Yeah, no. They're the absolute worst. and And I got to tell you, like people on city bikes, not any better.
00:29:57
Speaker
You know, so I refuse to ride those electric city bikes and i just ride with the good old fashioned one gear. Yeah. Makes you suffer. Yeah, it does. The same thing. In the hood, I've been hit, clipped almost daily.
00:30:10
Speaker
Crazy. head by No matter how careful I try to be. So my wife is like, please don't ride the bike anymore. You've got, still got children. I'm uh. I love how, I love how it's not, please don't ride the bike anymore. I'm concerned for your welfare. It's please don't ride the bike anymore. You have kids.
00:30:26
Speaker
I was just laughing yesterday. and thought my wife said you know what? if i If I died or something, was like, your biggest problem is how to pay the bills. That's funny.
00:30:36
Speaker
No one knows how to pay the bills in this household except for me. You're screwed. Electricity bill, cable bill. Well, that's why you have to have the legacy, the Apple legacy. You guys are screwed. Yeah.
00:30:50
Speaker
That's why you need Apple Legacy so that someone can access all of those accounts. They wouldn't know how to navigate that. Auto pay. Oh my God. i mean, it only works until the death certificate is submitted anyway. Yeah. And then it's like all defunct.
00:31:03
Speaker
That's it.
00:31:07
Speaker
Exactly. Crazy. Oh my God. Okay. So daily battle of oatmeal. Bitch about our kids and their speeding tickets. My Vatican City speeding ticket or parking ticket, which makes no sense because they opened the gate for me both ways.
00:31:21
Speaker
Seriously. Maybe it was a trap. Maybe it makes perfect sense when you like take a couple more steps back. That's the beauty of Spain. Nothing really seems to work. Yeah. Everyone just like goes through a life and no one gives a shit. Did you like Mallorca?
00:31:35
Speaker
I loved it, but but but the beach area. Okay. is a little bit like South Beach in Miami. So it's a little ghetto. Okay. Tourist trap central. Right. Like every restaurant on the strip in Mayoka, the beach.
00:31:50
Speaker
I'll teach my kids this. If you get to a restaurant and they can serve simultaneously pasta, curry, pizza, Chinese food, and some local dishes, that's a bad sign. Yeah. Totally. I don't care how friendly they are. That is not a good sign. And that's all of Mallorca. Like the whole beach area is like that.
00:32:13
Speaker
So it's, space's it's very South beachy. It's very ghetto, but their version of ghetto. Yeah. Right. um So that part wasn't that nice and and they don't have, you can call me bougie, but if I'm paying a thousand bucks a night for a hotel,
00:32:31
Speaker
I want a private beach. Sure. That makes sense to me. ah Not private beach, but the area around the hotel. yeah. I would like it to be our own. Right. Confined. It's not in Spain because in Spain everything is public. Right.
00:32:44
Speaker
So you don't have that. Yeah. So you have people scamming you all the time about like, hey, rent a jet ski for me. Oh, they hate that. Right? that in therubo They do that in Jamaica. yeah. Mexico, right? Mexico, everything. But then we rented the car and went into the city.
00:33:00
Speaker
And the city's amazing. It's beautiful. Great food. Friendly people. Which is awesome. So yeah, overall, overall, good times. I would go again.
00:33:12
Speaker
i mean, there's so many different other places to go. i do think the south of France is a bit nicer. Okay. Then Mallorca. um But maybe because I'm not like 25 and a party animal. No, maybe. Old. Isn't that Mallorca? Yeah, that is Mallorca. Mallorca is a party animal. Mallorca and then Ibiza. Oh, Ibiza. Ibiza, whatever you want to call it. Ibiza. Which is nearby as well.
00:33:33
Speaker
But no, but but even the hotel. We got to the hotel. ah And the hotel was attached to the name, that tennis guy. Who's that famous tennis guy? Spanish guy. I don't follow tennis. Like playing, still playing?
00:33:48
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Not Alcaraz. It's another guy. Shoot. I should know this. You should know this. I should know this. this Famous guy Always played against Roger Federer.
00:34:00
Speaker
Probably a little bit younger than Roger Federer because he retired. I can picture his face too. This is really, really bad. Spanish. Can't be that many, right? Spanish. No. Anyways, it's attached to him. his age.
00:34:11
Speaker
And we get there, middle of the day, um and I documented this in the review, but i was like, this is stupid. I'm like, we get there. There's no front desk.
00:34:24
Speaker
That's weird, really? Okay. ain there's no front desk. Okay. B, there's a DJ in the lobby just blasting music, and it's party central. No problem. I get that. yeah It is Mallorca.
00:34:36
Speaker
And there's two little machines where have to check in. was like, what? You put your credit card in, you put your passport, you scan your passport, and it spits out two keys. is it Was it Rafael Nadal?
00:34:48
Speaker
Yeah. Thank you. You're welcome. He's still playing, right? Yeah, he's still playing. Okay. So it's tied to his name. And I get there. and It's the Amelia Group of Hotels. And they have like all different, like Hilton, they have upscale, downscale. This is like...
00:35:04
Speaker
above the middle, not the very top ok level. um And the build quality was just shit. like Everything was hollow. anyway so i mean but i was just like It was a weird experience. was like there's no and I think it's part of the Spanish-Italian culture where they just... You know when you go to those hotels in Europe and say, hey, there's a problem in my room and they kind of shrug. and go Yeah.
00:35:29
Speaker
Oh well. And then they walk away. Yeah. or Or they stop and they listen to you and say, what's the problem? say Okay, we'll send somebody to fix it. But they don't. They never send somebody. They just walk away and forget what happened. Never. So it was kind of like that. So you get there. be here but You get there and i I flag someone down. Hey, is there a front desk? No.
00:35:48
Speaker
Just use that machine over there and they'll check you in. So you go to the machine there's two keys. And we had problem with the thing. And then finally, and and everyone's coming in having problems. um And so then the the the hotel manager exasperated.
00:36:03
Speaker
Oh, sorry, you gotta do some work today. Cam comes out and like sits down and tries to help you use the machine and bubble blah, blah, blah. Oh, there's a problem there. Blah, blah, blah. systems don't work, finally get to the room and, you know, for the four days we were there all day. It's just like, I think that DJ didn't stop playing music for like, it's 24 seven.
00:36:24
Speaker
i hate that. That happened to us in Jamaica. I hate that.
00:36:30
Speaker
Yeah. 24 seven music party, party, party, party. i mean, party in a sense, like at some point during most of the lunches, people started getting on the tables to dance.
00:36:43
Speaker
Right. Again, i was like, I get that. But that's not the hotel we signed up for. But okay, no problem.
00:36:53
Speaker
And so no service. Like, you know, can't get water? Sure. And then, you know, 20 minutes later, can't get water? Sure. And don't come back. Basically, no one cares. Right. but But once we got into the city, different.
00:37:10
Speaker
Great service, good food. everybody the the The thing about Spain everybody's friendly, which is awesome. Don't get me wrong. So we had a good time, despite my bitching and moaning. We had a good time.
00:37:21
Speaker
um um But south of France, south of France is better. Yeah, but the people, i mean, the people in the south of France aren't as friendly. They're not. That is true. So if you're looking for like a culturally, you know, ah amenable experience. yeah Yeah. France is really difficult to find. Although the small towns like Provence and some of these places. Okay. Not bad. No.
00:37:44
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. and Paris for sure. i don't know. in the north but In the north of France, you know, like Bayou and Normandy, like the people weren't yeah overly friendly either.
00:37:55
Speaker
i mean, they were fine. yeah they were fine. But i I mean, I don't know about you, but I never want to be described as fine.
00:38:03
Speaker
It finds a very neutral... By the way... Neutral trending towards negative word, I think. That's true. Our two listeners just now, that even though she didn't mean to do it, Jessica gave me the middle finger for about 10 seconds. When was this? You were resting your hand. Oh, really? Like this? You were doing this your nose and the glasses. And I didn't know, was like... It just felt comfortable. Whatever. Whatever.
00:38:27
Speaker
Like, is she mad about me and she didn't want say it, so she just gave me the middle finger? So I think you know me better that I'm just not that subtle. You would tell me to fuck off in two seconds. I would outwardly, like, be here. Yeah, I'm not that subtle. We're not doing video. Probably a good thing we're not doing video.
00:38:45
Speaker
Oh, no, I think it's terrible that we're not doing video. Really? Yeah. You can start doing it if you want. I think people should see us flip each other off at random.
00:38:57
Speaker
random times in the middle of stories. Well, one of our listeners, dedicated listeners, my gu is god sister, she's Quebec City in Montreal. I am going to go there. So today is March 30th, everybody, just to date ourself.
00:39:10
Speaker
um you This episode will be published a week later. he blew our cover. That's okay. It's a week later. We're we're very current. like We don't like stockpile episodes six months in advance. we're like We're barely hanging on one in advance. One at a time. um So by the time this airs, I will have just gotten back from Montreal, meeting up with her and some other friends, New York friends. And it is freaking 20 degrees and snowing still in Montreal. Yeah. Yeah.
00:39:42
Speaker
If I showed you a picture there at the St. Lawrence River right now, it's frozen. And the entire city is covered in snow. That's awful. So i was like, you know what?
00:39:54
Speaker
I went out this morning for coffee in like a sweater. i thought Oh, spring is definitely coming. It's late, but it's definitely coming. And I'm like, no, I got to freaking wear my thick winter jacket. to Montreal because it's 20 degrees. Yeah. Like, I just don't understand why you guys picked to like meet up in Canada instead of like meeting up in like Mexico. That was my choice. They wanted to. Okay. Our New Jersey friends are driving up there and they have a dog.
00:40:18
Speaker
Yeah. So they're driving instead of flying. Okay. And they wanted to go to Quebec city and then my god sister and another friend of Vancouver are meeting them there. And I'm a very last last minute, like, we where are you going?
00:40:29
Speaker
Montreal? I'll go for two days. I love the food there. i love it there. I'll go for two days. There's bubble tea and fried chicken in Montreal. I will go. For real. Book my ticket. Got my $15 first class upgrade. Aha!
00:40:43
Speaker
On Delta. That's nice. And then it's winter time. It's still winter. Yeah, we're here today right now. So far, it is 58 degrees. I know.
00:40:54
Speaker
When I see for lunch later, I'm not bringing anything. Was it 64 later? Yeah. Let's see. You probably feel like 70. 68, it says. Yeah. In the sun? At about 3, 4 o'clock in the afternoon, it'll be breezy, but 67, 68 degrees. Yeah.
00:41:11
Speaker
Nice. yeah Spring is here. ah But then going to see rain in the next three days. I know. That's all right. which you won't I mean, only a little bit, though, which doesn't matter because you won't be here for it anyway. I will not.
00:41:22
Speaker
would you Would you like me to bring something back for you from Montreal? I wouldn't even know what to ask for from Montreal, to be honest. Maple syrup? Oh, I love maple syrup. If can get it through security?
00:41:33
Speaker
Yeah, good luck. TSA. They're going to take it from you. You're going to come back and be like, i don it did get you syrup, but I don't have it. Here's the phone number to TSA. Knock yourself out. can them and complain. for it and if can get But they were short-staffed because, you know, half their people left.
00:41:50
Speaker
Let me tell you how how much people are on edge these days. there I just saw someone sent me, before we started this recording, someone sent me a about ah recording, an Instagram video of a father, a man.
00:42:02
Speaker
He's out running in a weighted vest. Okay. Everyone knows that. You have a vest. It's got some weights. You're trying to get some extra resistance.
00:42:14
Speaker
Somebody called the cops on him saying he's wearing a bomb vest. Oh my God. Yeah. fuck Oh my God. the car i think this Seriously. The video looks like it's in the UK. And I get i get it. Everybody's on edge.
00:42:28
Speaker
But like, so the terrorists, like the freaking SWAT team showed up. Everyone's pointing like rifles at him. Get down, get down. He gets down, has knees. They like basically grab him.
00:42:41
Speaker
it's their fucking there It's a weighted exercise vest. At least they apologize. so we're really Sorry, but somebody called us in. What the fuck, man? What's wrong with people? Thanks for your shitty apology. Jesus Christ already.
00:42:53
Speaker
Dude. Well, because people are totally tweaked out about this. you know i mean, do we call it a war? Is this a war? It's a war. It's war. What else is a war? What are we calling it? People are shooting at each other. It's a war. Maybe the first day wasn't a war. Act of aggression. But it is definitely a war by now. When you're both shooting at each other and surrounding neighbors, it's a freaking war.
00:43:13
Speaker
Yeah, I think, you know, I think it's completely tweaked people's brains. i mean, you know, and i and I think that, you know, knowing that, you know, in terms of, you know, Islamic jihad, knowing that there are terrorist cells planted all throughout the world, because that is fair knowledge, that they're always just waiting for something to happen right now.
00:43:35
Speaker
You know, as if like, as if like, it wouldn't have happened at some point anyway, without some missiles being thrown or shot at each other. I think I said this to you, right? The new word, it's Karen, Karen's, the complainers. Oh, the Jessica's now, right? It's now Jessica. Yeah. It's now Jessica. Which is kind of funny. How did that happen?
00:43:54
Speaker
I have no idea. I think it's funny. I haven't heard that anywhere other than from you, though. So. It was a, it Listen, it was a big Instagram post. I didn't have it. I didn't see it. i didn''t Anyways, I was like laughing. like what How did Karen turn to Jessica? Anyway, so for the year, Jessica. They decided that Karen's were too old and Jessica's made more sense. I guess so. Jessica's the new complainer. We're Generation acts and not baby boomers, I guess. The new complainers of the world are called Jessica's. That's lame. Congratulations. No, thanks. That's lame. I can't wait to have that argument with people left and right now. It's going to be so awesome. Jessica at the grocery store. What problem is, is like Karen's are complainers, but Jessica's are ass kickers. We don't take that shit. Yeah, man. Like we, we walk in and we don't have a conversation. We just fucking punch you in the face. Like I can see that.
00:44:43
Speaker
Like in every Jessica I know, I feel like is the same way. I can see that. and i do know like a very healthy handful of Jessica's by the way. Yes, I do. i really do.
00:44:53
Speaker
just trying to think who else I know name is Jessica. There's another Jessica. I can think of five excluding excluding myself off the top of my head that are in like the first like three rings of my circles.
00:45:05
Speaker
And our age. Yeah, they're all our age. Okay, so there was like... Yeah, for sure. Well, so because it was the most popular name in the 1970s. Was it? Jennifer and Jessica. Ah, that makes sense. So pretty safely, any Jessica or Jennifer that you meet is probably a Gen X. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. Right.
00:45:23
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. It's pretty wild. Don't miss. But it's true. Don't miss. Yeah, the Jessicas that I know, all five of them, excluding myself, yeah would never take that kind of crap from someone. Exactly. Ever.
00:45:36
Speaker
Some of them even more violently than others, I think. But yeah, they would never take that shit. Oh my God. No way. Oh, wait. We're 45 minutes in. We've got to end this soon. But yeah I was listening to a hockey-specific podcast ok where they interviewed somebody from USA Hockey to talk about that new NDL, ah the National Development League. yeah And after hearing the interview I am even more convinced They're about to fuck youth hockey In this NDL because Because the guy From USA Hockey Was so sure
00:46:12
Speaker
So sure of him himself, with and maybe he doesn't have a choice as a job, but so sure that USA Hockey's new NDL program, quote unquote, his words, yeah not designed to compete with tier one AAA hockey, but will offer another development path for highly skilled youth players in 15s and 17s
00:46:42
Speaker
i was like, what is this guy smoking? This guy must not be a parent. Right. his His thing was like, we're not competing with tier one. Tier one, you can do it. that's why That's why if you do our NDL program, you're you you can operate both programs.
00:46:58
Speaker
Okay. And what about tryouts? Oh, well, you know, we're not competing with tier one. So we'll do our tryouts and whatever in the fall or something. And roster will be up by October. I was like, hello, dude, AAA is in March, April.
00:47:13
Speaker
So do they just, how do they, how do they hedge their bets? And like my kid wants play NDL, but doesn't get in now has to scramble to find AAA team. You just create another shitstorm. No, what I think happens is the opposite, actually. Really?
00:47:28
Speaker
Yeah, I think the way this is going to unfurl is that AAA triads will take place in March and April. Most of the time in April, I think. um After nationals. right yeah Right. And I think what's going to happen is every kid is going to go skate for AAA team.
00:47:46
Speaker
okay Okay. And get a spot. Get a spot. Right. Okay. or a spot I think they're going to they're going to sign contracts. i think okay you know I think they're going to be on the hook yeah for you know for money. Sure. And then I think what will happen is in the fall, NDL will come out and you know hand pluck people to come and try it. right Right. And whatever the arrangements become, if they make NDL with the teams that they've previously contracted with, will be whatever that looks like. That sounds too smooth to be true, but I hope you're right.
00:48:14
Speaker
But I think that's it because I feel like I feel like that happens, you know, often. Right. Like, ah let's just say hypothetically on our team this year, someone gets called up to play null.
00:48:27
Speaker
Yeah. Right. Right. They get called up to play null. Yeah. And then they leave. like they just But that throws the whole team out of whack. But they don't. But NDL l doesn't care about that part. little and but So that's my problem. AAA coaches, the only thing that they can do yeah yeah is basically say to you, you're responsible to pay for the season.
00:48:45
Speaker
Right. that's the That's the penalty. The penalty, if you go to NDL from our AAA team, and when you screw us, is that you are now responsible to pay for the entire season. Right. We will not give you the free pass. Okay, but unintended consequences aside, you think about that first. You're the coach. You're the organizing of a team. You're over-recruit, potentially think you'll lose a few kids.
00:49:06
Speaker
This is like college applications. you You don't lose the kids. All sudden, your team is too bloated. You lose the kids. You can still cut kids by the end but before the end of December. I just i know, but there's ripple effects everywhere. What if you're right you're a third-line center?
00:49:19
Speaker
Okay. And, and the coach thinks that these top two centers are going to get blocked. They don't get blocked for NDL. And, and, and aside from the, from from the fury of parents, by the way, right of kids who they think are good enough, but don't get picked for the NDL. Right.
00:49:36
Speaker
Right. Then your third line, fourth line center is like, well, fuck, I could have been second line center on that team, but I chose this team. And now I'm stuck in the third and fourth line. I get not, there's like,
00:49:48
Speaker
But that's the gamble everybody takes on every all the time. know, but you're just doing another leak into it. Right, but now you've now taken this other layer and built it on top of everything else, like on top of the pyramid, right? And he didn't address anything about like...
00:50:04
Speaker
State festival, national camp. Because I guarantee you that they don't even have those answers. i don't I bet they don't even they haven't even thought about it. And he's like, oh, if anybody promised you blah, blah, blah. He's like, we haven't even given the teams out. That'll happen in May. People have to apply for the teams. Blah, blah. I'm like, holy shit. you guys are You guys have just, I mean, well it's already complicated enough for parents. Now you're going to make it more complicated, but then pretend like, again, you're No, no, we're not competing and we're well but this is ah we're doing it for the kids. Well, this is like a whole USA hockey clusterfuck.
00:50:38
Speaker
Oh, yeah. I mean, look at what they just did with the null. Yeah. We can touch on that for and five minutes. Forget the dad joke. But what the fuck? You want to tell people what they've done?
00:50:50
Speaker
So basically, USA Hockey has instituted a rule that if you play even a single game for an unsanctioned or an exhibition team that is not affiliated with USA Hockey, you lose eligibility to play a null game for the entire year.
00:51:07
Speaker
Okay. But the question I have for you is... To me, it sounds like an only a null rule, not a USA hockey rule. No, it is a USA hockey rule. it's So that means USHL is the same thing? I'm sorry. It's a null rule based on USA hockey.
00:51:23
Speaker
Correct. That's what it is. But the USHL is not making that rule. No, because they don't have to. But they don't have to because the USHL doesn't lose players the way that the null does. And so what the null is trying to do, in my opinion... It's a cash grab. It's a cash grab. But I think what they're trying really to do is they're trying to take those kids that play NCDC now that there are cash incentives, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They're trying to take the kids that are flowing towards NCDC and take them and make them play NA3. Yeah.
00:51:54
Speaker
yeah now Okay, so for our non-hockey listeners, just for a second. Tuition-free junior hockey, which is what everybody wants to play. And that heads leads into college, for example.
00:52:05
Speaker
Let's say, let's call USHL, the top, right? ECHL, after that. Okay. And then you have the NAHL. Bless you. Thank you.
00:52:17
Speaker
And the NAHL. runs a separate low-end pay-to-play league called the NA3HL.
00:52:28
Speaker
But because the NAHL parent is affiliate affiliated with USA Hockey, the pay-to-play NA3 still seems to get status, even though I would say, fuck you, if it's pay-to-play, that is not legit right junior hockey. It's not. Okay? And then under the NAHL,
00:52:50
Speaker
for Again, for non-hockey people, typically what happens is that the season starts, USHL kid gets cut or a BCHL gets cut and he goes down to the next level, which is the NAHL. Then the NAHL team will cut a few guys to NCDC.
00:53:06
Speaker
Which is tier three juniors, also majority ah tuition free. There are NCDC teams that are pay to play. Yes, that is correct. And they're expanding. And then the whole USPHL. It's a USPHL thing. But for the most part, let's say for simplicity, it's like if you're a good player, you get cut from the NAL into NCDC historically. yeah You played for a good NCDC team and you dominated. You would get called back up ah play it to the NAL. Okay, so that's the end of the free tuition-free junior hockey. And everything else, EHL, USPHL, blah, blah, blah, blah. NA3, you got to pay to play. USPHL, Premier and Elite.
00:53:45
Speaker
Right. Right. So it's kind of a scam. But don but would we won't get that argument. But anyway, so so now, the now, trying to fuck players. That's right. Yeah. Thanks for caring about the players. Because it's not bad enough that they've allowed all these other Canadian players, et cetera, to come in. Right.
00:54:02
Speaker
Okay, so it looks like a cash grab. We don't want you going to NCDC. If you play for NCDC, you get screwed. You can't come back up. So we're going to push you to the n a three but no player wants to play NA3. NA3 is like as bad as high school hockey. Yeah. And not Minnesota high school hockey.
00:54:18
Speaker
No, no. Like, this is goon squad. right People there are not going to college. They're just there to pick fights with you all day, et cetera, et cetera. And can you pay for it. and you pay and you' And you're paying for the privilege to get this shit out And those teams are also all over the country. So on top of paying tuition, you end up having to pay room and board or you end up paying bill of fees. It's insane. you ask me. It's insane. And it's a lot of money, by the way. Yeah. Okay. So let's assume the worst.
00:54:49
Speaker
And they're trying to stuff kids into the NA3. And I was, when I first saw it, I was definitely angry. Yeah, same. Okay. And I spoke to my advisor. I said, hey dude, is this for real? What the fuck? He's like, yeah, okay.
00:55:03
Speaker
Understood. But, but, because of all the different other rule changes, NIL, blah, blah, blah, blah. And the CHL in Canada. He's like, if you dominate If you got cut from a null team and went to NCDC and you dominate NCDC and you can't go back to the null, we would just push you to the O or the Q or the BCHL.
00:55:24
Speaker
ah okay is said Okay, that calmed me down a little bit. was okay, if that's true and you head up to the CHL, then the Nile really fucked themselves. mi god Right. People are just going to go to all these other leagues and give them the middle finger because that's just that's stupid. No one's playing NA3.
00:55:44
Speaker
no Nobody is electively playing NA3 in this scenario. Right. it It doesn't make any sense. I mean, kids didn't want to play NA3 before this role was instituted.
00:55:56
Speaker
like they It's like it's a terrible league. Would you play EHL before NA3? Probably. I mean, if it was a personal choice for me, yeah, sure, probably. And you'd probably play USPHL Premier and Elite before EHL and NA3, right? No, i because here's the thing. like yeah i'm you know I'm at the point where yeah like it needs to be tuition-free.
00:56:16
Speaker
Yeah. That's because hundred percent you're just extending. Otherwise go to college. That's right. You're just extending your youth hockey yeah experience, yeah which for some people I understand why they would. Like there are definitely of a wide berth of reasons to do so.
00:56:31
Speaker
But for our personal circumstance. Yeah. No. Yeah. No. and Either you go and you play tuition free juniors and you get that experience. Yeah. Yeah. Or you go to school and play club.
00:56:42
Speaker
Yeah. Find a club team. Yeah. Right. Sell yourself to a club team at some school somewhere. Yeah. Yeah. But this whole like notion of, you know, any three, like any three, it's been something that, you know, from my point of view, it's been laughable for many years already. Totally. So this whole thing, and and it's not what they're doing is not going to better the NA three talent. To strong arm people into playing any three. Right.
00:57:08
Speaker
Right. Honestly. And some people will bite. Some people will bite. You think so? Yeah, I think some people will bite. From the null. Yeah, I think some people will. Wow. I think that, you know, people bite on bullshit all the time. that Okay, but as I was going to say, if you're a null player, you're good enough to play the null, and they cut you, and they give you this and you know about this rule, and they tell you, go play the we can bring you back up.
00:57:37
Speaker
they're lying to you because you're not fucking going to NA3 and developing, right quote unquote, developing enough right but to get back into the lineup for the gnaw. Right. But that's what I'm saying. Like some people will bite that, bite on that and chew on it and say, yeah, okay, fine. If there's an opportunity for me to go play NA3 and then come back, sure. Why not? Why would I cut my nose Because that analogy to me, to the lay person, this isn't like,
00:58:04
Speaker
you are on the triple A team yeah and we have a double A affiliate. So go play there. This is like triple A to single A. it like right We're really fucking you. Right. But mostly, mostly the problem is, is, you know, if you take a, a guy from NOL and you put them down to n a three yeah like, you know, it's almost the same as not playing because there's zero, there's zero development. And I don't care if you're the person dominating the NA3, like it doesn't matter. Because the development that you would get anywhere else um you know would be exponentially better. I was intrigued. I was like, man, i was like that this guy in USA Hockey was so confident that it was like a plus. And I was like, man No, i think i think you know I think what it's doing is it's really catering to a very certain population.
00:58:53
Speaker
yeah yeah And then everything else just kind of like falls down, trickle. It's like trickle down, right? Yeah, right. But this this new rule, like it and it is USA Hockey affiliated because NCDC is not USA Hockey affiliated. It's not ancient. It used to be. and You know it's all politics, right? Yeah, but they used to be.
00:59:12
Speaker
It's such a big league. and filters into college. Maybe it's gotten too big. So there's that. There's no excuse for the NCDC not to be affiliated with USA Hockey. if you if like If you're USA Hockey and you really want to develop the kids and control the quality of hockey and let's say the standardization, which the NCDC is trying to do, of...
00:59:34
Speaker
travel, team, rink facility, like all the the really good high quality stuff, you would just pull the NCDC into USA Hockey and govern them. You wouldn't try to exclude them even more. But ah they were. They were under the auspice of the Hockey at some point. I don't know. I think they were. And I think there was a divestment.
00:59:54
Speaker
I think there was a divestment that happened. And I know i don't know the reasoning why. Right. um But I also feel like that break in relationship partially feeds this...
01:00:06
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The situation, right? Because now some now that NCDC is expanding, now that NCDC is offering, you know, financial incentive, yeah money, you know, now they they have more of a reason to be like, okay, no.
01:00:19
Speaker
Like, we we're not do People are trying to be dicks to each other and losers are the kids. Yeah, exactly. Nice. Yeah, that's exactly right. Way to go, guys. ah Yeah. Okay.
01:00:31
Speaker
Oh, by the way. Yeah. Separate note yeah before we get to the jokes. Yeah, sure. Remember the dog that was barking on the patio yeah next to me? I do.
Pet Neglect and Ownership Responsibilities
01:00:38
Speaker
That was there from nine to four all day with no food and water? Yeah.
01:00:41
Speaker
Okay, that's resolved. Oh. Because I complained to the building. Okay. and credit slash non-credit, I watched the owners of said dog as soon as I complained, not even kidding, within minutes, pulled the dog back inside. Mm-hmm.
01:00:58
Speaker
Has not returned outside. I don't know what that means. Yeah, i don't know what that means either. um And I hope it means better light, better her situation. Yeah. But no longer on the patio barking all day and whining to go inside.
01:01:11
Speaker
Good. So that's good. Maybe. mean, good for you. Yeah. Well, but thank you for the guidance yeah on how to help this dog. Because I like, this can't be normal. No, it isn't. um And sorry to the dog. And it's illegal. For like looking over the patio and you could see me and it wanted help and I couldn't yeah help and for three days and but I've helped. I know you had a filet mignon in there you could have thrown overboard. No, I was thinking like, hey, you know,
01:01:37
Speaker
Okay, so I'm complaining about this. What are the rules against a neighbor throwing food onto another neighbor's deck? As long as it's not poison. and Honestly, here's the thing. If nobody sees it happen, well saying it's not a big deal because the dog's going to eat it if it's palatable to the dog.
01:01:52
Speaker
was thinking like, I would buy some snacks, like dog snacks, and just throw them from one patio to the other feed this dog. But then I was worried about, was worried about,
01:02:03
Speaker
it's going to be obvious to the person where that food is coming from because there's only one patio above his patio. But only if they see it. Two. I was like, if the dog starts to poo on their deck and then they start hurling that on my deck and respond. But if the dog, here's the other thing, right? If the dog is out there between nine and four yeah every single day, then the likelihood of some sort of excrement being on their patio is very high.
01:02:28
Speaker
that's what but That's what I thought. But when I videoed it and I showed it to you, There's nothing. And I think part of not feeding the dog all day. They don't feed the dog so the dog doesn't poop. I mean, it's the same thing with the birds, right? Don't feed the birds because you don't want them to poop everywhere. Right. was like, And that was really what I was concerned about. You're starving this dog because you don't want it poo or pee on the deck. Right. Yeah. People are mean.
01:02:51
Speaker
there People are mean. You don't know the situation. I've seen this person. He's a little bit of a weird person in my building, but has a newborn and I don't know what the deal is with the newborn the dog and blah, blah, blah. It's hard. It's hard. It's very hard. It's hard, but you can't you know you can't shirk your responsibility to the dog that you have that you had first. Yes. Figure it out.
01:03:13
Speaker
Okay.
Humorous Conversations and Dad Jokes
01:03:14
Speaker
you know On that happy note. Get a trainer. On the happy note. What's more impressive than a talking dog? Oh, nothing for me.
01:03:28
Speaker
What's more impressive than a talking dog, people? There are people, our two listeners, screaming their answers at in their cars or on the airplane at us.
01:03:42
Speaker
What's more impressive than a talking dog? Give it a guess. You know how dumb these jokes are. I do. Come down to my level, Jessica. Sink yourself down low. Okay, stop talking. Give me a second.
01:03:55
Speaker
I'm going to go with a spelling bee. What's more impressive than a talking dog? A spelling bee? Your final answer? Yes, that's my final answer. Ding.
01:04:07
Speaker
right Spelling B. Yeah, and that's because there's a B on my wallpaper. Congratulations. Yeah, thank you. Okay. Thank much. All right. Wow. See? See?
01:04:17
Speaker
This is good. Okay. Okay. I need to give you another really stupid one. Love this for us. This is more stupid than the spelling. How do you make an egg roll?
01:04:30
Speaker
yeah
01:04:34
Speaker
Spring roll? Egg roll? That's funny. I don't know why white people, sorry, I don't know why white people called it egg roll. It's a spring roll on the menu. How did it become an egg roll? Well, there's egg rolls on the menu. Why is it egg?
01:04:47
Speaker
Why is it egg i don't know why it's an egg roll. Why don't you tell me? There's egg in it. Well, a spring roll is not No, i don't know it's different though because the egg roll always has the thicker the thicker um skin that gets all crispy on the outside and then the spring roll is like super thin. It's like chop suey for white people. It's not a real dish but call it chop Chop suey is so gross. General so's chicken.
01:05:07
Speaker
Dude, so gross. How do you make an egg roll? You won't get this one. No, I probably will not. This is so stupid that even I wouldn't have gotten it.
01:05:19
Speaker
Yeah, i don't know. I mean, I can't really. like You push it. That's so stupid. Obviously. Obviously. That's not a joke. That's just a fact. I know. i was like, what the fuck? Really? How do you make an egg roll? You push it. now good We're done. I'm not doing any more these fucking jokes today because seriously, that's just factual. That's not funny.
01:05:43
Speaker
wait a minute. This one you're going to get. This one you're going to get because you're a parent. You're a good mom. You understand this one. Okay. And you're also very good with the word play. I feel like this one for today before we go to lunch. That's a lot of preamble, but okay.
01:05:58
Speaker
What should kids play when they say they have nothing else to do? There could be so many answers to this. What should kids play when they when they say they have nothing to do?
01:06:12
Speaker
Remember, think dumb. Father, dad joke. The dumber, the better. What should kids play when they have nothing to do?
01:06:25
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. but Board games. Oh.
Episode Conclusion
01:06:34
Speaker
Dang it. You're kicking yourself because I know you know that. Dang it. I got distracted. son opened the door. I got distracted. Blame the son. It's his fault. Oh, man. So many things. Well, you got to go do your thing. I will see you in an hour for lunch. Yes, you will.
01:06:52
Speaker
And I'll bring you back some maple syrup from Montreal. If you can, that would be awesome. Later, gangsta. See ya. Bye. Bye. Well, well, well. You made it to the end. We can't thank you enough for listening to all of our random thoughts.
01:07:06
Speaker
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.