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Episode 20: Unpacking Conspiracy Theories
21 Plays4 months ago
Join Lorie Burch and the Burch Law Team (Cyntia, Sara & Sam) this week as we delve into the world of conspiracy theories! From the "deaths" of celebrities like Paul McCartney and Elvis to conspiracies like the flat earth theory and Disney's Frozen, we cover it all.
But at the end of the day, these conspiracies tie back to something very real: estate planning. We wrap up with a crucial reminder: just how a good conspiracy is tempting to believe, it's important that we aren't deluded by the seemingly easy or cheap solutions in estate planning like doing it online.
Join us every Wednesday for new episodes!
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Transcript
Introduction to Wills, Trusts, and Conspiracy Theories
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to another episode of One of Us Knows What They're Talking About. And the other one is you. I'm Lori Burch, your host. Join us as we discuss and unpack wills, trust, estate planning, and probate law in a way that's actually informative, interesting, and well, hopefully entertaining. Because if you don't have a will, the state of Texas has one for you. Let's dive in.
Misconceptions Around Probate Law and Conspiracies
00:00:40
Speaker
So today we're gonna talk about something that is perhaps just interesting to us. Well, I mean, it's obviously interesting to a lot of people, but when it comes to the actual theme of this,
00:00:52
Speaker
podcast, one of us knows what they're talking about. The other one is you. um It really has to do a lot with there's a lot of people that have no idea what they're talking about. So we're going to talk about conspiracy theories. And some of them have to do around people's death. And we we're trying to find some stories, but we ran out of time. So consider this part one of at least two, where we find some good conspiracy theories that actually have A real specific probate complicated bent because we know they're out there But we didn't want to delay this topic anymore because it's just so fun So we're going to talk about conspiracy theories, which really is the essence of people getting things wrong or creating things in their own head Rather than just accepting reality. I know that this probably is not one that the team's going to bring up today So i'll just throw it out there so everybody understands where we're starting from when it comes to how I feel about conspiracy theories
00:01:50
Speaker
I find them interesting, but I really am like a lone gunman kind of gal. i I'm like that anti-conspiracy theorist. I completely accept what's been presented, what the official line is, what the story is. I think the moon landing is real. Oh, did I take one from you guys? No, I didn't.
00:02:10
Speaker
um So i I can't even think of any conspiracy theory that I feel like I've really bought into, but that's, why don't we start there? Like where where are you all on the conspiracy theory scale? If one is i I accept what I'm told and five is I wear a tin hat, where are you?
Belief Spectrum in Conspiracy Theories (1 to 5)
00:02:38
Speaker
Cynthia, we're gonna start with you. Where are you on the conspiracy theory spectrum? I feel like I am at a good 2.53 because, let me let me let me explain this. So I was talking to my spouse, I don't remember what it was about, but we were talking about my conspiracy theories and he's like, you know, you're not as fun to talk about them because yours have a have a possibility of being plausible. Like,
00:03:05
Speaker
And it's just one of those things I'm like, yeah, that's that's how I feel about it. I need to have some bit of possible like plausibility there. Yeah, got it. Okay. It doesn't really explain why it's a 2.53. But if you don't want to elaborate on that because I'm not just going to go along with it. Like I'm not going to just put on the tinfoil hat and like live live like by the point zero three added.
00:03:36
Speaker
I said 2.5 3. Oh, 2.5. Saying that this is a moment for all of us. I said 2.53. Like 2.53. That's what I was waiting to understand. You were so specific with your decimal. 2.523. Okay. Got it. Got it. Got it. Okay. Got it. Okay. like so All right.
Roswell and Government Secrecy
00:04:05
Speaker
i Well, I was just going to explain, like, you know how Roswell, like, I feel like there's stuff that's fallen from the sky. What is it? I don't know. Is the government keeping it from us? Maybe.
00:04:17
Speaker
My favorite joke is about, you know, there's two shooters on the grassy knoll, but that's only because of Zoolander. I really like that movie. So, you know, it's a real toss up.
00:04:32
Speaker
OK, Sam, where are you on the conspiracy theory scale? I think like a two. um I think they're just fun. You're the Really? I like to research them. And OK, I think they're interesting. I don't believe most of them. OK, quick. How talk about chemtrails? Oh, is it there something about gay frogs? What?
00:05:01
Speaker
What? That's a first. No, I Come on. Yeah, I know it. like Gay frogs are frogs that'll make you gay. I don't know. ah So you think you're a two, Sam? Yeah, I would say a two. Like there's no way aliens haven't been here. but Yeah. Well, you're here.
00:05:20
Speaker
ah stop but
00:05:23
Speaker
There is a thing, LGBT chemicals conspiracy theory, and it has to do with frogs. You're welcome, Sam.
00:05:35
Speaker
God.
00:05:38
Speaker
You know, I like to play with frogs when I was a kid, so maybe that's where it all... Sarah, hold on. It gets real good. So animal testing in the 2000s suggested that an herbicide um may have a feminizing effect on male frogs, causing them to become hermaphroditic. The research failed to reproduce these results in frogs. The reports of reproductive impact have been reported in other animals.
Aliens and Skepticism
00:06:09
Speaker
All right. See, this is one where I'm just like, well, you know, maybe. See, those are just different. Yeah. So Sarah, I missed it. Where are you on the conspiracy theory scale? I think I'm also a two um because I like to research them, but I don't really believe them. But there are some like aliens that I will 100 percent. wait So I feel like to put it on being honest. I'm just going to point that out.
00:06:39
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like ah feel like people are low-balling it. So now what I need is I need you to, I gave examples of what one and five are. So I need you to give an example of what a two is, what a three is, and what a four is.
00:06:57
Speaker
I think four is like you believe in them, but you're not willing to admit it. Yeah, then you're forced a four. I can majority of them. Okay, so thank you. What's a three? deep I would say three is like your neutral. Like you can see like both sides. You're like, yeah, I could believe it. But also first sort like i'm like, listen, if you give me enough evidence or enough like background stuff, I may come that direction. However, I am going to be skeptical, but I'm not just going to be so straight laced that I'm a fuddy duddy about it. That's okay. Okay. So all right. So Sam, you have a conspiracy theory that you want to share with us.
00:07:37
Speaker
Yeah. and Tell us what it is because you want to see our reactions.
Straw Man Persona in Legal Contexts
00:07:41
Speaker
Yeah. um Hold on. I need a half the screen so I can watch you guys. um Do we do we feel an outtake coming?
00:07:50
Speaker
Maybe. I mean, OK, so it's both the straw man theory or the straw man illusion, whichever you want to call it. um But it is a I can never say this word pseudo legal, pseudo legal. It is a pseudo legal conspiracy theory um originating in the redemption movement, which apparently is just people trying to not pay their taxes.
00:08:13
Speaker
um and prevailing in anti-government and tax protection movements. um But the theory is that an individual has two personas, one of flesh and blood and the other a separate legal personality, i.e. the straw man.
00:08:30
Speaker
um and that one's legal responsibilities belong to the straw man rather than the physical individual. um So the pseudo law advocate claims that it is possible through the use of certain redemption procedures and documents to separate oneself from the straw man, therefore becoming free of the rule of law. And so you get out of legal responsibilities, like taxes.
00:09:04
Speaker
Um You know, so I I will tell you that I mean straw man is a common term and it is used in In the legal world and all of that if anything you would call, you know We talk about revocable living trusts and how the way those work is they're not a separate entity They don't have their own tax id or tax filings or anything like that. I usually say think of it as Like a nickname that you go by but it is kind of a straw man is how that would be used by rational people um, but you're saying this this is a separate a separate being um yeah that Is separate from your physical being and that's the one that is that is responsible for taxes and the rule of law
00:10:00
Speaker
and like dits and everything. It's essentially a way for scammers to try to claim the big one after. No, no, don't try to diminish this theory. So is the straw man like it's it's not materialized, it's mystical, it doesn't there's no physical presence of it? Correct. So which one has the social security number?
00:10:30
Speaker
Oh. Let me see if they mention it in this Wikipedia article. Sarah, did you did you have something to offer? I and don't know how to read your face. No, this is this is brand new to me.
00:10:50
Speaker
Now, the only thing I would say about this one is like a lot of them just make no sense at all. I could see so like making a good faith effort to get out of the responsibilities of adulting in America that we don't want to have to do. If there seems to be a rational purpose behind this completely irrational theory. So is this while we're alive or when we die?
00:11:20
Speaker
when we're alive. Okay. How is this a so like, what makes it a conspiracy, Sam? or Are you like stretching the bounds of that? Like, is there like a secret society of people who make this argument believe like, do they believe a certain way? Do they follow these principles? I mean, it calls it on Wikipedia as pseudo legal conspiracy theory.
00:11:46
Speaker
Listen, I feel like we're in the correct realm with being on Wikipedia, let's be honest. um It appeared in 1999 by a North Dakota farmer. Oh, that makes sense. Oh, he was the originator of the record. OK, OK, OK. All right, Sam, we're good. I think we're OK. If you if you want to circle back to this, let's let's use some corporate speak. Let's put so much on it.
00:12:16
Speaker
and and around and circle back around. We're going to arc you lot this. Yeah. Okay. So interesting. All right. So some other conspiracies that you all have found.
Celebrity Death Conspiracies: Kurt Cobain and Avril Lavigne
00:12:28
Speaker
Let's start with ones that are pseudo related to our legal practice and that is ones around death. And let's save my main man for the last one that comes up because I can talk a lot about this. So use the other ones first.
00:12:44
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Um, one of them that I found was, hold on. Kurt Cobain. That's a big one. Okay. So we all know how he died, but there do we allegedly ah done hold done i got i got beef already okay keep going there are theories from his own family members that believe he was actually murdered, like his father and his grandfather that believe
00:13:15
Speaker
ah Courtney Love had a motive and was the one who killed him. And so they they have, um you know, proposed that there's evidence of foul play and that the case should be reopened. And um they have publicly stated that they believe he was murdered instead. um Which I mean, I mean, I haven't looked that much into it, as far as like,
00:13:43
Speaker
So I have real cause of them the, okay, hold on. If, if you look into it and the physics of it is a little interesting. Okay. Have you like, so you haven't really looked into like pictures of like how he was found and things like that. No, nothing like that. o Okay. Sarah, I think you should do that and then come back to us.
00:14:11
Speaker
Okay. Okay. So then, does that mean we're going to skip to the next conspiracy theory around a celebrity death? Yeah, because I'm very interested in what y'all are coming up with. Okay, the next one is one of my favorite singers, Avril Lavigne. I love this one. I love this one purely for the randomness of it. I feel like if you look at pictures though, Sam, keep going. Okay.
00:14:40
Speaker
um So the theory is that it originated in 2011, but the theory is that Avril Lavigne died in 2003 shortly after the release of her debut album Let Go, banger album by the way, um and was replaced by a body double named Melissa. um Evidence used to support the theory includes changes in Lavigne's appearance between 2003 and the present, supposed subliminal messaging in her follow-up effort Under My Skin, 2004,
00:15:09
Speaker
and a photoshoot in which Avril has the name Melissa written on her hand. um And then there's like a BBC podcast who called Who Replaced Avril Lavigne, which started this, I think.
00:15:22
Speaker
Um, or like that keep it going but the origins of the theory can be traced back to 2011 for brazilian blog um called everl is dead which led to conversations to start the replacement and it's and then in 2017 is when it um, like gained traction Um, and everl has of course denied it but nobody believes well, of course she's going to of course melissa would ah Yeah, I so that the origin is not enough of it is not enough of an explanation like why yeah, because they're
00:15:59
Speaker
I mean, is she like, secretly working for the Canadian government? And so she had to go deep underground, like, I need to know what and I'm not saying that she's not talented. I'm not saying that she's not popular. I'm just saying that is really random. Yeah, so the original reason Melissa came about originally hired to help distract everybody because you know, everyone gains um popularity pretty quickly. um And Avril was known, at least at the time, to be very private. um And so it's alleged that Avril befriended Melissa, um and then that shortly before the singer's supposed death, her body double, Melissa, was taught to sing and perform like her. um And then... But what did she die of? What what was the what's the cause of death? We may never know. I mean, I don't think it's that part to gnome.
00:16:52
Speaker
That part's known. but um But her record company panicked and replaced her with Melissa. So that way they could get more money. I'm trying to be very delicate because I do. she's like She's talented. She's successful. I'm just saying that if she disappeared and or died, I don't think there would be any sort of ripple in the music industry nor the world.
00:17:20
Speaker
Especially because after this, like, guys, she married Chad in what? 2013. I forgot about like, melissa and I would have to have a body double to marry anybody from Nickelback.
00:17:36
Speaker
they's got divorce That's a conspiracy theory that Nickelback has real fans. Yeah. Well, that just shut it all down.
00:17:51
Speaker
I had to turn you down now it' been a little peaky for us over here. That is why i I am so fascinated by this one is just. Oh, like if they did it with like Michael Jackson or something like you can see that or Madonna or you know, but I mean, even like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, but Afro Levine, like, yeah, she had asked about it. um And she's technically technically never denied it.
00:18:21
Speaker
jesus Because she got asked in 2014 about it. um And they like asked if she knew about the rumors about, you know, having died in the place. And she replied saying it's the first time she was hearing about it. And later added while I'm here in and Brazil, that's not denying it. And then in 2017, she said, No, I'm not dead. I'm here. But that's not technically saying I guess that she Oh my gosh.
00:18:47
Speaker
and That's what for all the Dalulus out there. Correct. And then in 2018, she also said, some people think I'm not the real me, which is so weird. Like, why would they even think that? um And then so some radio hosts were like, she never technically denied it. like um And but then she quoted a dumb internet rumor in 2019. And it's shocked that people believe it.
00:19:10
Speaker
um And apparently in 2013, there was a separate fifth hoax alleging that she died in a snowboarding accident. and Oh, why are they picking on her?
00:19:21
Speaker
Okay. All right. oh this one's cool One of the top ah one of the top things is is Nickelback still married to Avril? Just Nickelback. Just the entire band of Nick. Wait, I didn't get that. Is Nickelback what? Still married to Avril. I'm looking at the whole band. I just googled Avril, Levine and Chad. And one of the search options is, is Nickelback still married to Avril?
00:19:50
Speaker
because nobody actually knows the date. That's another thing. It's a conspiracy that there are like real members of Nickelback. Like they just trade them out with some random stoner they find.
00:20:04
Speaker
um ah Cool question. I'm just wondering, just fairly okay has has anybody has anybody here on this podcast been to a Nickelback concert? I can say anyone. Yeah, neither.
00:20:19
Speaker
I haven't. have. What? We're aware. Okay, hold on. Sarah claims Sarah claims that it's because she had a friend who had gotten tickets and her friend got broken up with and Sarah felt bad so she went with her. um To feel worse. That's exactly how it happened. She got dumped. And then she said, Hey, want to go see Nickelback? And I said, Hell yeah.
00:20:46
Speaker
basically. And then you saw Shania the Nick's night, right? Oh, yeah, you did. That was like a week later. That's the only reason Sarah that you are not more affected by having to see Nickelback in concert is Shania cleansed you. That's true. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. All right. Who else? help Who else do we have conspiracies about celebrity wise?
Beatles Conspiracy: Paul McCartney's Alleged Replacement
00:21:12
Speaker
Well,
00:21:13
Speaker
So we have one about Paul McCartney, who is still alive and well. um But what is he? But well, because recently dancing at Taylor's concert. Well, Avril is still alive and well, but here we are.
00:21:27
Speaker
um So there's a theory that he He is no longer here. And it's because in 1966, Paul McCartney got into an argument with the other Beatles stormed out of the studio and was promptly decapitated in a car accident. Oh, he's dead. Oh, and to cover the whole thing, the Beatles hired a look alike and a sound alike. Um,
00:21:56
Speaker
And then, what else about it? So after going through all of this- The Paul is dead when you play the white album backwards. Oh, I don't know that. Really? Y'all did not look at it as well now. Point of clarification, is it the white album? You have a lot of time all day. Is it the white album? I'm gonna be honest. I've never willingly listened to The Beatles. Either. Well, why would you when your musical taste is Nickelback?
00:22:26
Speaker
Exactly um So what I was getting to was that after going through this trouble to cover up the the you know the look alike and everything they Dropped clues in their album covers and lyrics to hint to the public that something was was wrong was a miss Well, I don't know which album that was There's several things um about
00:22:58
Speaker
Turn, wait, hold on. I can't believe that you come at us with a paul a Paul McCartney is dead theory, and you don't even know about the Paul is dead. I just think it's fascinating, but I don't know. Did you find which revolution nine? Yeah, it's a revolution nine. Oh, that's the white album. Yeah. Yeah. And whoever it's played backwards.
00:23:28
Speaker
And then there's reference that was on the cover of Sergeant Pepper.
00:23:35
Speaker
um Hold on. Except McCartney is a photograph facing the viewer and the front cover of Magical Mystery Tour, which depicts an unidentified man but band member in a differently colored suit from the other three. Wow. Yeah.
00:23:57
Speaker
Okay. So this has all been leading up to one of the biggest, if not the biggest dead celebrity conspiracies. So
Elvis' Death: Mafia and Sightings
00:24:09
Speaker
go ahead. I go ahead and regale me, whoever put this on the list. So then I can, I can help you understand they were known for you to regale them.
00:24:20
Speaker
Yeah, I put it on because I didn't know if it was a sensitive subject and I knew you would have a lot more to say about it. So basically that there's been Elvis sightings throughout the the years. um Yeah.
00:24:34
Speaker
Did you do any like research onto what the theory is behind it? like Not behind it, just I just read where they he's been supposedly cited, like airports and things like that, like early on after his death. And any reasons, did you read any reasons why it's suspected that he faked his death? He was involved with the mafia.
00:25:01
Speaker
Besides the men in black theory that he's an alien, he just went home. Stop. No. That he was in the mafia. Are you just making that up, Sam, or did you actually just get on? No, it's on Dallas settings Wikipedia page. Some believe that- Stop looking at Wikipedia.
00:25:20
Speaker
Wikipedia Padre on cuz I'm out of this house. Oh, I'm fighting ah and this is yeah, he didn't die. He just went into hiding. This was something that was popularized by um Gail Brewer.
00:25:35
Speaker
Giorgio and other authors. um This is saying how he was, the earliest alleged sighting was the day after he died, August 17th of 77 at the Memphis International Airport. A man resembling Elvis gave the name John Burroughs, which was the same name Elvis used when booking hotels. At that time, one could board a flight without ID. So, you know, went for it.
00:26:03
Speaker
Yeah, but some believe that Elvis was involved with the mafia during his time as a rock star, served as an undercover agent and was found out. Thus, they believe he faked his own death to try to escape them. Where is, okay, hold on. I'm on a different page than you. So ah on some of these there, I'm going to give you some context because for our our podcast fans, listeners, viewers, um I would report that there's very few people that knew more about Elvis.
00:26:33
Speaker
than myself. In fact, I really could do a whole podcast around one of us knows what they're talking about. Another one is you when it comes to Elvis. um So one of the reasons Sam that they use some of that as a basis is because Elvis liked to collect badges.
00:26:54
Speaker
So in fact, there's a very infamous meeting with President Nixon where he just decided to get on a plane and fly to Washington DC and wrote a letter like pulled up to the White House and wrote a letter basically saying that he really really supports his anti-drug efforts. And he'd really like to get a badge, I think ah like federal narcotics. guy you Anyway, don't don't quote me on that. It's been <unk>s been a while and I've used brain cells for other things.
00:27:22
Speaker
But um and then Nixon actually granted him the visit. And there's a very famous ah picture and pictures of Elvis meeting Nixon and getting that badge. But it was really just for a collection. I'm going to have to tell you. um So did you find anything about the upstairs of Graceland?
00:27:43
Speaker
No. Okay. So, um, for those of you who've been or visited Graceland once or like me, 20 plus the 30 plus times, including the time that i got married there, um, you cannot tour upstairs of Graceland. ah It is closed.
00:28:01
Speaker
And I can tell you the conspiracy reason for that is because he's still up there and all of this and that. I can tell you the official story as to why. And that's because Elvis loved to have people come to the house. He loved to host people and he would show them all around the grounds, take them around to the horse stables, to play a racquetball. I mean, there and there's several homes around there that friends and family lived in and just a lot of different Things to do and to entertain lots of pianos. There's a billiards room downstairs um TV room down like just all of this stuff But nobody got to go upstairs because that was always private to the Presley family and that's the way they've maintained it in fact when he died his Grandma still lived there
00:28:49
Speaker
Minnie Mae Presley, also called Dodger, who is also buried on the grounds. The other big conspiracy when it comes to why, and this one's really dumb when you think about it, because why would that mean he's still alive? But that his name was misspelled on his tombstone. So it's Elvis Aaron Presley. And Aaron was spelled A-R-O-N. And on his tombstone, it's A-A-R-O-N.
00:29:18
Speaker
And I don't know why that would prove that he faked his death, so but it's used as that. um The problem with that is that that was it was with 1A, but when he got older, he went to legally change it to the 2A spelling, um to be more like the biblical spelling of Aaron. And when he went to change it, come to find out it had always been misspelled on his birth certificate with 2A's. So it's not misspelled.
00:29:50
Speaker
How do you feel about him up appearing in Home Alone? is I don't know. Was he in Home Alone? So apparently he was rumored to have appeared in the background of an airport scene in the 1990 film Home Alone. It was alleged that a bearded man wearing a turtleneck and a sports jacket who could be seen over the left shoulder shoulder of Catherine O'Hara's character while she was arguing with an airline employee was Elvis. Huh. Yeah.
00:30:19
Speaker
casually I think people don't want to believe he's dead and it really would be nicer if he weren't, but his death really wasn't controversial and I'm just I'm gonna put something out there. If you were to fake your own death, would you have done a better way to go out than to have died in your bathroom on the toilet?
00:30:42
Speaker
Or maybe that was his point. Yeah, that's it. It's kind of want like memorable in a way. Cause it's not, you don't hear that. But is that what you want to be remembered? Listen, if you're not actually dead, you would get a kick out of it. Like, yeah, I i would kind of find it. yeah I think, yeah, um it would just.
00:31:06
Speaker
When you all get a little bit older and start contemplating like what kind of impact you're gonna be leaving on life, let's have this conversation again. And we'll see how you feel about that.
00:31:17
Speaker
But the fact of the matter is there's nothing even remotely controversial about his death. But it's just- It's not the other part. It's not controversial. It's just regular things. So it's like, yep, no, it could happen. Like we had a security guard at our office that someone could have mistaken as an Elvis sighting. There's a thing called Elvis fans, Elvis impersonators, and now Elvis Tribune artists. There's lots of people who just walk around.
00:31:47
Speaker
six foot six one okay i'm thinking about security guard i'm like well he was taller yeah no he was not elvis um he was not i'm just saying was like if you have somebody a taller individual that has similarities, yeah has constantly the hair, glasses. And we we could talk a lot more about this, and I really would prefer to, but we'll we'll move on. So let's let's ah start to wrap this up a little bit with some of our other favorite conspiracy theories. What else do you want? We'll move on from the death and gloom part and until our next podcast when we talk about death, dying, all that fun. What other ones do you have for us? I'll go.
00:32:31
Speaker
OK, thank you. One of my lists is like my top favorite one. um And then it goes, I think, to everyone. Just that the birds aren't real, that night when 9-11 happened, it killed
Birds as Surveillance Drones Theory
00:32:43
Speaker
all the birds. And then the government replaced them all with fake birds that have cameras in them. Like all birds ever? Yeah. Yeah. Or at least American birds, I guess. Just American birds? Yeah. And they're drones. Yeah, but you're the same. And they spy on us.
00:33:00
Speaker
Yeah. You ever hear the saying the birds work for the bougie? That's where it comes from. yeah but I, what but about like pet stores where you buy for like, none of those are real fake. No, every single bird is fake. Couldn't use for Jordan. Yeah. So they did exist. You're saying, and then we were able to kill them all. Yeah, like 9-11 happened for some reason that just killed them all. So the events that happened as horrific as they were, but isolated to New York City, Washington, DC, and the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania? Sure. Where did that flight go down that the passengers were able to overpower them? and
00:33:59
Speaker
I'm trying to remember the field is somewhere. Anyway. This isn't Virginia or Pennsylvania. We can Google it. Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania. Okay. So somehow that wiped out all the birds. Yeah, correct. yeah The birds in California. Uh-huh.
00:34:23
Speaker
Especially in California. especially though So from from what about the ones in Alaska and Hawaii? Sure. From sea to shining sea. Yeah. Then I need to know about six, seven years ago when we went to dinner with my family for my sister's birthday at BJ's in Lewisville.
00:34:52
Speaker
And we came out. I needed it. What the hell all over Kimberly's car. We could not even get in off the car. dry eye I need to know. I need to know what that was. It was so bad. we We drove we drove to a gas station and not even the squeegees could get it off. They're able to get like a little hole for Kimberly to drive to see to drive us home. And then take it to a car wash. And I think she may have gone through a self-service car wash first, just for the embarrassment of not having actual people see what happened to this car. All fake. So hold on. Did not happen. So there's a summer claiming that Peter Mc
00:35:42
Speaker
Okay, anyway, he's he's the one who started this, Peter did. um At the very end of this article, it says, yes, we have been intentionally spreading misinformation for the past four years, but it's with a purpose. It's about holding up a mirror to America in the internet age. It's like, well,
00:36:00
Speaker
Well, is it though? He did a TED talk in 2023. Oh, about birds aren't real or about how he was able to make up this fake, ridiculous theory, conspiracy theory and get people to buy into it. Yeah. i say I think it's more that people, it's not that people don't, people don't believe it. They just think it's hilarious. Like it's such a dumb thing. But I, I,
00:36:29
Speaker
I would put money on the fact that there are people out there who genuinely buy into this. Oh, 100%. But I think a majority of like the people who made it popular don't actually believe it. Like I always and like I will always say the birds work for the bourgeoisie, because it's like a from a vine or a tick tock. And it's just funny. Excellent. Okay, what got a few more here? I mean, there's a dead for one literally hundreds.
00:36:56
Speaker
or thousands. But what are a few others that we thought we want to talk about?
Flat Earth and Scientific Disproof
00:37:01
Speaker
One of my favorites is the flat earth theory. um I don't know why I think it's it's one of my favorites, because it's just so out there and kind of bonkers that people would think. It's so disprovable. but Right. It's so disprovable. And there's so much information. like But it kind of comes back to NASA. like People are even saying, like oh, NASA's lying to us because they're just photoshopping a picture of this sphere. It's not really a sphere. they're just They just want to lie to us. so
00:37:30
Speaker
i
00:37:32
Speaker
basically for if if you don't know what the platter theory is ah for the listeners, it's rather than the earth bands, rather than the earth being a sphere, it is just a a flat plane that goes on forever. And when when you reach the edge, that is it. um And.
00:37:55
Speaker
um Like I said, it also kind of like ties into NASA. People think NASA is lying to us. And it kind of claims that the the GPS devices and all of that are rigged to make aircraft pilots. ah You know how like like plane ah flight paths kind of go at like a curve and they're kind of weird squiggles that's rigged to you know make all of us buy into that instead of just flying straight across from point A to point B um it really gets into a lot of a lot of details that are so easily disprovable when you realize around
00:38:33
Speaker
Good question. Real quick question. Did you um look into the study that the Flat Earthers have funded in Nevada and they themselves have proved that the there's a curvature? yeah yeah they They proved themselves wrong, but they still exist. That's a way to stick to your principles.
00:38:56
Speaker
i my One of my favorite memes is actually about disproving the flat earth theory and that is if the earth were flat, cats would have knocked everything off of it by now. so Very true. Sarah, did you ever see the flat earth guy in Denton? when you were I was just gonna say, it there ah in Denton, there was a truck all decked out in flat earth. You could not see any of the car.
00:39:23
Speaker
It's just got a flat or a sticker. So I have a question if at his house, if they do think it's flat, have they given it a shape? Is it, is it like a square, a triangle, a hexagon? I mean, what kind of enclosed figure is it? It's a flat oval enclosed figure. It's not a circle. It's an, it's like an oval, an oval. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Just like a flat disc.
00:39:54
Speaker
Okay. Oh, that's kind of fun. It's oblong, not circular. Right. Interesting. I was actually, I hate to admit this, but this is where our current state of affairs has has led us that my thought made me think of flat earthers and that is last night I was watching the Democratic National Convention and Obama was giving a speech and he did something that we Made a reference that a lot of us make without it being literal but he talked about the four corners of the earth and
00:40:26
Speaker
And like when he said that, it made me just think, oh my God, are like flat earthers going to be like, see? Oh, so actually, I have a bit about that. That's because and that's a biblical thing. So the Four Corners is mentioned in the Bible. And that is why flat earthers think that there is religious um significance behind it. Oh, I do actually know that because when I got confirmed in the Methodist Church, I was given by our minister, I believe it's called the Jerusalem cross.
00:40:57
Speaker
have to check me on that one. But it's where it's the big cross. And then there's four tiny crosses um in each of the corners. And then the concept is about spreading God's love through the four corners of the world. Yeah, it is. yearsatively you definite not It is the Jerusalem cross. Jerusalem cross. Mm hmm. Yeah. Look at me just just knowing shit.
00:41:24
Speaker
Okay, which again, just, you know, I have to be able to demonstrate this or else I couldn't get away with a podcast with this title. All right, a couple more. um Actually, the last one, because I'm curious about this one. i Well, okay, no, go ahead and choose the other one. Before that one. Well, I want to know what what is the frozen conspiracy? Is it about the movie? Yes. Okay, I don't want to know so naia what I don't want to know. Cynthia, what's yours?
00:41:54
Speaker
I really like the one that the health authorities are hiding all natural cures. Apparently about 37% of Americans believe that the FDA is suppressing natural cures for cancer because of the drug companies. I could totally get behind that. I hate the camera with the passion. I believe it. I will wear that tinfoil hat.
00:42:17
Speaker
Yeah, I can. I like that. I like that there's like, no, but that tinfoil hat, that specific one. OK, I get that, Sarah. Well, the press I mean, and I don't know if I would call it a conspiracy, at least for me, or maybe this is me wanting to hold on to my number one.
Natural Cures vs. FDA
00:42:35
Speaker
But with the way that corporations are controlling so much of the legislation that we have, that we like I am i I have lots of concerns about how healthy our food is and, you know, just seeing how things are regulated. Like it's, well, yes, got milk, milk, so healthy. Or deregulated. The milk industry is like pumping money into this and it's like, is it? And so, yeah, I mean, there's, I think there's a modicum of truth to that. Also,
00:43:12
Speaker
um You can't like just get on a plane and head east and you're gonna see that I don't I mean Geograph like globally go to the different corners like Eastern medicine is a lot more based off of natural remedies. I don't nobody's hiding that They're just preventing our access to it. Really? That is a tin foil hat most of virtual wall wear Yeah. okay so the last one yeah ah who Okay. Wait, what's the frozen one? This is my daughter's favorite movie. Yeah. That's why I wanted to put it. Cause I was like, you, you know, frozen.
'Frozen' Movie and Disney's Cryogenics
00:43:50
Speaker
Um, so a little bit of backstory. Um, Walt Disney, um, he passed away in 1966. Um, of lu this has to do with his head being frozen.
00:44:01
Speaker
or something. um so So his body was cremated um and then was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. But people think that um his body was not cremated and that his body is suspended in a frozen state and buried deep beneath the parts of the Caribbean, right? I didn't know that part.
00:44:26
Speaker
um yeah people are or like the Walt Disney Company is waiting until medicine is advanced enough that they can reanimate him. um um And so because of these rumors, Disney was like, we need to figure out a way to stop people looking this up. So that is how Frozen was named. The movie Frozen was named. So that way, if you look up Disney Frozen, you don't get get the theories about his head. You get Elsa and Anna and everybody else.
00:44:57
Speaker
Oh, you know, okay, good. It's not good. It doesn't to my just go the The Walt Disney thing like that's that's a pretty well known one. Yeah, but I find that fascinating because did you see when there was that dip that was tracking Taylor Swift's private Private and all of that. Yeah, right around that time She went to the Jets game against the Chiefs and I read something that said that she did that on purpose So that if you search Taylor Swift and Jets or jet, it would come up with her being at that game. Oh I don't know if that's true or not. But yeah, anyway, okay. All right. The last one. What is this?
Does Australia Exist? A Humorous Take
00:45:41
Speaker
Oh It's Australia, man. Oh, is this one me? I forgot you put this on here. Yeah. I'm just that Australia is not real. Is this is this a popular revenge ah conspiracy theory in your homeland of New Zealand? Yeah, totally. Yeah, we don't want Australia to share exist. No, um some a couple of years ago, when you search does Australia exist on Bing, it would say no. And it started like a joke conspiracy theory. That's it.
00:46:13
Speaker
being the knower. The knower. Sam, have you ever been to Australia? Yeah, when I was six. So a while ago. What what is the current state of affairs of New Zealand versus Australia vis a vis? I mean, I think friendly question mark, I don't actually know. um But the whole like, competing against either each other is just a joke, as far as I know.
00:46:41
Speaker
so Is it how how good are the break dancers in New Zealand? ah David do they make the Olympics? I don't know Is there any New Zealand break dancers actually, I don't know are are So what is the official like how do you refer to someone from New Zealand other than Kiwis like is it New Zealanders or Yeah, New Zealander as far as I know. That's what I say. As far as you know, you like you are the source of knowledge on this. Correct, but I lived 15 years ago. You shouldn't have to speculate. I mean, I say New Zealander if I don't say Kiwi. I mean, I left California 38 years ago and I still know that we call ourselves Californians.
00:47:33
Speaker
I mean, i it's fart like I said, as far as I know, it's New Zealanders, but nobody says that because they say kiwis. So even about, oh, see, I thought this whole time it was a derogatory term. You mean you accept being called a kiwi? Yeah. Oh. Aren't kiwis a bird? Are they real birds? Yes, I have. It's a bird and a fruit. it's When I came here, but are they real birds? Yes, I've seen one. No.
00:48:01
Speaker
Wow, Sarah. Literally, it's just really being like not nice to other countries. Back home in New Zealand, um when you say kiwi, you mean the bird. When you want to say kiwi fruit, you say kiwi fruit. So when I first came here and somebody was like, yeah, I'm going to go eat a kiwi. I was like, what do you mean you're going to go eat a kiwi? They're in danger. No, they're extinct. They're just robots now. Like, hello?
00:48:26
Speaker
ah but time I'm sure people people eat kiwis. birds. I mean, I think it's illegal here.
00:48:38
Speaker
I mean, I don't know. Well, hold on. Also, he we do we really want to get I mean, we don't have real birds here lighted bird. Yeah, it's a flightless bird. So does it count by their best? Oh, like a penguin. sam Yeah. Can flamingos fly? Yes.
00:48:56
Speaker
like fly or just like, kind of you know, go fast enough that they could like move quickly. They can fly. They can fly through the sky. Have you ever seen a flamingo flying through the sky? Well, since they're not in their natural habitat here, we clip their wings to where they can't escape. No, it's sam it's their feathers. Whenever something says their wings are clipped, it means like just the feather portion, their flight feathers are trimmed.
00:49:23
Speaker
and they can grow back. It's not like they go in and like cut a tendon or something. Just the way both of you were like, oh, it's like, oh they're fine. But yeah, let me Google. Okay. Flamingos Lori can travel upwards of 40 miles per hour during long distance flights with supportive winds. Wow. Yeah.
00:49:47
Speaker
I need to see a video of Flamingo flying. i when When we're done, I'm going to go look that up. I have several pulled up. Yeah, that sounds awesome. But yeah, but most of those in the US, they obviously clip the flight wings to where they can't escape the enclosures because most of our Flamingos are in ah enclosures with no top, like with no netting above them. I see. OK, yeah, very good.
Reflection and Importance of Estate Planning
00:50:12
Speaker
Well,
00:50:13
Speaker
um This was great, this was great. There's a lot of conspiracies that are out there. Most of them are completely untrue and unfounded, but we like to dilute ourselves with things that we know in our heart are not true. Like you have plenty of time to get your will or a statement in place, or a DIY will is just as good as getting one done by a professional knowledgeable law firm. So just don't dilute yourself, people. That's really what we want you to know.
00:50:44
Speaker
And remember that we know what we're talking about, and you don't know. Actually, there's lots of things we don't know what we're talking about. and And actually, in hindsight, we talk a lot more about things that we don't really know we're talking about on this podcast than I originally contemplated. But I can say that when it comes to estate planning probate in Elvis, I definitely know what I'm talking about.
00:51:10
Speaker
and we'll just, we'll leave it at that. Thanks for listening. And just to cover all our bases about what you just heard, I'm sorry and you're welcome. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode and tell your friends about us. We do webinars and live events.
00:51:28
Speaker
The best way to stay up to date is to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Links are in the show notes. If there's a topic you'd like us to cover, maybe you have a question you'd like us to answer, or maybe you just wanna say hi, hit the link in the show notes or go to birch-law.com forward slash podcast and fill out the contact form.
00:51:58
Speaker
much better. Yeah I thought that had a lot of energy.