Yeah, I mean I definitely how.


The people who actually just turned


Okay, cool. Yeah. You look young


thank you.


as far as I can tell on you know the webcam. But yeah, I would've guessed forties, you know.


Thank you.


Yeah. I just don't know these kids today. We're definitely getting home when you start saying stuff like that.


Yeah. Get off my line.


Before we uh we bought a house last year here in winter garden. But our first couple years living down here, we lived basically on a college campus in an apartment building. And because we didn't know where to move, we were coming from Chicago, we didn't know the area well. So we found this area called Winter Park and it's really great reviews and everybody loves it. Great restaurants. But it has like four colleges in it. So we were living in an apartment complex with just all college kids, 24 7. Partying garbage everywhere. I mean I was definitely like get off my lawn. Mhm.


Yeah. When I was at that party both days, you know, two years ago. Yeah.


Yeah. Yeah, it was rough, but now we're on a nice block with quiet people and families so I'm a lot more comfortable.


Well that's cool. Well


But


for more time


yeah, it was great talking to you. I'm gonna take care of yourself, Stay safe and


you


maybe


still


I'll see out there in Austin sometimes.


I hope so. I hope so. By nearest 2020.


Yeah, definitely take care


Bye.


these five years. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hey fellas party. I'm sure that Yeah, I have a Yeah. Well that's not gonna work. Yes. Okay. Yeah. You know randi ready? Yeah. I really want to come in and see it for himself by pushing down. Okay. Yeah. Uh huh. Thank you. Okay. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Far 15 20 minutes to get in my car. But I knew I had to do whatever to stop, ran before he killed somebody. And I wasn't the only one before. While it was also about I should have guessed that mass destruction the only lead to one place, frankly, I just wanted to randy. What's happening? You got all of his toys except you want nothing stuff this month so far there was one thing he was even though the Sharp really? I think they take it over his race. There was still one thing that can get through the old randy cry bully child. Especially since this on he was pulling Oh my God. But when I came around that corner, all I saw was a juiced up. Maybe I can't drive for a kid. Sorry buddy. You've turned into a monster but it wasn't your fault though. I push you to be a tough guy and stand up to join, but you're not a tough guy, you're sweet, gentle, sensitive guy. I see pushing to make you change. Being sweet and sensitive is a good thing. Ready. Randy didn't hear me since his brain was kind of swollen time. My work did have a professional stumbles. Yeah, yeah. Oh, you've been since. I mean I'm ashamed of the back when we get so I'm sorry molly. I should have never played that out of you. Something about what I said, maybe while they realized that you might be able to change how you look on the outside, get you who you are on the inside no matter how the all the main cell Rachelle changed sweet in his inside. He was around, definitely Wally was finally great to embrace both of them. Speak bodybuilder. And a and like five black finally came out came the person he was, that's serious, serious. Uh Hello,


Hello.


how are you?


I'm good, how are you?


Well, thank you.


Very good.


so


I'm Michel.


Michelle, I'm Jason nice to meet you.


Hi Jason, good to meet you. So have you had these conversations before?


Yes. Uh I had one on friday and then had one a couple months ago and they've been phenomenal each time has just been a really nice night. So, uh,


when I saw this, when I was really happy, um, I was supposed to have one yesterday and I just forgot about it and had to email and go, oh yeah, I forgot about it. And they're like, what would you be willing to do tonight? Sure.


Yeah, that happened to me. Well, I almost forgot. So I had one scheduled for thursday night and I almost forgot until like 7 45 until I showed up. But then the other person didn't show up. So yeah, so I really get outside. Yeah, it was one of those, I think


No.


before, I'm trying to think before, it was not on days where I was working. So it wasn't like, it was like on my radar and thursday I just got so consumed with like working and eating dinner and then I'm like, what? It's already time. So yeah. Are you, I'm in Arizona, are you on the east coast or?


I'm in Wisconsin, so uh Yeah.


Yeah. Yeah, I figured, I figured since, I mean, I'm like, well it's four here, so, but, but you had said right tonight, so I figured it was probably probably not not out this way. Welcome. What part of Wisconsin?


Uh Milwaukee. So actually we're


Well,


in Green Dill, which is right on the cusp of it, so


okay. Yeah, my, one of my bucket list items is to make it to all 50 states, and Wisconsin is one of the states. I have not yet been too, so. Okay.


once this covid situation is done, there's some awful things to do up here. Um you know, like for example, summerfest is the world's largest music festival, and they have bands from all over, you know, and like headliners, like red hot chili peppers and things like that, and then, you know, so it used to be 14 straight days. Now, it's uh for this year because of Kobe, they were going to do three weekends in a row, but but of course there's the state fair where you can get fried everything. Mhm.


I'm sure. Yeah, I am. My uh my uncle went to college, you went to college in Wisconsin. Um He went he went to multiple, I was going to say he had, he had a PhD, I remember where he went, I know you want to overland for his uh for his undergrad, but I think he went to, or maybe he taught at Wisconsin, I don't know one of the University of Wisconsin, I think at Madison, I think it's very, so very


I know. Arizona is the brewers triple A. All right, Excuse me, cactus lee, the brewers come down and Okay.


Yeah, we do, we have a lot of, yeah, I live pretty close to where all the spring training uh spring training events are. So it's always always an adventure because sometimes for me it's just like I did in habits and then I'm like, oh wait, I shouldn't have driven this way because spring training traffic is now difficult. But yeah, this year was weird though just because like Covid could happen right in the middle of it. So it just kind of was just strange. But yeah, usually usually it's a, I sometimes go to, I don't don't go too much to spring training games, but so I grew up in SAn Diego and I am a podcast and so they do their spring training here. So sometimes I try to go, yeah, we have, we have, trying to think. So the ones that are closest to me are the the indians and the reds playing the Goodyear ballpark, which is just on the way and then the Dodgers and the white sox are close Padres and the Mariners are a little bit farther. But a lot of those I think are the six teams on the close to me and the other teams play on the other side of phoenix, so. Yeah.

Yeah, mm hmm. Mhm. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay,


well that's very neat. Uh well the Padres are one of my favorite teams growing up because you know with the brewers, they were awful for many years, so I always like Tony Gwynn and then his son actually played for the brewers, so


that's right, I had forgotten about that. Yeah, that's right.


oh, that's a neat connection because yeah, I wanted the Padres, the win the World Series, so many just because I hated the Dodgers, which, but you know, to have a national league because the brewers were american league up until 10, 15 years ago. And so for the Padres and cheer for the brewers,


Yeah. Very cool. Yeah. This year I don't know it was close but I was gonna say I also have a not necessarily fond feelings for the Dodgers, so currently I have to have it on you. But I was watching the Dodgers game because I'm I'm kind of, I told them, I told a friend of mine like kind of rooting for them to win, hoping that then that like you get like the year after World series like hangover and then maybe the Padres will have a better chance.


that would be good, you know, and


uh Well I don't know they're going to have to not only win this game, but win one more game so to even get to the World Series.


wow. For me it's pretty much anybody but Houston.


Yeah. You know All right. I don't know when everything came out. I'm like, oh we should just give them a chance. And now I'm just like, no, they cannot win. So like come on raise. You have you have you have a three nothing lead and now they were three. So yeah, like mhm Really interesting. They are okay. I I will I will pretty much for the last 14 anybody, but it's probably probably my my feeling as well so we'll see. Who knows. So now are you a big sports fan? Yeah.


love sports and I always share it with my students at school and you know, it's kind of neat. Um I love hockey because the admirals are in town and then um and uh what's interesting is phoenix has my a player with my last name on it, so it's it's kind of neat. Um I followed him since he was in Manitoba and all this, so so


Very


it's kind of um but yeah, I love hockey, I love baseball, love basketball. Um The only problem is is the only team that was good this year with the bucks and you know,


And


and then


then they like imploded.


or bubble, it was awful, it was so awful because you know, I thought for sure they were going to do well, but you know, they were there built for a season that ended in november, not not a season that ended in, you know, october, but


Yeah. Yeah, that was good. Yeah. But so you said your students, are you a teacher?


I am both my wife and our teachers, I teach middle school, um


Okay.


She elementary and uh it's nice. Um what's interesting is she goes five days and I do virtual because our school district by us said, nope, you're going to stay virtual. But my wife who lives, who teaches in a more affluent district was like, no, all the kids have to be here. So it's a whole different thing. Like she'll come home and she's exhausted because she has to wear a mask and she's moving around all the protocols and all that. And for me, I'm exhausted because I sit at my kitchen table with a computer here, a computer here and a monitor over here.


Yeah. It's funny because I, I asked in part because I am also a teacher, but I teach community college and we're doing it virtually and it is exhausting and I'm just like, I feel like it shouldn't be this tiring just sit in front of a computer all day, but it is,


Okay. Well, and the hardest thing with, and people, people are not, are not educators don't get it. They're like, well, you just sit in front. Well, no, because as you're, you know, working with the students, you're doing things over here, your phone's going emails going off. And it, the biggest thing that I don't think people realize is the destruction of your home life or your work home balance. Like at least you know, now I'd stay late, I'd stay until five or six at night grading papers and helping kids. But when I left at whatever time I left at on my way home, I could like break away from school. But this I mean, you know, kids will call well now they can zoom in because we we have district so they can like zoom in on me. I'm on my computer all sudden I have to go in at seven o'clock at night. Yeah, I really need help with, you know, that could have been done three hours ago when you were in school. Uh

yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Uh uh huh.


Right.


and you know, the parents and emails and stuff like that. But they just don't, they forget though, that, you know, that home life balance, if you can't maintain that, it just burns you out and then we'll zoom when there's 50 faces looking at you, you're like, oh, am I touching my folds? And is there something


I


up?


know. It's just very, it's very, very weird. Um, and yeah, it's just, it's hard and I think managing or trying to think about like, like keeping them engaged. This is so different. Are they doing okay and checking on them? It's just, it's just been a challenge. So what, what subject do you teach?


Well, I teach at risk. So I deal with the students, you know, are academically behind uh, high school for 13 years and then I switched to middle school because I always love the middle school teachers because they're always like, wild and crazy. And I was like, I want to be wild and crazy because at the


that


high school level, you know, it's the whole different world, especially being at risk. I did a lot of juniors and seniors. So I prepped him for college and try to get him to finish high school. And it was a transactional experience a lot of times, you know, with the kids like you need these credits here, let me help you. Whereas in middle school, it's kind of like, uh, what's the show Drew Carey? Whose line is it? Anyway? The point don't matter. And you know, no one's counting. Um, because the grades don't kid can fail everything. They're going to ninth grade. It doesn't matter. So what I tell mike, I go, yeah, it doesn't matter what goes on at home. It doesn't matter the different things we will get through it that, you know, no matter what. And then with my middle schoolers because their kids, they just, they have that just innocence that the high school kids didn't and, and I loved high school. I, the reason I switched the middle school was my wife's an elementary teacher and I've done high school for so long. I was like, you know, I want to try this and you know, I love it. You know, the kids, they get to be wild and crazy, but you know, it also makes me very sad because we see at risk in high school you can kind of, you can, you can rationalize it with, these are near adults, you got an 11 year old that has the trauma at home and the mental health issues and you're dealing with an 11 year old, that's like, you know, like my co teacher, no joke had to say this, don't put that in any one of your holes. She was a kid

was cool. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mm. Right. Oh


wow.


like, well in his ears and, and I was like, no, keep it where I can see it, you know, and you think to yourself, you're like, oh God, that's an 11 year old, this, this is going to be a wide well, um you know, but it's, it's the good work, you know, I have done college. I taught probably about eight years ago because I have a master's in educational leadership. So I, I taught a couple of classes at one of the, uh, colleges by us, cardinal stritch. And uh, I did a couple classes and what I found was adults are great because they'll do anything you want. But it's like, okay, I need you to gradually release here and kind of use your head here. Like I don't want a 65 page paper. I want a five page paper. I don't know how in the world you thought it was supposed to be 64. Oh,

Yeah. Uh Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. Uh huh. Yeah,


it's hard for me as I teach math. Um and I chose community college in part uh part because I didn't want to deal with, I I was worried I wouldn't deal well with like behavioral issues and I kind of wanted to see like students want to be there, but I also wanted to make uh I wanted to make a difference because I think so many people get to college and they are afraid of math and they're just kind of like well I don't know if I can actually do the degree that I want because I can't pass my math class. Um but at the same time like a lot of them come in um and they don't want to think, they're like I just want to copy what you do and it can be, it's always interesting, so I I t and I teach a range of classes, so some of them I get uh that are right out of high school. Um And come with it kind of sometimes an interesting mentality or just not knowing what to expect because I teach at a community college, so a lot of them are first generation college students or their parents did never go to college, they just don't know what to expect. So it's it's interesting and then some of my classes I have those that are at the end of their two years so that they've been there been there a while,


yeah,


so it's always it's like all over the place but it's just it's kind of interesting and this semester um I usually try to connect with my students this semester, I've been trying to do more of a people first, math second, you know because it's just so hard for everybody me included. Um And and so it's funny that so I have some classes that way because that just ended and some of them were like but we're not maybe next week and I'm like no class is over, we're not getting any more, but a lot of them are just so used to getting to see people, so it's kind of interesting. I don't know, I'm like I'll kind of miss them but at the same time not having to sit on zoom for because they're 2.5 hour classes, so not having to sit for 2.5 hours, I mean I get the breaks and stuff but still 2.5 hours is long, so it's uh I don't know, it's just it's been such a it's just such a weird experience and I don't even, I don't even know and then we're doing it again in the spring, so we've already decided that it's gonna be virtual um in the spring. So you are you all on a like a day by day, you kind of decided

sure. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, sure. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.


Well, it's


coming


interesting


there.


with ours because, um, with us we have it where the metrics have to be the number of cases in Milwaukee County, which, you know, Milwaukee County is the largest in the state. So, um, you know that we have that we have hospitalizations and then we have um, staff utilization because right now we can't get a substitute save our lives. Like if you're say either your friends are covering your classes or kids not taught, like it's just, I haven't missed a day in like 14 years. So it's not that's not a problem for me, but for some of my coworkers, like we had a one of our younger teachers just get married and she's like, I need days off and we're all like, and you know, and the principles like, okay, I know there's some of you that have prep, not all of you, but some of you do, would you be willing to give it up to help? And the problem is a lot of the staff there still burned out, like for me, because I don't normally I would have my own classroom and I would pull kids and I would just, you know, work with about 15 at a time where right, I'm bouncing between zoom. So I have three computer self watching this and you know, and it's just, but I don't I don't do a prep because you know, I need to be in the classroom because you know what I mean? You know, for example, uh the funniest thing that's happened so far was the math teacher goes, uh she had annotation on and I messaged her in the chat and I go, hey, you know, you have annotation and you turn it off, you know, it's gonna, and she's, you know, a younger teacher who thinks I'm stupid and it was, you know, I think it's fine, you know? And she, so she blasted me on with the kids and I was like, okay, whatever. And then one of the, one of the kids, not my kid, thankfully, um, big phallic symbol up on the screen and, and then she looks at me and I go, that's why you turn off annotation. Yeah. Um, but you know, at any given day, I'm in three different classrooms at once, so I'm just making sure, and then all of my kids, because some of my kids have mental health challenges where, and then, um, you know, in some of our behavioral, like, you know, some, like in normal classrooms, they can be jags, well, you know, on zoom, they can, they can hide themselves because they can turn off their screen and be like, I didn't say that. So that's certainly,

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, wow. Yeah, wow. Yeah. Yeah. Uh huh. Ah Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah,


I was gonna say I can only imagine it's even more challenging for that man for you with this kind of environment because Yeah.


but we don't know about, I mean, for us, the good thing is, is unlike a lot of the districts by us where they're either back or they're like, well, you know, at any time you can switch for us, we have it where as soon as the metrics go green, which is what we need, then we go to the next phase and the next phase, there's a week lead time between phases so


and


that at least gives us a week to make an accommodation. Now, you know, on the books, were probably going to jail for a while off the books. I know for a fact, the superintendents get a lot of heat. I know the board is getting on the heat, they're gonna crack. I mean the, they're going to go in and go, oh well when we said Milwaukee County, what we meant was, so it's it's a matter of time and it's because you know, the safe and safe and wellness of the staff and the kids will be affected if you get more together, especially we know when the weather gets crappy, people congregate more and then are, you know like, you know, I was talking to one of the teachers on a zoom and she has kids at our school and her kids in the background, okay, mom going over to this guy's house and I'm like, you really shouldn't be doing that. And he was like, and she, she's a staff member

yeah. Um Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah right now. Oh yeah,


because.


in the building and she's like, well, you know, I'm just, I'm just resigned in the fact that I'm like, but you shouldn't be like this Wisconsin is like one of the worst in the country, like why but


Arizona, we're the we're the same way, I mean it's it's crazy, I live by a community park so I have a dog and we walk and um, and so as soon as we walk by the park and he likes going to the park because he has all the smells, but like when I know it's busy, I'm like, we're staying away, but there are times sometimes we go and I'm like, okay, there's more people than I thought they were here and sometimes they're like people that are clearly not living in the same household, playing basketball with no masks in each other's faces and playing volleyball. And I'm like, what are you doing? Uh most of them are not like adults, their kids. And I'm like, well, somebody's parents are, I mean it's just, it just boggles my mind. I'm like, and this is why and this week again, we, we went over one day, we had over 1000 new cases


And


in Maricopa County I like, and this is why I keep, because for a while we got really low, like in the almost 50 but like in the low like 102 100 day, which I think is sadly the lowest we've gotten. And then all of a sudden it started climbing again and now it's like up north near 1000, I'm like, we're never going to get them to other people. But the hard part is the lower it gets. I think the board complacent people get and people are tired just not going out and then it just gets worse. So yeah, it's


For


just scary.


us we opened up an emergency hospital at state fair, which is in the community and when it first opened up in, I think like early august they're like, oh we're going to take it down, we're not gonna need it. And now it's start like the Fox Valley which is over by Appleton is getting cases where their hospitals are full and it


man.


area because I mean now where we live in Milwaukee County, I mean there's hospitals, there's tons of them. But the scary thing is is, you know, we haven't even hit the seasonal flu, we pneumonia season, we haven't hit respiratory season. I mean, yeah, it's, you know, and what I was explaining to one of my friends who lives in Korea actually I got up at three in the morning today and I'll stop because I just couldn't sleep. You know this milieu everything the stress is just, yeah,

Right. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, wow. Mm. Yeah. Yeah,


I hear you.


we're talking to him and he's like, he's like, Jason, I don't think you understand. Like I'm watching this on the news and you'd swear Wisconsin's Arkansas. Like he would swear that this is like backwoods country. He goes, I've lived there, there's no way how is this happening? And, and I just told them, I was like, it's surreal. But what we were talking about was the idea that with the virus, people, you know, people assume like, well it's just going to become propagated everywhere. And, but what they forget is viruses mutate. And you know the way a virus manifests today might not be the way it manifests in 20 years. Like think about shingles virus. It's the chicken pox virus, 30 years later, shingles happens. We don't know if something like this is, you know, because that's why they call it a nouvelle virus, we don't know. And um, just, you know, the fact that you know, I've seen ranges like my friend who's a police officer got it and you know, he lost his sense of smell, sense of taste for like two weeks and then he was

Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah.


But


back on the forest like he was because he was young, he was 25 he's back at it. But we also had a teacher, his daughter was 24 and she got it, she got into the hospital, they said you're fine, you know, go home, take a rest and he ends up finding her dead, you know, 25 years old. I mean there's there's no wind, no reason. And it's just you know, the scary thing for me is you know, if the numbers keep exploding like it is, we can get to a point where you know, people go herd mentality, not with viruses. The common cold should have herd mentality by now. It doesn't,


But it doesn't, Yeah,


but what if this becomes seasonal and


I


then,


know.


you know, the second thing we talked about was the fact that it affects the elderly the most. And what we said is as a country you can't have the pyramid collapse like it was the elderly go because the majority of elderly, you know, they save up, they pay off their houses, they we'll have inheritance that they give to their Children and that helps create a middle class. Whereas you know, if you have a point where you're dying at 50 there is a problem. And I just, it just worries me because there's such a, there's just such a nonchalant and the people around here like, you know, I'll go somewhere and like I'm standing in line, I want to keep six ft and I'm like, you know, people like stand right behind me. It's like, hey, like, like a is the worst. We went there just to get a couple of things because you can get the little carpet squares for like four bucks as a teacher. Those are great. You throw them around the room, kids sit on them and you know when school comes back we're gonna need six ft. So what I was thinking of doing, duct taping him to the ground. I mean like that's your circle space so they don't have to find it out themselves. We're in line and like the person is like breathing on me and I'm like, hey, and then she's coughing and I'm like, hey, we've got to. And she's like, what are you one of those pinkos? And like, no, to be fair, I just don't want to die. Like

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm, mhm Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh,


I know.


it's rather reasonable. I'd like it where I can go home and not kill my parents if I go over to their house like that. You want a reason.


It is, it is crazy. I had that happened to me in target. Like the guy was like clearly in a hurry, but I'm like, okay, can you, you can't wait like two minutes to let me finish checking out before you like ram your car down behind me and like unloading your stuff. Like I'm just like, what is, what is like, I'm like, you know, getting done like two minutes sooner is not worth one of us potentially dying or getting sick or I don't, I don't know. It's just crazy. I don't know.


And


Harry.


the worst like most people, they just they're indifferent and it, you know, I just I don't know, I, most of all I fear for my kids at school, you know, as you know, we know that kids can get it, we know that it could be, you know, and I just I I work in an impoverished community, I work in the West House West Monkey School District and it's you know, it's right next to Milwaukee, it's very impoverished and you know, I look at my kids and healthcare could bankrupt. I mean they are public assistance. If they got sick they would be and it's just so scary and yet you have adults like you know, I went out to lunch with one of the judges in town because I'm friends with him, I've known him for 20 years and he's like I'm wearing a mask and I'm like you're a pillar of the community, like you need like whether you agree or not sending a message with this and he's like, wow, why does it matter? I'm like because kids see you and your if adults aren't doing what they're supposed to kids are and how long before it becomes just across the board, but right. The good thing is though is, you know, in our jobs with education, we get to educate, we get to help and this will all pass someday. And when I look back upon this as a historical event, instead of the current event, it will be nice. And you know, I just I'm looking for that day, you know, just as normalcy, I I've always wondered what when they talked about Calvin Coolidge's presidency and he you know, he said we want to return enormously and how there was such a gravitation to that even though it was, you know, draconian policy. Um I look and think how soon before we're at that point where the simplest things become, you know, worthy of giving up certain other things for that. It's just it's a scary town. But

Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right, wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.


It is. Yeah.


you know


We will get through it eventually. Yeah.


well thank you for what you do at the collegiate level. Because you know mathematics I I taught four years of high school math because uh Milwaukee public schools which is our largest district and I'm a social studies teacher. But you know the first week our math teacher walked out and they're like well great guess what? It's you, I'm like um no woman t I got in college, the only, see what I got was an intermediate algebra and they're like cool you're teaching algebra and geometry now that so there I am like doing the equation on the board and I don't even know it, I'm like god kids are like great young and like no I'm not. What do you say? Oh guys that's that's called error correcting and it's a very important thing in mathematics. Um It might have looked like I didn't know how to add seven and three together, but clearly why do so it's not stage right? Um But the teacher for years and uh just such an appreciation for math teachers and it's because they gave me the option not to teach it, they're like you know Jason what would you like to do? Social studies please. Oh good math teacher, that's great, I still social studies actually, no I'm doing there. Um

Okay. Uh huh. Mm. Oh yeah. Oh, uh huh. Yeah yeah yeah mm. Mhm uh wow. Uh huh Uh huh Uh huh. Oh


man


And I thought that since and then this year you know I've shifted back because I did some administrative work. I was a principal for a while and it was it was a different world but I have such an appreciation for math teachers. My wife is a math teacher and only you know to have us you know when she'll look at a problem and go tell you do it and then she'll go do you know how to do it? Of course I know how to do it but it's gonna take me a little bit longer. But the community like for us we have M. E. T. C. In town Milwaukee area back and then I've worked with Lakeland. I've worked with some uh Gateway which is another one in racine and the committee college is just a phenomenal resource of community and um I know your work but.


thank you. Yeah yeah I enjoy it. And my mom, so I grew up my mom taught nursing at a community college um and so I kind of uh it just kind of made made an impact. It was always it was always fun. I was we would go in with her to her office and different things. So I am fond memories of community college so it's I enjoyed it and for me my goal is to teach not to research. So it's one of the reasons, yep.


it was a pleasure talking to you tonight.


Yeah. Yeah you too Jason and best of luck to you and all in


Thank


all


you.


your screens your


Yeah thank you.


classes. So very good. Thank you so much. Yeah it went by really fast so it was really good.


thank you.


Oh. Mhm. Mhm. I got Mhm. There's no question. Mhm.


I agree.


Hello, how are you?


I'm good. How are you?


Good good. Yeah


Get me? Time were set up.


let me set my timer here. I think I did this last month and nobody showed up so Yeah I had


I don't


to


want


try like multiple times.


I had one yesterday and my person didn't show up, so kind of sucks.


Okay.


But but yeah.


So how are you,


All


what state are you in?


I'm pretty good. I'm from michigan. Yeah.


Okay. I'm in Ohio yeah. Yeah.


area. Cool.


Yeah.


Yeah, I can like introduce myself if you want it. So my name is morgan. I am 22 years old. Just graduated from college in May. Um I like I said I live in michigan. I love my family. Um I have eight siblings. I come from a really big family. Um What else? I'm currently not working, but I'm looking for a job. I'm trying to work in the marketing and advertising industries and yeah, I'm missing something. That's that's it.


My name is Christina and I'm 54 I'm a full time caretaker for my mom, she's elderly. So um and uh let's see um would you would you major in, what was your major in college?


Uh I majored in communication and media, which was basically like advertising um and cognitive science, which was all about how people make their decisions and stuff. So consumer behavior, stuff like that,


Okay. Okay. Yeah my degree was in business from what what what university did you go to?


University of michigan.


Okay. You know Ohio State. Yeah so we're rivals. Yeah.


Right


So


now.


but uh let's see um See I have one brother, so he's older than me. Just the two of us, you know? And um let's see I'm very glad the election's over with and I'm glad that we picked a new president. I'm glad we I'm very happy about that you know I'm


I agree.


not a trump I'm not a trump person so yeah so


me, me neither. Yeah.


it was by


Very


don


sad time.


you know so yeah.


No, very satisfied with the results, excited to see what happens next. So.


the big thing we got to get through is the pandemic you know because things are pretty scary right now so you're probably glad you get your studies over with you know that you're not having to deal with that.


Yeah. I'm kind of a


Thank


little sad


you.


that I couldn't walk the stage, couldn't really graduate, but


true.


you know, it's fine. It is what it is. Um Yeah. So I'm like kind of hoping that we shut back down a little bit just with all the the spikes in cases that have been happening recently. Um, but yeah, we'll see where binders when he gets in


They're


the office.


saying that we're kind of an exponential spread right now that it may be too late you know and that's kind


late.


of scary to yeah because it just it spread to too many people now and it could be just really get really high. Um There's


Well,


some


I'm


talk


not going


that


to know


we


or I know they were talking about that vaccine. Uh, it might be able to come out by the end of the year, but I don't know if, you know, we have a lot of anti-Vaxxers and you know people, so I don't know if everyone will take it.


Yeah. I mean I'm a person who is pro vaccine but I I haven't seen anything about anyone talking about the safety of this if it's been proven safe. And that's to me as you know, I'm kind of like I mean I will take it but I want to know before I take it how safe it is because of it's not to save then I may skip it, you know? But if it proves that it's safe then I would, you know? But right now everyone is like really happy that it's supposed to be so effective, that nobody is talking about the safety part of it. I did hear that it supposedly is going to be a two dose um thing that you have to take it like in two doses and several weeks apart and that it has some

Yeah. Yeah. Right. Mhm. Right. Mm hmm. Okay.


Hello?


people get kind of flu like symptoms, but that's really not a whole lot different than getting the flu shot. And if you haven't gotten your flu shot, try to get one this year, they're trying to tell everybody to get a flu shot. Um But typically I guess some people get um


Yeah.


you know, fever and uh kind of flu


No.


like symptoms from it, but you know, I'm more concerned about the long term effects because I mean, there have been cases in the past quite a long time ago though where some vaccines didn't have like long term, you know, effects for people. But I think a lot of that has, they've got rid of


Hi.


a lot of that stuff in the last probably 2030 years, I've never heard of um unsafe, you know, um vaccines, so.


I mean I feel like it is a concern that the pandemic was so sudden and it's like are they rushing it with making the vaccine? Like are they putting like the time and care into making something that's safe? Oh, so like I share the same feelings with you. Like I'm very pro vaccine, but I'm also like I'm not going to be in that first group that gets it and you know


I want


what?


to see all the data. I mean, I'll go over to pub med on the internet, you know, which is the National Institutes of Health and read all the studies. I mean I want to make sure it's safe.


Yeah. I definitely


So


understand. So I so we'll see what happens with that. Um Yeah. And we still have two more bunch of


Hey?


trump. So who knows? Yeah


seems to be dragging his feet, which I don't understand this, you know, recount


he still


stuff


hasn't conceded


and


right He's


you


still


know, and then he's thinking about running again in 2020 for like what the hell I mean like really? You know I mean,


it's


but there's people,


desperation


I mean


at this


like


point.


I see in my neighborhood, I live in kind of the country so I kind of outside of columbus and I still see, you know, I've seen a few biden's, you know, signs, but you know the trump, they've divided people are taking their signs down, but I still see the trump signs up, you know, and the flags and I'm like, come on people, it's over with, you know,


yeah I see


he


it everywhere


lost.


like they are distraught and you know they're doing all these different rallies like here at the um this place called the TCF center where they were counting the votes in Detroit, they showed up in crowds and the protests and everything like let it go, it's fine. Yeah.


Well I was reading about these guys that we're going to go after the governor and in michigan the governor Whitmer and you know, some of them are from Ohio and you know, they were from all over and they were talking about on the national news and that they were planning to um execute all the people inside the state capitol and they were also planning to blow it up or that was, you know, I'm like, you know, we got some crazy people here. That's


he said


scary.


that's hearing it like you didn't see democrats out here like freaking out blowing stuff up when trump won in 2016 like it's fine, it's okay.


Yeah. The republicans get upset if they say that they see antifa, you know, and you know, or they see black lives matter, you know? That's the only thing they worry about. But yeah, anything else? It's proud voice or they're good people on both sides. Yeah. Right. Uh


right now


No, they're not.


you know and what you were saying with them coming from Ohio that's like a trend here so back when they were doing the George Floyd protests here in Detroit like people were getting arrested, they were getting tear gas and all that stuff and with them, um, like breaking into buildings and stuff that was all out of state people or like up north people, like why? Like you're detracting from the goal, you're creating chaos like for what? Like you're from, Ohio, Why do you care what the michigan governor is doing? Right.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I


mean, really when it comes down to it, any president has very little control over you or I in our life. And so it's something that you just can't take it too seriously. I mean, yes, you want your guy or gal to be elected of course. But you know, people get, I think just to inflamed anymore from social media and stuff, you know, and it's really, it's not just the president, but you got to look at who you elect to legislature. I mean, that's a big factor to, um, as far as laws and even locally the people that you elect. So, you know, the president is just one little tiny part of that, you know, and I don't know, it's just um, people are just, I don't know, shooting off steam. Probably the coronavirus has got some people really agitated. But I mean, I'm kind of

Mhm. Right. Yeah. Right. Mhm. Right. Right. Yeah.


You


chilling.


lost at home. I'm


I've


having


been just kind


time.


of chilling. Yeah I mean I'm an introvert so it doesn't really bother me too much. I mean the only thing I'm worried about is getting sick you know or having my mom gets sick because she's 88. But other than that um you know I'm just kind of chilling like a villain, you know just hanging out and you know it's pretty much like any other year you know so it's not that big a deal

Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah. Mhm. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.


Like


other


I honestly,


than wearing a mask. But I mean that's no big deal.


yeah, honestly with coronavirus, like, I mean, I had plans after I graduated, but I don't mind


What?


that I'm at home, like it's fine. You know, like I have time to get a job. I live at my parents house. We're not struggling financially. Like they don't mind that I'm here. Like honestly I want, I want us to re lockdown. We have to at this point because


I think we will block down here. Yeah I mean I'm


that I


thinking you know happen you know um and I don't see anything wrong with it but some people just really freak out about it and I don't know why you know. I think


I do


they.


remain. I just want to um you know, my dad just went to Sam's Club like down the road and he said that some guy was about to fight an employee because he didn't want to put a mask on. Like why it's a mess. And I keep seeing people just around town. No mask on like in big groups and stuff. Like if everyone would wear a mask, we could get out of this quicker. We could be like Australia who has zero cases now because they all wear masks for, you know, four or five months. But no, we are with what do we just passed 100,000 cases in a day or

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.


I


something?


think we got like 130 some 1000 cases and there's some talk that we could explode up to like 200 even 400,000 cases in a day's time. I mean, you know and people are like, yeah, I I come across people online who talk about, you know the anti lock. You know, they're very any lockdown and I'm like guys, you're being fools. I said, you know, the whole reason for the lockdown is to keep the hospitals from getting overwhelmed because


frank


you know, they can only treat so many people and if they have too many cases, I mean then


for me.


it becomes a really dangerous situation because you can have somebody who maybe doesn't have corona, but you know, they have like maybe a heart attack or something and they need help. But you know, the hospital stretched too thin and they can't get the help that they need to sew.


We're


It compromises


going,


everybody's potential you know um ability to be saved


What?


or whatever. So yeah I mean it's it's scary so and you know that's why


It's


we


like


have


people


lockdowns.


don't, right. it's like people don't remember what hospitals were going through at the beginning of the pandemic with them not having enough PPE E. Um them having were garbage bags as like shields I guess. Uh reusing mass. All that stuff like we don't want to go back to that like we are losing progress at this point


well


so.


I have some friends from overseas, I even have a friend from china and she was talking with me on Skype one day and I don't know how she's able to talk with me through Skype because china bans everything pretty much they but she must be using like a VPN or something but she's like what is your country doing? And this was like several months ago because she's like you know you guys aren't like you know locking things down like you should like we're doing over in our country and and I said well that's you know we kind of like our freedom here. But I said you know but she was like people are tearing down you know five G. Cellphone towers because they think that five G spreads the coronavirus and I'm like yeah

Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Oh


my gosh.


I've heard that it's not just here that people have done that, it's been over in europe too, that people have done that. They think that the coronavirus has spread through five G. Cellphone towers, which I'm like that is just like totally


I saw


you know super


video


crazy.


that had like one of those blue mass and they like cut it open. They took the wire out that like you squeeze around your nose and they were like this is a five G antenna that's taking all your data. Like what?


What?


People ate it up. They were like oh my God stop using mad. It's just like people are crazy. I don't know what's going. Yeah.


Yeah I'm like


Or both.


I don't know there's I mean yeah I mean some of these people, I swear my dog is probably smarter than they are. I mean it's like yeah.


I'm just gonna pray for them and hope for the best because uh huh


I mean I think that is when you come across people who believe that the coronavirus was spread through five G. You can you can totally understand how people, like somebody like donald trump, you know, it


absolutely.


kind of goes hand in hand, the stupidity, so. Yeah. Mhm.


Yeah. And I'm, I'm kind of worried like from here, where do we go? Yeah, where do we go from here? Because you had a big majority or a big, big amount of people in the US voting for somebody like trump like, so what do we do now? And there's always the concern like I've seen videos of trump supporters being like, we're going to cause chaos, we're going to kill people stuff like that like and what kind of where what's gonna happen with crime, like his crime going to go up? I don't know. It's just so much to think about. Like I'm rambling at this point, but like I'm


I


worried


hope not.


I'm a little


worried.


hope not. Yeah. Yeah, I hope not. But uh I think that if they do, it's not certainly not going to help their cause. I think that in a lot of ways, I think that the Republican Party has some serious challenges. I mean, you know, they're still, in my opinion, kind of the old white people's party, um because they're demographically, demographically, they're very out of touch with America


Absolutely.


is changing. Um uh we they, you know, they're on the wrong side of history as far as climate change, for example, as far as helping, you know, the middle class of wage inequality, um those types of issues,


Women's rights. Uh


women's rights, abortion, you know, they're on the wrong side of because I mean that to me is not just women's rights there, that also is an environmental issue because,


No.


you know, more people creates more problems. I think we are getting to the point where were too populated, not just


true.


in this country but worldwide, it's causing environmental problems, but


um they're just they're on the wrong side of history and a lot of issues in my opinion. And then they're just demographically not reaching out to, you know, changing America America is changing, you know? And so Yeah.

Yeah. Right. Uh huh. Right. All right. Right.


Yeah. I feel like I looked at um like an article a few days ago, I think that pretty much show like the vast majority of minority voters, you know, vote for the Democratic candidate women. I mean, specifically minority women, there's still, you know, a situation with white white women. Um and like college, college educated people tend to vote more democratic. Like, like you said, it's definitely like that white older generation um and specifically like people who didn't go to college, I guess. Um we're kind of stuck in their ways and not willing to be open to that. Um Yeah, it


Well,


doesn't


I think


replacement.


sometimes how people vote is also how they're brought up. Like I


come from a republican family and I do remember when I was 18, the first time I was able to vote, I voted for Ronald Reagan, you know, back then. But you know, it was probably, I would say right around the time of George W. Bush, the second Bush that I started talking with people like you know um from other countries. And one of the things that we would do is we would compare our government systems and you know, I started asking about health care and their countries and how they handle health insurance for people. And that's another thing that the republicans are wrong about two is healthcare is a right, it belongs to everybody should have health care. Um And I think the government needs to be involved to keep prices down um to set the price for you know this procedure or that procedure or whatever. That's the only way you can really get a control. Um And I'm a big fan of AOC too so. Uh huh. He's cool. Uh Anyways but uh uh what I was gonna say was is when I started comparing you know how they do things over there, it started making me wonder what are we doing, why why can't we have that over here and not just staff, but a lot of things and that's when I really kind of changed a democrat and I just don't see going back to Republican and are unless they really change but I don't think that they are, they're really they seem to be even more, you know, crazy then they were probably back in the 19 eighties, you know, when I first started voting, so Yeah.

Mm. Mm Yeah. Uh huh Yeah. Right. Mhm. Right. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah.


Yeah. Yeah. I feel like that's that's a critique I have of like a lot of people my age, they don't actually take the time to research the parties or the candidates and their policies and they're just pretty much voting how their parents vote. Um which is that's not being an educated or informed voter at all, Great. Um And yeah, like you said, it's just how people are raised like uh actually, oh back in March, right before everything shut down, I went to D. C. Um and I went to the african american Museum Museum Mayer with my

Mhm. Right. Yeah. Right. Right. Yeah. Uh huh.


Did you like


acquire


it?


that. Yeah, I loved it. Oh my God, like amazing. I would go back in a heartbeat.


there's so much as see in Washington, I would love to see a Smithsonian and all of that, there's so much to see there, so Yeah,


But yeah, we were standing in the lobby waiting for our tour guide and this group came in, they the kids had to be no older than 12, they all had mega hats on and I'm like, and I'm just like, you all don't even know you're too


I call


young


them


to


maggots.


know, right? Maggots? Yeah, like you're too young to know what trump's policies are, you don't even know what he's doing to this country, you just blindly thought like they didn't buy those heads themselves, their parents bottle for them, and it's just it's disappointing because, you know, two elections from now to presidential elections from now, they're going to vote Republican because that's what their parents told them to do. Uh


yeah,


So I don't know, it just I just wish younger people will be a little bit more um enthusiastic about learning um are getting involved in politics, I guess.


yeah, a lot of people,


Whoa.


a lot of younger people don't vote and they should, you know, I mean I know that when I had the opportunity to vote, when I was like turn 18, I was like kind of excited about it, you know, and but you know, I think a lot of younger


What?


people are kind of like, you know, I don't really care, but they should because it's going to affect their future and the future direction of this country and I'm glad, you know, for any young person who did go out and vote because I think it made us certainly made a difference this year because some


Afternoon.


of the winds, you know, um we're a razor thin in some areas, you know, like um Arizona and Georgia and things like this, I mean it could have gone either way. Um you know, if if not enough people had turned out, so, yeah, so I'm I'm really glad that people did get out and voted, you know, so got

Yeah. Mhm. Right. Yeah. Okay. Mhm. Yeah,


I feel


him


like


out


one of


of


the


there,


things,


so. Yeah.


I think that one of the things that frustrated me was I had some friends who, uh, friends and family members who chose not to vote, um and they didn't give good arguments, like that's what always gets me. So they would post on social media, I'm not voting, there's nothing you can say about it, and then people would comment and be like, you know, these are the reasons you should vote. Like, why why do you think you shouldn't do you think your vote doesn't matter, bob bob bob, and they will get mad. They would argue with everyone, and


Well


it's


that's


just


there's


people


never


who vote, that's like people who vote like libertarian or Green Party, it's like why, you know, you know, that those people are not going to win. So you may as


We


well vote


under


for


it.


somebody, you know, if you don't like how things are the vote for a change, I mean, maybe you don't like the other candidate, but do you like the guy that's in office now, then? No, then get him out of there, you know?


Right. Like, people have to recognize we're pretty much a two party system, like, so, you know, I'm all for it. Like if you're libertarian do your thing, but like, recognize what that does in an election like this,


And actually, when you read about the libertarian party, I can't support them either because they're even more whacko than the Republican


I honestly,


Party


I don't know anything


there.


about them.


I think they're kind of into very small government, um, which to me is very unrealistic, because, you know, you have to have a social safety net, you know, for people, um, and this kind of this me, me, me, you know, it's all about protecting myself and the hell with you doesn't work, you know, in order for democracy to work, you need to have everybody having a fair shot and helping those who can't get ahead or or having trouble, you know, in life or whatever. Um But, you know, there's kind of, I think that's one of the problems with the Republican Party is to me, me, me, you know, and we need to be we we me, you know, we we the people, you know, we're in this together

Mhm. Right. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Equity. Yeah. Mhm. Wow. Right. Right. Right. Yeah.


I mean,


type.


if we're only worried about ourselves, how are we supposed to get, Yeah.


yeah. We're all in this ship together called the Uss America, so. Mhm.


We're gonna have to get used to each other, so, yeah.


So,


Great. All right. Well, it looks like my, my timer has gone off as your is gonna.


I got 26 minutes. I sent my son on a watch here. So yeah, I think we're supposed to speak. Let's see what time here. Well they're saying 28 minutes, but that's that's when you go and do the survey. So I think we're supposed to talk, well we can we can talk another four minutes and get it to 30 if you want. Yeah.


sure. That's


Just


fine.


to be on the safe side. Shell. How many of these have you done so far?


I was supposed to be my third. I did one successfully before and then the second one yesterday didn't work out. Uh


I've done


it's like,


four. Yeah. And I was very glad that he's or he or whoever has expanded it so that you can do. I think seven of these because there are a lot of fun. There


They


are a lot


are


of fun.


like, yeah, the two conversations I've had so far have been nice. I've been a little worried like, you know,


initially


you never know.


I was, yeah, initially I was kind of worried but yeah, I've had really um it seems like the prolific people. Everyone is really cool, you know, so far. So.


prolific is such a great like


Think.


survey site. It's, you can make money so quick and like most of the surveys are pretty short or if they're not, they're fun like this. Um But yeah, it's such a good website like compared to all the


I've


other ones.


I've joined, let's see november last year and I'm I think I'm made about $1000 so far.


One.


So. Yeah. Yeah.


Well, I just joined in september and I've made uh probably close to like 200 so far, so


Good,


I


good.


feel like I'm on a good track. Yeah.


Yeah, yeah, I just keep track of your, the one thing I will say is advice is just keep track of the exchange rate between the dollar and the pound right now, it's up pretty, it's pretty good. You know, you want to try to, when you go into paypal, you'll see that. I think the pound is $1.25 which is pretty good. Uh I wouldn't go any lower than that, you know, because that means less money for you. So you don't have to, you can take the money, you can cash it out any time, but just don't convert it from pounds


Can't


to dollars


take that.


and let's see unless the exchange rate is favorable. So. Yeah.


Well, I didn't even think about that before. That's, wow. Okay.


Yeah. But it


Mexico.


makes a, it helps it just gives you more money you know. So so when the dollar is uh when the pound is strong it just means more dollars for you. So. Yeah.


you said 1.25 or higher.


Okay. Yeah. I would say 1.25 or higher. I have seen it like earlier this year I think it was down like 1.171 point 18 which wasn't very good. So I just kept holding on to it in Paypal and just waited until it went back up again. So yeah


Excellence.


sure. But yeah but prolific is awesome. I love prolific. So. Yeah.


Great website. Yeah. Um


Do you use any other like online sites or anything, pardon?


so I just signed up for pine cone research, you know that um


I've


which


heard of them.


I had heard, it's kind of like, it's really hard to get into. Um Yeah, and I heard it was like a super great website, but it's not, it's not really doing it for me. I haven't qualified for any surveys yet. Um, I keep getting screened out,


Peace.


so I'm kind of like,


Well


I don't,


one thing I will suggest to is if you live near a big city in michigan is sign up for some local marketing companies in your city because I am signed up with some local marketing companies here and I've done like I just recently on Wednesday I didn't in person study with them where I had to travel to a location and it was for some sort of medical research where they wanted me to stick a needle into a dummy and inject medicine into the study. And then they asked me questions about the medical device and uh the instructions that came with the uh injectable um syringe and I could pay like $100 just for an hour of my time. So and I've done like three of those studies this year so that was kind of you know cool to do that. Um you know good money so but that's that's one thing I would suggest doing too, so. Uh huh.

Yeah. Okay. Mhm. Oh. Mhm. Yeah. Mhm. Uh huh. Mhm. Right. Yeah.


Yeah. I have a couple other websites like I am, um, survey junkie is one american consumer opinion is another one. Um, but like prolific is my main one. For sure. Yeah.


is my main one, too, so yeah. Okay. I think we're at the 31 minute, almost 32 minutes mark. So it was nice meeting you morgan and I wish


It


you


was


the best in your


meeting you.


job search and everything, so


thank


I'm sure


you.


you'll be quite good, quite well in your in your career, I'm sure


of it, so


you. It was nice meeting you christian. Right?


you have a good thanksgiving,


You


so


too. All right.


healthy, stay safe,


You're


you know? Yeah.


yes, yes.


So


Already by


exactly, that's right, texas, Haley gary, what is it? Mhm. Hi Alex, yeah, wow. Yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Yes, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Uh huh. Oh, Mhm, Mhm. Yeah, Yeah. Mhm. Yeah, Yeah. Okay. Yeah, Yeah. Oh yeah, Did you? Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mhm Oh yeah, Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mhm, Mhm. Yeah. Mhm. Thank you. Mhm. Yeah, Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah, sure, Yeah. Uh huh. Yeah, yeah. Mhm. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mhm, Mhm. Yeah, mm hmm. Yeah, Yeah. Right. All right, Yeah, Yeah, yeah. Yes, yeah, wow. Mhm. Okay, mm. All right. Mhm. Right, mm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mhm, True. Uh huh. Mhm


Hello?


Hello, can you see me?


Yeah. Alright, let's try this, Does that work?


Okay, Yes, I can hear you see, are you the person I'm supposed to chat with? Are you a person on the study?


I know, I think uh I think you're the person I'm supposed to chat with. Yeah,


All right. Um so what do you want to write about? Where


and


are you located?


California.


I'm in Arkansas, I am moved back to Arkansas to take care of my mom, but I was living in Pittsburgh the last


What?


12 years, so it's kind of a kind of a culture shock to come back here. Mhm.


and when did you do that?


Um last august I sold my house and quit my job and moved back to actually to even smaller town than where I grew up. So I hate it. So how are you, how do you like in life?


it's uh you know, weird times right now, obviously um we're working from home and looks like you've got a cat.


I've got cats and dogs back here.


There's a long white cat, they're kind of right on the side of the screen.


Yeah, that's a dog actually, but there is a cat right next to you, just can't see.


Okay. Um so yeah, kind of a weird time in general, just obviously working from home, I'm fortunate I've got a job where I can do that and you know, the just a lot of, you know, just weird stuff in general just happening.


Yeah, I'm the same way, I don't leave the house a lot because I don't want to expose my mom. Um but then I was supposed to start a new job and they canceled it because of this. It just started in March. So it's really hard to find a job during a pandemic.


Yeah. Yeah. No, I hear you. We are when we are we had within my business, we just last week went through some downsizing inside a couple of folks that had to leave. And I mean it's just, you know, it's bad enough when it happens in general, but, you know, during the current environment, I mean, it's just


It's just


just that much worse.


Mhm Yeah, I'm I don't know, I got a job with the post office I think, but I'm gonna have to drive 45 minutes, so, but I mean it pays okay for here, it's a lot less than, you know what I was making in Pittsburgh, but that's to be expected, but it's better than no money coming in, so good. Mhm

Right. Right. Yeah, exactly, Exactly. Yeah.


I'm, you know, kind of kind of like you said, I I've got my parents


Should


that live just about a mile or so away and so my dad's 80 and my mom's 75


so


you know, same thing, you know, obviously


sweet.


the last thing we want them to do is is


No.


be out and about and uh, they've been really good about it. They've, you know, we've, we've been trying to deliver groceries to them and take stuff over as they need. And uh, you know, I think they've left the house, you know, maybe 56 times in total. And, you know, all of those times, it's essentially

Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Uh huh. Yeah.


Say


just, you know, curbside pickup or something like that.


Right. Yeah, I'm my mom's primary caregiver, so she's telling everybody, I'm basically keeping her hostage here in the house. She never sees anybody and like people, like one of her friends tried to come visit her and I wouldn't let her come in, this is in the beginning, and I was like, and she didn't have a mask on or anything, I was like why would you do that? You know she's high risk like why would you just show up and

Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right.


Absolutely.


then the next time I let her visit but where masks and sit on the other side of the room because you know I haven't protected her for three or four months for somebody just to waltz on it and like spread there germs everywhere and then I have to go to walmart and no one here believes they all think it's a hoax. So there's like no social distancing, no wearing masks I wear a mask and I'm just like dodging people trying to get what I need and get out but no one here cares. And California I heard is getting a lot worse so


It has in fact in fact our governor today basically


it's


rolled everything back for


what


the whole state,


it


so


step


so like we had like hair care and um indoor dining, some of that had already started um and he basically said, nope, all that has to be put on hold indefinitely because because yeah, I mean the numbers have have definitely jumped up and I'm


That,


in the northern part of the state, but the luckily ours is it's


It's


okay, but it's not terrible, but uh the southern part of the state is really bad.


All right. Yeah I used to, well I was stationed in Monterey briefly but that's as far north as I went except for to visit san Francisco on the weekends sometimes. But I'm sure you haven't been to Arkansas because there's nothing here.


Um I've been through the state.


Yeah it's not a lot you know to stop and see. So we didn't have anything shut down really here. They had some they had restaurant shut down briefly and then now it's for masks until you get seated and then you can take your mask off. My aunt owns a restaurant here in town and they have like all the tables spread out really far and you just have to wear your mask when you go to the table and that's it. But everything else is just business as usual so


that's


that


uh that's kind of kind


of scared.


it is because there's not a lot of you know everything all civilizations at least an hour away. So I have to go either to the local walmart at the local grocery store and there's like a tractor supply, but just not a lot here. So. Yeah,


So so so


so, so


so this is like the make the seventh


seven


time on the study


step


that had


been scheduled


step,


for a time and this is the first time somebody's actually shown up.


Oh no, you know, I didn't show up for my last one, this is this is my second one scheduled the first time. It's so stupid. I I have an amazon show and so I was like, hey Alexa, um give me a reminder of chat date. Well it came and went and I was like, it said check date, so I was like why did I tell myself to check the date? And then I just went out my life, like I just completely had forgotten about it.


Three,


And and so, so I love somebody hanging, I feel really bad about it,


Well


so


I guess I've had I think six of these prior to, I mean it was almost I was almost assuming that was kind of the norm.


maybe it was part of the test to see how you'd react, like they're watching you,


I I didn't mind, I mean because they when when you showed up and uh you know I just wait for 10 or 15 minutes and nobody would show up, you just submit


so,


the or you fill out the rest of it submitted and I think they sent you a dollar 50 for the time or something.


so No, well at least they did something. I used to um work on a college campus for about nine years and I did a lot of studies, like it was so easy money on my on my lunch breaks and stuff. And we were also worked at Carnegie Mellon University, and then we were right next to the University of Pittsburgh, so they would also have studies in between the two I could like or go after work or go at lunch, and like, I always had a side income coming in from studies, it's


it's a it's a nice way to make make a little bit of extra money on the side and uh


right, well, when I still smoked, I did a smoking study and I think I ended up making like $700 off of that, just going after work a couple of days a week. And they would test to see if I was cheating because they were giving me these other cigarettes to smoke that were really bad, but they had less nicotine and or at least I assume they did because like didn't get any satisfaction from them and the whole thing was, it was a double blind study, so I couldn't know if they were normal cigarettes, but and then they also gave us like little scratch offs for lottery, so I never won. Uh huh. Yeah.


I did, I did one a few years ago for um I think it was the toothbrush company sonic care and had gotten enrolled in one of their studies and it was like every like two


Two.


weeks they kept sending us like another $200. And I couldn't, it never made sense. They were just you know, here's here's more money in like so after a month that


That


it must have been at least 600 or $700.


Oh wow, I did one for um it was like crest or Colgate where they had me by the toothpaste online and they reimburse you for it and I could only get like a five pack at the time and they reimburse me for, and then I didn't run out of toothpaste for like a really long time and I


you


think they sent me some then too. Yeah, I had a lot of toothpaste, like a lot. Okay,


Um We have the the try and think of the name of it, the um consumer products company um drawing a blank. They do like Lysol and hold


Is it like pinky


up.


or no? Mhm.


should know because their base they're based here in northern California. But anyway they've got a they've got probably about 20 minutes away, they've got a research center


So


and they'll periodically, you know, they'll they'll send


so


you invites for like you know various tests. Um And some of them you know you go in there and they're kind of the standard ones, you know, try


trump.


these wipes or you know what do you think about this new product? But one of the items they also offer is the fresh step cat litter. And so they'll periodically do these cat litter tests where you basically you you like you identify a time you drive through. They


But


give you two boxes of cat litter and we have cats here. Also they give you two boxes of cat litter and basically use one box for two weeks and then they send you like about five minutes study and then you use the other one for two weeks and same thing. We'll send you a five minute study. And um at the end of it not only do you get the the cat litter itself but then they also send you like a 50 or $75 gift card. So


it works out pretty well and you know your your time is basically whatever time it takes to drive there and pick up the letter.


I wish they do that here. I um I did one time in Pittsburgh, there's a place downtown and I got in for one, it was like 100 bucks for me to go spend an hour talking about um contact lens solution. So that's all we had to do. We didn't even have to try it. We just had to say what brand we used, we had to bring our bottle in what we liked about it while we used it. And I was just like, because it's cheap because after a while you start to realize there's just not a big difference anyway. That


Yeah and I've done I've done a couple of uh in person ones as well and uh you know it's always it's always interesting just you know the group of people that come together and just you know sometimes you go in there not really knowing what they're going to talk to you about and other times you know you have a pretty good idea of you know what the what the topic is or you know what you're going to cover.


yeah, that's why I hate being out here so isolated for the last year. And I don't know how to act like I'm talking to you is like the first face to face discussion with a stranger. I've had months except for you know the cashier at walmart and she's behind the big glass and we both have mask fun. Yeah. So I'm supposed to be what 20 25 minutes


or?


minutes I think. Yeah. So


So. Yeah.


and I know they were real there since


It's a


this is like the seventh time I've gone through the process there are very specific, you know that has to be you know the full 25 minutes, so


Yeah. I saw that. I said you won't get paid if you don't stay the full 25 minutes,


Right. Right. Right. Yeah. Actually you know, probably X 26 27 after. We should we should definitely at that point have our 25 minutes in.


right? Um I don't know what else to talk about. Uh I went to the pharmacy today and I took my mom to the doctor for M. R. I. That's all I've done all day long and I played a video game because I just do that a lot down because I don't have anything else to do. And I'm waiting to hear back from the post office so I can go to my drug test and then I can push around a cart and sort mel. But they pay pretty


well like I said, I mean it's better than nothing. So you work just a regular 9 to 5 kind of thing at home. It's


so I'm


not.


kind of in the in the tech industry just do a lot of like planning


What?


and coordination, kind of working with project teams and getting stuff


Step step.


set up in underway. So we're we're kind of spread out all over the country. So, you know, whether we work from home or whether we work from the office, it doesn't really make that much of a difference.


Yeah. I would love to have that kind of job because it's just so hard to find anything in a small town to begin with. So if I had something that could work from home, that's why I had my camera and things set up. I had a um an interview, a video or you know, interview and then I guess I didn't get the job because I didn't hear from him. But I imagine right now people are really scrambling for those any legitimate work from home positions. So I tried, I tried doing the home call center did not work out well they put me on overnights even though my offer letter had daytime and my first shift was seven PM to like four a.m. And I was like I can't work this shift. And they're like well that's your shift. So I'm like okay, I quit, you know, thanks for making me sit through two weeks of training at least it was paid training but still it's such a waste of time and that was helping with their unemployment. They were people that got him, it was for Bank of America, they did the debit cards or


All


the in California, we did California's. Um and it was basically, we were just customer service for that, but we were you know, contracted out to do it, we weren't working for Bank of America. So is that one of their states as well? We did also did like child support cards for some other states and people are really angry about their money and I don't blame them. And I just sit there like I am so sorry, I'm so sorry. I know you need that money. I really understand,


I would read that like a lot of the people that that would get the debit cards as part of the covid relief, they didn't recognize that it was, you know, like from the government and they just thought it was, you know, some sort of uh advertisement


clip


or something that


correct.


would throw them away or cut them up or.


Oh gosh. Yeah, no, mine was direct deposited. Thank goodness. Uh you know, the, the system didn't recognize my information until it was like a month after everybody else had started getting there. And I was like, well, you know, I don't understand all my peers that everybody has theirs and then it just showed up and then I was in the system like there was really no time lapse between me being able to check on the status and me receiving it in my bank account. And


Hey.


then my mom got hers right away because she was on Social Security. So she was lucky. I'm hoping for another one. But you know, okay, lots of people need it. But people that are in charge don't need it. So what do they care?


Yeah, I mean I'm I'm certainly, I mean it's the last couple of days, I mean I've heard a lot of discussion about it, but it seems like right now they're not really sure which which direction to go.


Yeah. They don't want it. I mean if fiscally conservative, I guess they don't mind us give any money because you know, I'll just become a bomb and live under a bridge and live off their money because you know, only people that need help or bad people is what they make it sound like. Yeah. Um Anyway, I'm not very happy with the current administration.


No, no I neither am I uh we're just counting


What?


down the days.


Well they are really attacking fallacy or however you say is they And saying he was saying the exact same. They don't understand that in science you use what information you have available at the time and that it evolves with new information as it comes in. But they're just like, well he was wrong in january, who cares if he was wrong in january and when he was right, you never listened to him anyway. I mean, I don't know. They're really throwing him to the wolves. He didn't seem to really care, but


No, no, he I think he kind of you know, he realizes that you


but


know he's you know he's been doing this for you know 40 years, 50 years.


he could retire easily, but


yeah, yeah, but you know I think he's one of those folks that you know, I think he feels a sense of duty and service and um you


Yeah.


know and I think he sees


So


himself as a sort


sweet.


of a you know a steward for the people and so you


know I think I think he you know I think he will he will come out of this just fine I think you know people will look back you know a number of years and you know he'll be viewed as you know one of the folks that helped kind of guide us through the time and you know even as he was kind of being you know personally


attacked and you know his name kind of thrown under the bus I


now


think people will look back and you know appreciate for what he did.


I was really surprised they let him speak as much as they did in the beginning. I was like, he's completely contradicting everything they're saying and they're letting him, I was like, this can't last long and eventually, I don't know, I mean trump wore a mask. Did you see that?


I did I did over the weekend at walter reed.


And it's freaking july, this has been going on since february and all of a sudden uh okay. how better not get started? This could go on for another hour. It's literally all I have right now is I watch the news and I play video games and I take care of my mom. So I just sit around and getting angry. Like, I can't believe this, what you know on facebook.


Yeah. Yeah it's it's definitely difficult in the current environment because yeah we're we are just so limited on what we can do and where we can go and


Yeah. And you can't there's people you can't argue with, no matter how wrong they are, you can't really argue with someone that doesn't believe that virus that this virus exists when there's people dying. I mean, they're like, do you know anybody personally? Oh my God, you are such a drooling morons. Go away. There were.


yeah. It is it is it is it's scary to think that, you know, there's that much denial out there and you know that many people that that just just I can't


Well,


accept that this is happening and that you've got to change behaviors and you've got to think differently and um


And you have to see if they have to see it to believe it in. You can't I'm still can't see it, I'm sorry. And also it's just like anti intellectualism to begin with, just like, oh, you know, people that went to college and they're learning all these liberal ideas. They're being indoctrinated. No, they're educated. Why do you think everyone, people with


thank


education


you.


are the ones that are not supporting this? It's not because it's a big damn conspiracy that people smarter than you are trying to trick you. Like you. Yeah. Oh, stop. We only have two minutes left. I don't think stop talking by then if I can. Mhm. Oh yeah. But

Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. If Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Right, right.


The


yeah, it's very irritating.


yeah, there was there was something that was going to say about that. Mhm. I know I had a good thought, but I lost it.


Well, I mean, it's just people's fear of the anything that they don't understand and they don't understand a lot. Especially, you know, in the Southern states where, you know, the education


What?


is subpar to begin with and and has been held back, we are funding. So the poorest states have the worst funding and they're also, you know, just happened to be Republican states. It's just a coincidence. I am. Yeah.


a little bit more than a coincidence.


Okay. Yeah. That's, I mean, I've moved away from here 17 years ago for a reason. Just like I couldn't, I tried to get my mom to move north with me, but I couldn't get rid of budge. She's been her all her life. Yeah.


I was I was wondering I was wondering about that. I didn't, but that makes sense. It's sometimes


So


hard to change.


sure. Right. And to be a stereo stereotypical southern family, I had to move down here because my brother went to prison for meth and he was living with her and I didn't realize just how bad things have gotten here. I had actually, when he was, um, before he went to prison, when he got out of jail, I had to like throw him out of the house. We had the police here several times, but you know, there's a huge meth problem here, but they seem to think they have the moral high ground when it's so bad. Did you see that cat?


no, I did not.


She's huge.


We m we were fortunate about a week, so


one of our cats had passed away right around uh end of the year, and so


but


about a week before everything


it's


started, like in in March with the virus, we we actually


good.


had adopted a kitten and you know, we didn't kind of know how things were gonna, you know, I don't think we had any sense is to you know, how quickly things were going to change. But I


And.


would say having a kitten when you're in quarantine and lockdown, I would recommend that for everybody, it probably probably kept all of our all of our sanity.


Yeah. I have five cats, so I can't can I moved here? My mom already had two dogs, I had two dogs and five wait two dogs and five cats. But I had a really big house. Um I mean the cats have the wrong room and then I moved down here and the house is much smaller. I had, you know, two stories aren't as common, so it's just like a ranch and it's um other bedrooms are small, it's just so small to have all these animals. Like I'm going crazy. I'm I'm like constantly going around like cleaning out litter boxes and cleaning up messes. And anyway, I had to get all the floors replaced because they weren't used to having carpet. So I had to get hardwood hard floors put down because they were like oh carpet. And they think it's the same thing as a P pad because they have been be pat trained so it was mess. But it's okay now. Nice hard floors.

Right. Right. Right. Right. Uh huh. Yeah,


we're good.


Yeah. Well I think we did it


I think we get the 25 minutes.


now. Do we just close this out? I know you haven't completed one of these I mean.


I don't get close this out and then there's on the other page, there's a like a survey and then they said it's like kind of 15 minutes or so, of additional questions


Okay. Yeah, I got


and


that.


then, yep, and then finish that and submitted and they paid pretty quickly, so


Okay. Good. I could use, well thanks for chatting. I'm glad that you finally showed up for you.


yep, I'm glad I finally finally was able to to finish it, so


All right. All right. Okay.


Oh world, I hear you kid, That's great. Yeah. All of yeah, I yeah, walk up. Okay. Uh One of the rescues lost a riverboat bra. Uh huh. Yes, yeah, Yeah.


Hey, how you doing, man?


The movie. How are you doing today?


I'm well, I'm Ian how are you


My name is Kai


talk any time?


You know, frequent,


How are you this fine, monday morning?


I'm as good as it can be for monday and you know, that's, that's like that's like drinking a couple of flavored bleach. It's it's still brutes. Yeah. Okay.


I like your attitude, man. Um


Okay, what can you do?


Yeah, this is uh this is the second one of these that I've done. The first one didn't go so smoothly, but uh, I have a feeling this was going to go much better.


Hopefully. So hopefully, so, so


so


where are you located?


uh, I'm in Central New Jersey. How about you?


I'm I'm in um pretty close, I'm in new york, so it's not far from you.


Okay. All right, cool. Um yeah, I don't know, it's a little bit, I used to go through the past station all the time on the way to work, so. And uh, my buddy used to live in ironbound, um, lots of restaurants down there. I've been uh, been eating around there for at least 10, 12 years, so I don't know what it's like now, but uh yeah, but I mean we used to love going down there uh, Iberian Peninsula, like all those uh, like the Brazilian steak houses, things like that, stuff for the Portuguese places.


Portuguese places, definitely. I mean it's 10 years, it's been a while, so I'm quite sure it's probably, I wouldn't it's probably a lot different though, I mean it's it's driving and everything now so it's


Good.


probably


Good to hear


lot


it.


more. It's um it's definitely I would say um yeah, it's definitely expanded a lot because for a while it was just you know, maybe a mile mile and a half, but it's probably like three or four miles and it's out some more too. So um we


Is that


go we


thing?


go here. Mhm.


I didn't


hear


Sorry? Is that a good thing?


because I mean yeah because it means the businesses are thriving and you know it's their own little community so as that gets bigger, that's their community and everything getting bigger I would think and

Yeah? Right. Right. Alright. Cool. Cool. Good.


Good


they have


to hear.


a lot of the shops and you know they have a lot of um you know main main main mainstream stores and stuff like that before. They used to have just mostly you know, community stores and stuff like that which they do, they still have a lot of those, but they also sprinkled a few, you know, mainstream stores in there as well


Right. Right, cool, cool. I'm uh I'm in basking Ridge, which is uh maybe 2025 minutes west. You drive down


pretty


78. Yeah.


That's cool with it,


Uh Yeah. All right. So how are you holding up during this corona madness? Mhm. Uh huh.


I


Doing the best


don't know


you


what


can.


you're talking because it's coming back. Unfortunately,


Yeah, I know, I know


reason


it's everyone's talking about the second wave and everything, but I don't think it ever really went away,


this is


true.


know,


But I think, I think the second wave is going to come more so because the people who were paying much attention to it before, when it was like really bad and then


and


as soon as any type of restrictions were lifted, they went back to being crazy. So, and like, so I knew it was like, I'm more in agreeance with you. I don't think it's a second wave. I think it's the first wave just coming back because it's a virus, It's not going anywhere.


right until we have a vaccine, until people do the right thing. Um You know, I've seen a lot of what you're describing to, it's like as soon as any sort of restrictions are lifted, they're going crazy, right? It's as if nothing's going on and that's not going to help anybody.


Not all of them. All,


Yeah, it doesn't make sense. But I mean, I guess you're you're a practical person and your ballistic and I'd like to believe that I am too. It's just, you know, until everybody thinks the way that we do, it's gonna be challenging to overcome this.


of course. And one of the things that bothers you a lot is people who get offended, like, you know, like I might have my mask down a little bit if I'm like somewhere where I'm not around a lot of people, but if someone starts coming anywhere in my vicinity, I put my mask on and had a young lady, I don't know why you put your mask on. I'm not going to give you anything. I'm like, how do you know what I don't have?


Right. So, I'm trying to protect you too. It's not just me protecting myself.


That's how


I'm trying


it's supposed


to help other


to be.


people.


And then like, it was cool though because I think I really legitimately saw a light bulb pop over and so hopefully she went home with some, with the way to do things, you know, don't look at it as from your perspective.


Right. Right. Well, good. Good for you. Hopefully, hopefully that light bulb did go off. But, uh,


good.


you know, it's I I respect people's opinions on things, but when you're trying to do the right thing to help other people out, it's not about you anymore. So, um,


and


and that's


that's


I think a lot of people are failing to see that. Yeah.


right. And, and like that, you know, when, when it first was being discussed and everything, that's, that was the main thing that stuck in my head. You know, you're not only protecting yourself, you're protecting mothers. I'm like, okay, that's what we do, because that's how we'll get rid of it. As you said, it's practical thinking and unfortunately practical and common sense aren't that common.


It's unfortunate, especially uh you know, because you look at the leadership, right? At the federal level, that's certainly not helping.


Not at all.


you know, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, you need good leadership from the top, otherwise it's going to be a disaster and I think we've seen that come to play here.


definitely. The disaster is definitely amongst us. And as you said, you don't have you don't have to have a particular political leading you political leaning, you just it's like you're not supposed to do that. You know, it doesn't matter if they were crowded, Republican libertarian, whatever, you're just not supposed to do that. And then


I


you


think


had,


the


know


thing,


them. And then remember when it was like, not too long when he had what was it in? Um I want to say it was in Tulsa Oklahoma when he had the thing and then all his people were sitting with them and they didn't have a mask. Like three of them died. Since then. Like you you shouldn't have to be be over the head to believe in science. I mean it's it is what it is therefore it's not gonna affect. It doesn't work. It doesn't work. Wasn't work.


Yeah, it's pretty bad. And then so not only Tulsa, but then he continued to do that in other places with these rallies and even even after catching it himself. All right, so it's uh pretty, pretty insane. Uh


I mean even if you if that isn't your thing, you have to put forth the guys of you know this is what you should do. I'll do it any time you see me, I might not do it, you know? But I'll do it every time you see me because this is what you should be doing as well.


Right, Right. It's not it's really not that hard either, right? Like people are saying it's, you know, infringing on their freedoms and all that stuff, you're just putting a mask on my


that's


friends like that, that's it, It's really not that big of a deal, you know, I'm not asking to lock yourself up and you know where these like crazy scuba gear things or whatever it


That hazmat


Well,


suit or something.


right, right. Uh So I don't know man, I really don't um on on that note, um I did uh drop off my vote the other day last week, so


Good


I'm pretty


deal


happy about that. Hopefully,


good deal


you know, if we get out in enough numbers we can make a difference here and


hopefully. So bro,


yeah get our country back to where it needs to be or it should be.


I was I was a little smoke though because I was actually one of the first people to um to do the mail in. And then we hear a few days later about the guy with the truck or the mail guy who had like a whole bunch of balance and stuff and


couple


he tried


100 or 1000


this whole,


whatever just yeah.


oh boy, you know what, I'm just like I said by the early Earl five was in there, but I


So


think it was somewhere down, I think it was South Jersey. I'm not your story


yeah, there is a place online where you can check to make sure that they received it too,


pull them. I'll


so


definitely look the product


Yeah, one of my friends told me about that. If you just search for the uh I think it's on the New Jersey voting website, um


who


you just put in your either your voter I. D. Or your license driver's license number and it'll tell you the status whether it was received when it was received, if it was processed, all that stuff. So give you a little


I


bit


got


of peace


to get


of month.


out of the yeah, because


I mean


it


it's very discouraging and I think that's what some people


Hello?


want is to discourage people, right? Like not knowing


Course.


whether or not the effort that you made to vote even matters, but it does matter. So.


it should matter and it's it's um it's something that you should exercise. I mean, I mean, I've been a pretty big advocate for people voting for quite some time because I've always told people, you can't just come out in droves to, you know, the for the big elections, you have to every one of those elections because those have as much to do with who gets up at the top is anything that's

Yeah. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. Absolutely,


100%. Right. Uh I mean, you look at some of the uh the question of activities that are going on in the Senate right now, it's because of uh one side being the majority, right? So to your point, like it does make a difference at every single level, and your local mayor, that's that he or she is going to be the one that goes to the next level and the next level,


To


and


control


kind of you.


all those people, you got to exercise your right to vote every time you have it because if you didn't have it, you have to complain about what you


I


mean.


couldn't


I can't


agree with


vote,


you more.


What do you mean? I can't well, you know, you've been voting, why do you want to vote now? Because but that that's our society as a whole, as soon as you're told you can or can't do something, we're gonna unpractical people will do the opposite


you're right, Right. What do you mean I have to do this or I can't do this?


Uh Yeah, so, I mean that's that's part of the root problem here, too, it's not just the politicians, but these politicians are being put in power by people who don't care or don't care to understand all that's involved and they don't get involved, so, yeah, it's challenging, but uh I guess uh you know, we'll see what happens in a couple weeks, uh fingers crossed, man.


it's right here, bro. Two weeks from tomorrow. That's great.


Yeah, I know, again, I can't believe it. Um you know, it's been a challenging year for sure, but there's a lot of the line in in two weeks of the day. Oh, man. Mhm.


favorite thing um Well, one of my favorite things that came out of um the Covid was one of the, someone said that ever since the Covid hit every day has been blurs day. I love that.


I haven't heard that, that's pretty good,


I like that. Ever since the corporate


and


head every day has been blurred today, Which is true bro. It it spend it seems to have been creeping along so slowly and then all of a sudden it was july, it was like the individual days were slow, but somehow the whole passage of time in itself is fast, it was great. It

Yeah. Yeah. Right, Right, right, right, right. Um


and now


was


now, yeah, now it's november who


I'll


smoke


july


linger.


yesterday, It is november, basically,


The only thing I'm not mad about is I don't think we can get 2020 out of here fast enough bro. So the


I'm


thought


just


he hasn't been going to be best for a lot of people. Mhm.


yeah, so you know, if things go well in a couple weeks, then we can end 2020 in a good way and start 2021 in a better way. That's


because if it goes another way it will be just the continuation of blurred today.


yeah, and it will get even worse, I'm trying to think of some other words beyond blur. Uh and I'm not sure I should be repeating them, but it's gonna get worse. If that happens then it's not gonna be pretty,


I don't think it will be either, but we were hoping for the best and like I said, I encourage everyone I know like you know vote like because we're gonna have each one of the past three presidential elections when they elected Obama, when they elected trump both of those who due to the highs ever voter turnout. And that was uh so we're gonna need we're gonna need one more higher turnout than the last two we've had. You just


I


got


mean, I'm seeing encouraging numbers, yeah, you're seeing early, early voting is higher than it's ever been. Um But it could be a little bit misleading because the early turnout is people that are 100 they were going to vote anyways. Right?


correct.


So hopefully we'll get the people that, you know, the first time voters or the people that have been on the fence and and didn't know who to vote for the past actually come out and cast their votes. I'm not going


You


to


know,


tell you who to vote for, but you should cast a vote, like the right


take


thing to do.


advantage of your right, you know, don't just


So


they don't


you


just say well he's gonna win anyway or they're going to win anyway, so I'm like no you don't know because it made, if it's enough of you people that think that to actually vote, it may make a big difference, it can make a big


I had I have a close friend who thinks like that is like, oh my one vote doesn't make a difference in like we we had an argument for hours over this and like if everybody felt the way that you do, then you're right, it wouldn't matter. But it's the power of the collective votes is like, you have to go out and do what you can, you can't tell millions of other people to vote. You can't force them to vote, but you can make that decision for yourself, but


and if those millions of each one of them can get their mind frame in the correct way, then that would make a big difference.


Right. Right. So, well, uh, this is a good start to the conversation. Uh,


That's awesome.


yeah, I'm glad I met you task a good


Glad


good


to meet


shot.


you too. And it's awesome chap.


So, uh, this week the weather is going to be nice. We got that going for us.


It does nothing like good old summertime weather in late october huh.


that won't see That's crazy, too right.


There's these


But


weather is the worst our weather is the worst.


I mean, I was I was born and raised in Kansas, all right. So I moved to New Jersey when I was 11. Now, let me tell you about the first um, this is a long time ago obviously, but in the winter it would get to like 10 below in the summers it would get 210. So, uh, yeah. So you don't have it that bad here. It's not the greatest, don't get me wrong, but it can always be worse. That's, that's how


And


I see


you


it.


have a lot of like internal weather stuff, tornadoes and stuff like that as well so. Right.


In grade school we used to do like tornado drills. Like, I don't know if they ever had him in, in Jersey, but um, you know, I asked my friends


look


here like they're like, what are you talking about


it's


tornado drill? What do without


trouble.


that?


Yeah. What do you what do you use that on? Is that when a regular No no not that type of drill exercise type of drill.