Chewing the Fat with Jeff Fisher - Not Feeling It!... | 1/6/25

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

China raising prices on condoms…   Pilot refuses to fly…  CFB closing the doors...   PETA wants help with Betty the Elephant…  A look at Lotto…  Wolves were pets?...  Email:  [e-mail]  www.blazetv.com/jeffy   $20 off annual plan right now ( limited time )   Mickey Rourke claims it’s not him…  New TV shows this week…  Who Died Today: Victoria Jones 34 / Helen Siff 88 / Sprinkles Cupcakes 20…  Joke of The Day… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blaze Radio Network And now, Chewing the Fat with Jeff Fisher. You know, one would think that if China didn't want something that they would just ban it instead of ending a tax exemption, but that's what they have done. They have ended a tax exemption on contraceptives, including condoms and birth control pills, as part of its broader effort to reverse a sustained decline in population. growth. So it began already this year. Contraceptives are now subject to a 13% value-added tax while services related to child care, marriage, and elder care are exempt. I mean, they're concerned, right? I mean, India overtook them as the world's most populous country a couple of years ago. And they've now recorded three consecutive years of population decline. So they want people

taking care of business and having babies. Don't just take care of business and not have babies. And if you're China, you absolutely want that. Here in America, I would say, go ahead. Use those condoms and birth control. Fine with me. But we need to have kids here in this country as well. And some inner populations in this country are having children while

others are not. But most importantly, it just felt weird to me that China just didn't ban birth control and condoms. I mean, that would open up a whole new black market world for condoms and birth controls in China. But they didn't do that. They just ended a tax exemption. And that doesn't seem like China to me, but it is. Welcome. Welcome to Chewing the Fat. Fat 5 Plus. I don't know that I've ever heard of this happening before. But good on him, I guess. I would be a little bummed if I was actually on the flight. But an American Airlines pilot,

in California flying to Hawaii decided that, you know what, we're not flying to Hawaii today. Wait, what? Yeah, we're not doing that. I'm just not feeling it today. That is awesome, really. And someone recorded the announcement. so to speak because oil pressure on the number two engine is trending upwards uh-huh and aircraft is going to require uh oh boy it's a fuel pressure not the oil pressure duh

fuel system uh filter replacement yeah the aircraft gets back from Hawaii yeah it's going to take care when we get back the plane's good to go but i'm not really feeling i'm not really feeling it So, I'm not going to leave the ground if I'm not completely certain that we have an airworthy aircraft, so I'm going to probably air. Not probably air on the side of caution. You are airing on the side of caution. That means for you right now. I'm not exactly sure. I don't know if we have another airplane here at the airport, but that's the way it goes.

Sorry, I'm not really sure what that means for you people, but I'm not leaving. Maybe they've got another airplane that somebody can fly out for you, but I'm not doing it because. I'm not feeling it today. I mean, while I would be angry, at least, you know, like, come on. I just want to get to Hawaii. That's what we're going to. Come on, let's go. The plane, they say the plane's okay.

It's going to be fixed when it comes back. It's fine. You know, I'm happy that the pilot is like, you know, there's, look, there's no weather. There's some fuel pressure issues that they say they can clean and clean up with the filter um i'm just i'm not feeling it today and uh i don't like it i don't feel right and we're not uh we're not going to take off i'm not flying this thing to hawaii today and i'm sorry and i'm sorry that you walked away from this flight safe i know your plans were delayed but uh i'm just not feeling it today i mean i i got to commend him for it i'd be very frustrated

as a passenger, but I would be thankful as well. And I think that was a good move. And perhaps some dangerous things that have happened in the past may not have happened if people listen to their instinct and their professional wisdom on whatever it is they do. You know, you always listen to your gut. You know, that's an old phrase. Nobody listens to their gut. Everybody listens to their brain.

But you always listen and pay attention to that intuition that tells you, How many times in your life have you thought, I knew I shouldn't have gone there. I told myself, don't do that today. And you did it anyway. Don't do it. Listen to your intuition. Because on the days that you don't listen to your intuition, bad things happen, right? And you wish you would have said, you know what?

I'm not feeling it today. I don't know how that's going to work out with your boss when you wake up and go, yeah, I'm just, I'm not feeling. it today. So I'm not coming in. Good luck though. Good luck to you. And you know, but I can just call your boss, leave a message. Hey, I know I'm supposed to be there today. We got a meeting and we got some other things going on, but

I'm just not feeling it today. Let me know how that goes. Let me know how that goes. But you're not, you know, maybe you are. If you're responsible for other people's lives, if people are putting their lives in your hands, then you have to trust your intuition and your gut. You have to because you're responsible not only for you, but for them. On the days that you're just going into a job and you're not feeling it, yeah,

you're only responsible for you. But, you know, give it a shot and see how it works out. Let me know. Maybe in today's world, you can. You can have as many days off as you want, especially on those days when you're just not feeling it. And I guess the Corporation for Public Broadcasting just is not feeling it. I'm not sure what this actually all means.

So the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund NPR and PBS and many local radio and TV stations, is officially shutting down. Now, Congress passed spending cuts that stripped the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of more than a billion dollars in funding. So the Board of Directors voted to dissolve the private, non-profit corporation after 58 years of service. Okay. I mean, they've existed, you know, to ensure that all Americans, regardless of geography, income, or background, had access to trusted news, educational programming, and local storytelling. Uh-huh, said Patricia Harrison, CFB's president and CEO. Harrison added that when President Donald Trump signed into law last summer a measure to rescind funding by Congress, CPP boards faced a profound responsibility.

Yeah, find another way to make some money or shut down, and they are shutting down. Wow, our final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks. Not quite sure what they think was going to happen. But there you have it. The funding, you know, the NPR and the PBS stations that were getting money from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, I'm sorry, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting still exist. They just as not, that money has gone away.

So they have to find new ways of funding. and you're still going to have NPR and PBS. They're just not getting the big pile of donation from the corporation for public broadcasting every year. Really strange. I'm pretty sure that that's, I think I'm okay with that. I think I am. CFB, with Congress created in 1967,

help support more than 1,500 local radio and television stations nationwide. It also funded popular programs like Sesame Street. See, that's where that's, I got you, though. They should have programs on PBS and NPR have been able to remain on the air because of other sources of funding. Okay, well, good. Then that needs to happen.

And that was the problem with Sesame Street. Sesame Street was its own entity and made all kinds of money, yet they were still milking the system for money from the CFB. That's a strange situation. I think I'm okay with this because the NPR and PBS stations can still exist. they just have to find new funding and we'll have to, you know, generate some new forms of income. If that, I guess, opens them up, according to the CFB's president and CEO, I guess that leaves them vulnerable to additional attacks.

Well, I guess you're going to have to just stick to your beliefs and then you'll be okay, right? Oh, no. So I got a letter, and my man, West Burdett, who is the press officer for the people for the ethical treatment of animals and Wes has sent me an email and he you know obviously hoped I enjoyed the holidays but they are desperately trying to save an elderly

suffering elephant named Betty and we're asking President Trump to step in and save her I don't know that he can do that but because Betty is owned by a private entity but they're hoping they're hoping that we can talk about it well yes

I certainly can talk about it Betty is 56 years old and was taken as a baby from Thailand. Now, I don't know if the people who have her now are the ones that took her from Thailand, but apparently time is of the essence because she is one of the most psychologically broken elephants alive today. I don't know how we know that. And her body is breaking down from being forced to perform in circuses. Okay, so circuses means it feels like that's not. just the one circus because right now

Betty is with the Cardin Circuses. I was checking it out. I wanted to find out who Betty was. Betty is part of the Super Shriner Circus.com Animal Family. I went to their website and I was

looking and there's a section for animals of the Cardin family circus and they claim they take their animals very seriously. and they've posted a YouTube video some guy did an interview behind the scenes at the Cardin Circus

at the home of the Cardin Circus and they broke down and he opens it up with the elephants and there's three of them and one of them is Betty. Now I looked at Betty and I can't tell this was in 2020, this was five years ago

I can't tell if Betty was depressed then as well for having to perform in the Cardin Circus. And so, you know, there you have it. If you, you know, maybe, I don't know what they want done to Betty. I think they want Betty to just be retired. Maybe the U.S. Department of Agriculture can step in and have her retire to an accredited sanctuary where she can receive the specialized veterinary care she needs.

I don't know who's going to pay for that. But there are plenty of, I know, look, there's plenty of places. that retired elephants go there's places in florida there's a big place in tennessee and there's another place where they could go called a zoo so maybe uh betty can you know get a retirement plan at the zoo and then be you know you can look and maybe they could swap it out maybe uh the card and circus could swap betty out with the zoo that has a good elephant that still you know is a hardworking elephant that they could use in their circus and let betty just kind of hang out at the zoo And I'm pretty sure Peter would think that that is not retirement, but it is for me because

Zuzza, that's a good life, man. Just hang out and walk around and take a look at, let the humans view you for a little bit. And you hang out, you get fed, you get a little sun, you get a little shade, and you can be depressed if you want, but don't worry about it because you're getting cared for, and people come by and throw peanuts at you once in a while. That's a pretty good life. so apparently last year was Betty was transported

this according to the letter that PETA wants me to copy and send the sample letter Dear Mr. President And it said that Betty has severe joint and foot problems the leading cause of death in captive elements

nail fractures a damaged trunk and worsening mobility yet she is still forced to perform and travel last year Betty was transported to over 200 and 80 events across 17 states in just 11 months.

That's a working circus right there. This relentless schedule puts her life in immediate danger. Independent elephant experts and veterinarians like Dr. Chris Draper warned that Betty faces a catastrophic and likely fatal collapse. Now, maybe that's what the Garden Circus wants. Look, we've got Betty. We spend a lot of money on Betty, and we're going to work her until she'll be. you drops work until you drop it's possible i you know i guess i mean i don't know that i'm ever

going to be able to retire and now i'm going to be fighting for an elephant to retire i don't think so but if they want to put me in a zoo and feed me and let me catch a little sun all day and then just you know how people come by and look at me i think i'm for that so there you have it now you know you can do what you want with that if you you want to do something and help you Betty out, you go ahead. If you want to help the Cardin Circus people out, you can say, hey, where are you going to be? You can buy your tickets on their website, Garden Circus. Let's see where they're at.

Come buy tickets today. Let's see where I can buy tickets to see the Garden Circus today. Okay, here we go. They're in Marion, Ohio, Flint, Michigan. That's up there at my neck of the wood. They're in Flint for a little while. One, two, three, four days up in Flint. They're in Flint, Michigan, and during the winter.

And they're in Flint. They're in Saginaw, my hometown, nice. I'm in Saginaw. They're staying in Flint and Saginaw. They must like to try cities. Saginaw, one, two, three, four, five days. Then before Saginaw, they're in Flint. One, two, three, four, five, six days in Flint.

So they're living a seven days in Flint, starting on the 16th of this month. So, man, they are They are working Then they go down to Louisville, Kentucky For a few days They hang out in those cities for quite a while Owensboro, Kentucky one day Ooh, not so good

We better sign up for the Owensboro Kentucky show on February 3rd And then they go to Missouri They're in Missouri for a while Yeah, so they're on the move Boy, I bet you, I mean, they've got to be inside Where does they perform at? Let's see where they're performing in Sagano

Let's click on Sagano, Michigan. 7 p.m. 123, 26, Saginaw, Michigan, Friday, January 23rd. Do they have their own tent set up or where are they going to be set up? Accept and continue. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Dow Event Center, Saginaw, Michigan. Okay, so they're indoors. That's awesome.

At the Elf Kufra Shine Circus. Yes, that's where they're going to be. Circus and specialty acts. at the Dow Event Center, Saginaw, Michigan. So go and have fun and see the Cardin Circus. But, you know, maybe you can protest and say, you know, let Betty retire, let Betty retire, or not. I'll tell you what, there was no winner in the Powerball lottery last night.

So it goes up to $105 million for the Wednesday drawing, 47.4 million cash value. And then there's a mega million's drawing tonight, right? The mega million drawing is tonight for 180 million, 81.9 million. If I were to win one of those, I promise that I will at least, you know, maybe spend a little money to help feed Betty

and maybe work on taking Betty to a retirement place. okay i promise but you know if i were to win the powerball or the mega i will personally look into helping betty the elephant okay all right that's the best i can do for you right now you know speaking of animals i see where they found uh wolf remains on this remote island in the baltic sea and because the island is naturally isolated the animals could only have arrived there with human involvement. So the study published in proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Scientists from the Francis Crick Institute, Stockholm University and the University of Aberdeen and the University of East Anglia. Yeah, I didn't miss that. I did not miss that.

I read it all from the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by scientists. from these one, two, three, four different universities. They suggest that gray wolves may have been deliberately managed or controlled by prehistoric communities. So they were using wolves as pets. That's awesome. The remains estimated to be between 3,000 and 5,000 years old were discovered in this cave on the Swedish island. The site was heavily used by seal hunters and fishers. during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

The island spans just two and a half square kilometers and has no native land mammals indicating that large terrestrial animals found there must have been brought by people. So they were bringing wolves as pets. That is awesome. The discovery of these wolves on the remote island, completely unexpected, said Dr. Linus Goodland Flink

of the University of Aberyst. he's the lead author of the study not only did they have uh ancestry indistinguishable from other eurasian wolves but they seem to be living alongside humans uh yeah eating their food and in a place they could only have reached by boat this paints the complex picture of the relationship between humans and wolves in the past yeah yeah they were these people were using the wolves as their friend and attacking other people, probably, using them as weapons. I mean, why else would you have a wolf? Am I right?

Of course I am. All right. All right. Be sure to follow me on my social media at Jeffrey JFR on X. Radio on Instagram and Facebook. You can email the show anytime chewing the fat at blazemedia.com. Chewing the fat at blazemedia.com.

You can follow me on my YouTube page Chewing the Fat with Jeff Fisher. You can order a cameo from me at any time at Jeffie JFR on the cameo app. That of course is not free, but it is worth every doggone shiny nickel that you have at Jeffie JFR on the

Camio app. You can also become a subscriber to Blaze TV. You know, I do a show with Pat Gray Unleashed every day, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Central Time live on Blaze TV and Blaze Radio. And you can become a member and watch that show as you subscribe to Blaze TV. You can do that by going to BlazeTV.com slash Jeffie. BlazTV.com slash Jeffie. And that will get you $20 off an annual subscription right now. BlazTV.com slash jeffy. You can also listen to myself on Saturday mornings. I do a show with Brad Staggs, Saturday morning live.

Saturday morning live on X. You can watch and listen to the show every Saturday morning, 9 a.m. Central Time. Saturday morning live with myself and Brad Staggs. Okay, so Mickey Rourke, if you gave me, money to the Mickey Rourke GoFundMe, get your money back. Okay. So apparently Mickey Rourke started, or someone, one of his due people, according to the story, started a GoFundMe campaign and was started on his behalf, $100,000 because he was faced, served with a notice

to pay $60,000 in back rent or vacate his Los Angeles property. Now, Um, Mickey Rourke has since come out and said, uh, I had no knowledge of that crowdfunding drive. Uh, I wouldn't ask for no effin charity. Ha ha ha ha. Now, the campaign was launched on his behalf to help, you know, prevent him from being evicted. Now, last month, and that actually, you know, it did happen. The 73 year, Mickey Rourke is 73 now. Uh, former wrestler served a notice to pay $59,100 in back rent.

he allegedly owes or vacate his Los Angeles property. The crowdfunding drive was then started to help cover the immediate housing-related expenses and prevent him from losing his home. In the video shared on his Instagram profile, Rourke said, I have got no knowledge of that. I didn't even understand someone created a GoFundMe campaign on my behalf. It's not okay. I'd rather, if I need money, I wouldn't ask for no eff in charity.

I'd rather stick a gun up my ass and pull this. trigger. So I wouldn't know what a GoFundMe Foundation is in a million years. My life is very simple. I wouldn't go to outside sources like that. He said also in his video, apparently he did. He said I was very diplomatic.

He reflected on his career, said that he was really terrible, did a lot of, you know, terrible job in managing it. He wasn't diplomatic, had to go over 20 years of therapy to get over the damage that was done to him years ago, worked very hard to work through that, and I'm not that person anymore, though he urged his supporters not to donate to the campaign

and that he plans to speak to his lawyers about it. The drive was, I mean, it's almost $95,000. There's only one reason I could think of that only one person I could think of that would do such a thing, and I hope if it's not that, person I'm thinking about. It's humiliating. He also said that he did borrow money from a great friend. After suffering a financial setback from a rental property, he insisted he would never ask strangers or fans for anyone for a nickel. It's not my style. He plans to go back to work

telling Flann to get their money back. Don't donate to that. I wouldn't do that. So apparently he did owe the money and he asked a friend to cover it for him. He did not start a go-fund and according to Mickey Rourke he would never ask for effing charity he would rather stick a gun up his ass and pull the trigger so if you gave money

to Mickey go ahead and you're going to find a way to get it back for you TV watchers there's some new shows this week it's a busy week premiere week kind of looks like new seasons of the rookie, Will Trent, which I love, I love Will Trent, and High Potential, all premiere tonight on ABC.

I know my wife and daughter was hooked on the rookie. I don't know if they still are. They had a new season. That show's been on for like a thousand seasons now. Will Trent's working on season three or four now. I really like Will. And high potential, that's been on a couple of years now, too. That doesn't seem that good, but,

It's a hit. People like it. Season 14 of The Masked Singer premieres tomorrow on Fox. Season 2 of the Pit is going to hit HBO Max on Thursday. That's awesome. Season 1 of the Pit was fantastic. So I hope that they continue. That's awesome.

The season 2 is already going to start dropping on HBO Max this week. Comedian Nikki Glazer returns to host the Golden Globes on CBS Sunday. Yeah, good luck. I have people watching that because it's play. We got college football Thursday and Friday, and then we have NFL Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. So good luck on the old Golden Globes. And season four of the industry, which I have not watched.

I think I've watched maybe the first episode. Not positive. I don't remember it, though. Premiers on HBO Max on Sunday. So that's season four of the industry. Still going strong on HBO. Max. on Sunday. Okay, who, for those of you listening live today, is Tuesday, the 6th of January,

2026. Oh my gosh, it's January 6th. Holy cow. A day where we almost lost democracy years ago. So, I mean, it's a day of remembrance, January 6th. The day democracy almost died. died today who died today well not democracy uh but uh we have uh victoria jones victoria jones uh dead at the age of 34 victoria is the daughter of tommy lee jones a hollywood legend uhmmy lee who is 79 now uh i mean i was born in texas uh went to harvard it was really incredible was just an incredible guy. Went to high school here in Dallas, Texas, where this show originates,

attended Robert E. Lee High School. I hope that high school doesn't exist name of Robert E. Lee High School. And he is of Cherokee descent, too, Tommy. So that makes the daughter Cherokee descent as well. Victoria Jones, dead at the age of 34, found on the 14th floor of the Fairmont Hotel in California and San Francisco on New Year's Day. uh one of the one of the people came by on the 14th floor and said uh hey um i don't know she looks

passed out maybe you ought to check out check it on her and so they went up there and they immediately started CPR they called for an ambulance paramedics declared her dead at the scene when they arrived apparently she's had some uh drug issues in the past um but there was no signs of foul play and no drug paraphernalia found at the scene. So it didn't look like a suicide. So we're just assuming that it's an overdose and that it's, you know, she just dropped over there on the Fairmont in San Francisco.

So a tough life for Victoria. She was in some of the shows with Tommy Lee, too. So she, well, she wasn't a superstar because obviously if your folks are the superstars, whether it's your mom or dad or both. I mean, it's all about them always. You are just second. and you're always going to be second because it's always about them

and so maybe you know maybe Victoria couldn't handle that but she has passed away and rest in peace to Victoria Jones daughter of Hollywood legend Tommy Lee Jones dead at the age of 34 and one more before we get out of here another Hollywood

oh yeah that girl or that lady oh yeah her Helen Siff, Helen Siff, has died at the age of 88. Apparently she was battling a painful illness. She apparently had complications from a surgery, from a long painful illness is what the family said. You would know her, she was in so many things. She was in all kinds of films throughout the 80s,

including the karate kid, the pee-wee, big top pee-wee. she was in Hail Caesar and you don't she was also in curbinger enthusiasm and will and grace and modern family and she's just

she had the ability to make you know these small parts memorable and so I mean oh yeah her Ellen Siff dead at the age of 88 rest in peace

oh and one more thing has died passed away that I need to mention very sad. Sprinkles cupcakes. Sprinkles cupcakes has shut down dead after 20 years.

Only made it 20 years. Sprinkles cupcakes. Remember they're famous for the cupcake ATMs? Everybody remembers cupcakes in the ATMs. I mean, holy cow. And they were in Vegas and Austin and other U.S. destinations. I mean, it's really kind of a cool thing.

And the lady who owned Sprinkles, sold them a few years back. So she's, you know, really bummed that, you know, that it closed down. Uh-huh. She made all the money. And then, well, well, sorry about that. I know I sold it to a private equity firm.

But, you know, good luck. God bless. And she sold it, I don't know, a few years ago. So, you know, whatever. She said that they dramatically expanded its influence in restaurants. and they've spent a bunch of money on restaurants. And I guess she had expanded to 10 locations and she figured that this Carp Riley LLC equity firm

would do the company great. Well, yeah, it lasted. I mean, it lasted another 12, 13 years after she sold it. So maybe all the Sprinkle people are all bummed out and mad at her for selling. but she sold it like 13 years ago or something. Get over it. Anyway, rest in peace to Sprinkle's cupcakes dead at the age of 20.

I know, I know. All right, let's do the joke of the day and get out of here. This joke sent from Todd to Chewing the Fat at blazemedia.com. I feel like I did this before. I just don't remember if I did it before because he said it to me and said I've added the first four sentences to the joke. Okay, so he's adding things to a joke. That's usually not a good sign. I feel like I may have done the joke and said that it wasn't okay.

It needed work because I appreciate all you people working on the jokes. I really do. Keep working. Keep up the good work. But you don't need to be adding lines, I don't think. Sometimes you need to maybe add a, you know, a couple of descriptors to get you to the punch line. But you don't need to be adding things. So the original one was my wife handed me two kayak paddles and asked,

which one do you want i said i'd take either or spelled o a r get it well now uh he's updated it with my wife and i decided to go kayaking so we loaded up the SUV and headed to the lake we get to the lake to find a spot to set out on the lake we get the kayaks unloaded and up on the shore my wife handed me two kayak paddles and asked which one do you want i said i'll take either or O-A-R you don't need to add a whole a whole bunch of a bunch of the story

I mean maybe if you're setting it up and you're up on stage on open mic night maybe you do the the brief story to get to the punchline but really that's more of a written joke because well you know either or you know I'll take either or but it's usually

it's usually a bad idea to add sentences to jokes just let the jokes flow don't start bogging them down with sentences because then you're just losing everything but you know I appreciate I appreciate just sending me the joke and I appreciate either or Stream and subscribe to more blaze media content at the blaze.com slash podcasts.