The Daily Zeitgeist - Worse Than Watergate, Babies 'R' Bust 3.20.18

Episode Date: March 21, 2018

In episode 108, Jack & Miles are joined by comedian Charla Lauriston to discuss the consequences of if Trump fires Mueller, viable nuclear fusion, the real reason Toys 'R' Us is closing, first day... of spring, Iranian New Year & more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Kay hasn't heard from her sister in seven years. I have a proposal for you. Come up here and document my project. All you need to do is record everything like you always do. What was that? That was live audio of a woman's nightmare. Can Kay trust her sister or is history repeating itself? There's nothing dangerous about what you're doing.
Starting point is 00:00:18 They're just dreams. Dream Sequence is a new horror thriller from Blumhouse Television, iHeartRadio, and Realm. Listen to Dream Sequence on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and culture in the new iHeart podcast, Sniffy's Cruising Confessions. Sniffy's Cruising Confessions will broaden minds and help you pursue your true goals. You can listen to Sniffy's Cruising Confessions,
Starting point is 00:00:54 sponsored by Gilead, now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday. Hi, everyone. It's me, Katie Couric. You know, lately I've been overwhelmed by the whole wellness industry. So much information out there about flaxseed, pelvic floor, serums,
Starting point is 00:01:13 and anti-aging. So I launched a newsletter. It's called Body and Soul to share expert-approved advice for your physical and mental health. And guess what? It's free. Just sign up at katiecouric.com slash bodyandsoul. That's K-A-T-I-E-C-O-U-R-I-C dot com slash bodyandsoul. I promise it will make you happier and healthier. Captain's Log, Stardate 2024. We're floating somewhere in the cosmos, but we've lost our map. Yeah, because you refuse to ask for directions it's space gem there are no roads good point so where are we headed into the
Starting point is 00:01:51 unknown of course join us on in our own world as we uncover hidden truths navigate the depths of culture identity and the human spirit with a hint of mischief one episode at a time buckle up and listen to in our own world on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Trust us, it's out of this world. Hello, the internet, and welcome to Season 23, Episode 2 of Dare Daily Light, guys! For March 20th, 2018, my name is Jack O'Brien, a.k.a. We're going back.
Starting point is 00:02:27 Jack, do it O'Brien. That is courtesy of Soybo. I believe that is short for Soyboy. And I'm joined, as always, by my co-host, Mr. Miles Gray. Jack, I'm not going to do an a.k.a. today. I am worried about you. You sound sick. I am worried about you. You sound sick. I am sick.
Starting point is 00:02:50 And I think you just scared our guest, Sharla. What? She heard you sing, and she looked away in a way that I've never seen recently. My ears weren't ready. What show am I on? Yeah, she's like, what fucking show am I on? I didn't know that would be loud singing. Or a crazy scream of the top. Yeah, sorry.
Starting point is 00:03:07 But also, you know, aka nothing like 100 miles by Gray Charles. Thank you to Dan Graham and many other people who suggest that aka
Starting point is 00:03:13 on Twitter. And we are thrilled to be joined in our third seat by the very not sure how to think about me and very funny
Starting point is 00:03:24 comedian and writer Charla Lauriston. Yay! I think well of you. Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for singing. I'm sorry for screaming. Don't apologize.
Starting point is 00:03:37 I wasn't ready for it, but I appreciated it. And you've written on some incredible shows. Yeah. You wrote on Kimmy Schmidt. You wrote on, what else? Why with Hannibal Buress on Comedy Central. Damn.
Starting point is 00:03:51 People of Earth on TBS. Damn. Ghosted on Fox. Wow. Been a lot. Yeah. It's been a lot of shows. What was it like writing on Kimmy Schmidt?
Starting point is 00:03:58 It was my first job and I was terrified the entire time. Man, because that show packs in. But it was really cool. Man, I got to give it up to that writer's room because the fucking jokes come off. Man, because that show packs in. But it was really cool. Man, I got to give up to that writer's room because the fucking jokes come off thick and fast on that show. I always say that show taught me how to write jokes. I do. Yeah, I'd imagine any Tina Fey show.
Starting point is 00:04:14 Yeah. That's my favorite thing about those shows. Right, the jokes. The jokes are so good. The nonstop, yeah. What is something from your search history that is revealing about who you are as a human being? Right now I'm like looking for a chest of drawers for my clothes.
Starting point is 00:04:32 I've been like I missed out on this Craigslist sale for a gentleman's chest, which is a piece of furniture I've never heard of before. What's a gentleman's chest? It's half shelves, half half drawers which is dope as fucking like totally useful and i missed out on it because i thought he was charging too much and then i started googling it non-stop and it turns out that they're so expensive like he was selling it for like 400 bucks and like i told him no before i googled it which was the dumbest thing i've ever done and then i started googling it and they're like definitely double that and like in the thousands like for the most part.
Starting point is 00:05:06 Is it because it's vintage or just like that style is rare? I think it's just because it's rare. Yeah. I think it's like, it just takes a little bit more crap. Allow me to, what is it called? A gentleman's chest? It's called a gentleman's chest. I was shocked when I just Googled it that it wasn't a picture of like a bare chest of
Starting point is 00:05:23 man. Seriously. Yeah. I was like, what is it called? I guess because most people who are looking for that are not like speaking and like proper of it. Like I would like to see a gentleman. And the guy got it from like an estate sale from like literally somebody who died and
Starting point is 00:05:38 I should have got it. And it was I'll never regret anything more. Now that shit would have been haunted. Trust me. It would have been haunted. Yeah me. It would have been haunted. Yeah, you don't want a haunted chest. For sure. But for half the price.
Starting point is 00:05:48 Yeah. I would have taken a haunted. Worth it. Yeah, for 400 bucks less? Yeah. What is something you think is underrated? What do I think is underrated? Lotion.
Starting point is 00:06:04 I don't know if people are thinking about it but i've been dealing with a lot of dry skin and i've been like very happy that i have lotion in my life good that's it we were told that we were uh culturally biased when we set up our uh bathroom in the new studios with no hand lotion uh the culture kings were like what this is a very white bathroom right right or not feminine like ladies like ladies yeah it's just white men who are like i don't give a shit yeah my whole body dries up crazy i i need i'm so dry yeah it's crazy like have you the like a couple times i a massage, you know, they use like lotion or whatever. My skin just absorbs it immediately.
Starting point is 00:06:47 Right. And you're like, oh, wow. I guess I'll use more oil. No, literally. I have to like put oil over my lotion in order for the lotion to work. It's like. Yeah, you need that layer. And the California dry air, I think like exacerbates my dry skin.
Starting point is 00:07:03 Oh, because you said you've lived on the East Coast or something. I moved here from New York, and I have just been really struggling with this dry skin. Right. It's been a problem. How long have you been out of New York? Since July. Oh, okay. So you're fresh out.
Starting point is 00:07:15 Fresh out. That's a comedy show in L.A. Fresh out of? Four people who just got out here? No, I think it's hosted by like emily heller and like they've been out here for a long time okay uh what is something you think is overrated two-door cars oh yeah sports cars i think they're you looked at me like i pulled up in a two-door car when you said a lot of energy eye contact because i feel like it's
Starting point is 00:07:41 better for the um talking yeah yeah no no i my husband got us a two-door car and i feel like it's better for the um talking yeah yeah no no my husband got us a two-door car and i just like kind of went along with it but like we've as we've been moving we just moved again it's been the worst possible car to have like we can't do anything oh you're trying to move like i mean even domiciles yeah we just moved to a new place and we're like we've been trying to like move our stuff and like get furniture in there you can't do anything with that car it's not a good like errand car and i realized that like they're fine to look at which i don't even care to look at a sports car but like when you need to do normal everyday stuff which is what i do every day in my car like a two-door car is bullshit what kind of car is it it's a sports car h car. Okay. I mean, two-door cars are sporty cars.
Starting point is 00:08:26 Yeah, well, you know who the two-door car is perfect for? Like a high school guy. Yeah. Or a college guy who never wants to give a ride to everybody because they can use the excuse like, oh, why don't you drive? I'm like, bro, you know I got the two-door car. That's why my husband got the car because he was like, I don't want anybody else in the car. And I was like, you don't want anything else in the car, period. You don't want items.
Starting point is 00:08:44 You can't just items. Yeah, that was my out in high school or college because I used to always get the ride with people. And then I got the two-door Honda Prelude that I was rocking for many years. And I was always like, oh, well, I can't take everybody because, you know, I got the two-door car. That's real. I can't help you move because, you know, it's mean. Yeah. And now, you know what? I've caught up and I have a hatchback that's like a station wagon.
Starting point is 00:09:03 And now I'm moving all kinds of stuff. All kinds of stuff. Good. You're a're a good friend miles thank you so much i had a i had a two-door chevy blazer which most people oh yeah that thing yeah the new body type or the square body square like oh shit that i think laser oh no maybe it was new body like the one that like when the gmc jimmy came, it was like the same body type almost? Yeah, basically. Okay. Okay.
Starting point is 00:09:26 Yeah. Where is that buried? Where is that buried? It's definitely dead. Yeah, yeah. It's definitely dead. Did you sell it? Those have not been seen on a street for like the past 10 years.
Starting point is 00:09:37 It was a- Oh, no. It's right through Sylmar. It was a lease. Oh, God. You leased a two-door Blazer. Shazzy. Oh, God.
Starting point is 00:09:44 You leased a two-door Blazer. It was through something, some deal that my family had with a car dealership or something. And so we got an extra car. I got that one. And, yeah. And your life's been perfect ever since. Yeah. And everything's gone right for you, hasn't it, Jack? It has.
Starting point is 00:10:04 Almost exactly. I had to go to the auto auction in Tustin. That's tough, man. It was a really bizarre place. Have you been to an auto auction? I have. They're crazy. Like when you walk around and see what's available.
Starting point is 00:10:14 And like there are some things that you're like, this is for sale? This looks like a crime scene. Right. No, all of them look like someone was doing some sort of crime. Yeah. But like my dad got me. I'm from Taunton, Massachusetts. My dad got me like this white pickup hatchback pickup hatchback it's like a pickup truck with a hatchback on the back so it's like a cover thing like yeah so it's like enclosed so
Starting point is 00:10:37 you can like live in it you could you totally it's a house kinda right so it was the shittiest truck ever just like this shitty white like 1990 i don't even know uh and i think he got it for like 900 right that's how my auction i like my dad at an auction yeah when we went i was looking for my first car and i couldn't be there for the auction so my dad was like is there anything here that you like i was like honestly no just get the thing that's like the least crimey right because like there was one that legit had like the most concerning stains like all over the seats and i was like no seriously like all the crime cars at this auction just looked really tricked out they were just like really expensive like drug lord cars and i was just like and actually i was like dad get me
Starting point is 00:11:21 any car except for that white picture and then all those other cars went for like eight thousand dollars or whatever right naturally and then my dad was like nah Yeah, have you noticed that cars last out here more you know, I think you have to take care of them, right? Right. Well, and I think also because there's not as much rain and there's not like winter yeah yeah it's like a whole different level of uh cars i never see out here i never thought of it of the west coast being like cars last out here no they do yeah it was like the first thing i noticed when i came out here to la like the different like i grew up on the east coast and you know if you saw a car that's more than five years old, the bottom of it was being eaten away by salt and shit. And then you'll see a pickup truck from the 50s out here that's just mint condition.
Starting point is 00:12:16 There's no moisture in the air, and it's always sunny. And it's just like, yeah, I've never gotten in an accident, and so this car still works. I guess that's my West Coast privilege. Yeah, exactly, Miles. And and then finally what is a myth what's something people think is true here's a myth that my mom thinks is true um she thinks when you when you're when your right hand is itchy that means money's gonna come to you and um my right hand is always and i don't ever see this money that's supposed to be coming but she really will call me and be like my right hand's been itchy i think we're gonna get some money like it's like newsworthy but has so there had to have been a moment where i personally debunked it because it's never worked for me i think it's just her own special power you're like
Starting point is 00:13:00 i'm looking at my bank statement i'm yeah shit out of my right hand the numbers are not changing wait but did something must have happened for her to to be like oh to'm looking at my bank statement. I'm itching the shit out of my right hand. The numbers are not changing. I'm itching the shit. Wait, but did something must have happened for her to, to be like, oh, to make that connection. My mom is very, um, superstitious. So like, you know, she has a lot of dreams, like she, you know, and I think that's like something that like my grandma, grandmother also believed in. Right. So like my grandmother's like, you know, your right hand is itchy. That means money.
Starting point is 00:13:24 If your left hand is itchy, it's bad. If your right hand is itchy that means money if your left hand is itchy it's bad if your right hand is itchy it's good it's money um but it has never i have all i have timed it i have put in my calendar right hand was itchy on this day at this time and just waiting for money and like and i don't want like you know like if i'm at a job and I get a check money. I don't mean that money. I mean like unexpected money. Oh, shit. Right, right. Like $20 in my pocket.
Starting point is 00:13:49 Right. Or like on the street or something like that or an unexpected check or something. I mean it's never happened. So I've debunked that personally. And that's like a Haitian thing? That's a Haitian thing. Gotcha. That's interesting.
Starting point is 00:13:59 In like Japan and other cultures, like if your middle toe is bigger than your pointer finger toe, like the one next to it, then that means you're going to be taller than the parent of that sex. Whoa. Oh, really? Yeah. That seems like a very abnormal thing for your middle finger toe to be longer than your pointer. It's crazy. No, some people, they stack up nice and evenly, and if you're really hopeful about your height,
Starting point is 00:14:22 you'll really stretch that shit out. So you know what's weird is that there is an actual scientific thing that when you look at your hands, the length of your ring finger in comparison with your pointer finger is an indication of how much testosterone you got in the womb. No shit. And so people who are ā€“ My ring finger is longer than my middle finger. It's my longest finger. Oh, your ring finger is? No, I'm joking.
Starting point is 00:14:49 You look like the craziest unbalanced man. What if you're ā€“ Wait, so what happens ā€“ so looking at that ā€“ It's something with ā€“ longer ring finger means more testosterone. Interesting. Yeah. So on ā€“ nah. they're like equal. Yeah, I think most women's are equal and most men's are a little longer, varying degrees
Starting point is 00:15:12 of longer. Yeah, on one hand, one is a little longer. Yeah. All right, let's get into the stories of the day. I wanted to talk about the Mueller investigation because that's still out there. to talk about the Mueller investigation because that's still out there. I think this has been sort of the response to Trump's tweet storm over the weekend. And then now Trump is thinking about remaking his legal team to bring on a conservative lawyer who has been very vocal claiming that the whole Mueller investigation is a ā€“ Sham.
Starting point is 00:15:47 A conspiracy to frame President Trump by Hillary Clinton and Obama. All of them. All those ā€“ yeah, Joe DiGenova is the new guy that he signed who is ā€“ again, Trump is just picking people he sees on Fox and hiring them because he's on Tucker Carlson all the time. And yet he has some hot takes like, oh, the single most important scandal the last 50 years because senior DOJ and FBI officials engaged in conduct that was designed to corrupt an American presidential election. It wasn't the Russians who corrupted the presidential election.
Starting point is 00:16:20 It was the American officials at the Department of Justice and the FBI. So, yes, of course you want this man caping for you because he believes the same crazy shit that you do right one thing i keep hearing from both sides uh but especially after trump's tweet storm i've been hearing it from conservatives they're like well what are we just going to let this go on forever like he's just going to be able to be investigating the president forever like i want to see some evidence and um the so 538 put together a infographic where they uh represented all the different special counsel investigations from history with like a line and like showed how many years they lasted and then they put circles for each time there was an indictment filed.
Starting point is 00:17:09 And so Mueller's investigation is actually like filing indictments faster than basically any of the ones in the past. And every single past investigation has gone, you know, years at the very least. Yeah, well, the shortest is like nearly three or just over three. Yeah, and the Iran-Contra was the other one that had very early indictments, but that one lasted six years. Like the indictments are a sign that, you know, there's something maybe going on here. are a sign that there's something maybe going on here. The Valerie Plame investigation during the Bush administration, I think that was one of the shortest that went a little over three years. And indictments didn't come till nearly two.
Starting point is 00:17:55 Right. Yeah. So that's one thing that I don't know. I haven't seen fully represented when people are talking about this. Well, I think it's people are just so eager to just figure out like you know on the left people are just so horny for like muller to come through with handcuffs and just cuff everybody up and take everybody out of the nightmare and that's like the left version for wanting this to happen faster and then on the right is just sort of like all right like uh let's not keep underlining the fact that this guy
Starting point is 00:18:21 i mean do we have to keep just doing this forever? It's like, well, he's innocent. And what the fuck is the problem? Like, I feel like we all know they're not innocent. They're like making it plainly obvious by the with the firings. But I really like what you said about what the left is doing about like, which is what I feel. I don't I don't have any optimism when I look at these investigations, you know, because I feel like we're putting all our eggs in this basket. Right. When this is the issue, I think, as a country, I feel like we're not learning any lessons as a country, the way that we're watching and reacting to these investigations, which is that we're not trying to.
Starting point is 00:18:59 I mean, a little bit with the incoming elections, you know, like trying to do this blue wave of like, you know, take back Congress and all that other stuff. But I really feel like this is the issue with us as a country is that we are not we're not thinking about like the big picture. We're just like waiting for somebody to bail us out. And like, right. I don't know. It's easy. And it's easy for a lot of Republicans to sort of sit on their hands right now and not do anything. And whether it's like, oh, we need to protect Robert Mueller or we need to just wait and see what happens.
Starting point is 00:19:32 Yeah. I think this is the litmus test on which the left and the right are the furthest apart. And if Trump fires Mueller, it's going to bring that to a head. I don't know what happens at that point, but it is going to be a crisis. It's going to be worse than I think people. What does that look like? Right. So, I mean, I think on the right, they're just hoping it looks like the left being outraged
Starting point is 00:19:58 and then nothing happening. And then on the left, I don't know what we're turning. Well, it's essentially overturning the rule of law in this country like is there going to be a coup like is that what the crisis signal well i think you know the most calm version right is like let's say he fires muller in the next month right and the republicans just sit on their hands because their strategy going to 2018 is basically like let trump do his thing in every vulnerable district and he'll keep the Senate majority. But then I think really the way it would play out, obviously people would take the streets and protest because I think most people do realize that it's like a step towards Trump just becoming a total dictator, being like, no, I'm above the law.
Starting point is 00:20:40 But I think the only recourse we would have is to really ensure that there is some kind of massive democratic wave in the midterms so at least there's a congress a house and a senate that are diametrically opposed to the president's agenda i mean i kind of think that like i mean i have a very dark view of what's going on i think we're already pretty much in crisis the fact that we absolutely like the fact that any of this is happening at all, that the president fires these people at will and nothing happens. And the fact that like, I don't even think what's happening in Congress is what is representative of the crisis. I think it's what's happening everywhere else. For instance, the Parkland shooting and the protests for that
Starting point is 00:21:23 and how the NRA is pushing back and how no one is really no one's really standing up for those kids you know it's just like i mean that's that's it it's like that's the crisis it's that like the people can die no one really stands up for it it's like we could wait for people to stand up uh in congress but i've long since lost any hope in those guys. Well, yeah, because partisan politics is just turn it into a game of sort of like, I just need to get through these elections. I need to do whatever I need to do. And if that means not rocking the boat to keep my head down and stay in office and be the most popular person in my state or whatever, then so be it. And like, yeah, that's where I think eventually we'll have to come to a head because what happens then when we really do have a president who is saying like, I'm doing like wild illegal shit and you can't prosecute me.
Starting point is 00:22:10 But also it's just like, what is keeping people in Trump's corner? It's like, does he have stuff on people? Because it's just like he literally like at the drop of a hat will fire or out people or like ask them to sacrifice their careers and their livelihoods for to keep him safe and it's like what are they getting i i don't see anybody getting anything out of it i think some people are just so purely focused on power that they get to be near it that yeah everything else goes out the window it's like oh yeah so what i've completely compromised my dignity or like i have no moral scruples or whatever yeah but like what's scaramucci up to right now and what did he really benefit from the power?
Starting point is 00:22:45 Yeah, I don't know. He's fallen ethnically ambiguous on Twitter, I guess. Yeah, that's true. And his podcast. He's fallen. Former cons director for like a week and a half. Right. But he's got a book.
Starting point is 00:22:55 You know, I think that's the other thing. People are just using this to like, oh, let me just get my name in the news and then I'll just do the wild book deal. Yeah. And then I'll make money off of being near this president. And that's how I can do it. But yeah, it's, you know, like they say, there's a lot of articles now that's like this will be worse than watergate right right uh because in watergate you know the democrats had control of
Starting point is 00:23:15 congress right and so they were able to enact some sort of well they also had republicans that were willing to step up to their own president and be like yo there's got to be a line here like we then that's why you know nixon eventually was you know had to resign because there was enough pressure from within his own party this is not going to happen now because there's only what maybe four or five top gop members of congress that are really being like no don't fuck around and even then they're not even the ones that i would even believe because they're so inconsistent. Yeah. And I wonder if Trump is even responding to pressure.
Starting point is 00:23:49 I don't think he's like the regular, like lifelong politician or like or even someone who understands politics enough to know that he should be listening to certain people. Well, yeah. I mean, now that he's got the A-team of weird people around him, he has no reason to act normal because at least he had like the people that he's like, you know, purged out of the White House or the people who would be like, you can't really talk like that or like you shouldn't really we shouldn't go into something like this. And now that those people are gone, he's like doing whatever the fuck he wants. I had no idea how much power a president had until I watched Trump just do whatever he wants to do. I was like, oh, you could do all that? Oh. I mean, there are a couple of ways in which like thinking forward, whatever happens with the Mueller investigation, when Trump is out of office, hopefully in 2020, whoever the next real president is like an actual president who like we want to be able to do the job of president
Starting point is 00:24:46 yeah like if there is a special counsel like if there's precedent to just have a special counsel who uh can you know just do basically what kind of started clinton and you know what uh we want muller to be able to do to trump uh Trump that that could also be sort of a shitty precedent. So there are things that I don't know by having Trump in office. It's a little bit, you know, it sets precedents that aren't aren't good. And it uses precedents from real presidents that, you know, make us regret every decision. Giving a president power. Right, right.
Starting point is 00:25:26 Right, yeah. Cool, because I think, too, with a lot of Republicans, it's sort of like when the Vikings came through in the beginning. They were just robbing monasteries because they're like, y'all got all this gold in these churches and you got these monks protecting it. Meanwhile, we're crazy and we'll kill everybody for gold. And everyone's like, yo, what the fuck? Normally you would respect the church. You wouldn't do some wild shit like that. And this is kind of what Trump is doing, just coming through, doing shit that people are like, whoa, yo, what the fuck? Like normally you would respect the church. Like you wouldn't do some wild shit like that. And this is kind of what Trump is doing.
Starting point is 00:25:45 He's coming through doing shit that people are like, whoa, wait, what the fuck? And I think it's going to take a second to fully be like whatever that line comes. That's the thing. It's like people act like Trump is a rational president that understands. And it's just like, no. It's like having a comedian run the White House or something. What? I can do whatever I want. See, I think this is all just Miles's anti-Viking propaganda.
Starting point is 00:26:11 No, I fuck with the Vikings. Love them. Those monks were cucks and the Vikings came through with their masculine. Their masculine energy. Right. And we're like, come off your gold. Shouts out to Jordan Peterson. All right. We're going to take a quick break and we're like come off your gold shout out to jordan peterson uh all right we're gonna take a quick break and we'll be right back i've been thinking about you i want you back in my life it's too late for that i have a proposal for you come up here and document my project all
Starting point is 00:26:43 you need to do is record everything like you always do. One session. 24 hours. BPM 110, 120. She's terrified. Should we wake her up? Absolutely not. What was that? You didn't figure it out? I think I need to hear you say it. That was live audio of a woman's nightmare. This machine is approved and everything? You're allowed to be doing this? We passed the review board a year ago. We're not hurting people.
Starting point is 00:27:14 There's nothing dangerous about what you're doing. They're just dreams. Dream Sequence is a new horror thriller from Blumhouse Television, iHeartRadio, and Realm. Listen to Dream Sequence on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, everyone. It's me, Katie Couric. If you follow me on social media, you know I love to cook, or at least try, especially alongside some of my favorite chefs and foodies,
Starting point is 00:27:43 like Benny Blanco, Jake Cohen, Lighty Hoyt, Alison Roman, and of course, Ina Garten and Martha Stewart. So I started a free newsletter called Good Taste that comes out every Thursday, and it's serving up recipes that will make your mouth water. Think a candied bacon Bloody Mary, tacos with cabbage slaw, curry cauliflower with almonds and mint, and cherry slab pie with vanilla ice cream to top it all off. I mean, yum. I'm getting hungry. But if you're not sold yet, we also have kitchen tips like a foolproof way to grill the perfect
Starting point is 00:28:16 burger and must-have products like the best cast iron skillet to feel like a chef in your own kitchen. All you need to do is sign up at katiecouric.com slash goodtaste. That's K-A-T-I-E-C-O-U-R-I-C dot com slash goodtaste. I promise your taste buds will be happy you did. Do you ever wonder where your favorite foods come from? Like what's the history behind bacon-wrapped hot dogs? Hi, I'm Eva Longoria. Hi, I'm Maite Gomez-Rejon. Our podcast, Hungry for History, is back. Season two. Season two.
Starting point is 00:28:51 Are we recording? Are we good? Oh, we push record, right? Okay. And this season, we're taking an even bigger bite out of the most delicious food and its history. Saying that the most popular cocktail is the margarita, followed by the mojito from Cuba, and the piƱa colada from Puerto Rico.
Starting point is 00:29:08 So all of these, we think, Latin culture. There's a mention of blood sausage in Homer's Odyssey that dates back to the 9th century B.C. B.C.? I didn't realize how old the hot dog was. Listen to Hungry for History as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:29:32 When you think of Mexican culture, you think of avocado, mariachi, delicious cuisine, and of course, lucha libre. It doesn't get more Mexican than this. Lucha libre is known globally because it is much more than just a sport and much more than just entertainment. Lucha Libre is a type of storytelling. It's a dance. It's tradition. It's culture. This is Lucha Libre Behind the Mask, a 12-episode podcast in both English and Spanish about the history and cultural richness of Lucha Libre. And I'm your host, Santos Escobar, the emperor of Lucha Libre and a WWE superstar. Santos! Santos!
Starting point is 00:30:09 Join me as we learn more about the history behind this spectacular sport from its inception in the United States to how it became a global symbol of Mexican culture. We'll learn more about some of the most iconic heroes in the ring. This is Lucha Libre Behind the Mask. Listen to Lucha Libre Behind the Mask. Listen to Lucha Libre Behind the Mask
Starting point is 00:30:27 as part of My Cultura Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream podcasts. And we're back. The first subject we wanted to talk about is a little bit of good news, the fact that it's looking like we're going to have viable nuclear fusion
Starting point is 00:30:45 coming down the line in about 15 years, which is exciting. All right, let me set my alarm for 15 years. But that, I mean, that is one of the ways that, you know, we could definitely see climate change being addressed as, you know. But before we get to that, we're just also talking about ā€“ How deeply cynical everyone still is about everything. Well, yeah. I mean, for instance, the idea that there is a nuclear option. Charlie, you were saying that like we didn't even know that was a thing.
Starting point is 00:31:15 I didn't know that was a thing. Like Miles was talking about how 30 ā€“ like Democrats have won 37. A lot of special elections, yeah. Special elections and republicans have only won four and i was saying like let me just rain on your parade there because he was trying to make me more hopeful right because i'm like even if the democrats do take that congress i just don't see them being ready for power right like they just don't use power the way that the republicans do in the sense that like the i didn't even know what nuclear option was until the Republicans used it on the, what was it?
Starting point is 00:31:48 The house floor or something. Or like, I had no idea the kinds of things and tactics you could, you know, employ, um, until Republicans did it. So I'm just like, are they ready to like, are they ready, ready to like go balls to the wall? Like, are they ready to like really push through some things the way that the republicans push things through you know right yeah i was talking to a friend of my very smart guy one of the smartest people i know who happens to be a conservative and just you know he was making a lot of different points about the muller investigation but
Starting point is 00:32:20 the thing that just kept popping up in my head was, man, if this was Obama, you guys would have been like Fox News would have been like losing their mind. And, you know, we wouldn't have even gotten to where where we are in the Trump situation because of just how crazy the right-wing media would have gone. And, you know, I do feel like it's just people are playing two separate games and the right-wing media and the right-wing politicians are just so much shrewder and just more effective. They're still doing Jedi mind tricks. The right-wing is doing Jedi mind tricks and everyone ā€“ the whole gaslighting term that started being used. That's what's happening. The NRA is doing it. Everybody is doing it and no one is being honest.
Starting point is 00:33:17 This is what I was talking about with Miles too on the break. It was about how Trump is just a symptom of everything else that's going on and like of what we've allowed as a country to happen. You know, like, of course, Obama couldn't do this because he's black and Trump is white. And this is what the country wants, like the country wants. I mean, not the country, I don't think. But like, this is what the people that voted for him want. They want their power back.
Starting point is 00:33:40 So they're going to be using all kinds of backhanded terms and like alt-right instead of just saying Nazi and things like that. And the news goes along with it because that's what makes money and that's what people watch. So it's like we're just going to keep doing this little dance until we like ā€“ I don't think we're ever going to stop the bullshit. But I do got to say, yeah, with the nuclear option, the Democrats started. Schumer was the one to use. No way. Yeah, because it was during the time when the Republicans were fucking just obstructing like Obama couldn't get shit done. And I was like, we may have to we have to blow this thing up.
Starting point is 00:34:14 But yes, now it's like anything. Right. Because you have to shift the rules like Jack was saying before of like Obama had expand powers were obstructing you know his sort of policy goals and then in the in the senate and things a lot of uh procedure was altered and things to sort of get around these things and now we're kind of you know on the other side but anyway what about some good news jack you're saying something about fusion something about the environment yeah so um this is something that uh i had sort of just put out of my mind as a possibility, nuclear energy being a thing. I think I was raised on The Simpsons where Homer works at a nuclear power plant and there's a fish that has three eyes because of that nuclear power plant.
Starting point is 00:35:26 And, you know, in the late 70s, early 80s, there was a movie called China Syndrome, which I never knew where that title came from. core is so hot that it will actually burn through the planet and like come out the other end in china which uh is not how gravity works uh but right at a certain point it's just gonna be on the other right it would just stop okay anyway anyways um so that's that's where that's the idea there and there's a lot of just fear and you know uh trinobol was obviously uh awful and a lot of just fear and, you know, Chernobyl was obviously awful and a lot of bad shit happened there. But they have made nuclear energy much safer than it has been in the past. And a lot of the nuclear energy stuff besides Chernobyl has really been panic-based stuff. And Fukushima? Well, Fukushima, it didn't end up hurting that many people. And like people.
Starting point is 00:36:06 Right. But it destroyed the water. I mean, like the effects are pretty profound, like to the actual water table in the surrounding area and things like that. Yeah. But like, I guess,
Starting point is 00:36:15 yeah, if you're not talking full blown meltdown, but yeah, I think there's still an inherent risk with, with some, right. With some. no,
Starting point is 00:36:21 no, I think there is, but I also think the response in the aftermath, like Nancy Grace was freaking out about planes coming from Japan having all this radiation on them. And the level of radiation she was talking about was actually just from those planes being above the clouds, like close to the sun. Like that's ā€“ Right. It's like atmospheric radiation. The sun has lots of radiation.
Starting point is 00:36:54 But ā€“ so I just think that it's overrated how dangerous nuclear power plants are. And now that we're actually seeing some consequences to global warming at nuclear energy and especially now that uh some scientists have come out uh the guardian just had a report on the 9th of march saying that we're only 15 years away from nuclear fusion which uh nuclear fission is what we've been working with up to this point uh it's got all the you know dangers inherent that uh you know that caused Chernobyl and all that bad stuff. Fusion is basically how the sun works. It's by fusing two atoms together. It creates this boundless energy, but it's much safer. It's much more stable.
Starting point is 00:37:59 It creates more energy. It's basically like the holy grail of energy. And they think we're about 15 years away from it. But it's not fashionable to be into nuclear, especially in the West, which is kind of ā€“ Why not? Because of those things that we're talking about because people associate those cooling towers with like nuclear meltdowns and stuff. towers with like nuclear meltdowns and stuff um but it's perfectly safe and you know much better for the planet than the things that we're currently using to heat and power our electric grid right because like photovoltaics and like solar and things like that can only generate so much energy
Starting point is 00:38:39 whereas like fusion is like you're saying like it's an insane amount of energy that like enables a lot of other things like even desalinization and things like that because like being able to do that, like there are knock-on effects. If in 15 years ā€“ I'm starting to count ā€“ if they actually do have this full-on carbon-free scaled fusion power, that could have like pretty widespread benefits for humanity. I feel like as soon as they make it viable, like somebody is going to start selling it. Yeah. Yeah. Cause right now I think it's like, you know,
Starting point is 00:39:10 it costs like billions of dollars just to research it. Yeah. And they're saying like, you know, the first plants could be tens of billions of dollars, maybe trillions more depending on like, you know, how sophisticated it is.
Starting point is 00:39:21 Because right now, like the whole struggle has been like, they've been able to uh fuse the atoms to sort of create the energy release but they haven't been able to generate more power from the fusion than it takes to even create the reaction in the first place so like i think now that they're starting to reach that tipping point where they can be like okay we're getting a return on the energy we're putting in i guess it's becoming more feasible but i have to say that is like the one thing i am looking forward to like unlimited energy technology like tesla doesn't have any huge
Starting point is 00:39:51 competition right now as far as their standard of car you know like if like other when other people get in the game and you can get like a cheap electric car that's like really nice right or like uh we phase out gas cars you know like which is a long time from now but still totally totally in the distance you know well a lot of countries aren't trying to phase them out so that's it's a sign it's a step towards it's cool i think russia even though they're the site of the one nuclear meltdown that has killed lots of people, they have invested more in nuclear power than we have, I think, purely because we're ruled by the whims of the public, you know? And if there's a scary movie like The China Syndrome that comes out, that's going to
Starting point is 00:40:36 determine how viable it is for a community to invest in nuclear power. There's this thing I just found out about called like the race for the Arctic shipping routes. And basically, Russia has all these different boats that are called nuclear icebreakers that are basically nuclear powered boats that break through ice in the northern, like in northern shipping routes. And basically, they're going to rule all the northern shipping routes once the ice has melted enough due to global warming. So they're sort of investing for a future that includes global warming.
Starting point is 00:41:18 And they're able to do it better than us because they can invest in nuclear energy and not have these like sort of misunderstandings about how safe nuclear energy is. But yeah, I mean, super producer Nick Stumpf just sent a list of energy source mortality rates, deaths per year per TWH, which I'm assuming is like per 100,000 or something like that. I'm assuming it's like per 100,000 or something like that. But coal, the world average is 161 deaths per year. Coal in China, 278. In the U.S., it's 15.
Starting point is 00:41:54 Oil, 36. Natural gas, 4. And nuclear is 0.04. So it's basically the safest. Like it's safer than ā€“ I guess rooftop solar according to this list. Right. Rooftop solar, there's ā€“ But what are the ā€“ I guess you have to think about ā€“
Starting point is 00:42:07 They cause fires. Right. Wind, I think ā€“ I don't actually know how wind kills people. It kills all the birds. It kills a lot of birds. There's like trees falling and unstable buildings. But it's weird to think, you know, like that only 15 people, I guess, are like ones that they can directly relate to coal-generated energy essentially. Is that the idea?
Starting point is 00:42:27 So it's deaths per year per tetrawatt hour, we think, which is a guess. But we think it's like per unit of energy produced. But look, we're not scientists. Right. They're basically saying nuclear energy is per unit of energy the safest type of energy when you compare it to oil, coal, natural gas, biofuel, heat, solar slash rooftop, wind, and hydroelectricity, which I thought was the safest. Okay. Well, get that fusion going. Like I said, scientists, you have, I i guess 14 years and 363 days now yeah but i'm saying i'm saying get the fission going too like we're too scared of
Starting point is 00:43:12 fission like this the nuclear energy table that we were just looking at where that says nuclear energy is the safest type of energy that's based on nuclear fission like that's current oh right right right right so like just let's start using nuclear energy uh this episode brought to you by the uh atomic uh administration of america right i see you couldn't even come up with a company that's how yeah that's how shitty our nuclear power energy is uh and then one other uh super depressing thing we wanted to bring up uh in under the guise of bring up under the guise of good news. So Toys R Us, a lot of people claim that they're closing because Amazon is putting them out of business. And while that's partially true.
Starting point is 00:43:55 Wait, Toys R Us is closing? All of them? All Toys R Us are closing. Okay. If anyone is a child listening to this, go tell your parents to buy your toys right now because they'll probably be so cheap. Right. And just have them stack up right now. Man, fuck.
Starting point is 00:44:09 I wish this happened when I was a kid. I would use this. I would be like, you know what, Mom? I should be able to get at least one more Ninja Turtle action figure because this store is liquidated. Anyway. Yeah. Yeah, Toys R Us was like the dopest place to possibly go when I was a kid. I only went one time in my entire childhood.
Starting point is 00:44:24 Yeah. In my life, actually. And what was it? And do you remember what the situation was? I wanted a Barbie dream house or an Easy Bake Oven. Okay. We did end up getting that oven. And it wasn't just the Easy Bake Oven.
Starting point is 00:44:37 We got this whole little kitchen. Oh, wow. So that was pretty cool. That's awesome. Yeah, that was really cool. The cool. Yeah, man. That's where I got my He-Man Castle of Greyskull when I was like a kid.
Starting point is 00:44:51 That's where the dopest shit was. What is it? Persian Gulf War themed Ninja Turtle action figures? War propaganda toys? Or like Leonardo was an Air Force pilot? Why did you guys get fun toys and I got like laborious toys? I got toys that were taught in teaching me labor. Well, that was in addition to books. Like, man got books which in retrospect i'm like thank you no we
Starting point is 00:45:10 gotta get you got a helpful toy i don't think we gotta get all ready for their role ready to cook huh right here's your pickaxe what here's a pickaxe and an easy bake set because you learn how to mine any he-man and ninja-Man and Ninja Turtles. You guys are being prepared to do nothing. My first washing board. It's obsolete technology. And I had so much fun with that EasyBake oven, too. I mean, baby's first loom. It's like weave your own fabrics, kids.
Starting point is 00:45:39 Right. Coal mine. So anyways, there's an interesting report in, I believe, the Washington Post that says that one of the real problems for Toys R Us and Kids R Us, which is their baby... Babies R Us, right? Babies R Us. Oh, Babies R Us. That's right.
Starting point is 00:45:56 Which is like sort of baby clothes and baby products. Baby everything. Baby everything. Cribs. Is that... Shouldn't I know this? I'm the one who's like the parent meanwhile i'm the creepy single guy babies r us i just like to know what's out there right uh we
Starting point is 00:46:12 actually have a babies r us gift card that we need to use this is reminding me but anyways uh toys are so they're they have a map that is uh like basically babies born in the U.S. rolling 12-year total and change from the year earlier. And then they have that chart. And then below that, Toys R Us revenue, calendar year totals, change from a year earlier. And they basically map to each other. So it's like how many babies we're having completely maps to how profitable Toys R Us and Babies R Us are.
Starting point is 00:46:48 And our child output has gone down. Since 2010, we've been on a ever downward slope, which used to be seen as like something to aim for. In the 70s, everybody was worried that like the world was going to end because of overpopulation. And then all these amazing breakthroughs happened that we never talk about, like a guy who figured out a really hardy form of wheat that fed basically billions and billions of people and is the reason that we're able to sustain as many people on the planet Earth as we are today. the reason that we're able to sustain as many people on the planet earth as we are today uh like all these amazing things happen and now we're like ah we got to get those baby making rates back up yeah which i don't know i think people should be able to have children at whatever rate whatever that seems to happen i think people are pushing back more on the traditional thing like oh you should have kids by this age or whatever you need a family immediately where
Starting point is 00:47:44 i mean most people my generation are like i'm good on kids right now right yeah is it just that we're good on kids or is that like we have student loans we have like so many barriers right like the milestones that our parents reached at our age because there were like a middle class back in the day where you'd be like hey i could be like a city worker like and i could also put kids through college like i won't even think about having kids until i pay off my student loans like i just don't see a way that it makes sense i just know that past generations did not view that as much as as much of a barrier like my grandfather was a philadelphia city cop and a truck driver like alternatingly his wife my grandmother was did not work and they had eight kids yeah because they were irish catholic yeah that's just how you do it to the
Starting point is 00:48:32 same my parents don't see any correlation between my student loans and having kids which is like you should be having kids and i'm just like see the way the world works right now is that i can't do that right now yeah this cost a lot of money. I think they cost more money than they did in your day. You have to be balling to have a kid. Like, I look at somebody who has a kid, I'm like, oh, you're doing real good. You're rich. I'm just like, you have a kid. I know you guys were saying that I ā€“
Starting point is 00:48:55 Yeah, you got two kids' money. Yeah. I use my kids mostly as a status symbol. That's mainly why I had them. Yeah, you have an iced out chain with a picture of two just two birth certificates hanging off right like yeah i just had one got the dealer plates on it and everything uh i mean it's just like a cultural shift i don't even think it's just the financial aspect i think it's also that like people are just waiting longer to get married people are
Starting point is 00:49:23 waiting longer to settle people are waiting longer to have kids. People don't really want kids like feminism. Women are like, I'm free without having a kid. Yeah, I think this is all good for everyone. It's fine for everybody. Including for my kids. Although they're in a little baby like bust. They're not in a baby boom.
Starting point is 00:49:44 So less competition they're gonna be you know rolling yeah but they'll still be competing with each other right exactly yeah and that's how i like to keep it yeah you should bring in other kids just to keep your own kids like in stranger kids right these are some wild card kids i brought home y'all just to keep you guys you you know, at attention. Right. And we're going to feed them first because they got better grades than you. Are you kids ready for attention tryouts?
Starting point is 00:50:15 Hey, but population and generation size allows me to talk about my second favorite thing to the British coal gas study, which is my favorite thing. I talk about it for usually on average an hour every day. It just happens to be sometimes in front of these microphones. But so there's also this thing called the dependency ratio, which is how many working age people a population has compared to non-working age. So people who are under 18 or over the age of 65, they put those like children and elderly people on one side of the scale. And then you put the working age people on the other side of the scale. And if you have more of the working age people, the more like the better the balance is in favor
Starting point is 00:51:02 of the working age people, the better your economy is going to do essentially. And so this is why China on one end of the scale has been doing so well because they had that one child policy for all those years. And so they had this huge baby boom of children going through working ā€“ going through their working age from 18 to 65. And then behind them, they had very few children because they had the one-child policy, so they had a really good dependency ratio, a lot of workers, not that many children to take care of, not that many elderly people to care for. And then on the other hand, you have developing countries where people have to have a lot of children to have a full-sized family
Starting point is 00:51:46 because infant mortality and death rates are very you know out of control for younger children and so that keeps them at a bad dependency ratio um but then china's kind of going to have the tail end of that now right so china's all those people are going to be retired. Right. America and China are both heading for a much worse dependency ratio because America's baby boomers. So America, for the past like 30 years, was passing through the period where our baby boom, our biggest lump of people, was passing through working age. And now they're all about to retire. So we're going to have all those old baby boomers dragging down the economy. We're already seeing it in some instances.
Starting point is 00:52:31 See, Sharla, aren't you excited now? Okay. So this is what I'm thinking about. Yeah, I know. Now we're looking at this shit. But this is what I'm wondering, because I'm'm like so many things are going to be autonomized or like autonomous driving. Like all those Lyft workers are going to be out of work. Like Boston Dynamics is creating all these like people and dog robots that are like so scary.
Starting point is 00:52:58 Frightening, yeah. They're so scary. And I'm like we're going to automate so much that like how much people, how many people do we actually need in the workforce? That's a very good question. It might make the dependency ratio obsolete. Exactly. And then we have to talk about the universal basic income then. Right.
Starting point is 00:53:17 Yeah. Right. To tackle that problem. Right. And then on top of that, we got the immigrants. Okay. And MS-13. The problem should never end, man.
Starting point is 00:53:25 I can't take it. Anyways, that is one reason why not having a great childbirth rate is something that countries have traditionally feared. Right. And why Russia has, like, baby-making day in their country where Putin is like, now everybody fucks. Yes? Do it. Great Putin impression. everybody fucks yes uh because great putin impression uh but yeah like they actually literally have like a national like sort of enforced valentine's day where they tell everybody
Starting point is 00:53:52 to have sex with each other japan was trying to do that too yeah the population contraction is still happening and they're like even the companies are like hey please take the day off and like try and find someone to start a family with like but at the same time, they have like people die at work because they have that crazy work culture where people ā€“ It's like you guys got a lot of problems. In a non-slave labor context, people are voluntarily working themselves to death. Yeah. Well, not voluntarily, like culturally whatever. Culturally expected, yeah.
Starting point is 00:54:18 But yeah. Yeah. All right. We're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back. I've been thinking about you. we're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back. always do. One session, 24 hours. BPM 110, 120. She's terrified. Should we wake her up? Absolutely not. What was that? You didn't figure it out? I think I need to hear you say it. That was live audio of a woman's nightmare. This machine is approved and everything? You're allowed to be doing this? We passed the review board a year ago. We're not hurting people. There's nothing
Starting point is 00:55:10 dangerous about what you're doing. They're just dreams. Dream Sequence is a new horror thriller from Blumhouse Television, iHeartRadio, and Realm. Listen to Dream Sequence on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Season two. Are we recording? Are we good? Oh, we push record, right? Okay. And this season, we're taking in a bigger bite
Starting point is 00:55:48 out of the most delicious food and its history. Saying that the most popular cocktail is the margarita, followed by the mojito from Cuba, and the piƱa colada from Puerto Rico. So all of these... We have, we think, Latin culture. There's a mention of blood sausage in Homer's Odyssey that dates back to the 9th century B.C. B.C.?
Starting point is 00:56:08 I didn't realize how old the hot dog was. Listen to Hungry for History as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, everyone. It's me, Katie Couric. If you follow me on social media, you know I love to cook or at least try, especially alongside some of my favorite chefs and foodies like Benny Blanco, Jake Cohen, Lighty Hoyt, Alison Roman, and of course, Ina Garten and Martha Stewart. So I started a free newsletter called Good Taste that comes out every Thursday, and it's serving up recipes that will make your mouth water. Think a candied bacon Bloody Mary, tacos with cabbage slaw, curry cauliflower with almonds and mint, and cherry slab pie with vanilla ice cream to top it all off.
Starting point is 00:56:59 I mean, yum. I'm getting hungry. But if you're not sold yet, we also have kitchen tips like a foolproof way to grill the perfect burger and must-have products like the best cast iron skillet to feel like a chef in your own kitchen. All you need to do is sign up at katiecouric.com slash goodtaste. That's K-A-T-I-E-C-O-U-R-I-C dot com slash goodtaste. I promise your taste buds will be happy you did. show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network. You thought you had fun last season? Well, you were right. And you should tune in today for new fun segments like Sister Court and listening to Lacey's steamy DMs. We've got new and exciting guests like Michael Beach. That's my husband. Daphne Spring, Daniel Thrasher, Peppermint, Morgan Jay, and more. You got to watch us. No, you mean you have to listen to us.
Starting point is 00:58:05 I mean, you can still watch us, but you got to listen. Like, if you're watching us, you have to tell us. Like, if you're out the window, you have to say, hey, I'm watching you outside of the window. Just, you know what? Listen to the Amber and Lacey, Lacey and Amber show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. hashtag for like nuclear energy just to make it cool nuke gang nuke life nuke family i think they should embrace that three-eyed fish from the simpsons and just like make that their you know but make that the third eye right you know i mean i have to look at how spiritual we can be and look at the possibility of humanity there you go look hire me nuclear atomic agency that i just
Starting point is 00:58:59 made up for the purpose of this bit uh all right to close out, we wanted to talk about the holiday that we're all celebrating here at the Daily Zeitgeist Studios because it is the spring equinox and also the first day of the Persian New Year. No way.
Starting point is 00:59:17 And we are going to bring on super producer Anna Hosnier to discuss this holiday with us. Anna, how are you? Thanks for having me. I want to make it very clear. When I was growing up, I was allowed to take this day off of school. So the fact that you have me here today. Well, you know, it's funny. Yesterday you were toying with the idea and then you didn't full stop ask Jack if you could take the day off. You're like, so tomorrow's New Year's and I
Starting point is 00:59:41 would have been like, look, Jack, this is a religious holiday. So if you want to get sued. Here's the other thing. I was raised by Persian immigrants, so there's no way I can't come to work. Like break me if I knew you guys were sitting here and no one was taking notes and I wasn't doing my job. So it's kind of a catch 22. I have no freedom. On the other hand, all your notes are fuck Jack. I did draw a cool babies are us Us logo while you guys were talking.
Starting point is 01:00:08 Oh, you should submit that. That might help them. Oh my God, thank you so much. So tell us about... So Spring Equinox, first of all, just from like a scientific perspective, this is the point at which the northern tilt of the planet starts getting closer and closer to the sun. So it's like it passes from the northern hemisphere being further away from the sun to the northern hemisphere being closer to the sun, essentially. And then summer equinox will be when the northern hemisphere is at its closest point to the sun.
Starting point is 01:00:40 Right. The sun crosses the celestial equator, as they call it. And it equalizes night and day. Oh, right, because it's like nearly, because I looked on my phone, it was like sunrise 703, sunset 707. I was like, wow, look at that. It's 12 hours. The Persians turn up. What a cool holiday.
Starting point is 01:00:57 Wait, so tell me about, I mean, growing up in L.A., I had a lot of friends who would miss this day in school for the Persian New Year. But just let me know. What's going on? So Persian New Year is actually interesting because it actually predates Islam. Oh, my goodness. It's like 3,500 about years old. Like it goes back to like Zoroastrianism. Yeah, Zoroastrianism.
Starting point is 01:01:21 It goes back to then. Zoroastrianism. Which was ā€“ that's an old, old, old, old religion. As do a lot of Christian holidays, but I'm not going to say that. Okay. Wow. Okay. Podcasters for Christ over here.
Starting point is 01:01:34 So it's actually interesting. It's the vernal equinox. It ushers in the Persian New Year, and it's a celebration of nature's rebirth, and it lasts about two weeks. It's a two-week party? Is it a party? Well, do they turn up for two weeks or just the two-week party is it a party well do they turn up for two weeks or just the first no just the first day but you you prep for it so you clean your house you fix anything that's broken in your house it's almost like a spring deep cleaning that
Starting point is 01:01:54 you do to get ready for it um wait what does the turn up look like oh i'm sorry before the turn up when you said fix stuff you'd be like you know that light that hasn't been working yes you got it no more you gotta fucking fix that what if it's like a tv what would'd be like, you know that light that hasn't been working? Yes. You got it. No more. You got to fucking fix that. What if it's like a TV? What a great way to turn. Would you be like, we got to go get the new TV too? Yeah. You would like refresh everything.
Starting point is 01:02:10 That's awesome. To make it work. Or if that chair was wonky, you would fix the leg. Or would you buy stuff too? Or is that more like just fix something you don't necessarily go and consume? Well, it is. You do give gifts. Today is the day you give gifts.
Starting point is 01:02:21 So you guys, I'm ready for my gifts. I'm giving the gift of love. Yes. I'm giving the gift of love. I'm giving the gift of attention. Okay, so go on. Now the turn up. So yeah, so we have ā€“ this is the best part. We set up fire pits that we jump over. What?
Starting point is 01:02:37 Yeah. It's pretty wild. So we have parties at night and then there's fire pits. You jump over the fire. Older people put the kids on their shoulders and jump over the fire and then we eat. It's pretty fun. It's a little fire, I'm assuming. It depends.
Starting point is 01:02:51 Oh, my God. There's a photo of my father from his teens jumping over the most blazing fire I've ever seen in my life with a little tiny kid on his shoulder, which is just so crazy to me. Maybe if I find this photo, I will bring it to you guys. But it depends like i think now in america when people celebrate like fire marshals like shows yeah they're like uh that is a viking pyre you've created now it's like a little tray they set a little fire and you jump over it because as you know people get older right you can't risk it you can't jump over and they still do like i have are, like, in their 80s who are jumping over these fires because, you know, tradition. You got to turn it up. Tradition rules.
Starting point is 01:03:28 Yeah. Yeah. So in the final days leading up to Noru's, we set up a half-scene table. And it's like a little table, and it has seven items that are symbolic of the year. Okay. So to bring in the new year, we set up lentil sprouts for rebirth, sweet pudding for abundance and fertility, vinegar for wisdom and patience, garlic for health, dried fruit. Fruit. Fruit.
Starting point is 01:03:53 I like fruit. Now tell me, is that like fruit? Dried fruit. Fruit. Why do I think I can't say that? I think that's like an Iranian fruit. Yeah. Fruit.
Starting point is 01:04:02 Dried fruit for love. Apple for beauty. Sumac berries to allude to the colors of dawn. The word Nowruz translates to a new day. So we refresh all our vibes. And then wait, what was the thing about the fishbowl? Isn't there a fishbowl
Starting point is 01:04:17 thing too? Yeah, you kind of put literally life. Oh, and some people do. You put a little fishy. And then you sacrifice it? No, but some people do. So yeah, you put a little fishy. And then you sacrifice it? No, but usually if you have a cat, that fish does not last more than a day. So do you actually celebrate this?
Starting point is 01:04:34 Yeah. I grew up celebrating it. We would always go to family members' houses and stuff. And like I said, I would always get the day off and I would get a gift. Now my mom, if I ask for a gift... I think if she mentions, I would get the day off one more time. Look guys, I want to make it very clear.
Starting point is 01:04:47 Everybody has to drink. I am doing everyone a favor by being here. Yeah, wait, so are you going to do something today? I am going to leave early today. I didn't tell you guys that. Bye. Oh, wow. She's walking out right now.
Starting point is 01:04:58 Anna? Oh, okay. So she's gone. Cool. But also, there's also, do we want to talk about Homeboy? Homeboy? Mr. Blackface? Oh, right.
Starting point is 01:05:08 Right, so there's a problematic. Homeboy, Mr. Black. Yeah, so there is this, like, it's almost the best way to describe it. He's kind of like an Iranian New Year's Santa Claus. He wears all red, and he's this fictional character in, like, Iranian folklore. He's called Haji Firuz. His face is covered in soot, but really, if you look at it now. He's called Haji Firuz. His face is covered in soot, but really, if you look at it now, it's just kind of blackface.
Starting point is 01:05:36 He wears bright red clothes, and he has a little felt hat, and he dances through the streets, and he plays the tambourine and sings, and he gives the kids candy. And so he comes through. His history is that he was kind of like this serf if you will he was like this controversial character who would just come through and like shake things up he would like create parades to be like guys it's the new year and we're here to celebrate he would just show up out of nowhere like he would just poof and be like whoa i'm here to party god yeah and he would start like parades of people who would see him and be like yeah yeah, follow Haji Feroz. And then everyone would just dance behind him because he's like the party popper. That's the thing.
Starting point is 01:06:08 It's weird. In retrospect, it seems like it came from slavery. Well, that's the thing. When we were looking at it yesterday, when you're telling me about it, like even though the sort of it started off as just a like a Persian person who had soot on their face and with no real thing like, oh's that african man who's fun but then over time i don't know if that like melded with like western races well yeah but on wikipedia it says it's claimed that the blackened face symbolizes his returning of
Starting point is 01:06:35 from the world of the dead and his red clothing is a sign of the blood of siaash, which was a prince in folklore. And singer. That's not their name. But then they say it's like the soot, when he comes from the dead and he appears out of a cloud of dust, he's covered in soot. But in reality, it's just blackface. That seems like a long walk to get to blackface. I wonder if there's a connection between
Starting point is 01:07:02 the soot from the fire. Maybe, because you might hear out of it. I would go with that explanation next time. It's hard to explain. Oh, Anna's in blackface today. We forgot to mention that. She called it soot again. That's not real, you guys.
Starting point is 01:07:16 Please don't at me about this. Today, to deal with more of the controversial kind of blatant racism is now they only paint half the face black. Cause I think people were kind of being like, let's just be half. It's kind of a funny thing because when I was growing up and I was, I took like, um, like a Persian Sunday school where I would learn to write and read and Farsi
Starting point is 01:07:38 that we would have a yearly party, like at the community center where we would put on a show. And it was like actually a great honor to be chosen to play haji firoz which like looking back on it was like why would anyone be so hyped to be this like now i'm really like wondering like what is the history of africans and uh iran or yeah in the persia iran it's an old-timey culture and they do have a tendency to be racist. No. I'm kidding.
Starting point is 01:08:06 But how many ā€“ what's the immigration like in Iran? Right. I wonder what is the history of African slavery. Very little, I think. Especially after the revolution. I don't think many people are immigrating there. I think they're all from Iran right now, if you know what I mean. I'm sorry.
Starting point is 01:08:20 You're saying that through clenched teeth. No, they're not. Yeah, okay. Sorry. You don't want to get hemmed up at the border. I still have family in Iran and next time I go, I'm not trying to get held as a political bargaining tool. What's it like when you visit?
Starting point is 01:08:32 It's chill. I always go, and then I'm surrounded by my family, and literally no one lets anyone talk to me on the streets. It's pretty cool. And I always have an uncle who walks behind me very quietly as if I have a bodyguard. No way. So if anyone says anything to me, they step in like, don't bother her. She's American and she's not here for you.
Starting point is 01:08:48 Oh, shit. Yeah. It's actually pretty wild. That's the dopest way to travel, actually. Do they do that because they know you'll say something problematic? I mean, yeah. They know I'm not. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:08:58 I mean, you know me. I'm a little feisty sometimes. Yeah, yeah. And I have kind of spoken. Here's the thing. I'm not used to the fact that as a woman there i'm not allowed to like right right right right yeah you know i have literally a microphone in front of my face half the time and they're like so really when they keep they're
Starting point is 01:09:15 protecting you because i've done don't talk to her she's gonna talk like and then my cousin pulls me aside it's like let's be real you know you're not allowed to do that. You can't woo. Well, I can't be acting a fool out there because women are very quiet and they're kept, you know. Acting a fool. Don't they know you're from the Bay? You go dumb. You know what I mean? You don't know that?
Starting point is 01:09:36 You go hyphy out there. They do point out that I have like the most California accent when I speak Farsi. Like they're all like, whoa, where are you from? What is that? Califarsi? I have like a super like, hey guys, Farsi. What's a word? Salam!
Starting point is 01:09:52 What's hello in Farsi? Salam. Salam. Salam, bro. And they're all just like, cool, that's the American cousin. Yeah. Well, happy Iranian New Year, everybody.
Starting point is 01:10:08 Thank you, everybody. Ana, you can leave now. You can all send me gifts. I'll Venmo you. How stuff works. I'll Venmo you. I will. Thanks for having me.
Starting point is 01:10:17 Your gift was coming on this podcast. What was that? Salanom Obarak. Salanom Obarak. Happy New Year. Oh, hell yeah. Salanom Obarak. Boom. She's already. Happy New Year. Oh, hell yeah. Saleno Mubarak. Boom.
Starting point is 01:10:26 Boom. That was actually really good. We out here. Charlotte, it has been a pleasure having you on this podcast. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:10:34 Where can our audience find you? Follow you. You can follow me at I'm Charlotte Face on Twitter. I am Charlotte Face. I hate that that's my handle. You shouldn't. It's. I am. I hate that.
Starting point is 01:10:45 That's my, uh, handle. You should, it's hard to say. It is awesome. It's always hard to say. And you can,
Starting point is 01:10:51 I'm Charlotte. It's Charlotte face on Instagram as well. And I run a show called velvet. Uh, the next show is April 6th. Um, at Copperstone in Korea town. Awesome.
Starting point is 01:11:02 Miles. Yes. Where can people find you? Oh, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram at Miles of Grey. You can find me on Twitter at Jack underscore O'Brien. You can find us on Twitter at Daily Zeitgeist. We're at The Daily Zeitgeist on Instagram. We have a Facebook fan page, but I don't know if you want to go there.
Starting point is 01:11:20 You might want to protect your information. All of that, your information. And we have a website, Dailyzikeice.com, where we post our episodes and our footnotes. Footnotes. Where we link off to the information that we talked about today. That is going to do it for today. Miles, do you have a song for us? Yes.
Starting point is 01:11:38 Okay. So yesterday, we did a Herbie Hancock little remix of Watermelon Man. Today, I want to do a hip-hop track. Well, kind of like reggae track. That Super Cat samples that Herbie Hancock song and turns it into one of the early hits for Bad Boy. This is Super Cat, Dolly My Baby, remix with Puff Daddy and Biggie rapping on it. And, oh, my God, if you want to hear early Puff Daddy rap, you just hold on to your cigarette butts. Early Puff Daddy is my favorite rapper.
Starting point is 01:12:06 Oh, yeah. Early Puff Daddy is everyone's favorite rapper. No Way Out. Oh, yeah. Man, he was so good. When he adopted Mase's style. Oh, yeah. All right.
Starting point is 01:12:14 You mean when Mase wrote for him? Anyway. That's going to do it for today. We will be back tomorrow because it is a daily podcast. Talk to you guys then. Bye. Bye-bye. because it is a daily podcast.
Starting point is 01:12:22 Talk to you guys then. Bye. Bye-bye. I love the girls, they're forever But I let love go, babe, who lets the lover stay? And I let the lover keep on trying to rise along the way But I'm hoping this is just him or the girls, them, these, me I said, darling, show me, darling, my baby Open, darling, show me, darling, my baby I miss the darling, miss the darling, my baby I miss the darling, miss the darling, my lady
Starting point is 01:13:03 I just love me and she's driving me crazy I said she love me and she driving me crazy I said she love me and she driving me crazy I took her to the wedges spot, Phillip and Robson Johnny And when she spots a Mr. Cat on down the puppy The girl tell me she want the milk and now she on it She come to the place and hold the general and get her honey Said Mr. Cat, you are my one and my only She said I like it when you driving me crazy Oh baby girl, you know I love you, I love you. Just go across the sea No matter, baby, girl, you're one of my, one of my Cause you're my dolly, you're my dolly, oh, baby
Starting point is 01:13:46 Honey, my dolly, you're my dolly, oh, baby I miss the dolly, miss the dolly, my baby Honey, your dolly, miss the dolly, my baby But I said let love go, baby, let the lover stay And I let the lover keep the sign of Christ along the way And I'm up in this, I'm catching all these girls, them DJs Yeah, I'm down there, I'm a along the way. I'm out of my house, I'm in love and I'm kissing on the thing that wasn't gone. So I dance and if I miss her from out of my house, I'm in the tend of love and baby girl, I'm in the tend of love.
Starting point is 01:14:30 Bling, bling, who's that with supercats? Third eye, third eye. Just black, where my troopers at? Up town, up town. Well, they got my back, but I'm still trapped. Got a real fat, fat track for my L rap, black. Ain't no shame in my game, just see what's real. You think that I will scoop your girl? Oh, yes, I will. Check it, check it. Outro Music You can see me like Stevie Wonder how I'm livin' dick Oh I'm livin' lovely It's the bad boy dick 93 we comin' through Can't get rid of the flavor dude
Starting point is 01:15:09 It's your one and one and two Then you on the mission And you think I'm crazy Supercap, dolly dolly dolly my baby I'm straight in the... Nah, nah, who's this? Pump Daddy Hopps Link to my brother to come with Mad Rob's I feed the funky pop, My man remake hits the high tech That they get on your radio
Starting point is 01:15:28 It's the bad boys, making that noise 93's low, I like you know, bro Pup Daddy rollin' to a super cat in Mary Jane So what you say, what you say? I love it when you call me Big Poppa The Joe Stockspa, the Rob Droppa Super Cat Pack The Clock
Starting point is 01:15:46 I see you shivering Check the flavor Biggie Smalls is delivering Lyrical lyrics Just flowing lyrics Out my larynx Clubby competitor With the kick to jump
Starting point is 01:15:55 In the chest Yes, it's bad boy On to the floor God, make that ticket no more Out The bad boy a bad boy. I'm a bad boy. I'm a bad boy.
Starting point is 01:16:15 Kay hasn't heard from her sister in seven years. I have a proposal for you. Come up here and document my project. All you need to do is record everything like you always do. What was that? That was live audio of a woman's nightmare. Can Kay trust her sister, or is history repeating itself? There's nothing dangerous about what you're doing.
Starting point is 01:16:34 They're just dreams. Dream Sequence is a new horror thriller from Blumhouse Television, iHeartRadio, and Realm. Listen to Dream Sequence on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and help you pursue your true goals. You can listen to Sniffy's Cruising Confessions, sponsored by Gilead, now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday. Do you ever wonder where your favorite foods come from? Like what's the history behind bacon-wrapped hot dogs?
Starting point is 01:17:21 Hi, I'm Eva Longoria. Hi, I'm Maite Gomez-Rejon. Our podcast, Hungry for History, is back. And this season, we're taking an even bigger bite out of the most delicious food and its history.
Starting point is 01:17:31 Seeing that the most popular cocktail is the margarita, followed by the mojito from Cuba, and the piƱa colada from Puerto Rico. Listen to Hungry for History on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 01:17:46 Hi, I am Lacey Lamar. And I'm also Lacey Lamar. Just kidding. I'm Amber Revin. Okay, everybody, we have exciting news to share. We're back with season two of the Amber and Lacey, Lacey and Amber show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network. This season, we make new friends, deep dive into my steamy DMs, answer your listener questions, and more.
Starting point is 01:18:07 The more is punch each other. Listen to the Amber and Lacey Lacey and Amber show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen, okay? Or Lacey gets it. Do it.

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