Dads Unfiltered
"Welcome to Dads Unfiltered, the ultimate podcast for pop culture dads. Join us on a geeky journey through midlife and fatherhood, where we decode the levels of being a dad and a man in the language of comics, movies, and all things nerdy. Ready to level up with us?"
Dads Unfiltered
Navigating Life's Challenges: A Conversation on Resilience and Support
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In today's episode of Dad's Unfiltered, we dive deep into the importance of community support during tough times. As hosts Pete and Chris share their experiences, they address a pressing issue that weighs heavily on both of them: the battle Chris's nephew is facing against stage four esophageal cancer. This heartfelt conversation not only sheds light on the realities of dealing with illness but also emphasizes the power of friendship and support in overcoming life's hurdles.
More on Trevor's story......
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/i-dont-give-up-young-sailor-says-of-cancer-battle/3962738/
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Chris's emotion coaching
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Hey, it's Dad's Unfiltered. We're back. This is two in a row. Holy shit. Don't stop us now. Ha ha. I'm Pete and always is my buddy Chris.
SPEAKER_02And we have keeping it real. Just sitting here being amazed that we did two in a row this week. This month, you know what I meant. Shut up.
SPEAKER_01Before we get into the nitty-gritty, uh, I actually want to say uh in the description of this episode, uh, we're going to include uh a link uh to help donate money uh for Chris's nephew who's going through uh cancer uh uh treatment. And they really need all the help that they can get. So we'll look for the link in the episode description. We'll have it there. Uh hopefully you guys can help. He's only 21 years old and he has stage four esophageal cancer, and it's a bitch, and it's not fair, and it's not right, so uh any bit will help. So there'll be a link in the description. Chris, if you want to throw anything about that, I kind of threw you off on that. You did. You did. I wanted to I well it's a heads up would have been cool. It's been weighing on me. No, I know. And I want to help as much as I can in any ways that I can.
SPEAKER_02And and it yeah, we still have we I mean shit, we might as well talk about the potential for the uh the comedy fundraiser, too. Um but yeah, basically my 21-year-old nephew, he's the first nephew I had. I have a couple nieces now, but uh he was born in 2005.
SPEAKER_01And so then that would make him, Chris, the only nephew you have. Sorry.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah. Valid point. I I meant like niece or nephew. Yeah, no, yep. You know, I know, I know. Totos is four, four fuss is eight. Um yeah, so uh laughter and crying. Um baby, we're we're taking a break from tablets for right now, okay? Because you've been on your tablet uh for enough to screen time and screen time baby. Why don't you go play with your toys? You can build something, or do a craft, or draw or color, okay? Oh, you can do that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02In the airplane, too? You got it. There you go.
SPEAKER_01You're welcome. So while Chris is doing that, I just want to throw in my two baby. Trevor was like the neatest kid. He's like almost the same age as my son. And I would see him do things, and I would always kind of wonder, where the fuck was I going wrong? Like, I'd see some of the like the way that Trevor behaved and he acted, and it was just a yeah, and even as an adult, I mean, because now that's what he is. It's still like amazing what uh Tim uh was able to accomplish um as a parent.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, at at a young age, too. Because uh Tim Tim was a young father, um, ironically, became a father the age that Trevor is now. And crazy. Uh yeah, so yeah, so Trevor joined the Navy, and uh he was doing great. Um he was he one of those kids who's like, I are you nervous? Like, nope, this is gonna be awesome. Like he just he was super psyched about it, and he he got in there and it kind of immediately he's one of those younger guys who people just flock to. He's got like an older soul, very much so. Like natural, natural leader, uh just kind of has a big presence, always has. Um I mean shoot, one of my one of my favorite memories, he couldn't have been more than three, four, maybe. Uh he was riding on a a little tricycle, and I was standing right behind him, and he pedaled too fast, and the tricycle lifted up and flipped and he flipped backwards. But because I was standing right behind him, his head hit my foot instead of the concrete. So I was like, oh, obviously that's a good thing. But I had that like half-laugh reaction of like, oh, you okay, buddy? And he he looks up at me from the ground with this scowl on his face and he goes, That's not funny, Uncle Crick. I was like, whoa, okay, sorry. Um and yeah, just always always had a solid head on his shoulders as far as like who he was and and uh what he had access to. Like i the amount of shit that was like the punching down that we got with regard to who we were and how we how we were supposed to act and all that stuff, like he was not encumbered by any of that stuff. Um even even when it was done, you know, like hey, like, nope, not doing that. And not in like a shitty uh, you know, screw you kind of way, but more like, no, I know my worth and my value, and you know, you're not gonna treat me like that. I was like, god damn, dude. Where do you like obviously it's a nature versus nurture thing, there's there's aspects of both, but he yeah, old soul for sure. So anyway, when when he he uh got out of basic training, I don't remember all the ins and outs, but he uh he'd been looking to get into a couple different things, but all of a sudden I got news that he was uh stationed on the USS Constitution in Boston. And I'm like, no shit. So for those of you who don't know, the US Constitution um it's the oldest functioning warship in the world. It's or at least at least in the United States. Um and it was it was obviously decommissioned as a warship, but it's still s uh seaworthy. So they they keep it up as not only a museum, but uh as kind of a a nostalgic reminder of where we came from as America, you know.
SPEAKER_01So my favorite is when they take it out every so often, it's like watching the creaky old man try to get out of his fucking easy chair.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and that's the thing. Like uh he he became part of that crew. He's he's one of the sailors who gets the USS Constitution ready to do that annual sail through the harbor.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And uh and then he maintains it the rest of the time when it's um docked to to be the actual museum. Um so it it was really cool, and he was super excited. And uh what's really kind of a silver lining to this whole situation with cancer is I've gotten to see a lot of the stuff I I wouldn't have really, um, because a spotlight has been shined on him. They did a news story on him in Boston, uh, they talked to his commanding officers, like all this stuff, and they just they couldn't say enough good stuff about him. Right. You know, there was one specific uh CO that was like if I would be over the moon if I had ten Trevers, you know, to work under me.
SPEAKER_01He's like that one where you're like, eh, maybe I could have a kid, and then you had to go, fuck, what was I thinking?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he's he's that example that all the businesses show you, and in the fine print underneath it says, uh, you know, results may vary. Yeah, and then the first day you get it, it shits in your bed and eats your shoes. Yeah. Uh yeah.
SPEAKER_01Or shits in your shoes and eats your shoes.
SPEAKER_02Or shits in your shoes and eats your bed. Yeah, either way.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. But yeah, we're gonna leave a link. If you can, please feel free to help and contribute. Uh he's he's getting uh treatment in Arizona currently, I believe.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and and uh full transparency on that, the reason for the uh ask uh for donations is because he was in he was at Mass General in Boston. Yep, and he was getting the full insurance covered treatment. The problem was it wasn't working as well as they'd hoped, and it it wasn't enough. So they researched uh, you know, my brother, his dad, uh, and his family researched a bunch of other stuff, and they came up with this place in Arizona that was highly recommended, and they dug into all the information about it, and it's basically a more holistic approach to cancer treatment, not just chemotherapy uh and radiation and all that stuff. But everything else. Um I didn't know this about cancer. You can actually get mold in your blood because of cancer. Oh fuck, I didn't know that either. Um so it deals with the potential of mold in the blood, it deals with um vitamin therapy and uh cognitive therapy, like it's everything all the fixins. Yeah, it's everything you can possibly do. And of course, because it's not strictly Western medicine, it's not covered by insurance. And that's the issue. So we could stay, you know, the family could stay at Mass General and keep hoping that it's gonna work, or go do something more and just have to deal with figuring out how to pay for it.
SPEAKER_01And it's on top of the other things, right? Like it it's the chemo and all that, and yeah, it's not either or, it's all of it. Right. So important thing to keep in mind, right? Right. Yeah, it's like they're not like doing that whole like uh who the fuck was that man on the moon there, Andy uh Andy Kaufman, yeah. Andy Kaufman putting fucking heat and stones on you and shit like that. Uh yeah. No, yeah, I they're just trying to give themselves the best chance ever. And it's you know, it's funny as I I know some people that don't understand that, and it's just like when you're a parent, man, you don't want to fucking ever hear no. Oh, absolutely. Or you know, you don't you you don't want that that hope undercut, you know?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And it it's it's weird having to explain that to some people. It's like, let me uh let me what's your favorite thing? I'm just gonna take it away. All right. Yeah, yeah. Now tell me how you feel. Like, fucking, I feel like in the in the Ghostbusters too, yeah, where they're like, now take away the puppy. Were you gone? It's like keep the kid all excited. Yeah. Yeah. See what happens when we take away the puppy. I forgot about that scene. Yeah. But yeah, I mean, if anything you can do, if if you're able, uh, if not, maybe just share the link in your socials.
SPEAKER_02Well, and I and to that point I would say too, uh, check out check out my page on TikTok, dadding underscore daily, d-a-d-d-in-g underscore d-a-i-l-y. And I have information there. I've done a uh a few videos about it.
SPEAKER_01And uh if I set it up correctly, there should be a hyperlink for both of our TikTok. Oh, nice! On the thing. Again, that is if I set it up correctly. Which there is a slight chance that I might have fucked that up. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um I will help you with that as soon as I'm done. Okay. Because dad is in the middle of something right now.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02I'll be done. I'll be done in about 45 minutes, and then I can help you.
SPEAKER_01Alright, moving right along. Moving right along, because the kids. Um This week is also a big weekend in San Diego, Comic-Con, and you know how we're all nerds here. Um they released a new Clayface trailer. Um Did you see the Avengers trailer too? I did. And then um, there was something else. Oh, there's a new lanterns trailer, I think, drops tomorrow. Which trailer? Lanterns for the the show. Oh, a new one tomorrow? Yeah, they show off Sinestro, I guess. Uh which is cool. But uh, and then I I I gotta say, they have to stop releasing trailers for the fucking Spider-Man movie, because I'm pretty sure if we edit and splice them all together, we've already got the full movie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Like I like it's cool because I think um Mimic is actually one of the bad guys. Because in one of the trailers you hear him say, You think I'm this guy, and I was like, oh shit. And then I also noticed that the Hellfire Club also shows up, which is pretty badass. They fight fucking they fight Peter in one of the in the jail cell. Uh if you're familiar with uh not as familiar. 60s and 70s, X-Men and Spider-Man.
unknownWoo woo!
SPEAKER_02I do know that um like the amount the amount of crossover they have in this movie. Like I thought they did uh um uh which crossover are we talking about?
SPEAKER_01We're talking about Doomsday? Or are we talking about Spider-Man?
SPEAKER_02No, the fact that like every ev almost every superhero individual or group is supposedly from a different universe in this one, right? So uh I just need some dad. Oh it's not working right now. Hey, Jameson. Dad is working on something right now that I really have to focus on, okay?
unknownWell, I'm gonna go to the right.
SPEAKER_01And that's because dad goes off on tangents when he talks to his friend Pete. And if you lose sight of that kid, we'll be here all day.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's uh it it's amazing to me how I know this is a slight tangent, but um whatever. If there is not a s if there is not a screen on, yeah, everything goes directly to me. Daddy, can you do this for me? Daddy, can you help me with this? Daddy, can you play with me? Daddy, can you do this? Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy. It's like it's funny that you can change the TV by yourself, but you can't do anything else by yourself.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, actually, the TV, it's funny because Zachary, like, with the iPad, he's like chill. But as soon as that fucking thing dies, all hell breaks loose.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's like there's a crack in the dam, and all of a sudden, you know, uh, and then he asks, he's he gets uh uh he has like a he's like hypermobile, I I don't know what it is, but he like constantly pushes the buttons on the TV remote, so he's always changing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he uh he'll ask for stuff and like we'll put it on, and then he immediately changes it on us. Yeah, that's not even he wants it back.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's not a um uh a special needs thing, by the way. That's a current technology with kids type of thing. Like it's I swear to God, every every five minutes. Daddy, I want to watch something else. You haven't even got to the main part of the thing yet.
SPEAKER_01Right. So speaking of watching something else, um I also took in the He-Man Masters of the Universe movie.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I have yet to see that.
SPEAKER_01And she can't find the batteries.
SPEAKER_02Uh I did see that it Okay. I need I need to stop for a second and address this child so I can get back to our conversation.
SPEAKER_01Hey, because this is I can't find the title.
SPEAKER_02Yes, baby. This does not have batteries. It has to plug in. But we're not gonna plug it in because I don't want you playing with the printer. Okay? Thank you for offering me to get uh to get me the color pink. I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_00But I'm just gonna turn it on at pretend.
SPEAKER_02You you can certainly turn it on pretend, yes. And you know what? You can also play with your Play-Doh or your Lincoln logs, or you can uh draw if you like, okay? And when dad's done, uh you can draw, yes. If if you would like to draw on your tablet, you can do that, okay? You can use the one in the living room.
SPEAKER_01I can't you can't pause it anymore. So yeah, no, so I marked it. Whatever. Figure it out. So even if we leave it in, it's dad's unfiltered. There you go. Right. Um, so yeah, I I took in the the Masters of the Universe movie because it was free on Amazon. Uh we were supposed to record last night and uh Chris had some technical difficulties.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Hold on a second. Yeah. We're gonna come back to that. I'll be right back.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Look out.
SPEAKER_02I'm trying to give you something so I can report my pocket. And uh yeah, my other daughter can't help because she's locked in a room mad at me. Yeah. You know why she's mad?
SPEAKER_01Because you were probably a parent. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I uh I had to go pick up the dry cleaning, which is at walking distance just down the street. Yep. And I said, hey, why don't we go take the scooters? We'll walk down and we can take a trip around the block. We'll stop at 7-Eleven, get a snack, and then we'll come back. And then dad has to do his podcast.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Well Okay, well, we have to go. So let's get ready to go. Shut the TV off. Put your shoes on, and you know how that goes. Right? Oh yeah. 20 minutes. By the way, it takes less than 10 to walk down to the uh dry cleaners. It took me over 20 minutes to just leave. Oh and that was after I reminded them multiple times. Not that that's not including the reminders, that 20 minutes.
SPEAKER_01I would I would like to say that it gets progressively worse as they get older. Because like they as kids get older, I mean they learn that they can put their foot down, they learn different manipulations and shit. It's just, yeah. You can try and break it, but I they it's like natural to fucking buck the system. You know, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_02And and hey, listen, I I understand you know, there's always gonna be resistance. It's my fault for not have for not allowing for the time I know it's gonna take. Especially if I know it's gonna take that long. You know what I mean? Like that's that part's my fault. The part that she's upset about is I said we would go to 7-Eleven after, which is probably because she took so long before I had to come back and record. So, and of course, just like that's the only reason I came, because we were going to 7-Eleven.
SPEAKER_01I was like, I don't know what you want me to tell you. Like, the only reason why you came is because you can't be left home alone.
SPEAKER_00Yes, correct.
SPEAKER_01There was no choice. I was just trying to doctor this shit up to make it seem more enticing to get you to move your ass faster. Exactly. Clearly, that didn't work.
SPEAKER_02And so, you know, what happened? She's like, I wonder what what uh they're gonna have at 7 Eleven. I was like, Oh, we don't have time for. That now she's like, What? Like, just nothing for you. What? Like, totally shocked. Like, what do you mean? And you know, because it's it's basically the mentality is well, we didn't leave in time, so let's change how much time we have so we can still do the thing I want to do. And and and the the the lesson that just doesn't land, like, yeah, that's not how reality works. You can't you can you can't be like, hey, I know that you're on a schedule and the plane's gonna leave at 8 o'clock, but I need to finish this app game that I'm playing.
SPEAKER_01So I'm gonna do that, and then we can leave. To put it in the words of your generation, dear, you fucked around and found out. Oh, yeah, but it's yeah, it yeah. I mean, even if you account for the time though, and you plan into it, they still find a way to fuck that up.
SPEAKER_02Indeed. Indeed. And speaking of which, I need to pause again while we're recording so I can answer a question. Yes, this is the older child.
SPEAKER_01Oh, well, at least she's come out of her cocoon.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yes, indeed. Hold on a second. Yes, Charlie, what can I help you with while I'm recording?
unknownCan I call my tablet again?
SPEAKER_02Sure. Go ahead. When I come home, screens are off and there's gonna be reading time. Hey dad, can I go on my tablet? Hey dad, can I go on my tablet? Hey dad, can I go on my tablet? You know what? Go on your fucking tablet so I can record my podcast. That'd be good.
SPEAKER_01Let me tell you a story about a fucking, hey dad. Yeah. Uh lightsaber. It still doesn't work. I it it makes the makes the sound. But it even when you have the blade, though, it doesn't light up. And uh so I called Disney, because you know, it was a $300 experience, as you know, from building your own fucking lightsaber. Um and I call and I get somebody that's it's broken English. I'm not trying to be an asshole, but I she wasn't understanding what I was saying at all. And uh, because I was like, I we went and we did the experience, and um it's broken. It's not lighting up. And she's like, Well, you're past the return policy. I'm like, I don't want to fucking return it, I want it to work. Right. And she's like, Well, you can come down and hand it to a cast member. I'm like, What? She's like, yeah. And I'm like, alright, so I can I can buy a plane ticket and then buy a park pass to come in to have this fixed. You can't let me mail it back. Well, you could watch tutorials on YouTube on how to fix it yourself. And I stopped and I said, ma'am, I don't believe that was part of the build your own lightsaber experience.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01I go, I don't need Chuck from Minnesota to guide me with the fucking force through YouTube. I want my lightsaber fixed. So ultimately, someone's gonna have to bring it to Disney when they go. Because that mouse is an asshole. If I went down there and this was a real lightsaber, I would put that fucking lightsaber, square up that mouse's ass, and turn it on. That's how annoyed I am right now. But yeah, it's it's just like the things that you do to make your kids happy, and then it like all kind of just fucks you up, man. Uh, it's the worst.
SPEAKER_02Well, and not for nothing, but this is this is the reason for all of my shit. Uh all of the stuff that I'm doing, all of the emotional regulation work, all of the skill building, all of the apps I'm trying to create. Like, this is what it's for. Because just like I was saying, you can't change what's happening. All you can change is your reaction to it, right? So it's the same with parenting. Like, we do that shit all the time. Yeah, well, you should have been able to do this. Well, you should have left sooner. Well, you should have. How many times did your parents say that to you? You should have done it this way.
SPEAKER_01So, this is another cool thing about the lightsaber is my parents are fucking going to Disney in November.
SPEAKER_02Oh, there you go.
SPEAKER_01Right? They paid the money for this broken fucking lightsaber.
SPEAKER_02Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01You think they'll take it back with them when they go?
SPEAKER_02No, they probably won't, huh? No.
SPEAKER_01Why? Why the fuck would they do that? Right? My mother goes, why don't you just let him use yours? And I said, why? So we can fucking break that too? Yeah, right. Like, I bought that to fucking fill the hole in my soul that you guys left when you wouldn't fish my fucking lightsaber out of a goddamn sewer drain. Right. It was right there. Willy-nilly to a kid to break. Fuck you. Yeah. I'm gonna get another real lightsaber, and I know when I'm gonna turn that one on, son of a bitch. Yeah. Yeah. I I can't take my time. And she's even told me, like, her plans are to relax by the pool and go to parks leisurely. I'm like, you just have to go to Savi's workshop and be like, shit's broken, fix it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You don't have to go on any rides, you don't have to do anything other than that. Like you would think that she'd want to at least protect her investment.
SPEAKER_02Well I mean she paid for it. Yeah, well, never mind that. Like forget about I was just gonna say, and forget about you. I mean, not for nothing, but you know. Uh but you you don't want to fix the thing that you bought for your grandson in order for him to continue having it.
SPEAKER_01So she works with him at school, like she's like a teacher's aide in his classroom. Oh really? He'll drive her fucking insane. She'll end up bringing it. He'll wear her down like you wouldn't fucking believe. He gets everything he wants because he's just he's persistent and he won't stop. And then when he gets it, he could give a flying shit. Oh yeah. Oh my god. Scooby-Doo blanket, he's got like seven of them, but he asks for them and he won't stop until he gets it. And he knows if we just try to give him an old one. Motherfucker.
SPEAKER_02Well, dude, not again. I if if I just heard that in a vacuum, I would assume it was special needs related. Nope! That's that's my kids too. Yeah, it's dude. It's and and and it's the the trap that we fall into as um the generation that we are trying to give our kids the experience we didn't have, and then counterbalancing that with the fact that we can't give them a perspective experience because there's no there's no way to give them both experiences to to then compare, you know what I mean? So you just give them the experience they have, and then they have their own, you know, entitlements and and all that. And I i I fully understand. It is a marathon, not a sprint. So I'm not concerned, because I know that when they get older, the lessons will land. But for now, eventually. That's the fucking key. It is, yes.
SPEAKER_01It's not gonna be like instantly at 18. It might be on your deathbed when they're like, I'm dead.
SPEAKER_02You might know you are right. Yeah. No, but uh, but that's the thing, is it's like it doesn't change the frustration or the anger or the the you know dysregulation. The wanting to drink during the day.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_02It doesn't change that, but it provides the forward-looking hope and faith that it will eventually be different. You just have to stay the course and in the meantime learn some emotional regulation skills. You know what I mean? Right.
SPEAKER_01So But yeah, it's uh it's fucking crazy. So now that we got that range out of the way, Jared Leno sucked a skeletua. I don't understand. I don't understand why he's gonna ruin everything from my childhood. Drawn fucking Morbiat Morbius.
SPEAKER_02Morbius, yep.
SPEAKER_01And now Skeletua, like, I I just don't understand the Shakespearean thing. And I'm not even gonna waste my time on that because we did have something that we did want to talk about, and we have limited time.
SPEAKER_02Well, no, and it's fine, because it it's it was a general topic, not a specific thing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And the only cool thing, by the way, was the Dolph Long Lundgren cameo, and that happens like in the beginning of the movie. And it's like funny, like the interaction is funny. Uh and then after that, there's like some like adult jokes that don't land. Like, you know how the Muppets did like adult jokes, but they worked?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Because they went over the like Pixar.
SPEAKER_01These were terrible. Like one of them was this is the one that stuck out in my mind was and you're a fisto. You fist people. Right? And I'm like, if I was in a fucking room full of kids, I mean, and as the sick adult that knows what the fuck that's all about, right? I would have laughed. Sure. But then how do you explain that to the kid? You know, like, why are you laughing? He fists people. Kid? If you only knew what that meant. It's a little too on the nose. Yeah, it was just so I was like, what the fuck? There was another one I can't remember specifically, but there was like there was some good, some bad. Uh, Jared Leto, I think, was that might have been the worst of it, but people seem to have liked it. But I just don't understand like this Shakespearean type Elizabethan like accent that he puts on it. Like, like, what the fuck? He had a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_02And I haven't seen it yet, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, it's not worth your time. Um, that's a bummer, because I heard I heard that it was good. It wasn't amazing, but it was good. There were good like effects and shit, but like otherwise it was just like meh. I'm not saying that fucking Franklinella and Dolph Lundgren were any better, but I mean, yeah. Um but yeah, so we were gonna discuss a little bit of AI. Um I know in the comedy world in in Boston, it was like a big kerfuffle over um bookers and comics that use AI to uh create posters and such. Um there was a huge thing about that. I I just want to make sure that okay, she's not here. Uh I get the implications of the use of AI. I understand the artistry aspect, I understand the environmental aspect. I also come from a generation that heavily use things like cliff notes and calculators and shortcuts, and yet it's that same generation that's complaining about AI, which is like the biggest shortcut of them all. Yeah. Like, it's bonkers to me. Like, I get it. I really, I really do fucking understand, and I don't need people coming down on me. My girlfriend fucking mansplains it enough to me when I bring it up, and I don't need that anymore. I get it. It's bad for the environment and creatives alike. But when you're fucking starting up and you're broke and you have no other way, and you can't hire a fucking graphic designer, you do what you can to get by, to give yourself that edge.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, it and there is something else to be said about it, too. Like, from a just straight boycotting, like, oh, this is the way it's being done is bad, I'm gonna just gonna boycott it. Um sure, that's a choice, and you have every right to make that choice.
SPEAKER_01And then MicroShop on Amazon. Right, exactly.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So like complain complain about. Yeah, comp Yeah, complain about uh what? Just the the uh everything fossil fuel industry and then and then drive your frickin' giant SUV around. Um yeah, because it everything's connected. Like you literally can't and that and that's precisely my point. You can't disconnect from all of this stuff and function in your life unless you actually live off the grid and make your own power.
SPEAKER_01I would totally live off the grid if I thought for one minute I would survive longer than a week. Like I know I wouldn't be able to hunt and kill my own food, forget it.
SPEAKER_02Well, and and that's the point, right? It's like you have to take the good with the bad when you are incapable of removing yourself from the system. That doesn't mean you can't fight the system, it doesn't mean you can't uh do your best to make change, yeah, rage against the system. Um but the other aspect of it is using the system to change the system, you know? Yep. And I think I agree with you, and I think people should be educated and not just blindly uh use AI because it's awesome. There are issues, but I will say too, the bigger issue is not just the foundational use of AI, it's the explosion of the industry of data centers supporting AI that is the bigger issue. And this I had to learn this nuance because um I was never big on understanding tech bubbles and and all that stuff.
SPEAKER_01Um but ultimately, like any new industry, it's gonna ebb and flow, man.
SPEAKER_02But also in the beginning, everyone rushes in to invest in it because they don't want to be left behind. What?
SPEAKER_01You have a George Foreman grill in your house now? Huh? Do you? I bet you you did fucking 15 years ago.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Yes. And and that's the other aspect of it is uh speaking of which there's a fantastic uh bit that I I I forget who he is, but a stand-up comic does about the George Foreman grill, like how they're designed it. It's like, should we should we have an on-off switch? Nah, fuck it. Let's just have one temperature, plug it in, and it gets as hot as you can, you know, like it was a great, great bit. But anyway, um the the vast majority, just like you're saying, how many people have a George Foreman grill now? You're even if you do, it's in the back of your, you know, it from the last time you used it, it's not wiped down and it just has like sticky dust on it. I traded mine in for an Instapot. There you go. But uh the point is it's not everyone's jumping on the bandwagon, but like ten years from now, over half of those data centers are not gonna be there anymore. Right. Because the companies are gonna go under because most of them aren't gonna survive the bubble.
SPEAKER_01How many of those idiots are back drinking Bud Light?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like Yeah, there you go. There you go, exactly. Um and and so the precautions it is affecting real there are real effects affecting real people. Of course.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, man.
SPEAKER_02Like the bad water and and all that, you know.
SPEAKER_01But I work in customer service, and a lot of my like my field is being replaced by fucking chatbots and and all sorts of stuff. Like they laid off a shit ton of people, and most of our calls now are handled by fucking chat. We have a chat bot that'll handle a lot of stuff until it gets to a real person.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01Thankfully, they haven't figured out how to answer emails because I'd be fucked. Yep. You know? But yeah, I mean, it's it's a real threat. I get it, and I think it it needs to be used responsibly, and I think it needs to be used in tandem as a tool. It's not to fucking replace, because while human error sucks, human error is what kind of leads to fucking further invention exploration, you know? I mean, you still need to have that. Without a fuck up, usually you don't lead to good things, you know?
SPEAKER_02Uh, there is that, yeah. Uh one second, please. Yeah. Yes. Yes, I heard you, baby. And I will get it for you as soon as I'm finished. Okay? I need you to use some of your patience, please. Okay.
SPEAKER_01But you're busy, so I want it right now. I hope these mark things work, because I've like marked the shit out of this recording.
SPEAKER_02And you know what? I don't even care if we if we don't, because this is real life, man. Marinette. Real frickin' life. Um But the the effects of creating the bubble are real. Of course. People are getting screwed over, they're they're having bad situations, and um like to uh the problem is to assume it's gonna go one way or the other, right? Oh, let's just let's just stop all the data centers from coming in, or let's just all band together and not use AI. Neither of those things will happen, let's be honest. Right, right?
SPEAKER_01I can't even get you guys to collectively show up on the same day every four years to vote.
SPEAKER_02No shit. So the fact this is why there needs to be regulation, because the masses aren't gonna do it on their own. And as much as I like to say, like, I I so appreciate uh that quote from Tommy Lee Jones in uh Men in Black, where uh Will Smith is talking about like why don't you just tell people about the aliens? People are smart, and he goes, No, a person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, uh dumb, panicky animals, and you know it. You know? And the fact that that is basically what this whole situation is is about. It's the it's just not gonna happen for some people. Some people are just gonna say, screw you, I'm not doing that. And then it's not gonna matter. So the fact the fact that, especially in this country, and this is another reason I despise Trump, beyond all the regular reasons I despise Trump, um, but if you listen to every single thing he says about the economy and business, it's all about making money. Like that's it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Right? It's like we could have made a lot of money together, but screw like when he was talking about uh Spain, right? He's like, we we could have made a lot of money together, but we're not doing that now. Screw you guys. Um and it's like, yeah. And what what is the fucking point of your life? Like you have you have enough money. And yet the only thing you do is try to make more money because that's all you know how to do and all you think is beneficial because you have no fucking purpose in life. And and it's like, well, so glad that we're dealing with the fallout from that. Thanks. But the fact that it's all about growth and expansion and evolution and and my favorite response to that is why. Like, and I'm not saying those things are bad. But when it's evolution for the sake of evolution, growth for the sake of growth. Okay, thank you. Uh yeah. Look, she brought me she brought me a snack.
SPEAKER_00Oh.
SPEAKER_02Isn't that nice? I got watermelon, an orange, a sandwich, and a cookie. Oh, and I got some water too. Thank you so much. Oh, now I'll have it. Pardon me, I I need to eat my food here.
SPEAKER_01I I believe that was made by artificial intelligence.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Uh but the f the whole reason I brought that up is because I remember when I learned about the idea that technology is outpacing ethics. Yeah, it is. Right. It's moving faster.
SPEAKER_01Way faster.
SPEAKER_02It has been uh ever since the The Industrial Revolution, yeah. Yeah. Especially since the computer was invented. Because every single year. Like uh things used to- Are you kidding me, dude?
SPEAKER_01Look at fucking go all the way back to Ford. It was all him, man.
SPEAKER_02That guy Oh, dude, yeah, of course. But but computers made it possible for the technology to move. Like before before computers, you couldn't you couldn't actually move faster than a certain point. So even with that mentality, it wasn't as bad. But computers are like doubling in efficiency every single year as opposed to every 50 years, like it used to be.
SPEAKER_01It's weird. Like, I I remember playing like fucking video games when I was a kid on like the Nintendo, the original Nintendo. Actually, even further back, I'll go and Atari 64. Yeah, yeah. I wonder if I had a ColecoVision. Um, but I always like I remember wanting the graphics to be better and the playability to be better, and then the graphics got better, but the playability still sucked. Like and then and now that they got virtual reality, like, I'm too old. Like I'm not that I'm too old, but it's like I get dizzy. I It's yeah, it's not what it used to be. It's so fucking bizarre how quickly it went. And you know, it's like I got out of the video games because like the graphics were fucking amazing. But like in order to have a lightsaber fight, I had to like push all these fucking buttons and like not I'm not like physically swinging anything or it really lost it. Like I I kind of got a little bit back with the we uh because that was that you know put you into it. But it's it's no one is ever satisfied. Once it gets to a point, it's like, oh, that's cool, but like more, you know, everyone's like Tim Allen in fucking home improvement. More power. Oh, that's all it really is.
SPEAKER_02But but that's I wouldn't mind that if there was a reason behind it. Like, oh, we need more power because of these things. No, we just need more power because more power is better than the power we have now.
SPEAKER_01And and and truthfully, I'm doing my part as far as AI goes. Uh, I only have Apple devices, so Siri sucks. So I'm using like like the special ed version of fucking AI. It's I don't really plug in or pay for any of them. I've used, I'll admit, I used Claude to doctor up my resume. Because in this day and age, man, you need that competitive edge because everybody lately, it seems, is looking for a job.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, and and the other the other part of it, I I will fully acknowledge, I use ChatGPT, I use Claude, and I use uh some app creating AIs. I use a few excuse me, a few different ones. Um but also if I didn't use them, nothing else other than my life would be different. And I know that's another mentality that people have is like, well, you know, if you choose not to do it, that's fine, but I need to use it for this or this or that, you know. So my point is I acknowledge the reality of the technological world we live in today. It's the same with it's the same with parenting, right? Yeah. You can pretend that we can go back to the way it was when we were kids, but the bell's already been rung. It it's not like you are l fighting a losing battle trying to get your kids to not have any screen time at all.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Uh I wish it was like I was when I was a kid. Uh huh. I said, I wish it was like I was when I was a kid. Yeah. Yeah. Used to be out till the streetlights came on, and oh, we would play and have such a good old time.
SPEAKER_02Well, and that's the other part of it. It's like just because that was enjoyable for us, but here's the thing. But it wasn't enjoying it at all. Even if it was enjoyable for you, it wasn't enjoyable because it was the choice we made. It was enjoyable because that was the only choice there was. You couldn't go back inside on your tablet. You couldn't go on your phone. You couldn't have to be inside.
SPEAKER_01Get your ass outside. Don't come home until the street lights are on. That was that was the talk that I got. Oh, of course. I don't know how it was for you.
SPEAKER_02Ultimately, it's uh get out of my hair, kid. Get out of here, kid. You bother me.
SPEAKER_01You know. I uh I used to have a neighbor that had um one one neighbor, she would call the kids home with a fucking cowbell. Ring the shit, and the other one had air horn fucking things. It's like, you know, and like my another girl in the neighborhood, her parents were like, even when she was like in her teens, you have to be home when the streetlights are on.
SPEAKER_02Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_01And we'd always make fun of her. I think even to this day, if I saw her, I'd be like, hey, streetlights are on, you better go home. Um, but yeah, it's it's yeah, there's no going back. Like even me, like uh a couple years ago when you were like, oh yeah, the the electronic bassinet didn't fucking work, and I had to wake up with the kid. I was like, what? What are you fucking talking about? An electric bassinet. Yeah. I had to get up and be like, shut up, kid, go back to sleep.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, you know, well, it totally backfired too because it it it got her used to what we couldn't provide without it. Right. And after a certain amount of time, you have to wean them off of it because they don't fit anymore. Right. Uh and you know, it's just evolution. They have to grow and they have to do stuff. Um but see, here's the like, I I find nothing wrong with using technology to make your life easier.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_02That's the point of it. That's what it's for. Right. Uh the problem is when you use it in place of your life. Well, yeah, and to do everything. But um and that's my issue with like there's always gonna be people that are like, ah, that's cheating. You're gonna, you know. Then then how far back do you want to go, Gramps? Like, you know what? You know what? Fuck it. We won't even use horses because you can use manpower. So go fuck yourself. Live out in a shed in the woods and and grow your own food without a plow, without a hoe, without a, you know, just use your hands like a man.
SPEAKER_01From when we were kids, man. There's wild gunman. I used to be a crack shot at this. Oh, you have to use your hands? That's a baby's dude.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and there's a perfect example. Look, because I one of my favorite videos about uh men not being manly enough. Uh it's like, ah, men used to be so yeah. No. Please put it back. Because you're not eating straight whipped cream. Sweet Jesus.
SPEAKER_01She literally walks in. No, in the in the can. Uh a couple whip hits, that kid'll be off the fucking wall. What time do you have to go? Okay. I will come and help you in just a minute, okay? Yeah, we gotta wrap this up because you gotta get going. We already know how wonderful your kids are with time management. Yes, that's hereditary.
SPEAKER_02Just like their dad. Alright.
SPEAKER_01Just like hey, you know what we found out though? It's in the name, though, Chris. I sent you that meme.
SPEAKER_02What?
SPEAKER_01About the pizza joint? When you come in, ask Chris why you can't get here on time. I sent you that. It's gotta be in the name. It has to be I'm gonna take a survey. Any Chris's out of the audience. Oh, the name Chris. Got it. Habitually late. I just need to know. Is this a hereditary thing?
unknownWhat's that?
SPEAKER_01Not hereditary, but in the name.
SPEAKER_02Do you feel like you have to go to the bathroom?
unknownNo, I think.
SPEAKER_01On that note, we keep going.
SPEAKER_02I would like to finish my sentence at least. Go ahead. I don't remember what the hell I was saying. What was I saying, Pete? What was I saying? It was talking about re like. Fuck me. Alright, let's just leave it as is. I I want I want AI regulated because people aren't smart enough to regulate themselves. That's the problem. Right. There's plenty of people that listen to way too. Well, because everyone's in their own little world like this. It's like for me, my stuff and my thing and my you know future. And I I will admit, of course, there are aspects of that for me too. But like you you have to have people thinking of the bigger picture. You have to think about the larger issues that come up. That the things that you can't think of that would come up. Like perhaps the Founding Fathers uh making the uh constitution amendable. Like, you know, because they didn't know that we'd have automatic weapons by this part of time.
SPEAKER_01If only we could go back in time. If only.
SPEAKER_02Alright, well, just like the rest of my life, I'm gonna leave this conversation unfinished.
SPEAKER_01You guys have a great time. Chris, have fun at karate! Thanks! It's Taekwondo, you bastard. Whatever. It's not the same thing. I can't kick or run or jump. I can't do anything. I'm just gonna go. You guys have a great week. We'll see you uh the next time we record. See you next time. Ah, Jesus. Bye bye.
