All About The Joy
All About The Joy is a weekly hang-out with friends in the neighborhood! We share insight, advice, funny-isms and we choose to always try and find the positive, the silver lining, the "light" in all of it. AATJ comes from the simple concept that at the end of the day we all want to have more JOY than not. So, this is a cool place to unwind, have a laugh and share some time with friends!
All About The Joy
Bad Bunny, Budget Battles & Belonging: Who Really Counts in America?
A Super Bowl halftime rumor shouldn’t trigger a civics crisis - but the Bad Bunny backlash did exactly that. We start with culture and run headlong into identity, geography, and the gaps in how we understand America. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Spanish is part of the national soundtrack. When people panic about who “counts,” it’s really a story about education, belonging, and whether we can sit still long enough to be surprised by something new.
From there, we drop into the mechanics that actually shape lives: how the Senate’s 60-vote threshold turns “control” into negotiation, why the Affordable Care Act still stands at the center of budget brinkmanship, and what subsidies really do. Carmen shares exact numbers - $578 a month with ACA support versus roughly $1,300 without - to make the stakes real. We draw a stark comparison: around $88B goes to ACA affordability while oil companies enjoy an estimated $400B in global subsidies and tax perks. If one is called “socialism,” what do we call the other? The point isn’t a dunk; it’s a question about priorities and the kind of growth we actually want.
We also tackle California’s redistricting move, caught between principle and pragmatism. Independent commissions are the ideal - but when the national map is aggressively gerrymandered, do you hold the moral line or fight with the tools on the field? Add in a candid look at leadership, ego, and a military moment that landed with a thud, and you get a conversation that favors clarity over noise. We close by pointing to better civics: learn the process, track the incentives, and keep your energy for the work that helps people live better, longer lives.
If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. It helps more curious listeners find us—and it keeps this community growing.
Clarification: The global fossil fuel industry receives an estimated $400 billion in subsidies, with the U.S. contributing at least $34.8 billion annually, plus billions more projected over the next decade. But that’s just one slice - the U.S. government gives around $181 billion per year in total corporate subsidies, across energy, manufacturing, tech, and more. So when ACA support is framed as a “handout,” let’s ask what we call this. Public money flows to corporations constantly - healthcare helps people live, not profit.
Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.
Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth
DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.
Hey everyone. Welcome to All About the Joy. This is Culture and Consequence with Carmen and Andrea. Hey, what's up, Andrea?
Andrea:Hey.
Carmen Lezeth:I see we both just got out of the shower. Yeah.
Andrea:Yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:I have to tell you, I'm a little bit, I'm I I think this is going to be harder than I thought because I realize like we don't always talk all the time and definitely not always about politics. And so now, since that's our focus, there's a part of me that's like depressed every time I come on now.
Andrea:I know we need to have our like phone girl time talk. Right, yeah, exactly.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah. Um, so I'm upset right now because of a lot of things, but um mostly, and I know you're gonna be surprised because I didn't say this, but the education system in our country is so bad. And it has failed us, and that's not to take away responsibility from other people, but um, so you know, Bag Bunny is going to be uh doing the Super Bowl. That's been the big hot topic. We're gonna get to the government shutdown in a moment, but I just want to vent about uh what's what's going on there?
Andrea:Okay, do you want me to pause?
Carmen Lezeth:I don't know. Did you get it? I'm gonna make that a clip with no sound. Um but it's so many people. I mean, there's like the bad part of social media, which I know you hate, right? Which I we all hate, but then there's a good part. So of course there were so many people who were like, he's a foreigner, um, I just don't know the Super Bowl is American. And I was like, wow, like that's basic information if you don't know. But you know what? Before we get into Puerto Rico, that it's part of the United States, right? Were we screaming this loud when Bono performed at the Super Bowl? Or what's the guy, McCarthy, the guy from the Beatles, Paul McCartney, or and we can go down the list.
Andrea:I just feel like number one, I literally could not give a shit who was performing at the Super Bowl. Like it's just I do, I do. Um like to make it into some whole thing is uh I think a little bit crazy. Um, but also I think that the whining and the crying and the bitching and the moaning um is indicative of not actually understanding what the United States is right now. Again, going back to we need to understand reality, and that is not even about Puerto Rico being Puerto Ricans being American, that is about the fact that there are a lot of people in this country who speak Spanish, yeah, who love bad bunny, who are completely into this, and a lot of them are football fans. So they're playing to their base. Like, what are you worried about?
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, I just also it's you know, and again, I I agree with you. Like, football is not the most important thing on the planet, but it's more about what it shows us to be. Like it, you know what I mean? Like it's the but I I will say this, I'm gonna defend some people. It was great to see some people on TikTok. So there was like this older white guy with like the mustache and the long beard or whatever. And he's like, Oh, what the hell is this super bowl? Like he was doing that whole gruffy thing or whatever, and he's like, All right, I'm just gonna listen to one stupid song, let me hear it, whatever. And he was just totally like, you know, you would think stereotypical white guy, farmer, whatever. And he starts like dancing and he's like, Oh, I can do this. It was so funny.
Andrea:Yeah, like just it was so cool, you know. Um that's part of the thing, is like, could you just shut up and calm down long enough to maybe even see if you might enjoy it on a human level? Like, could you bop a little bit, maybe?
Carmen Lezeth:Maybe I don't know. Just or just be open-minded to the possibility that you might like something, you know what I mean? And and then there was this other TikTok where people were saying, like, I'm not gonna understand anything he says, and they started like playing songs of white artists, and like it was like, this is so funny, but it's not, but it is like, anyways.
Speaker 01:Uh I hear you. I know.
Carmen Lezeth:I just wanted to vent about that. I'm excited to see Bad Bunny, if only because culturally it's going to do something for this country to understand some history, some geography, and hopefully enjoy a little bit of Latin music, you know?
Andrea:Yeah. Will I watch? Yes.
Carmen Lezeth:Yes.
Andrea:Do I care? Not really.
Carmen Lezeth:I care. I just want to say it again. I care. I totally care. Um these little moments matter to me. Okay, so why don't we talk about the government shutdown? Because I don't think people understand um why, if the Republicans are in charge of the House, the Senate, and the presidency, why we're in a government shutdown.
Andrea:Okay, well, I'm just gonna like throw it out there. I need not do any research for this show today. So I'm just Well I mean this one's I mean, I know this one. Uh I'm not testing you. I was just letting you know. I mean, I look here's my answer. The Republicans love to shut down the government. This is their thing. They love to shut it, they love it, right?
Carmen Lezeth:There is that is their thing. Let me just tell you, let me just tell people technically what's happening here. So, yes, the Senate. Um, okay, you need to have 60 votes. It's called a supermajority. So a simple majority would be like if you just had 51 votes, right? That would be a simple majority. But when it comes to this part of the whole thing, majiggy, what happens is you have to have a supermajority, which means you have to have 60 votes in order for it to pass. The Republicans only have 53 votes. That means they have to try to bring up, they have to negotiate, they have to have a conversation with Democrats and bring over seven of those votes in order for it to pass. The reason why we're in this flux at the moment is because, and you're gonna love this child, because I I love this conversation. But technically, what's happening is Democrats are saying we are not willing to give up the Affordable Care Act, the provisions in the Affordable Care Act, which is always conveniently named Obamacare, which Obama has embraced and he's okay with it, but the Republicans use it as a way to be dismissive of it or whatever. And the Republicans are saying, no, we want a clean, we want a clean bill. We just want it, you know, now they want a clean bill. They want a clean bill because what they want to do is actually get rid of Obamacare little by little because they have voted so many times to try to get rid of it. If you remember, John McCain voted not to get rid of it, and that was like a big deal, but they've tried over and over again. And and this is where I'm gonna hand it over to you. Um I think the real big reason, the real big reason is because Donald Trump is a tiny little man who hates President Obama, and this is Obama's signature legislation, and so he wants it to be gutted in whatever way, shape, or form they can. That's what I think.
Andrea:Well, yes, I think that there's a number of things going on, right? Um and I I truly do believe that they love to shut down the government, right? I I think that that they enjoy that. And like, you know, government's not working anyway, just shut it all down, and it gives them him an opportunity to fire people, furlough people, get, you know, do all kinds of things, right? And I think that there is um uh a sense of like, oh, with Congress not there, I have some freedom to do whatever I want, right? Um, which he sort of already has anyway, so I don't really know what the big deal is there. But uh yes, I agree. Like it's it's at least a little bit, if not a lot bit, uh, you know, about it being Obamacare and we can't let this person have this win continually over and over through the years and decades and whatever. Uh, but they hated it from the beginning, right? They've always hated it. They've always wanted, they've been trying, like you said, over and over and over again to do different things to reduce its effectiveness and you know, reduce the ability to get on, reduce the affordability, all of those things, and some of which they've achieved, right? And this happens to be what they're trying to do now, is a pretty big one. Um, you know, I'm sure you know that, right? You have ACA.
Carmen Lezeth:So I do have ACA, and I I feel like we should explain what ACA is. Well, I'll explain it because I do use it and I always use it. I always use it. So I'm in my 50s, I'm single, and I have what I call catastrophic medical care, which means every time I go to the doctors, if I go to the doctors once, the preventative care thing, that's covered. But if I go for anything else, I have to pay a co-payment and probably a portion, a certain portion of it. I call it catastrophic health care because it's the lowest that I can afford through the ACA. And I know that if God forbid something were to happen to me, at least I could go to the, you know, I can go to the ER or whatever. You know what I mean? Like if I had to, and I might be able to afford to get to pay some of it, whatever. So I pay $578 every month for that care, right? For that health insurance. And that is uh through Blue Shield, and it's a PPO. So a PPO just means that I can pick my own doctors in that group. Okay. Um, if I didn't have the ACA, it would be $1,300 a month. So the ACA one person, just me, just me, one person. And and and everybody who watches thinks I'm extremely wealthy because I'm not bougie, but I'm not. I just don't have children. But so that's one person, and that is um because I have a small business, and so I get, I don't personally get a subsidy. The insurance companies get a subsidy to pay that, so the government gives them that other half of money, so I only have to pay this amount of money. Now I want to give people a little understanding. $88 billion is spent every year on the ACA to help subsidize Americans so that they can afford health care. That's a lot of money. It is, that's a lot of money, right? The government subsidizes $400 billion to the oil companies. Thought I would share that for you. Let's just throw that out there. Right. So the oil companies who make tons of profit get $400 billion in subsidies and tax credits so that they can, right? We we supposedly we're investing in the oil industry so that they can do what they need to do to make their money and help our economy grow. Well, why is it so hard to want to invest in me as an American or you as an American so that you can be healthy and prosperous and you can help the economy grow? That's about as simplistic as I can say it.
Andrea:Yeah, yeah. And you know, that's what the senators are fighting for right now. That's what the Democrats are fighting for. Like, should should there be subsidies? Like, should someone like Carmen pay $1,300 a month to insurance, to her insurance me? Or again, and I think this is a key point should the insurance company get that subsidy? This is not going in Carmen's pocket. It's not, no, okay, so Carmen can flow it through the economy, be more energy. This is yeah, right, to stay in her nice hotels and whatever, right? Like this is going to the insurance companies, right? Companies that we all love, companies that serve us all so well, companies that have our best interests at heart, companies that definitely are not driving up the cost of health care themselves. Yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, yeah, that's the other part of it. I mean, the the real big issue is how janky our insurance, health insurance situation is in this country, and how bad it is that they even have to give subsidies, you know, but that's a whole other conversation about universal health care and whatever and blah blah. But if we're just gonna keep it in the whole capitalistic thing, you know what I mean? Like, I'm just confused why Americans that don't believe what we believe, which is that health care is a right and investing in Americans is more important to me than investing in corporations, especially the oil industry. I guess we're never gonna get sponsored by the oil industry, uh, you know, who makes billions and billions of dollars. And when they make billions and billions of dollars, they really don't share it with us. What they do is they share it with their shareholders. So, and look at I'm not against capitalism. I I am against us not taking care of our people and then telling the lies, telling the lies over and over and over again so that we keep thinking they're doing us some favor.
Andrea:This is socialism.
Carmen Lezeth:It's not socialism.
Andrea:Well, and even if it is, who is tax dollars? Who is getting the subsidies? Who is right, who is really getting socialism? Uh, the oil companies, and the insurance farmers, the insurance companies. I mean, that we already live in socialism. It's just a matter of who do you want those tax dollars to actually go to? Does it benefit us truly as a country, as a people on the planet, to give that money to the oil companies versus giving it to people and doing something that helps people live longer, have better, healthier lives. I don't know.
Carmen Lezeth:You know, but it's so weird because I was watching that's why I got into a bad mood. I was watching this morning the news just to get, you know, I it was a mistake. I shouldn't have been watching it. Well, no, because in the and there is a Republican on there who was just straight up lying. And it's like, and here's the thing, he's not lying. What he's doing is creating the narrative so that it fits into a box so that more Americans can believe what he believes. So he was saying, like, during COVID, the uh the Democrats put more things in place for Obamacare. Of course we did, of course we did to help people during this horrible situation that was happening. And then he's like, and all we're doing is saying we don't want that part of it in anymore. It was just supposed to be temporary. And it's like, okay, dude, that may be technically true, but it doesn't change the fact that what you're trying to do right now is gut the whole ACA, aka aka Obamacare because you don't want to help Americans in this way. You want everyone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, even while you're gouging them every day, everywhere with price increases. Anyway, don't get me started. Like, I'm like, I'm gonna get mad. Like, she on my side, though. She on my side. I know, I know, I'm getting on my tirade, but yeah. So, well, I hope that helps explain at least that part. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. I'm I'm I'm just disappointed because the government shutdown, if it doesn't get fixed quickly, is going to affect all of us pretty quickly in the next three to four days. Probably we'll start to feel it. But I don't think the Democrats are gonna back down. And which Democrat is gonna say yes? Right? What's up? Like I said, which Democrat is gonna say yes, let me vote.
Andrea:Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, I I hope they're not gonna back down, you know.
Carmen Lezeth:I don't have a ton of faith in the democratic leadership right now, but I feel like that would be uh a really poor choice to make, you know, to not I I guess I don't understand why Republicans, and I know, I know you have a loathing feeling about Republicans, but I'm I am stressed that I don't understand why where all the good Republicans went to, why are they cowering to this bullshittery of the Trump administration? I don't know why it's happening. Please explain, Anja.
Andrea:I I can't, but um, and I'll try to refrain from being super negative, but I think probably the good Republicans are independents now.
Carmen Lezeth:You're right. They're like they're there people who used to be in the Republican Party, are now uh independents, like people like Nicole Wallace, who ran Bush's you know administration or whatever, and now she's on MSNBC and hates the Republican Party, you know. Okay, what's that face? I was just coming up with a person who's a Republican.
Andrea:I just, you know, whatever. You know, I'm not a very forgiving person. I'm not a very forgiving person. So, you know, these are the people You don't forgive her for Sarah. She you don't forgive her for Sarah Palin. No, I can't, I won't, I'm not gonna. And I know she does a lot of, you know, decent work right now, but on our side.
Carmen Lezeth:You have to let it go. Should we talk about this? What's your angst?
Andrea:My angst? No, no, but I mean, like, why, why?
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, shh, it wasn't only her decision.
Andrea:No, it wasn't, but yeah, I'm you know, I anybody who worked for the Bush administration, you're done. Kind of, yeah. Um, look, it's a me thing. I do need to be better about being. You know what I mean? And I think, you know, I like what I was gonna say is like in order for me to let it go, I would have to see like real work in the other direction. Like a real I think she does. I think she has to be.
Speaker 01:That's what I that's why I wasn't gonna say it, right?
Andrea:Like I'd have to see like real, um, you know, what's the word? Like conciliatory, right? And you don't like you don't really see that a lot from a lot of the men. No. I think that she has, and that's you know, I'll accept that. And I do, I have watched her in the past, and I, you know, whatever. And she has some good people on her show, but you know, I'm always gonna have a little like I really like her.
Carmen Lezeth:I've learned to, I think there are very few people I watch on network television anymore. And she's one of the people that I actually record and I'll listen to her. Um, I've always liked her, but again, I've always been a conservative Democrat, so I never hated her. Um, I I also had my issues with anyone during the Bush administration, but like we said a couple of episodes ago, we'd give anything to have that back.
Andrea:So I don't know. I don't know. I I I hear you, but yeah, I just don't know.
Carmen Lezeth:I I I I think you're right. All of those Republicans have moved on and they've either come to the Democratic side. I think there's a guy, I forget his name, but he's you know, he's a Democrat in Florida, a congressman in Florida, but he used to be a Republican and a staunch Republican at that. So um, I forget his name. I forget his name. Um, but yeah, I just I don't understand the hold that the Republican Party has uh with Donald Trump when they can see so clearly what he's doing. You know what I mean? Like that's the other part of this that is painful for me.
Andrea:Yeah, yeah. I mean, I guess I mean it's racism, but also like I think it's lying and everything, but you know what I mean, but also I think as long as we talked about this last time, like as long as they are close to power and they're not significantly touched by it in any way, okay, whatever.
Carmen Lezeth:You know, okay, I'd be okay with okay, but but here's the thing that would make more sense to me if they weren't working for the people. Like, we voted you in, and so you're supposed to be working for the people. And here's what I think needs a change. If we're going to be shutting down the government and people are not getting paid and they're being furloughed and people are losing their jobs, then you know who else shouldn't be getting paid? Nobody in the Congress, right? Nobody else should, they shouldn't have health care, they shouldn't have their salaries while they're trying to negotiate all this crapola because it isn't affecting.
Andrea:Congress shouldn't have his planes and his cars, like you sit your ass down there and you don't go anywhere until you fix this. I just don't understand.
Carmen Lezeth:Like, I and and that goes across all of the shutdowns that we've lived through. You know what I mean? Like, but I just want everyone to understand that when there's a shutdown and it affects all of us regular people, it's not affecting people in Congress who are taking their sweet time, trying to come up with a plan to serve you, the American people.
Andrea:They also have some pretty serious, seriously good health care, by the way. That's what I'm saying.
Carmen Lezeth:They have the creme de la creme of health care. Like if any of you know a congressperson, which I know one congressperson, they have the best health care. Why don't we get that? Why it why do we not get that? Yeah, pensions and everything. That's why I would run. Like you run you work for four years and all of a sudden you're set for life. You know what I mean? Hey, it's not a bad gig. Okay, here's the next question that I asked you. Um, do you think Donald Trump will run for a third office? Do you think there'll be an election? I guess is the better question.
Andrea:Okay, so before I answer that, let's be clear that you cannot. Yes, I was gonna say, legally, which we know nothing matters anymore, but legally, uh the 22nd amendment passed in 1951, so over 70 years ago, says the president can, you know, can only have two terms. Um, and in order to change that, you need three-quarters of the Senate, three-quarters of the House, and then it goes out to the states, and you need three-quarters of the states who all agree that this needs to be changed. So politically, really hard, right? Politically, there's no real legal route for him to do that. Right. That said, I think that man intends to stay in the White House until we drag him out.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, he had those hats on the desk that said Trump 2028. Can I just tell you? I I just laughed a little bit. I giggled because I'm I'm baby try it because Barack Obama will be elected in a landslide and you'll be so sad. I swear to God, that's all I keep thinking about. I'm like, I will, I will move, I will sell all my shit.
Andrea:That's the thing. Like, he can't do it via legal election. So let your imagination run wild. What are the other ways he might do it? None of them are good, none of them are gonna make you happy. Uh, but I truly believe like we will literally have to like scrape his fingernails off the floor of the White House to get him out of there.
Carmen Lezeth:So it's either a coup, which is not really our thing, um, although January 6th, I don't know. Like, but but then it would also be um um this weird manipulation where people have talked about if um what's the vice president's name? That num nut, I can't stand him means on uh Vance. Vance. Yeah, whatever. Uh so they would elect Vance, which I I don't even imagine that Republicans would elect Vance, but again, again, and then somehow he would step down and allow like there's all these weird conspiracy theories, none of them are valid or okay. It doesn't mean that he's not going to try to have us not have an election. That's the scarier part, or yeah.
Andrea:I mean, I think we need to be mentally, spiritually, physically, financially prepared for any kind of crazy shit because it's coming our way.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, how are you feeling about the redistricting? Are you voting yes, or are you on Arnold Schwarzenegger's side?
Andrea:I'm voting yes. Um I, you know, they send it to me.
Carmen Lezeth:Wait, for people who don't know, she would never vote like any way that a Republican would.
Andrea:So that was like a joke. Yeah, yeah. I do like I don't feel good about it. I'm just gonna say it. I don't feel good about it.
Carmen Lezeth:So there so the redistricting that's happening in California is because Gavin Newsom has uh put on the ballot for this November for Californians to change our redistricting so that we can vil what's not vilify. What's the word? Nullify. Nullify. Vilify. But no, nullify Texas is giving Trump five seats, like because they didn't even have an election. They just did it on their own. So go ahead, Andrea. Yeah, right.
Andrea:I say that right, right? Yeah, yeah. It essentially eliminates five Republican held districts, I believe, in California. I just read the thing this morning. So they sent the things like we always get these big, you know, pamphlets and whatever pamphlets that give you all of the information, and it's you know, you have to get like a master's degree in reading and reading stuff. This well, this time there's only one, so you know, thank goodness. Um, but I started to read it this morning, and of course the maps are whatever they are, and I'm like, I can't tell if my district is changing or not. Because your district mine isn't. It's not, it's not. I don't think well, I think it actually, I think it it is like slightly, but where I am, I would be with the same person who we elected a Democrat. Um very, very, very centric Democrat, but a Democrat nonetheless. Um, so yeah, I mean, I we talked about this before. Like we in California, we have an independent commission. We voted for that many years ago. It's been, you know, we've been using it. It's you know, I read this morning that it was a model for the nation and etc. etc. So I do not feel good about saying, let's put that aside and let's essentially gerrymander. I don't love that. However, you know, what have we all been saying really since 2016? But certainly, certainly since January. Do something, do something. Yeah. So you can't, I can't, I'm not going to be like, yeah, but not that.
Carmen Lezeth:Right, right. Not not this thing, right? We do have to be forced. Yeah.
Andrea:Yeah. We have to fight the fight we're in.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah. It is a model for the rest of the nation. The rest of the nation does not do it. No. So, but it should be independent people who go in and make a decision on how your state should be district after the census. And that's the big deal, is that we it's no population. It's always after the census, and now we're like midway through or whatever, and because it's every 10 years we do a census, right? Right.
Speaker 01:Yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:Um, and so look at I I have no problem at all. I'm tired of feeling like we're just being railroaded all the time. You know what I mean? Like I'm I'm ready for the fight.
Andrea:And I look, I I read the article this morning because I was trying to figure it out, you know, like, all right, well, what you know, what what is actually happening here? What's gonna go away? And you know, I will be thrilled to see some of these folks ride off into the sunset down to K Street and make their gajillions being lobbyists.
Carmen Lezeth:Like, just right, just go. Just go. Yeah, and here's the thing this is just for now. Then it goes back to the independent um council.
Andrea:So this is just three cycles, I think it's like 2030 or something like that, that it goes back to what it was.
Carmen Lezeth:And this is for the fight. And and look at Californians are voting on it. So I feel like if we don't want to fight, we won't, but we we go and fight. We go and vote yes. Yeah, and we vote yes because Arnold is voting no. So the opposite of Arnold. Um, so this is just for California.
Andrea:Like, I'm sorry. I said, is anyone listening to Arnold these days?
Carmen Lezeth:You know what? He was doing okay being like an elder statesman, you know what I mean? Like, and he was actually um saying some things that made sense at one point regarding surface issues, you know what I mean, like fitness or whatever, or healthcare or whatever, you know, like he does have like he leans heavily Republican on fiscal things, but he's really kind of liberal and social on social issues, in terms of okay. Sorry. I'm sorry, I forgot I'm talking to Andrea. Center, center, right, center, right? I'm just saying on some social issues he's okay, but on this, because people don't understand, he helped create it. Yeah, but that's why he's like all befuddled about it. It's like, dude, it's not about you, it's not about you. Sorry. You know what I mean?
Andrea:Yeah. Yeah. Well, and that's another, you know, sort of brain disease. Like, uh get it out of your head, man. Everything is not about you.
Carmen Lezeth:And that's what I think our problem is with um Donald Trump. It it really is all about him. Oh. I mean, did you see the speech he did at the military?
Andrea:No, I did not see it. Oh my god. I was like this. I will read about these things. I do not watch or listen or anything like that. And I honestly, like, that's the thing that as hot as you just were about the shutdown and ACA and all of that, like that just got me into a tailspin for days. I was like, oh my god, the president of the United States just declared war on the American people. And everyone's like me and Trump. Oh my god, did you see how they were all just sitting there stone faced? I'm like, they should be pulling out their fucking guns. Like, you know, this is not okay.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, no, I think I I so before that was Pete had seriously. I I just wanna Pete. Pete, what the fuck? Like, you have no business. This is just for you. You have no business talking to any of these military people at all. Baby. Like the Hutzpa, is that what it's called? Hutzpa? The the audacity that you think you have the right to talk to these people about anything, let alone fitness. Oh my god.
Andrea:That's like embarrassing Andrea. We're gonna do war crimes now. Hey, guess what? You can sexually assault anyone you want. Oh, and by the way, stop being fat. Yeah. That's my favorite.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, he was just, it was embarrassing. And I look at I I just feel that white men, like that's the epitome of pathetic white men. That's that's what we're talking about when we're angry with white men who don't get it. I'm sorry. Oh my god, we're not gonna have any listeners at all. It's okay because I would have said this to you on the phone. But that but but that's that's exactly it. Somebody who thinks they are entitled enough to talk to the years of experience that was in that room, and you were a talk show host and not just.
Andrea:You know what I mean? Like, just they've they've strategized and all kinds of things, you know, done a lot of things that I do not agree with for sure. But how dare you? Yeah, I would dare you, yeah, your small little bullshit, get up there and try to tell them what's what.
Carmen Lezeth:Like, no. I mean, this is the thing that we as women don't have this fucking hoot spa bullshittery. I mean that we don't like, I don't know anything about what I'm gonna talk about, but I'm gonna get up and say something anyways.
Andrea:I'm just gonna spout off.
Carmen Lezeth:And then Donald Trump, I just think I, you know, I it was embarrassing. I I I did watch it because it was like the car crash you couldn't not watch. And I think he was shook by I mean, he was shook by a lot of things, but then he went off on tangents and he just he can't, he has no ability to stop himself. Right. Like he can't, I don't know how to explain it.
Andrea:That's like when you start talking to someone in the grocery store and you're trying to be like, I gotta go get my apples now, and you're just still going and you're trying to be polite, and you're like, Okay, oh my god, yeah, that's crazy, girl. You know what I mean?
Carmen Lezeth:Like, yeah, that's I mean, and and I think that's it too, but I also I feel I know you're gonna be like I'm crazy, but I also feel bad for him because you can see so badly he wants respect, he wants to be revered, he wants to be loved and adored. He does like, and you have to think a man, what is he, 78, 79 years old, and he's still craving this thing, and he still hasn't figured out how to get it.
Andrea:His wounds are so wide out in the open for anyone to see. I mean, it's so blatantly obvious, psych 101. Like, you could literally take your high school psychology class and be like, I know exactly what's wrong with that motherfucker. I know, you know, and you'd be right, you'd be totally right.
Carmen Lezeth:I just I felt bad for him. It's the first time I know you want to hit me. I know look at your page, you're like, whatever. I just because it's it's it's never going to happen for him. It's never what what he wants, it's never gonna happen. It's what he always wanted in the past, too. He always wanted to be part of the celebrity culture, right? He always wanted to be part of like being famous and da-da-da-da-da.
Andrea:And it's literally going to piss and throw shit on his grave, and I'll be right there first in line. Michael, I will not. I will not take a bag of my chicken shit and pour it right on top of his grave. I will.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, now you guys are hearing the real conversation.
Andrea:This is true.
Carmen Lezeth:Although I don't think we're shying away in any other way, but I look at I just this is look at I just feel bad for him. I just feel I just it's watching him bad for us. That's who I feel bad for. I feel bad for us too. I can do two things at one time. I feel bad for us. But here's the difference.
Andrea:I don't feel bad for people who choose to not improve themselves, who choose to not work on their shit.
Carmen Lezeth:I know, and I'll go even further. I'm angry with him because he's used so many ways to hurt other people for his own bullshitery. But see, I'm not, I'm not gonna waste my time on Donald Trump because Donald Trump he has issues. I'm he would not be where he is today, Andrea, if it isn't for all the motherfucking enablers around him who know better. Yeah, so when you say, Oh, because the proximity to power, what the fuck? You know better than this. I know, you know, not you. I mean, damn, they know better than this. This man is not they're just as bad. To me, they're worse because I think he's absolutely clueless. I think he and and I know people be like, no, he's playing chess, bitch, please.
Andrea:He is not playing chess, he's not playing chess, he ain't even playing.
Carmen Lezeth:What's that game with the spots? Remember, you used to put your leg on Twister, he ain't even playing Twister because that was an easy game, right?
Andrea:Yeah, Candyland, shoot some letters. Yeah, no, he's not playing anything. He's just like, Whoa.
Carmen Lezeth:He actually told the military people. I don't know if you saw this part, but he was like, Wow, I've never walked into a room that's so quiet. You can clap if you want. I was like, Oh my god, stop! They're not gonna, they're the military, stop. Yeah, yeah, okay. I know, I know. You don't feel bad for him. I know, yeah. Are you really that mean though? You wouldn't really go stomp on that.
Andrea:Yes, absolutely. Absolute piece of shit. I will truly dump shit on that man's grave. Truly, 100%.
Carmen Lezeth:You're gonna go to Florida to do that? Because I think that's where he's gonna go.
Andrea:Okay, well, probably not. But if I happen to ever be there, I will make a special trip.
Carmen Lezeth:So I have a beautiful brother from another mother who lives in Florida, and I I love him to death, but I cannot go back there again. I I can't. I've always not been a fan of Florida, but I really can't go there now. But um, so I'm gonna end with this, um, unless you have anything else you want to add. So I really want to implore people, I don't think you've seen this, uh, but please watch the show The West Wing, four seasons, the first four seasons by Aaron Sorgens. If you really want to learn about how our government works, there's a lot of political shows out there, I know, but the West Wing is the gold standard because they teach you about bills and Congress and the Senate and the presidency or whatever. And I know that everyone's like, oh, it's so liberal. It's not about the liberal, it's about the relationships of people, you know what I mean? And actually, we end up having a lot of Republicans on the show. Ainsley Hayes is one of my favorite characters, and she's a Republican on the show, and she's amazing. But I I want to explain to people that if you want to learn about how politics works, that's the easiest way to learn it, and it's a really good show. And I just want to tell you who's on it because that might entice. I'm not getting paid at all by uh, but I'm not. No, I'm kidding. Rob Lowe, Alison Janney, Martin Sheehan, Bradley Whitford, Dooley Hill, Joshua Molina, Elizabeth Moss, who everyone knows from Handsmade Tales and whatever, I guess, uh Mad Men. These are the people that are in this show, and they are the stars of the show, and it's really good. And if you want to know how I learned most about politics, um, that's how I got the solidification of understanding how things work. Um, and it's really not about the liberal or conservative part of this, it's about the structure of how our government works. So, anyways, I can hear something in the background.
Speaker 01:Yeah, that's the gardener.
Carmen Lezeth:Really? We have a gardener, do we? No, I'm just kidding.
Andrea:Okay, everyone.
Carmen Lezeth:I had to mention it because I'm not gonna be able to get that out.
Andrea:No, I was gonna mute myself, but I'm sorry.
Carmen Lezeth:No, no, it's all good. It's all good. So, anyways, um, Andrea, thank you as always. And um, everyone, uh, we have our Friday night shows at 6 p.m. Pacific, 9 p.m. Eastern, where everyone can come and hang out. So I hope you'll come and join us. And uh remember, at the end of the day, it really is all about the joy. It really is.
Andrea:So you gotta find it somewhere, girl.
Carmen Lezeth:Bye, everyone.
Andrea:Bye.
Carmen Lezeth:Thanks for stopping by, all about the joy. Be better and stay beautiful, folks. Have a sweet day.
