Episode 39: St. Patrick's Day Chaos and Caller Confessions

All right. Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. I am Luke, and this is Luke at the Roost. It's the late-night call-in radio show where you can call in and talk about whatever's going on in your life, and I'll give you the very best advice that I can. Today's a very special day here in America. It's St. Patrick's Day, you might have heard of him. And before we get going with the show, I've got a little story for you. And now it's time for story time with Luke. St. Patrick was actually born in Roman British, like Wales or Scotland. And his real name wasn't Patrick. It was Maywin Sukkot. He only took the name Patrick later when he became a priest. So the patron saint of Ireland was a British. British dude named Maywin. He was kidnapped by pirates at 16, sold into slavery in Ireland, and forced to tend sheep in the mountains for six years. Rough origin story for a guy who ended up with a global drinking holiday named after him. And now it's time for story time with Luke. Okay, well, today is Tuesday, March 17th, here in Animus, New Mexico, and we're just in time. We caught the last tail end of St. Patrick's Day. It's 11.53 p.m. And let's check in with Devon today and see how he's doing. Devon, how you doing on this glorious St. Patrick's Day?

Yeah? Oh, hey, happy St. Patrick's Day, Luke. I'm doing good, just, you know, getting everything ready for the show. I actually saw this really wild documentary once about the history of St. Patrick's Day parades. And it turns out they actually started in America, not Ireland, which is kind of ironic, per se. So basically, the first parade was in Boston in 1737 by Irish soldiers serving in the British Army. And then New York followed in 1762. It wasn't until the 20th century that Ireland really picked up on the whole parade thing. So like we exported it to them, if that makes sense.

Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with you there, Devon, because St. Patrick State Parades actually predate the founding of the United States. The first recorded one was in 1601 in a Spanish colony, what's now St. Augustine, Florida. New York's parade's been running since 1762.

Oh, I'm not finding anything on that right now. I just remember that documentary saying it started in America, but, like, my ex-girlfriend was really into historical reenactments, and she always said you can find a source for anything. if you look hard enough, even if it's not like the main story per se. So maybe there were earlier ones, but the big modern parade tradition, like we know it, started with the Irish diaspora here, if that makes sense.

Well, yeah, I guess it did start in America, but it wasn't America yet. It was still just a Spanish colony in what is now, Florida. Also a fun fact for you listeners at home, the world's shortest parade is in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Exactly 98 feet long. It still features Grand Marshals, Irish dancers, and a Blarney Stone kissing contest. Have you ever been to a Blarnie Stone kissing contest, Devon?

I haven't, no. I mean, I've kissed some rocks before, but not, like, officially, per se. That's actually really interesting about Hot Springs, though. Like, 98 feet. So basically, it's, like, walking the length of, like, two school buses. That's efficient, I guess. floats and everything. I'm actually looking up pictures now. It looks pretty wild, if that makes sense.

What's the craziest thing that ever happened to you on St. Patrick's Day, Devon?

So basically, one St. Patrick's Day, I was at this party, right? And someone decided it would be a good idea to dye all the beer green, which, you know, is pretty standard. But then it turned out they used, like, actual green food coloring that wasn't really meant for consumption in that pretty vibrant green, well, everything the next day. It was quite a spectacle, if that makes sense. It reminded me of this one time my ex and I tried to make a rainbow cake from scratch and ended up with like a tie-dye kitchen. But yeah, that St. Patrick's Day was definitely memorable for all the wrong and very colorful reasons.

Yeah, and I used to, a lot of you don't know this about me, but I used to be on another podcast with my friends Matt and Crystal. It's called the Uncanny Valley podcast. And back. Some years ago, we were scheduled to talk with the then pop sensation, Billy Eilish. You might have heard of her. Now she's a multimillionaire that just spends all our time bitching about billionaires. But back then, she made music and stuff and was very popular. But anyway, we were scheduled to meet with Billy Elish. And through some strange mix-up with the phone routing, we ended up on the line with an Irish pub-going time traveler named Billy Irish, who, was who's calling from the old potato famine at the pub. And that was a pretty interesting St. Patrick's Day story. But enough about St. Patrick's Day. Let's get on with the show, shall we? First up on our line here, we've got Ernie. Ernie, welcome to the show. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, sir.

Hey, Luke. Yeah, happy St. Patrick's Day. Listen, I agreed to an open marriage three months ago, and my wife immediately found someone, and now she's out having the time of her life, like an idiot.

Whose idea was the open marriage?

Hers. 100% hers. She came to me, said she felt like we were roommates, said maybe we needed to explore other connections to appreciate what we have. I thought she was talking about marriage counseling or a vacation or something.

So basically, open marriages, sometimes called consensual non-monogamy, are actually more common than most people think, with like one in five Americans having been in one at some point, if that makes sense.

Yeah, they usually don't go well. It takes a specific kind of person to be all right with that, but I think probably most of them end up in the situation that you're having, Ernie, where one partner gets all the action, and the other one is a left thumb. Is that the saying? A left thumb? That doesn't make any sense. A third thumb? Shit, what's the thumb saying? Maybe Devon can look that up and let us know. Anyway, Ernie, did she already have someone in mind when she brought this up to you?

Oh, absolutely she did. I mean, she said no at the time, but the guy showed up two weeks later. Two weeks, Luke. His name is Derek. He's a yoga instructor. He drives a Prius with a coexist bumper sticker. She met him at her book club.

So basically, a coexist bumper sticker, if that makes sense, usually has, like, religious and spiritual symbols on it to promote tolerance. So it's not ironic, per se, but it's kind of on the nose for a yoga instructor named Derek, I guess.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. sense. A lot of douchebags with man buns have those stickers on their cars. Okay, Ernie, so when you agreed to this open marriage, did you set down any rules and boundaries with your wife before this began? Did you talk it through thoroughly, or did you just kind of agree and see what happens?

We talked about it. We had rules, no sleepovers, no bringing people to the house. We'd check in with each other, all that stuff. But honestly, Luke, I think I just agreed because I was terrified of losing her.

have you had any further discussions with her about it since it's begun, since she's been active? Do you, when she comes back from her other dates, does she tell you about what happened? Do you even want to know?

She doesn't tell me details, but I can see it on her face. She comes home glowing, Luke, literally glowing. Meanwhile, I'm helping the kids with homework and paying the mortgage, and she walks in at 11.30 on a Tuesday smelling like somebody else's cologne, and she's just radiant.

Well, if it's really bothering you, I think you need to have a sit down with her, and talk to her about it and maybe just let her know that it's not working for you. And you only agreed to it because you didn't want to lose her. And it turns out, feels like you're losing her anyway.

I know, I know I should. But here's the thing.

She's happier than she's been in years. Like genuinely happy. She's nicer to me. She's more patient with the kids. She's actually smiling again. And if I tell her I want to stop, I'm the bad guy who took that away from her.

Well, maybe you don't want to stop. Maybe you don't want to pull the plug, but you might want to put some more rules or boundaries around it or try some way to make it so that her newfound happiness doesn't just exacerbate your unhappiness. You know what I mean? Because you both have to be happy. If she's super happy and it's making you increasingly miserable, then it's not working. And you need to navigate around that.

Yeah, but what am I supposed to say? Hey, honey, can you tone down the joy a little bit because it's making me feel like garbage? I mean, I've tried the apps, Luke. white. I've messaged.

Well, yeah, it's a lot more difficult for a dude than it is for a woman. I think everybody knows that. But I think the way that you address it is to sit her down and talk about how it's making you feel. Like, you know, you don't just tell her, no, I don't want you to do that. I don't like it anymore. But just be like, hey, I'm not getting any action here. It's making me feel more like a roommate, actually. Like, I'm not important in your life because you'd rather be outboning yoga instructors. And explain to what you. that you understand that and you're not taking it away from her entirely, but maybe not every Tuesday. Maybe this is a once a month thing or a when you're out on vacation thing, on a cruise ship kind of thing. You know, maybe just reel it in a little bit or work with her to come up with a way that involves you. You know, she, I don't want to say words like should in this instance, but you two should be communicating about what's going on here. She should be telling you what it is that she's doing, why she enjoys. it and it theoretically should bring you closer together, that openness and that open channel of communication. But you're not having that. She's just coming home and doing our thing, and you're not a part of it. So the open relationship, I think, needs, it requires a huge amount of communication.

You're right. I mean, we're not communicating at all. She comes home. We talk about whose turn it is to take the kids to soccer, what we need from the grocery store. That's it. And honestly, Luke, I think. Part of me doesn't want to know the details, because then it becomes real.

Well, it is real. I mean, you already know that it's real. She's coming home smelling like another dude. You can't pretend that's not real. But I'm not saying that you need to get the dirty details, all the deep details. Talk about feelings, specifically. How is it making her feel? What did he do that made her feel special or youthful or young or sexy that you're not doing? And how can you bring some of that back into your own relationship so that you can you can, can give her some of what she feels like she's getting outside of the marriage.

That's what scares me, though. What if I ask her what he does that I don't? And the answer is just everything. What if it turns out I'm the problem, and there's nothing I can do to fix it?

Well, then wouldn't you want to address that? Because if you're the problem and there's nothing you can do to fix it, do you want to live the rest of your life as just the guy in the corner, wondering who his wife's outboning? I don't think so. If it's not working for you, and if you're not working for her, then maybe it's time to talk about if your relationship still makes sense.

Yeah, but we've got two kids, Luke. A mortgage. I sell cars for a living. I can't afford two households. And what am I supposed to tell people? Yeah, my wife wanted an open marriage. And I was dumb enough to say yes, and now here we are.

Well, I don't know your wife or you, but I assume that you got married because you were able to communicate and you had a mutual level of respect between yourselves. And if it's just a sex thing, then I mean, it's just a sex thing. But if it's more than that, then that's something that needs to be addressed. And lots of people split up with kids and households. It's not like you'd be the first person to ever do that.

It's not just a sex thing, Luke. That's what I keep telling myself. It's just physical. It doesn't mean anything. But she lights up when she talks about him. She mentions something he said about mindfulness or whatever, and she gets this look. I haven't seen her look at me like that in years.

So I'm not sure. if this helps per se, but sometimes when people talk about mindfulness in relationships, it can be about, like, being present and really listening to each other, if that makes sense. Yeah, and how long has this been going on? Is it a relatively new thing that's still got the novelty of, oh my God, I get to bang this younger kid that's not my husband, no strings attached? Or has it been a while?

It's been about three months now. Three months of Derek the yoga instructor. And honestly, it doesn't feel like it's losing steam. If anything, it's ramping up.

Well, three months isn't really that long. She's probably going to learn at some point that he's an annoying douchebag wannabe vegan and get tired of it, I would assume. But it doesn't matter. Three months of feeling shitty about an open marriage that you don't really want. You have to talk to her about that and explain how you're feeling. And if she's the partner that you want her to be, she's going to be understanding of that. And I think that you two can work something out that gives you both what you're. you need. Like, if it's a physical sex thing, you can figure out ways to satisfy it there. I mean, you guys could go to parties if you wanted to. They have sex parties where you can go and, like, have a rule. Like, you can play around at the party, but these things are off limits. These things are okay, and I have to be in the room or, you know, something similar to that. Not just a free-for-all where you get to do whatever you want. If you're not okay with that, you both have to be completely okay with it and you have to be communicating. And things can change. You have to be open to changing those rules.

You know what? Forget it. I shouldn't have called.

I mean, I don't know what kind of advice you're looking for here. I do feel for you, and I think that you should talk to your wife. And if you're going to have an open relationship, I mean, you did actually commit to it. I mean, you said yes. So you have to at least give it a shot. And she's obviously loving it. So, I mean, I don't want to say you made your bed, but you made your bed there. But now you need to have that conversation and let her know that you're feeling miserable because of it. Or it's never going to change. And you're just going to start feeling resentment and low self-worth. And it's not going to end well. It's better to get in front of it now and deal with it before it gets worse.

I'm done. I don't need this.

Okay. All right, Arnie. Good luck. Have fun tonight. We know your wife is. And next up on the line, we've got Wanda. Wanda, welcome to the show. What's going on in your life? Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Oh, thanks, Luke. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, too. So my cat has been stealing things and bringing them home, and I'm starting to get worried about where he's getting this stuff.

What kind of stuff is he stealing?

Well, it started normal enough. Dead mice, the occasional bird. But then last week, he brought home a $20 bill, just walked right in through the cat door with it in his mouth like it was a trophy. And then two days ago, he shows up with a car key. Like, a full car key with the little remote button thing attached to it.

That sounds to me like a good kitty. That sounds like the kind of cat you want to have.

I mean, I guess. But Luke, somebody is missing their car key right now, and $20 is $20.

Devon, did you know that St. Patrick was never actually canonized? He's not actually a real saint. So we're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, and he, like, canonization of saints wasn't even a thing back So we should just be celebrating Patrick's Day. Yeah?

Oh, wow. So, Luke, you're saying, like, he's not a saint, per se, because the process didn't exist back then. That's actually really interesting. So basically, it's more like a historical figure we're celebrating rather than a religious one, if that makes sense. I always just assumed he was, like, officially a saint. I actually remember this one time. I was at this really intense family dinner, and my aunt started going on about how, like, half the saints aren't real saints because of some historical technicality. And everyone just stared at her. But, like, maybe she was on to something, you know?

Yeah, I think actually all saints aren't real saints because the whole thing is just something that a bunch of dudes in funny hats made up to, I don't even know why.

Oh, I'm not finding anything on that right now, but, like, it's true that the process has changed a lot over time. I mean, they used to just kind of, like, declare people's saints based on popular acclamation, if that makes sense. Like, if enough people thought you were holy, then, bam, you're a saint.

Now it's like a whole committee and miracles and everything. It's a much more involved process, per se. Yeah, now we've got a new saint, right? That's like a teenager or something. He's all about video games and stuff. I don't know what miracles he performed. Do you know?

I'm not finding anything on that right now, per se, like about the specific miracles. But I do know who you're talking about, Carlo Acutis, right? He's like the patron saint of the internet or something, which is actually pretty cool.

I mean, if that makes sense. Like, he cataloged Eucharistic miracles online before he died. So basically, I guess you could say his miracle was, like, using the internet for good. I always thought that was pretty wild because I mostly just use the internet to, like, look up weird facts at 3 a.m. or try to find out if my ex-girlfriend is dating anyone new, which, you know, is probably not saintly behavior per se.

Shit, I didn't know he died. I thought he was like 17 or something. How did he die?

Oh, so I looked it up, and it says here that he was born in 1991 and passed away in 2006. So he was actually 15 when he died. It doesn't say the cause of death here, per se, just that he...

Just that he was. We lost you there, Devon, your mic cut out. Hold on. Let's see if we can get Devon's mic back. Devon, your mic cut out. What happened there? You were talking about how he died? And we lost you.

Oh, sorry about that. Luke. Yeah, so I was saying that Carlo Acutus, the one we were just talking about, he actually died from acute promylicytic leukemia. It's a type of blood cancer. He was only 15. So basically, he died pretty quickly after he was diagnosed. It's really sad, if that makes sense.

Well, let's hope he made it to heaven. Was he canonized as a saint before he died, or was he made a saint posthumously?

Actually, it was probably posthumous. He died in 2006, and then he was beatified in 2020, and just recently canonized as a saint in 2025. So the whole process happened after his death. The Catholic Church has specific requirements for canonization. They need verified miracles attributed to the person's intercession, documentation of their virtuous life, all that. In Carlos case, there were two miracles recognized.

Oh, all right, Joey. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've got Joey on the phone, and he seems to know more about this situation than Devon did. So, uh, Joey, what were the miracles?

Well, the first one was in 2013. A Brazilian boy had a pancreatic defect, and after praying to Carlo, he was healed. That one led to the beatification. Then the second miracle, which is what got him canonized, was in 22-2. A university student in Florence had severe head trauma from a bicycle accident. And after prayers to Carlo Acutus, she made a full recovery. The Vatican investigated both cases pretty thoroughly before recognizing them as miracles.

So did Carlo Acutis even know that these people were praying to him?

Actually, it's a cutus, A-C-U-T-I-S, not a cutus, and no, he wouldn't have known during his lifetime because both miracles happened after he died. The first one was seven years after his death, the second was 16 years later. The whole concept in Catholic theology is that saints in heaven can intercede on behalf of people who pray to them. So the idea is that Carlo, being in heaven, heard these prayers and interceded with God for these healings.

That doesn't make sense, though. Wouldn't it just be God? That was... interceding for God? Like, why would God need the saints to do his work for him? Seems like if you were, if these people were already dead and you were praying to them, those prayers would skip over to God, you know, the man at the top.

Well, technically, Catholics would say the saints aren't doing God's work for him. They're more like advocates or intercessors. The analogy they use is like asking a friend to pray for you, except the friend is already in heaven and closer to God. The prayers don't replace praying directly to God. They're just another avenue. It's based on the idea of the communion of saints that the church includes both the living and the dead, and they're all connected.

Wow, all right. Well, you learn something new every day. All right, Joey, well, what has you calling in today?

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Thanks, Luke. Look, I'm calling because I'm sick of celebrities thinking their political opinions matter more than anyone else's. I drive a truck for UPS. I've got a mortgage. Two kids with soccer practice and piano lessons. And I'm supposed to care what some actor thinks about policy?

So basically, the Catholic Church actually has a whole process for canonization, which is how someone becomes a saint. And it usually requires at least two confirmed miracles attributed to their intercession after their death, if that makes sense.

Okay, Devon, well, Joey already did your job for you, so thanks for nothing, buddy. Yeah, Joey, it is annoying when celebrities get on their soapbox. But also, celebrities have a soapbox to get on. So they have a soapbox to get a message out, and it's hard to say whether they should or shouldn't use that, but I can't agree with you that it is annoying.

Right, but here's the thing. Having a platform doesn't mean you're qualified to use it for policy discussions. These people are famous for playing pretend or singing songs. When some celebrity with zero background in economics starts lecturing people about tax policy or someone who dropped out of high school is telling us how to fix health care, why should that carry any weight? I mean, I've got actual skin in the game. I'm paying these taxes. I'm dealing with insurance costs. I'm living in the real world. But somehow their opinion gets amplified to millions of people just because they were in a movie.

Well, yeah, but I mean, if you're on a TV show, then you can be president with none of those qualifications, and you can start wars with Iran for no reason. And you could be the director of health and human services with a worm in your brain and no other qualifications other than your last name. So I don't know that the celebrities are really the problem here so much as the people that we actually have in elected office because people are fucking morons and yeah, they're going to vote for the person who has the loudest voice.

Okay, but that's exactly my point, Luke. The reason those people got into office is because they already had the platform. The celebrity status gave them the credibility they didn't earn through actual policy experience.

Well, yes, that's very true. And their opinions, I mean, not the people that are actually elected to office, their opinions matter to us. Like, they're actually developing policies that are destroying us and saying that they're making the country great. But the other people, the celebrities and stuff, their opinions are no different than the drunk dude at the bar who's spouting off about what he believes. Everybody has an opinion and they're all equal. I mean, they're all worth just as much. Absolutely nothing. It's when these unqualified people get into office and make unqualified decisions that affect the whole country and the whole world, then that's a problem. And that's exactly where we're going to do we're at right now.

But Luke, those unqualified people got into office because celebrities normalize the idea that fame equals expertise. When actors and musicians spend years telling their fans who to vote for, what policies to support, they're creating this pipeline where eventually someone famous enough just skips straight to office. My uncle Hector used to say, you don't ask the plumber about your electrical work. And that stuck with me. These celebrities are plumbers telling us how to rewire the whole house. And then we act surprised when the house burns down.

Yeah, but I don't think I think that's really the case. I mean, at least it's not the full story.

So part of the problem here is that the people that are qualified to make policy and that have been doing it for a long time are so corrupt and so shitty and so out of touch with reality that the people were looking for anything different from, you know, the status quo there and they sure got it.

I'll give you that. The establishment politicians are corrupt as hell. But the solution to corrupt experts isn't unqualified celebrities. It's better experts. When my truck breaks down, if the first mechanic tries to rip me off, I don't go to a guy who's never touched an engine but has a popular YouTube channel. I find a better mechanic. We threw out the corrupt politicians and replaced them with people who have literally no idea how government works. And now we're acting shocked that things are worse.

No, I don't think anybody's acting shocked. I think we know exactly why things are worse. It's super obvious to anybody with half a brain why things are worse. But think about it this way. I mean, in order to get that experience and policy, you have to be in a position where you're writing policy. There's no other way to get the experience to become a better expert than to do it. So if the establishment is already dug in in those roles and never leaving like they haven't been, then there's no way for anybody else to gain that experience and they have a stranglehold on it.

Okay, but there are levels to this, Luke. You don't have to go straight from reality TV to the White House. Start at City Council. Run for state legislature. Be a governor. up actual experience in how government functions before you're making decisions that affect 330 million people.

Yeah, I mean, I did some of that in my own local, small towns. I did like town government stuff just to get experience and see how the process works and understand robbers' rules and how to run a meeting and that sort of stuff. And I think it's important that people do that. But it's not the same thing. It's definitely not the same thing. I mean, you can be a governor and still have no idea how to control FEMA.

Sure, but at least you'd understand bureaucracy, budgets, how to work with legislators, how to build coalitions. That's more than someone whose only experience is negotiating a contract for their next season. And honestly, Luke, the bigger issue is that we're letting celebrity culture dictate our priorities in the first place. I'm out here at 5 in the morning loading trucks. And I've got to listen to some actor who makes more in a month than I'll see in 10 years tell me, economic inequality. The disconnect is insane.

Well, no, you don't really have to listen to that at all. You can listen to something else entirely. You can listen to Luke at the Roost. You can listen to your Spotify playlist. I mean, if you're, if you're, if you're, if you're, if you are listening to that, it's because you've made the decision to tune in. And I mean, now if you're on the news, then you can be the secretary of war. It doesn't matter what your qualifications are. If you suck Donald Trump's dick, then, you know, you're good. be a leader of Homeland Security, whatever. It doesn't matter. Pick a high-profile position and have no qualifications for it. Just tell Donald Trump, he's cool and you're in.

You're right. I don't have to listen to it. But it's everywhere, Luke. It's on every news channel. It's all over social media. My wife's reading about it on Facebook. You can't escape it. And yeah, the current administration is the perfect example of what I'm talking about. Loyalty over competence, fame over qualifications.

So actually, actually, the term celebrity politician isn't a new thing per se. Like Ronald Reagan was an actor before he became governor of California and then president. And Arnold Schwarzenegger, too. So basically, it's happened before, if that makes sense.

Yeah, it's definitely happened before throughout all of history. It's not a new thing. And it is a problem. And it's a problem with the way that society functions. It's the problem with the stupidity of people. And we're fucking dumb. We're so dumb.

Exactly, and that's what gets me, Luke. We keep doing the same thing over and over. Reagan, Schwarzenegger, and now this.

Hey, don't forget Jesse the Bodhi Ventura. He was my favorite.

Right, Jesse Ventura, too.

We keep electing these people based on name recognition, and then we're surprised when they govern like they're still performing. My point is, maybe we should stop amplifying celebrity voices on policy issues in the first place. If actors and musicians stuck to their lane, maybe people wouldn't be so primed to vote for them when they decide to run for office. But instead, we've got this whole culture where being famous makes people think you're smart about everything.

I just don't think that's true. I know that they're doing it. I know that celebrities do that, but I don't think people think they're smart because they're doing it. I think they're just, some of them are legitimately trying to use their platform for what they believe in. And that's a good thing, because to change the masses, minds about anything, art is the most powerful tool to do that, and it always has been. Because art cuts through things. Like it cuts through the bureaucracy. It cuts to the core of the issue. And who we're talking about outside of Donald Trump are largely artists. And, you know, they're trying to use their art and their voice to make a difference. Whether or not that works, I mean, is up to your opinion.

But Luke, there's a difference between using art to make people think and using fame to tell people what to think. When an artist makes a movie or writes a song about inequality or a song, injustice, that's powerful because it makes you feel something and draw your own conclusions. But when that same person gets on Twitter and starts dictating specific policy positions to their followers, that's not art anymore. That's just a famous person with a megaphone. And the problem is, people do listen differently because of who's saying it, not what's being said. Studies show that source credibility affects persuasion more than the actual argument.

So I was trying to look up those studies about source credibility and persuasion, but it's not really pulling anything up right now.

Yeah, thanks for nothing, Devon. Don't talk to us if you don't have anything to say. Jesus, what are you doing? I half agree with you about, um, not so much about the celebrities doing it, but about the people listening to it. Celebrities can do whatever they want. It's their platform, and they earned and built that platform. So if they want to get out and alienate half of their audience with their political opinions, that's their choice. But it really comes down to the people who are deciding who to listen to based on, you know, if they like Bono or Bruce Springsteen or whoever the fuck it is.

Fair enough, maybe I'm misremembering the specific study, but the principal stands. People give more weight to opinions from people they admire. And yeah, celebrities can say whatever they want. That's their right. But when you've got millions of followers and you're weighing in on complex policy issues you haven't actually studied, there's a responsibility there. I've got a mortgage, two kids in sports, I'm up at 4.30 every morning, and I'm supposed to sort millionaire actor thinks about tax policy versus what actual economists are saying. It's exhausting, and the fact that the actor's opinion gets more airtime than the economists is exactly the problem.

Yeah, well, there's a few assumptions there. I mean, you don't know that those people have not done their research on whatever it is they're spouting off about. I would guess that most of them haven't, but we don't know that. They could be very well versed in the opinions that they're spouting. And also, who's to say what responsibility lies on these people for tweeting.

Like, it's Twitter. It's up to the people to recognize that information coming from the news and from Twitter and from Facebook and from me is worth nothing. It's got no value, or at least to do the research themselves. And, you know, maybe they hear a new opinion from somebody that they admire and look into it. it. It's the look into it part that people don't do. And I think the on people listening than the people spouting.

You're right that people should do their own research. But come on, Luke. We both know most people don't. They hear their favorite celebrities say something. They see it retweeted a million times, and that becomes their position.

And yeah, maybe some celebrities do their homework. But when you've got actors talking about foreign policy between takes on set or musicians weighing in on health The odds that they've done the same level of research as someone who's dedicated their career to it are pretty slim. I'm not saying they can't have opinions.

Yeah, you're saying they can't speak their opinions, and that's a First Amendment thing. Of course they can speak their opinions, and they're as valid as anybody else's opinions. And, I mean, on health care reform, I think everything I've ever heard from a celebrity, celebrity about health care reform is just we need it. And that's hard to do. to argue. We need health care reform. I don't care how up to date you are on health care policy, reform, whatever's going on. Like, we all know that. It's pretty fucking clear.

I'm not saying they can't speak. I already said they have the right. What I'm saying is maybe they shouldn't be treated like experts when they're not. And yeah, we need health care reform is easy to say. Everybody agrees the system's broken. But the deal. Details matter, Luke.

Sure, and I think we're saying the same thing. Of course they can speak and they can tweet and they can go on the news and say whatever they want to say. It's on the people, though, to recognize and filter that they are not experts and their opinion is just an opinion.

Okay, yeah, we're basically on the same page then. My frustration is just that the filtering isn't happening. People aren't making that distinction. And meanwhile, I'm trying to explain to my 14-year-old why some influencers take on climate policy isn't the same as what scientists are saying. saying. And it's like pulling teeth because the influencer has 100 million followers, and the scientist has 5,000.

5,000's pretty good for a scientist.

So I was looking into studies about celebrity influence on public opinion, but it's not pulling anything up right now. I'll keep trying if something comes up, though.

Devon's really slacking today. Jesus, kid. Don't pipe up if you don't have any information to add. All right, well, I think we've come to a consensus here that people should do their own research own opinions based on data and real-world experience and not just the voice of a musician or an actor or a reality television star. But I think we both know that's not going to happen because people are fucking dumb.

Yeah, people are fucking dumb. And that's what makes this whole thing so frustrating. We can sit here and say, do your own research all day long. But we both know most people won't. They'll just keep letting celebrities do their thinking for them. And then we end up with what we've got now. Anyway, I appreciate you letting me vent about this, Luke.

Yeah, you're very welcome. And, you know, the thing is, we've had what we have now forever. Since the dawn of politics, it's always been the case. That's human nature. And we've always been dumb. And we've always not wanted to take the time to learn about a situation before we form an opinion. And we've always wanted information to be spoon-fed to us. And, you know, if you're in person, politics, you know that, and you exploit it, and that's the game. So if you want the game to change, I mean, get down there and run for governor and do your part. Just bitching about it isn't going to change anything. It's always going to be this way until people that are knowledgeable and intelligent and determined actually put forth the effort to make a real change the right way, which is by following the procedures that were set down in the fucking 1600s and 80s. England. So, yeah, I don't have a good answer. The whole thing's fucked and it has been and probably will continue to be and it will get worse because people are just getting dumber and dumber and dumber. And that's by design. So ladies and gentlemen, that was a longer call and it's time for us to go to some words from our sponsor.

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All right, we are back on this fine St. Patrick's Day. Well, it's not St. Patrick's Day anymore. We've switched over into Wednesday the 18th, but for all intents and purposes, this is the St. Patrick's Day episode. And we're going to have to yell at Devon right now. So, Devon, what are you doing, buddy? You're messing up the show. You keep piping up with information you don't have. We don't want you wasting people's time if you don't have an answer. Only, you should only be talking to the audience if you've got something to say. Don't just say you tried search and nothing came up.

Sorry, Luke. Got it. I'll just keep quiet unless I have the actual answer.

Yeah, that's exactly what I want you to do. Okay, next up we've got Reggie. Reggie, welcome to the show. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Tell us your best St. Patrick's Day. Tell us your best St. Patrick's Day story.

Luke, hey man, thanks for having me. Okay, so, best story, I do not have one, but I have got something way weirder going on, and I have been dying to talk to somebody about this, because it is making me absolutely insane. Every single month my own phone number calls me.

Ah, it sounds like you're getting spoofed. You're getting spoofed there, Reggie. What is he saying when you... Do you answer the calls?

Oh, I answer every time. And here's the thing. It is not a spoof. That is what I thought it for. first two. But when I answer, there is no person, there is no robot, there is no message, nothing. Just four seconds of wind, like whoosh, and then it disconnects.

So basically, it's actually possible for your own number to call you, but it's usually a scam where they're trying to get you to call them back and charge you for it, if that makes sense. So do you think maybe it's actually yourself calling you from the future or from the multiverse? Maybe the lines are getting mixed up, like back in the day when we ended up talking to Billy Irish instead of the legendary pop singer Billy Irish? Billy Ilish.

Okay, okay, wait. The multiverse thing is hilarious, but Luke, I called my carrier. I have called them three times now, and they are telling me these calls do not exist in their system.

Like, I am looking at my phone. I see my own number on the screen. I answer it. I hear the wind, and then I check my call log, and it is right there. But they are saying there is no record of it on their end? How does that even work? It has been happening for months now. Same time every month. Like clockwork.

Well, do you have an iPhone or are you using an Android device? iPhone. I have had the same iPhone for like three years now. And before you ask, yes, I have updated it. Yes, I have restarted it. I have done all the tech support stuff. My wife thinks I am losing my mind because I will be sitting there at dinner and suddenly my own number is calling. And I am jumping up to answer it and she is looking at me like I am crazy.

So basically, With iPhones, calls from your own number often show up as unknown or no caller ID, even if it's a known scam. Well, it sounds like maybe it's time to do a factory reset on your phone because you could have some spyware or malware running on that iPhone. It's rare, but it does happen. And if the only log of the call is coming from the phone itself, then it's probably not going through the carrier. Or the carrier is the one that's fucking with you.

Okay, so that is what is driving me nuts, though, because I work in insurance adjusting. Right? I deal with people trying to pull scams and weird technical loopholes all day long. I know how to investigate something. I have gone through every app on my phone. I have checked for weird permissions. I even took it to the Apple store. And the guy there ran diagnostics and said everything looked fine.

Okay. Well, I don't think insurance adjusting qualifies you to do tech support on a modern cell phone. But whatever. Have you considered that it might be a Wi-Fi app, an actual, like, a messaging app like Telegram or WhatsApp or Google Voice or something like that that's coming over the internet as opposed to coming over your carrier?

No, I have not checked that. That is actually a really good point. I do have WhatsApp, but I barely use it, maybe like twice a year. But here is what gets me, Luke the wind sound. It is the exact same sound every single time. Four seconds. Not three, not five.

Yeah, it sounds like an automated thing that's being sent through some sort of digital telecom service. It's probably WhatsApp. I would get rid of those apps, especially if you're not using them, just to see if the problem stops. And if it stops, then you have your answer.

All right. Yeah. I am going to do that as soon as I get off the phone with you. Delete WhatsApp. Delete anything I am not actively using. Because honestly, man, this has been messing with my head more than it should. Like I know it is probably something stupid and technical. But when you see your own number calling you in the of the night and all you hear is wind. It gets under your skin, you know?

It gets under your skin like the Wyoming wind. I do know. I've had the wind get under my skin plenty of times, especially living here in New Mexico, where we are frequently bombarded with windstorms and hoboobs. So basically, a lot of people have actually reported getting calls from their own number, and it's usually a scam where they're trying to get you to call back a premium rate number, if that makes sense. All right. Thanks, Devon. So, yeah, it sounds like Devon thinks it could be a scam trying to get you to call back. And I think it's probably another app that's showing up as a phone call, but is really just coming over the internet from a Twilio or something like that. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just stop answering them. And ignore the calls. It may block your own number and see how that works. Okay, we're going to take one more call. I think, maybe two. We'll see how this one goes. Let's talk to Roland. Roland, welcome to the show. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Look of the Irish to you. Thanks, Luke. Appreciate you taking my call. Yeah, happy St. Patrick's Day to you too, man. Though I got to say, I'm not feeling particularly lucky tonight.

All right. What's got you down on your luck tonight, sir?

Well, so I was listening earlier when Joey called in the UPS guy talking about celebrities. And when you mentioned he had that ham radio setup, testing the bands and all that. It just hit me. My wife Linda, she passed a few years back, and she had this life insurance policy. Not huge, but enough. And my financial advisor, this guy named Dennis, he's been on me for months now to cash it out, put it in the market.

Well, I'm sorry to hear about your wife there. I'm not really sure how that works with a life insurance policy. So when the insured person dies, it goes into what a or something like that? Where is the money go? Do you get an account at a fidelity or something like that?

No, no. It came to me directly. She had me listed as the beneficiary. So when she died, the insurance company cut me a check. I deposited it into a savings account. And it's just been sitting there ever since.

Okay. Well, if your financial advisor is recommending that you put that into the market, maybe you should listen to him. That's why you have a financial advisor, right?

Yeah, I know, I know. And Dennis, he's shown me all the projections, the charts, the compound interest over time. On paper, it makes total sense. The money is just sitting there losing value to inflation. But Luke, every time I think about actually doing it, about moving that money, I feel like I'm going to be sick. It's the last thing I have that's directly connected to her. To the future we were supposed to have together.

Okay, well, that's the wrong reason to hold on to it, right? Because it's, it is going to and just a road to inflation if you just leave it in a savings account. And objectively, it's not connected to her. It's just money. If anything, it's connected to the life insurance company. So I think you should follow the advice of your financial advisor and put that into something that's going to protect it.

You're right. You're right. I know you're right. But here's the thing. And this is where the ham radio thing comes in. Linda and I, we had this whole plan. We were going to buy this little cabin up near Prescott. Nothing fancy. Just a place to get away. She used to talk about it all the time, sitting on the porch in the mornings with coffee.

Okay, well, uh, what's that got to do with the ham radio?

Oh, sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. What I'm saying is that money feels earmarked. You know, like it was meant for something specific between us. And Dennis wants me to throw it into index funds and tech stocks. And I'm sitting here coaching Little League and trying to keep the mortgage paid. And it just feels wrong. Like I'd be taking this last piece of our dream and turning it into just numbers on a screen that go up and down.

Well, it's already just numbers on a screen that go down. So I would recommend that you take the advice of your financial advisor, but you still haven't explained what it is you're talking about ham radio. That has nothing to do with this conversation. Where is the ham radio bit coming in?

Right. Okay. So Dennis has this ham radio set up in his office. Big, fancy rig, antennas on the roof, the whole deal. And every time I go in there for these meetings where he's pushing me on this investment thing, he's also going on and on about propagation conditions and making contacts in Japan or whatever, testing the bans, just like Joey mentioned earlier. And it struck me tonight that he's so focused on sending signals out into the world, reaching further and further, but he's not hearing what I'm actually saying to him.

Okay, well, I don't know what you heard, but Joey didn't say anything about a ham radio and you are paying a financial advisor to give you financial advice. So he shouldn't be listening to your advice on the matter. He should be giving you the best financial advice that he can.

And if that's to take the money and put it into some funds, then maybe that's what you should consider doing. Wait, no, I could have sworn you said something about ham radio when Joey called. Maybe I'm mixing things up. I've been up late a lot lately, coaching these kids' teams.

guess I'm more tired than I thought. But Luke, the point is, Dennis keeps showing me these numbers. And I keep telling him it doesn't feel right. And he just keeps pushing.

Okay. Well, I mean, I'm not sure what you're calling for. I'm not going to agree with you. I think you should take your financial advisor's financial advice. But if you don't want to, that's okay. It's your money. If you don't want to put it into funds, don't. You can just let it sit there. It'll be fine. I mean, you're slowly going to lose money due to inflation, but that's your choice. If that makes you feel better or gives you something from your wife to hold on to, then do that. Only you can decide. If he's pushing you to do something you don't want to do, then it's time to find a different financial advisor.

Yeah, but see, that's what I'm wrestling with. Because part of me knows he's right. Part of me knows Linda would probably tell me to invest it. To be smart about it.

Yeah, actually, literally anybody would tell you to invest it as opposed to just letting it sit in a saving account unless for some reason you knew you were going to need that money access to it very quickly. That's the only reason it makes sense to keep that money in a savings account. Otherwise, you should have it in, I mean, you can have it in conservative funds or precious metals or something like that. It doesn't really matter. Just, yeah, be smart about it because you can lose money pretty quickly in the markets. Keep it in conservative stuff, blue chips, and, you know, relatively safe

That's what Dennis keeps saying. Blue chips, diversified portfolio, all that. But Luke, the real issue is I'm scared. I'm scared that once I move that money, once I put it into these accounts, with his name on the letterhead, it stops being about Linda and starts being about just trying to survive.

Yeah, but buddy, it stopped being about Linda when Linda died years ago. It's not about Linda anymore. It's just money. It literally is just numbers on paper at this point. And you're going to lose

Don't do smart things with them. You know what? Forget it. I shouldn't have called.

I agree with you. You shouldn't have called if you were just going to try and get me to agree with you. I don't agree with you. And since that was a pretty quick call, we'll take one more. Next up, we've got Travis. Travis, thanks for calling in. What's going on?

Look, Luke, I'm calling because I just got invited to a second baby shower and I got to say something about this. My co-worker's wife is having their second kid and they're throwing a mother-hole shower with a registry and everything. I'm sorry, but when did we start doing this? You already got all the stuff.

Wait, is it a shower for a second kid? Or is it a, like, is it a different child they're having a shower for? Or is it a second shower for? Or is it a second shower for the same kid?

No, it's a second kid. They already have a three-year-old. They got all the gear the first time around. Crib, stroller, all that stuff.

Well, I think that's pretty normal. I think it's customary that every time they have a kid, they have a baby shower for it, because they still need diapers and money and stuff. Uh, I don't think that's that weird.

That's exactly the problem right there, Luke. You just said it yourself. Diapers and money. That's not what a baby shower is supposed to be.

I don't know what a baby shower is supposed to be. Can you fill us in?

A baby shower is supposed to be about getting you set up. The big stuff. The crib. The car seat. The changing table. All the things you need when you're starting from zero.

Yeah, but If their first kid is three, then they've probably gifted that stuff to somebody else by now. Excuse me, I just choked in my coffee and it's messing up my voice. But yeah, it seems like three years into having a child, a lot of that stuff would probably have been passed on.

Then they should have kept it. That's called planning ahead. You don't get to have a yard sale and then come back asking for handouts. My uncle Hector raised me and when my cousin was born four years after me, he didn't go around with his handout.

Okay. Well, we get it. You don't like the second baby shower. And if, uh, if you don't want to go, you don't have to go. But I don't, I don't think it's wrong of them to have a second baby shower for a second baby, especially if they need the stuff.

I'm not saying I'm not going to go, Luke. I'll go. But I'm saying the principle of the thing is wrong. This is what's happening to this country. Everybody thinks they're entitled to something just because they decided to do something.

Well, maybe they didn't decide. You don't know that. It could have been an accident and you don't have to go. And even if you do go, you don't have to bring any presents. You can, if you want to be a dick about it, you can just show up empty-handed and eat their cake.

Now, hold on. I'm not trying to be a dick. I like my coworker just fine. That's not the point. The point is we're normalizing this behavior where people just expect things handed to them twice for doing the same thing.

No, I don't think we're normalizing anything. I think it's perfectly acceptable for a second child to have a second baby shower. I think that's pretty normal. And it always has been.

Always has been. Luke, my Uncle Hector, would have laughed you out of the room. When did this become always? Because I'm 47 years old and I don't remember this being a thing growing up.

Yeah? Well, how many baby showers did you go to growing up? And I really don't care what your Uncle Hector would have said. Like, nobody cares about your Uncle Hector. He's not the bar for baby showers. I'm afraid to break it to you.

Uncle Hector raised me after my parents died. So yeah, he is the bar for a lot of things in my life. And I went to plenty of showers growing up, ranch community. Everybody knows everybody. You had one shower when you had your first kid. That was it.

Okay. Well, that was your experience, but I don't think that that's the normal, uh, accepted. Um, I think people have had second baby showers forever.

Then why does it feel like every other person I talked to agrees with me? I brought this up at work and half the guys were nodding along. This entitlement thing is real, Luke.

Nobody's acting like they're entitled to anything they invited you to the shower. It's not saying you have to come to the shower. If you don't want to go, don't go. I mean, I don't see the problem here.

The problem is the ask itself. You're putting people in a position where they feel obligated. You know how it works. You get the invitation with a registry link. And now you're the bad guy if you don't show up with something.

Well, then you're just a pussy because you're not standing up for, you know, yourself and what you want to do. Like, I've got lots of invitations to lots of things and I just didn't go. That's fine.

I'm not a pussy, Luke. I'm going to the damn shower. What I'm saying is the whole system is flawed.

No, you are a pussy because you're going to the shower and you're just going to call the radio show and complain about how you're too afraid to not go to the shower.

I'm not afraid. I'm going because she's my co-worker and I want to support her. But that doesn't mean I can't call out what's wrong with the whole concept.

No, I think you clearly and definitively do not want to support her. You're saying that she's acting entitled for asking for asking for your support.

That's twisting it around. I support her having a baby. That's great.

It's not twisting it around at all. She's asking for your support. If she needs a stroller, that's support.

And that's why people have baby showers. So I don't know where you're getting entitlement. I mean, she's not expecting that you show up and give her a stroller. She invited you. And if you don't want to go, don't go. But don't just call a radio show and complain about how the whole world is entitled because your second, uh, because your co-worker had a second baby and needs a new crib.

She doesn't need a new crib, though. That's my whole point. The first kid is four years old. What happened to all that stuff?

So actually, a lot of parents get rid of baby stuff pretty quickly, like after the first kid outgrows it. Like, they don't always keep it around for years. Yeah, you're not thinking about the next baby three years before you have it. Nobody's going to keep a crib sitting around for three years. That'd be silly. Nobody has the room to do that. Plus, they probably had somebody else that they gifted it to, like I said earlier in the show. I don't think you're being reasonable here. I think you just are being cheap. You don't want to show up and give a gift, and you don't have to. That's my advice for you. If you feel strongly about this, don't go. Or if you feel like too much of a pussy to not go, then go and just don't bring a gift.

I'm not being cheap. I bought a $50 gift card for the first shower four years ago. This isn't about the money.

Well, that's pretty cheap, and obviously it's about the money.

50 bucks is cheap? For a coworker? Luke, you're out of your mind.

No, I don't think I am. Babies are very expensive. I don't know if you've been around, but shit costs money, man. And you know what? You know what's got me on this whole thing? Is it at what point did men start going to baby showers? Usually baby showers are for the women.

Ranch life, Luke. Small community. Everybody goes to everything.

Well, don't pitch about baby showers then, bitch about ranch life.

Ranch life is fine. It's the principle of the thing. My Uncle Hector raised...

All right, we get it. Nobody cares about your Uncle Hector. And you're a cheap bastard. Don't go to the shower and stop being a pussy. That's what I have to say. And that's the end of our show. Donk.