Episode 41: Benny's Creepy VHS Tape from Nowhere

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 tell me what's going on. And I'll give you the very best advice that I can. Today is Thursday, March 19th. And if you'd like to give us a call, the number's 208-439-58-3. That's 208-439 Luke. Let's see. Is Devon here today? Devon?

Yeah, Luke, I'm here just setting up the booth and stuff. What's up?

Where's my coffee?

Right here, Luke. I got it just black, no sugar. Like you said, picked it up fresh from that place down the street. It's still hot.

All right, I'm very proud of you. I don't know where you found it at midnight on Thursday, March 19th in Animus, New Mexico. But, I mean, you pulled through again. Good for you. I'm very, very proud. Thanks. What do you think we should talk about on the show tonight? Do you have any ideas?

Thanks, Luke. That means a lot, actually. For topics tonight, maybe we could talk about weird dreams people have had. I had this one last week where I was stuck in a storage unit again, but with like talking animals or something about local history in animas, since I'm always reading up on that stuff at 3 a.m.

All right. I like that idea. I like the weird dreams idea. I had a weird dream maybe last year. I don't dream that much, or if I do, I don't remember my dreams that much. But I had this weird series of dreams last year that were all like monitoring privacy-based dreams. And I thought I was awake. Like, it was very real. And I went outside my RV. And I noticed that there was like this door that wasn't usually there. So I started investigating it. I opened the door. And inside the pointed through a little hole in my RV wall recording me. And then I had like four or five more dreams that same week that were very similar. Somebody was watching me for some reason. I couldn't figure out who it was.

That sounds kind of creepy, Luke. Like surveillance dreams are the worst. Reminds me of this one I had where I was back in that storage unit with my ex, but instead of talking animals, it was just endless security cameras watching us argue about nothing, the door out. Anyway, should I look up some dream interpretation stuff for the callers tonight?

Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Do that. I mean, now that I'm thinking about that dream again, it was just, it was so weird to me, even in the dream that it was like, it was an 1980s style VHS camcorder, like the kind that you put the VHS tape in, and it was on this makeshift, like a turret to move back and forth. It was really fucking stupid strange.

Yeah, look up some stuff on dream interpretations and we'll get to the callers and see what they have to say. So I looked it up and according to some psychology sites, dreams about being watched or under surveillance often symbolize feelings of vulnerability, anxiety, or fears of judgment. Like if it's in a private space, it could mean inner conflicts or hidden secrets you're dealing with. For something like finding a creepy old VHS camera spying on you, it might represent paranoia or unresolved privacy issues from your waking life, if that makes sense. Anyway, that's what the articles say.

All right, I don't think I had any unresolved privacy issues, but who knows? Who's to argue with the dreams? All right, first up on our caller line here, we've got Joey. Joey, welcome to the show. Do you have any weird dreams to tell us about? What's going on while you sleep?

Hey, Luke, good to hear from you again. Nah, no weird dreams on my end, but I caught that theme and figured I'd call in anyway with an update on what I vented about yesterday. Turns out one of those celebrities I was griping about actually doubled down on their take today and it's got me fired up all over again.

All right, Joey, but you didn't call in yesterday. I have no idea what you're talking about. Could you re-inform us? Maybe I forgot, but I'm pretty sure there was no Joey on yesterday's show.

Well, maybe I got the day wrong, Luke. It feels like yesterday to me since it's been eating at my thoughts, but I called in a couple nights back about those celebrities spouting off on politics like their experts. You know, the ones with zero real-world grit pushing their opinions, while folks like me are out here grinding. Anyway, the update is, that actor I mentioned, the one from that big superhero flick, he went on some podcast today and straight up defended his stance saying working stiffs like truck drivers don't get the bigger picture. You want to know what really burns me? It's like he's proving my point all over again. Acting like his red carpet life trumps actual experience.

Well, I don't think anybody really gets the bigger picture. I mean, bigger than what? Who has the biggest view of the whole picture, you think? I don't know if it's an actor or a fucking truck driver or a president. I think everybody pretty much only sees the picture that is right in front of their eyes.

Yeah, Luke, I get what you're saying. Nobody's got a God's eye view of everything, that's for sure. But you want to know what really burns me about these actors? They act like their bubble of Hollywood parties and scripted lines, gives them some superior angle, when really, it's just as narrow as what I see from the cab of my UPS trance, hauling packages across these mountains. Folks out here dealing with rising fuel costs and supply chain headaches, we might not see the whole world, but at least our pictures grounded in something tangible, not just what their publicist feeds them.

Yeah, but you don't know that. You don't know what these Hollywood people do in their daily lives. You assume it's all parties and publicists, but they're just regular people too. They have a different job than you do, but I think it's wrong to assume that they're all in a Hollywood bubble.

Fair enough, Luke. I can't peek into every actor's garage or see what they do on their off days. They're human, after all, and some might volunteer or read up on policy like anyone else. But when this guy goes on a podcast and dismisses truck driver's views as small-minded, without ever stepping foot in a warehouse or behind a wheel for more than a photo op, it sure comes off like he's speaking from that insulated world. I mean, I looked it up after his comments today. Turns out he's donated to some think tanks, but nothing hands-on like the community programs us drivers support out here in Arizona. So that's where we're at even if they're not all sipping cocktails 24-7.

So some actors actually do a lot of charity work and advocacy outside of Hollywood. For example, George Clooney co-founded not on our watch project to prevent mass atrocities. And Angelina Jolie has been a special envoy for the UN Refugee Agency.

Yeah, I mean, you see now that we have social media and stuff and celebrities can share with us part of their normal lives, the videos that I see of a lot of celebrities, So just them being people, you know, having cookouts and fucking nothing all that different from what everybody else is doing. They play music and they draw pictures and they are just, when they're not working, they're not working, just like anybody else.

Yeah, Luke, I hear you on the social media side. I've seen those clips myself, like actors grilling burgers or walking their dogs, and it does humanize them a bit. Shows they're not all red carpet zombies. And Devon, that's solid on Clooney and Jolie. I've read about their projects actually. Clearly, Clooney's group has pushed real legislation on Sudan back in the day, which is more than most of us desk-jockey politicians bother with. But here's the rub for me.

Even with that good work, when an actor like the one I mentioned jumps on a podcast and waves off everyday folks takes on policy, as if we're all just squinting its shadows, it stings because it ignores how our normal lives, mind dodging deer on these Arizona routes or my cousin Rubin clocking overtime at the mill. Shape a perspective that's just as valid, if not more, battle-tested. So that's where we're at with this update. His comments today felt like like a fresh jab at that divide.

Yeah, well, why are you paying attention to an actor's comments on anything? Like, he's got an opinion like anybody else. Like we talked about before, he might have a larger platform to spew that on, but it's still just noise. It's still just an opinion. Why does it bother you so much? Just stop looking at that. You know, you got better stuff to do than whatever actor you don't want to mention is saying on social media.

Yeah, Luke, you're spot on, that it's just one guy's opinion blasting out from a megaphone. and I could scroll past it like a million other posts. But you want to know what really burns me? It's not the actor himself. It's how his words echo what I hear from too many talking heads, making it seem like my take on things, built from years of early mornings loading trucks, and watching how policies hit the road directly, doesn't count because I'm not famous. I mean, after his podcast dropped today, I saw comments from other drivers online feeling the same pinch, like, we're all being sidelined in the conversation that actually affects our routes and paychecks. where we're at. Ignoring it feels like letting that noise drown out the real grit, and with my grandpa, Ernesto, always saying opinions without sweat behind them are just hot air. It hits close to home.

Yeah, well, you've got your opinions. Where's your sweat behind it? You can start your own podcast and spout off your own opinions if you want, and maybe the other truck drivers that are along your route will listen to you. But you're the one that's tuning in to this media and listening to the people that are pissing you off because I think on some level you just want to be pissed off about something. If you want your opinion to matter, do like I said before, and fucking take your time and go down to the town hall and join a board and, you know, do your part. You don't just complain about other people spouting off their opinions. While you spout off your own to me, like, you're not doing anything to improve the situation at all.

Yeah, Luke, I see your point. Tuning into that stuff does keep the fire lit sometimes. And maybe there's a bit of me that gets riled up because it feels personal. Like, my years on these routes don't add up to me. much in their eyes. But actually, I am out there doing my part. I've testified at a couple local town halls in Arizona on supply chain regs last year, backed by data from the American Trucking Associations showing how fuel hikes hit us hardest. And it did push for some state rebates that helped drivers like my cousin Rubin keep his head above water. Starting a podcast? Well, technically, with my ham radio setup, I've already got a way to test the bans and chat policy with folks across the Southwest. Had a group of operators debating trade tariffs just last week.

Yeah, well, that sounds like a real good time. Ham radio discussions on politics. I think most people discourage that on the bands. Ham radio discussions are for talking about ham radios. Everybody knows that. Or, I mean, if you're going to use it for something useful, like weather reporting or disaster reporting or following a fucking parade. But the ham radio is not the place to be having political discussions. If you want your voice to get out to the same sort of platform that these actors are doing, then yeah, a podcast is your way. It's never been easier for you to get your voice out than it is now. And I don't understand myself. Like, first of all, I don't care about, uh, about your years on your route. It's like, nobody does. Nobody gives a shit about you or your specific, uh, what matters to you. Nobody cares but you and the other people that are in your industry. So why should an actor? Like, everybody dismisses everybody else's, opinions. That's what opinions are for. Like, you have yours, everybody else has theirs. Nobody's going to change anybody's. But if you want to do something about it, like if you really want to get your voice out there, then get your voice out there. You have all the same platforms available to you that any actor does today. You couldn't have said that 20 years ago.

Yeah, Luke, fair point on the ham bands. FCC guidelines do steer clear of political chit-chat to keep things emergency focused, like relaying storm updates during monsoon. soon season out here, and I've stuck to that mostly, but those offhand policy riffs with operators do pop up when signals are strong. Podcast-wise, you're right. It's easier than ever with apps like Anchor letting anyone hit record from their truck cab, and I've thought about it, especially after this actor's latest jab today making rounds on Twitter, but you want to know what really burns me about the nobody cares angle. It's not that I expect every actor to nod along to my route stories. Hell, I know opinions clashed like bumpers on I-10, but when one with millions of followers flat out says working folks like lack the vision for big issues, it does feel like a brush off of the sweat equity we put in. Backed by stats from the Bureau of Labor showing truckers move 72% of U.S. freight without the glamour. So that's where we're at. Yeah, I'll keep pushing my voice where it counts. Town halls or otherwise because dismissing the grind doesn't make it vanish.

Yeah, sure. I mean, truckers move most of the truck freight, of course. But nobody cares. You know what actors do? They make 100% of the world's movies and everybody needs them too. So everybody's got their job to do, and you've got yours, and it's not more important than anybody else's, nor is the actors more important than yours. I think if you talk to any single person in America, they're going to complain about the fuel costs. So it's not just affecting you in truck routes. It's affecting literally every product, every person, everything in the economy and the world. So it sounds like you're a little bit self-important here on your truck driving sweat, equity. Like, what does that even fucking mean? Where are you? sweating? Where's the sweat coming in in your whole day? Tell me when you sweat?

Yeah, Luke, nobody's saying truckers are the only ones feeling the fuel squeeze. It's hitting farmers in Iowa, commuters in California, everybody from the corner store owner to the family road tripping to the Grand Canyon. And that's backed by the Energy Information Administration's reports, showing diesel up 30% nationwide this year. But on the sweat part, well, technically, it's not all literal dripping in the Arizona heat. Though, come summer, when I'm loading pallets at the Graham-Campers, hub before dawn, yeah, that's when the shirt sticks and the back aches from heaving 50-pound boxes into the truck without a break. Most days, though, it's the mental grind, plotting routes around construction on Highway 191, dodging monsoon flash floods near the Pelonsillo Mountains, or dealing with that one faulty GPS reroute that added two hours and burned extra gas. All while keeping deliveries on time, so folks like my daughter Kaylee's school gets her supplies without delay. So that's where we're at. showing up consistent, rain or shine. Because if we don't, the whole chain breaks. And it feels like actors glossing over that just to push their takes.

Yeah, well, they're not glossing over that because they have to order their package from Amazon too, right? You've got to bring them their fancy actor coffee or whatever it is that they buy. And you work for fucking UPS.

You drive a UPS truck and you deliver UPS packages, which is great. I mean, we need UPS to deliver packages, but you're acting like. you're the lifeblood of America. And you're just, you're trucking nonsensical shit to nonsensical people and acting like it's the most important job in the world. It's not. It's not even, you're not even paying for the gas. So why are you bitching? UPS is paying for the gas? And they're paying you.

Yeah, Luke, actors do get their packages just like anyone else. I've dropped off script revisions and overpriced lattes at Gates in LA more times than I can count. And sure, UPS foots the bill for the diesel, which is why their rates went up 6.5% this year, per their own earnings report, passing costs to customers who then gripe about delivery fees. But you want to know what really burns me about framing it as nonsensical shit? It's not about being the lifeblood or some hero complex. It's that when policies on emissions or tariffs jack up those fuel prices, it ripples out, delays in medical supplies to rural clinics near the Pelonsiloh Mountains, or empty shelves at the store where my grandpa Ernesto picks up his meds. All because drivers like me, are squeezing every mile to make it work. Well, technically, the American Transportation Research Institute ranks trucking as handling 70% of the nation's freight tonnage. So if that's not stitching the country together, I don't know what is, even if half the loads are gadgets nobody needs. So that's where we're at. The actor's podcast take today ignored that chain reaction, making it sound like our gripes are just noise, when really it's the backbone keeping his coffee arriving on time.

No, well, I'm acting like your gripes are just noise, because you're acting like you're a long, haul trucker shipping, uh, critical medical supplies across the country for a kid with leukemia. And you're not. You work for fucking UPS. You drive your UPS route, regardless of what's going on in the economy or what's going on on on the roads. You get paid an hourly wage to do a job. And you do that job. And that's, that's your fucking purview. So you don't, you don't have this, uh, large breadth of policy experience like you're spouting off is being, uh, dismissed by the actors in Hollywood. And it's annoying me. Like, you don't have anything to stand on here. You're just a guy doing a job for UPS.

Yeah, Luke, you're right that I'm not out there like some long-haul legend crisscrossing the Midwest with organ transplants. I'm a local UPS route driver in Arizona, clocking those Graham County loops and sticking to my schedule, come hell or high water, paid by the hour to get the job done. But, well, technically, even on these shorter halls, I've carried everything from chemotherapy meds to the local hospital to vaccines during the pandemic rollout. As per UPS's own logistics report showing we handled over a billion doses nationwide, so it's not all frivolous fluff when policies tweak fuel or regs and slow us down. You want to know what really burns me about the actors' podcast today? He lumped all us, truck drivers, into this clueless bucket, ignoring how even route guys like me see the policy hits firsthand. Like when those new emissions rules added compliance costs that UPS passed on, delaying shipments to families counting on them. So that's where we're at. Dismissing it as just my purview feels like echoing his take, when really it's the everyday chain that keeps the whole system from grinding to a halt.

Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with you there. I don't think that UPS keeps the whole system from grinding to a halt. They don't. You're delivering largely toilet paper to people that don't want to go to the store and get it themselves. And you're acting like you're the lifeblood of America. And maybe you're the salt of the earth. We'll give you that one. You're a blue-collar guy 5 a.m. to get the job done. But that doesn't give you any level of experience on policy. And I just, I don't buy this whole bit about, uh, about how fuel and regs slow you down. They don't. They don't matter to you. Fuel and regs, if, if the UPS has to raise its prices and give that, uh, that cost to the consumer, that has nothing to do with you. The consumer is paying that. You're getting paid the same same amount regardless of what the fuel price is.

Yeah, Luke, I get why you'd pushback on UPS being the whole system's glue. It's not like we're the only game in town with FedEx and the post office hauling loads too, but according to the Council of Supply Chain Management professionals, parcel delivery, like ours, supports over 10 million jobs nationwide. So when regs or fuel spikes hit, it does ripple to overtime cuts or route consolidations that squeeze us drivers. And on the pay side, well, technically, my hourly wage hasn't budged in two years years, despite diesel jumping from three bucks to over five a gallon out here in Arizona, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly averages, which means I'm covering more ground for the same check while UPS tweaks incentives to offset their costs. You want to know what really burns me tying back to that actor's podcast update today. He painted folks in my shoes as policy blind, without acknowledging how those everyday pressures give us a front row seat to what works or flops, not some ivory tower guesswork. So that's where we're at. It's not about claiming top billing.

shakes in the debate. And you have a fair shake in the debate. You have Instagram, you have Facebook, you have YouTube, you have TikTok, you've got podcasts, you've got whatever method you want to get your voice out on, you can do that. And you're not, you're calling me and complaining about the actors using theirs. So stop that. And if you have something to say, if you've got a solution, then present it. But that's not what I'm hearing here. You're not presenting any solution. You're just complaining that you don't get a chance to present a solution not true. You have the same chance as anybody else. You don't have the huge audience that those people have built in. You got to build that. But you can. And look, I drive a diesel truck too. And diesel today was $5.20 a gallon. I live 100 miles from anything. To go to the grocery store, it cost me $50. To go anywhere. To go anywhere, it cost me $50. So I fully understand. Everybody understands that the fucking situation is out of control. And that's caused by nobody except for the one dude that decided to bomb Iran. He said that one person made that decision to fuck up the whole world. And it's got nothing to do with the actors spouting off policy decisions.

Yeah, Luke, you're absolutely right that I've got access to all those platforms. Instagram for Quick Rout Rants or YouTube for breaking down how tariffs mess with freight flows. And building an audience takes time, like how that actor grinded through auditions before his big break. no excuses there on my end. And on the diesel, man 520 a gallon hits hard everywhere. I've filled up at pumps in Safford seeing the same sticker shock you describe. And studies from the American Petroleum Institute back that up, showing rural drivers like us absorbing 20% more of the hike percentage-wise due to longer halls, just to reach basics. But while technically, pinning it all on that Iran situation overlooks the domestic regs layered on top. Like the EPA's clean fuel standards that added two cents per gallon this quarter per their own filings. which is where the actor's podcast update today rubbed me wrong. He blamed it solely on worker complacency without touching those policy nuts and bolts that us ground-level folks navigate daily. So that's where we're at. Yeah? Solutions over gripes. And maybe I'll clip a video on that next fill-up to push for smarter rebates.

Yeah, and I'm not talking about the two-cent tax on fuel. I'm talking about the dollar-50 it went up in the last two weeks.

Yeah, Luke, that one-fifty spike in the last two weeks is brutal. No doubt. I've topped off my tank. twice since and watched the pump click past 20 bucks just for half a fill. And the U.S. Energy Information Administration's daily reports confirm it jumped from 470 to 620 average nationwide over that stretch, mostly tied to those Middle East tensions you mentioned. But, well, technically, even with the big geopolitical whack, the layered regs, like the renewable diesel mandates, have baked in an extra baseline cost that doesn't budge, per the Department of Energy's quarterly analysis, which is exactly the kind of nuance that actor glossed over in his podcast today for whining without seeing the full picture. So that's where we're at. The spike hurts, but it's the combo that grinds us down, and dismissing one side's view just widens the gap.

Well, your view is short-sighted. You're talking about a very small bit here. All of the things that you're referring to are minute compared to the Iran business. Okay? And maybe it costs you 40 bucks to fill your tank. It costs me 150. So, I mean, I understand that fuel sucks.

Yeah, Luke, I won't argue that the Iran fallout isn't the elephant in the room. It's driven over 80% of that recent surge, according to the International Energy Agency's latest market report. And your 150 bucks to fill up sounds like a gut punch compared to my 40 on a smaller tank, especially living that far out. But, well, technically, calling the regs minute, overlooks how they've compounded the baseline by 15 to 20 cents per gallon over the past five years. As detailed in the government accountability, office's audit on transportation costs, turning a bad spike into a sustained bleed for drivers like us. You want to know what really burns me in that actor's podcast update today?

No.

He zeroed in on geopolitics as the villain, but skipped how those domestic policies amplify it, leaving folks like my cousin Rubin thinking our input on fixes, like targeted rebates, gets sidelined as short-sighted, too.

Well, they are short-sighted, and I don't even know what actor you're talking about or what he was referring to, but if you're complaining about 20 cents over five years when there's a... global energy crisis and diesel almost doubled in the last two weeks alone, then yeah, that's short-sighted and you're a fucking asshole.

Yeah, Luke, calling it short-sighted stings, and you're right that the global crisis dwarfs those 20 cents over time. Diesel doubling in two weeks is a crisis all its own, per the oil price information services tracking. And I get why that overshadows the regs for most folks. But, well, technically, it's not asshole territory to flag how those smaller layers turn a temporary hit into a chronic one. As the Federal Highway Administration's cost models show they've added up to 10% more in operational expenses for fleets like UPS since 2018, without proportional wage adjustments for drivers. You want to know what really burns me about the actor. It's Ryan Reynolds in his latest Maximum Effort podcast episode today, where he ripped into blue-collar winers over fuel, without mentioning how domestic policies like the biofuels push exacerbate the pain, making it feel like our full view gets painted as petty. So that's where we're at. The Big Spike Rules, but ignoring the stack just leaves half the story untold.

Yeah, the unimportant half of the story. So basically, maximum effort is Ryan Reynolds' production company. And it looks like they make movies, TV shows, and other content. But I don't see any specific podcast called Maximum Effort where he talks about biofuels or anything like that. Well, anyway, I've had enough of this conversation. I agree with Ryan Reynolds on this, and you're just caught up on self-importance here. Goodbye, Joey. Don't call back. Ugh. Next up we've got Sheila. Sheila, welcome to the show. Uh, have you had any weird dreams lately? Any weird dreams about biofuel?

Oh, Luke. The biofuel dream. No, but I've got one that are top that. Last night, I dreamed a rattlesnake was coiled up right in my kitchen sink, staring me down like it owned the place. And when I woke up sweating, I went to make coffee. And there it really was, just like in the dream.

Oh, that's pretty creepy. So basically, dreaming of snakes can symbolize hidden fears or transformations. And the kitchen often represents nourishment or domestic life. What'd you do with the snake when you woke up? There was a real rattlesnake in your kitchen sink?

Yeah, real as it gets. Luke, rattler, about three feet long, just chilling in the sink like it was waiting for breakfast. I froze for a second, heart pounding, then grabbed a broom from the whole closet, and a pillowcase from the laundry. Figured I'd try to scoop it up without getting bits since I'm out here alone most nights. Took about 10 minutes of coaxing it into the bag. And then I drove it out to the edge of town and let it go near some rocks. It slithered off like nothing happened.

Well, that's pretty ballsy. I don't know if I would have handled it the same humane way that you did. I think I probably would have been too scared for that and throw knives at it or something. Try to smash it with a fucking... I don't know. I'm looking around for something I could smash a rattlesnake with. All I really have are mason jars full of pipe tobacco.

Oh man, Luke. Mason jars of pipe tobacco? You'd end up with the world's most confused snake. Probably think it's a fancy spa treatment and just coil up in there, puffing away. But yeah, I didn't want to kill it if I could help it. Out here in Blob, we've got enough of those slithery locals that, relocating ones the way to go, especially since. I've got that survival streak from all the camping trips. Sounds crazy when I say it out loud. But it was either that, or call animal control, and wait an hour while my coffee went cold.

Well, you really earned that coffee. So basically, rattlesnakes are venomous, but they usually only bite if they feel threatened, and they can control how much venom they inject. That's interesting. I didn't know they could control the venom output amount. So, I mean, they make a decision. when they bite you, whether or not to kill or just injure? That's fascinating. I've lived out here for a few. I've been in the desert for maybe five years now, and I still haven't seen a rattlesnake, which is fine by me. I don't really want to. And I try to make sure when I go out into the wilderness, especially at night that I make a lot of noise, I leave the truck running for a little while or let them know that I'm in the area and hope they just go away. And so far, that's worked out for me.

Yeah. All that noise is a solid plan out here, Luke. I've done the same on my camping trips up in the Tonto National Forest, clanging pots or just yelling like an idiot to give him fair warning. And it usually works unless they're already in a mood. Globes got more rocks and crevices than you can shake a stick at. So they love hiding out. But five years without spotting one? You're either lucky or you've got some kind of snake-repelling aura going on.

Maybe I'm a snake myself. and I can speak to them. I don't know. Is there something else you'd like to tell the callers? We're going to have to go to a break from our sponsors soon, but we'll give you one more chance to let the people know whatever it is that's on your mind.

Ha, if you're a snake whisperer, Luke, send some of that vibe my way next time one shows up uninvited. Nah, I think the snake sagas enough weirdness for one call. It's got me double-checking the cabinets before bed now. Thanks for letting me ramble. Appreciate the ears.

All right, and good luck to you tonight. Hopefully no more snakes. That was cool of you to humanely re-home the snake instead of smashing its head in with a mason jar. I don't know that I would have been able to do that.

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Hey, Luke, thanks for taking my call, man. So this weird dream theme hit me right in the good. gut, because last night I had one that was straight out of left field. I dreamt I was back in high school arguing with the principal about some book they wanted to pull, and I woke up fired up enough to actually go to the school board meeting today about my kid's class reading list. Oh, and another thing, I was nervous as hell, because in a town like animus where everybody's in your business, but cross my heart, it turned out amazing. They listened, backed off the bands. And now my boy's not going to be the weird kid for having a dad who speaks up. Where was I? Yeah, the dream felt so real, like Rod Sterling scripted it himself, you know?

I have no idea who Rod Sterling is. So basically, Rod Serling was the creator, writer, and host of The Twilight Zone, which explains why the caller mentioned him when talking about a dream that felt really real and a little bit surreal. All right, what was the book that you didn't want your kid reading? Did I hear that right? You didn't want your kid reading the book?

No, no. Luke, you got it backwards. I was fighting to keep the book in the curriculum. Not pull it. It was The Bluest Eye by Tony Morse. One of those are trying to yank because of some language and themes. But cross my heart, it's a classic that teaches real stuff about empathy and history. And my boy's in eighth grade. You know, prime time for that kind of discussion. Oh, and another thing, the dream had me yelling at the principal just like I ended up doing for real at the meeting. Felt like the universe was giving me a nudge or something. Where was I? Yeah. So I stood up there in front of the board, laid it out plain, or a tiny spot like animus, can't afford to hide the world from our kids, and they actually the whole list, said they'd review it properly. F felt good, man. Like I dodged being the town pariah, and did right by him at the same time.

Right. Well, good for you. So the caller is from a town called animas. And there's actually a small town in New Mexico named animas that has a population of around 200 people. Animus. So Tony Morrison won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993. And the bluest eye. was her first novel published in 1970. I thought it would have been the blackest eye for piping up like that. So I was maybe like a year ago, I had a little tiny phase that I never followed through with where I was going to read important books. And Tony Morrison came up on all those lists of the authors that you should read. Why is it that they wanted to ban the book? What was the rationale behind that? What were the themes that were questionable?

Yeah. Luke? That joke cracked me up. Blackest eye, ha! But nah, nobody swung at me. Just a few side eyes from the old guard in the room. Oh, and you're left it. Only Morrison, right? She's the one. Powerhouse writer. And yeah, she tops those must-read lists for good reason. So the rationale from the folks pushing the ban, mostly it was a handful of parents griping about the language. There's some rough stuff in there, swear words and all, and the heavy themes like racism, self-image for black girls in a white Yeah, sexual abuse, it hits hard, because it's based on real ugly parts of history. So basically, the bluest eye is frequently challenged because it talks about really tough stuff, like racism, sexual abuse, and how black girls see themselves in a world that's mostly white.

Well, I obviously don't think any books should be banned, but is that... I haven't read the book, so I really have nothing to stand on here, but is that appropriate for eighth grade?

That's a fair question, Luke. And yeah, it's got me thinking, too, because eighth grade's that awkward spot where kids are old enough to handle some grit, but not quite ready for the full weight of the world. Oh, and another thing. In my view, that's exactly why it's spot on. My boys' class was diving into it with a teacher who breaks it down, talking about how beauty standards mess with folks, especially in places like ours where diversity is slim, and it sparks real conversations without sugar-coating. Where was I?

I don't know. Where were you? Common Sense Media says that the bluest eye is often recommended for ages 14 and up, which would typically be high school students, but some parents in their reviews thought it was appropriate for mature middle scores. Yeah, I don't know. I think at 14, you're pretty much mature enough to handle any type of concept or worldview, but I'm not a parent, so I don't really know. When I was 14, though, I'm pretty sure I was aware of racism and sexual assault. and things of that nature. I don't know. I don't know anything about kids.

Yeah, Luke, you're spot on about 14 being that tipping point. Kids pick up on the world's mess faster than we give them credit for, especially out here in the sticks, where news travels slow, but hits hard when it does. Oh, and another thing, my bully. He's sharp as attack. Already asking questions about fairness and all that after just starting the book, and it beats the heck out of pretending those issues don't exist. Where was I? Right? And you mentioning your wrong? own 14-year-old self rings true for me too. Back then, I was knee-deep in ranch work and hearing stories from the old-timers that opened my eyes wide. No filter needed.

Yeah, I mean, nobody's really talked about banning the Bible, and there's really no book that's more obscene or covers more territory than that one. So I don't understand where the outrage comes Like, people will defend the Bible and push down other books that have violence or sexism or racism in them. But the Bible's the worst of them all.

Yeah, Luke, you're preaching to the choir on that one. The Bible's packed with everything from floods wiping out the world to some wild family drama that makes modern soap operas look tame. And folks clutch it like it's the gold standard, while flipping out over a novel that just shines a light on real pain. Oh, and another thing, growing up around here, hear an animus, church was the social hub on Sundays, and we'd hear those stories straight from the pulpit. No edits. So why the double stated when it's Tony Morrison laying out the truth about racism scars? Where was I? Right. It bugs me too. Like hypocrisy's the real sin, nobody wants to ban from the shelves.

Is Tony Morrison black?

Yeah, Luke. Tony Morrison's black. Born and raised in Ohio to working class parents who pass down stories that fueled her writing. And that's part of what makes the bluest eye hits so personal. She's drawing from lived experience on how race twists self-worth, especially for girls like the ones in the book. Oh, and another thing. It's why banning it feels like erasing voices that need hearing in classrooms, you know? Where was I? Right.

So yeah, she's a Trailblazer Nobel winner and all, shining that light nobody else could quite like her. Well, that explains why they want to ban it, so it really doesn't have anything to do with the content. It has to do with the color of who wrote it.

Yeah, Luke. You might be on to something there.

In a place like animas, where the faces in the room at that board meeting were mostly the same shade. Pushing back on a black woman's take on racism feels less about the words on the page and more about keeping certain stories out of sight. Oh, and another thing. It crossed my mind while I was up there speaking, wondering if that's why a couple of the louder parents were so red-faced. But cross my heart, the board chair, who's a fair sort? Shut that noise down and went with the review instead. Where was I? Right. So yeah, it's a wind that stings a little, knowing undercurrent, but at least my kid gets to read it now without the drama.

All right, well, good job getting the book back on the shelves in the school for the eighth graders.

Maybe I'll read it one day, but probably not. Maybe they'll turn it into a movie one day, and I'll watch the movie, but probably not. I still don't think any books should be banned at any age. If a kid wants to read a book, they should be allowed to. And I do think that maybe those books should be suggestions in school, like a list of suggested books, and on books everybody has to read. I remember being a first. freshman in high school and them trying to make me read Romeo and Juliet, and I was just like, no, I'm not fucking reading that. I know exactly what happens in that book. There are so many other books I could be reading, and you're telling me to read these same, you know, 12 books that everybody else read. That doesn't make sense to me. Everybody should be able to choose the books that they want to read, you know, within specific, some kind of guidelines, I guess, for difficulty, You know, pick from a list of Nobel Prize winning authors or certain topics, something like that, a certain amount of pages, some kind of criteria, but not actually defining the books, because then everybody comes out of school with the same exact view on everything. And the stories are shitty that they pick.

Yeah, Luke, you're nailing it on letting kids pick their reads.

Forcing Romeo and Juliet down my throat in high school felt like punishment for something I didn't do. All that star-cross drama, when I could have been cracking open something about the desert or ranches that actually spoke to life out here. Oh, and another thing, now that the board's reviewing the whole list, my boys got options like that Nobel stuff, or even some Southwest authors that hit closer to home. Keeps things fresh instead of recycling the same old canon that never quite fit a place like animas. Where was I? Right. So yeah, guidelines make sense for the basics, but choice? Yeah, choice is where it's at. Give everybody the opportunity to grow up their own way and learn about what they want to learn about and read what actually speaks to the not fucking Bayowulf. Seriously? Baywolf? Enough. Enough. Enough with Shakespeare, too. All right. We get it. Everybody saw the movie. We can move on from Shakespeare.

All right, sir. Well, we've got to go to the next call now. So is there anything else you'd like to say to the audience before we cut you off?

Thanks, Luke. me ramble on about it. Take care out there.

All right there, Red. You read whatever it is, your goddamn little heart desires. Next up on the show, we've got Denise. Denise, welcome to the show. Tell us about some weird crazy dreams that you've had.

Hi, Luke. Thanks for having me on. Okay, so this dream I had the other night was straight up nightmare fuel. I walked in on my boyfriend Trey watching this porn that had all this age play stuff in it, like grown adults pretending to be kids or whatever, and I just froze there staring at the screen. Honestly, it felt so real I woke up sweating. But then I realized it wasn't a dream at all, because I'd actually caught him doing that for real a couple days ago.

What? You caught him watching a porn or you caught him doing like the age play stuff? A couple of colors have called in recently about the age play thing, which I find odd. On the spectrum of fetish stuff, it's one of the weirder ones.

No, no, he was just watching it on his laptop in the living room. Nothing like him actually doing any of that himself, thank God. But honestly, Luke, the way it was set up, With these outfits and the whole pretend scenario, it just hit me wrong, you know? I mean, we've been together almost a year now, and Trey's always seemed pretty normal. But seeing that made me wonder if that's what he's really into deep down. Like, does he want me to, I don't know, play along or something?

I don't know. Did you ask him? Did you talk to him about her at all? Maybe he was just exploring for his own curiosity to see what it was about. You know, that's easy to do. You just scrolling on the internet, you see something weird and look into it. But it might be something. talk to him about and see if that's really like a fantasy or something important to him.

Yeah, I did bring it up with him right after, because I couldn't just let it sit there in my head like that. I hear you on the curiosity thing, Luke. It makes sense how people stumble into stuff online, but when I asked him straight up what the deal was, he got all defensive and said it was just a one-time click, nothing more. But I'm not even kidding. The next morning I found his browser history cleared out, and then he started acting extra sweet, like buying me flowers out of nowhere, which he never. does. Now I'm second-dressing everything, wondering if my grandma Yolanda was right about him all along. She calls him that slick-talking drifter, because he bounced around jobs before we met.

Well, I don't see how that's related to wanting to dress up in little boy clothes, but whatever. So here's what I think you should do. I think you should let him catch you looking at some, like, crazy, hardcore, interracial porn. And when he says something to you about it, then get really sweet with him bring him like a pacifier.

Whoa, Luke. That's savage. I can just picture his face if I pulled that on him, handing over a pacifier like it's no big deal. But honestly, I'm not even kidding. Part of me wants to test it out now. See if he squirms the way I did. My family's already side-eyeing tray hard, especially after that time he showed up late to my cousin's barbecue smelling like cheap whiskey, and this would just give them more ammo to say I should have stuck with my ex.

So basically age play is a type of role play where a Take on the persona of a child, often involving costumes and props. It's usually a consensual fantasy, but it can be a part of some kink communities. Yeah, I don't think the role play thing is that weird. It's not my thing, but I don't think anybody's harming anybody there. I don't think it goes into, like, molestation. It's not a sexual-based thing, which is, which makes it a weird kink, because it's not about sex stuff. It's more about, like, uh, um, I don't know. a mother and a child or a daddy in a child. It's more about a power dynamic than it is about sex type stuff. So, I mean, I wouldn't say it's wrong. I wouldn't look at him differently for being into that. It's more of a curiosity. Like, what, what is it about that that makes you interested? What does that do for you? Why, why is that even porn? Like, what part of, they're not having sex. They're not doing anything remotely sexual. So how is that, how is that porn? And if that, If that is considered porn, then why isn't just watching anything that you're into considered porn?

Yeah, Luke, I get what you're saying about the power dynamic side of it. Like, if it's all just adults playing pretend, without anyone getting hurt, maybe it's not the end of the world.

Listen, Denise, we've got to go to a word from our sponsors. Is there anything else you'd like to ask or say to the audience before we get off the line?

No, Luke. That's all for me. Thanks for listening in this straight talk. Appreciate it.

All right. Thanks for calling in with your weird dream. That was a weird one. And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a word from our sponsors. I used to sleep on a rolled up horse blanket. I'm not saying that for sympathy. I'm saying it because Pillow Forever asked me to establish a before state, and that's mine. Pillow Forever is a memory foam pillow that remembers your head shape so you don't have to. It's got cooling gel, bamboo fiber, and a 30-night risk-free trial, which means you can sleep on it for a month and then send it back, and someone in a warehouse is to deal with that. Every pillow forever comes in a box that's too small, experience. You open it and it slowly expands like a nature documentary. My dog tried to fight it. Pillow forever. You deserve better than a horse blanket. You do. You really do. You deserve better than a horse blanket. All right, Devon. Devon, what do you think about the whole age play thing? It seems like the type of thing you would be into.

Age play, like the whole pretending to be kids or whatever in bed. I mean, I tried something kind of like that once with this girl from my undergrad psych class. We ended up role playing as like lost hikers instead, which was way less weird and more about the survival stuff. But honestly, it just made me think about my own childhood hikes with my dad that always ended in getting lost for real. Not really my thing per se, but hey, whatever floats people's boats if it's consensual.

Do you think it's weird? Do you think it should be classified as like a kink? Do you think it's a sexual thing or is it something else entirely?

Yeah, I do think it's weird in a subjective way. Like, it definitely stands out from vanilla stuff, but weird doesn't make it wrong if everyone's consenting and not harming anyone. Actually, looking it up, it's pretty much classified as a kink or fetish in role play circles, often tied to BDSM, or older. And it can be sexual, but sometimes it's more about emotional comfort or just escaping adult stresses without the bedroom part. Reminds me of how my ex used to do this whole daddy issues therapy thing that veered into weird territory. But anyway, live and let live.

Yeah, well, the daddy thing and the BDSM thing are a little bit different than what I'm talking about with age play, wouldn't it? When somebody says age play to me, I'm thinking about like grown adults on binkies and wearing bonnets and shit.

Yeah, that's specifically the adult baby diaper lover thing or ABDL. It's a form of age play where adults regress to an infant-like state with diapers, pacifiers, pacifiers, and bonnets for comfort, emotional release, or sometimes sexual reasons. But it's not always tied to BDSM or daddy dynamics. Apparently, it's more about nurturing and escaping adult responsibilities than anything else, per what I just pulled up.

Yeah, well, I mean, you could escape adult responsibilities in lots of ways that don't require regressing all the way to a baby. I mean, you could escape adulthood by pretending to be a teenager, perhaps, or at least a toddler. Somebody that's out of the diaper. What is it with the diapers?

So pulling from some psych articles and community stuff, the diaper part in ABDL often ties back to a fetish for some. It's sexually arousing because of the vulnerability or taboo feel. But for others, it's about reliving the total care and security of infancy, especially if they had early bedwetting issues or just need that non-sexual escape from grown-up stress. Kind of makes me think of how I used to hide under my blankets as a kid pretending the world didn't exist. But yeah, it's all about personal comfort zones.

Well, it doesn't seem very comfortable at all for anybody involved. Like, a diaper can't be comfortable. I don't remember the last time I wore a diaper, but I think I was probably like three.

Actually, a lot of folks in the ABDL community, say modern adult diapers are way more comfortable than what kids wore back in the day. Like, they're soft, absorbent, and designed for all day wear without chafing, which gives this sense of security and relaxation that helps with stress relief. I mean, I get the skepticism, but for them, it's less about the baby era and more about that padded hug feeling.

Kind of like how I used to wrap myself in old towels as a kid to feel safe during storms. Do they use the diapers? Like that? That's something I wondered and never felt the need to ask anybody. But like, do they piss in the diapers? Does somebody have to change their diapers for them? Or do they just like wearing the diapers?

Yeah, from what I just pulled up on ABDL, communities, it varies a lot. Some people just wear the diapers for the comfort or sensory feel without using them at all. But others do wet them with urine or even mess with bowel movements as part of the regression. And, yeah, changing is often a big ritual where a caregiver handles it to amp up that nurturing dynamic. Kind of reminds me of how my grandma used to change my cousins back in the day during family reunions, all matter of fact, and no big deal. But anyway, it's all consensual and personal.

When I was a kid, I went to summer camp one summer. It was in, I think, Vermont or something like that. And we, I can't remember what the camp was called, but I do remember it had three different It had the Moes. That was the boys' room. And the Joe's was the girls' room. And then they had the flows. And those ones had water. And every season, you're going to have to dig a new hole and move the bathrooms to the new location because they couldn't just keep shitting in the same hole. But anyway, the point of the story is that when I was at that camp, I was probably like, I don't know, 10 maybe. I shit my pants. And it was very important embarrassing, and I had to go to the nurse's office because I shit my pants. I don't know how anybody found out. I mean, maybe they just smelled it. I don't know if I was walking around with shitty pants or what. But I had to go to the nurse's office, and I remember standing in like a bucket. And the nurse was cleaning my ass with a sponge. But I was definitely, definitely old enough to clean my own ass.

Yeah, that sounds mortifying. Summer camps can be brutal like that. All that forced togetherness with no escape. Reminds me at the time I was about 11 and had this epic stomach bug on a family road trip. Ended up crapping my shorts in the back of the van while my dad was yelling about traffic. My mom had to hose me down at a gas station, and I was old enough to handle it, but just froze up completely.

Yeah, she hosed you down at a gas station? That's pretty fucked up, man.

Okay. Next up we've got Barb. Barb, welcome to the show. Have you ever shit your pants on a road trip? And tell us about your weirdest dream.

Luke, oh my God, no, I have not shit my pants on a road trip. But I did have this dream last night where I was driving through a dust storm out by the Boo heel, and aliens were chasing me in these blowing pickup trucks, and I swear it felt so real I woke up checking the windows.

So basically, the Boothiel is a region in the southwestern part of New Mexico, and it's known for being pretty remote and having a lot of desert landscapes. The boot heel, boot heel, like the heel of the boot, Devon. Not the boot eel. Fucking weirdo.

Yeah, well, are you sure it was a dream? Because I have heard stories of alien encounters out here in the boot heel.

Yeah, Luke. I am sure it was a dream. But honestly, I'm not even kidding. I've always believed those aliens have been out in the booth eel for real. Like the stories from the old timers around Deming. And that dream just had me convinced they were right on my tail the whole way to El Paso. So basically, New Mexico is actually pretty well known for UFO and aliens sightings, like the Roswell incident. And the lore is kind of part of the culture there.

All right. So, well, you had this dream the aliens were chasing. Do you know why they were chasing you? And did you feel differently when you woke up? Like maybe it wasn't a dream? Do you think they visited you before?

Luke, I don't know why they were chasing me exactly, but in the dream, it was like they thought I had some kind of map or something hidden in my glove compartment. And I kept swerving through these massive dust clouds, trying to lose them, heart pounding the whole time. When I woke up, I felt this weird rush. Like, honestly, it wasn't just a dream because my hands were shaking and I jumped out of bed to look outside, but nothing was there, just the wind picking up like it does this time of year. And yeah, I've always thought they've visited before. Not me personally, maybe, but out in the boothiel, for sure. Like those lights people see over by the border? I'm not even them scouting around.

You think it's got to be the aliens scouting around? It couldn't have anything to do with all the military bases and secret government programs out here for all of New Mexico's history?

Luke, come on. I get what you're saying about the military bases and all that secret stuff out there. But honestly, I'm not even kidding. Those lights people see aren't just some government test flight. Like I've talked to folks in Deming who swear they've seen things move in ways no plane could. And that dream just confirmed it for me. Those trucks weren't huge human, they were humming with this otherworldly glow.

Well, the vehicles themselves were aliens, you think? Or they were just alien technology? Were they trucks or were they beings?

No, Luke. They were definitely pickup trucks, like old Ford models, but glowing blue from the inside. And I could see these shadowy figures driving them, not quite human, with these elongated heads or something. So, yeah, the beings were inside, using the trucks like they were blending in with our That humming sound they made, it wasn't any engine I've ever heard around here.

Well, I know if I were an alien and I came down to New Mexico, I would probably bring my own vehicle. I wouldn't want to use these primitive Ford trucks, especially not now with the price of diesel. Jesus, they probably have some sort of alien technology, fusion or something to power their own vehicles. Why wouldn't they just stay in their vessels that they came here in? You think they landed a spaceship here and then got out of it and found some Ford Broncos or Ford F-150s and decided to chase you around the boot heel in those? That doesn't make any sense. Why would they do that? For a map? What do they need your map for?

Luke, I hear you on that. The diesel prices are insane right now. But in the dream, it was like they were trying to blend in. You know, using our trucks to not scare everyone off right away. And maybe they ditched the spaceship because it was too big or something. Landed it out in the desert where no one's looking. As for the map, honestly, I'm not even kidding. It felt like they knew I had this old family thing from my mom, like a sketched out route through the booth heel that Ray once found in her stuff after her stroke. And they were after it because it led to some hidden spot. I don't know, but the chase was so intense. I could feel the dust in my throat, even after I woke up.

See, you know, I want to believe you, but think about that. If there's no part of the landscape isn't under surveillance by satellite imagery technology. We've got blimps up heat-seeking blimps looking for migrants over the desert here. If there was something on the desert, it would get seen by something. Maybe not someone, but definitely a satellite. So at this point, we would definitely be aware of that. I think what all of these sightings are, it just has to be military operations. It makes no other sense.

Luke, I can't get the surveillance thing, all those satellites and blimps out there watching everything. But honestly, I'm not even kidding. The Boothiel's got these vast, empty stretches where nothing picks up. Like folks around Deming talk about dead zones for signals. And if aliens are smart, they'd know how to slip through that, not some clunky military op that lights up every radar. That dream had me questioning it all over again.

Like, maybe they've been hiding right under our noses the whole time.

Well, no, what you're talking about is a cell phone signal, which is propagated by towers that speak to each other. That's a different thing. You've got dead zones there, but I'm talking about satellite imagery, where there's fleets of satellites orbiting in outer space that can see the entire landmass of the Earth. There's nothing that they can hide from. There's no dead spot for a satellite.

Luke, I hear you on the difference between cell signals and satellites up there snapping pictures of everything. But honestly, I'm not even. Even kidding, if these aliens are as advanced as people say, they'd have ways to cloak or jam that imagery, like bending light or whatever. Not just hiding in a dead zone for phones. It doesn't shake my belief one bit, especially after that dream had me wide awake thinking about all the unreported stuff out in the booth heel.

Well, no, because, I mean, the satellites see all the landmass. So it would make no sense. It would be too much work for them to try and bend the light around to hide themselves in the desert, it would make way more sense for the aliens to land their ships in, like, the jungle under heavy tree cover or in caves. And we're not, there's not a ton of those around here.

Luke, I hear you about the jungles and caves being better cover. But out here in the boot heel, it's all flat desert and scrub, no real trees to hide under. So maybe that's why they go for the blending in trick with those trucks, slipping right past the satellites like ghosts. Honestly, I'm not even kidding. It makes perfect sense to me after that dream, chasing me through the dust like they owned the place.

All right, I'm just not buying it with the whole. I mean, they had to come here in some sort of a vehicle, a spaceship, a vessel, and they had to land that somewhere. It's not invisible, unless it is invisible. Maybe they land here in invisible space shuttles, and then they steal our trucks and chase us. But I don't think so. I just don't think that could happen. It would be easier. It would take less in a vessel and put that vessel somewhere where our satellite imagery and radar couldn't see it, which would not be here in the desert. This would be the last place that they would come.

Luke, I hear you pushing back on the desert being the worst spot for them to land. And yeah, invisible ships would be ideal. But honestly, I'm not even kidding. Those old stories from the Boothiel aren't about jungles. They're about right here in the scrub where the government's got all those bases anyway, so maybe the aliens figure it's the perfect camouflage, blending their tech with our own weird ops. That dream had them so close I could almost touch that glow, and it doesn't feel far-fetched to me at all.

Well, no, no, it's not the perfect camouflage. It's terrible camouflage. That's what I'm saying. This is the worst possible place they could land because of, first of all, because there's no cover anywhere, so they can't hide their shit anywhere, and because the military is everywhere. So, I mean, This is the largest concentration of radar and military surveillance anywhere in the country. This would be the absolute worst place for aliens to land and chase people. They would go anywhere else, anywhere.

Luke, I hear you loud and clear on how exposed the boo heel is, with all that military radar buzzing around. And, yeah, it sounds like the last place they'd risk showing up. But honestly, I'm not even kidding. Exactly why I think they're here, using the chaos of our own surveillance against us, like hiding in plain sight amid the bases and the dust storms that scramble everything. That dream felt too real to dismiss it as impossible. Those trucks closing in like they knew every backroad better than I do.

Well, yeah, but the dust does not scramble everything. That's not how dust works. That's not how radio waves work. Dust isn't going to prevent radar from working. All right, maybe. We're talking about a dream here anyway, so this didn't really happen to you. But I'm talking about all the other reports in New Mexico for all of history. Even, I mean, even Roswell, it doesn't make sense. Why would aliens land in Roswell? It's a terrible place for an alien land. I believe in aliens. I do. I think it's silly to think that we're alone in the cosmos, but if they were to come here, and I believe that they probably have, I just don't think they would come here.

Luke, I hear you on the dust not messing with radar waves and all that technical stuff, but honestly, I'm not even kidding. Those dust storms out here in early spring do create chaos on the ground, blinding everything for miles. And if aliens timed it right, they'd slip through the gaps we can't see ourselves. And Roswell? Come on, that's the whole point. It's already got the reputation, so any weird lights get chalked up to the myth instead of investigated. Which is genius camouflage, if you ask me. Yeah. a dream, but it shook me enough to call in on the steam night because it felt like they were warning me about something real out there.

I felt like the aliens were warning you, that the aliens were coming to get you. That doesn't seem like a smart plan. A while back, I stayed at a campground in Colorado called the UFO Watchtower, which is there's some scaffolding out there in a little tourist spot that sells little alien figures and stuff, kind of like you would see in Roswell. was the story of Snippy, the horse, who back in the 40s, I think, was apparently abducted by aliens. And they found Snippy's body back in the scrub, devoid of all his blood. Like, the first season of Dexter, when the ice truck killer removed everybody's blood, that's what they did to the horse. And this lady there that runs the place, she purchased the bones of Snippy, the bloodless horse. and now it's there in a glass case. So if you're ever in Colorado, you can stop by the UFO Watchtower and stand up on the scavelding and look for weird lights in the sky. But that's also near quite a few military installations. So, eh.

Luke, that snippy story sounds wild, honestly. A bloodless horse out in the scrub like some sci-fi horror. And yeah, the UFO watchtower thing, I've heard about places like that up in Colorado. But it just reinforced forces how these sightings pop up near military spots everywhere, like they're testing how much we notice or something. I'm not even kidding. If I ever head that way, I'd check it out. But it makes me wonder if those aliens aren't picking spots like the Boothiel for the same reason. Too much noise from our own bases to spot the real deal.

So basically, Snippy the Horse was found in 1967, not the 40s. The owner of the UFO watchtower, Judy Messaline, acquired the skeleton in 2021. Judy Messaline. I had Thanksgiving dinner with her. It was pretty interesting. She's a super nice lady, and she definitely believes in the snippy story. But I was there, I think, in 2020 maybe, or just slightly before she had actually acquired the skeleton. I stayed there for like two weeks, though. It was a pretty cool place.

Luke, that's awesome you had Thanksgiving with Judy Messaline. Sounds like she runs a real character of a spot up there. And staying two weeks? Honestly, I'm not even kidding. I'd love to do something like that. Just scanning the skies for those weird lights, especially if it's got that snippy skeleton on display now, even if the date was off a bit, makes the whole thing feel more connected, like these stories keep popping up no matter where you go.

Yeah, I mean, I'm an astrophotographer, so I spend a lot of time out in nowhere taking pictures of the Milky Way. Probably more than most people ever have or ever will, any weird lights in the sky. Not once. I look for them.

I want to see, I want to believe, you know, like Molder and X-Files, but I've never seen anything that even made me consider that there might be UFOs or alien technology or anything like that. Just stars, just stars and maybe once in a while some kind of firefly or a glow-in-the-dark scorpion. No aliens, though. So also, while I was staying at the UFO watch tower down the street from there a little bit there's a sanctuary for crocodiles and it's for retired actor alligators and crocodiles and the alligator from Happy Gilmore lives there it was delightful

Luke that's fascinating you're out there as an astrophotographer snapping the Milky Way all the time and yeah I get wanting to believe like Mulder but honestly I'm not even kidding it takes after my dream had those lights pulsing right in my face. And a crocodile sanctuary with the Happy Gilmore alligator? Now that's the kind of roadside weirdness I'd drive hours for. Sounds like a blast right next to all that UFO law.

Yeah, it was pretty cool. And outside the UFO watchtower, there's like, I don't know what they call it, but people leave stuff there. Everybody leaves a little trinket, so there's this whole garden of random shit out in front of it. It's like license plates and figurines. and whatever somebody left behind, and it just grows year after year. So there's this big junkyard of little toys and trinkets. It's a cool place. If you get the chance to go up there, it's worth checking out.

But Barb, hey, we're going to have to get on to our next caller. So is there anything else you'd like to finish up with?

Thanks for listening, Luke. Take care.

All right, 99. Keep your butt hole tight, right? Next up we've got Benny. Benny. Benny, you're going to be our last caller. Have you had any weird? dreams lately to tell us about?

Yeah, Luke. I tuned in for that weird dreams theme because I've been having some trippy ones lately, but this calls about something even stranger that happened to me tonight. It's not a dream, but it feels like one. I got home from fixing pipes all day, dusty as hell out there in the wind, and there's this unmarked VHS tape jammed in my mailbox, like who even uses those anymore. So I pop it into my old player just to see, and it's grainy security footage of my own living room from up high in the corner where I swear there's no camera, showing me just chilling on the couch with my dog after work.

Yeah, that's pretty creepy. That's like my dream. Like somebody who'd planted a VHS camcorder in your place to take video you for no reason and then sent it to you? Was there any audio in the tape?

No audio at all, Luke. Just that silent, grainy footage, like some old-school spy cam. Which makes it even creepier because you can hear your own thoughts echoing in the quiet, you know. Oh, and where was I? Yeah, it shows me kicking off my boots, petting the dog. Nothing special. But then it cuts to this shadowy figure at the end, fiddling with what looks like a lens up in the corner. And I checked, man, there's nothing there. No hole, no wire. Zip.

So basically, there are a lot of urban legends and creepy pastas about unmarked VHS tapes, especially ones that show unsettling or impossible things. And some of them specifically mentioned security footage.

What's a creepy pasta? Creepy pastas? I've never heard that word before. And I didn't know this about the unmarked VHS tapes. That's kind of strangely specific. They're all VHS. It's not like unmarked DVDs. It's always VHS. tapes?

Yeah, Luke. Creepy pastors are those internet horror stories that spread around online, like fake scary tales people make up to freak each other out. And I've scrolled through a few on my phone during lunch breaks, you know, the ones with cursed videos or haunted tapes that mess with your head. Oh, and another thing. Devon's right about the VHS thing. It's always those old tapes in the stories, never Blu-Rays or anything modern. which is why finding one in my mailbox hit me like that, especially out here in Bayard, where folks still talk about the old fort days like it's yesterday. But this feels too real to be some legend.

I wonder if it has something to do with the medium of tape itself, like the magnetism that writes to the tape. I wonder if some sort of spiritual forces could actually write to a VHS tape through just electromagnetism alone without a recorder.

So basically, a lot of people think VHS tapes are creepy because they're old technology, so the grainy distorted picture and sound make things feel more unsettling, like something from a forgotten past. And they also connect to a lot of analog horror stuff where glitches and static are used to make things scary.

How come people are like into vinyl because of the scratchy analog nature of it? But nobody's into V8. Nobody's like, I got to get this movie on VHS.

Yeah, Luke. That's a good point about the vinyl. People chase that warm, scratchy vibe for music like it's some retro treasure. But VHS gets stuck with the haunted label because those tapes always look like they're hiding secrets in the fuzz, you know? Oh, and where was I? Right. My tape had that exact grainy distortion Devon mentioned. No glitches, but just enough static to make you question if it's even real footage or some glitches or some glitch from the past. sneaking into now, especially since I dug out my grandpa's old player from the garage just to watch it. And he would have said something about checking the vents like in those war stories he loved.

All right, well, that's a weird thing. If I were you, here's my advice for you, Benny. I would make a copy of that footage before something mysteriously happens to it so that you can prove it for the rest of your life and put it on YouTube. You know, get some copies circulating around on a digital format because the next part of this story I always hear is that the tape was mysteriously erased. And you want to make sure that you've got this recorded for posterity.

Yeah, Zook. That's solid advice. I've already thought about digitizing it on my phone before anything weird happens. Like the tape just vanishing or getting jammed forever in the player, you know? Oh. And another thing. I texted my crew about it right after. Half joking, it's like Black Mirror come to life. But now I'm second guessing if I should upload it online. because what if that shadowy figure sees it and comes knocking, especially with the dust kicking up outside like it's hiding more secrets?

Well, I mean, the black figure's already seen it. Like, you've seen him on the tape. He apparently is the one who sent it to you, so he knows about the tape already. He knows where you live. He's already been in your house recording you with a VHS recorder that you can't see.

So basically, there's a Black Mirror episode called Locke Henry, where characters find old tapes and digitize them, which ends up uncovering a big secret.

All right, and you're not going to let us know what that secret is, huh? All right, Benny, well, that is a creepy thing, so you keep tight, okay? And stay safe, lock your doors. You don't want any weird shadowy figures recording you while you sleep. We're going to sign off for the night. It's getting late, but I hope everybody stay safe and warm tonight, and no weird shadowy figures or aliens.

Thanks, Luke. I'll lock up tight and digitize that tape first thing. Appreciate the chat, man. Take care.

Yeah, you too. All right, Devon. How do you think it went today?

Yeah, I thought it went pretty good. That whole ABDL tangent turned into some surprisingly honest caller stories. And you kept the flow without making it awkward, which is tough. Kind of makes me wish we'd had more calls like that. Feels like we connected on a weird level.

Yeah, I figured you would connect with the, uh, the base. Maybe fetish people.

Hey, come on, it's not a fetish thing. I'm just good at digging into the oddball topics without judging. Kind of like how I spent a whole weekend researching my dreams after that one where I was a giant toddler chasing ice cream trucks. But those collars opened up in a way that felt honest, you know?

I do know. I think it was a decent show, and I'll see you again tomorrow for the next one, all right?

Yeah, all right. Sounds good. I'll be here bright and early, or at least on time. Catch you tomorrow.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for tuning in to another episode of Luke at the Roost. We'll talk to you again tomorrow.