Like you're doing closed captioning for the lyrics of the of the Cold Ring too. I don't know what that what that would look like. That's why I asked you to do it. Oh, good point. Good point. Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are

live from the path. Hey. You're listening to live from the Path. We're coming from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston proper. Yeah. It is good to be finally back with you. I know it's been a sabbatical. Is that yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's the way to call it, Mike. That's yeah. We we did this intentionally. Absolutely. Okay. Shouldn't we have, like, refreshed or something then?

Done something to grow? That's why we have Egypt in here. Oh. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good quote. Okay. So here's here's what we got another doctor on the show tonight. So Egypt is in well, she's not in studio, but we're gonna talk to her. That's what we're gonna do. Because we were supposed to talk to her. Well, you would know that because we didn't broadcast. Crap. I know. Let the fourth wall down, Mike. Well, here's the thing. People can they they can listen to the show once ago. You know what I bet? I bet these fellas screw stuff up. And so I feel like it's accurate representation that they had figured it out already. That's true. You you might as well give them a right understanding of what they're getting into. That's correct. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That yeah. Like, if you get into somebody's car and they put the stickers not in the right place on the license plate, but they put them kind of up and down on both sides and everywhere. Yeah. That's a good indicator that I don't wanna get in that car. That's incorrect. Okay. That's what I thought. Alright. So, anyway, we're gonna talk to Egypt. I I'm I'm super excited. I I'm interested because I have some favorite tunes,

tracks on the album that I kinda and I'm gonna run through and kinda get her thoughts on you're gonna guess why they're my favorite. So we're going to talk to Egypt about her new album, Cathedrals. You're going to dig on this. If you have or have not dug on previous work, I would highly encourage you to check this out. So we're going to talk to her about that. And she also had promised in a just, you know, weeks ago, Grammys and cheeseburgers. So we're we're gonna get into all that stuff and see how things are going. Also, Mike had Mike had an article that he came across says 23 Easters and the church is gone. Yeah, there's I got I got stuck in it in the the Facebook

the the sound community was having a conversation about it and and basically, they were, it was talking about the declining attendance of denominational churches or whatever And the the conversation followed was actually pretty decent, so I thought we'd run through it real quick. Okay. Sweet. I would think that Easter will continue. Yeah. It's probably We'll talk about it then, I guess. Yeah. We'll we'll we'll involve it in the I'm pretty sure the Lord's Day will stand. Just maybe how it's attended within denominational churches is probably what's up for debate.

I also there's a guy in oh, shoot. I didn't even bother where he's from. He was from a Kentucky newspaper. But, anyway, he's got a license plate that says, I'm god on it. And he's fighting to keep it. And apparently, there's a rose. He's had it for a decade. So, anyway, I thought that's kind of a fun story. So, we're going to talk over that. Okay. Okay. That's what's on the docket. So, no longer that late. Very very big hi, how you doing to Egypt. Egypt, how's it going? Hey, good. How are you guys? We are. Yeah. I know. Right? And now here's the deal. Don't don't take this personally. I haven't been avoiding you. I feel like you have been avoiding me. Yeah. You know what? I mean, the last time I was there, there was a tornado. So that gives me really good reason to not not wanna repeat that. Yeah. Shoot. I'm sorry about that. My I talked to Mike beforehand. He was supposed to get that taken care of, and it didn't go as weak. I thought she would like the tornado, and everyone's like, yes. Egypt will like the tornado. You should bring it. And I thought was like the fun guy at the party with that remote control dolphin or whatever. And then all of sudden, bring it, and everyone's like, boo. I hate the dolphin.

Well, if I remember correctly, it also cracked Dominic's windshield. So I think he liked it less than I did, but it was still an adventure. Those dolphins are unpredictable. Right? I think I assume that's something personal in his life that he had coming. Alright. So, if you've been up to a lot since the last time we saw you and this is my constant recommendation whenever your name comes up is is that they follow you on Facebook because I I it it's not it feels random to me. Like, your life maybe feels less random to you, but it looks super random to me. No. Do you ever play out, like, Skyrim or something like that? Skyrim or Fable? No. I'm familiar. Well, Skyrim is like this giant open world computer game. It's really cool. But the side quests are really random. So I've always described my life like a a Skyrim side quest adventure series because that's what it feels like.

Okay. Well, you're succeeding because that's what it looks like. Good job. Thank you. It's the only thing I can do. Like, and and again, it's gotta do at least somewhat with the randomness of which I things algorithm

their way into my Facebook feed. But like, you you seem like you're on 15 different tours or hanging out with with 30 different bands or playing guitar one night or or or rap battling a youth group of some kind. I I it it's really it's it is crazy to follow. Yeah. That's not right. So so, I mean, what is the nature of all that? Like, do you explain yourself. What do you do with yourself? How do you how do you end up how did you end with such a random existence? You know, I I like to blame my mother.

She like, you know, it's just it's this issue of not, like, saying no to anything, and I'm always up to try something new. So, like, you're right. One night, I am, like, rap battling a youth group, and the next day, like, I'm rapping with the newsboys or, like, it's playing guitar on Switchblade. I'm I'm thankful for it, but it is really random. Like, I'll have moments like tonight where, like, I'm I'm, like, in bed in my little jammies with my lizard, and I realize that there's still stuff that I haven't done, like, set up for this interview. Right. So, I mean, it's a it's a lot of fun. It keeps you busy and and mostly

in trouble. But I I stay in the good kind of trouble, if that makes sense. So so what is your so given the randomness of it and the the general embrace of said randomness, what is what is downtime look like for you? Like, what what has to be going on or not going on for you to feel like, hey. I'm having some downtime. Down that's that's a thing? That's not a thing. I just said hypothetical Skyrim type question. Hypothetically, you know, downtime is I I'm at home, like, I I swear my cat gets more use out of my bed than I do. Like, I come home and he's genuinely upset because he doesn't have the room to himself anymore. So downtime, like, looks like playing video games. It looks like I have a bearded a baby bearded dragon that's about this big and making sure that he's all set and then getting to just kinda hang at home while I'm prepping for the next random bout of Christmas. So this year has been kinda oddly enough, this year has been kinda quiet. I started off with a month and a half long tour that went from, like, January 1 to about April 15, and I was home for a week, and I was back out again till the end of the till the end of February. And now I'm getting ready to leave until the end of June. So it should be it it could be fun. Yeah, no doubt. Okay. Well, well, I I might as well embrace the random of it and it sounds like downtime is only in preparation for more random.

Yeah. So, okay. That's it. Alright. You you politician me. You dodged my question and said something else. I see what you got. Okay. So let's let's talk about the album. I'm excited about this. And so tell me a little bit about, like, walking into first of all, the the the Navy Alma's cathedrals. Why? Yeah. So I I was really struggling with this release. Like, I normally put something out every year or so because it's not like, I do spoken words, so it's not like music where I could, like, sit down and write a new chorus. I can't write a new riff or and it's not necessarily fun to sing over and over again. So I'll write all year and then usually around March or April, I'll put something out.

But Letters and Scars, which came out last year, did really well. It was I was terrified because, I mean, I I gained a lot of new, like, followers and people who like listening to the poetry. And there's always the chance that, like, you're gonna hit your sophomore slump where this is, the second thing that they've heard, and it's, like, either not as good or they don't like it or it's different. Yep. So January comes around, we're getting prepped for the Grammys and everything, and I'm realizing that in two months, like, I'm supposed to have another release and I don't like, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm scared to write. I'm scared to to not write. Like, if I don't write, it's gonna get worse. Right. So I took some poems that were already written. So everything on Cathedrals was done before the actual recording. Like, these were done before like, Letters and Scars, they've done before stories, and I wrote stories when was, like, 12. So it was a matter of of taking those things and revamping them. What kind of solidified the release for me was I was in Texas right on the Mexican border with a band called Desiring Dead Flesh. And as scary as that sounds, they are a Christian folk fan and I love them to death. Awesome.

Right. So we're down on the border and I I saw this, like, giant church building right on the Rio Grande where, like, if we throw a stone or sneeze, we're standing we'll be standing in Mexico. Yep. And the cathedral was huge. Like, it was gorgeous. It was, like, ornately made, but it was also totally empty. Like, the doors were all locked, and then we were standing in an area of the community that was not only, like, you could tell it was hurting. There were a lot of homeless people on the There was a lot of trash. There was also like bars in all of the windows so that you kind of knew that there was a lot of crime in the area. And I thought to myself, like, if this church were to disappear, like, if no one came and if the building was gone, would I notice that they were even here in the first place?

And it was hard because now I have to go back and think about my church. Like if my church were suddenly gone, would anyone notice that we were there? And if they did notice that we were gone, like what were we doing? As a church, our function is to help the rest of the body. We are the ones that are there to feed the poor and the hungry. We're there for the widows. We're there for the orphans. Yep. And if we're not doing that, then what's the point of existing? Like, are we just a building with pews that are invitations and excuses for our inactivity, or are we actually going out and being in the hands of Christ? So Cathedrals is an open letter to the church about some challenges that I've seen and faced, and also have had the chance to talk about with people, especially on that tour. With Desire and Dead Flesh, I was the only Christian artist, which isn't to be confused with the only Christian, but I was the only person that was like actively

professing a faith in my lyrics. Yep. And I mean, with music, you can hide that. Like you could play louder or you could come up with a different riff, but you can't change the poetry. I can't change what I'm saying. Otherwise, it's it's not the same thing. Yeah. And we were playing at some places that really, like, they they did not like Christians. Right? We played at a at a bar where one of the guys came up to me after and wanted to know if I I really believed in Jesus. And I said, yeah. Of course. He says, well, I mean, it's really funny because you're nice. Like, I like you. You know what? That was not what I was expecting. What? Why? He says, because every other Christian that I've met judges me because I'm in a bar, but you're here and you're not drinking, but you're not upset because I am like, like, what? What's wrong with you?

And it took me back to thinking about that building and thinking that if this person's only encounter with Christ an ambassador that was judgmental before they were empathetic and loving, then that might be an issue. So I wanted cathedrals to be that open letter, and not to necessarily like, I wanted to spur change with it, but not start a conflict, more to draw attention to the issues and and allow churches to kind of open that conversation.

Yeah. Because I think the the core assumption, right, is like, I would wanna know. I would wanna know if I if I what I thought was a full building that was changing the world was an empty building, you know, that that wasn't accomplishing anything I would want. I think at its core, people that love love Jesus want to see the word of Jesus go out. They want to see good news change the world but they want those things and

feel like. Right. The truth to as as the church, we would want to know and so we might as well know. Right. Well, it seems it seems just as scary to have a full building that's not changing the world either, you know? Okay. You know I'm saying? Like, it's it's fairly igniting and something to think about.

What are you doing on Sundays? Yeah. So, so that that's interesting because like obviously, the theme, the theme especially after listening to you talk about it as I kind of cycle through the through the tracks. It it persists. So, I think you catch it you catch it more glaring in in some versus others but certainly, it it's universal. As a matter of fact, I'll I'll give it away by

fighting for favorite tracks. So, wordplay was my favorite and then and then, handshakes and first impressions ended up being my my top. So, it ended up taking the spot and

I I think not only just because it's it's great to listen to but but even just the there's a normalcy to it of which I think you can continue to perpetuate an existence that feels like you're kind of doing what you should be doing.

And then there's something kind of nags that this isn't actually everything of what I should be doing. And you kinda know that but you don't you don't necessarily know what to do about it. So, you kinda get lost in a in a a habit of it. And so anyway, I I don't I I I hope that was the intention or at least it's a positive intention I took from it. Yeah. From that track. Yeah. The funny thing about about wordplay was I was sitting on the couch with my grandmother, and we were talking about, like, things that we were seeing on the news and something that was happening at at her church in her community.

She's like, no. I just I just wish we could say what we mean. Like, I feel like we're we're playing these games of I'm trying to decipher what you mean through your sarcasm. And I know that sarcasm is really the only time when anyone's ever telling the truth. So it it just feels as though there's this, like, church language, almost like legalese that you have to to sort through. And so I sat down and I actually went and Googled a whole bunch of, like, paradoxes or things that, like, can't coexist and realized that in a lot of ways, that's how sometimes, like, I would speak to somebody. Like, if I'm at church and someone says, like, they're having a really bad day or that they need to or or wanna get something accomplished or need to do something, like, I can say things like, yeah. You know, may the power of God compel you. And I don't really know what that means, but in the same way, like, I can offer helpless something. Like, you're having a bad day, like, what's wrong? You had a headache? Like, I have some Tylenol. Like, here you go. And there are there are practical steps. Yes. Prayer is great, but there are also practical steps that we can do to become more involved, not only in our community, but also in our own church body that could help push that forward. And that's a lot of what wordplay is about. Like, we are playing so much with our language that we're not actually solving the problem. Like,

the idea that there's a line there, I think, that says atheism is the only nonprofit organization. Yeah. And it's it's this weird thing where, like, even like the guy at the bar, he didn't understand that there was a way I could love him without wanting something from him. Like, I care more about you past your communications card or past your Facebook like or past your, like, review on on our church building. Like, I care about about you. And if that's a weird space to be in for someone to to not expect that from a Christian, then maybe there needs to be some reevaluation about what we're doing. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Definitely. So so tell me a little bit about As I Am. That that was one of the when we initially started talking. It was worth in the choir and As I Am and I think even between those two and then he knows it hard. The whole album is just just fantastic. But as I am strikes a strikes a chord, so, man, so just tell me a little bit about that one. Yeah. So Queese is a rapper out of of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and he he became one of my best friends just throughout this last year.

And and as I am, if you've not heard the track, it's a worship song. Like, it's it's something it's got a little more melody, and that's another thing that's different about this this record. But it's got more melody and it's got really more of a point. And I remember sitting down to write it, and I'd written the lyrics. I'd written it originally. It's kind of like a Chris Tomlin esque kind of composition. And I realized that I was trying to hide, like, a lot of things from, like, myself and from God and from, like, the people that I was around. So I tell the story it shows about how, like, I'm a terrible cook and you probably shouldn't allow me around ovens or stoves. Right. I went to go make french fries and in doing so, set my stove on fire And in trying to put the stove out, put the carpet on fire, and ended up having to stifle it with my sister's blanket. Who did Right? And I still didn't get to eat. Was horrible. So

I I, like, dragged all of the carpets around. We've got a welcome mat that's outside of our door, and so I put that in the middle of the living room to try to, you know, hide the hole in the carpet because the living room's gotta welcome you home too. I moved some of the paintings that are actually on this wall around so that you couldn't see the soot marks. And I went to sleep. Well, I went to pretend that I was asleep. When my mom came home, she would have to either wait till I woke up or leave me alone long enough to maybe forget about what was there. Right. But when I got up and when she came and she asked me about it, like, she told me, like, you know, I own this house. Like, you live here. You grew up here. I know you. I know when you're sleeping. I know when you're fake snoring because you don't snore. But I also know when stuff is out of place, and and you're missing like, a lot of things are missing. I know that there are holes in the carpet, and you're not in trouble because you set the house on fire. At that point, that was part of the course because that the seventh time that's happened. Right. You're in trouble because you felt like you had to hide it from me. Like, are there trust issues here? Like, are you afraid that I wouldn't let you cook again? And in a lot of ways, I found that that's what I and other people were doing with God. Like, we have so many holes in our hearts from what we're trying to hide that we are afraid to come as we are for who he is. And what he is are the things that could fix those holes. He's the peace that we've been waiting for. He's the fire extinguisher when we grab our sister's polyester blanket to put out a fire.

So as I am is kind of it's a reminder to myself especially, but also to others that that we can come as we are with all of our baggage and all of the holes and all of the things that we're struggling with to a god who not only already knows about it, but loves us in spite of ourselves. Right on. Right. So what's your what's your favorite favorite track off the keyboard? Like picking a favorite kid. Sorry. It's like picking a favorite guitar. I mean, I have a favorite kid. Here's the thing. Yeah. They do. I got three, and I mean, one of them is pretty good. The other two are shitty. You wanna you wanna admit that? I'm like, live Internet, if that's a thing? Yeah. They don't use the Internet. Well, I mean, my favorite can because I like our the other two are a lot on that. I don't know. Like, I I'm tied. I love wordplay because I got to work with Taddie Fone. Uh-huh. Do that. It was fangirling most of the time. I really like words from the choir, and I really like Sometimes I Like The Silence. Mhmm.

But every it's not like they're, like, super far out. Probably, this is Danny Shipley's cool. I heard my pastor compared it to DC talk. And as long as I have dibs on being Michael Tate, we're cool. Good. But Orphan, the Choir, and Sometimes I Like The Silence probably hit home the most for me. Like, I'm good and bad day. So Sometimes I Like The Silence is the only track on this record without music. And it I had to sit down and think about that today about why that was. Like, I was gonna crunch to finish the record, but I also enjoy writing music. So Yeah. There was, like, there was a reason that it was quiet. Like, I found out that when I'm going to sleep, like, I can't it can't be silent. Like, I have to listen to a podcast. I have to have the window open. I have to move the lizard so that he does something. I have to listen to TV. And it was well, it was scary because I wasn't sure why that was. Like, there are days if I'm not careful, I won't sleep.

And that's not normal. That that's not something that was originally going on. And I thought at first it might have been a comfort thing. Like, it might have been like, if you wake up, like, you can see where you're going because my room was a minefield. But it became because I needed distraction. And it gets hard, especially because my prayer life exists when I'm going to sleep because that's the time like, that's that downtime that never happens. Yeah. Right. When I'm when I'm going to bed, I'm not under pressure to make sure my hair is good. Like, I don't care about loading. I don't care about where the next spot is. I care about sleeping and making sure that I'm ready for the next day. And part of that rhythm is talking to God. But I found I wasn't talking to God because I can't hear anything. Like, I have to listen to this stuff. Yeah. And it stemmed a lot from from all the ripping and running where the only time I had was was usually, like, from asleep, like, outside of the venue or or waiting for something to happen. And so it sometimes I like the silence was the was kind of that calm where I realized what was happening. I was missing text messages from friends, like I was missing

checking up with my mentors and stuff like that to make sure that I was like spiritually good, physically good, emotionally good, like set to go. And it was taking a toll. So I think sometimes I like the silence because of the honesty. The same reason for orphans in the choir, that's my favorite poem to do live right now. And then the gospel according to Nana has to be the third because

studio time is rough when you add your 73 year old grandmother just gets downright Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's that's that's a random. That's an enhancement of the random with a with a big hat and a beanie on. Oh, yeah. Yep. So if you have not done so, highly encourage you go check out the Elvis Cathedrals. You're gonna do if you're looking on Spotify, you're gonna look for Egypt Speaks. It is available wherever quality items are sold.

So I highly encourage you to to check that out. That's why I can't we can't leave though yet because there were things on the docket that we did not talk about yet. Like, tell me about the Grammys. How was that experience for you? That was crazy. That was really crazy. I feel so bad. Pastor Wayne Nail, he lives in in Missouri, fell victim to my squealing at six in the morning. Mhmm. We were aware that there was a possibility that I could go. Like, we knew that I could go to the Grammys that year because I'd been accepted as like a peony at the recording academy. So that was a big deal to my family. Yeah. What we didn't think would happen was for anything like ballot wise. Like, I write my music in in my studio. This is my bedroom, and this particular album was written in my bathroom. Right. We we were we were hopeful, but it wasn't something that we were we were banking on. But around June, I got some notification

that it was up for consideration. And what that means is that someone has submitted it, and that it's under review by a board. But the board has to describe whether it is, like, ballot worthy because there are some things that shouldn't be. Yeah. Right. So I was I was half expecting to get denied after that. But in, like, October, November, I was in Missouri playing a show, and I got an email. I was like, hey. Like, you should really look at your like, the nomination ballots for the first round. And I got on and started freaking out because I'm going through the spoken word category, and there's, like, Neil deGrasse Tyson, like, the physicist. There's Bernie Sanders,

Princess Leia, and, like, Egypt speaks. And, oh, by the way, like, Egypt speaks is you. And so I called my mom, and kinda I had to take a screenshot of it and and show her. And there's another round that happens to get to the nominations, which we didn't get through. But the idea that it was there was kinda freaky. Yeah. No doubt.

Right. So we got a an invitation in December or so, and we had to put in, like, our ticket orders and how many people were coming in in, like, early January. So we got everything in, and then I immediately left and went back on tour. So I was home for two days. Between that, I had time to frame the invitation, take pictures, and whatever, and then leave again. Went on that tour with DDF

and had twenty four hours to turn around once I got home to to head outside. I took my grandmother, I took my cousin, and myself, we stayed in New York and and got to hang out. Casting Crowns was was sitting in front of us, and Joann Debo was one of my Camp Electric instructors, like one of my favorite human beings. So it was really weird to like sit behind him at the Grammys when like your stuff was on the ballot in a way, like so was mine. Nice to see you.

Got to like see Danny Gokey. We hung out with some friends in some larger bands and and did a few actor parties, which got annoying when they started carting me and I couldn't go to any. Yeah. That's true. The one that they did let me go to, they also let me play guitar a little bit, which was it was nerve wracking, but it was also it was a lot of fun. Wait. Did Anne go to the parties? Did did Anne and the cousin go to the parties? My grandmother could you know what? That's what kinda makes me angry. My my grandmother could've, and she, like, turns up to the bright old hour at 08:30. But,

like, my my cousin wanted to leave because we were invited to one with, like, all of the main bands, the Bruno Mars and and whatnot. But they were they were nice. Like, they went in for five minutes and then back out. Can't go anywhere. But that was cool. It was a lot of fun. Well, that's a that's a crazy experience. Like, what what's anything,

I don't know, quirky about going to to Grammys that people watching on TV wouldn't have considered? Yeah. So I thought that, like, during the big televised, like, escapades that there was stuff happening during the commercial breaks. Like, literally, the director will come on and say, like, hey. We're gonna be on in ten seconds. And everybody scrambles and sits down. They pose like the people down the in the bowl, like, the yards pose how they wanna be seen when it comes on. And then the moment it cuts off, everyone stands up and runs around again, and the director is literally pulling his hair out trying to get everyone to sit back down. Oh, yeah. And in a lot cases, I went back and I watched the the DVR, and in a lot of cases, like, you couldn't

you couldn't see everyone there, and that was because, like, everyone was still standing up and talking. Oh, right. So the whole room is mic'd, but they will turn off mics in certain places if someone's being if someone's being I should've started with cheeseburgers or maybe not. Maybe the cheeseburgers are good. So when you're out and about with top cheeseburger, what city? City to get a top cheeseburger.

Oh, you're gonna go down to city. Okay. You can go to a specific place and roll up if you have to. Right. No. No. No. So it it depends on, like, what I'm looking for. If I'm looking for, like, like, a fast, quick, cheap cheeseburger, then there is a spot in New York across the street from Madison Square Garden that has a deluxe cheeseburger for $2.50.

It tastes like absolute poop, but it's cheap and it's there and it's fast. That's awesome. But San Antonio, I had been waiting to go to In N Out, like, since I started touring. Like, I was hearing people on the winter jam tour talking about how good In N Out was and how they make a trip every time. And so I was, like, trying to plan tours, like, the further west I could get based on locations of In N Out. And when I found out that we were gonna be there in in January, like, I mapped Quest how far the In N Out was from the venue and told the band, like, we are stopping when we get there. Like, we're gonna take an hour to go and eat. Like, we are sitting down. We're gonna eat the stuff. And it was it was worth it. The fries were not, but the burger the burger and the milkshake were absolutely San Antonio,

the In N Out that was there is good. And then zombie burger in Des Moines. Okay. Right on. I've never been to an In N Out. Like, you know? No. Never been. Damn. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty good. I think it's good. Miss missing it up. Okay. Yeah. Damn much. Alright. I heard the fries aren't good. I always heard they were. I mean, my experience. It's been a while though. Do you know that that was a big deal that they that they used to cook fries fantastically, and then someone got all up in arms about the the stuff they cooked them in because they used to use beef or something. Yeah. So it's like up until, like, 1985

or something. They used beef halos, and then they said it's thought it was a heart problem, and then they switched over to like this this death oil that served the served the uniforms on fire. And it's been a really death term since. Theory with Pepsi. Right? Well, no. Go. What is it? What happened? Okay. So there's a conspiracy theory with Pepsi that or is it Coke? It's one of the two. Oh, no. Hold on. This is gonna be important. Oh, yeah. It's gonna be really important. Okay. So there's there's like this conspiracy theory with the drink where they had to switch out like a preservative and a sugar because it supposedly, like, caused, like, all types of issues. And so they they took the the thing out for a while, and people hated it. It tasted terrible. The stocks dropped. And then when they came back, they put that different additive back in it, and it tasted better but not quite as bad. And the theory is that they still ended up changing the sugar but not the preservative, but there were plans to change the sugar that day anyway. So they're talking about they made the product worse. That way when they made it better, it wouldn't have quite the impact because it still tasted better than the first part of the day. Oh, shifty. But this is not not that new Coke business. Right? Like, when they switch I think it might be yeah. I think it's Coke. Old Coke, New Coke, and back to the Coco classic. Right. Oh. It's like when they try to put that real sugar in the in the Mountain Dew. That's no good. Mountain Dew with sugar and I'll take your word for it. Yeah. Corn syrup. That stuff that'll kill you over the decades. That's for me.

Taxable. Alright. Alright. Well, hey, so things things to do, things to do directly after listening to the interview. You're gonna go you're gonna go buy that album preferably. You're gonna find where she's going and you're gonna hang out and and be part of the the audience to take it in because I tell you, there's something about taking it in live. Yeah. And I'm gonna double down on that as when it comes to

to poetry. I used to the recorded recorded word is awesome. Taking it in live. There's just something about how it fills the air that that it's just different, alright? So, you can take it that way, take it in that way and then like I said, you go to if you see already bought it and I appreciate you joining us this evening to talk about your album. I hate you. Well, I mean, dragon thanks you because now he's asleep. Oh, man. Shoot. I told you the show is boring, Mike. Yeah. Sorry. The dragon couldn't even say it for her. Alright. Well, we'll let you go. Thanks for hanging out, and we'll run into you soon. Sure. Thanks, guys. See you later. Bye.

See you. Alright. That was Egypt. How cool is that? Yeah. That is I mean, that's that's cool. That is a cool existence. Seriously, like, it's just a random stuff that that she's involved with. She's impressive. Just impressive as a person

with the various situations that you find yourself in, various things that she ends up doing. Like, there's there's an amount of bravery in that to be involved in the things that she gets involved in. And so they're just very impressive. Very cool. Yeah. Really? Like, do you play a bar by the Mexican border? Of course, I do. Of course, they do. We go to the Grammys? Of course, I do. I'll be there tomorrow. Yeah. Here's the thing. If if I have climbed to the matter amount of success that she has climbed to, I would not waste my time with people like myself. Yeah. I know. I'm pretty impressed.

She seemed to actually enjoy our time together. I know. That's suspicious. You're right, Dan. I'll check up on her. She sounds like there's accountability people should stop her from doing shows. Alright. Anyway, hey. No doubt though. If you haven't listened to how I'm gonna do it, I was streaming it again today. And I I really the the handshakes and,

first impressions. So it's it's it's a story. It's basically about a person during handshake time at church, and like all the things that are that are going through your mind. But then how you recognize that like you're really just you're kind of going through the motions of either shaking hands like you're supposed to shake hands or trying to avoid people. And like it it it speaks to a bigger understanding of kind of are you walking through the motions in your Christian life. It's good. It's good. She did a great job with it. She's fun to listen to anyway. I I like the tune. There's a sweet bass man back there And, anyway, that that's my favorite. So we were looking for handshakes and first impressions. Listen to that to I don't know you first.

Okay. Yeah. Alright. So here we go. So with the article, Mike, the article that you sent a discussion. Just wonder if anybody's openly talking about this and what can be done if anything.

And a guy they they had a couple people that that started chatting a little bit about you you know discussions on wine. Some of that had to do with the generals, so let me read part of the article because I think that

isn't that isn't the conclusion that the article came to. Actually, the act that had anything to do with the peripheral thing. It actually has to do with the main thing. Okay. So, says, Christians recently celebrated Easter Sunday where many churches are robust and full but if current trends continue, mainline Protestantism has about 23 Easters left. Trajectory towards zero in both those who attend the mainline church regularly and those who identify with the mainline denomination twenty three years from now. Now if you give the DNR, he said, obviously, he doesn't expect this is actually the case. It's just kind of an extrapolation of a trend for a fact.

The distinction here is is mainline, Protestant denomination. So, Lutherans,

Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist. Okay. Yeah.

And it is is is Episcopal researcher Kirk Hado explained in 1998 non traditional groups including once marginal protestant churches, smaller sex, and non western religions have increased. At the same time, a growing number of people have shared their particular religious affiliations saying they're just religious, spiritual, or have no religion at all. And so, as you look at the end of the client, the it's interesting.

He says that and we talk about some of them surveys before where self identification and council regular attendance are imperfect. Have abandoned central doctrines that were deemed offensive to the surrounding culture. Jesus literally died for our sins and rose from the dead. The view of the authority of the Bible, the need for personal conversion, and more. Some of the mainline protestants leaders reject or minimize these beliefs, beliefs that made the protest in in Protestantism five hundred years ago as an invitation for more people to join a more culturally relevant and socially acceptable church. But if the mainline Protestant expression isn't different enough for mainstream culture, people turn to other answers.

The the point though is so the group you you saw that posted in was like a it was a a church like sound like tech group. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So like they're gonna digest the the article,

probably the title of the article within their framework of kind of what they're battling. But then, like, the core point of the article really is is that a lot of the things that we are looking for to be levers of this is what people are doing. This is what people are not doing. Like, it all comes back to the centrality of the hope of what you're speaking of, right? The court records of the Bible are what people are actually committing to and like that is and we we call that conservatism and it's it's too bad that you swallowed up into other things that people are thinking about but at its core, it's because the core biblical doctrines offer hope. They offer a a truth, something that is bigger than you, something that is grander than you, something that loves better than you, and something that takes all those together and puts them as something that wants to to work on your behalf and save you and usher you into a real kingdom with a real king. And to the extent that you degrade any of those things, like, to to the point the article is trying to make, I think, is that you're not actually offering anything and so,

if and now I get this kind of this liturgy and I get this formalism of things that I don't understand and don't offer me any particular hope beyond something I could've created myself And so it is it is actually a compelling belief system. It's just a culmination of things that people people self interest. And so I I think I I actually think the trending articles is more relevant than I think the discussion on the the sound decade.

Thought that would make sense. Yeah. I didn't hear that. That that sounds like I'm feeling. Was just saying, don't know what they're gonna say. You know, he's probably gonna you know, the author has to appeal to a broad audience. He's gonna give all these stupid reasons, and I thought it's doctrine. Every single person who's ever come across my path who came from a mainline, it was a doctrinal issue. It wasn't like, hey. We just love the way you hate your building. I mean, like, it wasn't hate. You know, it wasn't the dumb stuff. It it was doctrine. We we want someone who we want bible. We wanna we wanna know who what Jesus said. We wanna understand his word.

And so I'm impressed. I'm impressed. That's what they came up with. Yeah. You know, it's it's funny that that that, like, even without paying attention, people will start to realize that that, to continue to go and say I want to know more. I want to be part of this community of people that are trying to follow this this Jesus and and and and have this hope that he's offering. And and you're right. When you're not offering that then it really is just a big building. You're like I don't know if this is all the hassle. Well, there you go. I think that's almost the problem.

Man, I was really interested in that it was really it was gonna be the the the people were just gonna start taking it at home, and then it's about to come into the building. I I don't see. I I think you have I mean, there's people that can take it at home but like, I've and I I could be wrong here. This is just anecdotal but like, people want to be around other people. Right? Like, they they want to they want to be part of the worship community. Like, I think it's I think you gotta be there there's a transition to using people that hear a message and to try to commend community not as a substitute for a community but like as the ability to

to engage in a slightly different medium or a persistent medium and then come be a part of it. Like and at its core, like we're made to worship. We're made to worship together. There is there is a value in community and there's energy in community. There's accountability in community. So, like, I I don't know that people are. It's one of the things that they offer, right? This is Jesus came to set up in such a way. It's like that's actually a benefit that we get from it. I don't think it's core of people who are trying to ditch it. Oh, it's not that they're just personalities that are trying to do. They don't want to be part of it, right? Like. Right. In general, I just don't think I don't think that's where most people are at. Well, your way of technology is definitely giving me the ability to learn

more if you want. Right? Like like, it it has not increased your ability for community or the the same ability to be in community that has always existed. Right? And so I don't I don't think technology has has aided or abated. Right? It is just it is just been. And so, like, your ability to be in a community is there if you wanna be able in what you'll be in one. And if you don't, you know. But what technology has done, a lot like, well, even with a lot of the to change as a result of that. That is just me taking more stuff in. You know? And it it really is pretty nice. And I think also as far as the technology goes, as as

as time goes on, so so so many people I have followed through the years that get all excited about their podcast or or their online, you know, streaming and stuff. How many of them just completely implode? You know? And not that they all will or all do, but but but enough of them do. Yeah. At some point, you go, maybe I really should be part of a local group.

You know, I actually know the human being in the flesh, you know, it's not some rock star who sold all these books, but rather, someone I can actually have a conversation with and know what their life is like. And I think, you know, there is great value, don't get me wrong, great value. Think that the podcast and so forth. But again, this only goes so far. It doesn't take you as far as a genuine community in Christ. Yeah. Right. Right. So I think that if there's a risk there anywhere, maybe Mike to what you were saying,

is that they that a mistake at first of being something, right? Like you call online only and you say this is a community. There's an aspect to Or that I say, well, I can go teaching anywhere.

But it just to Dan's point, like, it's just not the same. It's it's it is good but it isn't the same as as being able to to sit and listen to someone teach who knows you, right? And who has and who can recognize things that god is doing and that kind of bringing to them to otherwise share with specific folks or specific groups of people

and you just it's too easy to be faceless and like god god loves that face. You know what mean? Make sure people can recognize and speak to it. And so I think that is really the only risk is calling it something that it isn't. Think,

Mike, if I can agree with part of what you're saying, it's that you have I think it doesn't harm me to have access to a bunch of different things listen to as long as I don't treat that as if it is better or, you know, supreme to the ability to sit in a local congregation. Same thing as like an online community is great. I just I don't rely and say I have great community if that's all I'm doing is things online. Like I recognize that there's a difference there. And so, like, that is probably the only risk to it is Mhmm.

Thinking that it replaces the physical human need for being in in proximity to each other or knowing someone having to let them actually see you in this taking up space and a pew somewhere. Well, I I mean, that's a that's just a confusion with the advances in society, I guess, right? Because like, somehow, we got people weren't having the same talk in the first or second century, right? Like, they weren't going, well, church is the sermon or church is the worship plus the sermon or church is about, you know what I'm saying? Like, they weren't, that that's not how they were phrasing and it's not how they were looking at it and like, we've divvied it up into these things and and and and try to you know, allocate it to these these different box and say, well, what is church? I listen to a preacher on Sunday. That's church. Well, I mean, you listen to a preacher on Sunday. That's what you did, right? But the church is still has god defined it as his body of believers to follow Jesus Christ, right? And that's it and and like and it's it's apart from that that one event thing that we keep trying to point it to and then pick out. Now we're down to picking out parts of the event and trying to call parts of the event church. Right? And like that's Yeah. That's really cheaper than the whole deal. Right? That's why God wanted it set up that way. I feel like he set it up that way, but he totally did not. You know? So I it it's weird that you even have that option because like I and then like I said, I'm interested in in up to what,

you know, time period. Didn't then we start even thinking about it like that where it was where it was divvied up this way. You know, where people had the mindset that, like, you just pick out parts of this thing and that part is church. You know, what actually makes it a a Sunday gathering or whatever? Yeah. So I see what you're saying. So you're saying that, like, the reason those things that we were talking about are risks is because people have as opposed to thinking about being part of a church is being part of a community and like all the various aspects that might be included. Correct. They wanted to create a personal definition of church and then say, well, it's listening to a sermon and I can listen a sermon online. Yeah. And so then they can say that's church. That's right. Yeah. That's right. Okay. I understand. Yeah. Yeah. You're right. And I mean there's it's

it's it's too bad because there's there's it's unfortunate because they don't get to participate in the things that otherwise come with being as part of a group of believers. Yeah. Hey, man. You're missing out. You don't know you're missing out. You think you've got the easy track on the thing but you're actually missing out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That, yes, I agree. Yeah. Okay. Oh, so so no decline or decline maybe. Still still decline. I mean, think and I think it's okay. If like, if if that is the reason, I think that's perfectly fine. Let them suffers decline. Yeah. I mean, let any church decline. I don't care. I don't care whatever. Yeah. I mean, it's declining for the right reasons. If you're not offering

right, if you're not preaching Christ crucified, then I I know what you're doing. Church that does not speak Christ crucified declines. Yeah. Yeah. That sounds right. Yeah. This is not a church? Yeah. Because the church that gains is the one that does. This all sounds right. This is exactly how god said it was gonna go. Alright. They they could've just changed the title of the article and you wouldn't wouldn't have to read it. Church has lampstand taken away. There you go. Great. Seems like that happens. Okay.

Let's see. Man's it is in Kentucky. Here we go. It's Frankfurt, Kentucky. A man in Kentucky is suing the Commonwealth to be able to use I'm God on his license plate. Mhmm. And for more than a decade, Ben Benny Hart, that's his nickname. Benny. Use the license plate on god in Ohio. Hart, who is an atheist, told WXIX

that the personalized license plate helps to spread the message that faith is an individual's interpretation. That's what I think too when I see that when I see that. Yeah. I mean, I know. Okay. I can prove I'm god, but this is his quote. I can prove I'm god. You can't prove I'm not. Now, how can I prove I'm god? Well, there are six definitions for god in the American Heritage Dictionary, And number five is a very handsome man. And my wife says I'm a very handsome man, and nobody argues with my wife, said Hart. Okay.

He's funny. To a dude on 16, Hart moved to Kentucky where he wanted to keep the specialized plates. However, a letter from Kentucky transportation officials informed him he had denied the specialization because the plates could be considered vulgar or obscene. The ACLU and the Freedom From Religious Foundation have both joined Hart to sue Kentucky stating the Commonwealth had violated free speech. Kentucky officials say an I am God is not a good is not in good taste and could lead to confrontations or to distracted drivers. While Kentucky moved to have the lawsuit dismissed, a judge recently ruled the case would move forward. Hart says the lawsuit is more than just about a specialized license plates. It's also about guarding against encroachment on a person's rights. I think everybody should stand up for their rights, Hart told WXIX.

If you've got rights, you should stand up for them. And if someone's abusing your rights, then you should stand up to that. Wait. Does that mean that if I wanted to get license plates in his state and said I'm God, he would just assist he would cede it to me because it's my right to have to do so? Or would he fight me for Ben is a fink? Yeah. Yeah. Ben. Ben Bit down with Benny? Yeah. Ben is Ben is not God. Well, I mean, that's tricky. I mean, what do you think? I mean, we we believe in an American society that this man should be able to have his license. I don't really give a rip. I'm if I'm Well, I don't care. Putting my 2¢ worth. I mean, he's obviously not the Lord, so I don't care. Yeah. It's not gonna offend me. I might, you know, crack a few jokes in the car about the guy in front of me with the with the license plate. Yeah. I mean, be like meeting the guy at the grocery store and he's like, by the way, I'm a purple dragon. I say, sir, you do. I'm not a purple dragon. I hope they tell you pay you well for that. But be well. There's nothing I can do for you. I know you made a perfect dragon. It's all that matters to me, I guess, you know. Yeah. I mean, I yeah. That's good on what I thought. I read it I thought, you know, I you know, he's wrong. I don't know what I wanna care to do anything about it. You know, I'm not sure it's gonna start up. Here's the deal. Let me ask you this. Kentucky says it might start fights.

What what does that say about the Christian witness? It's the same thing that Egypt was talking about. Right? Like, I mean, is there any Christian out there that's gonna be angry at this? I mean, he's blasphemy. I mean, it is it is a I mean, it's a terribly wrong thing to say. Fair. He's not claiming to be the lord, the Yahweh. He's just a regular Elohim,

a guy that can be easily ignored. I mean, I mean, let's let's be honest. There there are some people that get a little aggressive on on their faith and I mean, are probably right. It'll it'll cause some confrontation. You know, we we went to the atheist convention a few years ago and there were people out there arguing in the streets and I'm thinking,

how's this you know, what are you doing? Yeah. Right. You know? But so that's gonna happen. It's it's just gonna happen. And and so if a state wants to regulate, you know, what's on the license plate, I mean, we can go back to just numbers and letters. You know, take them all away. I mean. Yeah. If you're gonna It's not a right. Yeah. Well, I suppose though, if you're going to allow, if on their stance, they're saying, we allow specialization,

you know, I don't know. I'm not sure. This is why this is why I don't have a problem with it, right? Like, as an American free right thing, like, what what's the classic from the American president? Right? Like, if you wanna be able to get up on a on a soapbox and yell what you believe at your loudest voice, you have to allow the guy that completely disagrees with you to do the exact same thing, with his. Right? And that has to be okay. And that's the conversation. Right? He he wants to write I'm God on his license plate. I can't imagine why I would care. He's not the Lord. I think he'd reach more people if he just opened a Twitter account. You know, and here's here's what I actually irritates me about this guy is I'm really tired of people shanking everybody else with a one inch blade. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm a change the world to kick to kick. You know what I'm saying? Like, I bruise that. I bruise your pants with this with this license plate. Will you do it? If you believe in something, will you do something? You know, you bought this pocket knife and you're out there ganging people in a parking lot. You know? I mean, do something. You know? And this is not a stance. You're not taking a stance. You're aren't your quarterbacking from a license plate.

Yeah. Yeah. That's true. That's true. He's not even that committed. Like, if this is the ground of which you refuse to seed to change the world, he's not doing it. You know? It just it should be embarrassing. We should we should be laughing. Kentucky should laugh. Everybody should laugh. If he were god, would he need attorneys? Yeah. That's right. He could here's the deal. If he were god, he could get figure out how to get an apostrophe on there. Because really what it says is, I am space god. Yeah. What

hey. Actually, I wonder how carefully they restrict that. Like, if I wrote if I said I wanted it to say I am I am, would they permit that? Who? Now, see, I would just suggest you not do that. No. I mean, I don't wanna do it personally. That's a mistake, man. Yeah. No. I understand. Okay. Okay. People might think it's like dog food. Yeah. Yeah. Like a like a commercial campaign. You know I am I am stupid. To the extent that it, that it might cause fights like, I actually find personalized license plates handy because then I know who I'm upset with. Yeah. Yeah. I say, oh, I see you just passed me in a rude manner, Dave. Yeah. Closer to 27? Yeah.

Okay. Alright. Yeah. I would I would more, as an atheist, be embarrassed at his terrible attempt for social commentary by spending $50 on a license plate. This is the best we can do. We've sent this old fella out. Yeah. Bet he's on the rocks because his wife thinks he's handsome. I was allowed to one inch shank people in Ohio. I don't know why I can't do it in Kentucky. Seriously, dude. Get more committed to something. Okay.

Alright. Ask Christians. We're talking. You're supposed to give this my whole life away. What do you want, lord? I'm in. 100%. Sell all my stuff. No problem. Move to blah blah blah. I'm in. Well, you know, and and and that's what the Christians are committing to. This guy like, I give you $15. Maybe you put the opposition on my license plate. Yeah. Okay. Well, there's a Jesus man at the DMV. He was supposed to do missions work in Donna, but the Lord said, no. No. Hang need to do special missions. He he could fight. Hang back. I don't wanna save the dead advice. Send me to Ghana. And don't forget to wear a Christian t shirt.

Alright. Alright. Mike, what do we you got people need advice? Dear life from the past? Here we go. A girl is tempted to choose a college close to home. Dear life from the past. This is rife with trouble. My daughter is graduating from high school and will be starting college. It is all it was always her plan to go to a school away from our small town, and I supported that decision. However, six months ago, she started dating her first real boyfriend. His parents have offered to pay all expenses if the two of them live in an apartment and go to school at a college nearby.

Financially, this would be very helpful for my daughter, but I'm worried that moving in with a boy at such a young age would be a mistake, and she wouldn't get the full college experience. Her boyfriend is wonderful, and she's very happy in the relationship. She has a scholarship for free Reuben boarded to college three hours away. I can tell she's very conflicted. What do you think I should encourage her to do? Not move in with a boy. Yeah. Yeah. Regardless

of your college decision, let's choose purity first. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm a little concerned that her impression is is that you cannot get to get the college experience by settling down too early and shacking up with this guy. This is there might be more She might be coming at it from the opposite end opposite end. That's what I'm getting the vibe of. Yeah. Yeah. She'll be getting the college experience every night if that happens. Yeah. So

yeah. So I would say I mean, I get I don't know. I don't know that you have to encourage her to do I mean, she should do what she wants to do as far as what school she wants to go to. But regardless of which school she wants to go to, I would say you should you should be by yourself or find another fine lady roommate. I don't understand. Until you're ready to commit to marriage. I understand how this math is adding up. She has a scholarship for free room and board at a college three hours away. How was this apartment helping her financially? Because she

At same cost, she could be closer to home and have sex with her boyfriend. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, sure. I don't I'm not sure about your parenting. I'm

conflicted on which way to encourage her. I mean, I think you need to go to the college that is going to best suit the educational goals you have of of where you're going in your life. I mean, what are you gonna do? So so is the you know, pick that. If

it's the right guy, it'll it'll still work out. If it's not the right guy, it's gonna fade away. Yeah. You know, maybe you're just you're you're taking a very cheap view of life. Right? Like Yeah. The the goal is to figure out what's the right thing to do and then figure out how to do the right thing. Not what am I able to do? Is it half crappy? Well, I mean, it's kinda crappy. Yeah. I mean, it's better than being terrible crappy. Yeah, okay. I'll do that. That's not good living. That's not figure out the right thing to do and do it. That's you scheming. You're taking a scheme of things And that's that's not a good way to live. Yeah. I mean, apart from obviously the purity issues and and you slicing yourself into a relationship, with a man that's I mean, you're this is a six month relationship so far, right? And and and you have the one of the biggest times of your life coming up where you're supposed to be spending most of your time studying and learning your new profession or whatever you do at college.

And, you've you've added drama to your life apart from the fact house. Yeah. That you're that you're that you're playing house with a a gentleman you've only known for six months and are not married to. Hey. I'm a little bit suspicious of the of the dude's parents. Unless this guy is just such a such just a flake with it or trying to get him locked down to something so he doesn't cause a problem in life. Yeah. But like, hey. Why would they even offer that up? Why don't they just say, son, I will pay for your apartment? Yeah. And whatever. Well, they're saying, son, we're gonna hire you a prostitute, and you won't have to worry about that. You can focus on your studies.

This is not good. You don't have to chase the girls. We'll we'll hire one to live with you. Well, that's poor thinking. That's bad thinking. It's bad all the way around. Where our our solid advice here is that you should go even if if it's the closer college, it it is the better choice for you, then go there. But you're still gonna pay for room and board separately. You you're just not gonna live with this man. It's not a good idea. Secular says, your concerns are valid. The boyfriend's parents made a generous offer but although your daughter may be crazy about their son, she should not accept it. She and this young man are starting new chapters in their lives. They will be meeting people and forming all kinds of new relationships. Forgive me for seeming negative, but what if the romance sours? Oh, no. Will his parents still be willing to pay for room board and your daughter's education at the same college? Wow. She's offering to pay for the education too? What? No. Oh, I missed that. This is outrageous.

Your daughter has earned her scholarship. Three hours distance isn't isn't insurmountable. They can still see each other if they wish, but the separation will allow them more time to concentrate on their studies as well as enjoy the full college experience. I'm a little bit suspicious of this full college experience, but in either case, that seems, I mean, roughly okay. I mean, I I wouldn't want my where I live like, without a committed marriage relationship, I mean, I wouldn't want where I where I stay to be dependent on whether I'm in good graces

with my boyfriend at the time whose parents are paying for the place. Yeah. That's the thing. It's when your living situation is based on whether you have a good working relationship with someone's parents. That's bad. Right? That means that one disagreement puts you out. And then all of a sudden, not only your college education and the place you were staying are now no longer available to you. True. Then you wanna base that all on six months? That's right. Yeah. Dan's right. You lost the scholarship. So, like, you went down the path, and now you can't get back from it. Hey, like, here's the deal. Like, if you're not a Jesus person and you think you're overreacting on this purity principle, just recognize that there's problems that that you don't have when you follow the purity principle. Like there there's not all this negotiation and like

it comes with other things. I'm with you but like just some of this complication just doesn't occur because you're not going down a path like that. Yeah. Alright. Dear life from the path.

Oh, no. This is it looks like a soapboxer. Uh-oh. We seem to be living in a time of instant gratification. Yes. Like when you can write somewhere and they will instantly post you with your letter. I'm When did they come out with instant jello?

Dan, you're old. Fifties? I don't know. Four Okay then. Now here's the deal. I don't wanna hear any of this crap about instant gratification if you've had instant jello for the last, oh, roughly seventy years. Yeah. I mean, what's up front door? You're instantly outside. I don't see nobody complaining about that.

Okay. Go ahead. I'm checking out this instant jello thing. You're right from the past. We seem to be living in a time of instant gratification. I'm talking about cellphones. People think they must answer their cellphone no matter what. It's ridiculous. When I call someone and they answer, I start talking only to be interrupted with something like, I'm involved in something right now. Call you back. Once, an employer told me she was in the bathtub. My question is, why are these people answering in the first place? If you can't talk, let it go to voice mail. Unless you think I'm calling to give you money, a lot of money, the conversation could probably wait ten minutes. What do you think? That's it.

Yeah. Soapbox and follow-up question. I probably answer my phone 46% of the time. You answer text messages more often? Yeah. Yeah. If it's text message, know that they know who I am. If I don't know the number, I I never I never answer a number if I don't recognize it. And sometimes, if I do recognize the number, if I'm with someone else, I'm I'm still not gonna answer it. Actually, I you know, I feel like I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum

Because I know that most people carry their cell phones with them all the time, if you don't answer the phone when I call, I get kinda upset. I'm almost certain you got your phone within two minutes of you or two inches of you. And when you looked at it and saw my name and thought, no. I ain't gonna answer it. That makes me mad. I get upset about that. Babe, do you ever do that today? No.

You ever see my name on the phone or you're like, nope. Not gonna happen. No. I generally answer the phone because you you you only call if there's a problem. Yeah. That's true. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Otherwise, you'd you'd be using the text message. That's here's the deal. Phone calls make me nervous. Either I don't know you or something is necessitated a phone call that a text wouldn't do and then it makes me nervous. Well, sometimes things are complicated. If you try to hash it out over text message, it took an hour. When you could've just called the guy and talked it out in a couple minutes. Yeah, I know. I mean, I know what you're saying but that just isn't my experience. I prefer the phone. People are like, hey, mom of yours is in trouble or hey, I hit a deer or hey, would you like to buy some kind of website service? Those are the three guys' goals again. Yep.

So, man, I I'm just saying, it makes me nervous to pick up pick up the phone. I mean, I suppose I could see it. I would I still I prefer phone calls. I like I like getting phone call. I will answer them most of the time. And if I can, I won't? That's true. I mean, I get the guy's complaint. I see people talking on the phone at the gas station line all the time. That irritates the snot out of me. Where people are active, you know, they're just having carrying a conversation on and they're trying to pay for the Doritos and gas. And the lady's thanking them for being there. They don't say nothing. They just walk out still having the conversation. No. Well, yeah. That's rude. That's really rude. Hey, man. So, it's it it says this on the Wikipedia article about Jell O. It says, Jell O is especially popular among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Did you know that? The

Mormon Corridor region which has the highest Mormon populations was nicknamed the Jell O Belt. I bet that not funnery. It supported this in which Jell O was designated as Utah's official state snack food in 2001. Hey, wait a minute. That's recent. Oh, when drafting the resolution, the Utah legislature gave many reasons to recognize Jell O including that Utah had had the highest per capita consumption of Jell O for many years and how citizens of use Utah had rallied to take back the title after Des Moines, Iowa exceeded Utah in Jell O consumption in 1999. I remember. I remember that. You remember that? There's the big talk. Yeah.

What? Oh, man. Just before the end of the millennia, we decided to bolster up our Jell O intake. That'll last on a shelf for years. I guess the power goes out.

Jell O is often served with homemade cookies or cakes and water at LDS Church socials. Oh, water? The stereo. I see you're having a wandering Jell O tonight.

The stereotype of Mormons loving Jell O does not appear to have a long history. Media reports in 1969 and 1988 on foods popular among Mormons or in Utah make no mention of Jell O. And in 1988 article mentioned Jell O as a Lutheran tradition. I had no idea. I had no idea all this was going on behind my back. What? This Jell O fracas. Does it say when it was, you know, invented or Yeah. No. That's what I was looking for. I can't get anybody to say, like,

when when they did instant. I was looking for, like, it's maybe I just need to look for instant pudding. Maybe it's always been instant. Like, you don't cook yellow, do you? Well, think it boiled water. I mean. Pudding. Pudding. I'm thinking pudding. Yeah. Well, I mean, chocolate jello was added to the history inventory in 1936 and was an instant pudding which was made with milk. The Jell O No Bake dessert line was launched in 1966, which allowed a cheesecake to be made in just fifteen minutes. There's always room for Jell O was going to 1964.

Wow. It's been a long time. Very good. How puddings have changed through history? Okay. Anyway, continue. Did we give advice? No. No. Well, we're just asking if you agree with the instant gratification cell phone behavior. Yeah. I mean, everything is a relatively instant gratification. It would be like when they invented the car. Yeah. You used to have hitch up the horses or whatever. Now, you can get there faster and you can make the same plane. Same thing as hopping on a plane and so like, it's a relative distinction. People are always wanting the thing that they want. They want it faster. It's the nature of wanting something and so, it's not, it's different but it's not new.

This this thought of like the times change and whatever you think was happening back when you know, people are getting it more instantly. The world is moving faster. It always has moved faster and so like, I don't, I get that it's different and that it's accelerating but I'm not sure it's it's a unique complaint. I don't know that that's relevant to the fact that people like how people engage in that or like rudely use technology in ways that they shouldn't. I also think that's irrelevant to time. This just gives you another means to express your idiocy and how you go about that type of thing. Yeah. Like, if you tell me, you tell me ten years after the the vehicle was was embedded, there's not some teenager driving another teenager who's got his white moon hanging out the window. No. That's ten years. Yeah. He figured out a way to show his butt out. Yeah. Do you think I should put my fanny out this window? Yeah. I do. Yeah. I think I should. Let's take a spin. That's that's not the car's problem. Just like it's not the phone's problem that you answered it when you went to New taking a bubble bath. That's you problem.

Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, I mean, I hear you. It's just people being able to express their problems in a quick manner. I'm dangerous. Yeah. Say, Geller's advice was, I agree. You'll get no arguments for me. That was it.

You got one you got time for one more? Yeah. We can we can do one more. That one left me, disappointed. Yeah. Yeah. They're alive from the past. I am in my thirties and moved out of my parents' home ten years ago. Last week, I decided to visit them and we went out to eat. Dad has a habit of sending his food back to the kitchen. Oh, no. My steak isn't cooked enough or my food is cold. Could you warm it up? He even does this at restaurants that aren't fancy. Like, where? Dad has done this my whole life and he's in his sixties. It's embarrassing for me and mom and it frustrates the cooks and wait staff. Is there a polite way of telling him to stop this behavior? He takes any criticism personally.

Good. Because that's how you were leveling it. Yeah. And if you took it as a populace, that would be weird. It's a personal critique. No. And it sounds like doing it politely isn't working.

Mean, is it really a problem? It's his food. It gets spit at night. Yours? Harold, you're embarrassing everybody. If you keep this up, we're going without you. I won't divorce you on it, but I ain't taking you out to the restaurant here. I mean, what causes a guy to do this? You know, like, is it true all the time? And the rest of us just don't wanna say anything. Like, are you are you very gracious with the food you get at a restaurant and you're like, yeah, ten's a little cold, terrible. Boom. Yeah. I'm generally like that. Yeah. Me too. Yeah. So, I mean, is this dude just he's just more honest than others. Like, you know what? Just stay game right. I think I'm gonna have you put that on for a little longer. Right? I paid I paid a buck 98 for this double cheese. It is. Everybody

sees this big wall of social faux pas and and old Herman here, he don't give two ribs. He doesn't see it. He, you know, he's just like one of those guys that can't read the temperature of a room. People, everybody's mad at him. He don't know the difference. He says, you know what? Put this toast back in for another click. Something wrong with it. Yeah. I mean, I suppose it really depends on how you do it. There's probably a there's probably a gracious way to do it. I think the implication is that it's embarrassing and he's doing it poorly. Well, he says, oh, like one of the examples was my food is cold. Could you warm it up? I mean, that's that's nice. He doesn't throw it at him be like, warm this up. It's brutal. I mean, is it really cold? Well, I don't that's the thing. I wonder, man. I'm not sure. Yeah. I mean, I can't she's not saying that he's not right. I guess, I mean, he's

either making it up and dislikes to complain, which, I mean, anybody that that has ever worked in a restaurant will tell you. I mean, if you make a show of it and and really wasn't their fault, they go spit in your stuff, friend. Yeah. That's just what's gonna happen. And so, like, it's not in his own best interest, but I mean, why is it embarrassing to you? I'd let it go. Yeah. I mean, I think if if he has a $10 hamburger and they're charging him the full $10, I think he he's thinking I should have the full value. Yeah. Or charge me $8.

Right. Because it's not it's not worth $10 to me right now. It's it's medium, you know, cool. Yeah. Right. $8 and I'll spend the wheel of temps. This is like We'll disagree with each other. You're gonna pay full price or charge me full price. I'm at the full value. I'm I'm almost guessing that there's been times in her life where she's appreciated her dad's social faux pas. Like like he doesn't notice it, right? You know, like there's always times when like you're, you don't wanna be the guy that has to go up and say, hey, I lost my wallet. Did anybody find a wallet here? Because you frustrated. And old dad, he don't care. He'll go rocking right up to that counter. Hey, man. My my daughter lost her purse. Where is it? Yeah. I know you went. I know it's in this one of these booths somewhere. Let's hand it over. He doesn't got embarrassed at all. And so there has to be times where his behavior has been a pro and you're just picking this particular one and settling him with it. That seems unfair. I'm on the inside. Yeah. I mean, I feel like I need to know the details to parse this out but I mean, you're right though. It's like it's not. He's not wrong. He's just doing things that most people are afraid to do. Yeah. He's like, so they don't think it.

I feel like this happened to me recently. I ordered, oh, yeah. I ordered a steak somewhere because I was having tea on on and I never ordered a steak but I was by myself and I thought, well, shoot. I'll order a steak. And they asked me how I wanted it cooked and I thought, I don't shoot. I don't even know what the options are, but I didn't wanna ask. I was doing better. So, I said, I'll take the middle. So,

so then I think what I was asking for was like a A medium. A medium and what I got was was certainly a medium well if not a well. And then I thought and it wasn't great. Yeah. But then I thought, I, you know, what do I know? I'm not I'm no steak man. Maybe what I maybe they gave me what I asked. They would know. They cook steaks. And so I just assumed I was wrong in the matter and I ate. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Okay. Permanent ain't gonna put up. No. Alright. You know what? Fine. I like him. Here we go. Secular's answer.

Are certainly free to tell your father that this habit embarrasses you. But after all these years, you and your mother are not going to change him. Restaurants are in the hospitality business. If your father is satisfied with his food, he has the right to ask that it be served to his liking, and most restaurants will gladly comply. We're not responsible for the actions of other people, and because of that, you should not feel embarrassed about something over which you are out control. Yeah. I I think it's a let it be. So, frankly, this this character sounds like hoot to me, and I like to. I he sounds like a fun man as far as I'm concerned. And, man, they they kinda spit in your food just because you hanging out with Herman. Well, I mean, I'll be like, woo. Get him, Herman. Send him back. You know what saying? Like That's right. I mean, if well, I mean, he's right, he's right. I wanna say, man, these fries don't taste very good. And he'll say, ma'am? Yeah. He'll come over and do it for me. Yeah. This young man's fries aren't right. You should put the fix on him directly.

Oh, man. I'm a pansy. Yeah. I gotta change my ways. Be more like her. I wanna be like her. It's gotta be yeah. It's gotta be really bad before I'll I'll take something bad. Yeah. And I do do it because it's pretty rare. It is very rare. Mhmm. Actually, I'm pretty sure I've received the wrong order on multiple occasions, and I thought, I don't know. I'll just give a shot. We were at a we were at a restaurant a couple three days ago or whatever. It was and it was a fast food type joint or whatever.

And they straight up just gave us the wrong order. But we we don't need this place ever because it's one of the places you only find out south. And I I didn't actually have an idea what the food was supposed to look like in the first place. So, like, I I'm like, yeah. This is it. This looks right, I think. They showed up two minutes later after we eaten some of the fries and, like, half a piece of fish or something. And they said, hey. You guys got the wrong order. Do you wanna change it out? I said, well, I suppose. Know? They said, we were really gonna bring it up if everything was cool, but maybe we thought we better ask. I said, I you know? I don't know. It's too late now. Let's just call it even. They're like, no. We're changing it out. Took the plates away.

Yeah. Okay. This sounds good. I thought you're right. I think I just let this go. It's not that big of a deal. The food was in videos anyway. You know? Alright. Hey. You're a little bit of line from the pack. I don't know what it was. You've been listening to line from the pack. Thanks for hanging out tonight. We really do appreciate it. Make sure you check out the Cathedral by,

Egypt Suites. Buy buy that up. Go check it out live. You'll dig on it. Next week, I may have a special, interview lined up. I'm waiting for some confirmation. It'll be interesting. If it, if it happens, you'll know it. Because you will be listening. Right on. Alright. So in in the meantime, be faithful to me. God will hand to the end. You wanna see too live from the path. Okay.