Tales from the first tee
Stories about my life experiences and others as I work at one of the premier golf clubs in Charleston, SC. Interviews with golfers around the world that have one thing in common...the pursuit of excellence on a golf course and everything else that happens along the way.
Tales from the first tee
Tee Time Antics
Just Tales returns with personal golf stories, artful social commentary, and reflections on trust in our modern world.
• Senior golfers at Charleston National forget they're playing with the same people after a mid-round bar visit
• The CJ Cup tournament at exclusive Congaree Golf Club reveals pro golf culture and impressive play from Rory McIlroy
• Entitled "prima donnas" at golf practice facilities ignore etiquette and common courtesy
• Parenting styles on display at the range, with one father's negative approach likely to drive his child away from golf
• Lego's sustainable packaging change upsets adult fans who can no longer "feel" for specific collectible minifigures
• Climate protesters throw food at famous paintings, with questionable impact on actual environmental policy
• Trust remains fundamental in relationships, politics, and social media as Elon Musk takes over Twitter
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Welcome to another episode from Just Tales, a monthly hybrid of fictional and non-fictional stories that compel me to rant. There'll always be a golf story or two laced into my blog because, well, it's where I spend a good amount of my recreational time. So, whether you're a golfer or not, if you're a skeptic, doubter or open-minded, this is the place for you, so kick back and listen. In this episode, I'll share my recent trip to Congaree Golf Club to watch the Sunday leaders in the 2022 CJ Cup Practice area. Primadonnas Practice area prima donnas More evidence of cadult uprisings. As Legos changes their packaging, which has an adverse effect on their A-folds, I'll tell you about that. Trust. What a novel concept. Valuable impressionist paintings get doused with mashed potatoes and tomato soup. Impressionist paintings get doused with mashed potatoes and tomato soup. Elon Musk walks into Twitter headquarters just carrying a sink. But first a local story that had me falling out of my cart laughing about some pickled senior sticks.
Speaker 1:At Charleston National Golf Club, most every Friday morning, I spend my time herding cats, directing red-eyed wedding and bachelor parties to the first and the tenth tee box, matchmaking foursomes because some people just don't adhere to the motto make a date, keep a date and also talking with golf buddies that I've come to know and play with over the past four and a half years. Every week or so I hear a story or see something worth ranting about. This week was bountiful, as I have some jewels to talk about, so I'm working. The first tee and the first group out had golfers that I see weekly. One of them, a four handicap, is a guy I'll just call Miserable Max. I've played with him on several occasions and unless he birdies every hole, he's pissed off at something. Even he'll bark about missing eagle putts, ending up with a birdie. So some golfers believe that you have to be upset about a lack of perfection. I personally don't think you need to do the beach island boogie every time you miss a shot or miss a putt. I think it's okay that you could think your way through eliminating repeating mistakes. I think it's okay to try and get better. It's okay to try and get better, but do you have to show your self-disgust every time you lack perfection? This guy is meaning you probably have a buddy just like him and if you don't, maybe you're that guy.
Speaker 1:Back to the story. I'm sitting between the first tee and the cart path that leads to the 10th tee and I, miserable Max and his weekly sidekick, let's call him Blotto Bill. They slow their carts down when they come up to me. Max is complaining about his 37 on the front. He said the greens were just overseeded so he missed a few putts and he ended up with a 37. So he missed a few putts and he ended up with a 37.
Speaker 1:Now I recall shooting the same the last time he and I played together and I was feeling pretty good about myself for the front nine. Sure, I missed a few shots, but I also made some career drives, approach shots and putts to overcome the human side of me. So sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you make mistakes. So anyway, I'm consoling him and he looks up and sees these other two guys on the 10th tee box in front of him. Now he's thinking I let two guys off on the back nine. And so I tell him no, I didn't let these guys off, they just passed me. I'm pretty sure they came from the ninth green, you know, just like you. And he said bullshit and he goes. We just went up to the bar to reload and nobody was behind us on the fairway and here we come up to 10. There are two guys in front of us and I said, max, I didn't send them off to start their round on 10. So he and Blotto Bill drive their carts up to these guys. Meanwhile I'm trying to start people on the first hole, but I look back and I see them talking to each other. Next thing, you know, they're teeing off together, they're playing together. So I'm thinking, whoever these people were, they ended up deciding let's play as a foursome. Fast forward. A little over two hours later they finished their round.
Speaker 1:Miserable Max, on his way to the from the 18th green to the clubhouse, stops in front of me. So I asked him so how'd you shoot, max? And he goes freaking 76., 37, 39. Too many missed shots. And he starts going into every hole and I'm like, hold on a second. Before he goes into all this detail, I decide to interrupt him so I wouldn't have to hear every single hole. And I ask him hey, those guys that you joined up with on the tee box, who were those guys? Are you ready for this? You are not going to believe this. He said those were the same two guys that we played the front nine with. And so I asked oh, did they take off their jackets, remove their vests, maybe at a distance you couldn't see, maybe they changed the color of their shirts and he said no, no same guys and I didn't want to ask any more questions. Miserable max and blotto bill were either so drunk or entering their first stage of senility, or both. They forgot they were playing with these two guys on the front. Nine Folks, that's a hundred minutes of playing golf with two other guys. Then you go into the bar to freshen up your drinks and totally forget you were playing with them. I love this freaking job.
Speaker 1:The CJ Cup in Cong stage singing hits Carolina, tails California. Maybe she'd fall for a boy from South Georgia. She's got the bar and the phone. So you ask what is the CJ Cup and where the heck is Congaree, the CJ Cup? First of all, the CJ Group is a South Korean conglomerate. It's a holding company with business interests in a diversified portfolio. That's who they are. So they sponsor this golf tournament and it's a PGA event. For over five years it started in Asia but moved to the United States because of COVID travel restrictions in Asia.
Speaker 1:This year it was played in the exclusive Congaree Golf Complex in Ridgeland, south Carolina, which drew my interest because it's only an hour and 45 minute drive from Charleston, so I attended with a golf buddy and walked most of the course to follow Rory Rom and Fleetwood. I've always spoken about the singular ownership ambassadors from Congaree, so I'll spare you the business model synopsis, other than to say it's unique and developmental for underprivileged kids who want to be golfers. The course itself is sprawling over what used to be a southern plantation. The tee boxes, fairways and greens are immaculate, with artistically carved bunkers protecting the fast and hard to hold greens. I don't recall one PGA pro backing up a ball on any of the greens and when they hit their approach shots from the fairway a cloud of sand would poof into the air directly in front of the players. Perfect ball contact with no divots.
Speaker 1:This PGA event was the least attended I've seen of any PGA event, which made for some awesome up-close and personal views of the players and photos without five people deep between me and the ropes. When you follow the last three groups on a Sunday, you're likely to witness the best players of the tournament that weekend. Guys who position themselves to win on Sunday tend to have a better game that weekend than the rest of the field. So sure Spieth was there, jt was there and Homo were there, but it just wasn't their week to shine, so not much exciting coming from their golf games. But in the last three groups Rory Kitayama, lee Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood, by the way, who shot six under on Sunday they had their games humming and it's fun to watch. It's cool to see guys hit par fives and two and go for eagle putts. It's fun to watch them make a bunch of birdie putts, particularly on a slippery green. That's what gives announcers their juice.
Speaker 1:What I found inspiring was how far and accurate Rory could drive the ball At times, so far that my lasik eye couldn't follow the ball all the way when it laid to rest. I mean I could see it in the air and then it was so far it would just disappear. But you could see from his body language that he liked his shots. At times we would get a few holes in front of the leaders to watch a handful of groups drive the ball and hit approach shots to the greens Almost every time. The longest drive that we saw and the best approach shots were Rory's, clearly demonstrating that he was best in the field that weekend. But it's not like he dominated the field all day, every shot, every hole. The degree of perfection is so close with the Sunday leaders that anything could happen. Their games are so honed that they're all in contention.
Speaker 1:The slightest wind, the slightest rubber the green can make a difference in influence. Good, better and best. Lightest rubber, the green can make a difference in influence good, better and best. Now patrons can also have an effect on the golfer's performance, although as a patron you only want to affect a good outcome after a shot or a putt by encouraging them. Patrons that yell stupid shit or feel the need to coax their favorite player on right before they swing the club, or yell something after they hit their drives, just so their friends could hear them on TV. They should be flogged, tarred and feathered and, if continued, be escorted off the grounds.
Speaker 1:There was one incident on Sunday where a tech-savvy fan thought it would be clever to FaceTime his friend group while Jon Rahm was putting on Sunday, distracting him and influencing a missed putt. Now afterwards a lot of the announcers tried to pry that information at a Jon Rahm, but Jon wouldn't acknowledge the incident when he asked like what happened to you on the back nine? Because you had an incredible Saturday and Sunday, the front nine you were looking pretty good. He just accepted that he had too many swing thoughts in his head. That typically can be fixed if he's at the range with 10 shots, but when you're in the middle of a round you just have to bear down and fight it.
Speaker 1:Golf is not like other sports where it's acceptable for raucous fans to yell and scream and try and take you out of your game. I mean, most of us have been to certain sporting events where alcohol and disdain for the other team combines to make us feel compelled to alter the outcome by trying to rent room in the imposing team's heads. Even at the Waste Management Open, fans wait until a golfer hits their shots before they boo them on the 16th green or throw shit at them. If you're going to buy a ticket to watch the best golfers in the world, here's my humble advice Encourage your favorites when they approach a tee box or when they're walking down the fairway. And if you're betting against someone, just shut the fuck up and let them make mistakes. Golf is just full of them. Don't be the reason that somebody flubbed a shot, because the golf gods will punish you in ways you just cannot imagine. Future mother-in-law anymore. Oh Lord, when it rains it pours Anyway. So I digress. Summary it was great to see Rory at his best, it was great to see him win and it was great to see him reclaim the number one title in the world the Practicing Primadonnas.
Speaker 1:I've actually got two recent stories that underscore my point here. You know they say mamas, don't raise your boys to be cowboys. I say dads, don't raise your kids to be golf prima donnas. And I say dads because moms just know better. I was downing my favorite suds last week when the sconce and slammer started to share a story worth repeating. I had a similar experience, albeit a parable that cast a much wider net. So I'll tell both.
Speaker 1:The Slammer is a student of the sport of golf. When he's not coaching or consulting his twin daughters on how to dominate other teams on ice, he studies golf. He studies golf. He tells me the only way his teenage girls are going to have a chance to play in a d1 school, to play hockey, is right now to play with teenage boys, and we know what little assholes teenage boys can be. But playing with boys are just going to make the girls that much better to play in college. So we're somewhere on our third pint, and the slammer can't wait to share this experience he had at the practice facility in the back of Charleston National.
Speaker 1:When the practice facility is not closed for overseeding or for kids camps, it's a great place to practice all aspects of the game except for bunker play. Their bunker is semi-filled with hard pack dirt. It's horrible, and so that's why I have a shitty sand game. There's this fairly long and large practice green with nine holes with nine mini flagstick, like most practice facilities. In the late afternoons all nine holes tend to get occupied, with my favorite kind of golfer the practicers. It's the only way to improve, unless you're someone like Billy the Kid who I've spoken about, who posts over 300 rounds a year. That's how he gets his practice.
Speaker 1:It's common knowledge that the practice screen fills up, and when it fills up you have to pick a hole, or at least be diligent when you switch holes not to interrupt someone else's putting or chipping. It's common knowledge. Well, common knowledge is like common sense. It's far from common. So, as the slammer is telling me this, as he's setting up to practice his putting on one of with one of his three alternate putters, with one of his three alternate putters, he's watching this kid maybe 10 to 20 yards off the back of the putting surface, chipping balls in the air with a trajectory that flew over at least two of the other holes to get to the farthest holes.
Speaker 1:Now I happen to do this on weekday afternoons when the practice green is empty. When the green is empty, you can practice a lot of putts and chip shots, high chip shots, low chip shots all around the green. I imagine that's what Tiger, phil and Jim Nance do with their built-in greens and holes in their bagyards. But on a semi-private practice facility that some people just call a public facility, you have to be aware of others. You don't walk in their line to go to a spot that you want to putt in. You don't putt across the green when there are several holes between you and your target. You don't hit 20 foot high lob shots above people's heads to hit your target.
Speaker 1:So this kid is out there doing it, but he's not alone. His dad was instructing him on how to hit high wedge shots across the green while other golfers were starting to increase in the numbers at that point. So they start doing this. There might've been two or three golfers, but within 20 or 30 minutes while they're doing it. Now there are at least eight or nine golfers out there, which means everybody's picking a hole. It's not the time to be hitting high shots over people's heads, right? So now there are eight people out there practicing, and including the slammer. Everybody was trying to claim a hole to practice at. But let's call these guys Patrick and Patty, prima Donna. They kept hitting wedge shots, blocking other golfers from going to certain holes on the green. Who teaches their son that it's okay because they're skillful, it's okay to encroach on others? Who teaches their son that because they might have been there first, everyone else is going to have to wait their turn and watch, watch, in awe of their greatness?
Speaker 1:Now the slammer guessed that they were private country club crackers that had to suffer through this private outing at their private country club and they couldn't practice there. So they had to go ghetto surf at a public facility and spread their entitled wings. Now I asked the slammer if he said anything, which is, you know, which is kind of what the slammer would normally do. He's a straight shooting guy. But he said he just didn't want to do it. He was waiting for them to stop, but when they didn't stop, he said he timed his off the green chip shots to intersect the prima donna shots and possibly hit their balls to try and send them a message. I still don't think they got the message. Prima donnas are above it all. It's like rules apply to everyone else but them. So as the slammer is telling me this story and I'm asking all these questions, I decide you know what? Something just like this happened to me. And so I tell the slammer on my story. He just about falls off his chair laughing.
Speaker 1:Several months back, I'm on the same practice facility when all of a sudden balls start flying by me. I turn around and I see what I believe is the six-year-old boy with his younger call it four-year-old sister. 20 yards off the green, perched up on a hill that becomes the driving range. They're chipping and pitching shots down below to the screen. Now, next to them, there's this small sign near them that states no chipping. So I'm guessing they were of reading age. But I also guessed that they had a parent nearby that thought it was okay for them to do that. So I'm watching them and I'm about to say something. Then I see the girl run back up to the range to get the attention of her father, or somebody at least who was a parent. The parent was hitting a bucket of balls, looking completely the opposite way. Now I figured, when she got the dad's attention, he turns around and he sees where they are perched up on this hill by the sign that he was going to come down and say, hey, kids, take it easy, you can't do that. And then he was going to walk them down by the green and stand there when they chipped. Nope, he stood around and watched his son and watched his daughter go back and chip these shots down to the green, some which were like flying rockets. Now there's a pro up on the range, but he was too busy giving lessons to stop his lessons to correct these kids and this dad. So I take it upon myself to have a chat with the dad Now.
Speaker 1:I could have said a lot of things to influence a positive outcome. I'm trained in professional sales to find the right words to deliver a positive outcome. I've learned conflict management. What I could have said was wow, your kids are great for their ages. Now they're missing a few shots and some of their balls are interrupting others. Or I could have been more direct and said the club has asked for golfers not to chip and then point to the sign. But what did I say? I said something like this hey dude, perhaps it would be a good idea to parent your kids so they don't keep hitting shots at other golfers. Now he was taken back. I knew at that moment in his reaction I could have used other words that didn't condemn his parenting skills. But the horse is out of the barn. We had words with each other and he collected his kids and they moved back from the up towards him when he was hitting balls at the range. Now you would think the story ends here. Nope, here's where karma rears its ugly head, as it always does.
Speaker 1:At least two months later, maybe even more, I'm at the back end of the driving range. Now, the back end of the driving range is reserved for head pros and some employees. So I go back there because, first of all, there are not too many people around you. I get claustrophobic when two people are to my right and to my left, and so I go back there. I bring a bucket of balls and it's a mid-afternoon week. Nobody's on the course. I drop the balls down back there and I also drop down a bunch of tees, I pull out my alignment stick and I put it on the ground. Now I'm about to hit and I see there are no golfers on hole four or hole five or even hole six, and I'm like you know what? I decide? I'm going to play a few holes first, kind of get a feel for what's wrong with my swing, and then come back to the back of the range and then proceed hitting shots.
Speaker 1:So as I start to get back in my cart, I see this range attendant in the ball picker. You know it's the guy that every kid tries to hit balls at when they're trying to pick up balls at the range. It's a protected cart. So he and I make eye contact and I know this guy. I have seen him. I have started, he and his wife, at the first tee for the last several weeks. Everything is smiling, hunky-dory. I know he's a teacher. He's gone back. I know about this guy. We've talked before. So now he's driving towards where I am. Maybe he's going to come say hi.
Speaker 1:So I drop my balls, I get in my cart, I kind of wave to him and I drive over to the fifth tee box. I kind of wave to him and I drive over to the fifth tee box and as I'm teeing up the ball, I look in the corner of my eye and I see him drive his picker up on the back tee box. By the way, nobody that works the range ever drives their picker up on the tee box up there. Quite often, pros will have lessons and they'll leave balls there, and it's almost, it's almost a given that you just leave the balls lay there. You don't pick them at all. And so I see him going up there and I'm like what the heck? Why would he? Why is he? And so, anyway, I turn around, I get in the cart, I leave my driver there, I drive up and I go, hey, how you doing? I go, hey, I'm going to come back and hit these balls, because my alignment stick is there too, with a bunch of T's. And I'm smiling at him because we have seen each other for the last few weeks. Oh, he smiles, he gets out of his cart and this is what he says Did you tell my son that he was a shitty father and that he couldn't parent?
Speaker 1:Now understand, this is two to three months ago. This doesn't register in my head, albeit the incident was one of a kind. He says it again. Now understand, I've seen this guy so many times between that incident and now. That, like what happened? Maybe the son told them the story the night before. And then I look at him and I said absolutely, and I start to explain my memory of the situation, he cuts me off who do you, what do you know about parenting? And he, like he is very emotional about this. And he goes and I'm like, well, here's what happened.
Speaker 1:I go back and he's like what do you know about parenting? He goes why would you tell my son? That's a hard, you know. He's now. I'm like what the hell is going on? And now he's getting more and more aggressive.
Speaker 1:And so now I step out of my cart and I walk up to him and I'm looking down, probably five inches eyeball to eyeball, and we're talking and I could see he doesn't want to hear anything that I have to say. His as in the Zen. In Zen, people say you either have a half empty cup, a full cup or an empty cup, and if it's full you have no room to learn anything else. This guy's cup was overflowing with what he believed was the truth of the situation and I could see it's not going anywhere. But again, I just want this thing to end so I could go play and come back and practice. I really don't want conflict.
Speaker 1:And he keeps going on. I go, hey, listen, perhaps I use the wrong words to try and, uh, influence your son to watch your grandchildren. And then he goes my grandson could wipe your ass in golf any day. His grandson is six and I'm like you know, and at that time I could have said, yeah, he's really a great golfer. But I didn't. I just said, hey, listen, I'm sorry I used those words. I wish it didn't go that way, but maybe the kids should be closer to the green when they're chipping Again, I just couldn't let it go. And he's back at me and I go okay, fine, I'm going to be back to hit my balls. And I go to my cart, he drives off and I go to play two holes. I play five and I play six, and I come back where my alignment stick was still there and my tease was still there, but the balls were all picked up.
Speaker 1:This guy, after having that conversation with me and knowing what I was about to do, decided back at you. You talk to my son like this. This is what you get. He takes all the balls. And now I'm standing there up on the back tee box and I could see he's still in the picker and the picker makes a turn where it's coming back to where I am, and I look at him and I point, and I'm standing there as tall as I can, pointing right at him, and I'm giving him the finger, not the middle finger, but the one that's like come here, come here. And uh, he drives his cart up. And now he realizes, okay, maybe I shouldn't have done that. And he stops the cart and I said hey, we talked about this. I told you I was coming back to hit these balls. Why would you take them? And he says I didn't know if you were coming back, which you know is a crock of shit and I go well, if it's okay with you, I'm going to take some of these balls in the picker. And he's like go ahead, take them. So I take the balls and I look at him and I go okay, do you mind if I hit balls now? And he drives away, not, but a week later I'm at the first tee and he and his wife come up and he was the nicest guy, totally forgotten the incident. And his wife, by the way, is a sweetheart, by the way, is a sweetheart. So I feel for her that this is what she has to deal with all the time. But hey, shit happens back in the practice area and that's all I have to say about that.
Speaker 1:On a side note, I'm hitting balls at the range the other night and I couldn't go to the back tees because they're overseated, so so it's late in the afternoon, probably around six o'clock at night, and I decide to go hit a bucket of balls. So I get my bucket and I'm walking down the range. And I'm walking almost halfway down the range there's nobody near me. And so, as I set up and you know, I think I'm a self-proclaimed claustrophobic I mean, what claustrophobic isn't self-proclaimed right? So now I usually put my earbuds in my ear, so you know I'm not distracted by other golfers. But of course numbnutsrich forgets his cell phone at home. You can't use earbuds without a cell phone.
Speaker 1:And so here I am, starting to hit balls and this father and son set up right next to me. There's the entire range to hit. It's almost like if you went to a movie theater and it's empty and you're sitting in the middle of the movie theater and somebody comes up with their thing of popcorn and sits right next to you or right by you. It's like he got the whole theater. Why would you do this? Well, same thing at the range.
Speaker 1:So now they've set up and I'm hitting shots, and you know the, the father and the son. They're setting up an alignment rod, uh, you know, which makes a lot of sense when you're practicing. And then they have another one that they stick in the ground, maybe five or 10 yards in front of them. I can't miss that, because I could see them right in front of me doing that. I'm like, oh, this is a little interruptive, but hey, be cool, just hit your shots, focus on what you're doing.
Speaker 1:So I'm practicing a few drills and here's the kid now starting to hit shots and he starts off not hitting great shots and his dad is like, no, no, not like yesterday. He's getting angry with him. The kid's hitting a few more why would you hit it like that? And the dad is getting more angry and more angry and I'm thinking one of two things is going to happen here. This kid is you know why? Dads think that they're Earl Woods like they are going to develop the next great player and you got to be hard on the kid. And you've heard tiger stories. But this kid wasn't a tiger and this guy was not Earl Woods. He was just an angry dad who used negativity to try and influence a better results on a golf course and, by the way, I don't think that works on a golf course. And, by the way, I don't think that works.
Speaker 1:So he keeps doing it and I'm like, okay, now it's getting in my head and but after having this last incident with the father and the grandfather and everything, I decide but I'm not saying a word. So I pick up my balls, I pick up my tees and my alignment stick and I walk all the way down to the very end of the range and I keep doing. You know, my practice session and I could still hear them halfway down the range. The dad is just barking at his son and so, like I said, this kid's either going to be the next greatest player because his dad's, you know, teaching him tough love, or any day now the kid's going to quit, never come back to the sport and never want to be around his dad, and when he plays I think it can go. Either way, I'm betting on the second one. So the story's not over.
Speaker 1:And so, uh, the day after I happened to be driving by where they're having this junior tournament at Charleston national and all these kids, teenagers, are there, and I actually see on the practice ground, driving slow, my windows are down. Here's the dad and the kid. So the dad was getting the kid ready for this tournament the next day and the kid is putting and I hear the dad go no, that's not what we practiced. And I'm thinking to myself. I think what's going to happen is, if this dad continues to do that while his kid's playing, there's going to be a point in time where the kid throws a club at his dad or picks up the ball and throws it at him because he can't take it anymore. Again, that is going to become the next Tiger Woods, who knows. But hey, look, if your dad's out there and you get a chance to train your kids in golf, take it easy, be patient and, most importantly, find a pro who could help your kid. And when you find a pro, do not sit there during the lessons. Get out of the way. That's my advice and I'm sticking to it.
Speaker 1:Kidults and a-fold. Last episode I talked about a new trend in toy makers dedicated to special inventory for adult collectors kidults was the term used for this segment, and it is a growing trend. This week, lego announced a change in their packaging for mini figurines that have become collectibles for adults. That's right, these adult collectors are called AOLs Adult Fans of Lego, afol and AFOLs are going AWOL. Lego, in their efforts to improve sustainability efforts, have decided to eliminate single-use plastic bags that have housed their miniature collectibles and decided to move more towards recyclable paper and boxes.
Speaker 1:And you might say so. What I mean? Isn't that the smart thing to do? But here's the thing. Did you know that Lego sells collectibles in opaque plastic bags? And they do that, so you don't know which collectibles you're buying. It enhances more purchases. People keep buying it. It's like a treasure hunt to try and get something different. So some of these A-Fols have perfected the art of feeling parts through plastic bags to identify different characters. They've also posted feel guides on YouTube to help other A-Fols feel for the targets that they want. So now imagine they're going to this new paper and cardboard packaging. It eliminates the ability to feel the details of certain figurines. So let me summarize In efforts to save the earth and eliminate plastic. Lego is investing in sustainability to move their company forward.
Speaker 1:Some would say, yeah, I understand, they're still selling plastic toys. Okay, all right, I'm not going to be a smart ass, but those who buy these plastic toys are most likely to hold on to them. It's not like the plastic bags that are one use. They get home and you throw them out and it clogs up landfills, right, or it ends up in the ocean. Um, so you're saying, well, maybe you know these people are buying plastic, isn't that bad? No, they're going to hold on to it until their kids have to commit them to some kind of you know assisted living and have to clear at their houses. Then what are you going to do with all that plastic? Yeah, it's going to go into a landfill. Get up, get up Tomatoes and potatoes in your face. Man boo, tomato, tomato, tomato. I'm throwing tomatoes In the news.
Speaker 1:This past week, protesters to support efforts to mitigate global warning staged two different sit-in demonstrations by defacing popular impressionist artwork. By defacing popular Impressionist artwork, german protesters that were climate change protesters were arrested after throwing mashed potatoes at Claude Monet's painting. This followed a similar stunt at London National Gallery, where two protesters from the UK, in efforts to bring attention to inflation, threw tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh's painting Sunflowers. Now the protesters said we are in a climate catastrophe and all of you are afraid of is mashed potatoes and tomato soup on a painting. Look, I can't imagine that their protests will have any impact on the international arena to propose legislation that forces major manufacturers to accelerate efforts in the area of sustainability. I don't see countries like Russia, china and some others in Southeast Asia reacting to the protests to curb global warming. However, I do anticipate competition in the area of updating the picture frames that house the violated paintings. On a side note, if I were running marketing for Campbell's Soup, I'd quickly create a slogan that underscores the fact that we are the soup of choice if you want to make a better impression. We know one thing about these protesters they are definitely not a-foles complaining about wanting to keep plastic packaging so they could feel for the miniatures. Nice to be in Orbitz.
Speaker 1:Everything comes down to trust. The closer you get to the fire, the more you get burned. But that won't happen to us, cause it's always been a matter of trust, whether it's a personal relationship or a company. You work for an employee that works for you, a brand that you're loyal to, financial institutions that hold your money, a house, a boat, a car or any other major purchase, a political candidate, a political party, a government or faith in a religion? And, of course, need I mention trust in your golf swing? Whether it's personal or impersonal, it all comes down to trust. And yet for many of us some of us, or just a few of us trust has to be earned and re-earned, and sometimes never earned. For others, trust is easy. Even after being screwed or short-sheeted, they still want to give others the benefit of the doubt. I happen to come from a family that's stressed beware of those that are untrustworthy. I mean, what do you expect from New Yorkers, right? So it seems normal that every company I worked for I was rewarded for having an active bullshit meter. It's not that I didn't trust some of my accounts, it's just that I needed to trust and verify some of them. So why am I bringing this up?
Speaker 1:With the midterm elections coming up, you can't miss campaign commercials when each party spends too much time talking shit about the other candidate Instead of sharing the unabridged, undoctored accomplishments that would lead you to believe you can trust them to fight for your interests, or at least the best interests of your county, your state or your country. They're too caught up in taking things out of context and slinging mud at the other candidate. It's like every candidate is taking a page from pro wrestling's playbook because it's fun to watch. They do that instead of formulating an honest account of their success and delivering it in an easy to follow and fact checkable manner. I just have to laugh. There is a ton of money being spent in each state betting on the fact that most people are naive, uninformed and easily lured into believing what they hear. I also can't help laugh to laugh every time I read that Herschel Walker has another woman come forward that produced evidence that he influenced and paid for her abortion as well. So far, he's had two women that have accused him of impregnating them and then influencing and paying for their abortions. I mean, who do you trust? The superstar ex-football star running for senator in a state where he helped deliver a national championship for Georgia, who's running on the platform of life at conception with no exception for abortion, or the women who accused him of forcing their hands or getting abortions? I don't think you have to win a Heisman, or help your coveted university win a national championship to gain the trust of the voting public, despite accusations that you're a hypocrite. But I think it helps.
Speaker 1:My last note is about Elon Musk walking into Twitter headquarters with a sink in his arms a day or so before the deal closed. He did it just so that he could tweet. Let that sink in. Very clever, very clever. So clever that his first day he fired the CEO and the CFO. Now, trust me, you don't have to hold a GoFundMe for either of them. A GoFundMe for either of them. Each will get a combined severance package of $100 million. That's more than any D1 football coach gets when he walks away with his severance package.
Speaker 1:Some are worried that Elon Musk is going to soften content regulation, like election misinformation, anti-semitic chants, medical pharma misinformation. I mean it's like open range for anything goes. But if you look at shareholder value for social media companies that highly regulate themselves, like TikTok, they're far healthier than those that are under-regulated. You know it's the small, loud, irresponsible voices that want to be heard and just won't shut up. My guess is that Musk and the new, improved Twitter will soften certain content moderation but will be judicious about voices that lead to hurtful actions. The same way, your First Amendment rights are not protected when you yell fire in the middle of a crowded theater. I think social media conglomerates should be held accountable to a higher standard to protect civil unrest.
Speaker 1:So as quirky and socially awkward as Elon Musk projects himself, well, there's one exception His Saturday night hosting gig allowed him to reveal that, despite his Asperger's, he can bite into comedic roles with reckless abandon. So, like I was saying, despite his awkwardness and quirky demeanor, he's smarter than most and he can see farther into the future than most farsighted intellects. Yeah, so I'm giving trust a shot here and I trust that he's going to make Twitter better. You've been listening to an episode of Just Tales. I'm your host, rich Easton, telling tales from beautiful Charleston, south Carolina. Talk to you soon.