1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: So this is a very unpleasant thing you have to 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: talk about, especially because I don't know that there's a 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: good answer, and I like things to be cut and dried. 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: I like it needs to be straightforward. A nice woman 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: named Tricia wrote, zar, it makes my blood boil to 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: see how many fake websites are selling t shirts and 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: hats saying that they will donate money toward relief efforts. 8 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: I just thought I would ask if you take a 9 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: moment to mention that people really need to look into 10 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: what they're really paying for and where the money is 11 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: really going to. It may be trivial, but living here 12 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: in Conroe and knowing people who've lost loved ones in 13 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: the floods, it just takes me off. God bless you 14 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: for all you do. God bless our Texas. So one 15 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: of the things I've noticed over many years is that 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: when there is a tragedy like has happened in Kerrville, 17 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: there is a certain buzzard class. 18 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 2: You know. 19 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 1: I'm reminded of Thenardier down in the Sewers and les 20 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: Miz after the revolution, and he's picking the gold out 21 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: of the teeth of those who had died revolutionaries, and 22 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: then he'll sell those go on to be a proper 23 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: gentleman and arrive in places of esteem. I have seen 24 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: these types of people, and they don't wear a cap, 25 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: you know, they don't wear instead of make America great again, 26 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: I am a scoundrel, I'm a scavenger. I'm a hyena. 27 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: In fact, quite the opposite. Oftentimes they're very slick. They 28 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: will they will have an American flag in their place 29 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: of business right behind them. They will make protestations of patriotism. 30 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: They might ask you to pray before they eat. They 31 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: don't do that all the time, just when you're there, 32 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: because they need to convince you they're a good person. 33 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: And the scavengers who are soulless, they have no soul. 34 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: They're opportunists. They watch what's out there and they know 35 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 1: that at certain times, people are not vigilant at certain 36 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: times money. At times, money is just just falling out 37 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: of people's pockets, and that's when they pounce. That's when 38 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: the money is to be made. And they have no 39 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: sh so they're not encumbered by that. So with that 40 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: being said, as always, the Kurville case occurs and folks 41 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: start reaching out and they want me to promote this 42 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: or that effort that they've undertaken. I don't know if 43 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: one percent of them are scoundrels or ninety nine percent 44 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: of them are scoundrels. I know that there are people 45 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: who are also out there who in a moment like this, 46 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: dive in headfirst to help. It's what they do, it's 47 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: who they are. For many of them. It is a 48 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: god complex that a lot of us are gifted or 49 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: cursed with, which is a desire to solve the people's problems. 50 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: And there was nothing wrong with that. In fact, thank 51 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: God for it. Thank God for this complex, this need 52 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: when there is a problem, to find a solution, no 53 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: matter what it takes. This is a mindset that most 54 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: people that get into government don't have, especially bureaucrats. They 55 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: don't think of this as an opportunity. They don't think 56 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: they've been given an instrument to solve people's problems. I 57 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: don't think old girl asking for over eight thousand dollars 58 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: to go to the Urban Land Institute when she could 59 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: have done it for pennies on the dollar and really 60 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,919 Speaker 1: not even needed to go. I don't think she's thinking, 61 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,919 Speaker 1: how can I serve the most people the best way, 62 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: so we don't have flooding problems. And you see this 63 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: in so many ways. You see so many people. We 64 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: focus on the elected officials. Damage's done by the bureaucrats 65 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: whose names you'll never know, who are squandering money. They 66 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: often have to appease the politicians, but they've got the 67 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: real power. The bureaucracy has the power, not the elected officials. 68 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: The elected officials peacock around because they need your constant 69 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: validation by vote. The bureaucrats they don't. And that's why 70 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 1: when you hear people talking about term limits and you go, Okay, 71 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 1: well that's great. We got a bunch of problems with 72 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: government being non responsive. So what we'll do is we'll say, yeah, 73 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: you can stay in government, but only for a brief 74 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: period of time. We're going to put someone else in 75 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: there who's equally non responsive. But the real power is 76 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: in the hands of the bureaucrats. Anyone who's ever been 77 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: around government understands this. The politicians don't know. They ask 78 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 1: Christy Noam this weekend, is it true that FEMA didn't 79 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: do this, this, and this, and FEMA didn't answer the 80 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: phones in Texas? And she says, I don't know, because 81 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: she's an imbecile because she doesn't know. You can't know 82 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: there's somebody in FEMA who made that decision. That's the 83 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 1: way it works. So I think a lot about this. 84 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: It comes up a lot because I get a lot 85 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: of requests to promote this or that. Every single day, 86 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: somebody will ask me to promote this or that thing 87 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: that they're doing for Camp Hope. And I can't possibly 88 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: do that for a number of reasons, one of which 89 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: is I want to have punch. When somebody's raising five 90 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars for Camp Hope, I want to make 91 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: sure I give that a lot of attention. When someone 92 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 1: is doing something that's going to raise five hundred dollars, 93 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:43,679 Speaker 1: that's wonderful, But I can't give those equal weight because 94 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 1: it takes five hundred thousand, not five hundred dollars to 95 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: keep Camp Hope going. I'm grateful for the five hundred. 96 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: But then you find that a number of businesses or 97 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: individuals will say, hey, we're going to support Camp Hope. 98 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: Tell people to come in here and spend money, and 99 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: when they spend money, we'll give a little bit of 100 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: it to Camp Hope. Well, nobody ever follows up and 101 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: finds out if they did that. And I will often 102 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: ask David Malsby, did we get a check from so 103 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: and so because they marketed using camp hope as to 104 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: why you should come in and spend money this weekend 105 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: at their restaurant or there this or there that, And 106 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: he'll say, I'm sorry, he knows why I'm asking because 107 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: I'm following up and I'm not suggesting that it would 108 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: be any more efficient if we had a governmental entity 109 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: to do it. I think the American Red Cross is 110 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: an absolute scam for what that's worth, and nobody calls 111 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: them on it to account because they got so many 112 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: famous people on their board. Most Underloaded job Seeker song, 113 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: the reference to Uncle Joe so clever, so incredibly clever. 114 00:07:55,160 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: So I wish there was an answer to the uh 115 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: to the scammer. But it's sort of like what I 116 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: said last week about you get into trouble when you 117 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: assume that everyone is just like you. I want to 118 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: smash my head into a brick wall. When people will say, Michael, 119 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: how can those people show up where the illegals are 120 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: being deported and shoot at our officers? How can they 121 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: do that? Don't they realize those officers are doing some 122 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: doing us a favor and it makes me crazy. But 123 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: then I realized, I guess in some ways it's good. 124 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: There's still people that are not as cynical as you are, 125 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: but it is It is naive and dangerous to believe 126 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 1: that everybody shore there's your values and behave the way 127 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: you would. How many times when you've seen a story 128 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: in the news have you thought to yourself, how can 129 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: someone do that because they're not bothered the way you are? 130 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: How could Bernie Madoff, who claimed to be a proud Jew, 131 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: take charitable contributions one hundred percent of them of charitable 132 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: foundations and use that and squander that money, squander it 133 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: all weekend and play tennis with them on Monday and 134 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 1: have lunch with them on Tuesday, knowing he has left 135 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: that foundation with zero dollars. It's not like you. I 136 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: could never know. You couldn't. But the danger becomes when 137 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: you assume that because you couldn't, someone else couldn't. Fred says, 138 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,719 Speaker 1: your opinion confirmed. The American Red Cross is horrible. I've 139 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: volunteered twice for a full week, five straight days each 140 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: after Alison and after Rita from eight in the morning 141 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: till six in the evening, worst bureaucracy and ego combat 142 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: zone ever and an absolute sinful waste of donated dollars. 143 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: And this from someone who worked at the HISD TODJ. 144 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: Mahal On Richmond for two years in the eighties. So 145 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: every time there is an incident, a big incident like Kerville, 146 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: and I'm always worried that our company's going to ask 147 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: me to speak for an American Red Cross. So what 148 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: I try to do is I get out in front 149 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: of it and go, hey, guys, because the company likes 150 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: to use our resources to raise a lot of money 151 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: for whatever is going to help the most. Well, the 152 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: thing is, there's a flood in Miami on Monday, in 153 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: North Carolina on Tuesday, and Curveville on Wednesday, in Los 154 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 1: Angeles on Thursday, and Idaho on Friday. You don't know 155 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 1: what the good local organization is. You can't. So where 156 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: the American Red Cross steps up is We're this good 157 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: organization that you learned about Clara Barton, and we do 158 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: in Florence, Nightingale or whoever else. We're nice people and 159 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: we have really really nice commercials on TV. Well, that's 160 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:40,079 Speaker 1: how I know I can trust you and so it 161 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: becomes very easy to write a check to the American 162 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: Red Cross. The American Red Cross has long made its 163 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: part of its business model in each major city where 164 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: they raise all the money to make it a social 165 00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: status to be on the board. Ah, yes, to be 166 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: on the board of the American Red Cross. Is American 167 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: Cancer Association as well, but the American Red Cross, you're 168 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: on the board. And then they brought in Liddy Dole, 169 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: who was Bob Dole's wife, and she was, you know, 170 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: transportation secretary, and she ran the or oh this is 171 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: and so what it became is something that rich people 172 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: could feel like they were doing some good and never 173 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: have to actually touch anything dirty. But we all feel 174 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: so good the American Red Cross. And what would happen 175 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 1: is immediately when something like Currville would happen, the nation 176 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: would say we want to help, and donations would flood in. Well, 177 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:46,959 Speaker 1: the American Red Cross has got a whole pr team, 178 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: they got money to spend, They probably put some ads 179 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: on there, and boy, they just soak in the contributions. Well, 180 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: my understanding is and I say that, well, my understanding 181 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: is that if you donate during Harvey to the American 182 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: Red cross where they're standing around in Houston and you 183 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: live in Houston and you donate all this money, they 184 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: don't necessarily spend it in Houston. They spend it in 185 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: other places. To the extent that they spend anything at all, 186 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: they spend it on corporate salaries, their executive director salaries, 187 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: and beautiful buildings and all these sorts of things that 188 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:44,079 Speaker 1: don't save a soul. Well, if people understood in Houston 189 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: that when you donate during Harvey, that those funds are 190 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:53,719 Speaker 1: not going exclusively to Houston but might get siphoned off 191 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: to somewhere else, I dare say their revenues would drop, 192 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: their contributions would drop dramatically. But you know, it's not 193 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: just that. It's not just the do gooder, self dealing 194 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: society charitable organizations where this happens. I tear. One of 195 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: the things that I find most frustrating is you'll have 196 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: these scoundrels that will say, if you come in here 197 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: and spend a bunch of money on our plays, we'll 198 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: give a couple of pennies to the charity. They don't 199 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: use those words, but that's what they're doing. And then 200 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: you get folks who say we're going to feed these people, 201 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: and we're going to pay for it ourselves. Our restaurant 202 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: is and there was a place called Vasinos. And if 203 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: they're to be believed, they're just feeding. If you want 204 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: to write them a check to help them feed more, fine, 205 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: But they're just feeding people because they're a local tex 206 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: mex restaurant and this is their community. And then we 207 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: had the guy with grape juice. That's what they're do it. 208 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: And then you'll have people who say one hundred percent 209 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: of our profits will go and so if they if 210 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: they made a thousand dollars, if they brought in one 211 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: thousand dollars today and their profits were three hundred, they'll 212 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: write a check for three hundred. Then you have people 213 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: will say one hundred percent of our proceeds, so whatever 214 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: you come in and spend that will go to the cause. 215 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: It's just frustrating. There's no good answer, and I can't 216 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: solve this problem. But I had an experience. We had 217 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: an officer in Baytown who was shot and killed execution. Still, 218 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: I was asked by a pizza company in the town 219 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: to raise money and we raised I think a million 220 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: dollars and they wrote a check for a handful and 221 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: I'm still sore about it today. 222 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 2: Michael said, for. 223 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: The ones we go don you are on the Michael 224 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: Berry Show. 225 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 2: Hey, good morning, Michael. I'm seventy years old and I 226 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 2: was raised in Houston and went to HISD all my life. 227 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 2: I remember back in the sixties going to elementary school, 228 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 2: we were sent home with little Red Cross envelopes for 229 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 2: our parents to donate too. So I think the indoctrination 230 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 2: of us into the whole Red Cross thing goes way 231 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 2: back for some of us. 232 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: I think you're absolutely right. You know, there is something 233 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: called Navigator, or I believe it's called Charity Navigator. I 234 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: forget what it's called. And it gives a rating to 235 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: nonprofits as to what percentage of their money that they 236 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: receive in donations goes towards overhead bonuses, salaries and the like. 237 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: And yeah, I don't know how many people know about it, 238 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: some people do, but it is it is an attempt 239 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: to bring some accountability to an issue that we know 240 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: there are bad people. I mean, we just know that 241 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: we know there are bad people. And the thing is 242 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: what makes them particularly pernicious is that they always gravitate 243 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: to areas where people are meaning to do the best. 244 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 1: They gravitate to patriotism, they gravitate to community spirit. After Curville, 245 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 1: they gravitate to tragedy and loss. They're the lowest scum. 246 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: When you walk up on the several species who feed 247 00:17:54,400 --> 00:18:00,399 Speaker 1: on the dead, and you get a certain emotion should 248 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: you recoil at how vile they are. There's still part 249 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:12,959 Speaker 1: of the there's still part of the natural cycle, but 250 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: there's something about them that is grotesque. I have witnessed 251 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 1: this type of person so many times, so I ran 252 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: out of time. Last segment, there was a deputy who 253 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: was shot and killed in Baytown a few years ago, 254 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: and he was walking into the station. I think he 255 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: was a constable's deputy walking into the station. A guy 256 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,439 Speaker 1: just walks up behind him, doesn't see him coming, like 257 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 1: five o'clock in the morning, shoots him in the back 258 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:45,439 Speaker 1: of the head. Did not know the deputy had no 259 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: beef with him. I had no real reason why he 260 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 1: did it, just thought he would do it. So here 261 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 1: was a deputy that had I mean, I think he'd 262 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: been on the department thirty years, well regarded guy. He 263 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: would get there before anyone else and make the coffee 264 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 1: sort of everybody's friend. And it was brought to my 265 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: attention by some folks who knew him and they were 266 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: gonna raise money for him. So one of the one 267 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: of the pizza companies in our region said, well, we'll 268 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: we'll have a day in his honor where we will 269 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 1: donate from what we sell. So I had the head 270 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: of that company for the region come on the show 271 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 1: and I said, you're donating the proceeds that means all money, yes, 272 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: I said, not the profits. You're donating the proceeds that's gross, 273 00:19:53,119 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: not net, and he said yes. So an officer friend 274 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: of mine, Steve Marino, was very good friends with that 275 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: family and they had been counseling the family, the widow 276 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: at night, so he stayed very close to it and 277 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 1: live on the air on our evening show that day. 278 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: People were calling in and we were encouraging them. And 279 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:28,360 Speaker 1: I have never twenty years of doing this, I've never 280 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: had this experience. I had people emailing me and saying, Michael, 281 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: we just called our Papa John's and they said the 282 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 1: wait is going to be three hours and fifteen minutes, 283 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: and we said we'll wait. It's for a good cost. 284 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 1: I mean, people are so short tempered and in a hurry. 285 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 1: And the faster things happen, the more demanding we become. 286 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:02,720 Speaker 1: That everything happened that fast all the time. We don't say, Wow, 287 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: this is really nice. Think how much better it is 288 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: today than the old snail mail. Think how much better 289 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:11,399 Speaker 1: it is than having us in a fax. Think how 290 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: much better things are with this this and it? Don't 291 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,719 Speaker 1: We just want everything faster fast. I had people telling 292 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:21,440 Speaker 1: me that the next day it took four hours to 293 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: get our pizza and it was the best pizza ever. 294 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 1: The pizza was cold. We didn't care. We were participating. 295 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: You know what. We can't make a big donation to things, 296 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: but we could buy, golly order a pizza, and we'll 297 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: use that company again because of it. And so days 298 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: and weeks go by and there's no check to the widow, 299 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:50,239 Speaker 1: and then there's a little bit of tiny check. And 300 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: I already knew that it was close to a million 301 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: dollars in sales. We had officers who were going into 302 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:01,400 Speaker 1: the locations of this national pizza company. We're going into 303 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: the locations in uniform. The constables were letting their constable's 304 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: deputies do this, and they went in the kitchen and 305 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,640 Speaker 1: they got flour, they're making pizzas. This is all going 306 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 1: to a great cause. We're all in this together, and 307 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: it ended up being a little pissant contribution to the widow. 308 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:22,679 Speaker 1: So I called the fellow up. I said, Keith, what 309 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: the hell are we doing here? What are we doing? 310 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 1: We busted our butt to raise all that money for 311 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 1: that officer you came on and he said, well, Michael, 312 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 1: what costs it? We don't make very much money on 313 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: a pizza. I said, I know that was your busiest 314 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 1: day of the year, and it doesn't matter how much 315 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:45,640 Speaker 1: profit you make. You said, proceeds, and he said, it's 316 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: all the same. But you'd be surprised. We don't make 317 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 1: We don't make just the tiniest bit on pizzas. I 318 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: don't need to know your profit margin because that wasn't 319 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: part of the conversation. The conversation was buy a pizza, 320 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: and the money you spend with that company will go 321 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: directly to the widow. And now you tell me the profits. Well, 322 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: the prophets still, the amount given to her was also 323 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 1: not the prophet. It was far, far, far less, and 324 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: I have I won't do it on the air, but 325 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:29,960 Speaker 1: I have most of you know who I'm talking about. 326 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: I have used every opportunity that that person's name comes 327 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: up in conversation with me to say I had a 328 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: horrible experience with this person. I feel this person is 329 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: a scoundrel. And the victim in all of this is twofold. 330 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 1: It is the widow of the woman of the deputy 331 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: who was killed, and it is all the people who 332 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 1: bought a pizza that they may not have wanted, who 333 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: waited forever, who spent their harder and money in twelve 334 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 1: twenty thirty dollars might not seem a lot, but for 335 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,399 Speaker 1: a lot of people it was. And I had people 336 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:11,880 Speaker 1: who said, I never, we don't do that, We don't 337 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: order pizza like that. We could get a tatinos at 338 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: the store for a dollar fifty whatever it was. I 339 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: did that to help that deathtic. So, yeah, there are 340 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: scoundrels out there who live among us. You normally smoke 341 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: mister Bidens the Michael Berry Show. Have you seen these 342 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: churches or or you're Catholic, Jim that noodles are being 343 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: presented instead of wafers. They call them Roman Catholics. Yeah, 344 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: that's my that's my Catholic joke for the day. I 345 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: was somewhere earlier this summer and there were a group 346 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: of guys and guys where were We must have been 347 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:11,640 Speaker 1: six of us, And somebody brought up religious affiliation. And 348 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: this guy said, well, I'm Catholic. What are you? I said, 349 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: I'm Christian. And he didn't think that was funny, and 350 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: I said, Oh, don't worry. I don't have anything against Catholics. 351 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,959 Speaker 1: Some of my best friends are Catholics, which is one 352 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 1: of my favorite things to say about anything. I don't 353 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: have anything against Homo's, I don't have anything against Mexicans. 354 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: I don't have anything against left handed people whatever. Some 355 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: of my best friends are because that's always been one 356 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:42,879 Speaker 1: of my favorite lines. He got his feelings hurt, and 357 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: he told the person who had put the group together 358 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 1: that I was mean, I'm fifty four years old, you're 359 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:59,359 Speaker 1: in your mid forties. Mean, what are we eight mean? 360 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: That's a funny joke right there. I'm not Catholic. I'm Christian. 361 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: It's not funny, Michael, I'm Catholic. Okay, So let me 362 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: get this straight. I can make all the jokes about 363 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: how blacks need to stop voting for Democrats, they need 364 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: to stop making bad decisions. They need to stop doing 365 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: this and this. I can do it in an accent. 366 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 1: I can use this line. I can ridicule this beacon 367 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 1: of blackness among certain people. And you think it's hilarious. 368 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,920 Speaker 1: But when I make a Catholic joke, you get your 369 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,720 Speaker 1: feelings hurt. Do you kind of notice what's going on there? 370 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,719 Speaker 1: Funny is funny? You got a good Southern Baptist joke. Fire. 371 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: I love it. It's either true or it's not true. 372 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: I find it hilarious. How many people do not want 373 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:05,640 Speaker 1: any affiliation they have to have a joke attached to it. 374 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: And I've come to understand that is because people don't 375 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: understand what a joke is. A joke is not an insult. 376 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: If you ever watched a Southern Baptist comic, there are 377 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: a few of them. What's the guy's name, Tim? This 378 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: guy's name Jim that does the funny songs? Tim. He 379 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: makes jokes that are at the expense of Southern Baptists. 380 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,879 Speaker 1: We used to have guys come in that would preach 381 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: revivals at our church and then have some jokes about 382 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 1: how many committees we had and Baptists versus this where 383 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: Baptists were the joke of it. We thought it was hilarious. 384 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: If you can't laugh at yourself and you don't understand 385 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 1: the point of humor. And it's important that people understand. 386 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:59,160 Speaker 1: Sight is a sense. If you lack the sense of sight, 387 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: you are called blind. Sound is a sense ability to hear. 388 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: If you lack that sense, you are deaf. If you 389 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: lack the sense of speech. Forever, you were referred to 390 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:23,960 Speaker 1: as dumb. Dumb did not mean stupid. Dumb was replaced 391 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: with mute because it became the case that if you 392 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: couldn't respond when someone spoke to you, that you were 393 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,360 Speaker 1: considered stupid, an imbecile, whatever word you wanted to use. 394 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: So if you asked someone a question and they weren't 395 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: able to answer the question, you said, what are you dumb? 396 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: Meaning what are you mute? It didn't mean stupid. But 397 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: in time those two words blended together so that most 398 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: people today may be made I don't know. I suspect 399 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: a lot of people today don't know that the term 400 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: dumb refer to the inability of speech, and so dumb 401 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: was changed to stupid. Well, and well, stupid replaced dumb. 402 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 1: That's what I meant to say, was dumb was replaced 403 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: by mute, the inability to speak. So if you lack 404 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: these certain senses, which some people do, you lack the 405 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: sense of taste, of smell, touch doesn't make you a 406 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 1: bad person, but it does reduce your ability to experience 407 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: the phenomena of life. And there is such a thing 408 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 1: as lacking a sense of humor. It's called a sense 409 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: of humor. For a reason, you are humor less, which 410 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: is one of the worst insults I can give someone. 411 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 1: And that brings us to our next point. Be mindful 412 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: of the humorless. The humorless are the people who will 413 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: turn you into hr The humorless are the people who 414 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: show up at work in a bad mood because their 415 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,960 Speaker 1: cat pissed on their socks because they always have a 416 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: lot of cats. The humorless are the people who are 417 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: not in love, nor are they loved. They don't have 418 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: rewarding relationships, They have not achieved the professional success they 419 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 1: believe they are entitled to. They do not get the 420 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: appreciation and the a plumba and the applause that they 421 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: think that they are entitled to, so it puts them 422 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,960 Speaker 1: on edge at all times. You ever see somebody walk 423 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 1: in front of you in the crosswalk, and they slow down, 424 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: real slow, even though it's turned green for you to go, 425 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: as if go ahead and hit me, I'm gonna slow down. 426 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: How sad did you have to be that your sense 427 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: of utility, because it's not joy that you're mad at 428 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: the guy who's in the car, who's in the lane, 429 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: who's next up at the end. That your victory today 430 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: is that they're not going to run you over because 431 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: it would be more hassle than just waiting. So they'll wait. 432 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: And maybe I can make that person mad who's sitting 433 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: in the car waiting while I walk slower to cross 434 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 1: the intersection. Maybe I can make him as miserable as 435 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: I am by slowing down. That guy is humorless. People 436 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: who laugh are happy. People who can't laugh and say, well, 437 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: I like jokes. I like jokes. They just have to 438 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: be funny. That one wasn't funny. You don't get to 439 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 1: decide what's money. That's the whole point. You don't get 440 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 1: to decide what's money. The fact that you don't see 441 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 1: the humor in something doesn't make it less funny, nor 442 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: does it make it offensive. Makes you sad and pitiful. 443 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: So identify those people in their lives and then cut 444 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: them out like a cancer, because that's the person who's 445 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 1: going to HR. And by the way, HR is always 446 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: going to be populated by somebody just like them. A 447 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,240 Speaker 1: person who gets up in the morning hoping to take 448 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: out the best seller at the company, the best executive 449 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: at the company, the most loved person at the company, 450 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: because that's all they can really do is drag through 451 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: an intersection and make the latest second. That's their contribution 452 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 1: to humanity.